Blender
Module Overview
| Est. time | ~90 minutes |
| Type | Skill — the instrument |
| Prerequisites | Module 02 — Data & Methodology |
| Read first | Introduction & Setup — install and requirements |
Description
Blender is a full 3D production suite, and for visual investigation it becomes the instrument you'll build every reconstruction in. This module takes you from a first install to a working setup you own: interface, navigation, workspaces, add-ons, and the shortcuts that make it fast. The goal isn't to master every feature — it's to become fluent in the parts investigative work uses, and to build up a Blender you can call yours.
What You'll Be Able to Do
By the end of this module you will be able to:
- Install and configure Blender for investigative work (requirements, peripherals, launcher)
- Navigate the 3D viewport and object mode confidently (move, rotate, scale, viewport)
- Customize workspaces to your workflow (outliner, properties, shader editor)
- Extend Blender with the add-ons and preferences you'll rely on
- Move fast with the shortcuts that matter
What's Inside
This module is organized as a path from a first launch to a configured, working setup:
Before the first click, get the foundation right: install Blender cleanly, meet the system requirements, and set up the three-button mouse and numpad keyboard the interface is designed around.
You'll learn: How to install and configure Blender for investigation work, and the hardware setup the interface assumes.
The first skill is simply moving. Learn to navigate the 3D viewport, add primitive geometry, and move, rotate, and scale objects in space — the motions you will make thousands of times.
You'll learn: Viewport navigation, selecting and transforming geometry, and where object origins live.
Blender’s interface is a set of panels you arrange. Set up workspaces for your workflow, use the Outliner to keep scene structure clear, and learn the Properties panel and Shader Editor where most settings live.
You'll learn: How to shape Blender’s interface around an investigative workflow instead of fighting the defaults.
Out of the box, Blender is a starting point. Add themes for visibility, install the add-ons you will rely on, set custom shortcuts, and bring data in from other files by importing or appending.
You'll learn: How to extend Blender with the add-ons, preferences, and data handling that fit investigation work.
Blender is a keyboard-driven tool, and the mouse is the slow path. This is the reference for the shortcuts that matter — the ones to learn as you need them, not all at once.
You'll learn: The shortcut habits that remove friction from everyday investigative work.
Reading the pages is not the same as doing them. These drills turn navigation, transform, and workspace skills into muscle memory — the point where the interface stops getting in the way.
You'll learn: By doing — the practical knowledge check for the module.
Knowledge Check
Test your understanding of the module before moving on. Ten questions with immediate feedback; the question order and options reshuffle on every attempt.
Blender
Check the instrument: modes, workspaces, add-ons, and the data-management habits that keep investigative work defensible.
Resources
- Introduction & Setup — start here
- The 3D World Syllabus — the concepts this module applies
Sources
- Blender Official Site: download, requirements, and project home