Month: March 2021

Programming in Python

Introduction to Python– console, addon programming

Animating with Python – CGcookie

First Script

General Overview
How yo set units (length, degrees, time etc.) –
The CG Essentials

How to Measure object mode measurement tool

Snapping to grids lines, vertex, etc.

Measurements – In Edit Mode
Another video for edit mode

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General Overview

It is easy to overlook measurements when you first use Blender. But at some point you will reach the level that you need to know precisely wher and what size your objects are.

UV Mapping

Start Video –vert good – Darin Lile

b-0050-Blender Templates

Blender uses Templates to define how the screen is setup when a new blender file is opened. As an alternative you can use a Basic Layout blend file for much the same purpose.

These templates only contain the layout of the screen, not the settings, such as the world background. This is very important to remember if you want to open screens with specific backgrounds, and other settings that are not a part of the Template.

Note that user created templates will not be included when Blender updates are generated, they must be manually copied to the folders in the new versions. They will then be included in the templates for that version.

How to add a template.

Steps to create a Template

02:23​ Create New Template Folder
05:03​ Create New Template
06:05​ Save the new Template
06:34​ Test the new Template

1. Copy existing Blender template FOLDER.
The hardest part of the process is finding the folder to copy.
Location Example – C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 2.91\2.91\scripts\startup\bl_app_templates_system

3. copy one of the existing FOLDERS and rename.

4. re-open Blender and in File-New select you new template you just created.
5. After making you changes to to Files – Default and save you new template. Make sure it asks if you want to save the template or you changes will not be saved.

Pay me now or Pay me Later.

This is one of the key tenet of Blender. You can take a few minutes to do learn to do something right or you can spend a few hours latter trying to remember where you saw how to do it.

Blender is too overrwhelming to try to remember it all.

How to add a timestamp (Key Moment) to a YouTube video

Example:

Basic overview of Blender viewport layout.

Timestamps:

00:05​ Basic Navigation

00:19​ Blender 3D

mt- 3000 Steps to make a good tutorial

Probably the most import reason for making the tutorial is that it is the best way to really learn the subject.

General
1. do not make video with only a music background and no voice descriptions.
2, avoid Bright backgrounds, very hard on eyes.
3 . use large cursor.

4. avoid using ‘press here’ etc.
5. keep to a single subject and simple.

How I make Blender Tutorials
.

Video – This tutorial has many great suggestions. .

• Use a script
• They made one mistake. They do not tell you what editor they are using!. After looking closely at the screen I could see that they were using Snagit, which I happen to already own and recommend for simple editing.

Recording the Video

Creating and Using Tutorials
Make sure the video recorder you use has a restart.

Make sure you identify any external tools you need to make the tutorial.
Wait a week before releasing the tutorial and watch it. Guaranteed you will find errors.

References:

mt-0030 – Do’s and don’ts
Remember that this is MY list of what I want to see in a tutorial/video.

Making a video is very subjective. Making a ‘good’ video takes a lot of time. Most of the people making videos are more concerned in getting a video quickly than in trying to make sure others will understand it. Too often they assume the viewer will know a lot more then the know.

DON’T =================
— No long intro with pleas for likes and subscriptions.
— M make the video so it is easy to follow and see all of the actions the viewer needs to see. Move the pointer slowly enough that the viewer can follow it. I hate it when someone says ‘push this button’ as he pushes the button and you have no idea where the cursor was.

b-1045-World Background

World Background
The world background is one of the more neglected areas in beginning Blender tutorials. I think how it works should be understood early on.

The primary setting in the World Settings is the background setting. For me this is an extrmemly important setting. It can be used to change the background to a solid black, which is much easier on the eyes.
Beyond that, to make small images with different backgrounds, and this setting allows that.

I did a search on world background and got this:
google search
Not anything on what the different methods are, or why you would use them.

Basically you have three options. You can use the Shader to create a background , you can us an HDRI background, or you can set the background to transparent.

The World setting in the Shader.
This is the default setting when you first open Blender. This is simply set up by changed the base color in your material tab. I almost always set it to solid black. Much more advanced colors can be created in the Shader Node Editor as you become more skilled in working with Blender.

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–Hide world background – set it to transparent
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How to use an image as a background
basic video adding the image

==========HDRI =============|
HDRI. HDRI stands for High Dynamic Range Imaging, and is basically an image format that contains from the deepest shadow up to the brightest highlight information.

Set up HDRI– simple setup
– Shader tab – World
add

 Add more complex HRDI background
download site – HDRI Haven
– set up background– wworld color
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Advanced Background setup using Nodes – Chipp Walters
How to add gradient to background. Very good

To make a video you will need to use a video recorder. I use Snagit. If you look through my website you will see that I use it everywhere. It is not free, but there are many free knock-offs you can use to get started, just do a google search. I recently discovered that Snagit is a killer for your computer resources. It can make your disk run at 100% all of the time!. I now kill Snagit in the task manager when I am not using it. This seems to work good for me.