This Blender 2.5 video tutorial offers a lesson in how to create an easy chain with nothing more than a single link, a array modifier and a curve modifier. Then see the process of using the freshly created chain in a simple scene. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's ...more
In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see a method for generating neat-looking blueprint graphics. This tutorial includes using the Gears add-on, creating outline-only objects, setting up the World to look like a blueprint, and more. Whether you're new to the Blender Foun ...more
This quick Blender 2.5 video tip shows how to make a simple drop-cloth effect like those you see photographers often use. The tip also demonstrates how to make the drop cloth follow the camera's rotation. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D co ...more
This quick Blender video tip demonstrates how to use viewport snapping to lock the viewing angle to any 45 degree increment. This feature is similar to the viewport navigation that is found in ZBrush. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D comput ...more
This Blender user's guide discusses techniques for creating hair and giving them textures and materials. The first is Mesh hair using Bezier Curves, and the second is Particle Hair. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics applica ...more
This quick Blender 2.5 video tip tutorial demonstrates how to use multiple background images. This feature is very useful and allows for layering images in the viewport and assigning separate images to specific viewing angles. Without the need for multiple viewports. Whether y ...more
This Blender 2.5 video tutorial offers a demonstration and overview of clean hand topology. The tutorial includes tips on how to structure your mesh, including clean topology, mesh flow and edgeloop density. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D ...more
In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see how to use driven shape-keys to dilate the pupil of an eye. The tutorial also demonstrates how to use custom bone shapes and limiting the transformation of a bone via constraints. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's pop ...more
In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see how to UV unwrap a full, stylized female character. The tutorial covers creating seams, unwrapping, pinning and techniques to reduce stretching. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphi ...more
In this quick Blender 2.5 tip, you'll see how to easily create insets in your mesh. This technique uses the Extrude Individual Faces and Smooth tools. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital ...more
Before you can work in Blender, you'll have to learn how to work with it. Fortunately, this guide will show you everything you'll need to know to get started creating your own models within Blender. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer ...more
This clip offers instruction on how to export a model from Blender to Unity 3D and import it into a game. The tutorial also demonstrates how to bake a normal map and a color map from a highpoly model to the lowpoly counterpart, real-time display of the color/normal maps in the ...more
See how to create a 3D model of a cuddly teddy bear within Blender 2.5 with this detailed, comprehensive guide. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new ti ...more
This Blender 2.5 video tutorial tackles something that is on most people's "create -before-I-die" list, a Jedi light saber. This tutorial focuses in on the post-processing aspect by setting up a node network to create the effect of the glowing blade. Modeling is not covered in ...more
In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see a technique that makes use of array and curve modifiers to create light streaks like those you would see froma long exposure capture. The tutorial covers modifiers, materials and node compositing. Whether you're new to the Blender ...more
See how to work with Blender's Camera Fly Mode tool. The tool is a great way to help navigate your 3D scene, and also for camera placement (or any object set to be a "camera", for example a Spotlight). Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D compu ...more
In this tip video, you'll see how to set the aspect ratio of a plane object to match that of the image mapped to it. This is important to prevent distortion in the mapped image. This knowledge will be helpful when using image planes for cutout trees and people, instanced image ...more
This sculpter's guide presents a look at how to create reptilian scales with alpha maps as a custom brush. The tutorial makes use of both Blender 2.5 and Photoshop. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a sea ...more
This clip demonstrates the process of creating a model of a strand of Christmas lights in Blender 2.5. The tutorials covers modeling and how to use array and curve modifiers to create a strand of lights that will automatically lengthen as needed. Whether you're new to the Blen ...more
This clip demonstrates how to use the box-modeling technique to create a full character. The box-modeling technique is a good way to quickly visualize the shape of your character, rather than a creating the detail from the beginning. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundatio ...more
The snapping tool in Blender allows you to snap your mesh selection to any other vertice, edge, face, or volume. This is a very handy technique for precision modeling. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a ...more
It is quite common for imported models to come into Blender with duplicate vertices and triangulated faces. This quick tip demonstrates how to very easily fix these two issues, leaving you with a model that is ready to go. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular ...more
A good lighting setup is essential to effectively displaying your model. Without it your hard work might as well be for nothing. This tutorial takes a look at how to make a good three-point (+) lighting setup in Blender. The tutorial covers the different kinds of lights within ...more
When working with a high density mesh in Blender, maintainig a firm grip on topology is essential. This quick video demonstrates a few tips for increasing/decreasing your topology in a given area and for redirecting the flow of your topology. Whether you're new to the Blender ...more
In this quick Blender 2.5 video tip, you'll see how you can use the Screw modifier to quickly create threaded objects or springs. This method is non-destructive and very quick to use. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics appli ...more
This clip offers a look at how to create non-photorealistic cumulus clouds in Blender. These techniques are taken from a Siggraph 2009 paper titled “Painting with Objects,” created by Isaac Botkin. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer ...more
With the release of Blender 2.49, comes the ability to stencil images onto your model via projection. This tutorial goes through the process of setting up your model and it’s UVs in order to “projection paint” your textures onto the model. Whether you're new to the Blender Fou ...more
This tutorials covers how to create a more advanced type of facial rig, showing you how to use the "stretch to" constraint to give the face a more fluid way of animating. The "stretch to" is great for things like lips and eyelids (which is shown in this tutorial); in addition, ...more
This tutorial walks you through how to set up a procedural night sky with twinkling stars in Autodesk 3ds Max. You will be creating a opacity material with noise maps, and using an phase animated noise behind this to illuminate the stars. To edit the star size and brightness, ...more
