Blender User Interface CSIS 5838: Graphics and Animation for Gaming

Changing Viewpoint Changing view axis using number keys – 1: view along X axis (ctrl-1 in opposite direction) – 3: view along Y axis (ctrl-3 in opposite direction) – 7: view along Z axis (ctrl-7 in opposite direction) Hold down mouse wheel and drag to rotate viewpoint Rotate mouse wheel to alter “camera” location – Rotate mouse wheel: zoom in/out – Shift-rotate: move camera up/down – Control-rotate: move camera right/left Changing from projective/orthographic perspective – Number pad 5

Rendering Image F12 to render image from POV of camera – ESC to go back to 3D window P to view in “game” mode (less detail) – ESC to go back to 3D window Number key 0 to see camera POV in 3D window

Adding Objects Adding new objects to scene: – Add menu (bottom left of 3D window)  Mesh  desired shape Deleting object from scene – Select object (right click) – x (will be asked for confirmation) Joining two objects into single mesh – Select first object – Shift-select second object (both now highlighted) – Control-j to join – Easier to export to Unity if single object – Cannot be undone, so keep backup with them separate!

Modifying Object Properties Must be in object mode – Tab key to toggle between object/edit modes – Must select object by right clicking on it Can only modify location, rotation, and scale of object – g: change object location (“grab” it) – r: change object rotation (by default, around axis from viewpoint) – s: change object scale – left click when done, ESC to not make change Can modify along single axis by following with x, y, or z – g x/y/z: drag along specified axis – r x/y/z: rotate around specified axis – s x/y/z: resize along specified axis

Useful Dialog Windows Outliner (usually upper left) lists all objects in scene – “Linked” objects as submenus – Can select any scene object directly from here by clicking Properties window for selected object – n: toggle property window – Shows location/rotation/scale as numbers – Can directly edit – Shows other key properties of specific object types (example: focal length of camera)

Splitting/Joining Windows Move cursor to line between windows until see “double arrow” – Right-click, and choose “split” Remove window in same way, choosing “join” – Direction of arrow indicates window removed Shortcut to “quad” mode: q – Splits 3D window into 4, one from each direction

Mesh Editing Going to edit mode: – Right-click object to edit in object mode – Tab to toggle to edit mode Choose type of editing (vertex/edge/face) from buttons at bottom of 3D window Toggle between visible/all vertices with button at bottom of 3D window

Selecting Vertices Select single vertex/etc. by right clicking a to select/deselect all vertices in mesh Selecting multiple vertices: – b to select all vertices in rectangle (block) Hold down left mouse button Drag to select area Release mouse to finish – c to select all vertices in circle Move mouse to move circle Rotate mouse wheel to change circle size Click to select ESC to finish (will stay in circle select mode until then)

Proportional Editing Enable with button and choose type in adjacent dropdown menu Select point and drag (g) Rotate mouse to change size of area affected

Extrusion/Cutting Extrusion Select a face – Face select mode or border select corresponding vertices Press e to extrude new face from that face – Left-click to place Cutting Move to location to place cut, Control-r to start Move mouse to choose which faces to cut, left-click Move mouse to choose where in those faces to place cut, left-click

Adding Vertices/Edges/Faces Adding new vertices by extruding from existing ones – Select the vertex, e to extrude Connecting vertices with edges – Shift-select both vertices, f to create edge between them – Often best to skip this step, create faces directly Creating new faces from existing vertices – Shift-select vertices around new face – Press f – Best if face formed from no more than 3 or 4 vertices

Subdividing Select part (or all) of mesh to subdivide Press Subdivide button in Add section of Tools tab on left Choose from menu that pops up: – Number of cuts: How many subsections to divide each face into – Smoothness: How “rounded” to make new faces – Fractal: How “random” to make new faces

Parenting and Joining Objects Parenting: – Right-click child object(s) to select, use Shift to keep selected – Shift-right-click parent object – Control-p to parent – Alt-p to undo parenting between selected objects Joining meshes – Shift-select objects to be joined – Control-j to join into single object with combined mesh – Note: This cannot be easily undone, so make copy of file before doing this!

