Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Non-standard equipment
This module is applicable only to users with non-standard input devices. If you have both a three-button mouse and a keyboard with a numpad, you can skip this module.
Keyboards lacking a numpad
[edit | edit source]Most modern laptops have a pseudo-numpad, a set of keys in the main keypad which double as a numpad. The keys typically used for this purpose are:
| 7key | 8key | 9key | 0key |
| U | I | O | P |
| J | K | L | ; |
| M | ,Key | .Key | SLASH |
When used as a pseudo-numpad, these keys typically act as the following keys from a true numpad:
| Num7 | Num8 | Num9 | Num/ |
| Num4 | Num5 | Num6 | Num* |
| Num1 | Num2 | Num3 | NUM− |
| Num0 | NumENTER | Num. | Num+ |
The numpad functions of these keys can often be toggled with F11 or NUMLOCK on PCs or with F6 on Macs. Alternatively, you can often temporarily activate the numpad behavior by holding down Fn .
If your keyboard has the alternate labellings but you don't know how they work, consult your laptop owner's manual.
As a last resort, you can use the "Emulate Numpad" feature of Blender. This will allow you to use the normal numeric keys as if they were numpad numerics. Instructions for enabling this feature may be found in the "User Preferences Windows" module.
Blender uses the numeric keypad quite a bit. If you envision using your laptop for this kind of work, it may be worth investing in a USB Numeric Keypad. On eBay, prices for simple external numpads start around $10 USD.
Non three-button mouse
[edit | edit source]For single-button mouse users, make sure that Input for Blender 2.79 (under "User Preferences" on the left-most drop-down menu) → Emulate 3 Button Mouse is enabled.
On many computers with two-button mice, MMB can be emulated by simultaneously clicking LMB and RMB . On Windows machines you'll need to enable this in the mouse settings in the Control Panel. On a Mac, open the Keyboard and Mouse preference pane and enable Use two fingers to scroll. Alternatively, by selecting Emulate 3 Button Mouse under User Preferences, MMB can be emulated by simultaneously clicking Alt and LMB .
Recent IBM Thinkpad laptops allow you to disable the 'UltraNav' features of the middle mouse button in order to use it as a 'normal' third button. Alternatively, some laptops allow areas (called gestures) on the movement pad to act as MMB or RMB , and these can be set up in the Control Panel in the Mouse Pointer options, selecting gestures and editing features there.
Apple single-button mouse
[edit | edit source]| Notation | Single-button Substitute | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LMB | MB | the Mouse Button |
| RMB | Cmd + MB | Apple key + the Mouse Button |
| MMB | Alt + MB | Option (Alt) key + the Mouse Button |
While Mac OS X natively uses both the Ctrl + MB and Cmd + MB to emulate RMB , recent Blender releases for Mac OS X use only Cmd + MB for this purpose. This behavior is documented in the OSX Tips file that comes with the Mac version. You can also set the mouse to sense a right-click in System Preferences.
Note also that in the new, "unibody" design, the mouse button is under the trackpad, and the shortcut for RMB is clicking with two fingers simultaneously, which can be enabled in the System Preferences.
Laptops lacking a middle button but with a touchpad
[edit | edit source]Many laptops have touchpads. Touchpads, also known as trackpads or in some cases as smart-pads, can use gestures to give the effect of MMB . The default for an Elan® Smart-Pad is two-finger tapping equivalent to clicking a MMB . Dragging two fingers is the same as turning a mouse wheel.
Tablet PCs
[edit | edit source]To get the effect of MMB in a viewport, drag your pen around while holding down the Alt key.