Blender 2.5 QuickTips #1

Zooming the Backdrop image in the Nodes Editor

Original size


Zoom Out the Backdrop with the V-key


Zoom In the Backdrop with Alt-V



Drag-Drop features

Drag-Drop materials using the Browse Material icon




Other areas that support drag-drop:

• An image from your desktop or folder onto the 3D View to add it as a background image
• An image from your desktop or folder onto the UV/Image Editor
• A .blend file to load it into Blender
• probably some others, so experiment!

Repeat functions

• You can repeat the last action by pressing Shift-R.
• You can display a menu for previous actions performed (History) by pressing F3. Selecting an item in the popup menu will repeat the action. You can then use Shift-R to continue repeating the item selected from the menu.
• Note: Currenetly, pressing Ctrl-Z to undo causes the History stack to be cleared! This is a documented bug.

Repeat buttons can be found in the Toolbar panel of the 3D View.

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials

News: Developer's Overview of Blender's Importers and Exporters

By Nathan Letwory (aka jesterking):

Blender is being used a lot as part of a pipeline, thus having a great need for import and export of various formats. In this article I list what formats used to be supported in Blender 2.4x series and how well these did their jobs, and then compare them to the current status.

Read the article on the Blender Developer Blog...

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials

News: Errata for BlenderArt Mag (Issue #31)

Some layout errors have been found in the "World of Rotations" article that may cause some confusion.

From BlenderArt.org

Seems some rather nasty booboos slid past layout proofing. Pep Ribal’s article on Rotations has some confusing layout errors that make the whole article rather confusing, to say the least. We will get that fixed and re-uploaded as quickly as possible. In the meantime, here is a list of the errors and their locations so that you can continue on until we get the new version fixed up and released.

p.12 – first paragraph is repeated
p.14 – paragraphs 2,3,4,5 and 6 are repeated
p.14 – last paragraph mentions ‘2x’ twice, when it should be ‘2′ and the symbol for ‘pi’ (very confusing).
p.15 – in the formula, squares are not formatted as such.
p.16 – same thing.
p.16 – the table is unreadable
p.17 – again ‘2x’ mentioned
p.17 – just before the ‘Gimbals and locks’ section, a total of 6 paragraphs are dropped out, and they are appended at the end of the ‘Summary’ section, which makes the reading really confusing.
All text – The character ‘pi’ is replaced by question marks in the whole text

Sorry for the confusion this causes, we will get it fixed as soon as possible.

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials

News: BlenderArt Mag Issue #31 is Available

From BlenderArt Magazine:

Blender provides an excellent tool set for producing simulations, visualizations and walk-throughs, as well as educational videos based on the various research projects. In this issue we take a look at some of the exciting ways that Blender is being used for research and education.

Table of Contents:

• Physics of Circular Motion
• A World of Rotations
• BioBlender: Blender for Biologists
• Educational Science and Engineering videos
• Computer Sim. and Modeling of Liquid Droplets
• The Transporters
• Microorganismal Worlds
• and more!

So grab your copy today...

Also be sure to check out our gallery of wonderful images submitted by very talented members of our community.

Reminder: Submissions for issue #32 are due by February 5th, 2011.

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials

News: Development of the Blender 2.5 Installer

As with most everything in Blender, improvements and tweaks are being considered for its installation program (Windows OS).



Developers are asking for feedback, ideas, and possible solutions...

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials

Resource: Animation Insiders Ebook

I'll get straight to the point...This is gold. It's free. Get it. Read it.

NOTE: Link updated.



I haven't had time to really dig into this, yet. But, scanning through it, it's easy to see that it's definitely something to completely absorb. It's an incredible knowledge resource for animators at any level of experience, from some of the industry's leading animators.

More info...

What is Animation Insiders?

Animation Insiders is a book dedicated to animation. AI book #1 is a compilation of know-how, experience and anecdotes from 13 talented animators. Animation Insiders is aimed at people who are passionate about animation, those who are looking to surpass their limits and acquire new techniques. Every book of this amazing series will explores a new theme.

Excerpts from the Introduction and Conclusion

Animation Insiders offer a new approach by compiling the various work
methods of many different artists. In the industry, this is what we call
“gold.” Back in the old days, many artists in the field of special effects
and animation did not want to give away their secrets. At Disney, the
nine old men did not pass on their knowledge and expertise until the
end of their careers. Fortunately, this philosophy has changed and
education has become more open and shared.

This book allows you to peer into the artistic approaches
of professionals, so that you can gain some insight into the way
they go about solving specific problems.

From its very inception, this book was to be dedicated to animation
in general, workflow in particular. We gave different artists the opportunity
to introduce themselves in their own words and to unveil the
“Shaman,” as acting coach Ed Hooks calls it, behind their magic.
In all the various animation topics, workflow seems to be the only one
that is ever redefining itself. Animation Insiders is, therefore, a platform
for talented animators to share their thoughts, experiences and workflow
tips.

The best animators use every resource to enhance their work.
I trust this book will be one of many in your arsenal that enable you to
push your work to the next level.

technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials