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Shrink & Fatten

BEGINNER
📖2 min read
Shrink & Fatten

Introduction​

Shrink/Fatten moves selected vertices along their own normals (perpendicular to the surface). Unlike the standard Scale tool (S), which moves vertices toward a central point, Shrink/Fatten "puffs" the geometry out or deflates it in, preserving the relative thickness of the object.

Resources

Access guides on manipulating volume and thickness.

Links

Explore Blender's Shrink/Fatten tool.

Videos

Watch tutorials on adjusting mesh proportions.

Basic Usage​

  1. Select: Select the geometry (vertices, edges, or faces).
  2. Activate: Press Alt + S.
  3. Adjust: Move the mouse to inflate (fatten) or deflate (shrink) the selection.
  4. Confirm: Left-click to confirm.

Even Thickness (S)​

When using Shrink/Fatten on a shell (like a pipe or a wall), the corners might distort or become thinner than the flat sections.

  • Toggle: While the tool is active, press S (Even Thickness) to force the offset to maintain a consistent distance from the original surface.

Common Use Cases​

  • Cables and Pipes: Adjusting the thickness of a tube without changing its path.
  • Clothing: Making a shirt fit tighter or looser on a character.
  • Stylized Modeling: Exaggerating features by puffing them out.

Summary​

  • Alt + S: The "Inflate" tool for modeling.
  • vs Scale: Scale changes size; Shrink/Fatten changes thickness/volume relative to the surface direction.

Key Takeaways:

  • Use Alt + S instead of S when you want to make something "thicker" rather than just "bigger".
  • Use the S toggle for even thickness on corners.

Documentation for Methodology​

What to document when Adjusting Volume

In Your Method Section​

Mention if you adjusted the thickness of objects to match reference data.

In Your Decision Log​

Record the following when using this technique:

  • Reason for adjustment (e.g., "Correcting the thickness of the cable")
  • Use of "Even Thickness" (if relevant for structural accuracy)

Verification​

Check for self-intersections. If you shrink an object too much, the geometry might cross over itself (invert).

Example Methodology Statement​

"The initial cable geometry was too thin compared to the reference photos. The Shrink/Fatten tool (Alt+S) was used to increase the diameter to 5cm."