Hidden mesh editing trick in Blender

A couple of simple but effective mesh editing tips that came up in a recent project I wanted to share.
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[@nacidocoqui]

Artisans of Vaul is just a highly evolved AI algorithm feeding off my Google searches, I swear to the God-Emperor! He ALWAYS posts a video covering something I was looking up how to do not THREE DAYS AGO!!! 😱😱😱 On the real, tho, great video as always, and as a self-taught guy, your videos and the way you teach are absolutely invaluable!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😅😅😅 Cheers man. As always lovely to hear I'm posting topics that help out with what people are looking for 😁

[@21Liberdade]

Alternatively, for issue nr.1, you can: - Select the vertex at the end of the blade - Go to the Transform Orientations Menu - Click the Plus sign You now have a transform orientation based of that vertex.

[@donta42]

you mean instead of referencing another face and using the 3d cursor - you can just create another "local" axis for any vertex no matter where it's parent mesh is oriented?

[@21Liberdade]

@@donta42 You can try it out. - Create a plane - Select one of the vertices - Press the + sign on the Transform Orientations Menu - when now move that vertex, it should move along its own axis, which includes a straight diagonal line. Evidently, while having this new orientation selected, all other geometry will move accordingly. This is particularly useful if you've rotated your object in object mode and then applied your rotation. In that case you can always go into edit mode and create a custom orientation based of a specific part of the geometry.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Totally. I have covered that in previous videos so wanted to cover an alternative. Both work great 👍🏻

[@neilmarshall5087]

For the proportional editing you can go into the settings and choose only connected. It helps in many situations. When you edit those faces to remove the crossed verts, you could just select the faces then press F to make them into one face.. No need to delete, reselect the edges, then make a single face.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Good point on the F option. Though sometimes Blender does mess that up. But it is a good process 👍🏻 The only connected is a good call in this situation. But for some models with objects booleaned in Blender will add cuts/edges to the model when they aren't connected to the outside edge so I wanted to cover something that would work all of the time, not some of the time. But for this exact example it would be a great choice 👌🏼

[@FetidPhlesh]

The most comprehensive channel for hard surface in blender. Really love your work Mr. AoV.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks so much 😁👍🏻

[@FullCaber]

good stuff always come back to your vids when i forget something xD

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😁 Lovely to hear. Glad they are a helpful reminder.

[@FullCaber]

@@ArtisansofVaul u got any tutorial on how to have separate studs go around like a cylinder shape ?

[@Crimsin19937]

Also, for proportional editing, theres a dropdown menu on the proportional editing button with the option "connected only" and ticking it means it wont effect other disconnected meshes, even if they're in the same object.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Very true. But as these are connected objects they would still be impacted.

[@Crimsin19937]

@ArtisansofVaul ohhh. I assumed because they were separate objects that you joined together they wouldn't be connected. My bad.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@Crimsin19937 In this instance they were booleaned. But that was only to demonstrate that this can be done after all the booleans have been completed. Normally you wouldn't boolean the objects until you were completely happy with everything to stop this being needed

[@Crimsin19937]

@@ArtisansofVaul gotcha! Makes sense now.

[@Palsa-Achilleus]

The part at 4:20, depending on the circumstances, deleting the faces might not be the best option, especially if you're working with a finished object. I'd suggest using the knife tool instead to draw new edges over the existing ones, then edge select and dissolve the old ones. Stretching might still be an issue, but you shouldn't have to unwrap the UVs a second time with the knife method. Great video, btw.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

UV's/Ngons arent really a concern for me as I design for 3D printing but good tip.

[@protraheric5097]

As opposed to the cursor, you could also save a custom transform orientation and go back to it later without relying on the position of the cursor. Useful if it's something you'll have to do repeatedly. The old 2.79 shortcut for cursor stuff is shift ctrl alt c, I don't think they kept one after 2.8 by default but I bet the built-in Pie menu add on might have one-too lazy to check atm.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Definetly. I've just shown it in videos before so like to show some alternatives 👍🏻

[@eitantal726]

4:44 Gridfill is useful in filling complicated gaps like this, when they're not planar

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Good tip, though gridfill can generate issues of its own.

[@darrennew8211]

Excellent tip!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks Darren 😁👍🏻

[@emmamarx9284]

Stellar tip and great explanation! I have some old projects before I learned about nondestructive modeling that this will come in handy for

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😁 Thanks. Yeah it's always helpful to be able to go back to those old projects

[@orpheuscreativeco9236]

👍 Nice! My current workflow just has me making collections that I duplicate and hide before major joining or boolean proceedures. If I need to make edits or variations of a mesh I have all the parts broken out to work on individually. I'm sure that circumstances won't always permit, but it does save me some time.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

A really useful technique 👍🏻👌🏼

[@mind_of_a_darkhorse]

It's an easy thing to miss! Great tip!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Cheers man 😁👍🏻

[@3d178]

in editing mode

[@ArtisansofVaul]

👍

[@mipe7755]

I like the word "guesstimate".

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😅 Very important technical term 😉

[@3d178]

Sorry, I forgot that they are combined

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😅 I hadn't seen you'd already comments. Exactly correct.

[@rustymustard7798]

Hey, it's a weaponized spork, a spword!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😅😅😅👍🏻

[@ozcanison]

Another great video. I'vebeen using Blender so much more since ive been watching your videos. Question, how do you change the base model colour to the red/rust colour you use? Its so much easier to see detail than the default grey!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Glad Im helping you use Blender more 😁 Ive got a video on my settings here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paPUpWt8rJykbtE

[@Piotreq321]

You could easily mark seams around booleaned parts and then use "L" with limited selection set to seams in the last operation menu. I'm not able to check it now but I believe you need to switch your edit mode to planes selection to work

[@Piotreq321]

I'm, of course, referring to selecting part of video not proportial editing. To edit you would still need to hide parts

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Totally agree, a great selection method.

[@waberoid]

If you don't bool them together, you can just press L on the blade and then invert selection and hide couldnt you? Or with proportional editing to have that effect connected verts only?

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Definetly. The point of the video is to look at what you can do if you've gone "too far" destructively. But it's best to keep non-destructive if possible.

[@k4x4map46]

nice!!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

😁👍🏻 Thanks

[@k4x4map46]

@@ArtisansofVaul You're welcome!!

[@3d178]

simply press l to select an object

[@Piotreq321]

Actually if you would mark seams around parts you want to edit you could still use "L" and then switch limit to seam in adjust last operation menu. In this case I would use select sharp edges, mark seam.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Good comment. But that will select the whole object.

[@ventiladordesuco]

I think this is avoidable. You could avoid all of this by using many methods that understand local vs global space. You can model a proxy and position it rotated later. You could straighten it by using a loop cut in the middle. There are so many ways of doing this correctly in the first place that this feels like a solution to an invented problem. Also, you can always create your own orientation based on an edge or a face, this is why there's a plus sign on the orientation drop down. Furthermore you can align the view to the selection by using shift +numpad 7 (or alt, i don't remember)

[@ArtisansofVaul]

You're correct on some of these points. Making a cut does not allow you to scale out the model proportionally, it allows you to love the upper points. I think this is more you not understanding what is wanted I'm afraid. You're correct on the orientation, that's another option with an equal time taken so yes it is another option. And I have videos discussing the view option but I think making people aware of other options (again not covering the same thing repeatedly) is more helpful. But yes, this is avoidable as discussed at the beginning of the video. The point being that sometimes you realise you want something too late.

[@ventiladordesuco]

@@ArtisansofVaul Totally agree with you. You have a super valid point. Sometimes you are just too far that modeling in situ is just what you need.