The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics, 7th Edition

The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics, 7th Edition

by John M. Blain
Released March 2022
Publisher(s): A K Peters/CRC Press
ISBN: 9781000552027

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Book description

BlenderTM　is a　free Open Source 3D Computer Modeling and Animation Suite　incorporating Character Rigging, Particles, Real World Physics Simulation, Sculpting, Video Editing with Motion Tracking and 2D Animation within the 3D Environment.

Blender is　FREE　to download and use by anyone for anything.

The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics: Computer Modeling and Animation,　Seventh Edition is a unified manual describing the operation of the program with reference to the Graphical User Interface for　Blender Version　3.0.0, including nearly 100 pages of completely new content.

The book introduces the program’s Graphical User Interface and shows how to implement tools for modeling and animating characters and created scenes with the application of color, texture and special lighting effects.

Key Features:

  • The book provides instruction for New Users starting at the very beginning.

  • Instruction is presented in a series of chapters incorporating visual reference to the program's interface.

  • The initial chapters are designed to instruct the user in the operation of the program while introducing and demonstrating interesting features of the program.

  • Chapters are developed in a building block fashion providing forward and reverse reference to relevant material.

The book is also available in a discounted set along with Blender 2D Animation: The Complete Guide to the Grease Pencil.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. Download and Installation
  8. The Author
  9. Preamble
  10. CH01 Understanding the Interface
    1. 1.1 Interacting with the Interface
    2. 1.2 First Interaction
    3. 1.3 Second Interaction
    4. 1.4 Getting Help
    5. 1.5 Examine the Interface
    6. 1.6 Rotating in the 3D Space
    7. 1.7 Other Objects
    8. 1.8 Using the Outliner Editor
    9. 1.9 Working in the 3D Viewport Editor (Object Mode)
    10. 1.10 3D Viewport Editor Modes
    11. 1.11 Working in the 3D Viewport Editor (Edit Mode)
    12. 1.12 Coloring Using the Properties Editor
    13. 1.13 Fire - Quick Method Example
    14. 1.14 Animation
    15. 1.15 Summary
  11. CH02 Editors - Workspaces - Themes
    1. 2.1 Editor Types
    2. 2.2 Resizing Editors
    3. 2.3 Splitting Editors
    4. 2.4 Cancel an Editor
    5. 2.5 3D Viewport Features
    6. 2.6 Scene Manipulation
    7. 2.7 Scene Manipulation Widget
    8. 2.8 Multiple Scenes
    9. 2.9 Headers Menus and Panels
    10. 2.10 Headers and Panels
    11. 2.11 The Blender Interface Header
    12. 2.12 The Blender Screen Header
    13. 2.13 The 3D Viewport Header
    14. 2.14 The Widget Panel
    15. 2.15 The Tool Panel and Panel
    16. 2.16 Properties Editor Tabs
    17. 2.17 The Preferences Editor
    18. 2.18 3D Viewport Editor - Background Color
    19. 2.19 Workspaces
