Where is the Tool Shelf in Blender?

Finding your way around the Blender interface can be challenging, especially when looking for essential modeling tools. This article provides a quick and direct guide on where to find the tool shelf (also known as the Toolbar) in the Blender 3D viewport, how to toggle its visibility, and how to use it to speed up your 3D workflow.

Location of the Tool Shelf

The tool shelf is located on the far-left side of the 3D Viewport. By default, it appears as a vertical column of icons representing various actions such as Select, Move, Rotate, Scale, and Annotate.

How to Show or Hide the Tool Shelf

If you cannot see the tool shelf, it has likely been hidden to maximize screen space. You can easily toggle its visibility using the following methods:

• Keyboard Shortcut: Hover your mouse cursor over the 3D Viewport and press the T key. Pressing T will instantly show or hide the toolbar.
• Using the Menu: Click on the View menu located in the top-left corner of the 3D Viewport, and check or uncheck Toolbar.
• The Chevron Icon: If the toolbar is hidden, you will see a tiny arrow (chevron) pointing to the right in the top-left corner of the viewport. Clicking this arrow will slide the tool shelf open.

Key Features of the Tool Shelf

• Context-Sensitive Tools: The icons inside the tool shelf change automatically depending on your current interaction mode. For example, Object Mode displays general transformation tools, while Edit Mode reveals specific modeling tools like Extrude, Bevel, and Loop Cut.
• Expanding the Shelf: If you are unsure what the icons mean, hover your mouse over the right edge of the tool shelf until the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow, then click and drag to the right. This will expand the shelf to display the text names next to each tool icon.
• Tool Settings: When you select a tool from the shelf, its specific settings and properties will appear in the horizontal bar at the very top of the 3D Viewport (the Tool Settings bar).