There are so many new possibilities with this new tool! Here's a quick test.
This is a very interesting development for visual effects in Blender. It's an addon for roto masking that's available in the latest SVN builds. It's so simple you really don't need a tutorial for it. The demo video below demonstrates it quite well.
Check the latest builds at graphicall.org for builds that include this feature.
ZanQdo says:
Showing of a quick roto mask right inside Blender with my new RotoBezier addon. Thanks to Campbell Barton for all the API features and fixes needed for this :)
In this video, we'll take a look at how to change cameras during an animation in Blender 2.5. This process is easier and more intuitive than in previous versions of Blender.
Watch the video tutorial (low-res)...
Stories are easier to tell in animation form than in just a single image. But even though they are easier to tell, they require an enormous amount of work, planning and dedication on the part of the storyteller. In Issue 30 we take a look at some techniques and tips to tell great stories.
So grab your copy today.
Also be sure to check out our gallery of wonderful images submitted by very talented members of our community.
Table of Contents:
* 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling
* Does Your Character Have Any Feelings
* The Parent Inverse and the Origin of Children
* Rule of Thirds
* The Importance Of Body Language
And Lot More…
This time-saving tip will allow you to setup hotkeys to change the mode of the Transform Manipulator (translate, rotate, scale).
Here's how:
This is the Transform Manipulator when enabled.
These are the button controls for enabling the manipulator and changing its mode. They're located on the Header Bar of the 3D View window.
Before setting up new hotkeys, be sure to start a New scene to load your Blender startup file. This is important because if you want to save these changes as new default settings, you'll want to save them to your startup file.
Now, load the User Preferences dialog from the File menu.
Go to the Input tab.
Locate and open the 3D View, 3D View (Global) section.
Click the Edit button for the 3D View section.
Note that the button's caption changes to Restore. You can use this to restore the factory default keymaps.
Now, scroll down to the bottom of this section until you see the Add New button. Click it to add a new keymap panel.
Open the panel to access its interface.
In the field highlighted, type view3d.enable_manipulator. This is the name of the operator that will get called when the assigned input (keystroke, mouse click, etc.) is performed.
In order to avoid conflicts with existing hotkeys, I decided to create a new modifier key (common modifier keys are Ctrl, Shift, Alt, etc.). Blender can create a modifier key from any regular key that you specify. So, let's setup the new modifier key by clicking the blank button at the right side of the interface.
After clicking the button, it's caption reads "Press a key".
Simply press a key to have it assigned as the modifier key for this particular keymap. I pressed the ESC-key, but you can assign this to a key of your choice.
Now, do the same with the button shown below. This is where you assign the main part of the keystroke.
I chose to assign this to the Number 1 key. At this point, the full keystroke is ESC-1.
Now we just need to assign the desired mode of the manipulator. I've selected the Translate mode to be assigned to the ESC-1 keystroke. That's it! You can immediately test this by going to the 3d view. The new keymap will work in both the Object and Edit modes.
Note that this won't enable the manipulator if it's disabled, so make sure it's already enabled (Ctrl-Spacebar).
Now do the same for the remaining two modes. Start by pressing the Add New button located just below the keymap panel just completed.
Repeat the process for the Rotate and Scale modes.
Welcome to new efficiency bliss! If you like your new setup, be sure to save it to your startup blend file by clicking the Save As Default button at the bottom of the Preferences dialog (or you can press Ctrl-U).
This is the list of confirmed speakers and presenters on the 2010 Blender Conference. If a title has a link, it provides a link to the paper, a download or website of speaker.
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
Well, it's been officially released, and there's quite a long Bug Fix list included.
Official Blender 2.55 Beta Release...
Bug Fix List...
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
There's a very simple, but nice new feature in Blender 2.55 that allows you to hide the Console window that appears when Blender first loads (for Windows users). Yay! It still loads, but at least you can toggle it off, now.
The Console Window is a great tool for debugging Blender and also seeing any error messages that get spit out from different functions. But, if you don't need it, it tends to get in the way.
Here's how to control it:
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
I'm creating texturing exercises for the Blender 2.5 DVD, and here's a series of test renders for one of them.
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
Blender 2.55 Beta is about to be officially released from the Blender Foundation! Release notes will be available at the time of the official release.
You can download it, here...
