see also blender game engine notes

blender notes

currently for blender v2.33
blender is a Free Media Tool for 3d modeling and animation
notes from julian's workshop

tutorial / docs

interface overview » http://www.blender3d.com/cms/Blender_User_Interface_Tutorial.224.0.html
blender basics » http://members.home.nl/dotblend/download.htm

pythonic

to setup SPE (currently using SPE 0.5.1.B) as an editor, wxpython is required.
edit .zshenv/.basrhc and .MacOSX/environment.plist to include PYTHONPATH=”/usr/local/lib/python2.3/site-packages/” (or key/value pair)
downloads

notes from julian's workshop

(chateau d'halloy 19JUL2004 / blender 2.33a)

abbreviations
- lmb/mmb/rmb → left/middle/right mouse button
- mw�mouse wheel
- lc/mc/rc�left/midle/right click
- C-vcontrol-
- S- → shift-
- Alt- → Alt-
- Spc → space bar
- Tab → tab key

split region, by using middle mouse button on dividers between regions
- setup 4 pane view
- menu > system & opengl >
- edit methods > mesh undo > 64

using the configuration area between the titlebar and viewport )
- hide menu, keep working
- num. 1(z,x) 3(z,y) 7(y,x)
- 1(z,x) 5(perspective mode)

viewports )
- C-u to 'save user defaults'

C-'up-arrow' > maximize viewport

spacebar to bring up mesh menu (eg. add > cube)

mmb to rotate
- shift-mmb to scroll across the screen
- mw to zoom, C-mmb
- edit mode enables editing of mesh

Tab toggle edit/object mode )
- rc to select objects in the oops

oops schematic, under left menu icon in viewport )
- 'u' to undo

in edit mode

'a' toggle select all/none
- 'x' delete
- lc to accept, rc to not-accept the changes

'g' to grab a vertex after rc to select )
- S-rc to select a face

object mode

tab to enter
- mmb to spin,
- 'z' to view rendered
- red/white point is pov rotation
- pink dot is object center
- rotation menu > select point to rotate view around

modeling

select by draging box around object (lmb/rmb)

'b' key to get into 'box mode' )
- space > add mesh > plane
- 'a' to select
- 'e' to extrude
- 's' to scale
- 'b' box-mode select

add mesh > circle > verticies 16
- extrude/scale/etc

'SubSur' (in panels section) to subdivide surfaces
- 'n' for transform properties pop-up menu, Shift to edit numbers

'4' and '6' to rotate view (vertical)
- '2' and '8' to rotate view (horizontal)
- rc to select which object is editable

'p' to seperate a form (selected verticies)
- S-k cut tool

make a cube,
- S-k to cut the cube
- select one half (in object mode)
- move the 2 halves apart
- select each of the vertecies of the open side
- 'f' to create a face joining the selected vertecies

normals

normals as direction a face is pointing
- C-n to force normals to point 'outward'

complexifying meshes

edit mode
- select > mesh tools > subdivide
- select face, extrude, duplicate (C-d)
- mesh tools > rem doubles
- Alt-M to merge vertices

subsurfacing is for display only
smoothing a mesh
- mesh tools > subdivide > smooth

'm' to move an object ot another layer

fuzzy select

single vertex on a complex mesh * 'o' (adds menu icon for 'smooth/sharp falloff') * 'g' to grab a circular selection from a vertex

scaling

using 's' for scaling, the mmb can be used to fix values, to scale non uninformly

warping

keycommand?

surface using bezier curve

edit mode
spc, add 'bezier curve'
'g' to grab/move control points
(repeat if necessary)
convert to mesh
object mode (tab)
spc > convert object type > mesh

building meshes from a single vert

reduce an object to a single point
- C-lc to add points
- Alt-M to merge
- smooth/etc
- S-f to 'fill' with face (vs 'f' for a single face)

make a wineglass

make the profile of half a glass using a sequence of single verts
check the object center is at the origin
- object mode, press 'n', set to 0s,
- 'center new'from the mesh option panel
move profile to align with the axis
select the desired 'screw' (degr:360), 'spin' (steps:18) 'spin dup' (turns:1)
click in the xy view
'remove doubles'
'subdivide'
'smooth' etc+

bending

forming a smooth bend, rather than a sharp corner
- select the verts to bend
- press 'o' for 'fuzzy select'
- 'r' to rotate, mw to select the radius of rotation

animation

select 'ipo curve editor'
object mode
add some objects
menu on the right of the ipo view are the 'operations' that can be performed
time axis (horiz.) vs. 'value' axis (vertical)
add keyframe
- in object mode
- 'i' to insert key
- select 'loc'
make change(s) to object
insert new key frame (as above)
check the splines have changed

animation window has 'point' (edit) and 'curve' (object mode
edit points in 'point' mode, can use editing/select tools.

camera

in 'top' view
spc, add > camera
press '0' to see what the camera is looking at

rendering

select object (in object mode)
press 'f' to get into uv face mode
selectfaces with rc
vertex paint mode
panels 'edit'
'paint' panel
set color
set vert color
copy draw mode
panel 'shading' (f5) > 'material buttons' > 'add new'
'vcol paint' button

panel 'scene' (f10) > 'render buttons' > 'anim'
'osa' oversampling antialiasing
'motion blur'
'anim' button

other

rendering

http://yafray.org » excellent raytracer

import/export scripts

http://bane.servebeer.com/programming/blender/index.html

links