Difference between revisions of "Introduction to Blender"

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== Open Blender - It always begins with a box ==
 
== Open Blender - It always begins with a box ==
 
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* Whenever you open Blender, it always starts with a box. And it will probably look like this...
 +
[[File:blender_new.png|800px]]
 
=== Editor Type: Controlling the Interface ===
 
=== Editor Type: Controlling the Interface ===
* Whenever you open Blender, it always starts with a box. And it will probably look like this:
 
[[File:blender_new.png|800px]]
 
 
[[File:blender_editortypeview.png|800px]]
 
[[File:blender_editortypeview.png|800px]]
 
 
{{Note|Open up Blender and try resizing the different Editor Type panels by dragging the small handles at the top right and bottom left corner. If you click and drag the small handles inbetween two windows without letting go, you'll see a large arrow showing you how the windows can be collapsed. And if you've messed up the view and and really want to go back to the Default view, you could create a New File {{key press|Cmd}}+{{key press|N}}, or Load Factory Settings.}}
 
{{Note|Open up Blender and try resizing the different Editor Type panels by dragging the small handles at the top right and bottom left corner. If you click and drag the small handles inbetween two windows without letting go, you'll see a large arrow showing you how the windows can be collapsed. And if you've messed up the view and and really want to go back to the Default view, you could create a New File {{key press|Cmd}}+{{key press|N}}, or Load Factory Settings.}}
  
 
* '''Editor Type: You're in 3D view!''': When you open Blender, you might see quite a number of different panels. The biggest panel on your screen is the 3D view, which has an icon looking like a grey cube. If you click on the icon on the bottom, you can see all the available Editor Types.
 
* '''Editor Type: You're in 3D view!''': When you open Blender, you might see quite a number of different panels. The biggest panel on your screen is the 3D view, which has an icon looking like a grey cube. If you click on the icon on the bottom, you can see all the available Editor Types.
 
[[File:blender_editortype.png]]
 
[[File:blender_editortype.png]]
 +
 +
  
 
=== Editor Type: Navigating around with the mouse ===
 
=== Editor Type: Navigating around with the mouse ===

Revision as of 16:57, 20 November 2016

Welcome to the notes for a 3-hour workshop introducing the basics of Blender, written by Debbie. By the end of this workshop, we'll have covered the basics of: the Blender Interface, Shortcuts, Selecting Objects, Transforming Objects, Moving Objects, Adding and Removing Objects, Adding Modifiers, Creating Diffuse/Specular materials, UV Unwrapping, Lighting, Camera Positioning, and how to render with Cycles (Blender's ray-trace based production render engine). Finally, we will export the image and make it into a 3d pano for google cardboard. ALL IN 3 HOURS. CAN WE DO IT?

Set up your devices

Ideally, you should have a laptop with a dedicated numpad, but if you don't we can emulate it. It is advisable that you have a three-mouse button.

Keyboard

  • If you have a laptop without dedicated numpad, you can emulate the numpad by going to Blender User Preferences > Input.
  • Blender User Preferences SHORTCUT is ⌘ Cmd+,

Numpad.png

Mouse

  • If you don't have a 3 button mouse, you can emulate the three-button mouse by going to Blender User Preferences > Input.
  • Blender User Preferences SHORTCUT is ⌘ Cmd+,

Emulatemouse.png

  • Selecting 'emulate mouse' will mean that you can simulate the middle mouse button if you press the Alt key while using the left mouse button.
  • But please get a three-button mouse with a scroll wheel. Anything else is unnecessary self-torture!

Open Blender - It always begins with a box

  • Whenever you open Blender, it always starts with a box. And it will probably look like this...

Blender new.png

Editor Type: Controlling the Interface

Blender editortypeview.png

Open up Blender and try resizing the different Editor Type panels by dragging the small handles at the top right and bottom left corner. If you click and drag the small handles inbetween two windows without letting go, you'll see a large arrow showing you how the windows can be collapsed. And if you've messed up the view and and really want to go back to the Default view, you could create a New File ⌘ Cmd+N, or Load Factory Settings.
  • Editor Type: You're in 3D view!: When you open Blender, you might see quite a number of different panels. The biggest panel on your screen is the 3D view, which has an icon looking like a grey cube. If you click on the icon on the bottom, you can see all the available Editor Types.

Blender editortype.png


Editor Type: Navigating around with the mouse

  • Left-mouse button: If you randomly clicked elsewhere with your left mouse button, your screen might look like this:

Blender cursor.png

  • The cursor defines where new objects will be placed in the scene. As you can see, your cube has an origin point. If you were to Create a new Cube now, the cube would appear with its origin at the cursor.
  • Middle-mouse button: If you click on your middle mouse button and drag around, this is what rotates your view around.
  • Right-mouse button: If you click on your right mouse button and drag around, your object moves around, but at this point you don't want that, so let go and just press Esc to return your box to its original position.

Blender axis.png


Try moving the object around



Set the Origin using the Snap Menu

  • If you want to reset the cursor back to 0,0,0


See also

  • Blender - My master notes for Blender