Blender Newbies 3D Video Tutorials (Learn to Create 3D Graphics with Blender!)

News: Monthly Challenges in the BlenderNewbies Forums

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:08:00 +0000

The members of the BlenderNewbies Forums have been conducting several different challenges over the past few months. It's a great way for participants to have creative fun and challenge their current abilities with Blender. The challenges are always friendly because it's not about the competition, it's about participating in a fun way to help strengthen your Blender skills. So, no worries about being "good enough".

I'll be posting news about these challenges in the future, so come on in and have some fun!

The winner of the previous challenge decides what the next challenge will be. The last challenge ended with a tie, so they decided who would come up with the next challenge idea. The current challenge is a Monthly Challenge called "Self-Portraits" :

Challenge Idea:
I thought it'd be interesting to see how each of the members that participate on these challenges look.

It doesnt have to be a photo-realistic and accurate render, it's open to your interpretation.

So you could model yourself as an animal, as a tree, as a jedi, or whatever you think that represents yourself, having, of course, some sort of similarity to your look.

...Good luck and I hope to see a lot of entries!

This challenge is set to end on November 29th. Check it out...

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

Video Tutorial: Modeling a Pup Tent (circa 1800s) - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:02:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at the complete workflow for modeling a pup tent in a style that was popular during the 1800s, in North America. This is a two-part tutorial, and in this part we’ll be using the Cloth simulator for the tarp of the tent, and we'll also take a look at how to create the framing, stakes, knots, and ropes.

You can check out the tutorial at BlenderCookie.com (a new sister site of CGCookie.com).

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

Video Tutorial: Finishing the Low-Poly 3D Cartoon Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

This is part 3 in the BlenderNewbies Hand Modeling Tutorial series. In this part, we'll pick up from where we left off in the blocking phase and move towards creating a low-poly cartoon hand.

$3.00 (ZIP download 265MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.
Smooth playback at 30 frames per second

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

Video Tutorial: The Solidify Selection Script

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:42:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at a built-in script called the Solidify Selection script. This script, created by Campbell Barton, will allow you to solidify a mesh by adding a second “skin” to it based on the selected geometry.

You can view the tutorial at CGCookie.

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

News: Blender Community Toolbar Review

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Ira Krakow has done a nice review of the Blender Community Toolbar, along with sharing some kind words (although maybe a little embarrassing) about BlenderNewbies. I appreciate the effort and kind thoughts. Thanks!

Ira also has a blogsite featuring many Blender tutorials, so be sure to check out his site at http://blender3dvideos.blogspot.com/

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

Video Tutorial: Basic Blocking for a 3D Cartoon Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we'll be taking a look at the basic blocking for modeling a 3d cartoon hand.

This is part 2 in the BlenderNewbies Hand Modeling Tutorial series.

$3.00 (ZIP download 192MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.
Smooth playback at 30 frames per second

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

Video Tutorial: Basic Hand Structure for 3D Modeling

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:37:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we'll be taking a look at basic hand structure for 3d modeling. This is part of a Hand Modeling Tutorial Series, but we won't get into any modeling at this point.

We, first, want to take a look at what we need to consider when modeling a hand. These structural issues are relevant whether you're modeling a cartoon hand, a more realistic hand, or any type of stylized hand.

$2.00 (ZIP download 88.4MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.
Reference images used in the tutorial

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

Video Tutorial: Modeling a Smooth T-Joint Connection in Blender

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:38:00 +0000

In this Blender tutorial, we'll be taking a look at how to model a smooth t-joint connection. This technique is something you might want to consider when simply intersecting two cylinders doesn't quite give you the appearance you need.

$2.00 (ZIP download 66.9MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.

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

News: Final and Deepest Discount on the BlenderNewbies DVD (Limited Quantity)

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:38:00 +0000

If you've been on the fence deciding about purchasing the BlenderNewbies DVD, now is the time to act! I am offering the final and deepest discount that I can afford, and I only have a little over 100 units available.

The discount is 30% off the original price of $35. So, for only $24.50 you can get the BlenderNewbies Video Tutorial Compilation DVD-ROM. The videos on the disc are of a higher quality than what can be found on this site, plus there are many extras thrown in. You can get complete details at http://www.blendernewbies.com/tcdvdrom/index.html.

