Blender

Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite with a broad range of modeling, sculpting, texturing, and animation tools. Running on Linux, macOS, and Windows systems, this cross-platform application is a popular choice for creators who want to make avatars, accessories, and 3D objects for Roblox experiences.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, the following guide offers high-level information on essential Blender tools and features for 3D creation, as well as best practice guidance on designing 3D art between Blender and Studio.

File setup

Before you begin creating 3D art on Blender for the Roblox platform, it's important to configure both Blender and Studio settings so that your 3D objects maintain the same position, orientation, and scale as you iterate and move them between the two applications.

Configure units

By default, Blender and Studio use different primary units to measure length: Blender defaults to the metric scale, and Studio defaults to studs. To ensure that your 3D objects retain the same measurements when you move or scale them in either application, you must configure Blender's units to be consistent with studs.

To set Blender units to be compatible with Roblox's stud units:

1. Navigate to the Properties editor, then in the left-hand navigation, select the Scene tab.

   

2. Click the Units dropdown menu to expand the container, then:

   1. Set Unit System to None.
   2. Set Rotation to Degrees.

Import settings

3D software and applications use coordinate systems to represent the position and orientation of objects in the 3D space. These coordinate systems typically consist of three axes:

• One axis represents horizontal position (left and right movement).
• One axis represents vertical position (up and down movement).
• One axis represents depth (forward and backward movement).

Blender and Studio use different coordinate systems, specifically for the axis that represents the "up" direction. Like other modeling software, Blender uses the Z axis because 3D objects move up out of the 2D plane to become a 3D object; conversely, like other game engines, Studio uses the Y axis because characters move on the ground plane and jump up for vertical movement.

This difference is important to keep in mind as you import your 3D art into Blender or Studio because you must make adjustments to the import settings to ensure your object maintains the correct orientation in either application.

Studio to Blender

To set Blender import settings for 3D objects from Studio:

1. In the top left-hand corner, click the hamburger menu. A popup menu displays.

2. Navigate to File > Import > Wavefront (.obj), FBX (.fbx), or glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). The Blender File View window displays.

3. Select one or multiple .obj, .fbx, or .gltf files that you want to import.

4. In the right-hand panel, navigate to the General section:

   1. Set Scale to 1 to keep the same scale from Studio.
   2. Set Forward Axis to Z to keep the same "forward" axis as Studio.
   3. Set Up Axis to Y to keep the same "up" axis as Studio.

   

5. In the bottom right-hand corner, click the Import button.

Blender to Studio

To set Studio import settings for 3D objects from Blender:

1. Navigate to File > Import 3D. Your local file browser displays.

2. Select and then confirm the 3D object's .obj, .fbx, or .gltf file(s) you want to import from your local system. The 3D Importer's Import Preview window displays.

3. In the right-hand panel, navigate to the File General section, then:

   1. Enable Import Only as a Model if you have multiple objects that you want to group into a Model object.
   2. Enable Upload to Roblox if you want to create an asset with an assetID that you can reference across projects.
   3. Set Creator to Me if you are the only one who needs to access the object, or to the group that owns the project you're working on. This latter setting ensures all eligible group members have permission to use the 3D object within the project.
   4. Enable Insert Using Scene Position so that the object retains the position you set in Blender.

   

4. Navigate to the File Transform section, then set the following settings so that the object retains the same orientation from Blender:

   1. Set World Forward to Front to keep the same "forward" axis as Blender.
   2. Set World Up to Top to keep the same "up" axis as Blender.

5. Navigate to the File Geometry section, then set Scale Unit to Stud to keep the same scale from Blender.

6. At the bottom of the window, click the Import button. Your 3D object imports with the same scale and orientation from Blender.

Export settings

Similar to the previous file setup section, it's important to consider Blender and Studio's different coordinate systems when you are ready to export your 3D art from Blender. By taking a little extra time in configuring your export settings, you can ensure your 3D objects maintain the correct orientation, scale, and position when you import them into Studio.

To set Blender settings for exporting 3D objects for Studio:

1. In the top left-hand corner, click the hamburger menu. A popup menu displays.

2. Navigate to File > Export > Wavefront (.obj), FBX (.fbx), or glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). The Blender File View window displays.

