Software basics · Beginner
Proportional editing
Moving a few points so nearby ones follow along, fading with distance
Also called Soft selection
What is proportional editing?
Proportional editing lets a move, rotate or scale on a few vertices pull the nearby ones along with them, fading with distance. Instead of a sharp spike, you get a smooth hill or dent. Blender calls it proportional editing; Maya and 3ds Max call the same idea soft selection.
Think of it like this
It is like lifting a tablecloth by one point: the spot you pinch rises most, and the cloth around it follows less the farther away it is.
Where it fits in a 3D project
- Create
- Surface
- Rig
- Animate
- Render
- Export
Create: Building the shape: modeling, sculpting, scanning or generating it.
How proportional editing works
- 01Turn proportional editing on, then select one or more vertices.
- 02Move, rotate or scale them as usual.
- 03A circle shows the area of influence; roll the mouse wheel to resize it.
- 04A falloff setting picks the shape of the fade, such as smooth, sharp or linear.
Proportional editing vs sculpting
| Property | Proportional editing | Sculpting |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Normal move, rotate and scale | Brushes painted over the surface |
| Best for | Broad shape changes | Fine organic detail |
| Mesh needed | Works on low-poly models | Needs many faces |
| Control | Exact, numeric and axis-locked | Freehand |
Use proportional editing to bend or bulge a simple shape; switch to sculpting for wrinkles, muscles and other fine surface detail.
Where proportional editing is used
- Shaping terrain, hills and dents
- Bending a sheet, cable or tail into a gentle curve
- Adjusting faces and bodies without lumpy spikes
Beginner tip
If moving one vertex suddenly drags half the model, proportional editing is still on from an earlier edit. Press O in Blender to toggle it, and start with a small circle.
Terms related to proportional editing
- ModelingSculptingShaping a dense model with brushes, the way you would push and pull clay
- ModelingVertexA single point in 3D space; the corners every mesh is built on
- Software basicsSnappingMaking objects and points jump to exact spots as you move them
- Software basicsEdit mode vs object modeChanging a model’s shape versus handling the model as a whole
- ModelingMeshThe surface of a 3D model, made of points, lines and flat faces
- ModelingLatticeA simple cage that bends and squashes the object inside it
Proportional editing FAQ
Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms