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Blender 3D Cookbook

By : Enrico Valenza
Book Image

Blender 3D Cookbook

By: Enrico Valenza

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Blender 3D Cookbook
Enrico Valenza
Jul, 2015 | 608 pages
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Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Blender 3D Cookbook
Blender 3D Cookbook
Credits
Credits
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewers
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Modeling the Character's Base Mesh
Modeling the Character's Base Mesh
Introduction
Setting templates with the Images as Planes add-on
Setting templates with the Image Empties method
Setting templates with the Background Images tool
Building the character's base mesh with the Skin modifier
2
Sculpting the Character's Base Mesh
Sculpting the Character's Base Mesh
Introduction
Using the Skin modifier's Armature option
Editing the mesh
Preparing the base mesh for sculpting
Using the Multiresolution modifier and the Dynamic topology feature
Sculpting the character's base mesh
3
Polygonal Modeling of the Character's Accessories
Polygonal Modeling of the Character's Accessories
Introduction
Preparing the scene for polygonal modeling
Modeling the eye
Modeling the armor plates
Using the Mesh to Curve technique to add details
4
Re-topology of the High Resolution Sculpted Character's Mesh
Re-topology of the High Resolution Sculpted Character's Mesh
Introduction
Using the Grease Pencil tool to plan the edge-loops flow
Using the Snap tool to re-topologize the mesh
Using the Shrinkwrap modifier to re-topologize the mesh
Using the LoopTools add-on to re-topologize the mesh
Concluding the re-topologized mesh
5
Unwrapping the Low Resolution Mesh
Unwrapping the Low Resolution Mesh
Introduction
Preparing the low resolution mesh for unwrapping
UV unwrapping the mesh
Editing the UV islands
Using the Smart UV Project tool
Modifying the mesh and the UV islands
Setting up additional UV layers
Exporting the UV Map layout
6
Rigging the Low Resolution Mesh
Rigging the Low Resolution Mesh
Introduction
Building the character's Armature from scratch
Perfecting the Armature to also function as a rig for the Armor
Building the character's Armature through the Human Meta-Rig
Building the animation controls and the Inverse Kinematic
Generating the character's Armature by using the Rigify add-on
7
Skinning the Low Resolution Mesh
Skinning the Low Resolution Mesh
Introduction
Parenting the Armature and Mesh using the Automatic Weights tool
Assigning Weight Groups by hand
Editing Weight Groups using the Weight Paint tool
Using the Mesh Deform modifier to skin the character
Using the Laplacian Deform modifier and Hooks
8
Finalizing the Model
Finalizing the Model
Introduction
Creating shape keys
Assigning drivers to the shape keys
Setting movement limit constraints
Transferring the eyeball rotation to the eyelids
Detailing the Armor by using the Curve from Mesh tool
9
Animating the Character
Animating the Character
Introduction
Linking the character and making a proxy
Creating a simple walk cycle for the character by assigning keys to the bones
Tweaking the actions in Graph Editor
Using the Non Linear Action Editor to mix different actions
10
Creating the Textures
Creating the Textures
Introduction
Making a tileable scales image in Blender Internal
Preparing the model to use the UDIM UV tiles
Baking the tileable scales texture into the UV tiles
Painting to fix the seams and to modify the baked scales image maps
Painting the color maps in Blender Internal
Painting the color maps in Cycles
11
Refining the Textures
Refining the Textures
Introduction
Sculpting more details on the high resolution mesh
Baking the normals of the sculpted mesh on the low resolution one
The Armor textures
Adding a dirty Vertex Colors layer and baking it to an image texture
The Quick Edit tool
12
Creating the Materials in Cycles
Creating the Materials in Cycles
Introduction
Building the reptile skin shaders in Cycles
Making a node group of the skin shader to reuse it
Building the eyes' shaders in Cycles
Building the armor shaders in Cycles
13
Creating the Materials in Blender Internal
Creating the Materials in Blender Internal
Introduction
Building the reptile skin shaders in Blender Internal
Building the eyes' shaders in Blender Internal
Building the armor shaders in Blender Internal
14
Lighting, Rendering, and a Little Bit of Compositing
Lighting, Rendering, and a Little Bit of Compositing
Introduction
Setting the library and the 3D scene layout
Setting image based lighting (IBL)
Setting a three-point lighting rig in Blender Internal
Rendering an OpenGL playblast of the animation
Obtaining a noise-free and faster rendering in Cycles
Compositing the render layers
Index
Index

Setting templates with the Background Images tool

In this recipe, we'll set the character's templates by using the Background Images tool.

Getting ready

As in the former recipe, no need for any particular preparations; just carry out the preparatory steps as mentioned in the Getting ready section of the previous recipe.

How to do it…

So let's start by adding the templates as background images; that is, as reference images only visible in the background in Ortho view mode and, differently from the previous recipes, not as 3D objects actually present in the middle of the scene:

  1. Press 1 on the numpad to switch to the orthographic Front view and press Alt + Home to center the view on the 3D Cursor.

  2. If not already present, press N to bring up the Properties sidepanel to the right-hand side of the 3D window; scroll down to reach the Background Images subpanel and enable it with the checkbox. Then click on the little arrow to expand it.

  3. Click on the Add Image button; in the new option panel that appears, click on the Open button and browse to the templates folder to load the gidiosaurus_front.png image.

  4. Click on the little window to the side of the Axis item and switch from All Views to Front, and then set the Opacity slider to 1.000.

  5. Increase the Y offset value to make the bottom/feet guideline of the reference image aligned to the horizontal arm of the first Empty (you have to set it to 0.780).

  6. Scale Size smaller, using both the Empties that we set as references for the 2.5 meters height of the creature (you actually have to set the Scale value to 0.875).

    The background image scaled and positioned through the settings in the N sidepanel

  7. Click on the little white arrow on the top-left side of the gidiosaurus_front.png subwindow to collapse it.

  8. Click on the Add Image button again; then, in the new option panel, click on the Open button, browse to the templates folder, and load the gidiosaurus_side.png image. Then, set the Axis item to Right, Opacity to 1.000, Scale to 0.875, and Y to 0.780.

  9. Repeat the operation for the gidiosaurus_back.png image, set Axis to Back, and so on.

Press 3 on the numpad to switch to the Side view, 1 to switch to the Front view, and Ctrl + 1 to switch to the Back view, but remember that you must be in the Ortho mode (5 key on the numpad) to see the background templates:

The N sidepanel settings to assign the background image to a view

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