Start Blender. In the largest Blender window, at the lower-left corner, there is a small button that looks similar to the button highlighted in the following screenshot. It has a white cube on it. This is the Current Editor Type button. Every window has this button, so you can change the type of editor that is in the window. The bar that the Current Editor Type button is on is called the Header.

In the main 3D View window, click on the Current Editor Type button with the LMB, and the Editor Type menu pops up with the 17 different kinds of editors that you can display in that window, as shown in the following screenshot:

Scroll up the menu, as shown previously, and select Text Editor. The window changes and it is now blank. The Text Editor is for you to enter text, such as production notes, text for text objects, python code, and other uses.

Now, go down to the window below the main...

Move the cursor over one of these lines and you will see a double-headed arrow.

While the double-headed arrow is displayed, hold down the LMB and move your mouse perpendicular to the line. The windows on both sides of the line will resize.

If you selected a vertical edge between windows, now try it with a horizontal edge.

If you selected a horizontal edge between windows originally, now try it with a vertical edge.

Look at any of the windows; you will see three diagonal lines in the lower-left and upper-right corners of the window, as shown in the following screenshot. These control the creation and deletion of the window.

Put the cursor over the largest window and move it over the diagonal lines at the lower-left corner of that window.

Then, hold down the LMB as you move the cursor horizontally toward the center of the window, and then release the LMB when you have moved the window edge to replace one third of the old window.

Put the cursor over the center window that you just made. Move the cursor to the diagonal lines at the upper-right corner of that window. Then, hold down the LMB while you move the cursor horizontally toward the center of the window. Replace another one-third of the original...

Bring the cursor over the upper-left window, and then the cursor over the diagonal lines at the lower-left corner of that window.

Hold down the LMB while you move the cursor down towards the window below it. The window below becomes darker and there is a light gray arrow pointing into that window.

Continue to hold down the LMB and move the cursor up to the original window; it becomes darker and has an arrow pointing into it, as shown in the following screenshot. Whichever window is darker and has the arrow will disappear when you release the mouse button.

If you find you don't want the window to disappear, just move the cursor into another window besides those two. The arrow will go away and you can release the mouse button without any changes happening.

Select a blank portion of the header of any window with the RMB. The secondary pop-up menu has a option for Maximize Area, as shown in the following screenshot:

Click on Maximize Area with the LMB now. There's only one window! Don't worry. The others are not gone. The window you maximized is just given the full display.

Right-click on the header again; the bottom selection will say Tile Area, and clicking on it with the LMB will show all of the windows again.

Note that there is a keyboard shortcut listed in the secondary menu, and it can also be seen in the previous screenshot. You can press Ctrl + up arrow to toggle between Maximize Area and Tile Area.

Click the RMB on an empty area of the header of the main window. A menu will pop up that says Header. There is a secondary menu that says Flip to Top.

Select Flip to Top with the LMB.

Go to the header at the top. Select it with the RMB.

Select Flip to Bottom.

Close Blender and open it again.

With your mouse over the 3D View, press the N key. The Properties Panel appears. It has controls to change the location, rotation, and scaling of objects.

Press the N key again. The Properties Panel disappears.

Press the T key. The Tool Shelf disappears.

Press the T key again. The Tool Shelf reappears and contains many controls used when building objects.

When you have closed the Tool Shelf or the Properties Panel, note the small gray tab on the side of the 3D View window. If you click on that, the panel will reopen.

Move the cursor over the cube in the 3D View. Press the MMB and move the mouse left and right.

Now try it again; start with the cursor near the center of the screen, press the MMB, and move the cursor up and down.

Move the cursor over the 3D View and push the Ctrl key.

Then, press the MMB and move the mouse up and down.

Move the cursor over the 3D View, then press the Shift key. Press the MMB and move the mouse up and down.

Move the cursor over the 3D View, then push the Shift key. Press the MMB and move the mouse left and right.

Move the cursor over the 3D View, then push the Shift key. Press the MMB and move the mouse around as you like.

Move your cursor to the upper-left corner of the Blender window as shown in the previous screenshot. Left-click on File. A menu will drop down. Left-click on New. Another menu will appear asking you to Reload Start-Up File. Click on that and the default Blender file will be loaded.

Press the 7 key on the NumPad. This gives you the Top view.

Press the 1 key on the NumPad. This gives you the Front view.

Press the 3 key on the NumPad. This gives you the Right side view.

Press the Ctrl key and the 7 key on the NumPad. This gives you the Bottom view.

Press the Ctrl key and the 1 key on the NumPad. This gives you Back view.

Press the Ctrl key and the 3 key on the NumPad. This give you the Left view.

Now, press the 1, 3, and 7 keys on the NumPad, then press them while holding down the Ctrl key.

Press the NumPad 0 key to get the Camera view.

Press the F12 key to render the scene so you can see it.

Press the Esc key to close the rendering window.

Press the F11 key to see the previously rendered view.

Press the Esc key again.

Alternate pressing the F11 and the Esc keys and make sure that the Camera view is the same as the rendered scene. Do you notice any difference?

Press the 7 key on the NumPad to get the Top view.

Press the 4 key on the NumPad several times to rotate the view negatively on the Z axis.

Press the 6 key on the NumPad several times to rotate the view positively on the Z axis.

Press the 1 key on the NumPad to get the Front view.

Press the 4 key on the NumPad several times to rotate the view negatively on the Z axis.

Press the 6 key on the NumPad several times times to rotate the view positively on the Z axis.