Day 1: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Introduction to Blender Interface and Basic Navigation

 

Objective:

Learn the basics of Blender, including navigating the interface, understanding the 3D viewport, and basic transformations (move, rotate, scale). By the end of this session, you'll create a simple shape (cube or sphere) and manipulate its position.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Download and Install Blender:
• If you haven't already, download Blender from the official Blender website.
• Install Blender following the on-screen instructions for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
2. Open Blender and Get Familiar with the Interface:
• Launch Blender. When it opens, you'll see the default workspace with a splash screen.
• Close the splash screen to reveal the main interface, which consists of several key areas:
• 3D Viewport: The main area where you'll create and manipulate objects.
• Toolbar (left): Tools for editing objects (Move, Rotate, Scale).
• Outliner (top right): Displays all objects in your scene.
• Properties Panel (bottom right): Adjust object properties like size, location, and materials.
• Timeline (bottom): Used for animations (not needed for today).
3. Basic Navigation in the 3D Viewport:
• Orbit (Rotate View): Middle mouse button drag or use the Numpad (4, 6, 8, 2) to rotate the view.
• Pan View: Shift + middle mouse button drag.
• Zoom In/Out: Scroll the mouse wheel or use Numpad (+ and -).
4. Understanding the Basic Elements:
• Default Objects: Blender starts with a cube, a camera, and a light.
• Axes: The red, green, and blue lines represent the X, Y, and Z axes, which help you orient objects in 3D space.
5. Selecting and Manipulating Objects:
• Select Object: Left-click on the object (e.g., the cube) to select it.
• Move (G): Press G to move the object. You can lock movement to an axis by pressing X, Y, or Z after pressing G.
• Rotate (R): Press R to rotate the object. Lock to an axis by pressing X, Y, or Z after pressing R.
• Scale (S): Press S to scale the object larger or smaller. Use X, Y, or Z to scale on a specific axis.
6. Practice Creating a Simple Object:
• Add a New Object:
• Press Shift + A to open the "Add" menu.
• Choose Mesh > Sphere (or any other shape you prefer).
• Position Your Object:
• Use G to move the sphere to a new position.
• Rotate it with R or resize it using S.
7. Save Your Work:
• Save Your Blender File:
• Go to File > Save As.
• Name your file (e.g., "Day1_Practice.blend") and save it in a location you can easily find.
8. Explore Viewport Shading Options (Optional):
• At the top right of the 3D Viewport, try different shading modes:
• Wireframe: Shows only the edges.
• Solid: Shows objects with basic shading.
• Material Preview: Displays materials and textures.
• Rendered: Shows the final look with lights and shadows.
9. Wrap-Up:
• Take a few minutes to play around with moving, rotating, and scaling your objects to get comfortable with the controls.
• Reflect on what you’ve learned and note any questions you may have for further exploration.

Outcome:

By the end of Day 1, you will have created, positioned, and manipulated basic 3D shapes in Blender, setting the foundation for more complex illustrations in the coming days.

Feel free to ask if you need more guidance or clarification on any of the steps!

Source:

ChatGPT

Post 4/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Lighting Techniques for Enhanced Visuals

Goal:

Learn basic lighting techniques in Blender to make your scenes look more realistic and visually appealing.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Open Your Previous Project or Start a New One

• Open Previous Project: If you want to continue from Day 3, go to File > Open and select your "Day3_Project.blend" file.
• Start Fresh: Alternatively, open Blender and select File > New > General to start with a new scene.

Step 2: Set Up a Basic Scene

• Add Objects: If starting fresh, add a few basic objects like a cube, sphere, and cylinder (Shift + A > Mesh > [Choose Shape]) to create a simple scene.
• Arrange Objects: Position them in an interesting composition using the move (G), rotate (R), and scale (S) tools.

Step 3: Switch to the Rendered View

• Rendered View Mode:
• In the 3D Viewport, switch to Rendered View by clicking the top-right shading option (a circle icon) or pressing Z and selecting Rendered.
• This will show you a live preview of your scene with all the lighting effects applied.

Step 4: Understand Basic Light Types in Blender

• Types of Lights:
• Point Light: Emits light uniformly in all directions, like a light bulb.
• Sun Light: Emits parallel rays of light, ideal for outdoor scenes to mimic sunlight.
• Spot Light: Emits a cone of light, great for focused lighting effects.
• Area Light: Emits light from a rectangular surface, useful for soft, natural lighting.

