Have you ever noticed that when you open Blender, you can see a cube by default, but if you delete it and create a new Mesh Object, this new figure appears exactly where the cube was? That’s because of the pivot point. Let’s talk about it and learn how it interacts with your model in the different Modes.
To start, you can use the default cube that currently has the pivot point just in the middle of the figure, but you can use a different model if you want to, it only needs to be made just in the middle of the world where all axes are connected. This way, when you are in Solid Mode and move your whole model, it will drag the pivot point (also known as the origin point) with it. So, if your pivot was right in the middle of your model, changing the position on the X, Y, or Z axes would always remain in the middle. You can note this by visualizing the little green point in the center.
On the other hand, when transforming your object in the Edit Mode and moving your model, note that the green point is no longer with your model but remains static at the origin point.
Note: you can best notice this process by rotating the object, first in Solid Mode when the pivot is embedded in your model and then in Edit mode. You will see that the way each one rotates is different according to the pivot's position.
Knowing where your pivot point is it’s so helpful not only for static objects but also for animations; for example, a door that needs to be open, that movement requires a fixed point so that when the action starts, it looks natural. In the case of static objects, most tools will also depend on the origin point, like the scale tool that will constantly adjust the size according to where Blender can recognize the pivot. So, in the specific example of the door, note that when you are scaling, you are doing it directionally.
In addition to all the above, you can also move your pivot point to some point in your model more accurately. So, go to the Edit Mode, select the vertex, or edge you want to attach to the pivot, press Shift + S to bring up the snapping menu, and select “Cursor to selected.”
After that, press Tab to return to Object Mode, then right-clicking, select “Set origin,” and pick the “Origin to 3D cursor” option, and that’s it.
Finally, remember that if you want to maintain your pivot on the center of two objects, all of them will be affected by the same pivot point.
There you have it. Isn’t Blender a fantastic program? Now you just need to put it into practice. Good luck!
