Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Day 16: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Advanced Flowcharts with Conditional Paths in Blender

Goal:
Create a detailed flowchart with conditional paths, allowing the diagram to show different branches based on decision points. This is useful for illustrating complex concepts, such as step-by-step processes or decision-making scenarios.

Step-by-Step Tutorial


Step 1: Open Blender and Set Up Your Workspace

  1. Launch Blender and start with a new project.
  2. In the top right corner, change your workspace to "2D Animation" or "Layout" mode for easier access to 2D tools like the Grease Pencil.
  3. Save your project with a meaningful name, e.g., AdvancedFlowchart.blend.

Step 2: Plan Your Flowchart

  1. Outline your flowchart on paper or a whiteboard. Identify key decision points where the flow can branch into different paths.
  2. Decide what shapes will represent the decision points (e.g., diamonds for decisions, rectangles for actions, circles for start/end points).

Step 3: Draw Flowchart Shapes Using Grease Pencil

  1. Grease Pencil Object:
    • In the "Add" menu (Shift + A), select Grease Pencil > Blank.
    • This will create a blank slate for your 2D drawing.
  2. Drawing Shapes:
    • Switch to Draw Mode in the Grease Pencil object.
    • Use the Line or Box tool to create flowchart shapes like rectangles, diamonds, and circles for the start, end, and decision points.
  3. Color Your Shapes:
    • In the Material Properties tab, create new materials to color your shapes. For instance, use different colors for different types of nodes (e.g., blue for actions, red for decisions).

Step 4: Add Text Labels to Flowchart

  1. Switch to the Text Tool in the toolbar.
  2. Add text for each shape (e.g., "Start", "Decision 1", "Outcome A", etc.).
  3. Adjust the font, size, and position of the text using the Properties Panel on the right.

Step 5: Connect the Shapes with Arrows

  1. Use the Grease Pencil Line Tool to draw arrows between shapes, indicating the flow of the process.
  2. Use Shift+Ctrl+Alt+C to center the origin of each arrow and align them with the decision or action boxes for cleaner visuals.

Step 6: Add Conditional Paths

  1. Create branches at decision points by drawing multiple arrows leading to different outcomes.
  2. Label each arrow with the condition or decision that leads to a specific path (e.g., “Yes”, “No”, “True”, “False”).

Step 7: Add Animations

  1. Animate Arrows and Flow:
    • Use Keyframes to animate the arrows appearing one by one. This helps simulate the flow of a decision-making process.
    • Select the arrow, press I to insert a keyframe for location or scale. Move a few frames forward, then adjust the location/scale of the arrow to make it grow or move into place.
  2. Transition Effects:
    • To make your animation smoother, customize the easing in the Graph Editor by adjusting the curve of the keyframes (e.g., ease-in, ease-out effects).

Step 8: Use Camera for Dynamic View

  1. Add a Camera object to the scene and set up keyframes to animate the camera movement.
  2. Animate smooth zoom-ins to highlight key decision points and pan across the flowchart to guide the viewer’s attention.

Step 9: Add Audio Narration (Optional)

  1. Record a voiceover that explains the flowchart.
  2. In Blender, go to the Video Sequence Editor, import the audio file, and synchronize the narration with the flowchart animation.

Step 10: Render Your Flowchart

  1. Go to the Output Properties tab, and choose the desired output settings (resolution, frame rate, etc.).
  2. Set the file format to FFmpeg Video to export as a video file.
  3. Click Render Animation to create the final flowchart video.

Outcome:

By the end of this day, you'll have a fully animated, conditional-path flowchart that you can share or use in your educational videos. You'll also have gained skills in structuring complex visual content, which will be helpful for illustrating topics like the Quran, biology, or medical processes.

Source:
ChatGPT


Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Post 18/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Introduction to Grease Pencil (2D Animation in 3D Space)

 

Goal: Learn how to use Blender's Grease Pencil to create 2D animations in a 3D environment.


Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Open a New Blender Project
    Start by opening Blender and creating a new project. You can use the default settings, or if you already have a 3D scene, you can work within that scene.
  2. Switch to the Grease Pencil Workspace
    • From the top menu, switch to the "2D Animation" workspace.
    • This will give you access to tools for drawing and animating using the Grease Pencil.
  3. Add a Grease Pencil Object
    • If you are working in a 3D scene, press Shift + A, and from the dropdown menu, select Grease Pencil > Blank.
    • This will create a blank Grease Pencil object to draw on.
  4. Switch to Draw Mode
    • On the top-left corner, change the mode to "Draw".
    • You’ll now see the drawing tools on the left toolbar.
  5. Draw Your First Frame
    • Use the pen tool to draw simple shapes or characters.
    • You can adjust the thickness and color of your lines by using the Material Properties on the right panel.
    • If you're new to drawing in Blender, start with something simple, like a star or smiley face.
  6. Animate Your Drawing
    • Move to the timeline at the bottom of your screen.
    • Insert a keyframe for your drawing by pressing I and selecting "Grease Pencil Frame".
    • Move to a different frame in the timeline (for example, frame 10 or 20), and adjust your drawing by modifying it slightly or drawing a new one.
    • Press I again to insert a keyframe for the new frame.
    • Blender will automatically interpolate between these frames, creating an animation.
  7. Preview the Animation
    • Press Spacebar to play the animation and see your 2D drawing come to life within the 3D space.
    • You can refine it by adding more in-between frames for smoother transitions.
  8. Use the 3D Camera for Dynamic Shots
    • Switch back to Object Mode (Tab), and you’ll notice your 2D drawing is placed in the 3D space.
    • You can now animate the camera around the drawing.
    • Add a camera to the scene by pressing Shift + A and selecting Camera.
    • Position the camera to capture the drawing and animate it to move around the 2D artwork for a dynamic shot.
  9. Add Lighting (Optional)
    • You can add lights to your scene for more depth and mood, even though it's primarily 2D.
    • Add a light source by pressing Shift + A and choosing Light (e.g., Point or Sun). Position it to illuminate your Grease Pencil drawing.
  10. Render Your Animation
    • Once satisfied with your animation, go to Render Properties on the right panel.
    • Set the render engine to Eevee or Cycles depending on the quality you prefer.
    • Under Output Properties, choose a file format such as AVI or MP4 for your animation.
    • Click Render Animation to output your first 2D animation within a 3D space!

Shareable Visual:
A short 2D animation (e.g., a star moving or changing shape) created using Grease Pencil within a 3D scene, possibly with camera movement to enhance the visual effect.

 

Source:
ChatGPT


Day 15: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Creating Medical Illustrations (e.g., Organ Diagrams)

Objective:

Create basic medical diagrams, such as organ structures, using 2D shapes in Blender, and label them clearly for educational purposes.


Step-by-Step Process:

1. Set up a New Blender Project

  • Open Blender and start a new project by going to the top-left corner and selecting File > New > 2D Animation. This setup focuses on 2D shapes, making it easier to create diagrams.

2. Use Grease Pencil for Drawing

  • In the 2D Animation workspace, the Grease Pencil tool is already available.
  • Select the Grease Pencil and switch to Draw Mode. This mode will allow you to draw freehand shapes representing organs or structures like hearts, lungs, or brain regions.

3. Drawing the Medical Organ Structure

  • Plan the organ's structure first (e.g., a simple heart shape).
  • Use the circle or freehand drawing tool in Grease Pencil to create the basic outline of the organ.
    • For the heart, draw two circular lobes at the top and a V-shape at the bottom to give the basic structure.
    • For the brain, you can sketch the basic left and right hemispheres using curved lines.

4. Add Details with Grease Pencil Layers

  • To add more detail to your diagram:
    • Create a new layer in the Grease Pencil panel (on the right). Name the layer "Details."
    • Use this layer to add veins, arteries, or internal structures.
    • Use the Line and Arc tools for clean, detailed lines.