This is a quick tip on how to model a screw within Blender. But more so on covering the “threading” of the screw itself. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout f ...more
This clip goes through process of setting up a infinite ground plane with shadows to better display your models within Blender. The tip also looks at a couple of tweaks while using Ambient Occlusion to adjust the shadows. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular ...more
This clip offers a trick for combining two rigs into one and demonstrates how to adjust the settings in the new rig to conform to the settings in the original rig. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seas ...more
This clip will walk you through the process of modeling a fairly cartoony praying mantis from a sketch. The tutorial covers the entire modeling process and some simple materials. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics applicatio ...more
This tutorial covers how to create a witch's hat in Blender using a combination of modeling and cloth simulations. Basic materials are also covered. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital ar ...more
Cutting a hole into a curved mesh is a common problem, particularly for new modelers. This tip shows you how to go about doing it using Blender's retopology tools. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seas ...more
In this tutorial, we'll take a look at a built-in script called the Solidify Selection script. This script, created by Campbell Barton, will allow you to solidify a mesh by adding a second "skin" to it based on the selected geometry. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundatio ...more
This clip will walk you through the process of modeling a pumpkin in Blender. This tutorial uses a combination of mirror and lattice modifiers to create a model that can easily be shaped without disfiguring the original mesh. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popu ...more
When you begin working with complex scenes, you'll often find yourself applying the same material to a multitude of objects, which becomes quite time consuming. By using blender's "Make Links" tool you can quickly apply a single materials to as many objects as you'd like. Whet ...more
Modeling a human hand is a challenging task. Both to create a natural-looking hand and to create one with good topology. This tutorial is an effort to address both of those issues. In this tutorial you will learn how to model a human hand with some box modeling techniques with ...more
When working in a production environment it is a common need to send a model, along with all of it's associated files off to another artist. Blender makes this quite easy by allowing you to pack (compress) all of the external data associated with the model into the .blend. Whe ...more
Blender's constraint system offers a very powerful feature-set. In this video tutorial we will look at how to rig a piston using several constraints. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital a ...more
Grouping in blender allows you to better oganize the objects within your scene by grouping them together. This is particularly use for complex scenes with large numbers of objects. It also allows easy selection for different types of objects at the same time. Whether you're ne ...more
In this tutorial, you will see how to apply a texture, in this case a subtle gradient, to the world background in Blender. Textures can vastly improve the presentation of your model. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics applic ...more
Blender’s curves tools are quite a powerful and convenient way to model all kind of things. Tubes, lathe-objects, logos, tentacles and much more. This tutorial shows you how to use the different types of curves, control-points and handles and how to use them. You will learn ho ...more
This short video tutorial is going to take you through the process of using Blender’s new Shrinkwrap modifier to make clothing for a character. This modifier makes the process significantly easier and faster! It’s also a lot of fun. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation ...more
This tutorial takes a look at how to model a segment of rope in Blender and then replicate it along a path using an Array and Curve modifier. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist me ...more
Stencil maps can help push your model to the next level by allowing you to layer materials exactly as you see fit. This tutorial covers how to create a stencil map, applying it to your model in Blender and then using it to layer two different materials via the Material Nodes. ...more
This tutorial teaches how to use Blender’s particles system to “paint” instanced objects onto mesh surfaces. Similar to Maya’s “Paint Effects,” though not nearly as powerful, it’s a very nice way to fill a scene with flowers, vegetation, rocks, pebbles, gravel, debris, etc. Wh ...more
If you are modeling from a reference file, concept art, or model sheets. Setting the background up with an image can be extremely useful. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely ...more
This seven-part tutorial series presents an overview of the techniques needed to model a human head using the Blender 3D modeling application. First, you'll set up the primary edgeloops and then move on piece by piece from there. Upon completion you should come away with some ...more
Holiday dinners can be the same every year, but many are starting to switch it up, making new traditions and getting a new dining experience for everyone at the table. It’s not unusual to see sweet potatoes on an Easter dinner menu or lamb at Thanksgiving dinner. Some people ...more
Join the Pilot program and learn how to fly! But you're not going to be flying airplanes in this Pilot program, you'll be trying your hands at Google's first laptop computer. It's called the Cr-48, a black notebook wh ich runs an extraordinary operating system— Google Chrome. ...more
First off, don't be frustrated. YOU CAN DO IT! Contrary to the message in the image above, it's NOT over. It's just beginning. And when it comes to solving the New York Times crossword puzzle, the old cliche does apply: practice makes perfect. I've read quite a few books and ...more
This clip discusses the process of downloading and installing Blender, the free 3D modeling and animation application. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for ...more
Some times malicious programs can infect your registry and fill it with lots of unwanted information. You may need to clean it to prevent the virus from causing any further damage to your computer or to even disable the virus. It is a very lengthy and complex process to do thi ...more
Learn how to use a coffee filter for more than making coffee. Discover the versatility of coffee filters by learning all the things they can do besides straining your java. You Will Need * Coffee filters * Window cleaner * String or rubber bands * A little imagination * Tra ...more
Permanently deleting files is something that a lot of people aren't aware of. Actually, most people think that once a file is deleted, it is gone forever. This is not the case. Hard drives write to the disk via magnetic charges, positive and negative correlate to 1s and 0s for ...more
I am the sort of man whom game companies fall all over themselves to seduce. I'm sweaty, pale, awkward, and spend too much money on video games. There are many of us, especially among XBox 360 owners. We are the most stereotypically "gamer" group of console owners. The XBox 36 ...more
This quick Blender 2.5 tip video demonstrates an easy way to copy over your settings from previous testing builds of Blender 2.5 to the latest build you have downloaded. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are ...more
In this tutorial, you'll see how to create a fairly realistic-looking eyeball within Blender. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you ...more