Step 5: Add and Position a Point Light

• Add a Point Light:
• Press Shift + A > Light > Point.
• Move the light using G to position it near your objects.
• Adjust Light Settings:
• With the light selected, go to the Properties Panel > Light Properties (bulb icon).
• Increase the Power value to adjust brightness (start with around 50-100 watts).
• Change the Color to see how colored lighting affects your scene.

Step 6: Experiment with a Sun Light

• Add a Sun Light:
• Press Shift + A > Light > Sun.
• Position doesn’t affect the light; only the direction matters.
• Rotate the Sun Light:
• Rotate the light (R) to change the direction of the sunlight. This will cast shadows in different directions.
• Adjust Sun Light Settings:
• Go to Light Properties, adjust the Strength (try values between 1-10).
• Experiment with the Angle to soften shadows.

Step 7: Add a Spot Light for Dramatic Effects

• Add a Spot Light:
• Press Shift + A > Light > Spot.
• Position the spot light to focus on a specific object or area of your scene.
• Adjust Spot Light Settings:
• In Light Properties, adjust the Power to control brightness.
• Use the Size setting to adjust the cone angle, making the light more focused or wider.
• Blend: Adjust to soften the edges of the spotlight.

Step 8: Create Soft Lighting with Area Lights

• Add an Area Light:
• Press Shift + A > Light > Area.
• Position and scale the area light (S) to cover the scene for soft, diffused lighting.
• Adjust Area Light Settings:
• Increase the Power to brighten the scene.
• Scale the light to see how size affects softness—larger lights produce softer shadows.

Step 9: Set Up Multiple Lights for a Balanced Scene

• Three-Point Lighting Setup:
• Key Light (Main Light): The primary light source. Place it to one side of the object (try a Spot or Area Light).
• Fill Light: A softer light on the opposite side to fill in shadows (try a weaker Point Light).
• Back Light (Rim Light): Placed behind the object to create a rim of light, highlighting the edges (try a Sun or Spot Light).

Step 10: Fine-Tune the Lighting Settings

• Adjust Color and Brightness:
• Experiment with different colors for each light to create mood and contrast.
• Balance the brightness of the key, fill, and back lights to achieve a natural look.
• Play with Shadows:
• In the Light Properties, you can enable or disable shadows and adjust their softness.
• For softer shadows, increase the Radius or Angle of the light.

Step 11: Add Environment Lighting (HDRI)

• Add an HDRI for Realistic Lighting:
• Go to World Properties (Earth icon) in the Properties Panel.
• Click Color > Environment Texture, then click Open and choose an HDRI image from your computer (free HDRIs can be found online).
• The HDRI will add realistic environmental lighting and reflections.

Step 12: Render Your Scene

• Render Image:
• Press F12 to render your scene.
• Check how the different lights and their settings affect the final image.
• Save the Render:
• Go to Image > Save As, and save your rendered image.

Step 13: Save Your Project

• Save Your Work:
• Go to File > Save As, name your file (e.g., "Day4_Project.blend"), and save it.

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Summary:

• You’ve learned how to use various light types in Blender to enhance your scene’s visuals.
• You explored key lighting setups like three-point lighting, experimented with light colors, and added HDRI for realistic lighting.
• Understanding these lighting basics is crucial for creating visually stunning VFX that stand out!

Now you have a scene with professional lighting techniques that make your objects look more dynamic and visually appealing. Keep exploring and adjusting lights to achieve different moods and styles!

Source:

ChatGPT

Post 15/30: Real estate business move in cycles of ups and downs

(Source: Pixabay)

I thought of learning about different aspects of Pakistan, as I want to do something for it. Therefore, I started with some of the well-known indices or reports that would help me in gaining more information about Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT). These were 12 posts. You can search my posts related to Pakistan by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_Pakistan

Now, I have been learning about real estate business in Pakistan. I have started from Youtube videos and hopefully during my learning Journey, I will get some more useful resources to move ahead in this learning and perhaps entering into the real estate business.