    20. 2.20 Creating New Workspaces
    21. 2.21 Themes
    22. 2.22 Saving a Theme
  12. CH03 Navigate and Save
    1. 3.1 Files and Folders
    2. 3.2 Saving a File
    3. 3.3 Windows File Explorer
    4. 3.4 Windows File Explorer Diagram
    5. 3.5 Blender File Browse.
    6. 3.6 Opening Files
    7. 3.7 File Browser Header Features
    8. 3.8 Make a New Folder
    9. 3.9 Display Options
    10. 3.10 Saving Your Work
    11. 3.11 The Concept of Files
    12. 3.12 The Append or Link Command
    13. 3.13 Importing Objects
    14. 3.14 Activating Import File Types
    15. 3.15 Packing Data
  13. CH04 Objects in the 3D View Editor
    1. 4.1 Modeling Workflow Philosophy
    2. 4.2 Starting a New File
    3. 4.3 Modifying the Scene
    4. 4.4 Object Mode and Edit Mode
    5. 4.5 3D Viewport Cursor
    6. 4.6 Selecting – Deselecting Objects
    7. 4.7 Adding Objects
    8. 4.8 Object Primitives
    9. 4.9 Locating the 3D Viewport Editor Cursor
    10. 4.10 Deleting Objects
    11. 4.11 Duplicating Objects
    12. 4.12 Object Mode Manipulation
    13. 4.13 The Last Operator Panel
    14. 4.14 Tool Panel – Widgets
    15. 4.15 Manipulation Units
    16. 4.16 Measuring Ruler / Protractor
    17. 4.17 Precision Manipulation
    18. 4.18 Coloring Objects
    19. 4.19 Other Types of Objects
    20. 4.20 Naming Objects
    21. 4.21 The Header Button Menus
    22. 4.22 Meta Shapes
  14. CH05 Editing Objects
    1. 5.1 The Mesh Object
    2. 5.2 Edit Mode Selecting
    3. 5.3 Selecting Vertices, Edges and Faces
    4. 5.4 Manipulating Selected Vertices, Edges and Faces
    5. 5.5 Creating Vertices by Subdivision
    6. 5.6 Adding and Deleting Vertices, Edges, or Faces
    7. 5.7 Center Points
    8. 5.8 Joining and Separating
    9. 5.9 Creating Vertex Groups
    10. 5.10 Proportional Vertex Editing
    11. 5.11 Inset Faces
    12. 5.12 Parenting
  15. CH06 Editing Tools
    1. 6.1 The Edit Mode Tool Panel
    2. 6.2 The Add Menu
    3. 6.3 Last Operator Panels
    4. 6.4 Extrusion
    5. 6.5 The Extrude Region Tool
    6. 6.6 Inset Faces
    7. 6.7 The Inset Faces Tool
    8. 6.8 The Bevel Tool
    9. 6.9 Edge and Loop Selection
    10. 6.10 Loop Cut Tool
    11. 6.11 The Knife Tool
    12. 6.12 The Poly Build Tool
    13. 6.13 The Spin Tool
    14. 6.14 Creating a Spin Profile
    15. 6.15 Spin Duplication
    16. 6.16 The Screw Tool
    17. 6.17 The Smooth and Randomize Tools
    18. 6.18 The Edge Slide And Vertex Slide Tool
    19. 6.19 The Shrink Fatten Tool
    20. 6.20 The Shear Tool
    21. 6.21 The Rip Region Tool
  16. CH07 Modifiers
    1. 7.1 Modifiers in General
    2. 7.2 The Modifier Stack
    3. 7.3 The Modify Group
    4. 7.4 The Simulate Group
    5. 7.5 Generate and Deform Modifiers
  17. CH08 Editing with Generate Modifiers
    1. 8.1 Modifiers – Generate
    2. 8.2 The Bevel Modifier
    3. 8.3 Array Modifier
    4. 8.4 Boolean Modifier
    5. 8.5 Build Modifier
    6. 8.6 Decimate Modifier
    7. 8.7 Edge Split Modifier
    8. 8.8 Mask Modifier
    9. 8.9 Mirror Modifier
    10. 8.10 Multiresolution Modifier
    11. 8.11 Remesh Modifier
    12. 8.12 Screw Modifier
