merge nearby vertices

When working with 3D models in Blender, you may find it necessary to merge nearby vertices to clean up geometry or simplify your mesh. Blender provides a built-in tool for merging vertices efficiently.

Steps to Merge Nearby Vertices

1. Enter Edit Mode
   • Select the mesh object.
   • Press Tab to switch to Edit Mode.
   • Ensure you're in Vertex Select mode (1 on the keyboard).
2. Select the Vertices
   • Manually select the vertices you want to merge by holding Shift and clicking each vertex.
   • Alternatively, select an area of vertices using Box Select (B) or Circle Select (C).
3. Merge the Vertices
   • Press M to bring up the Merge menu.
   • Choose one of the following options:
     • At Center: Merges selected vertices at their average position.
     • At Cursor: Merges all selected vertices at the 3D cursor location.
     • Collapse: Merges all vertices in each selected island separately.
     • By Distance: Automatically merges vertices within a set threshold.
4. Adjust Merge by Distance (Optional)
   • If using Merge by Distance, press F9 to open the operator panel and adjust the merge distance.
   • Increasing the distance will merge more vertices; reducing it ensures only very close vertices are merged.

Additional Tips

• Enable Auto Merge in the Mesh Options (top-right of the 3D Viewport) to merge overlapping vertices automatically when moving them.
• Use Alt + M as an alternative shortcut for merging.
• Be careful when merging multiple vertices, as unintended topology changes may occur.

By following these steps, you can efficiently merge vertices to maintain clean and optimized geometry in your Blender projects.