Day 6: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Introduction to Layers and Organizing Elements

Objective: Create a simple mind map from scratch while learning to use layers in Blender to organize different components effectively.

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Blender:

• Start a new Blender project by opening Blender and selecting "General" from the splash screen.

2. Set Up Your Scene:

• Delete the default cube by selecting it and pressing X to delete it.

3. Create Basic Nodes:

• Add a Circle:
• Press Shift + A to open the Add menu.
• Select Mesh > Circle. This will be your first node.
• Resize the Circle:
• Press S to scale it down slightly, if needed.
• Duplicate for More Nodes:
• With the circle selected, press Shift + D to duplicate it. Move the duplicate to a new position.
• Repeat this to create a few more circles to represent your mind map nodes.

4. Add Text Labels:

• Create Text:
• Press Shift + A and select Text.
• Edit Text:
• With the text object selected, go to the Properties Panel (press N if it’s not visible).
• Under the Text tab, change the text to label your nodes (e.g., “Main Idea,” “Subtopic 1,” etc.).
• Position the Text:
• Move the text close to its corresponding node using the G key (grab) to position it.

5. Create a Collection for Organization:

• Go to the Outliner (top right panel).
• Right-click and select New Collection. Name it “Mind Map.”
• Drag and drop all your circles and text objects into this new collection.

6. Create Connecting Lines:

• Add a Line:
• Press Shift + A and select Mesh > Cylinder.
• Resize and Position:
• Scale the cylinder down along the Z-axis (S, then Z).
• Move it to connect two nodes.
• Duplicate Lines:
• Duplicate the line for other connections between nodes as needed.

7. Organize Lines into a Collection:

• In the Outliner, create another collection named “Lines.”
• Move all your connecting lines into this collection.

8. Color the Elements:

• Select a node or line, go to the Material Properties (the sphere icon in the Properties Panel).
• Click New to create a new material, and adjust the base color to your preference.
• Repeat this for each node and line for better visual distinction.

9. Use Layers to Manage Visibility:

• Press M while an object is selected to move it to a different layer.
• Organize your elements by moving some nodes to one layer and others to a different layer.

10. Save Your Work:

• Go to File > Save As and save your project with an appropriate name (e.g., “Mind_Map_Scratch.blend”).

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Outcome

By the end of this session, you should have a basic mind map structure organized into layers and collections. This setup will allow you to easily edit, animate, or enhance your visuals in future sessions.

Source:
ChatGPT

Post 20/30: Difference between Registry and “Inteqal” (mutation) in Real Estate

(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, “Difference Between Registry and Inteqal in Pakistan |Registry vs Mutation |رجسٹری اور انتقال میں فرق” on the channel “Legal Opinion Law Chambers”

The author says that when you purchase a property and you transfer that to your name, it refers to registry. However, it is not always necessary that you purchase a property, as sometimes, someone (such as parents) may give you their property as a gift. This gift is referred to as gift deed (not sale deed). There is also a surrendered deed, in which you pass your property to someone. This is also a registered document.

When you purchase a property and it transfers to your name, it has to be registered in the registrar office. It is referred to as registry. It is a valid document, in which there is a stamp, and you pay duties, such as FBR duty. After all these actions, the property transfers to your name. So, you become the owner of that property.

The other thing is that of “inteqal” (mutation) for which there is record in the revenue department. Usually, inteqal is considered in the context of tax collection. So, initially some person was the owner of a property and now it has been transferred to your name. Initially, they were paying taxes, and now you will have to pay taxes. This process is usually under the authority of “patwari”. “Inteqal” can take place only after registry. Nevertheless, ownership is considered on registered sale deeds, as per the rulings of court, and “inteqal” is only a revenue collection document.

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

Sources:

Legal Opinion Law Chambers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxtqqWeBj1k

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:
ChatGPT

Day 5: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Basic Animation Techniques in Blender

 

Objective:

Learn the basics of animating simple elements in Blender, such as moving or rotating a shape, to create an engaging animated diagram.

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Step-by-Step Guide:

1.     Open Blender and Set Up Your Workspace

• Open Blender and ensure you're in the "Layout" workspace for animation.
• Familiarize yourself with the Timeline panel at the bottom, where you'll control the animation sequence.

2.     Create a Basic Diagram

• Use 2D shapes (circles, squares, etc.) to create a basic diagram. You can reuse the mind map from Day 3 or create a simple flowchart with a few shapes.
• Add Text to label your shapes (e.g., “Start,” “Process,” “End”).

3.     Switch to Animation Mode

• Select an object (shape or text) in your diagram.
• Go to the Object Properties tab and focus on the Transform section (for moving, scaling, or rotating the object).
• Move your playhead to Frame 1 in the Timeline.

4.     Set Keyframes for Movement

• To animate the position of an object, press I while hovering over the Location property in the Object Properties tab. This creates a keyframe for the starting position at Frame 1.
• Move the playhead to a later frame (e.g., Frame 40). Now, move the object to a new position using G (Grab) to drag it to the desired location.
• Press I again to insert a keyframe for the new position at Frame 40.

5.     Animate Rotation

• Select an object and press R to rotate it. Insert a keyframe for Rotation at Frame 1 using the I key.
• Move to a later frame (e.g., Frame 60), rotate the object, and press I again to create another rotation keyframe.

