Video: Oven-Baked Pretzels in Blender 3D (Complete)

I love hot, oven-baked pretzels. I haven't had one in a good long while, though. So, I thought I would create some 3D pretzels in Blender!

This video tutorial series will take a look at how you can create 3D pretzels in Blender. We'll start from a collection of reference images and go, step-by-step, all the way through to the final render.


For more experienced users, here's a PDF file of the outline used in the creation of the tutorial. It provides a good overview of the entire process.


I hope you enjoy it.


Part 1 - The Draft Scene

• We take a look at our reference images
• Establish a basic work environment in Blender
• Create a draft version of the oven and conveyor belt
• Create some proxy objects for the pretzels

Watch the tutorial online (faster access to different chapters!)
(SWF streaming, Length - 17:54)
Or, Download the 48.8MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).
Or, Download via Torrent.


Part 2 - The Basic Pretzel Mesh

• Create pretzel mesh using a curve, BevOb, and Shrink/Flatten (Alt-S)
  

Watch the tutorial online
(FLV streaming, Length - 10:56)
Or, Download the 70.8MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).

torrent available later...


Part 3 - Sculpting Details

• Learn some basic sculpting keystrokes that free you from the Properties panel
• Use sculpting to give the pretzel more volume and realism

Watch the tutorial online (faster access to different chapters!)
(FLV streaming, Length - 14:45)
Or, Download the 60.3MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).

torrent available later...


Part 4 - Materials

• Flattening the bottom of the pretzel mesh
• Multi-Layered materials
• Vertex Painting
• Texturing the conveyor
• Adjusting the pretzel proxies
• Replacing the pretzel proxies

Watch the tutorial online (faster access to different chapters!)
(FLV streaming, Length - 53:41)
Or, Download the 183MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).


torrent available later...


Part 5 - Soft Shadows, Lights, Tweaks

• Using Mist for Shadowy Areas
• Soft Shadows Demo
• Applying Soft Shadows
• Object Name Editor script
• Adding and Tweaking Details
• Lighting the Scene
• Final Environment Tweaks
  

Watch the tutorial online (faster access to different chapters!)
(FLV streaming, Length - 1:02:55)
Or, Download the 180MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).

torrent available later...


Reference Material:

• Mist
• Buffer Shadows
• Ambient Occlusion
• Blender Spotlights
• Blender Lamps
• Ambient Light
• Loop Cuts

Part 6 - The Finishing Touches

• Adding "feet" to the Pretzel
• Final Adjustments to the Basic Pretzel
• Making Each Pretzel Unique
• Final Tweaks
• A Little Post-Production
  

Watch the tutorial online (faster access to different chapters!)
(FLV streaming, Length - 41:38)
Or, Download the 162MB ZIP file to view it offline (load the HTML file in your browser).

torrent available later...


Reference Material:

• Numpad-Asterisk(*): align view to selected object(s)
• In Vertex Paint mode, you can sample colors faster by right-clicking any desired color within a 3D View.
• To save an image of your render to file, press F3. The file will be saved according to your current Output Format settings.
• The OSA (anti-aliasing) filter used is Mitch, which helps to sharpen the quality of the edges and some textures. The sharpest OSA filter, however, is CatRom. (see BlenderWiki's Oversampling details)
  
• Exposure and Range
• Output Formats
  

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