    13. 8.13 Skin Modifier
    14. 8.14 Solidify Modifier
    15. 8.15 Subdivision Surface Modifier
    16. 8.16 Triangulation and Weld Modifier
    17. 8.17 Wireframe Modifier
  18. CH09 Editing with Deform Modifiers
    1. 9.1 Modifiers for - Deform
    2. 9.2 Armature Modifier
    3. 9.3 Cast Modifier
    4. 9.4 Corrective Smooth Modifier
    5. 9.5 Curve Modifier
    6. 9.6 Displace Modifier
    7. 9.7 Hook Modifier
    8. 9.8 Laplacian Deform Modifie,
    9. 9.9 Lattice Modifier
    10. 9.10 Mesh Deform Modifier
    11. 9.11 Shrinkwrap Modifier
    12. 9.13 Simple Deform Modifier
    13. 9.14 Smooth Modifier
    14. 9.15 Smooth Corrective Modifier
    15. 9.16 Smooth Laplacian Modifier
    16. 9.17 Warp Modifier
    17. 9.18 Wave Modifier
  19. CH10 Editing Using Curves
    1. 10.1 Curves Circles and Paths
    2. 10.2 Bezier Curve
    3. 10.3 Bezier Circle
    4. 10.4 Nurbs Path
    5. 10.5 Nurbs Circle
    6. 10.6 Modeling from a Curve
    7. 10.7 Closed Loops
    8. 10.8 Using Nurbs Curves
    9. 10.9 Nurbs Circle
    10. 10.10 Nurbs Curve
    11. 10.11 Lofting
  20. CH11 Editing Techniques - Examples
    1. 11.1 Creating a Landscape
    2. 11.2 Dupliverts
    3. 11.3 Modeling an Aircraft
    4. 11.4 Sculpting – Sculpt Mode
    5. 11.5 Sculpting Demonstration
    6. 11.6 Creating a Humanoid Figure
  21. CH12 The Outliner and Collections
    1. 12.1 Collections in the Outliner Editor
    2. 12.2 View Options in the Outliner Editor
  22. CH13 3D Text
    1. 13.1 Creating 3D Text in Blender
    2. 13.2 The Object Data Properties
    3. 13.3 Fonts
    4. 13.4 Creating Text on a Curve
    5. 13.5 Converting Text to a Mesh Object
    6. 13.6 Converting Text to a Curve
    7. 13.7 Entering External Font
  23. CH14 Viewport Shading
    1. 14.1 Viewport Shading Options
    2. 14.2 Wireframe Viewport Shading
    3. 14.3 Solid Viewport Shading
    4. 14.4 Color Display Options
    5. 14.5 Background Displays
    6. 14.6 More Solid Viewport Shading
    7. 14.7 Rendered Viewport Shading
    8. 14.8 Material Preview Shading
    9. 14.9 World Settings
    10. 14.10 Simplified Viewport Shading
  24. CH15 Scene Lighting and Cameras
    1. 15.1 Scene Lighting
    2. 15.2 Light Type
    3. 15.3 Cameras
    4. 15.4 Camera Settings
    5. 15.5 Camera Switching
    6. 15.6 Camera Tracking
    7. 15.7 Basic Lighting Arrangement
    8. 15.8 Background Scene Lighting
    9. 15.9 Images as a Background
    10. 15.10 Volumetric Lighting
  25. CH16 Materials - Textures - Nodes
    1. 16.1 Materiai Definition
    2. 16.2 Materials in Practise
    3. 16.3 Default Cube Material Properties
    4. 16.4 Adding Material Properties
    5. 16.5 Alternative Material Assignment
    6. 16.6 Multiple Material Datablocks
    7. 16.7 The Material Slot
    8. 16.8 The Color Picker
    9. 16.9 Material Display
    10. 16.10 Ligntiing Affects
    11. 16.11 Materials using Nodes
    12. 16.12 What Are Nodes
    13. 16.13 Accessing and Viewing Node Effects
    14. 16.14 Noodle Curving
    15. 16.15 The Shader Editor
    16. 16.16 The Shader Node Menu
    17. 16.17 Adding Nodes
    18. 16.18 The Shading Workspace
