Learning Blender · A Hands-On Guide to Creating 3D Animated Character= S · 2nd Edition by Villar, Oliver -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

About This E-Book Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Contents Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Part I The Basics of Blender

1 What You Need to Know About Blender

What Is Blender? Commercial Software Versus Open-Source Software

Commercial Software Open-Source Software

The History of Blender The Blender Foundation and Blender Institute The Blender Community Summary Exercises

2 Blender Basics: The User Interface

Downloading and Installing Blender Using Blender with Recommended Hardware Navigating the Blender User Interface Understanding the 3D View Editor Navigating 3D View Managing Areas Working with Editor Types Selecting Objects Making an Active Selection Using the 3D Cursor Setting Blender’s User Preferences Summary Exercises

3 Your First Scene in Blender

Creating Objects Moving, Rotating, and Scaling

Using Manipulators (Basic Mode) Using Keyboard Shortcuts (Advanced Mode) Arranging Objects in Your Scene

Naming Objects and Using Datablocks

Renaming Objects Managing Datablocks Naming Your Scene’s Objects

Using Interaction Modes Applying Flat or Smooth Surfaces Working with Modifiers

Adding Modifiers Adding a Subdivision Surface Modifier to Your Object

Using Blender Render and Cycles Managing Materials

Using Blender Render Materials Using Cycles Materials Adding Materials to Your Scene

Turning on the Lights

Light Options in Blender Render Lights Options in Cycles Adding Lights to Your Scene

Moving the Camera in Your Scene Rendering

Rendering in Blender Render Rendering in Cycles Saving and Loading Your .blend File Launching and Saving the Render

Summary Exercises

Part II Beginning a Project

4 Project Overview

The Three Stages of a Project

Preproduction Production Postproduction

Defining the Stages

A Film Without Visual Effects A Visual-Effects Film An Animated Film A Photograph

Making a Character-Creation Plan

Character Preproduction Character Production Project Postproduction

Summary Exercises

5 Character Design

Character Description

Personality Context Style Appearance

Designing the Character

Silhouettes Base Design Head Details Refined Design

Adding Color Finalizing the Design Making Character Reference Images Using Other Design Methods Summary Exercises

Part III Modeling in Blender

6 Blender Modeling Tools

Working with Vertices, Edges, and Faces

Selecting Vertices, Edges, and Faces Accessing Modeling Tools

Making Selections

Shortest Path Proportional Editing Linked Selection Loops and Rings Border Selection Grow and Shrink Selection Limit Selection to Visible Select Similar Select Linked Flat Faces Select Boundary Loop and Loop Inner-Region Checker Deselect Other Selection Methods

Using Mesh Modeling Tools

Bevel Boolean Operations: Intersect (Boolean) and Intersect (Knife) Bisect Bridge Edge Loops Connect Delete and Dissolve Duplicate Edge Offset Extrude Fill and Grid Fill Inset Join Knife Knife Project Loop Cut and Slide Make Edge/Face Merge Poke Remove Doubles Rip and Rip Fill Screw Separate Shrink/Flatten Slide Smooth Vertex Solidify Spin Split Subdivide

Working with LoopTools Working with F2 Using Other Interesting Blender Options

AutoMerge Hide and Reveal Snapping

Summary Exercises

7 Character Modeling

What Is Mesh Topology? Choosing Modeling Methods

Box Modeling Poly to Poly Sculpt and Retopologize Modifiers The Best Method

Setting Up the Reference Planes Modeling the Eyes

Creating an Eyeball Using Lattices to Deform the Eyeballs Mirroring and Adjusting the Eyes

Modeling the Face

Studying the Face’s Topology Blocking the Face’s Basic Shape Defining the Face’s Shapes Defining the Eyes, Mouth, and Nose Adding Ears Building the Inside of the Mouth

Modeling the Torso and Arms

Modeling the Basic Shapes for the Torso and Arms Defining the Arms and Torso Detailing the Backpack and Jacket Finishing the Belt and Adding a Neck to the Jacket

Modeling the Legs Modeling the Boots Modeling the Hands

Building the Basic Hand Shape Adding the Fingers and Wrist

Modeling the Cap

Creating the Base of the Cap Adding Details to the Cap

Modeling the Hair

Shaping Locks of Hair Adding Natural Details to the Hair

Modeling the Final Details

Eyebrows Communicator Badges Teeth and Tongue Other Clothing Details

Summary Exercises

Part IV Unwrapping, Painting, and Shading

8 Unwrapping and UVs in Blender

Seeing How Unwrapping and UVs Work Unwrapping in Blender

Using the UV/Image Editor Navigating the UV/Image Editor Accessing the Unwrapping Menus Working with UV Mapping Tools Defining Seams

