Modelling with Curves

What are Curves?

In Blender, the major curve types are the Bézier, Circle, and Path. Each of these offer different functionalities for modeling and animation workflows.

Editing Curves

Curves have an edit mode and an object mode. In edit mode, control points can be selected and manipulated using

Bezier and Circle curves have handles that can be used to bend the curve. Path curves have points rather than handles and are mostly used for animating objects along a path.

Curve Settings

Blender's curves settings can be found in the Properties Editor, specifically in the Object Data tab. These settings are used to customize the appearance of the curve. Some of the commonly used settings are:

Curve Editing

Curves can be edited in the same way you would edit regular mesh objects. Operations like Extrude, Duplicate, and Delete also work in the curves edit mode. These are the most common editing operations on curves in blender:

Extrude curve segments using the hotkey E. Duplicate curve segments by selecting two or more segments and using Shift + D. Create new geometry between curve segments by selecting two points, and using F. Subdivide curves By selecting the points involved, using W and selecting Subdivide. Delete curve segments using X. Scale individual curve segments using Alt + S. Change handle types using V or the object context menu.

Separating Curve Parts

Separate parts of a curve by selecting some segments, then using P and selecting Separate.

Changing Curve Shape and Design

You can change the shape of a curve by using another curve as a profile object to define the shape. You can also edit the curve’s shape using the profile graph.

Converting Curves to Mesh

Convert curves to mesh objects using the object menu's 'Convert to' option. Allows for texturing, rigging, UV unwrapping, and further editing in edit mode.