5. Add Color to the Diagram

  • Switch to Object Mode and select the Grease Pencil object.
  • In the Materials Tab, create new materials for different parts of the organ (e.g., red for arteries, blue for veins, pink for organ tissue).
  • Assign these colors to different parts of the diagram by selecting the corresponding strokes and filling them in the Material settings.

6. Label the Diagram

  • Add labels to your organ illustration using the Text Tool:
    • In the top menu, select Add > Text. Position the text next to the different parts of the organ.
    • Edit the text by pressing Tab and typing the name of the part (e.g., "Heart", "Artery", "Brain Hemisphere").
    • To change the text's size, select the text object and go to the Object Data Properties on the right panel, where you can modify the font size and style.

7. Add Arrows for Clear Labeling

  • To clearly point out different parts, add arrows using the Grease Pencil.
    • Draw simple arrows by creating a line with a small triangle at the tip, pointing from the label to the organ part.
    • Add these arrows on a new layer for easy adjustments.

8. Organize Layers for Clarity

  • Use separate layers for the main diagram, labels, and arrows to ensure clarity.
  • In the Grease Pencil Layers panel, lock or hide layers as needed to work on specific parts of the diagram.

9. Basic Animation (Optional)

  • Animate the Labels: If you want to make the labels appear one after the other:
    • Go to Animation Mode, select the text, and keyframe its visibility by pressing I on the frame you want it to appear/disappear.
    • Set the keyframes at different intervals to make the text appear in sequence.

10. Finalize the Illustration

  • Once your organ diagram looks good and the labels are clear, save the file.
  • If you animated anything, test the animation by pressing the Play button.

11. Export the Illustration

  • To export your medical diagram as an image or video:
    • For static diagrams, go to File > Export > PNG (or any other image format).
    • For animated diagrams, go to Render > Render Animation and export it as a video file.

12. Voice Narration (Optional)

  • You can record your voice narration in a separate software like Audacity or Blender’s built-in audio features.
  • Add it to the final video using Blender's Video Sequencer:
    • Go to Video Editing > Add > Sound, and sync the narration with the illustration.

Outcome:

By the end of Day 15, you will have created a basic medical organ diagram with labeled parts, ready to share. You can use this for educational videos on topics like anatomy or biology.

Source:
ChatGPT

Monday, October 7, 2024

Post 29/30: Decline in prices of plots in Gulberg residencia, Islamabad

 

(Source: https://gulbergislamabad.pk/)

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, “Gulberg Islamabad Plot Prices | Gulberg Islamabad 2024 | Gulberg Islamabad Latest News” on the channel “Advice Associates”.

In this video, the host shares the decline in the prices of plots from 2022 to 2024. The host discusses about Gulberg Residencia. This area has plots in the range from 5 marlas to 2 kanals, whereas in the Gulberg Greens (which is in the start of the area), plots are in the range from 4 kanals to 10 kanals. In the C Block in Gulberg Residencia, 5 marla plots were available at the price of about 95 lacs and now these are available in the price range of 85 lacs. The A1 and A2 blocks are non-developed areas, in which prices were 25 lacs in 2022 and now prices are in the range of 17 lacs. In the F-Executive Block, which is also non-developed, prices were 30 lacs and now prices are 25 lacs. Overall, 7 marla plots in the non-developed areas were about 5 lacs and now these are available at 30 lacs. Overall, 10 marla plots in developed areas were available at 1 crore and now at 90 lacs, whereas 10 marla plots in the non-developed areas were available at 70 lacs and now at 40 lacs. Overall, 12 marla plots, which were possessionable in the developed areas were available at the price of 2 crores and now at 1.7 crores. Overall, 1 kanal plots, which are in the non-developed areas, were available at 70 lacs and now at 50 lacs. Overall, possessionable 1 kanal plots in the developed areas were available at 2.5 crores and now at 2 crores.

The host also shares that prices in Gulberg have declined but the percentage of decline is lower as compared to that of Bahria Town. Usually, prices in the non-developed areas have declined most in both of these areas. One of the biggest reasons is that of Gulberg’s location, as it is located in Islamabad. It is also signal free. However, development in this area is slow, which is also one of the biggest reasons for the decline in prices.

