The most direct and common way to smooth edges or surfaces while sculpting in Blender is by holding down the Shift key.
When you are actively sculpting with any brush in Blender's Sculpt Mode, simply holding down the Shift key will temporarily activate the Smooth brush. This allows you to quickly transition between your current sculpting action and smoothing without needing to manually select a different brush from the toolbar.
Here's a breakdown of how to smooth in Blender sculpt mode:
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Holding Shift: This is the primary method for on-the-fly smoothing. As stated in the reference, because the Smooth brush is so essential, it's always accessible by holding Shift and sculpting. The brush called Smooth will be used whenever holding Shift and sculpting. This is the most intuitive way to clean up bumps or sharp transitions as you work.
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Using the Smooth Brush Directly:
- You can also select the dedicated Smooth brush from the Brush panel in the Sculpt Mode sidebar or the Brush menu at the top of the 3D Viewport.
- Selecting the brush directly allows you to adjust its specific settings (like strength, radius, etc.) independently before applying it. However, holding Shift uses the settings currently assigned to the Smooth brush, making it a quick toggle.
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Mesh Filter:
- For smoothing larger areas or the entire mesh, you can use the Mesh Filter option.
- Mesh Filters are typically found in the Sculpt menu at the top of the 3D Viewport.
- Applying a Smooth Mesh Filter allows you to smooth all unmasked areas at once, providing a more global effect compared to brushing.
In Summary:
| Method | How to Access | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Hold Shift | Hold Shift key while using any other brush |
Quick, localized smoothing while sculpting |
| Smooth Brush | Select from Brush panel/menu | Dedicated smoothing with adjustable settings |
| Mesh Filter | Sculpt > Mesh Filter > Smooth | Smoothing large areas or entire mesh |
Holding Shift while sculpting is the fastest way to integrate smoothing into your workflow, allowing you to refine details and transitions seamlessly.
