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I'm doing some basic tutorial from https://youtu.be/LCghBIUZyuM?list=PLWO2DQFscvE-CYIjCIYUZ71RAhYNgmwg6&t=440

Author uses mirroring on the x axis. I'd like to ask why? I understand that to show us the function of mirroring. But is there any other meaning to use it and not just rotation?

atomicbezierslinger
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Matej Leško
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    The tools are not the same. Mirroring object is scaling its vertices' coordinates by -1, so it inverts object; rotating won't give such result. Create some more complex mesh than default and experiment. See related - http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/1093/understanding-mirroring-and-inverting-an-object – Mr Zak Mar 04 '16 at 13:54

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In the particular case of the teddy bear in the tutorial referenced by the original poster, because the leg and bottom of the leg objects are approximately symmetrical around the center axis of the leg, mirroring the object, and rotating the object will have similar results, except that it appears that mirroring may result in the normals of the faces of the object being flipped. With a more complex mesh, however, mirroring and rotating the objects will not have the same result. An example of this would be an exterior rear view mirror on an automobile, such as this one:

[Note 1]

In this case, duplicating the object(s) and using the mirror tool (CTRL - M) will yield a right side rear view mirror. However duplicating the object(s) and then rotating it 180 degrees will not have the same result; instead the right side mirror will have the glass facing forward, and the mounting surface in the wrong orientation.

Note 1: Original photo at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Wing_mirror_with_indicator_light.JPG/297px-Wing_mirror_with_indicator_light.JPG

brasshat
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