3. Select the .obj, .fbx, or .gltf file that you want to export.

4. In the right-hand panel, navigate to the Include section, then enable Limit to Selected Objects to only export your selected objects.

   

5. In the Transform section

   1. Set Scale to 0.01 so that your object(s) keep the same scale in Studio.
   2. Set Forward to Z Forward to keep the same "forward" axis as Blender.
   3. Set Up to Y Up to keep the same "up" axis as Blender.

6. In the bottom right-hand corner, click the Export button. Your 3D object is now ready to import into Studio.

Fundamentals

Before you take a look at all of the common modeling, sculpting, and texturing tools for making 3D art for Studio, let's review Blender's fundamental interface elements that are important for navigating through the application and finding the appropriate menus and controls for your specific 3D creation task.

Workspaces

Workspaces are preset window layouts with specialized UI configurations and tooling for different 3D creation work like modeling, sculpting, or texturing. You can use these workspace configurations as-is, or you can customize them to work for you as you quickly swap between different tasks.

There are many default workspaces, but the following are the most common for creating 3D art for the Roblox platform.

The Layout workspace is the default workspace when you load a Blender file, and it provides basic tools for previewing and transforming your 3D objects, such as the Move, Scale, and Rotate tools. The default layout of this workspace includes the following UI for easy access as you set up your 3D art:

• 3D Viewport - Displays the entire scene.
• Outliner - Displays all objects in the scene, comparable to Studio's Explorer window.
• Properties Editor - Displays editable data for the active object, comparable to Studio's Properties window.
• Timeline Editor - Displays all animation keyframes, comparable to the Animation Editor's timeline.

3D Viewport

Comparable to Studio's viewport, the 3D Viewport lets you view and interact with your 3D objects as they exist in the 3D space. You can navigate through the scene, transform objects with your mouse, and see your changes in real time as you design your 3D art.

Modes

Modes offer additional tooling for editing 3D objects in the 3D Viewport. When you select a new mode from the Modes selector:

• The Header displays new menu options.
• The Toolbar displays a new set of tools.
• Editors and their buttons and panels enable or disable appropriately.

Depending on which mode is active, your cursor can change into a brush, such as in paint or sculpt modes, and the 3D Viewport can change how it displays objects for that particular task, such as darkening an object so you can more easily see your paint strokes. As you learn Blender, it's useful to experiment with different modes to see what tools are available for your particular 3D creation task.

Object mode is the default mode, and it provides tooling that's available for all object types, such as positioning vertices, edges, and faces, rotating and scaling objects, and measuring distance and angles. This mode is useful for high-level object transformations.

Toolbar

The Toolbar is a vertical menu of tools on the left-hand side of the 3D Viewport. Each time you switch modes, the Toolbar responds by displaying a new unique set of tools for that particular mode.

3D Cursor

The 3D Cursor is a moveable reference point in the 3D space that has both location and rotation data. While this tool has many different uses, the most common are using its position and orientation to:

• Create precise transformations.
• Place new objects into the scene.
• Move objects or their vertices to new points in the 3D space.
• Reposition pivot point locations.

Modeling tools

Now that you know how to navigate the user interface and change tools according to your specific 3D creation task, let's take a closer look at the most common modeling tools that allow you to change the shape of 3D objects by either impacting the entire mesh or one of the three basic elements of meshes:

• Vertex - A single point on the mesh.
• Edge - A line that connects two vertices.
• Face - A surface area between three or more vertices.

Each of the following sections details how you can use each tool for objects and/or mesh elements, the hotkeys you can use to activate the tool, and their most common use cases for creating 3D art for the Roblox platform.

Grab

The Grab tool lets you move objects, vertices, edges, and faces from the 3D space, and it's one of the most essential tools for positioning objects or mesh elements in a scene. Many Roblox creators use this tool for editing purposes, such as positioning vertices, edges, and faces to a particular stud unit in the 3D space.

