Post 7/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Introduction to Modifiers (Subdivision Surface)

 

Goal: Learn how to use modifiers to change the appearance of objects, specifically the Subdivision Surface modifier to smooth out objects.

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

1.     Open Blender and Set Up a New Project:

• Open Blender and start a new project. You can use the default cube or delete it and add a different shape (such as a sphere or cone) by pressing Shift + A → Mesh → Select your shape.

2.     Select the Object:

• Right-click or left-click (depending on your setup) to select the object in your scene that you want to smooth.

3.     Open the Modifiers Tab:

• On the right-hand side of the screen, find the Modifiers tab (a small wrench icon). Click on it to access the modifiers options.

4.     Add the Subdivision Surface Modifier:

• With your object selected, click on Add Modifier in the Modifiers tab.
• From the drop-down menu, select Subdivision Surface under the Generate category.

5.     Adjust the Subdivision Levels:

• In the Subdivision Surface modifier options, you will see settings for View and Render levels.
• The View level controls how smooth the object appears in the viewport.
• The Render level controls how smooth the object will be when rendered.
• Increase these levels to smooth out your object. Start with a View level of 2 or 3 for a moderate smoothness.

6.     Apply or Preview the Modifier:

• If you are happy with the smoothed look of your object, you can apply the modifier by pressing the Apply button in the modifier panel. However, for this tutorial, you can leave it as a preview without applying it.

7.     Refine with Shading:

• To further smooth the appearance, right-click on your object in the viewport and select Shade Smooth. This will make the object’s surface look smoother.

8.     Adjust Lighting and Camera:

• Set up your lighting to highlight the smooth surfaces. You can add a Sun light (Shift + A → Light → Sun) and position it to create interesting shadows.
• Adjust the camera by selecting it, pressing G to move, and R to rotate, framing your object.

9.     Render the Scene:

• Press F12 to render the scene and check out your smoothed object.

10.  Save Your Render:

• Once your render is complete, go to Image → Save As and export your image to share it.

Shareable Visual:

A smoothly subdivided 3D object with clean edges and soft shading, rendered with appropriate lighting and camera angles.

What You’ve Learned:

• How to apply and adjust the Subdivision Surface modifier to smooth out objects.
• Basic understanding of modifiers in Blender.
• Smoothing techniques using the Shade Smooth function.

Source:
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Post 6/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Keyframe Animation Basics

Goal: Understand how to create keyframe animations.
Task: Animate a simple object (e.g., moving a cube from left to right).
Shareable Visual: A short animation of a moving object.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Blender and Set Up Your Scene

1. Open Blender and ensure you are in the Layout workspace.
2. By default, Blender opens with a cube in the scene. If the cube is not there, you can add one by pressing Shift + A > Mesh > Cube.
3. Set up the initial scene by ensuring your cube is centered and visible in the 3D Viewport.

Step 2: Set Up the Timeline

1. Look at the bottom of the Blender interface for the Timeline window, where you'll be setting keyframes.
2. Make sure the frame range is set appropriately, for example, from frame 1 to 100. You can adjust this by changing the Start and End values in the Timeline.

Step 3: Position Your Object for the First Keyframe

1. Select the cube (left-click on it).
2. Press N to bring up the Transform panel on the right if it isn't already visible.
3. Position the cube to the left side of the screen in the X-axis by setting Location X to a negative value, such as -5.
4. Move the playhead to Frame 1 in the Timeline (you can do this by clicking on the frame number or typing the number in the frame box).

Step 4: Insert the First Keyframe

1. With the cube selected and positioned correctly, press I on the keyboard.
2. From the Insert Keyframe Menu, select Location. This will create a keyframe at Frame 1 for the current position of the cube.

Step 5: Set Up the Final Position for the Animation

1. Move the Timeline playhead to Frame 100 (or any frame you want the movement to end at).
2. In the Transform panel, change the Location X value to 5 (moving the cube to the right side of the screen).
3. Press I again and select Location to insert another keyframe. This keyframe marks the final position of the cube at Frame 100.

