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