To use the Grab tool:

1. In either Object or Edit mode, select one or multiple objects, vertices, edges, or faces.
2. Press the G hotkey to activate the tool.
3. Move the mouse to reposition your selection. For further precision:

   • Press X, Y, or Z after you press G to constrain movement to the X, Y, or Z axis, respectively.
   • Double-press an axis key to slide vertices or edges along their natural path.
   • Hold Shift while moving your mouse to slow down movement for fine adjustments.
4. Left-click or press Enter to confirm the new position.

Snap

The Snap tool lets you align objects and mesh elements by snapping them to other objects, mesh elements, or the 3D space's grid. Many Roblox creators use this tool to precisely position multiple objects together in the scene so that they can evaluate how they work together in an environment, particularly in regard to position, orientation, and scale.

To use the Snap tool:

1. In Object or Edit mode, navigate to the header, then click the Snapping button. A contextual menu displays.

   

2. In the contextual menu,

   1. Set Snap Base to one of the following:

      • Closest - Snaps using the vertex that's closest to the target.
      • Center - Snaps using the pivot point.
      • Median - Snaps using the median of the selection.
      • Active - In Object mode, this setting snaps using the origin of the active element; in Edit mode, this setting snaps using the center of the active element.
   2. Set Snap Target to one of the following:

      • Increment - Snaps to grid points from the selection's location.
      • Grid - Snaps to the grid in the 3D viewport.
      • Vertex - Snaps to the vertex that's closest to the mouse cursor.
      • Edge - Snaps to the edge that's closest to the mouse cursor.
      • Face - Snaps to the face that's closest to the mouse cursor.
      • Volume - Snaps the selection to a depth that's centered inside the object under the cursor.
      • Edge Center - Snaps to the centerpoint of the edge that's closest to the mouse cursor.
      • Edge Perpendicular - Snaps to a specific point on the edge so that the line from the selection's original location to its new location is perpendicular to that edge.
   3. Set Affect to one of the following:

      • Move - Snaps while moving the selection.
      • Rotate - Snaps while rotating the selection.
      • Scale - Snaps while scaling the selection.

3. Press Shift + Tab to activate the tool.

4. For further precision, hold Shift to snap the selection in finer increments.

5. Move, rotate, or scale an object or mesh element according to your settings.

Inset

The Inset tool lets you create an inset with adjustable thickness and depth from a face or group of faces. Many Roblox creators use this tool to create uniform fine details in their meshes while maintaining a clean edge flow for their topology.

To use the Inset tool:

1. In Edit mode, select one or multiple faces.
2. Press the I hotkey to activate the tool.
3. Move the mouse to adjust your inset's size. For further precision:

   • Hold Ctrl to adjust the depth of the inset.
   • Hold Shift while moving your mouse to slow down movement for fine adjustments.
   • Press I again to inset each active face.
4. Left-click or press Enter to confirm your inset(s).

Extrude

The Extrude tool lets you create new geometry by pulling out new faces, edges, or vertices from existing geometry. Many Roblox creators use this tool to create depth, volume, and complex shapes from Blender's primitive meshes.

To use the Extrude tool:

1. In Edit mode, select one or multiple vertices, edges, or faces.
2. Press the E hotkey to activate the tool.
3. Move the mouse to adjust your extrusion's length. For further precision, press X, Y, or Z after you press E to constrain movement to the X, Y, or Z axis, respectively.
4. Left-click or press Enter to confirm your extrusion(s).

Subdivide

The Subdivide tool lets you cut edges or faces into smaller divisions, a process that adds new vertices and resolution to your meshes. Many Roblox creators use this tool to create smooth curves, add fine details to surfaces, and prepare meshes before applying additional modifiers.

To use the Subdivide tool:

1. In Edit mode, select one or edges or faces.

2. Right-click to display a contextual menu for your active edges or faces, then select Subdivide to activate the tool. The Subdivide panel displays.

3. Set Number of Cuts to the number of subdivisions you want for your edges or faces.

   

4. Left-click to confirm your subdivision(s).

Bridge Edge Loops

The Bridge Edge Loops tool lets you connect multiple edge loops with faces. Many creators use this tool to fill gaps without manually creating new faces, merge complex sections of their meshes, and maintain clean topology for smooth deformations.