I have seen a video, titled, “Real Estate Market Updates | Why Property is De value, Fact & Cycle of the Property, Details” on the channel “PROPERTY NAAMA”

The host of the video tells that the real estate values, in Pakistan, have already gone down, but these were at high levels during 2019/2020. This is a cycle of real estate, i.e., values go down and then up, and this cycle goes on. Try to hold on the property at this time, and sale it when the rate would go up. When you keep on showing that your property is on sale, its rate would go substantially downward.

The host tells an interesting point that we usually make a mistake of purchasing property, when its value goes up, and selling it, when its value goes down. For instance, during the years in 2018 to 2020, and in 2012 and 2013, when the prices were very high, every person wanted to buy property. This is the time to purchase property, and if you sale your property, you will experience loss. Interestingly, at this time, property in Dubai is at “boom” (peak values). This cycle of property going up and down is natural, and it is not linked to whether prime minister is this or that, nor whether there is an army dictatorship or there is democracy. However, during the era of General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan experienced a huge “boom” in the context of property. In the era, when in Sindh, Bahria Karachi came during the era of Zardari sb, there was a huge “boom” in property. In the era, when Bahria Rawalpindi came during the era of Nawaz Sharif sb, there was a huge “boom” in property. In the era, when Capital Smart City, and other similar projects came during the era of Imran Khan sb, there was a huge “boom” in property. This is showing that real estate is moving in cycles.

The host has another interesting point. “Roti, Kaprra, aur Makaan” (food, clothing, and housing) are basic needs of human beings, and they are moving in cycles. Their do not usually face downfall.

Giving the example of, probably, Dubai Gas, which is a huge real estate company. During the Russian Ukraine war, money flowed to Dubai, and Dubai “boomed”. In this Dubai, flats were available at 2 lacs and 3 lacs, and now those similar flats are available at around 8 lacs, and this same price will go down after 1 or 1.5 years. Real estate would shift towards Saudia, where “Neom”, a 500 billion dollar project is coming, and about 2 trillion dollars they are spending on real estate.

Another interesting point has been generated by the host. He says, everyone is investing in Real Estate. If people place cash in Banks, they have to pay taxes. If they place money with them, they are fearful of being theft. If you want to establish Industry, you have to take approval from various places. Suppose you want to open an industry of one arab (about 100 crores), you have to pay about 25 crores in “rishwat” (bribe) and have to fulfill the (wrong) wishes of every relevant department. This is why people spend one arab and purchase some property, such as 4 plots, in Bahria Town etc. and wait for a good time, and at that time, they sale the property and profit. So, this a very easy process to invest in real estate.

Follow my Hashtag #behtareenkitalaash on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/behtareenkitalaash

Sources:

PROPERTY NAAMA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LFSdFFALF8

Post 3/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Materials & Textures Introduction

 

Goal:

Learn how to apply basic materials and textures to objects to make them more visually interesting.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Open Your Previous Project or Start a New One

• Open Previous Project: Go to File > Open and select your "Day2_Project.blend" file if you want to continue working from Day 2.
• Start Fresh: If you want to start a new project, open Blender and select File > New > General.

Step 2: Set Up Your Scene

• Add Objects: If you started fresh, press Shift + A to add a few different objects (e.g., a cube, sphere, and cylinder) to your scene.
• Arrange Objects: Move, rotate, and scale the objects as needed to set up a simple scene, similar to Day 2.

Step 3: Switch to the Shading Workspace

• Access Shading Workspace:
• Click on the Shading tab at the top of Blender. This will switch your view to the Shading Workspace, where you can work directly with materials.
• The screen will split into several sections: a 3D Viewport, a Shader Editor (bottom), and a Rendered Preview window.

Step 4: Add a Basic Material to an Object

• Select an Object: Click on the object you want to apply a material to (e.g., a cube).
• Open the Material Properties:
• Go to the Properties Panel on the right.
• Click on the Material Properties icon (sphere icon) to view the material settings.
• Create a New Material:
• Click New to create a new material.
• Rename the material (e.g., "Red_Material") for better organization.

