Blender training - Intro to Blender

Intro to Blender is a 2 day Blender training course which shows you all the basics you need to get started with the Blender 3D animation package. It is ideally suited to those who are new to 3D animation and have not previously used Blender.

Prerequisites

In order to take the Intro to Blender training course, you will require basic computer skills such as a basic understanding of a computer's operating system, launching an application, creating & saving files, and copying files from CDs & other media.

Course Overview

The Blender Interface

  • Getting to know the UI
  • Using the Window Layour
  • Built-in text editor for annotations and editing scripts
  • Custom themes
  • Cross Platform Support

Modeling

  • 3D object types
  • Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces
  • multiresolution sculpting capabilities
  • Modifier stack deformers
  • Mirror modifier
  • Non destructive real time Boolean and Array modifiers
  • Mesh modeling
  • Smooth soft selection editing tools

Animation

  • Armature (skeleton) deformation
  • Auto IK
  • Non-linear animation editor
  • Automated walkcycles along paths
  • Animated constraint system
  • Vertex key framing for morphing
  • Edit and create new blendshapes
  • Character animation pose editor
  • Animated deformers
  • Audio playback, mixing and editing
  • Use of the Timeline
  • Custom and procedural animation effects

Rendering

  • using the inbuilt raytracer
  • Oversampling, motion blur, post-production effects
  • Tile-based and fully threaded
  • Render layers and passes
  • Render baking to UV maps
  • Halo, lens flares and fog effects
  • Vector motion-blur post-process effect
  • Realistic defocus (DOF) post-process effect
  • Edge rendering for toon shading
  • Interactive preview rendering panel
  • Ambient Occlusion
  • Radiosity solver
  • Using External renderers

Rigging

  • Fast skeleton creation mode
  • Interactive 3D paint
  • Fast envelope based skinning
  • Mirror editing
  • Bone layers for better rig organization
  • B-splines interpolated bones
  • Constraint stack