How to Merge Vertices by Distance in Blender

Merging vertices by distance in Blender is a fundamental cleanup technique used to remove duplicate geometry and optimize 3D models. This step-by-step guide explains how to use the “Merge by Distance” tool (formerly known as “Remove Doubles”) to clean up your mesh, explaining how to select vertices, access the merge tool, and adjust the distance threshold to achieve clean topology.

Step 1: Enter Edit Mode

To modify the geometry of your 3D model, you must be in Edit Mode. 1. Select your 3D object in the viewport. 2. Press the Tab key (or use the interaction mode dropdown menu in the top-left corner of the viewport) to switch from Object Mode to Edit Mode.

Step 2: Select the Vertices

You can choose to merge specific vertices or clean up the entire mesh at once. * To merge specific vertices: Hold Shift and left-click the individual vertices you want to target. * To clean the entire mesh: Press A on your keyboard to select all vertices of the object.

Step 3: Open the Merge Menu

With your vertices selected, you can access the merge options using one of the following methods: * Keyboard Shortcut (Recommended): Press the M key. * Header Menu: Go to the top menu bar of the viewport and navigate to Mesh > Merge. * Right-Click Menu: Right-click in the viewport and select Merge Vertices.

Step 4: Choose “Merge by Distance”

From the pop-up menu that appears, click on Merge by Distance. Blender will instantly merge any selected vertices that are extremely close to one another.

Step 5: Adjust the Distance Threshold

As soon as you select the tool, an operator panel labeled Merge by Distance will appear in the bottom-left corner of the 3D Viewport. 1. Click the panel to expand it. 2. Locate the Merge Distance property (set to a default of 0.0001 m). 3. Increase the distance value to merge vertices that are further apart, or decrease it if the tool is merging geometry that you want to keep separate.

Step 6: Verify the Results

Once you click away or finalize the operation, Blender will display a brief confirmation message at the bottom of the screen (in the Status Bar) indicating how many vertices were removed (e.g., “Removed 12 vertices”). Your mesh is now optimized and free of duplicate, overlapping vertices.