Blender basics for paper modelers

#1 – the interface

This first video in my series on Blender basics for paper modelers covers the most basic basics [sic!]: How to set up Blender for paper modeling, which add ons are needed and how to set up the scale and interface • What you need to know about the viewport and sidebars • How you may change the view to see what you need to see • What the 3D-cursor is and why it is super-important • Basic ways of selecting things which is used in various modes of Blender

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#2 – object mode

The second video of this series introduces the object mode in Blender and how to use the basic tools, which will be needed for the edit mode as well. Move and rotate objects • Transformation Orientation and Pivot point • Scale tool and Scale cage tool • Annotate tool and measure tool • Boolean operations using the Bool tool • How to import and set up reference images

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#3 – edit mode

this third video in the series goes into the edit mode, which is principally where models are created. Tools not introduced in the video on the object mode are introduced and some other basic functions useful in edit mode • Vertex, Edge and Face • Additional Selection Functions • Extrude Tool • New Edge/Face from Vertice • Inset faces tool • Bevel tool • Loop cut tool • Knife tool / bisect tool • Poly build tool • Spin tool / Spin duplicates tool • Edge slide tool• Shrink/ Flatten tool • Shear tool • To sphere tool • Create subdivisions • Rip tool

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#4 – export and seams

This video goes through the various settings to be made when exporting to paper model, including: • scale • file type • page size • create tabs & numbers • colors and style It also deals with the concept of seams in papermodeling, how they are set up and removed in Blender and how they affect, how a model or model part is exported.

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#5 – unwrap and texture paint

This video goes through the steps needed to be able to paint the model inside of Blender, what is necessary to know about painting and how to export it out. Unwrap • the UV tab (environment) • UV maps Texture paint • the texture paint tab (environment) • add texture image through materials • setting up the texture image • brush settings • blend for the brush • brush size • color picker • stroke method • falloff • bleed and what it is good for • export with textures

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#6 – clean up

After a 3D-model is finished, it is necessary to clean up. The more sophisticated the mesh is, the higher the possibility that errors will be produced. Especially the Bool-Tool creates such errors. This video shows how clean up works, and how the most common errors are fixed. Typical errors: • model is inside out • twisted polygons • zero length edges • zero area faces

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Written tutorial (preliminary version)

This is a unlayouted preliminary version based on a word document. It's not comfortable to use, but is made available in the interim until it can be layouted properly.

Blender basics tutorial pdf / 119 pages / 39 mb

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