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
"Sintel" is an independently produced short film, initiated by the Blender Foundation.
This making of/documentary shows the stages of the production from November 2009 until July 2010.
As a making of the processes from concept to finished product are explained, as documentary the feel of an international team and the personalities of the artists are depicted.
Well, I've missed my goal and I'm not happy about it. Technical difficulties. But, development continues and the dvd's will be completed much sooner than later.
Here's an update on the way the content is structured.
Check out the 2010 Blender Conference via live streaming!
Hopefully, there will be videos made available for the earlier presentations and the presentations given in other rooms.
Here are two of the Sintel DVD Extras recently released by the Blender Foundation.
I would rate these tutorial excerpts as intermediate to advanced. But, there are plenty of useful tips throughout for users at all levels.
Sintel DVD Extras: Tutorial by Colin Levy, about setting up render and compositing for a shot in Blender.
Sintel DVD Extras: 4th tutorial by Angela Guenette, about creating facial poses.
You can get more info about the Sintel Open Movie DVD box at the Blender E-shop...
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
First of all, I can't give you any first-hand advice on how to start down the road to being a Blender developer. I think it's more important to get that advice directly from the source.
Campbell Barton (one of the lead Blender developers, aka ideasman42) has provided a really nice overview of how you might approach this goal. Being self-taught, his advice is very practical and efficient.
This is one of the great things about Blender being Open Source Software, you can get involved and make some kind of difference in so many ways.
Check out the forum thread at blenderartists.org.
In Blender 2.5, the default interaction of the 3d Manipulator requires you to drag the controls with the left mouse button. The transformation is confirmed when you release the mouse button.
We can change this by adjusting the keymapping for the 3d Manipulator.
Start by creating a new scene using Ctrl-N, or selecting New in the File menu.
Load the User Preferences dialog by pressing Ctrl-Alt-U, or selecting User Preferences... in the File menu.
Locate the Input tab.
Locate the 3D Manipulator keymap setup within the 3D View section.
Click the Edit button for the 3D View section to enable editing of the keymaps.
Locate the Confirm on Release option and set it to be Unchecked.
Go to the 3d View and test the manipulator's interaction. Now, you can simply left-click the controls to engage them and left-click again to confirm the transformation.
If you like this type of interaction, save the settings as the default. (Remember that you'll be saving the current scene as the new default scene. You can restore the default cube to its original state by undoing everything. Or, you can press Alt-G, Alt-R, and Alt-S to clear the Translate, Rotation, and Scale transformations, respectively.)
That's it!
I expect the DVD (actually it's 2 DVD's) to be completed by the end of the month (October). It's been a long and bumpy road, but I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
The interesting thing is that there will be far more tutorials on the DVD's than there are on the blogsite (and that took me four years to accumulate!).
If you're interested in purchasing the DVD's, be sure to take advantage of the pre-order discount.
Thanks for your patience!
Kernon
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
For best quality, download the movie from sintel.org.
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
This is the current setup and theme that I'm using with Blender 2.54. Only the default screen layout is themed. I tend to theme things as needed, so it's just a start.
I like the increased contrast and, for me, it's much easier to scan through the properties to find what I need.
To check it out, simply load the bn254_startup.blend file. You can tweak the settings as desired, and then press Ctrl-U to make the setup your new defaults.
Download the blend file.
EDIT: Previous file was an older version. Replaced with latest version that matches the screenshot.
technorati tags: Blender3D, 3D, graphics, Blender tutorials
Here's a collection of tutorials (Photoshop and GIMP) that focuses on understanding the many different blend modes that are essential in texture painting and compositing.
This information is applicable to any graphics application that has layers and blend mode features.
Examples of blend modes in Blender
Understanding Photoshop Blending Modes
Photoshop Blendmodes Explained
Submitted by martinamca: Texture Blending in Blender
Explaining Blending Modes in Photoshop and GIMP (Multiply, Divide, Overlay, Screen)
How Blending Modes Work, Part Two. (Dodge, Burn, Soft Light, and Hard Light)
Layer Modes Part Three (Difference, Addition, Subtraction, Darken, Lighten)
GIMP and Photoshop Layer Modes, Part Four (Hue, Saturation, Color and Value)
Using Blend Modes in Photoshop - Part 1 Access the other parts via the links at the end of the tutorial.