Step 6: Preview the Animation

1. Move the playhead back to Frame 1.
2. Press Spacebar to play the animation and watch the cube move from left to right.
3. If the movement is too fast or slow, adjust the end frame number in the Timeline or move the keyframes closer or further apart.

Step 7: Adjust the Animation Curve (Optional)

1. Switch to the Graph Editor window (located in the same window dropdown where the Timeline is) to fine-tune the animation.
2. Select the keyframe curves and adjust them to change the speed and smoothness of the movement (e.g., make it ease in or out).

Step 8: Set Up the Camera for Rendering

1. Press 0 on the numpad to switch to the camera view. Adjust the camera position if needed by selecting the camera in the outliner and moving/rotating it until the cube is in view.
2. You can move the camera using G (grab), R (rotate), and then insert keyframes for the camera as needed.

Step 9: Render the Animation

1. Go to the Render Properties tab (the one with the camera icon).
2. Ensure the Output Properties are set correctly (resolution, frame rate).
3. Set the output folder in the Output Properties tab to save your animation file.
4. Go to Render > Render Animation to render the sequence. Blender will generate a series of images or a video, depending on your settings.

Step 10: Review and Share

1. Review your rendered animation by playing the saved file.
2. If satisfied, share it on your desired platform!

This simple animation sets the foundation for understanding keyframes, a crucial aspect of VFX and animation in Blender.

Source:
ChatGPT

Post 1/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Blender Interface & Basic Navigation

 

Goal:

Familiarize yourself with Blender’s interface and create a basic 3D shape with basic lighting.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Download & Install Blender

• Go to Blender’s official website and download the latest version.
• Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Open Blender

• Launch Blender after installation. You’ll be greeted with the default layout.

Step 3: Understand the Blender Interface

• Top Bar: This is where you'll find common operations like File (to open or save files), Edit, and View.
• Viewport: The large center window where your 3D objects will be displayed and manipulated.
• Outliner (Top Right): This lists all objects in your scene.
• Properties Panel (Bottom Right): This contains settings for materials, textures, modifiers, rendering, and more.
• Timeline (Bottom): Useful for animations, though we won’t need it on Day 1.

Step 4: Basic Viewport Navigation

• Zoom In/Out: Use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out of your scene.
• Rotate View: Click and hold the middle mouse button while moving the mouse to rotate your view around the scene.
• Pan View: Hold Shift + middle mouse button to pan the view around.

Step 5: Select and Move Objects

• Select an Object: Left-click on the default cube in the viewport. You’ll see an orange outline indicating it’s selected.
• Move the Object: Press G (Grab) to move the object. You can lock the movement to specific axes:
• G + X to move on the X-axis.
• G + Y to move on the Y-axis.
• G + Z to move on the Z-axis.
• Left-click to confirm the movement, or right-click to cancel.

Step 6: Rotate and Scale Objects

• Rotate: Press R to rotate the object.
• R + X, R + Y, or R + Z to rotate on a specific axis.
• Left-click to confirm the rotation.
• Scale: Press S to scale the object.
• S + X, S + Y, or S + Z to scale along a specific axis.

Step 7: Add a New Object

• Delete the Default Cube: Select the cube and press X, then confirm deletion.
• Add a New Object: Press Shift + A to bring up the Add Menu.
• Go to Mesh and select a new shape (e.g., UV Sphere or Cylinder).
• The new object will appear at the center of the scene.

Step 8: Basic Lighting

• Default Light: In Blender, there is usually a default light already in the scene (you can see it in the Outliner).
• Select the light by clicking on it in the viewport or Outliner.
• Press G to move the light around, positioning it where you want.

Step 9: Camera Setup

• Select the Camera: In the Outliner, select the Camera object.
• Press Numpad 0 to switch to the camera view.
• To adjust the camera's position, press G to move it and R to rotate it.

Step 10: Render a Simple Image

• Rendering Setup:
• Press F12 to render your scene. This will create an image of what the camera is viewing.
• Once the render is complete, save the image by going to the top menu: Image > Save As and choose your file format (e.g., PNG).

Step 11: Save Your Project

• Go to File > Save As and save your project with a name like "Day1_Project.blend".

Source:
ChatGPT