You can now find video tutorials for Blender
Basics on line for each chapter. Visit:
http://www.cdschools.org/cdhs
Look under the “Academics” tab and select
“ Technology Education”. You will find a link
to video tutorials in any of the drafting and
animation classes.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
© 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 fourth edition by James Chronister. This document may be reproduced in
whole or in part without permission from the author. Feel free to use this manual for any and all
educational applications. I enjoy emails from other educators, so please let me know how you’re using
the book. You may not bundle this tutorial with any software or documentation that is intended for
commercial applications (marketing for a profit) without expressed written approval from the author.
Inquiries and comments can be directed to [email protected]. This document, and other
information, can be found at http://www.cdschools.org/cdhs/site/default.asp. At this site, look under
“Academics” in “Technology Education”.
Information regarding the Blender program and development can be found at www.blender.org. Blender
users can also find information on how to use the program at www.blenderartists.org. Daily Blender
news and tutorial links can be found at www.BlenderNation.com.
Table of Contents
Introductory Items
v Introduction
vi Rendering and Animation Basic Concepts
viii Basic Key Commands
Chapter 1- The Blender Interface
1-1 The Blender Screen
1-2 Window Types
1-3 The User Preferences Window
1-4 Open, Saving and Appending Files
1-5 Packing Data
1-6 Importing Objects (from other file formats)
Chapter 2- Working with Viewports (windows)
2-1 Moving Around in 3D Space
2-2 Window and Button Control
2-3 Creating Viewports
Chapter 3- Creating and Editing Objects
3-1 Working with Basic Meshes
3-3 Using Main Modifiers to Manipulate Meshes
3-5 Edit Mode- Mesh Editing
3-7 The Tool Shelf
3-8 Proportional Editing
3-15 Joining/Separating Meshes, Boolean Operations
Chapter 4- Materials and Textures
4-1 Basic Material Settings
4-3 Halo Settings
4-7 Basic Texture Settings
4-10 Using Images and Movies as Textures
4-12 Displacement Mapping
Chapter 5- Setting Up a World
5-1 Using Color, Stars and Mist
5-2 Creating a 3D Cloud Background
5-3 Using an Image in the Background
Chapter 6- Lighting and Cameras
6-1 Camera Settings and Options
6-2 Lighting Types and Settings
6-4 Indirect Lighting
Chapter 7- Render Settings
7-1 Basic Setup Options
7-2 Rendering a JPEG Image
7-3 Creating an MPEG Movie File
Chapter 8- Ray-Tracing (mirror, transparency, shadows)
8-1 Lighting and Shadows
8-2 Reflection (mirror) and Refraction (transparency)
Chapter 9- Animation Basics
9-1 Basic Key-framing and Auto Key-framing
9-3 Working with the Graph Editor and Dope Sheet
9-7 Animating Materials, Lamps and World Settings (and more)
Chapter 10- Adding 3D Text
10-1 Blender 3D Text Settings
10-2 Converting to a Mesh
i
Table of Contents (continued)
Chapter 11- NURBS and Meta Shape Basics
11-1 Using NURBS to create lofted shapes
11-2 Liquid and droplet effects using Meta Shapes
Chapter 12- Modifiers
12-1 Generate Modifiers
12-4 Deform Modifiers
12-6 Simulate Modifiers
Chapter 13- Particle Systems and Interactions
13-1 Particle Settings
13-5 Using the Explode Modifier
13-6 Particle Interaction With Objects and Forces
13-7 Using Particles and Vertex Groups for Hair and Grass
Chapter 14- Child-Parent Relationships
14-1 Using Child-Parented Objects
14-2 Adjusting Object Origins (center points)
Chapter 15- Working With Constraints
15-1 Constraint Basics
15-2 Tracking To An Object
15-4 Following Paths and Curves
Chapter 16- Armatures (bones and skeletons)
16-1 Using Armatures to Deform Meshes
16-4 Creating Bone Vertex Groups
16-5 Using Inverse Kinematics (IK) and Constraints
Chapter 17- Mesh Shape Keys (vertex editing)
17-1 Creating Mesh Shape Keys
17-3 Animating Shape Keys
Chapter 18- Object Physics
18-1 Using Soft Bodies
18-2 Creating Cloth Effects
18-4 Creating Fluid Effects
18-6 Creating Volume Smoke
Chapter 19- Working With Nodes
19-1 General Node Information
19-3 Using Nodes for Depth-Of-Field Camera Effects
Chapter 20- Creating Springs, Screws, Gears and other Add-On Shapes
20-1 Create Screws and Gears
20-4 Using Mesh Editing to Create Revolved Shapes
20-5 Blender Add-On Meshes
Chapter 21- Game Engine Basics (real-time animation)
21-1 Setting Up The Physics Engine
21-5 Using Game Physics in Animation
21-6 Using Logic Blocks
Chapter 22- Textures in the Game Engine
22-1 UV Texture Mapping
22-3 GLSL Shading
Chapter 23- Video Sequence Editor
23-1 Compiling Your Clips and Images
23-4 Adding an Audio Track
Index
ii
Practice Exercises
1. Viewports ............................................................................................................... 2-5
Chapter 2 Practice Exercise-Multiple Viewport Configuration
