Vertex Groups – Blender 2.80 Fundamentals

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Vertex Groups in Blender #

Vertex groups in Blender are a way to organize and associate vertices within a mesh object, which can be used for various purposes such as weight painting, particle systems, and shape keys. By defining vertex groups, you can apply different influences or transformations to specific parts of a mesh. This guide will provide an overview of vertex groups in Blender and their common uses.

Creating Vertex Groups #

To create vertex groups in Blender, follow these steps:

1. Select a mesh object in the 3D Viewport.
2. In the Properties panel, navigate to the Object Data Properties tab (identified by a triangle icon).
3. In the Vertex Groups section, click on the “+” button to create a new vertex group.
4. Double-click on the vertex group’s name to rename it, if desired.

Assigning Vertices to Vertex Groups #

Once you have created a vertex group, you can assign vertices to it:

1. Switch to Edit Mode in the 3D Viewport’s top left corner.
2. Select the vertices you want to assign to the vertex group.
3. In the Vertex Groups section of the Object Data Properties tab, select the desired vertex group.
4. Click on the “Assign” button to assign the selected vertices to the vertex group.

Using Vertex Groups #

Vertex groups can be used in various contexts within Blender:

• Weight Painting: Vertex groups are often used in character rigging to define the influence of bones on the mesh. When weight painting, each vertex group corresponds to a bone in the armature, and the weights define the influence of that bone on the vertices in the group.
• Particle Systems: When using particle systems, vertex groups can be used to control the density, length, and other properties of particles emitted from a mesh. By assigning vertices to different vertex groups, you can control where particles are emitted and their attributes.
• Modifiers: Several modifiers in Blender use vertex groups as input to control their effects, such as the Displace modifier, which allows you to control the displacement of a mesh based on a vertex group, or the Mask modifier, which uses a vertex group to define the visible parts of a mesh.
• Shape Keys: Vertex groups can be used in conjunction with shape keys to control the influence of a shape key on specific parts of a mesh. This can be useful for creating more precise and localized shape key animations.

Vertex groups in Blender provide a versatile way to organize and manipulate specific parts of a mesh object. By understanding the principles and techniques of vertex groups, you can achieve more complex and precise control over your meshes and their properties, improving the quality and flexibility of your Blender projects.