Step 5: Adjust Basic Material Settings

• Color:
• In the Base Color section, click the color box to open a color picker.
• Choose any color you like (e.g., red, blue, or green) to change the object’s appearance.
• Specularity and Roughness:
• Specular: Controls the shininess of the surface. Increase it for a glossy look.
• Roughness: Controls the smoothness of the surface. Lower values make it shiny, and higher values make it rougher.
• Preview the Material:
• You’ll see the material update on your object in the Rendered Preview window. If nothing changes, make sure the viewport shading is set to Rendered (top right of the 3D Viewport).

Step 6: Apply Materials to Other Objects

• Repeat for Other Objects:
• Select another object and click New under the Material Properties to add a new material.
• Customize the material color, specular, and roughness settings to make each object distinct.
• For each object, try to experiment with different settings to understand how they affect the object’s appearance.

Step 7: Using Predefined Textures

• Add Textures:
• In the Shader Editor (bottom panel), you can add predefined textures.
• With your object selected, in the Shader Editor, press Shift + A, go to Texture > Image Texture, and add it to the shader graph.
• Connect the Color Output of the Image Texture node to the Base Color Input of the Principled BSDF node.
• Open a Texture File:
• Click the Open button in the Image Texture node and select a texture image (e.g., wood, metal, fabric) from your computer. You can find free textures online or use Blender’s built-in textures.
• The texture will automatically apply to your object.

Step 8: UV Mapping (Optional for Beginners)

• Adjust Texture Placement (UV Mapping):
• If the texture appears stretched or misaligned, you may need to adjust the UV mapping.
• Select the object, go to Edit Mode by pressing Tab, and in the top menu, select UV > Smart UV Project to automatically align the texture.
• Exit Edit Mode by pressing Tab again.

Step 9: Adjust Lighting for Better Material Display

• Lighting Adjustment:
• To see your materials better, adjust the light in your scene. You can move it, change its intensity, or add more lights using Shift + A > Light > Point/Area/Spot.
• Experiment with Lights: Play with light colors and positions to see how they affect the look of your materials.

Step 10: Render the Scene

• Render Settings:
• Click Render > Render Image or press F12.
• Ensure the lighting highlights the different textures and materials on your objects.
• Save the Rendered Image:
• Once rendering is complete, go to Image > Save As and save your rendered image.

Step 11: Save Your Project

• Save Your Work:
• Go to File > Save As, name your file (e.g., "Day3_Project.blend"), and save it.

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Summary:

• Today, you learned how to create and apply basic materials and textures to objects in Blender.
• You experimented with color, specularity, roughness, and texture images to give your objects unique looks.
• This foundational knowledge of materials will be crucial as you start creating more complex and realistic VFX scenes in the upcoming days.

By the end of this session, you should have a simple scene with objects that have different colors and textures, ready to be shared!

Source:

ChatGPT

Post 14/30: Capital Smart City, Islamabad – Basic Information

 

(Source: Zameen)

I thought of learning about different aspects of Pakistan, as I want to do something for it. Therefore, I started with some of the well-known indices or reports that would help me in gaining more information about Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT). These were 12 posts. You can search my posts related to Pakistan by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_Pakistan

Now, I have been learning about real estate business in Pakistan. I have started from Youtube videos and hopefully during my learning Journey, I will get some more useful resources to move ahead in this learning and perhaps entering into the real estate business.

I have seen a video, titled, “Capital Smart City Overseas East | Possessionable Plots | Balloted Plots Complete Guide” on the channel “RBS Real Estate & Builders”

Capital Smart City is a housing project in Islamabad, Pakistan, located near M2 Motorway. In a video by RBS Real Estate & Builders, hosts tell that Overseas East Block in Capital Smart City is ready to possession. There is also Overseas Prime 1, which can also be considered as one of the most rapidly developing areas. In this area, different options are available including 5 marlas, 7 marlas, 10 marlas, and 1 kanal. Some commercials are also available here. In the East, several options are available too, including 5 marlas, 10 marlas, 12 marlas, and 1 kanal.

The host also discusses about balloted plots for which clients may not want to get possession. Balloted plots are those to which street number, plot number, etc. (each and everything) have already been declared, and clients with those plots have already come on-map. So, in case of balloted plots, a client has already moved ahead of files, and they can see the plot on map (whether it is corner plot or park facing etc.) These types of plots are available in Overseas Central, Overseas East, Overseas Prime 1, and Executive.