To use the Bridge Edge Loops tool:

1. In Edit mode, select two or more edge loops that you want to connect.
2. Press the Ctrl + E hotkey to display a contextual menu for your active edge loops, then select Bridge Edge Loops to activate the tool.The Bridge Edge Loops panel displays.
3. Set Number of Cuts to the number of subdivisions you want for your new bridge.
4. (Optional) For further precision for curved bridges, increase Smoothness to create a more rounded bridge.
5. Left-click to confirm your bridge.

Fill

The Fill tool lets you create triangular faces between any active edges or vertices, as long as they form one or more complete perimeters. Many Roblox creators use this tool to close gaps in their meshes so that they're watertight, or without exposed holes.

To use the Fill tool:

1. In Edit mode, select at least three vertices or two or more edges that form at least one complete perimeter.
2. Press Alt + F to activate the tool.
3. (Optional) In the Fill panel, enable Beauty to arrange the triangles nicely.
4. Left-click to confirm your new face.

New Faces from Edges

The New Faces from Edges tool lets you either create an edge if only two vertices are active, otherwise it creates a face between the active mesh elements. Many Roblox creators use this tool to close many gaps at once in their meshes so that the meshes are watertight, or to create geometry between many solitary vertices.

To use the New Faces from Edges tool:

1. In Edit mode, select at least three vertices, or two or more edges that form one or more complete perimeters.
2. Press the F hotkey to activate the tool.
3. Left-click to confirm your new face.

Dissolve

The Dissolve tool lets you remove geometry without leaving holes in your meshes. Many Roblox creators use this tool to optimize their 3D art, merge geometry, or remove unnecessary mesh elements while retaining the overall structure of the mesh.

To use the Dissolve tool:

1. In Edit mode, select the vertices, edges, or faces that you want to remove from your mesh.
2. Right-click to display a contextual menu for your active mesh elements, then:

   1. If your selection is made up of vertices, select Dissolve Vertices to remove the active vertices and merge their neighboring edges.
   2. If your selection is made up of edges, select Dissolve Edges to remove the active edges and join the surrounding faces to maintain the edge's outline.
   3. If your selection is made up of faces, select Dissolve Faces to remove the active face(s) and fill the gap with a new face, if necessary.

Delete

The Delete tool lets you completely remove geometry from your meshes, leaving one or many holes wherever geometry was removed. Many Roblox creators use this tool instead of the Dissolve tool whenever they want to restructure their meshes during the iteration process.

To use the Delete tool:

1. In Edit mode, select the vertices, edges, or faces that you want to remove from your mesh.
2. Press the X hotkey to display a contextual menu for your selection.
3. Choose one of the following menu items:

   1. Select Vertices to delete all active vertices, removing any faces or edges they are connected to.
   2. Select Edges to delete all active edges, removing any faces that the edge shares with it.
   3. Select Faces to remove all active faces, removing any edges they are connected to.
   4. Select Only Edges and Faces to remove only the active edges and adjacent faces.
   5. Select Only Faces to remove all active faces without also affecting active edges in the selection.

Mirror Modifier

The Mirror modifier lets you mirror geometry across one or multiple axes so that you can create symmetrical 3D art with minimal effort. Many Roblox creators use this tool while modeling avatars or architectural objects that are important to be perfectly symmetrical.

To use the Mirror modifier:

1. In Object mode, select the object that you want to mirror.

2. Navigate to the Properties editor, then in the lefthand navigation, select the Modifiers tab.

   

3. Click the Add Modifier button, then insert the Mirror modifier.

4. Set Axis to X, Y, and/or Z to mirror along one or many axes.

5. In Edit mode, modify your object or any of its mesh elements to see your modifications mirror along an axis or multiple axes.

Texturing tools

After you finish modeling your 3D object, it's time to apply a texture to your mesh so that it has additional visual characteristics, such as color, depth, and roughness through a texture map. These are details that modeling alone can't provide, transforming your object from a blank shape to something that looks either realistic or stylized according to your experience's art requirements.

Each of the following sections details how you can use each tool for either UV editing or vertex painting objects, the hotkeys you can use to activate the tool, and their most common use cases for texturing 3D art for the Roblox platform.

