Selection Tips and Tricks for Blender

[@RadioOchess]

I always say, modeling is art of selecting. This tutorial is great! Thanks

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks so much and I totally agree. At least being able to select efficiently really speeds up the process a lot.

[@shinjiikarir]

I CANT BELIEVE I USED BLENDER FOR A YEAR AND DID NOT KNOW SOME OF THESE. THANK YOU SIR!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

No problem. I think it was longer for me for some of them so you're ahead of the game!

[@joelwalden5504]

Totally worth watching to the end. Didn't know about LSelect! Thank you!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

No problem at all and glad you found it useful 😁

[@neilmarshall5087]

Make a selection (vertex, edge or face) and Shift-Ctrl Click somewhere else. That selects the whole rectangular area between the two clicks. You can keep adding with more shift clicks. In Edge select mode Ctrl-Alt click an edge to select a loop of just the edges. After the last tip, do a checker deselect, then Select Menu > Select Loops > Edge Loops. Now you have quickly selected alternate loops along the mesh like a beach ball stripes (rather than Alt-Shift click every second row right around the mesh). In the same Select Menu > Select Loops Menu there is also Select Loop Inner-Region And Select Boundary Loop - to select all within a loop, or just the outside of a selection. Select one vertex then Select Menu > Side of Active. It will select everything in the direction you choose. Good for selecting half a model when the topology is not clean, or just an arm.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Great tips. Thanks man!

[@raptorswire7212]

man, your channel is absolutely awesome! keep it up!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Cheers 😁👍🏻

[@davep2927]

I totally forgot about the seams, thanks for the good reminder :)

[@ArtisansofVaul]

My pleasure!

[@dragonscalesvr]

great video, most of it i already use. I really want to know how to select an area based on Boolean intersection. like, if inside object, select. I don't want to delete it though or modify it yet.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks. I am not sure what you are trying to do. Could you explain it a different way?

[@dragonscalesvr]

@@ArtisansofVaul So lets say I have a tree, but i just want to select the tips of the branches. The sampling tree gen makes different sections and if i remesh it turns to garbage, but if i could create a sphere and just say "select everything outside the sphere" that would be helpful. Then I would have the branch tips to create a leaf area manually using those vertices or however i do it.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@dragonscalesvr Oh I get what you're saying, thats a nice idea with using the other object. I think to do that you'd have to use something like Geometry nodes. But I'd probably just duplicate the object, delete the branches not wanted (using a difference boolean with your other shape), then generate the leaves and finally delete the copy that only has the branch tips leaving the leaves remaining in the correct place.

[@dragonscalesvr]

@@ArtisansofVaul right, we can use a boolean toggle to achieve something similar like basically destroying everything the orb touches, but we can't select it which is kind of like, we are in 2025 and we can't select volumes? but i get it, programming is hard. I bet i could actually write a custom script for it, boolean select using that same concept in the special directions area or w/e it is

[@Savigo.]

7:42 - You don't need machine tools for this. Just go to: select -> select loops -> select edge loops after checker diselect.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Oh cool. I'll try that out for sure.

[@morizanova]

This video should be in Blender Official Guide video . Thanks for Care to explore and explaining to us

[@ArtisansofVaul]

No problem at all 😁👍🏻

[@KeanusReal]

hello, i have a question. 8:11, when you press tab your screen shows quick Vertex,Edge,Face mode transition. However, When I press Tab, It moves out from Edit mode to Object mode.. how did you do magic??. I want to try your Selection converting Vertex to Edge feature like that.. but no one knows this feature and no one is asking. i'm so surprized.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

It's probably because its my other videos as well so it's been asked 😁 It's just a faster way to swap between modes. It's one of the functions of Machin3 Tools, an addon you can get free on gumroad. You can find a lot of the other functions here: kzbin.info/aero/PLnqmLZKRm5CYGKLbXGa3l74XPxTi45ft2

[@KeanusReal]

@@ArtisansofVaul Thank you for reply! I realized Just pressing 1,2,3 converts selection. i'm fool haha.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@KeanusReal No problem at all man. 👍🏻

[@SPQRxUSAxNUSA]

THANK YOU, that was extremely helpful.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😁 That's great. Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@rokminis59]

Amazing learning! Would like to know how you made that pad shape too!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Its just a quad sphere (Machine Tools [the free add on mentioned in the video] allows you to make that in the mesh options), quartered and then I have used Box Cutter to do an inset on the centre section. Hopefully thats clear enough, if not let me know.

[@badmotivator3424]

@@ArtisansofVaul I'm looking to 3d print a shoulder pad with a custom chapter icon moulded on it, so I'd love to see a quick video on how you made the shoulder pad. Thanks, I really enjoy your channel!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@badmotivator3424 I'll have a look at doing a quick video for it then. I'll think about the best way to do it so maybe next week.

[@celticarchie]

Thank you! Just the tip I needed! :D

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😁😁😁

[@lukasvideosify1596]

This has been pretty helpful. Thank you!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Glad to hear it!

[@sudd3660]

at 12:15 when you select sharp edges, on this model you can be in face select mode instead of edge select. then when you select sharp edges tool it selects the outer ring of faces, then expand the selection +once and then contract- and invert the selection it does the same thing without seams. just something that happened when i was in the face select and used the tool, could be useful to know.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

I'm going to have to try that! Thanks so much!