The host also discusses about short term investment and commercials. In this case, Overseas East has already some options for commercials. Commercial activities have already started in Overseas East. For instance, in the Overseas East D Block, already a commercial plaza has been started under the supervision of a private company. Moreover, Overseas Central has good options for commercials. This area has a university and hostels that can grab commercial investment.

In case of installments with minimal downpayments, Overseas West Block can be a good option. For instance, with 40% balloting can be started.

Follow my Hashtag #behtareenkitalaash on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/behtareenkitalaash

Sources:

https://www.smartcitypk.com/

RBS Real Estate & Builders - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ApAkM7z4GQ

Post 2/30: VFX tutorial for Blender - Object Manipulation & Basic Transformations

 

Goal:

Learn to move, rotate, and scale objects to create a simple scene with multiple shapes.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Open Your Previous Project or Start a New One

• Open Previous Project: If you want to continue from Day 1, go to File > Open and select your "Day1_Project.blend" file.
• Start Fresh: Alternatively, open Blender and start a new file by selecting File > New > General.

Step 2: Clear the Scene (Optional)

• Delete Default Objects: Select the default cube, camera, and light one by one, pressing X and confirming to delete them. This will give you a clean slate.

Step 3: Add New Objects to the Scene

• Add Shapes:
• Press Shift + A to bring up the Add Menu.
• Navigate to Mesh and add different shapes like Cube, UV Sphere, Cylinder, or Cone.
• Add at least three different objects to your scene to practice manipulations.

Step 4: Move Objects (Grab)

• Select an Object: Left-click on one of the objects to select it.
• Move the Object:
• Press G to grab and move the object freely.
• Use the X, Y, and Z axes to control movement:
• Press G + X to move along the X-axis (left/right).
• Press G + Y to move along the Y-axis (forward/backward).
• Press G + Z to move along the Z-axis (up/down).
• Confirm the movement with a left-click or cancel with a right-click.

Step 5: Rotate Objects

• Rotate the Object:
• Select an object and press R to rotate it freely.
• Use specific axes to control rotation:
• R + X for rotating around the X-axis.
• R + Y for rotating around the Y-axis.
• R + Z for rotating around the Z-axis.
• Adjust the rotation angle to your liking, and confirm with a left-click.

Step 6: Scale Objects

• Scale the Object:
• Select an object and press S to scale it uniformly.
• For axis-specific scaling:
• S + X to scale along the X-axis.
• S + Y to scale along the Y-axis.
• S + Z to scale along the Z-axis.
• Confirm the scale change with a left-click.

Step 7: Duplicate Objects (Optional)

• Duplicate an Object:
• Select an object you want to duplicate.
• Press Shift + D to duplicate the selected object, then move it to the desired position.
• Left-click to confirm the duplicate’s position.

Step 8: Arrange Objects into a Simple Scene

• Use the move, rotate, and scale tools to arrange your objects into a visually pleasing composition.
• Experiment with different positions, rotations, and sizes to create a balanced scene.

Step 9: Adjust Lighting

• Move the Light Source:
• Select the light in your scene (or add a new one with Shift + A > Light > Point).
• Move (G), rotate (R), or scale (S) the light to adjust how it illuminates your objects.

Step 10: Camera Adjustment

• Position the Camera:
• Select the camera in the Outliner or viewport.
• Press Numpad 0 to see through the camera.
• Adjust the camera view by pressing G (move) and R (rotate) until you find the best angle for your scene.

Step 11: Render Your Scene

• Render the Image:
• Press F12 to render your current view.
• Once the render completes, review the lighting and object arrangement.

Step 12: Save Your Rendered Image

• Save the Image:
• In the render window, go to Image > Save As.
• Choose a location and format (e.g., PNG), and save your image.

Step 13: Save Your Blender Project

• Save Your Work:
• Go to File > Save As, name your file (e.g., "Day2_Project.blend"), and save your progress.

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Summary:

• Today, you’ve learned how to manipulate objects by moving, rotating, and scaling them.
• You created a simple scene with different shapes, adjusted lighting, and rendered a shareable image.
• These basic transformations form the foundation for all object manipulation in Blender, allowing you to start building more complex scenes over the coming days.

Enjoy experimenting with your new skills, and keep your scene files organized as you progress through the 30-day VFX journey!

Source:

ChatGPT