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

Sources:

Advice Associates  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt4EJ7N_sJI


Post 17/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Creating Smoke with Volume Effects (VFX in Blender)

Goal: Today, you'll learn how to create realistic smoke effects in Blender using the smoke simulation system. This is a great way to simulate environments like industrial settings, campfires, or even volcanic eruptions.

Task Overview:

  • Set up a simple scene.
  • Use Blender’s volume effects to create smoke.
  • Tweak the smoke settings to get the desired look.
  • Render a shareable visual of a realistic smoke simulation.

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

1. Open Blender

  • Open Blender and start a new project.

2. Set Up the Scene

  • Delete the default cube (Select the cube and press X to delete).
  • Add a new object that will emit the smoke:
    • Go to the Add menu at the top or press Shift + A, then select Mesh > Sphere (you can use any object, but we’ll use a sphere for this tutorial).

3. Add a Smoke Simulation

  • Convert the sphere to a smoke emitter:
    • With the sphere selected, go to the Physics tab on the right panel.
    • Click on Fluid, and from the drop-down, select Smoke.
    • In the Smoke Type, select Flow. This tells Blender that the sphere will emit smoke.

4. Adjust Smoke Settings

  • In the Flow Type, ensure it is set to Smoke.
  • You can tweak additional settings here:
    • Temperature: This affects how fast the smoke rises (default is fine for now).
    • Density: Adjust to control how thick or light the smoke appears (default is good for basic smoke).

5. Add a Domain Object

  • Smoke simulations in Blender require a domain to contain the smoke.
    • Add a cube (Shift + A > Mesh > Cube) and scale it up (S key) so that it surrounds the sphere completely.
    • With the cube selected, go to the Physics tab and enable Fluid > Smoke. This time, set the Smoke Type to Domain.

6. Preview the Simulation

  • Press Play (Spacebar) to start the animation. You should see smoke start to emit from the sphere and fill the domain.
    • Tip: If the smoke appears too slow or fast, you can adjust the simulation time in the Domain settings under Time Scale.

7. Refine the Smoke Look

  • To make the smoke look more realistic, you can go to the Shading workspace (at the top of Blender).
    • Select the Render Properties tab and switch the Render Engine to Cycles for better results.
    • Under the Domain object's material settings, ensure you are using the Volume Scatter shader for more realistic smoke rendering.

8. Adjust the Lighting

  • For realistic smoke, you need good lighting:
    • Add a light source (Shift + A > Light > Sun or Area light).
    • Position the light to highlight the smoke.

9. Render the Simulation

  • Set up a camera to capture the smoke effect. You can add a camera by pressing Shift + A > Camera, then position it using G and R to adjust.
  • Go to the Render tab and click on Render Image or Render Animation if you want to render an animated sequence of the smoke.

10. Export and Share

  • Once the render is complete, save the image (F3 to save).
  • For animations, export the video as a .mp4 file to share.

Shareable Visual:

  • You now have a realistic smoke effect animation or still image ready to share. This could be a simple puff of smoke, an ongoing smoke cloud, or something more dynamic depending on how you adjusted the simulation.

This lesson helps you get familiar with Blender’s volume effects and provides you with a solid understanding of how to create smoke. This fundamental skill can be applied to larger VFX projects like fires, explosions, or even misty environments!

Source:
ChatGPT

Day 14: Blender tutorial for making illustrations - Exporting Your Illustrations as Videos in Blender

 


Welcome to Day 14 of your 30-day tutorial plan! Today, you'll learn how to export your Blender creations as video files, a crucial step to share your animated illustrations with your audience. By the end of this session, you'll be able to render and export your flowcharts, mind maps, brainstorms, and other illustrative videos.

