Blender, the Swiss army knife of 3D modeling, is known for its immense versatility and power. But to really gain a foothold in this world of unlimited creative possibilities, there's one secret that every Blender artist should know: keyboard shortcuts.

Why are keyboard shortcuts so important in Blender? Quite simply, they are the shortcuts to your creativity. Imagine you're working on a complex 3D project. Every second you spend navigating menus or searching for tools is a second your creative energy is drained. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to break through these barriers. They give you the freedom to realize your ideas fluidly and efficiently without the technical process slowing down your creativity.

In this article, we present you with a comprehensive list of essential Blender keyboard shortcuts. Whether you're a beginner taking your first steps or a seasoned pro looking to hone your skills, these shortcuts will revolutionize your Blender experience. Ready to boost your productivity and take your 3D creations to the next level? Then let's dive into the world of Blender shortcuts!

File

Edit

Render

Window

Basic

Transformation

Modeling/Edit Mode

View/Camera

animation

Select Object Mode

Select Edit Mode

Hide/Hide

Did you know ...

• that you can set many interesting and useful pre-installed addons under "User Preferences -> Addons"?
• that if you use shortcuts in Blender, you can work more than twice as fast?
• that if you want to work with keyboard shortcuts from Maya, you can switch them to Maya in Blender under "User Preferences -> Input -> Preset"?
• that Blender supports new render engines through addons (Luxrender, Yafray, etc. ...)?
• that you can learn almost everything about Blender in the Blender encyclopedia (http://wiki.blender.org)?
• that you can load references into the background of the 3D view under "Properties (N) -> Background Images" (also possible via drag & drop)?
• that you can change all colors of the workspace under "User Preferences -> Themes", so that you can already be creative in the design of Blender?
• that you can link objects in many Blender files?
• that if you want to put your render images online, they should be saved in jpg file format, as this format has a smaller number of megabits and retains the quality well?
• that you can create animated 3D sounds in Blender with the Speaker object?
• that you can track videos and insert 3D objects with Blender (Visual Effects)?

5 tips for Blender

1. Triangular and square polygons
   By default, Blender works with 4-sided polygons. If 3-cornered or
   n-cornered polygons are created, you should try to convert them to quadrilaterals, as 3- or n-cornered polygons often cause render or texture errors. If there is no other option, 3- and n-cornered polygons can also be used.
2. Number of polygons
   The more polygons an object has, the greater the load on the computer and the higher the probability that the program will crash. It is recommended to save polygons. The fewer polygons in the scene, the faster the rendering.
3. Twisted polygons
   Polygons can twist when working in edit mode. This results in errors that can be seen as gray-black spots in the render result. This can be corrected in edit mode: Toolbar (T) -> Normals -> Recalculate. This rotates the polygons in one direction.
4. Search functions
   If you press the space bar in Blender, a small search window always appears
   under the mouse pointer. You can search for functions and other things there. Functions are searched for from the window on which the mouse pointer is currently located. For example, if the mouse pointer is in the "Image Editor", different functions of the Image Editor are displayed.
5. External Data
   If you want to pack textures, references and other files into an existing .blender
   file, for example to pass it on, you can proceed as follows: File -> File -> External Data -> Pack into .blend File. The same works in reverse. If you want to unpack textures, references and other files from a .blend file, select "Unpack into Files" instead of "Pack into .blend File" and specify the folder where the files are to be saved