🧱 QuickStart Blender Guide

Activity: Interface, Navigation & Object Manipulation

Blender Basics

Open Blender
Start with the default cube – that’s your first object!

Understanding the X, Y, Z Axes in Blender

Blender’s 3D space is built around three axes that define direction and position:

X Axis (Red) → Left ↔ Right
Y Axis (Green) → Front ↔ Back
Z Axis (Blue) → Up ↕ Down

Each axis helps you move, rotate, or scale objects with precision.

X, Y, and Z axis graph

Action	Mouse / Shortcut
Orbit / Rotate View	Middle Mouse Button (MMB)
Pan View	Shift + MMB
Zoom	Scroll Wheel

➡️ MMB = Middle Mouse Button

Mouse buttons

3D Cursor

The 3D Cursor in Blender is a red and white target-shaped marker that holds a location and rotation in 3D space. It primarily serves as a reference point for creating new objects, adjusting pivot points, and snapping elements together.

Place the Cursor in the centre: press Shift + C
Place the Cursor anywhere else: Hold Shift and Right-Click anywhere in the viewport to move the cursor to that location.

Mouse buttons

Basic Object Controls

Action	Shortcut	Description
Select	Left Click	Select objects
Move	G	Grab/move object
Rotate	R	Rotate object
Scale	S	Resize object
Confirm / Cancel	Left Click / Esc	Finalize or cancel the action
New Mesh	Shift + A	Add a new mesh: plane, cube, cylinder, sphere…
Delete Mesh	Select + X	Delete a mesh
Go back	Cmd + Z	Undo steps

Blender tutorial for beginners : Move, Rotate and Scale

Beginner Basics of Blender

Practice Activity

Try these three things in Blender:

✅ Move your cube above the ground
✅ Scale your cube to make it bigger
✅ Rotate your cube
✅ Add a new mesh. Move, scale, and rotate the new mesh

Save your file:
Go to Top Menu → File → Save (your file will be saved as .blend)

📝 Reflection

How does it feel to move in a 3D space?
What’s harder—navigating the view or moving objects?

What is next?

Once you finish, continue with 🧱 Blender Modifiers Reference Sheet