UV editing

UV editing is the process of unwrapping your 3D object's faces and mapping them onto a 2D image texture. This process allows you to use a single texture to apply visual characteristics to multiple objects in Blender, saving you a negative impact on memory in Studio. For example, the following door frame, ceiling, and card reader meshes in the Laser Tag template all use the same UV map to add metal adornments.

The "UV" in UV editing stands for the axes on the 2D image map that you use during the mapping process:

• U axis - The horizontal position (left and right movement).
• V axis - The vertical position (up and down movement).

Because 3D objects use the X, Y, and Z axes in the 3D space, 3D creation applications typically use U and V to avoid confusion when referring to coordinates in 2D image space. That being said, many Blender UI workflows still use X and Y, so it's helpful to know the 2D space equivalent axis.

When you unwrap a 3D object, all active faces flatten into the 2D space in the UV Editor to make up the UV map, and different sections of the model split into separate groupings, commonly referred to as UV islands. For example, if you were to unwrap a standard Blender cube, each face becomes its own UV island in the UV map.

Every point, line, and face in the UV map corresponds to a vertex, edge, and face in the mesh. This means that when you move UV islands to different parts of the texture, their corresponding vertices, edges, and faces update to reflect the area of the texture that they now overlap.

Blender often creates UV islands along seams, or connected edges, to minimize distortion and make it easier for you to apply your texture. While this default UV island configuration is a great place to start, it's almost always necessary to modify each island's position, orientation, and scale to overlap the area of the texture you want to project, or mark your own seams to focus on texturing specific areas at a time.

By investing the time to unwrap, arrange, and map your UV islands, you can improve your texture quality and reduce stretching or distortion on all of your 3D art. The following subsections highlight the most common tools for this process, specifically in regards to unwrapping and mapping your objects.

Mark Seam

The Mark Seam tool lets you manually break up a 3D object's UV map into smaller, manageable sections. While this step in the unwrapping process is technically optional, many Roblox creators find it useful for concentrating on collections of related faces for complex objects that require a lot of detailed texture work.

For example, the following rivet gun requires a metal texture for the barrel, and a leather texture for the grip. To make it easier to texture this object, you can mark the seams of the grip, unwrap just the faces between those seams, then map it to a leather texture image.

To use the Mark Seam tool:

1. Open the UV Editing workspace. The UV Editor displays on the lefthand side of the screen, and the 3D viewport displays on the righthand side of the screen in Edit mode.
2. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to your 3D object, then select the edges where you want to create seams.
3. Press the Ctrl + E hotkey to open the Edge contextual menu.
4. Select Mark Seam. The seam turns red and is ready for the Unwrap tool.

When you are ready to unwrap your object, Blender will unwrap the enclosed faces of the seam as its own island.

Unwrap

The Unwrap tool lets you unwrap and clean up the UV map of any marked seams or active faces of a 3D object so that you have a solid foundation of UV islands to work with. This can quickly take UV coordinates from being a complete mess to something more manageable.

Many Roblox creators use this tool for complex shapes that they need full control over when applying textures, such as characters, clothes, and curvy objects, because it works quickly and avoids stretching and distortion.

To use the Unwrap tool:

1. Open the UV Editing workspace. The UV Editor displays on the lefthand side of the screen, and the 3D viewport displays on the righthand side of the screen in Edit mode.
2. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to your 3D object, then either use the Mark Seam tool to create seams, and/or select the specific faces you want to texture.
3. Press the U hotkey to open the UV Mapping contextual menu.
4. Select Unwrap. Your selection's UV islands display neatly in the UV Editor.
5. In the UV Editor, move, scale, or rotate UV islands to the appropriate position, orientation, and scale on your texture.

Follow Active Quads

The Follow Active Quads tool lets you generate clean and organized UV islands according to the UV coordinates of a previously unwrapped active face. This is particularly useful for grid-like topology, such as when you're unwrapping walls, floors, or mechanical parts using trim sheets.

Many Roblox creators use this tool to apply a consistent texture to curved 3D objects, such as sidewalks for experiences or belts for accessories.