    19. 16.19 Scene Arrangements
    20. 16.20 Mixing Material Example
    21. 16.21 The Principled BSDF Node
    22. 16.22 The Color Ramp Node
    23. 16.23 Saving Screen Space
    24. 16.24 Vertex Paint
  26. CH 17 Textures
    1. 17.1 Procedural Texture
    2. 17.2 Image as a Texture
    3. 17.3 Texture Mapping
    4. 17.4 Unwrapping Options
    5. 17.5 PBR Textures
    6. 17.6 Texture Properties:
    7. 17.7 Texture Painting
    8. 17.8 Texture Displacement
  27. CH18 Node System and Usage
    1. 18.1 The Texture Node Editor
    2. 18.2 The Geometry Node Editor
    3. 18.3 Transparency
    4. 18.4 Volumetric Lightinc
    5. 18.5 Compositing Nodes
  28. CH19 Rendering
    1. 19.1 Rendering
    2. 19.2 Outpub Properties
    3. 19.3 The Dimensions Tab
    4. 19.4 The Output Tab
    5. 19.5 Rendering a JPEG Image
    6. 19.6 Rendering a Movie File
    7. 19.7 Video Playback
    8. 19.8 Video Codecs
    9. 19.9 Making a Movie
  29. CH20 Animation
    1. 20.1 Animation in the 3D Viewport
    2. 20.2 Movement in the 3D View Editor
    3. 20.3 Planning the Animation
    4. 20.4 Keyframes Time and Interpolatior
    5. 20.5 Animation Speed and Length
    6. 20.6 Repositioning the Timeline Cursor
    7. 20.7 Inserting Keyframes
    8. 20.8 Scrubbing the Animatioi
    9. 20.9 Playing the Animation
    10. 20.10 Adding Keyframes
    11. 20.11 Automatic Keyframing
    12. 20.12 Controlling the Animation
    13. 20.13 The Dope Sheet Editor
    14. 20.14 The Graph Editor
    15. 20.15 Editor and Commands
    16. 20.16 Selecting the Curve GE
    17. 20.17 Rotation – Euler. Rotation
    18. 20.18 Graph Editor Cursor
    19. 20.19 Editing the Curve GE
    20. 20.20 Editing the Curve Dope Sheet
    21. 20.21 Scaling in the Dope Sheet
    22. 20.22 Other Types of Curves
    23. 20.23 The Curve Properties Panel
    24. 20.24 Animating Rotation
    25. 20.25 Rotation Using F-Curves
    26. 20.26 Animating Other Features
    27. 20.27 Keying Sets
    28. 20.28 Animation Follow Path
    29. 20.29 Evaluation Time
    30. 20.30 Keyframing
    31. 20.31 Displacement Sound Animations
    32. 20.32 Sound Effect and Cast Modifier
    33. 20.33 The Animation Workspace
  30. CH21 Constraints
    1. 21.1 Introduction to Constraints
    2. 21.2 Track to Constraint
    3. 21.3 Constraint Stack
    4. 21.5 The Transformation Constraint
    5. 21.6 Tracking Constraints
    6. 21.7 Relationship Constraints
    7. 21.8 The Action Constraint
    8. 21.9 The Shrinkwrap Constraint
    9. 21.10 Follow Path – Extrude/Bevel
  31. CH22 Armatures & Character Rigging
    1. 22.1 Single Bone Armature
    2. 22.2 Adding Armatures
    3. 22.3 Adding Bones
    4. 22.4 The Armature Rig
    5. 22.5 Multiple Armatures
    6. 22.6 Child Parent Relationship
    7. 22.7 Armature Display Types
    8. 22.8 Building an Armature Rig
    9. 22.9 The Extrude Tool
    10. 22.10 Deforming a Mesh
    11. 22.11 Parenting with The Armature Modifier
    12. 22.12 Assigning Vertices – Vertex Groups
    13. 22.13 Assigning Vertices-Set Parent
    14. 22.14 Assigning Vertices-Weigh Paint
    15. 22.15 Inverse Kinematics Constraint
