Book Image

Blender 3D Basics

Book Image

Blender 3D Basics

Overview of this book

Blender is by far the most popular open source graphics program available. It is a full featured 3D modeling, animation and games development tool used by millions all over the world ñ and it's free! This book is for those looking for an entry into the world of 3D modeling and animation regardless of prior experience. Blender 3D Basics is the entry level book for those without prior experience using 3D tools. It caters for those who may have downloaded Blender in the past but were frustrated by its lack of intuitiveness. Using simple steps it builds, chapter by chapter, into a full foundation in 3D modeling and animation. Using Blender 3D Basics the reader will model a maritime scene complete with boats and water, then add materials, lighting and animation. The book demystifies the Blender interface and explains what each tool does so that you will be left with a thorough understanding of 3D.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
Blender 3D Basics Beginner's Guide
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
3
Controlling the Lamp, the Camera, and Animating Objects
Index

Time for action — making the boat simpler


Every time you make a model, you have to decide how much detail you need, and balance that against how many faces and vertices you use. For now, you will make a simpler version:

  1. Press A to deselect all of the control points.

  2. Press theMMB and rotate the view so you can see the top and side of the sloop, as shown in the following screenshots. Look at how complex the surface is.

  3. In the Modifiers subpanel of the Properties window, set Subdivisions: View: to 1, as shown in the following screenshot. Note how much simpler the surface is, compared to the preceding screenshot.

  4. As usual, there is a little more massaging to do. The simpler surface does not have a subdivision in the correct place.

  5. Press Numpad 7 to get the Top view.

  6. Look at where the template shows the edge between the cabin and the cockpit to be, as shown in the following screenshot. You can see that the control points lie over the boundary between the cockpit and cabin, but the edge of the Subdivision...