Considering Before Unwrapping Working with UVs in Blender

Marking the Seams Creating and Displaying a UV Test Grid Unwrapping Jim’s Face Using Live Unwrap Adjusting UVs Separating and Connecting UVs Reviewing the Finished Face’s UVs

Unwrapping the Rest of the Character Packing UVs Summary Exercises

9 Painting Textures

Defining the Main Workflow Painting in Blender

Texture Paint Mode Before You Start Painting Conditions for Painting Paint Slots Limitations of Blender’s Texture Paint Mode

Creating the Base Texture

Placing Texture Elements Saving Your Image Packing Your Images

Texturing in 2D Image Editing Software

Exporting the UVs as an Image Loading the UVs and Base Elements Adding Base Colors Adding Details Applying the Final Touches

Seeing the Painted Character in Blender Summary Exercises

10 Materials and Shaders

Understanding Materials

Materials Application How Materials Work Masks and Layers Channels Blender Render Materials Cycles Materials Procedural Textures

Shading Your Character with Blender Render

Setting Up Blender Render Materials Applying Textures in Blender Render Shading Jim in Blender Render Making Render Tests

Shading Your Character with Cycles

Using Cycles Materials Using Basic Shaders Mixing and Adding Shaders Loading Textures Shading Jim in Cycles Running Render Tests

Summary Exercises

Part V Bringing Your Character to Life

11 Character Rigging

Understanding the Rigging Process

What’s a Rig? Rigging Process

Working with Armatures

Manipulating Bones Working in Object, Edit, and Pose Modes Adding Constraints

Rigging Your Character

Creating the Base Bone Structure Rigging the Eyes Rigging the Leg Rigging the Torso and Head Rigging the Arm Rigging the Hand Mirroring the Rig Organizing the Rig

Skinning

Understanding Vertex Weights Setting Up the Model for Skinning Adding an Armature Modifier Defining Weights

Creating the Facial Rig

Modeling Shapes Creating the Face Rig Using Drivers to Control the Face Shapes

Creating Custom Shapes Making Final Retouches Reusing Your Character in Different Scenes

Library Linking Working with Groups Protecting Layers Using Proxies to Animate a Linked Character Using Dupli Visibility

Summary Exercises

12 Animating Your Character

Inserting Keyframes

Using the Manual Method Using the Automatic Method Using Keying Sets Animating Properties in the Menus

Working with Animation Editors

Timeline Dope Sheet Graph Editor Non-Linear Animation (NLA) Common Controls and Tips

Animating a Walk Cycle

Creating an Action Creating the Poses for the Walk Cycle Repeating the Animation Walking Along a Path

Summary Exercises

Part VI Getting the Final Result

13 Camera Tracking in Blender

Understanding Camera Tracking Shooting Video for Easy Tracking Using the Movie Clip Editor Tracking the Camera

Loading Your Footage Studying the Anatomy of a Marker Tracking Features in the Footage Configuring Camera Settings Solving Camera Motion Applying Tracked Motion to the Camera Adjusting Camera Motion

Testing Camera Tracking Summary Exercises

14 Lighting, Compositing, and Rendering

Lighting Your Scene

Analyzing the Real Footage Creating and Testing Lights

Using the Node Editor

Compositing Understanding Nodes Studying the Anatomy of a Node Using the Node Editor Previewing the Result

Compositing Your Scene in Blender Render

Setting Up the Scene Setting Up Render Layers Compositing Nodes

Compositing Your Scene in Cycles

Setting Up the Scene Setting Up Render Layers Node Compositing

Rendering

Render Settings Output Final Render

Summary Exercises

Part VII Keep Learning

15 Other Blender Features

Particles Hair Simulation Cloth Simulation Rigid and Soft Bodies Fluids Simulation Fire and Smoke Grease Pencil Pie Menus Game Engine Freestyle Rendering Masking, Object Tracking, and Video Stabilization Sculpting Retopology Maps Baking Included Add-Ons More Add-Ons Animation Nodes Python Scripting Summary

Index

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