    16. 22.16 Spline IK Constraint
    17. 22.17 Forwara
    18. 22.18 Character Rigging
    19. 22.19 Bone Naming
    20. 22.20 Assigning the Mesh
    21. 22.21 Vertex Groups
    22. 22.22 Posing the Character Model
    23. 22.23 Pre-Assembled Armatures
  32. CH23 Shape Keys & Action Editors
    1. 23.1 Shape Key Editor
    2. 23.2 Set Limits of Movement
    3. 23.3 Inserting Keyframes
    4. 23.4 Inserting Multiple Keyframes
    5. 23.5 The Animation
    6. 23.6 Additional Keys
    7. 23.7 Action Editor
    8. 23.8 Shape Keys and Action Editor in Practise
  33. CH24 Particle Systems
    1. 24.1 The Default Particle System
    2. 24.2 The Emissions Tab
    3. 24.3 The Emission Source Tab
    4. 24.4 The Cache Tab
    5. 24.5 The Velocity Tab
    6. 24.6 Particle Display
    7. 24.7 Particle Emission Options
    8. 24.8 Order of Emission
    9. 24.9 Normals
    10. 24.10 Particle Modifiers
    11. 24.11 Particles Array
    12. 24.12 The Viewnort Display Tab
    13. 24.13 Particle Interaction
    14. 24.14 Wind Force Effect
    15. 24.15 Boids Particles
    16. 24.16 Hair Particles
    17. 24.17 Particles Edit Mode
    18. 24.18 Particles for Arrays
    19. 24.19 More Arrays
    20. 24.20 The Assignment Panel
    21. 24.21 Paticie Exercises
    22. 24.22 Multiple Particle Systems
    23. 24.23 Keyed Particles
  34. CH25 Physics and Simulation
    1. 25.1 Applying and Cancelling Physics
    2. 25.2 Real World Physics
    3. 25.3 Force Fiele
    4. 25.4 Collision Physics
    5. 25.5 Cloth Physics
    6. 25.6 Soft Body Physics
    7. 25.7 Fluid Simulation
    8. 25.8 Quick Methods
    9. 25.9 Fluid Simulation Continued
    10. 25.10 Fluid Simulation Experiment
    11. 25.11 Smoke and Fire Simulation
    12. 25.12 Smoke and Fire from Scratch
  35. CH26 Dynamic Paint
    1. 26.1 Dynamic Paint – Painting
  36. CH27 Installing Add-Ons
    1. 27.1 Blender Bendy Bone Add-On
    2. 27.2 Obtaining the Add-on File
    3. 27.3 Installing the Add-On
    4. 27.4 Using the Add-On
  37. CH28 Grease Pencil 2D Animation
    1. 28.1 Introduction
  38. CH29 Making a Movie
    1. 29.1 Making a Movie
    2. 29.2 Storyboare
    3. 29.3 The Video Files
    4. 29.4 The Sound File
    5. 29.5 Video Editing Workspace
    6. 29.6 The File Browser Editor
    7. 29.7 Preparation
    8. 29.8 Video Sequence Editor
    9. 29.9 Rendering the Movie
    10. 29.10 Additional Features
  39. CH30 Drivers
    1. 30.1 Blender Drivers Introduction
    2. 30.2 The Drivers Editor
    3. 30.3 Understanding Drivers
    4. 30.4 Randomize Object Properties
    5. 30.5 Using Random.Py.blend
    6. 30.6 Material Property Drivers
    7. 30.7 Duplicating the Object
  40. CH31 Cycles & Workbench Render
    1. 31.1 Cycles Render
    2. 31.2 How to Start Cycles
    3. 31.3 Create an Object Light Source
    4. 31.4 Cycles in Practise
    5. 31.5 Workbench Render
  41. Appendix A Basic Blender Commands
  42. Appendix B Internet Resources
  43. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics, 7th Edition
  • Author(s): John M. Blain
  • Release date: March 2022
  • Publisher(s): A K Peters/CRC Press
  • ISBN: 9781000552027