Understanding Vertices, Edges, and Faces in Blender

Source: Dev.to

Core Building Blocks

• Vertices – single points
• Edges – lines connecting vertices
• Faces – surfaces created by edges

Selection Shortcuts (Edit Mode)

• 1 – Vertex selection
• 2 – Edge selection
• 3 – Face selection

Transform Shortcuts

• G – Grab (move)
• S – Scale
• R – Rotate

These can be combined; for example, after extruding you can scale only on the X, Y, or Z axis to control the shape more precisely.

Extrude vs. Inset

• E – Extrude (extend geometry)
• I – Inset (create an inner face)

Using these without understanding can produce messy geometry, but slowing down clarifies their effects.

Bevel

• Ctrl + B – Bevel edges for softer corners, making models look less sharp and more natural.

Modifiers

• Subdivision Surface Modifier – smooths the mesh and adds more geometry automatically. Seeing the mesh become smoother illustrates why modifiers are powerful.

Takeaways

• Everything is built from vertices, edges, and faces.
• Shortcuts save a lot of time.
• Use extrude and inset carefully.
• Modifiers can improve models without manual work.

Closing

Slow progress—but I’m building a strong foundation.

If you’re also learning game development, what was the first thing that confused you when you started?

See you in the next post 🎮🚀