Introduction:

  • Blender 2.43 boasts of many new tools including sculpting on multi-resolution meshes. Also using the retopology tool once could re-build a mesh from the sculpted mesh. A good overview can be found at this link.
  • I am updating this page as and when i find out new options/features in the sculpt tool. 

 

Hot Keys: 

 N - Toggle display the sculpting properties panel in the 3D View.

 

Brush Types: (Add, Smooth, Pinch, Inflate, Grab, Layer)

 D - Add lines on the model

 S - Interactively smooth areas of the model

 P - Interactively pinch areas of the model

 I - Push vertices along the direction of their normals

 G - Grab a group of vertices and move them along with the mouse

 L - Adds a layer of depth

 

Brush Modes: (Add, Sub, Airbrush)

 V - Toggles addition/subtraction of depth to the model

 A - Brush makes changes without waiting for the mouse to move   

  • Note: Holding down the SHIFT key inverts the Add/Sub brush mode.

 

Brush Size and Strength: 

 F - Visually adjust size of brush using mouse

 SHIFT+F - Visually adjust strength of brush using mouse.

 

Brush Symmetry: (Sculpt symmetrically)

 X/Y/Z - Mirror brush along X/Y/Z axes respectively

 

Hiding sculpting mesh: (For faster sculpting)

 CTRL + SHIFT + LMB - Show mesh enclosing drawn rectangle

 CTRL + SHIFT + RMB - Reverse of above ^^

 ALT + H - Reveal hidden mesh

 

Sculpting at various resolutions: 

 PAGE_UP/PAGE_DOWN - Increase/Decrease the current working resolution of the mesh.

 

Tips:

  • From the 3D-View menubar, enable Sculpt -> Partial Redraw option to optimize display of high resolution meshes in sculpt mode.
  • To get the basic form, you could sculpt at lower resolution and add details to a higher resolution mesh.
  • Hide parts of the mesh you do not want to sculpt.
  • Turn of symmetric sculpting temporarily by hiding the part of the mesh you do not want to be affected. 
  • Turn of undo or limit in order to sculpt without lag.
  • Work with only one 3D View  in your current  screen. Multiple viewport's makes sculpting slow as blender has to update all viewports.

 

Feature requests:

  • Hot key to enter/exit Sculpt mode. (SHIFT+TAB ??)
  • It would be nice if the sculpting properties panel displays the number of  multi-resolution mesh levels available and the current resolution at which one is sculpting. This is useful in case i am sculpting in maximize window mode.
  • The brush display circle should change color or display an icon to signify the current brush mode (Add/Sub/Airbrush).