Is scaling and applying in Object mode exactly the same as scaling in Edit mode?
If not, what are the differences?
I ask because if you are in Object mode and want to scale, then it's less clicks to scale & apply vs switching to edit mode, scaling there, then switching back to object mode.
It's practically the same, but they do have their different behaviors depending on some factors. For example, you may have modifiers on your object that are dependent on the scale and when you scale up in object mode and apply the scale, the modifiers may vary.
If you scale in edit mode, the location of your origin point might change and if you have modifiers like the mirror modifier which is dependent on the origin point, then it may alter the result of the mirror modifier.
So it depends on a case by case basis, there is no wrong answer, you can scale depending on your situation.
Hoi Dirk dirkdirk ,
Yes, that is exactly the same, at least the result is the same. The way you get there is different, but that is not important; it's a bit like going left once and up twice versus going up twice and then left once...
Anyway, Omar gave a better answer already.
This is a really good question that I also think about frequently.
I've been of the mindset that scaling in object mode, and then applying the scale before entering edit mode is the best approach by default -- just to avoid some of the potential pitfalls that Omar mentioned in his post.
I also found the video a tad misleading at 6:32 where it says "often times you'll want to scale something in edit mode instead." To me, that suggests there's something inherently bad about scaling an object mode -- when the crucial point is to just ensure that the scale transform is applied. (That said, it is useful to know that Edit Mode scaling is ultimately what we're really trying to express with either approach)