Duplication Challenge - my own well

[ShiranK]

Here is my well! I like the outcome but I have some questions:

1. After I created a “New collection”, the only way to choose all the collection at once is by R click on its name and choose “select objects”, is there a shorter way?
2. I don’t get the principle of applying a change. If I do so for example to the bricks of the well, and later on I want to duplicate another brick for lets say something eles and scale it, it gets distorted. So I feel like it is better not to apply. But it seems important in the lecture, so what do I miss here?
3. Should I consist on using the shortcuts for scale\ move\ rotate etc. Because the transform handles
   are much more comfortable and I am used to them from other 3D software. Does it changes with more complex modeling?
   
   
   
   
   

[NP5]

1, yes, certainly how I do it.
You can R click that popup menu and assign a shortcut to it, or a quick menu option, but it’s almost as long.

Options, select an item of the collection in the 3d view and hit Shift G choose collection.

2, Fundamental to understand applying as subsequent tools like modifiers will use the base data on an object, and if not applied it is not the same as the changed rotations etc. You can happily leave R&S not applied in basic models, there are some advantages even. But any time some tool does not do roughly what you expect the first thing to look for is are the R&S applied.

3, They were largely only added to aid people moving from other software, the whole left toolbar is little used by Blender ‘natives’. Though there may be a way to invoke those ‘irritating’ handles to appear on shortcut use. Someone might know I will see if I can find out later.

[NP5]

Good work on the well though.
And Welcome to this site.
Take some time to look around and take part.

[ShiranK]

Thanks for the answers and welcoming!
I am looking forward to the rest of the course and to share my Challenges here.

[FedPete]

@ShiranK

After I created a “New collection”, the only way to choose all the collection at once is by R click on its name and choose “select objects”, is there a shorter way?

It depends on what you want to do and why you’ve put them in the collection at first.
You can use empties, to group items and manipulate them.

@ShiranK

I don’t get the principle of applying a change. If I do so for example to the bricks of the well, and later on I want to duplicate another brick for lets say something eles and scale it, it gets distorted.

Blender uses Duplication and Linked duplication. With linked duplicatie you have only one master to control them all. With duplicatie you get an unique copy.

@ShiranK

Should I consist on using the shortcuts for scale\ move\ rotate etc.

Using a mouse to handle an object is very user-friendly. But in its core, the strength of Blender lies in the use of hotkeys. And yes, how do you know which they are and how to learn them. Use this course, read the manual, see the info on the menus and context menus. And just by using them.
The Blender hot-keys are context-sensitive (in which mode you are), and sometimes, in which panel your mouse stands.

If you want to move the basic cube exactly 1m up, with the mouse. It takes a lot of mouse clicks.
Or just the magic keyboard command gz1. You will learn be patient, you just started the course …