Objectives:

  • Understand how to set up rendering in Blender
  • Learn how to export your animation as a video file
  • Get familiar with video formats and resolution settings
  • Generate a simple video from your animated diagram

Step 1: Set Up Your Scene for Rendering

Before you can export your project as a video, ensure that everything is in place and your scene is ready for rendering.

  1. Check Your Timeline:
    • Make sure all keyframes and animations are in place. Scrub through the timeline to preview your animation and ensure it's ready.
  2. Camera Setup:
    • Verify your camera angles. You can adjust your camera position by selecting the camera object in the scene and using G (grab) or R (rotate) to position it correctly.
    • Use 0 on your numpad to switch to the camera view and preview how your animation will appear.

Step 2: Choose Render Settings

  1. Open Render Properties:
    • On the right-hand side of the screen, find the Render Properties tab (the icon looks like a small printer).
  2. Set Render Engine:
    • Choose your render engine. For quick renders, Eevee is a fast, real-time rendering engine. For higher-quality renders, choose Cycles.
  3. Resolution:
    • Scroll to the Output Properties tab (the icon looks like a printer with a gear). Set the resolution of your video. For standard HD video, use 1920x1080 pixels.
  4. Frame Range:
    • Set the frame range of your animation. For example, if your animation lasts 5 seconds and your frame rate is 24 FPS (frames per second), you would set the range from 1 to 120.

Step 3: Select Output File Format

  1. Open Output Settings:
    • In the Output Properties tab, under the Output section, set the file path where you want to save your exported video. Click the folder icon to choose your save location.
  2. File Format:
    • In the same section, change the file format to FFmpeg video (this format is used for exporting video files).
  3. Encoding Options:
    • Scroll down to the Encoding section. Select Container as MPEG-4 (for .mp4 format).
    • Set Video Codec to H.264 for high-quality compression, which is ideal for YouTube uploads.

Step 4: Render the Animation

  1. Render Animation:
    • Once everything is set up, go to the top menu and click Render > Render Animation. Blender will start processing your frames and generating the video file.
  2. Monitor the Process:
    • You’ll see a pop-up window showing each frame as it's rendered. The process can take time, depending on the complexity of your animation and the length of the video.

Step 5: Review Your Video

  1. Locate the Exported File:
    • After rendering is complete, navigate to the folder you selected in the output settings to find your video file.
  2. Play the Video:
    • Open the video in your media player to review the animation. Make sure the visuals, timing, and smoothness meet your expectations.

Step 6: Adjustments and Re-Renders

If you're not happy with the result or notice any errors, you can go back to Blender, make adjustments, and re-render the animation.

  • Common Adjustments:
    • Frame rate issues: If your animation looks choppy, increase the frame rate or add more keyframes to smooth out the motion.
    • Lighting or color issues: Adjust lighting or material settings to improve the look of your visuals.
    • Resolution problems: If the quality isn’t sharp enough, check your resolution settings and re-render with higher settings.

Conclusion:

By the end of Day 14, you’ve successfully learned how to render and export your Blender animations as video files. Now, you can share your illustrative videos with others! Continue practicing this process as it becomes second nature while refining your skills in creating complex visual diagrams.

Source:
ChatGPT


Sunday, October 6, 2024

Post 28/30: Brokers can cheat with clients in real estate business

(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, “Fraud Alert | Big scame in real estate Pakistan | DHA Islamabad | Bahria town | Gulbarg green,” on the channel “Roznaama Property”.

The host shares that policies in Pakistan are among the reasons for the decline in real estate market. Moreover, the interest rates (which were increased) also resulted in a decline in this market. Another important reason is that people associated with the business of real estate are illegitimately taking the dues (haq) of other people. For instance, brokers often “eat” the rights of other people. These types of real estate agents often develop fake offices (with girls) calling people who want to sell or purchase property. The host shares that even about 4 years ago, the real estate market was rarely or not facing these types cheatings, but now the situation has been changed. Sometimes, dealers say to the clients that you can merge your plot in our projects and can get a good profit in return. Some of these cheaters often take big cars on rent to attract clients.

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

Sources:

Roznaama Property  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQqMQp_41sg