by Tim Crellin | Publisher: Packt Publishing | Release Date: June 2018 | ISBN: 9781788292764

Learn the basics of 3D software including navigation and shortcuts, install Blender to craft and animate a character from scratch, and render out the result as a video clipAbout This VideoLearn the basics of creating a character using Blender 3DDiscover techniques to model a character effortlesslyAnimate your character from scratchIn DetailThe purpose of this video course is to help you become familiar with 3D software and basic workflows, from concept to character to the final animation. The course will include different sections, each part adding an extra building block to the final product.We start the course by fostering a basic understanding and appreciation for the software, including installation, shortcuts, and viewport/panel navigation; this will help you efficiently navigate between windows and panels, and move objects with basic shortcuts. Next, we move on to the basic setup for modeling a simple object, including setting up and scaling reference images appropriately and manipulating a base mesh to build a new, more complex object to model a simple object from a reference image. Next we delve into the base workflow for creating a new 3D character from scratch using reference images and, utilizing the skin modifier, we will create a base mesh for our character and then add extra details to make the mesh look better and more lifelike. The next topic we will look at is rigging—how it works and why it makes life easier for the animator. You will then create a simple rig for your character and apply simple weight painting techniques to clean up the model. For the next step we will learn about simple materials in the Blender internal render engine as well as keyframe animation, while also learning how to add color materials to different parts of a character mesh so that you have a good understanding of how the animation system and timeline work within Blender. Finally we will learn how rendering works, the different settings for outputting an image or video, and how to stitch an image sequence together into a video file that will help you better understand which output files to use, depending on the situation.Upon completing this course, you will have mastered how to model, animate, and render out 3D models using Blender.

1. Chapter 1 : Exploring the Interface
   • The Course Overview 00:03:54
   • Installing Blender 00:03:13
   • Basic Navigation and Shortcuts 00:09:33
   • Object Manipulation 00:09:12
2. Chapter 2 : Crafting a Simple Polygon Object
   • Reference Images 00:04:43
   • Using the Edit Mode 00:10:30
   • Modelling a Simple Object 00:08:35
3. Chapter 3 : Creating a 3D Character
   • Modelling a Base Mesh 00:12:26
   • Adding Character Eyes 00:11:07
   • Adding Character Limbs 00:13:14
   • Advanced Modelling Techniques 00:14:40
4. Chapter 4 : Building the Character Rig
   • Rigging Theory 00:03:50
   • Rig Creation 00:09:43
   • Bone Weights 00:09:08
   • Constraints and Shape-keys 00:08:32
5. Chapter 5 : Adding Materials and Keyframe Animation
   • Adding Materials to the Character 00:08:41
   • Basic Character Animation 00:07:54
   • Shape Key Animation 00:02:31
   • Camera Setup and Animation 00:04:59
6. Chapter 6 : Discover the Rendering Process
   • Basic Rendering Settings 00:05:26
   • File Outputs 00:05:47
   • Rendering and Exporting a Video 00:03:47