Day 13: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Using Blender's Camera for Smooth Animations

Objective:

Create a smooth pan or zoom effect in your diagram to make your illustrations more engaging.

---

Step 1: Setting Up Your Scene

1. Open Blender:
• Start by launching Blender and opening your existing project with your illustrations (e.g., mind map, flowchart).
2. Select Your Camera:
• In the 3D viewport, press N to open the sidebar.
• Click on the “View” tab and make sure you are in “Camera” view (Numpad 0). This allows you to see what the camera sees.

Step 2: Positioning the Camera

3. Adjust Camera Position:
• If the camera is not positioned well, select it (click on the camera icon) and use the G (grab) key to move it, R to rotate it, or adjust the properties in the sidebar under the camera's settings to frame your illustration.
4. Set the Camera Lens:
• In the Camera Properties panel (camera icon), adjust the focal length. A lower value gives a wider view, while a higher value gives a zoomed-in effect.

Step 3: Adding Keyframes for Animation

5. Set Initial Keyframe:
• With the camera selected, press I and choose “Location” to insert a keyframe for the camera's current position.
6. Move the Timeline Indicator:
• Move the timeline indicator (the blue vertical line) to frame 30 (or the desired time for your animation).
7. Change Camera Position:
• Move the camera to a new position that highlights another part of your illustration (again use G to grab and move).
• Insert another keyframe by pressing I and selecting “Location” again.

Step 4: Adjusting Animation Settings

8. Smooth Motion:
• Go to the Timeline at the bottom of the window, click on the “Graph Editor” to adjust the easing of your animation for smooth transitions.
• Select the keyframes and press T, then choose “Ease In” or “Ease Out” to create smoother starts and ends for your camera movement.

Step 5: Previewing Your Animation

9. Play the Animation:
• Press Space or use the play button in the timeline to preview your camera animation. Make adjustments as needed by moving the keyframes in the timeline or repositioning the camera.

Step 6: Rendering the Animation

10. Render Settings:
• Go to the Output Properties panel (printer icon) and set your desired resolution and frame rate.
• Ensure the output folder is set correctly to save your video.
11. Render the Animation:
• Click on “Render” in the top menu and select “Render Animation” to create your animated video.

---

Outcome:

By the end of this tutorial, you will have created a smooth camera animation that dynamically showcases your illustrations, making them more engaging for your audience.

 

Source:
ChatGPT