Note: DVD purchases made on this past Friday and over the weekend (before this announcement) will be at the new discounted price! (I think that's fair.) I'll return the difference between the two prices ($5.25) to you via your PayPal account.

Thanks again for all of the support! It really has helped me to keep the site going.

Kernon

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

Video: Adding Transitions to Camera Changes in an Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:36:00 +0000

In this Blender tutorial, we'll take a look at how to add simple transitions to camera changes in an animation. This will be accomplished using Blender's Video Sequence Editor.

This tutorial is an extension to the Camera Changing tutorial.

$2.00 (ZIP download 38.8MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.

Additional Info:

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

News: Blender Tutorials Featured on 3DArtist Magazine Cover Disc

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:47:00 +0000

Blender is getting some recognition in the print magazine, 3D Artist! I'm honored that they wanted to include some of the BlenderNewbies video tutorials (about 30 minutes, 4 tutorials) as part of their cover disc in the latest issue (#7).

I just received my complimentary copy in the mail, and I must say that I'm really impressed with this magazine! The design and artistic content are really top-notch. They cover a broad range of the most widely used CG 3D applications and they include a lot of helpful tutorials and WIPs. The content is rich and not riddled with advertisements like a lot of magazines. I'm usually not one to check out printed magazines, but this one genuinely surprised me. And no, I'm not biased because they've included some of the BlenderNewbies tutorials...it is pretty cool, though.

I'm glad to have the opportunity to help Blender get some more coverage.

Check out 3D Artist.
It's a printed publication, so you might find it available at most larger bookstores.

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

Video Tutorial: How to Change Cameras during an Animation in Blender

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:50:00 +0000

This video tutorial will show you how to use multiple cameras in your animation, and easily control the camera switching in your animated scene.

$2.00 (ZIP download 29.6MB, MOV video format)
Higher Resolution video (1280 x 800)
View sample snapshot of download quality.

Additional Info:
To assign a camera to be active at multiple points during your animation, simply add the necessary frame numbers to the camera's name, separated by commas (no space required).

Example
---------
A camera desired to be the active camera at frames 48 and 1726 should be named as follows:

48,1726

You can have as many assignments per camera as desired, up to the character limit for object names. Note that frame numbers greater than 4 digits should not be formatted with commas (i.e. 1,429 should be named as 1429).

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

Video Tutorial: Enhanced Reflections with HDR Images

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Hello, in this Blender tutorial, we’ll take a look at how to enhance your reflections by using High Dynamic Range Images.

You'll learn how to

map an image to your material's reflection channel to serve as a faked reflection
map an HDR image to the World's texture space to simulate an environment for your reflective materials
control the visibility, in the render, of the texture that's mapped to the World's texture space
and more...

Check out the tutorial, hosted by CGCookie.com.

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

News: Blender 2.49b Released

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Blender 2.49b is the latest stable release from the Blender Foundation. It contains lots of bug fixes and some new features!

You can get it, here.

And, you can check out the release log, here.

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

News: Finally added my Twitter to the blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:16:00 +0000

Hey, there! You'll notice in the sidebar to the right that I've added my Twitter feed. I've had one for a while, but it just kept slipping my mind to add it to the blog site.

I post interesting things I come across and learn, plus info about stuff I'm working on.

Another tutorial is coming...soon.

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

News: Latest Blender Browser Toolbar Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Time for another Blender Browser Toolbar update!

View an overview of the latest Blender Toolbar changes.
(This link is always available in the sidebar to the right.)

If you're not seeing the new content, go to the dropdown configuration menu (click the little arrow button to the right of the Blender logo) and select the Refresh Toolbar item.

Note: I'll be doing regular unannounced updates in-between these announcements.

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

Creating Non-Photorealistic Cumulus Clouds in Blender

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:31:00 +0000

In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at how to create non-photorealistic Cumulus clouds in Blender. These techniques are taken from a Siggraph 2009 paper titled “Painting with Objects”, created by Isaac Botkin.

Some rough test renders using the same techniques covered in the tutorial:

You can view the tutorial at CGCookie.com.

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

Tip: Generating Automatic Names for Materials and Textures

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Blender has a feature that will create a name for the current material or texture. This is very useful for those times when you just don't feel like being creative in coming up with a name, yourself.

