Some help with extruding and merging, as well as deleting vertices/edges/faces

[Eugene_99]

I find this extruding and merging stuff kind of complicated. I have to keep myself aware that whenever I extrude something then press [Esc], I don’t cancel the extruding but instead have the new vertex/vertices, edges and/or faces at the same position as the original ones.

Anyway, I used the default cube and extruded the left-top edge. This resulted in a new face with new edges and vertices above the cube (first image). Then I extruded the edge on top of that new face, and dragged it to the (lower) right-top of the cube, which created another face. But I realise this causes a little issue: I now have one double edge and two double vertices, which I selected on the second image. How do I deal with these? The last lecture was about merging double vertices, but I still find that a bit complicated. And I’m wondering but don’t know how to do this for edges.

I do realise I could’ve prevented this issue by, after the actions of image 1, selecting the right-top edge of the cube and the left-top edge of that new face and press F, which simply creates a new face and two edges. But in order to get more insight in how Blender and modelling works, I would like to know how to deal with my situation when I go the extruding way and end up with these extra vertices and edge.

EDIT: I also still find deleting edges/vertices/faces kind of complicated. I usually end up trying all of them. I just don’t really know what to expect what they do beforehand. I do try to prevent ending up with edges and vertices that don’t have a purpose/don’t form a face. It seems like the Removing Edges option usually results in that. But it is kinda time-consuming…

EDIT2: Also, what I find interesting but the lecture doesn’t talk about, is the following (which at least applies to the default cube, idk about other shapes):

• Extruding a vertex results in 1 vertex and 1 edge (a 1-dimensional shape/a line).
• Extruding an edge results in 2 vertices, 3 edges and 1 face (a 2-dimensional shape/a squared plane).
• Extruding a face results in 4 vertices, 8 edges and 5 faces (a 3-dimensional shape/a new cube!).

Correct me if I made any mistake here.
Also, is there anything interesting/deep that can be said about this?

[Gordon]

@Eugene_99

How do I deal with these?

You can just select your whole object in edit mode by pressing a, then press m on your keyboard and click on merge by distance (or press F3 and search for remove doubles, depending on your version of blender). This will remove all double vertices, and by doing so all double edges between them as well.

[NP5]

You seem to understand it all fine. It is just getting into the habits, I never give it a second thought, manipulating verts, sliding, joining, just become like riding a bike, second nature. It’s just practice, more doing less thinking!

[FedPete]

@Eugene_99

I find this extruding and merging stuff kind of complicated. I have to keep myself aware that whenever I extrude something then press [Esc], I don’t cancel the extruding but instead have the new vertex/vertices, edges and/or faces at the same position as the original ones.

Correct, you need to be aware of this.
You will get used to this.
With more experience, it happens less.

@Eugene_99

The last lecture was about merging double vertices, but I still find that a bit complicated. And I’m wondering but don’t know how to do this for edges.

Still the same. switch over to vertices mode and merge. Then switch back to edge mode.
Basically, Blender merges vertices, not edges.

This working with faces extruding and merging is problematic at first, because you don’t have a plan on how to create the outcome. Follow more lessons to get a grip of the Blender tools.

Your thoughts are two-dimensional. Thinking in vertices, edges. But 3D is all about volume, faces.

@Eugene_99

Extruding an edge results in 2 vertices, 3 edges and 1 face (a 2-dimensional shape/a squared plane).

extruding an edge will create the same edge, but between those edges, the vertices are also connected by edges. resulting in 4 edges, 4 vertices, and one face.