The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics: Computer Modeling & Animation, Third Edition

Blender is a free and open source graphics program for computer modeling and animation. It contains all the tools necessary for creating models and scenes that may be made into still images or animated movies. Like its predecessors, the third edition of The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics: Computer Modeling and Animation provides a single, comprehensive, up-to-date source for using Blender. It introduces the Blender features with examples and diagrams referenced to the graphical user interface (GUI), the arrangement of windows and panels containing the controls for operating the program. In addition to revisions to match the most recent version of Blender, fresh examples have been added. The contents have been organized into a building-block fashion, presenting basic subjects such as textures and lighting in the early chapters before explaining their roles in more complex techniques such as fluid and smoke simulation in later chapters. The book also covers alterations that have been made to the GUI and significantly expands discussions of advanced features, enabling veteran and beginning users to take advantage of the full potential of Blender. This book also has a companion website, www.silverjb.limewebs.com, offering supplementary material for using further advanced techniques once the concepts and methods presented in the book have been adequately mastered. These techniques include fracturing, building walls or obstacles that can be demolished, dynamic painting, and path animation. Blender is a program in constant development, with new features being added progressively. This new edition of The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics gives detailed instruction on the latest version of the program. Using visual references and practical examples, it removes the frustration from the learning process in using the basic and advanced capabilities of Blender.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Blender Platforms Blender Versions Graphical User Interface Content Evolution The Blender Interface The Graphical User Interface The Blender Screen Interface Input Keyboard Shortcuts Window Arrangements The User Preferences Window Preset Interface Arrangements The 3D Window Window Modes Layers Object Tools Panel (Tool Shelf Panel) Moving in 3D Space The Blender View Menu The Properties Window Blender Windows Python Script The Outliner Window Add-Ons Multiple Scenes Navigation Navigation Navigate and Save Windows File Explorer (Windows Explorer) The Append or Link Command Packing Data Importing Objects Creating and Editing Objects Working with Basic Meshes Placing Objects in the Scene Edit Mode and Object Mode Mesh Types Cursor Placement Moving Objects Scaling Objects Rotating Objects Precision Manipulation The Transformation Widget Selecting Vertices, Edges, and Faces Mesh Vertex Editing Edit Mode Selection Options Creating Vertices Center Points Object Display Smooth and Flat Shading Options Proportional Vertex Editing Extruding Shapes Creating Ground Edge Loop Selection Inset Faces Joining and Separating Meshes Object Groups Deleting Vertices, Edges, or Faces Adding Faces Spin and Spin Duplicate Modifiers The Knife Tool Bezier Curves and Circles Sculpt Mode Extruding a Cup Extruding a Trough Method 1 Using Dupliverts Materials Introduction to Materials Material Settings Material Buttons Material Colors Adding a New Material The Preview Tab The Diffuse Tab The Specular Tab The Hardness Value Ramp Shaders Halo Settings Transparency and Reflection Vertex Painting Materials and the GUI The Outliner Window Multiple Material Slots Assigning Texture Color Textures Introduction to Textures Material Textures Texture Display in the 3D Window Texture Mapping Displacement Mapping Texture Surface Displacement UV Mapping Selective UV Texture Mapping Unwrapping with Seams Texture Paint World Settings Introduction to World Settings Mist Stars Texture as Background Image as Background Image as Template Lighting and Cameras Lighting Types and Settings Lamp Settings Cameras Camera Settings Options Camera Switching Camera Tracking Rendering and Ray Tracing Rendering an Image or Movie Rendering a JPEG Image Rendering a Movie File Playback More Movie File Rendering Video Codecs Making a Movie Ray Tracing Cycles Ray Trace Rendering Animation Basics Introduction to Animation Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Viewing Your Animation The Graph Editor Window Editing the Curve Other Types of Curves Modifying Curves Automatic Key Framing Rotation Explained Rotation Using F Curves Animating Other Features Keying Sets Vertex Animation Animation Following Curves Displacement Sound Animation Control 3D Text Introduction to 3D Text Creating 3D Text in Blender The Object Data Button "F" Creating Text on a Curve Converting Text to a Mesh Object Converting Text to a Curve Elefont 3D Text NURBS and Meta Shapes Using NURBS Creating a Lofted Tunne Meta Shapes Modifiers Introduction to Modifiers Modifier Stacks Modifiers for Modifying Modifiers for Generating Modifiers for Deforming Modifiers for Simulating Particle Systems Overview Setting Up the Default Particle System Particle Settings and Material Influence The Particles Panel Starting a Particle System Material Influence on Particles Particle Interaction Wind Force Sample Particle Settings Keyed Particle Systems Boids Particle Systems Hair Particle Systems The Assignment Tab Fluid Particles Child/Parent Relationships and Constraints Child/Parent Relationships Introduction to Constraints Transform Constraints Tracking Constraints Relationship Constraints Duplicating along Curves Extruding along Curves The Follow Path Constraint Armatures Adding an Armature Single Bone Armatures Armature Display Types Multibone Armatures Deforming a Mesh Object Armature Modifiers Humanoid Armatures Disconnected Bones Vertex Groups or Field of Influence Inverse Kinematics IK Constraint Character Rigging Shape Key and Action Editors Introduction Shape Key Editor Action Editor Shape Keys and Action Editor in Practice Fluid Simulation Introduction to Fluid Simulation Basic Setup (Scenario 1) Basic Setup (Scenario 2) Fluid Simulation with Particle Objects Fluid Simulation with Control Objects Summary Smoke Simulation Smoke Generation Creating Smoke from Scratch Create a Domain Smoke from a Mesh Object Flow Object Rendering Domain Settings for Rendering Material Buttons Smoke Generation Settings Using Particles Fire Color Ramp Summary Nodes Introduction to Nodes Material Nodes Texture Nodes Compositing Nodes Node Groups Saving and Appending Node Groups Summary Cycles Render PC Specifications for Cycles Start Cycles Cycles in Perspective Useful Cycles: Add Mist Adding Texture in Cycles The Blender Game Engine Introduction to the Game Engine Reinforcing Fundamentals Examples Game Animation Rigid Bodies: Dynamics Making a Stand-Alone Game Summary The Video Sequence Editor: Making a Movie Making a Movie The Video Editing Screen Storyboard Video Sequence Editor Summary Drivers Blender Drivers Randomize Object Properties The Array Modifier Shapes Keys Randomizing Property Values Python Script Register the Script Set Up the 3D Window Rotation Driver Properties Alternative Method for Activating Reevaluating Drivers Scale Properties Driver X-Axis Scale Driver (Scripted Expression) Y-Axis Scale Driver (Max, Min, Sum, Average Values with Variable) Z-Axis Scale Driver (Single Property with Variable) Material Property Drivers Duplicating the Object Installing Add-Ons Installing Finding the File Installing the Python Script Activating the Script Using the Script Appendix: Basic Blender Commands