To use the Follow Active Quads tool:

1. Open the UV Editing workspace. The UV Editor displays on the lefthand side of the screen, and the 3D viewport displays on the righthand side of the screen in Edit mode.
2. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to your 3D object, then unwrap every face you want to texture using an active face.
3. (Optional) Configure your active face.

   1. In the UV Editor, select the face you want to be your active face, then press Option + M hotkey to open the Split contextual menu.
   2. Select Selection. The active face separates from the UV island.
   3. Move, scale, or rotate your active face to the appropriate position, orientation, and scale that you want other faces in the UV map to follow.
4. In the UV Editor, select all faces you want to follow the active face. Make sure to select your active face last so that Blender knows to use its layout as the guide.
5. Press the U hotkey to open the Unwrap contextual menu, then select Follow Active Quads. Blender aligns your selection's UV coordinates to match the active face's shape and orientation.

Projection

Projection tools are tools that project a 3D object's surface onto the 2D image texture plane. Each projection tool controls how the object's shape unwraps and maps onto the 2D texture:

• Cube Projection - Projects the object's faces onto all six sides of a cube; useful for boxy shapes like crates.
• Sphere Projection - Projects the object's surface onto a sphere; useful for round shapes like eyes.
• Cylinder Projection - Projects the object onto a cylindrical shape; useful for tubes, pipes, and limbs.
• Project from View - Projects the object's selected faces according to the current camera or viewport angle; useful for flat surfaces and decals.
• Smart UV Project - Automatically unwraps the model and generates islands according to a set angle between faces.

It's useful to consider how you can utilize projection tools to save time in the texturing process, especially for simple objects that require repetitive textures. For example, many Roblox creators strategically use these tools to efficiently create UV islands for basic geometric shapes without needing to mark seams from edges.

To use a projection tool:

1. Open the UV Editing workspace. The UV Editor displays on the lefthand side of the screen, and the 3D viewport displays on the righthand side of the screen in Edit mode.
2. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to your 3D object, then select every face.
3. Press the U hotkey to open the UV Mapping contextual menu, then select one of the following options:

   • Cube Projection
   • Sphere Projection
   • Cylinder Projection
   • Project from View
   • Smart UV Project

Vertex painting

Vertex painting is the process of storing color information directly on the vertices of your 3D object rather than through traditional textures or materials. In this approach, each vertex holds color data that Blender interpolates across the faces of a mesh, creating either smooth gradients or solid blocks of color without the need for UV mapping or image textures.

Vertex painting is useful for adding color variation to your assets in a lightweight, efficient way, especially in stylized workflows or experiences where performance is a concern, as it can reduce texture memory usage and draw calls. Many Roblox creators use vertex painting in conjunction with Studio's default materials, MaterialVariant objects, and SurfaceAppearance objects to create visual complexity on otherwise simple 3D objects.

To vertex paint:

1. Add a color attribute to store color information to your object's vertices.

   1. In the 3D Viewport, select your 3D object.

   2. Navigate to the Properties editor, then in the left-hand navigation, select the Data tab.

      

   3. Click the Color Attributes dropdown menu to expand the container, then click the + button. The Add Color Attribute contextual menu displays.

   4. Set Domain to Vertex, Data Type to Color, then click the Add button. Your object now has a color attribute.

2. Configure the 3D Viewport to display your color attribute.

   1. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to the top right-hand corner Viewport Shading options, then click the button for the Solid shading mode.

      

   2. Click the Viewport Shading dropdown arrow, then in the contextual menu, set Color to Attribute. The 3D Viewport updates to display your color attribute on your object.

      

3. Select a color for your brush.

   1. In Vertex Paint mode, navigate to the top left-hand corner, then click on the active color swatch. A contextual menu displays.

   2. Select your color on the color wheel, or with a RGB, HSV, or Hex code.

      

4. Apply color to your object.

   1. To apply color to individual vertices:

      1. In the 3D Viewport, click and drag over your object's vertices to apply your color with a smooth gradient.
      2. For further precision, press the [ or ] hotkey to increase or decrease the brush size, respectively.
   2. To flood fill your color,

      1. In Edit mode, select the vertices or faces that you want to apply your color.
      2. In Vertex Paint mode, press the Ctrl + X hotkey. Your selected vertices or faces display the new color.