2. Creating Objects ................................................................................................. 3-4
Chapter 3 Practice Exercise- Create a Sculpture
3. Basic Editing ......................................................................................................... 3-9
Chapter 3 Practice Exercise- Modeling a Landscape and Lighthouse
4. Vertices and Faces .............................................................................................. 3-16
Chapter 3 Practice Exercise- Creating a 3D Logo
5. Boolean Editing ..................................................................................................... 3-19
Chapter 3 Practice Exercise- Adding Windows to the Lighthouse
6. Applying Materials ............................................................................................. 4-4
Chapter 4 Practice Exercise- Adding Materials to the Landscape
7. Applying Textures ................................................................................................ 4-13
Chapter 4 Practice Exercise- Texturing the Landscape and Lighthouse
8. Adding a World ..................................................................................................... 5-4
Chapter 5 Practice Exercise- Creating an Environment for Your Scene
9. Lighting and Cameras ......................................................................................... 6-5
Chapter 6 Practice Exercise- Lighting Up the Landscape Scene
10. Rendering an Image ............................................................................................ 7-4
Chapter 7 Practice Exercise- Saving a Picture of the Landscape Scene
11. Raytracing ............................................................................................................ 8-3
Chapter 8 Practice Exercise- Reflection and Refraction
12. Creating an Animation ........................................................................................ 9-8
Chapter 9 Practice Exercise- Adding Motion to the Landscape Scene
13. Creating 3D Text ................................................................................................... 10-3
Chapter 10 Practice Exercise- Company Logo
14. Meta Shapes ........................................................................................................ 11-3
Chapter 11 Practice Exercise- Lava Lamp
iii
Practice Exercises
15. Using Modifiers .................................................................................................... 12-7
Chapter 12 Practice Exercise- Common Modifiers Exercise
16. Particle Systems .................................................................................................. 13-13
Chapter 13 Practice Exercise- Adding Rain to Your Landscape
17. Creating a Robot Arm ......................................................................................... 14-3
Chapter 14 Practice Exercise- Animate a Robotic Arm
18. Camera Constraints ........................................................................................... 15-3
Chapter 15 Practice Exercise- Make a Camera That Follows the Arm
19. Paths & Curves ..................................................................................................... 15-6
Chapter 15 Practice Exercise- Extruding Shapes and Following Paths
20. Creating a Skeleton ........................................................................................... 16-6
Chapter 16 Practice Exercise- Create a Hand With Armatures
21. Vertex Keys .......................................................................................................... 17-4
Chapter 17 Practice Exercise-Cheesy Actor Monkey
22. Making A Flag ...................................................................................................... 18-3
Chapter 18 Practice Exercise- Using Physics to Make a Flag
23. Water ..................................................................................................................... 18-8
Chapter 18 Practice Exercise- Splashing Water with Fluids
24. Depth-Of-Field ..................................................................................................... 19-5
Chapter 19 Practice Exercise- Using Nodes to Show Camera Blur
25. Gear Design ......................................................................................................... 20-6
Chapter 20 Practice Exercise- Create and Animate a Set of Gears
26. Real-Time Animation .......................................................................................... 21-10
Chapter 21 Practice Exercise- Motion Maze
27. Game Textures ..................................................................................................... 22-5
Chapter 22 Practice Exercise- Motion Maze Textures
28. Movie Producer ................................................................................................... 23-5
Chapter 23 Practice Exercise- Create a Presentation of All Your Work
iv