[@ted4728]

7:40 not necessarily - if you dont want to use machine tools to dissolve faces like this, you can try these (2 methods): Method 1 - edit: temperamental for some reason. worked for first dissolve then not for next on my first try. managed to dissolve it down to a cube on my third, dunno why it stopped working first and second - select all edges on first row then doing checker deslect on each one. - hide it (H) then repeat with the next row. - make sure you aren't selecting anything then unhide the previous (alt H) and you now have alternating columns selected all down the cylinder. Note: you may need to mess with the offset slightly, but if you have the same pattern for each it should work :) Method 2 - the better one - edit: successfully done with 1024 vertices and 64 loop cuts. - deselect everything before you add the loop cut. that way all the loop cuts are selected. - hide all the loop cuts and the top and bottom face. - select alternating edges (made easier using shift+ctrl+numpad[+]). edges do not need to be in the same row. - press ctrl+numpad[+], turn off face step check box, and continue until all alternating columns selected.

[@ted4728]

15:36 also a way to do this exact thing without using mesh machine: edit: works in reverse - you can select an edge on the other end of the cylinder then do this. can also make the process quicker and more accurate by selecting multiple (like 3) edges spread randomly around the circumference of the cylinder. the more you have the more accurate, but just do as many as you want. done both with case in video and also with spheres on both ends of cylinder. you can just deselect the other end of the cylinder in wireframe mode. - set up quad sphere by subdividing a cube with ctrl+1 and then change the number in the box that turns up to subdivide to your liking - create cylinder and place in position you would like - select cube and add boolean modifier. make it union and then add the cylinder to it. hide the cylinder. - select an edge and then use 'select similar -> face angles' - set threshold to 1 then scroll it down until only the edges and the face on the end of the cylinder are selected. - deselect end of cylinder with alt+left click and you are left with all edges around the base of the cylinder selected.

[@SareALMTv]

Please, what buttons do you press here to select a face without selecting the face next to it? 3:07

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Shift at the same time as clicking is I think what you mean for that time stamp.

[@SareALMTv]

@@ArtisansofVaul yes

[@SareALMTv]

@@ArtisansofVaul But I know the buttons now, but I didn't notice the taps appearing on the screen in the video at first. Thank you

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@SareALMTv No problem at all 👍🏻

[@Hurtone]

A great video as always. I just cannot wrap my heat around why you model in such high poly count but that is a preference I guess.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Its just for the 3D printing. If this wasnt to be printed I would have a way lower poly but the more gradiated the smoother it will be. Ive also got that way as some of my AT designs from CG Trader have been scaled up to 28mm by people so they need that level if they are going to be aroun 450% the size. And if the computer can take it why not 😉

[@andrewscott985]

4:52 Weird numbers? 128? 256? Not even 129 or 259 aren't weird, let alone 128 and 256. A conversation between a mathematician and an IT programmer: Mathematician: Could you lend me some money? IT programmer: I think I can. How much do you need? Mathematician: Weeell, 500. IT programmer: I give you 512 to make it round. P.S. Thank you for posting the video. It's indeed helpful. Cheers

[@ArtisansofVaul]

No weird. They allow simplification easily as they can always be halved by taking out every other vertex without causing issues. You can halve from 256 to 128, then 64, 32, 16, 8 and finally a cube of 4.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Lmao. It only showed me the first bit of your reply 🤣 I get what you're saying now. Lols.

[@matsy7450]

Please can you tell me how to do this, very simple but very useful and important thing: I select the combo vertex, edges, polygon, at the same time. By pressing shift left click on 1,2,3 keys. Now...how do I select an EDGE loop? Unfortunately it is not possible, and this is serious:(

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Hi Matsy, Im not quite visualising what you are doing in that explanation. Have you got an image or a video of it you could send me (my instagram name is on the videos so you could message it to me there).

[@matsy7450]

​@@ArtisansofVaul Hi! You go to edit mode. In the top bar there are three icons: vertices, edges and polygons, which correspond to the relative selection mode. You can activate the three icons one by one, in various combination, or all at the same time, by holding shift and left-clicking on each of them. Now, the problem is that in this ''combo'' mode I cannot select edge loops on meshes. Because if I double click on an edge, to select an edge loop, Blender selects only polygons, but not the edges. Unfortunately, I can't find anyone who has had a problem with this and found the solution for it.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@matsy7450 Well firstly thats cool, I never knew you could do that :p It does appear that you're correct you cant then select an edge loop. I guess my question is what are you trying to achieve in the end? Like what do you want to end up with selected that you need to be in all three modes?

[@matsy7450]

@@ArtisansofVaul My goal is to select simply one or more edge loops in multiselect mode :) This would save me many clicks. Also, it would be more logical to have this possibility. In fact: if I am in multiselection mode, and if edge mode is included in multiselection, why I cannot use the commands I would use in edge mode only? (at least the most important ones, like edge loops).

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@matsy7450 From the look of it it isn't possible. At least I cant find a solution. I imagine it's something to do with how Blender understands the commands it's being given but that's a total guess. It's probably a question for the people who make/program Blender I'm afraid.

[@caribbeanchild]

Well.... this is not really selection tips for Blender is it? You need Machine Tools and Box Cutter etc. in order to accomplish some of these selections don't you?

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Firstly thanks for the comment, it made me rewatch something and I realised I misspoke for the technique at 3:17, that doesn't need Boxcutter (Ive added that to the discription). But other than that Im not sure I understand your point. Needing some add-ons doesn't stop it being within Blender. You also need a numberpad on your keyboard for one.... As a video I hope to be as informative as possible and part of that should be both showing people how to achieve certain results but also show the potential of what can be done in Blender even if it includes the use of add ons as people may not be aware that they exist. Especially for add ons that are free, like Machine Tools.