For materials, the name generated is based on an approximation of the material's color (Red, Blue, LightBlue, etc.). The name generated isn't always an exact match, but it's definitely good enough for a quick naming solution.

The auto-naming feature is activated by a button located to the right of the material's name field. It's icon is an automobile, making it easy to remember its function.

For textures, the button is located in a similar location as shown below. The automatic name generated for a texture is simply based on the texture's type (Image, Wood, Blend, etc.).

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

News - 15% Discount on the BlenderNewbies DVD-ROM

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Since the economy is effecting everyone, I think it's a good idea to offer a 15% discount on the BlenderNewbies DVD-ROM. If you've been waiting to get the DVD, now would be a great time while this discount is in effect!

Related Post: BlenderNewbies DVD-ROM Review and Comments

(A special Thank You to all of you that have already purchased the DVD. I really appreciate it.)

Also, you may have noticed that some of the tutorials now include a purchasable download option. This download is the same quality that's found on the DVD, so if you're only interested in a higher quality version of certain tutorials, this might be a good option. However, it's a much better bargain to purchase the DVD.

I'm still working on making the higher-quality downloads available, so you may still find many tutorials without this type of download option. Also note that the current lower-quality download option is removed after putting the higher-quality option in place (I can't afford to host both copies on my server).

Thanks for all your support! Expect more new tutorials and tips soon...

EDIT:
I've had some people requesting an alternative payment service besides PayPal. I've looked at other solutions, but PayPal is really the best workable option for me.

Note:

You can pay via PayPal without having to have a PayPal account. On the checkout page, us the link indicated in the image below.

Thanks!

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

Creating a Library of Reusable Composite Nodes

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Hello,

In this video tutorial, we’ll take a look at how you can create a library of reusable composite nodes in Blender. It takes time to create node setups, and often the work is repetitive, so let’s see what can be done to be more efficient.

This tutorial can be viewed at CGCookie.

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

Gen3 Tree Script URL updated

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:11:00 +0000

It appears that the Gen3 tree script webpage no longer exists, so I'm providing another download link for the script.

Download the Gen3 script (Unzip the contents into your Blender scripts subfolder)
Tutorial: How to Use Basic Python Scripts in Blender

I've also updated the Gen3 tutorial post with the new links.

Gen3 tutorial

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

Tip: How to set bookmarks in Blender for your favorite project folders

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:19:00 +0000

When opening a file in Blender, you often have to navigate to the desired project folder over and over again every time you start a new Blender session. And, it gets to be a bit irritating after a while. In Blender 2.5, this irritation will be soothed with new bookmarking features in the file browser. Unfortunately, Blender 2.5 is quite a ways away so how do we be more efficient?

This question was recently asked in the BlenderNewbies Forums and forum member, "radialronnie", provided a great workaround that will allow you to bookmark your favorite folders within Blender and have them always available!

Check it out.

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

Creating a Magic Wand Particles Effect (3 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Here's Part 3, the final part of the tutorial series that will show you how to create a magic wand particles effect, the sort of visual effect you might see when a “magic wand” is waved. This will be similar to a “pixie” dust effect, although not so complicated.

In Part 3, we'll take a look at combining the sprite graphics with our particle system, and then tweaking things, including a little bit of post production, to achieve our final results.

Check out Part 3 on CGCookie.com

Part 1

Part 2

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

Creating a Magic Wand Particles Effect (2 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Here's Part 2, of a 3-part video tutorial series that will show you how to create a magic wand particles effect, the sort of visual effect you might see when a “magic wand” is waved. This will be similar to a “pixie” dust effect, although not so complicated.

In Part 2, we’ll take a look at how to create the particle system that will be used with the sprite graphics created in Part 1.

Check out Part 2 on CGCookie.com

Part 1

Part 3

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

Creating a Magic Wand Particles Effect (1 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Kernon Dillon) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Hello,

Here's Part 1, of a 3-part video tutorial series, that will show you how to create a magic wand particles effect, the sort of visual effect you might see when a “magic wand” is waved. This will be similar to a “pixie” dust effect, although not so complicated.

In Part 1, we’ll take a look at how to create the sprite graphics that will be used in the particle system.

Check out Part 1 on CGCookie.com

Part 2

Part 3

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