6.     Preview Your Animation

• Press Spacebar to play the animation. You should see your objects move and rotate between the keyframes.
• Adjust the timing or smoothness by dragging keyframes in the Timeline.

7.     Add More Animation (Optional)

• You can animate text appearing or disappearing by keyframing its Visibility (use the Outliner or keyframe the object's scale to make it “grow” from nothing).

8.     Refine the Animation

• Use Interpolation Modes for smoother motion:
• Select your keyframes in the Timeline.
• Right-click and select Interpolation Mode > Bezier for a smooth curve in the motion.

9.     Render Your Animation

• Once satisfied with the animation, go to the Render Properties tab.
• Set the Output Format to FFmpeg video (to export as a video).
• Choose a file destination under the Output section.
• Press Ctrl+F12 to render the animation.

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Outcome:

You will have created a simple animated diagram with moving and/or rotating elements, ready for use in your illustrative videos!

Let me know if you need further help!

 

Source:

ChatGPT

Post 19/30: Types of Housing Societies – Real Estate

 

(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, “Types of housing societies | difference between NOC AND REGISTRATION | REAL ESTATE GUIDE” on the channel “PR TV”

In the video, the host talks about different types of societies. There are three types of societies. One is cooperative housing societies; second is private limited, and third type falls under the category that is under the governance of some body or trust. These three housing societies have different procedures for registration. However, NOC has to be taken by all these societies.

The host discusses more about cooperative societies. Cooperative societies are registered in cooperative houses. These societies are often initiated by some particular institutions. For example, WAPDA town. WAPDA started this initiative in 1980s to give benefits to its employees. For registration, Cooperative registrar websites can be checked for rules that can vary in different provinces. Usually, membership is provided in the start and then land is acquired by customers. Then the institute gets awareness of how many people will purchase, and then on easy installments it provides property to the employees.

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

Sources:

PR TV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TLF8poPP7Y

Day 4: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Adding Colors and Simple Shading in Blender

 

On Day 4, you will learn how to add colors and simple shading to your illustrations in Blender. Adding colors and shading can make your visuals more appealing and help communicate your ideas more effectively. This guide will focus on colorizing the mind map created on Day 3 using the Grease Pencil tool.

Outcome: Colorize the mind map from Day 3.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Your Mind Map File:
• Open Blender and load the file containing the mind map you created on Day 3.
• If you haven’t saved your work previously, create a simple mind map using the Grease Pencil with nodes and connecting lines.
2. Switch to Shading Mode:
• In the top bar of the Blender interface, click on the “Shading” workspace tab. This will open the Shader Editor and give you access to the tools you need for coloring.
• Alternatively, you can use the “Grease Pencil” mode by selecting the Grease Pencil object in the Outliner, which allows for direct color adjustments.
3. Select Grease Pencil Object:
• Click on your Grease Pencil object in the 3D Viewport or select it from the Outliner.
• Ensure you are in “Draw Mode” or “Object Mode” by switching modes from the top left of the 3D Viewport.
4. Adding Colors to Strokes:
• In the “Properties” panel on the right, click on the “Materials” tab (the sphere icon).
• Click the “+” button to add a new material slot, then click “New” to create a new material.
• Name the material (e.g., “Node Color” or “Line Color”) to keep track of different elements.
5. Customize Your Material:
• Adjust the Base Color by clicking the color box next to “Base Color” in the Material properties.
• Choose a color for your strokes. You can pick vibrant colors to differentiate between nodes, lines, and text.
• Set the stroke thickness and opacity as needed.
6. Assign Colors to Different Elements:
• To apply the created material, select a stroke or node with the Grease Pencil. In the “Material” properties, choose the appropriate color material you’ve created.
• Repeat the process to assign colors to all parts of your mind map, ensuring clear differentiation between elements.
7. Add Simple Shading:
• While Grease Pencil doesn’t support 3D shading in the traditional sense, you can add “Fill” colors to give the appearance of depth.
• In the “Materials” tab, create another material but set its style to “Fill” instead of “Stroke.”
• Use a slightly darker shade of your base color to create the illusion of shading.
8. Refining Colors with Vertex Paint:
• For more refined coloring, switch to “Vertex Paint” mode under the Mode dropdown menu in the top left of the Viewport.
• Use the brush to add subtle color variations or highlights directly onto your Grease Pencil drawing, enhancing the visual appeal.
9. Preview and Adjust:
• Preview your mind map to see how the colors look in the “Rendered” or “Material Preview” mode (located in the top right of the 3D Viewport).
• Make any necessary adjustments to colors, opacity, or shading to achieve your desired look.
10. Save Your Work:
• Once satisfied with your colored mind map, save your work by going to File > Save or pressing Ctrl + S.
• Save your file with an appropriate name, like “Colored_Mind_Map.blend,” to keep your work organized.

Tips:

• Experiment with different color palettes to make your mind map visually engaging.
• Consider using lighter shades for the background and darker or more vibrant colors for nodes and connections to ensure readability.
• Keep practicing adding colors and shading; it’s a great way to enhance your illustrations progressively.

By completing Day 4, you will have learned the basics of adding colors and simple shading to your Blender illustrations, making them more visually appealing and effective in conveying information.

Source:

ChatGPT

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