Using Reference Images Press n for properties window, scroll down to Background Images, and check box Expand and press Add Image to get dialog Choose direction background image will be visible from in All Views dropdown Click Open button and navigate to desired image file Note that background image will only be visible along selected direction axis in orthographic view

Adding Materials to a Mesh Done from materials button in properties window Press New button in resulting dialog Click color bar under diffuse to set a background color for object – Click in color wheel – Set RGB levels in dialog

Assigning Existing Materials Select object to assign an existing material Click “browse” button to bring up list of all existing materials Select material from the dropdown

Multiple Materials on Same Mesh Add another material slot to the mesh – Press + button to right of material list – Give the new material colors, etc. Select desired area of mesh – Go to edit mode – Select desired faces Assign the material to those faces – Click new material in material list – Press Assign button

Loading a UV Image Create a UV/Image Editor window – Split 3D Window into two windows – Change one into a UV window Load an image – Image menu in UV window, Open Image – Navigate to desired image

Seaming 3D Mesh Make sure that object has a texture Select edges that make up seam Go to Shading/UV tab on left Press Mark Seam button – Seam edges will be orange Select the entire mesh (a) to unwrap entire mesh Press Unwrap and select unwrap

Viewing/Saving Image 3D Window: Got to texture view Render: In texture properties window, check Face Textures in Options section To store image along with file, select Pack Image in Image menu

Rigging a Mesh Start by adding a single armature bone to your mesh – Add  Armature  Single Bone – It will be placed at the current cursor location, so may need to use Shift-s to move the cursor back to the origin Can use object commands (g, r, and s) to: – Move the bone to the desired location in the mesh – Rotate the bone in the desired direction – Make it the proper scale

Viewing the Armature Armature may not be visible inside object Can view object in wireframe mode Can put armature in x-ray mode – Go to armature property window – Check X-Ray box under Display

Adding Bones to the Armature Done with extrusion – Done in edit mode (press tab with bone selected) – Click bone/section of bone to add to – Press e to extrude a new bone from there – Drag mouse to define endpoint of new bone – Can use g to modify end position of new bone after creation

Rigging the Mesh to the Armature Select the mesh first Shift-select the armature – The mesh will be orange Press control-p Choose Armature Deform with Automatic Weights

Posing the Armature Select the armature Choose Pose Mode in the menu – Same menu with Object Mode and Edit Mode Select bones and rotate them – Mesh will follow!

Inverse Kinematics Select armature bone (usually at end of chain) Open bone constraint properties Press Add Bone Constraint and select Inverse Kinematics – Have dotted line from end of bone to beginning of armature Set Chain Length to modify where IK chain begins

Bone Rotation Constraints Select bone to limit Press Add Bone Constraint and select Limit Rotation – Make sure that Local Space is selected – Will see axes of rotation for that bone Checking Limit boxes restricts rotation around that axis Can set acceptable Minimum and Maximum values

Creating Key Frames In the timeline window, enter the frame number to insert the keyframe at In the 3D window, move/rotate/pose the object in the desired way for that frame Insert a new keyframe with that pose at the frame with i – You can choose to store the location, rotation, scale, or any combination of these You can play your animation using the controls in the timeline window – You can also set the start and end frames for the animation

Copying/Pasting Keyframes This is most easily done in the dopesheet window – Shows “points” for all things stored in a given keyframe Can copy/paste keyframes – Right-click points in keyframe (will show as orange) – Control-c to copy information about object pose – Go to desired frame (possibly using timeline window) – Control-v to paste

Editing Movement Interpolation Can modify interpolation method between keyframes – Open dopesheet window – Key menu  Interpolation Mode Main choices: – Constant: no movement, just jumps to next pose – Linear: Steady movement from one frame to the next – Bezier: “Ease in” and “ease out”, speeding up at start and slowing down at end

Modifying Ease In/Ease Out Best done in graph editor window – Shows how properties change over time as graph – Expand action on left to show how all dimensions are changed over time – “Close eye” to hide any dimensions we are not interested in Bezier “handles” used to modify shapes of curves – Right-click handle to select – Rotate to modify shape of curve