Beginner's Guide to Blender - Part 1

Introduction

• Objective: Methodical introduction to Blender for complete beginners.
• Goal: Create a fun scene by the end of the tutorial.
• Instructor Experience: 3D artist with 20+ years of teaching experience.
• Structure: Split into chapters for easy reference and progression.
• Sponsor: Nvidia; demonstration of AI Denoising with Nvidia RTX 40 series GPU.

Getting Started

• Download Blender: Go to blender.org and download the latest version. Options for Mac, Linux, etc. available.
• Splash Screen: Shows version, recent files, options to create new files or open existing ones.
• Navigation: Recommended three-button mouse. For alternatives:
  • Emulate 3-button mouse under Edit > Preferences > Input
  • Emulate Numpad if no numpad is available. -- Basic Navigation:
  • Middle Mouse Button (MMB): rotate viewport
  • Shift + MMB: strafe
  • MMB + Scroll Wheel / Ctrl + MMB: zoom
  • Numpad period: frame selected object
  • Left Click: select objects
  • Box Select: left-click and drag

View and Object Manipulation

• Viewport and Outliner: Central 3D viewport, right-side windows, and bottom panels.
• Camera, Light, and Cube: Default objects in a new file. Use the outliner for selection.
• Basic Object Operations:
  • Add objects: Shift + A, select Mesh (plane, circle, UV sphere, etc.)
  • Move objects: G key, constraint to axis (e.g., G + X)
  • Reset position: Alt + G
  • Manipulate 3D cursor: Shift + right-click
  • Using Gizmos: Move, rotate, scale options available (though less recommended).

Advanced Object Operations

• Precision Input: Typing numeric values for exact movements
• Multiple Object Operations: Box select, reposition and spread objects along x-axis with spacing
• Object Management:
  • Hide objects: Use the eye icon in the outliner
  • Add multiple objects at 3D cursor
  • Move objects precisely using G, R, and S keys

Material and Shading

• Material Basics: Apply and edit materials in the Shading workspace.
  • Nodes: Use nodes for material properties; default is the Principled BSDF node.
  • Color: Change base color using the color wheel.
  • Multiple Materials: Assign different materials to different objects.
  • Reflection Properties: Adjust Metallic and Roughness for visual effects.
• Material Preview Modes:
  • Navigate different views: Material Preview, Solid, Wireframe
  • HDRIs: Use for realistic lighting in Material Preview mode
  • Download HDRIs from Poly Haven, add to the background in the Shader editor

Render Settings

• Render Engines: EV and Cycles
  • Cycles: More realistic, supports GPU rendering
  • EV: Faster but less realistic; enable Ambient Occlusion and Screen Space Reflections to enhance quality.
  • Denoising: Use Nvidia Optix for AI-enhanced Denoising in Cycles
• Render Settings:
  • Adjust sampling for graininess
  • Use Render > F12 to see final rendered view

Creating a Scene

• Modeling a Planet:
  • Add an Icosphere: Adjust subdivisions and radius
  • Enter Edit Mode to manipulate vertices, edges, faces
  • Create craters using Extrude (E) and Inset (I) operations
  • Manage vertices using Merge by Distance
  • Assign appropriate materials to objects in the scene

Final Notes

• Save Work: Regularly save your work
• Look Forward To: Part 2 will continue building the scene.
• Thanks: Nvidia for sponsoring the video.