When you start moving objects around in Blender, there are times when you need to move them at angles. So in other words, we need to them at different orientations. So we have a feature in Blender called Transform Orientation that can help us with this. So I have a simple table and chair here. So if you want to take a look at this kind of from the top, I've got these two chairs and I want to go ahead and put this one chair underneath the table. So I am going to right-click on it and rotate it so that it's kind of in the same direction as the table, so it's fairly square to the table, and then I am going to select my Translate Manipulator.
And if you'll notice here, I've got this manipulator actually is along the global X and Y axis. So in other words, I can't slide it directly in to the table. I can move it this way or this way, and so if I wanted to, I can kind of edge my way into it, but I can't do it in one smooth motion. I can change that by using the transform orientation. And that's this little box here next to our Move and Rotate and Scale manipulators.
So right now it's set to Global and that's the default, and so this Manipulator will match the X, Y, and Z axis of the scene, the Global axis. But if I want, I can change this to match the axis of each individual object. But if I want to, I can change this. Each individual object has its own set of coordinates and we can use those. So I go from Global to Local, notice how that flips.
And now I can just slide that chair straight in, well, it's a little bit off there, but yeah, I can pretty much slide that chair straight in, rather than having to do it this way, where I have to kind of work it in one axis at a time. So typically, when you build an object, you should build it square to the X, Y, and Z axis. And when you do that, by nature, your local axis will keep with the object. We have a number of additional axis here.
The ones you're going to use most are Global and Local. We have another one called Gimbal, and that's for, when you're working with bones and that sort of thing. We have Normal and this actually aligns it to the normal direction of the surface. So this is something you would use when you're actually doing Mesh Modeling. And then also the other one is aligned to view, and this can also be very important. So what it does is gives you an X and Y that are actually always perpendicular to the cameras. So no matter how I move the camera, I can always move it square to that camera.
So if I move it this way, then I can still continue to move it square to the camera. Now this can be very important if you're doing things where you need to move things directly horizontally to where ever the camera is and this will go ahead and calculate that properly. Also don't forget that these methods also work for the other tools. So for example, if I wanted to scale this chair, I would go into a Local mode in order to scale it. So if I wanted to scale it left and right or back and forth, going on the Local axis gives me that.
If I did the Global axis, then my scaling wouldn't be aligned with my object. And the same goes for rotation. I can rotate around the Global axis or around the Local axis and I can also rotate around the view. So by using Transform Orientation, we can Rotate, Move and Scale objects using different sets of axis.
Author
Updated
8/16/2017Released
2/24/2012- Navigating in 3D space
- Selecting, rotating, and scaling objects
- Using Snap to move objects precisely
- Creating mesh primitives and extrusions
- Subdividing meshes
- Creating a simple creature
- Joining mesh objects and stitching vertices
- Organizing a scene with layers, groups, and hierarchies
- Assigning glossy and reflective materials to objects
- Creating bump maps
- Creating sky and ambient light
- Understanding ambient occlusion
- Adding motion blur and depth of field
- Editing animation in the Graph Editor
- Building and animating a simple character
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Q: This course was updated on 8/12/2014. What changed?
A: We added a single movie on unwrapping objects, a technique that works differently in Blender 2.7. The rest of the instructions in the course work equally well with Blender 2.6 and Blender 2.7.
Q: This course was updated on 06/20/2017. What changed?
A: The following topic was updated: using the Node Editor.
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 8s
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Download Blender26s
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1. The Blender Interface
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Navigating in 3D space4m 59s
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Configuring user preferences6m 27s
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2. Selecting and Translating Objects
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Selecting objects6m 12s
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Moving objects4m 35s
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Rotating objects2m 48s
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Scaling objects2m 16s
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Changing an object's origin5m 27s
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Selecting pivot points3m 22s
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3. Modeling
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Creating mesh primitives6m 36s
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Editing mesh objects7m 39s
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Proportional editing3m 52s
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Sculpt mode5m 3s
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Extrusions5m 18s
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Smooth shading objects2m 23s
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Subdividing meshes5m 12s
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4. Advanced Modeling
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Working with modifiers5m 52s
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Creating a simple creature7m 54s
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Joining mesh objects3m 37s
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Stitching vertices4m 52s
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Finalizing a simple creature4m 48s
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Creating text3m 29s
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Boolean tools2m 59s
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Vertex groups4m 51s
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5. Staying Organized
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Using the Outliner8m 22s
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Using layers4m 30s
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Creating groups2m 48s
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Working with scenes4m 2s
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Creating hierarchies2m 54s
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6. Applying Materials
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Diffuse shaders6m 47s
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Working with specularity5m 56s
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Additional shading options2m 37s
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Creating reflections8m 29s
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Subsurface scattering5m 59s
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7. Adding Textures
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Adding a simple texture6m 11s
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Using bitmaps6m 53s
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Using UV projections5m 56s
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UV mapping a character6m 35s
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Fine-tuning UV mapping6m 7s
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Displacement mapping3m 48s
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Using the node editor5m 58s
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8. Working with Light
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Adding lamps to a scene8m 44s
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Using spot lamps4m 20s
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Fine-tuning buffer shadows6m 19s
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Using Hemi lamps2m 32s
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Working with Area lamps5m 17s
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Adding background images3m 19s
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Creating sunlight6m 6s
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Ambient occlusion7m 11s
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9. Cameras and Rendering
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Working with cameras4m 47s
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Render properties5m 7s
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Rendering animation5m 13s
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Adding motion blur4m 10s
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Creating depth of field7m 8s
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10. Basic Animation
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Animating objects6m 26s
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Using the Dope Sheet4m 53s
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Path animation4m 32s
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11. Character Rigging
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Understanding armatures6m 2s
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Animating in Pose mode2m 47s
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Creating a test animation9m 24s
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12. Rendering in Cycles
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Working with image maps2m 26s
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Create lights in cycles9m 1s
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Lighting a scene in cycles9m 19s
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Conclusion
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Next steps15s
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Video: Understanding transform orientation