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Basics of Animation in Blender

Jul 15, 2024

Basics of Animation in Blender

Introduction

  • Overview of basic animation functions in Blender (timeline, keyframes, graph editor).
  • Animating a cube to jump and look around.
  • Project files available on Gumroad and Patreon (links in description).
  • Supporting the channel possible via Gumroad and Patreon.

Timeline & Keyframes

  • Timeline: Found under Blender's 3D viewport.
    • Used to add keyframes to bones, objects, or values.
    • Move to different points in time to add new keyframes.
  • Keyframes: Use I to insert keyframes.
    • Keyframes added define what will be animated and the values (location, rotation, scale).
    • Yellow diamond indicates keyframe presence.
    • Keyfield visibility depends on object selection.
  • Transformations affecting keyframes:
    • G to grab (location)
    • R to rotate (rotation)
    • S to scale (scale)

Animating the Cube

  • Steps to animate a cube from start at frame 1 (position at start) to frame 100 (end position). Insert keyframes where location, rotation, and scale change.
  • Inspecting values in the side panel pressed by N key under the Item tab:
    • Location (moving around in 3D space)
    • Rotation (rotating in 3D space)
    • Scale (scaling in 3D space)
  • Keyframe color meanings:
    • Green: Animation on that value, but not on that frame.
    • Yellow: Keyframe on that value at that frame.

Auto Keying

  • Auto Keying feature: Automatically sets keyframes upon transforming objects.
    • Helpful when animating objects without manually inserting keyframes every time.
    • Caution: Turn off auto-keying after animations to avoid undesired keyframes.

Animating Different Values

  • You can animate almost any value in Blender, including material, textures, and object transformations.
  • Example: Animate color change in shader nodes from blue (frame 1) to red (frame 50).
  • Insert keyframes by right-clicking or using I over desired value.

Graph Editor

  • Used for more control over keyframes and animations:
    • Opening graph editor from a new Blender window.
    • Visualizing and editing curves for different transformations.
    • Adjusting handles for smoother or sharper animations.

Example: Animating a Cube in 3D Space

  • Steps for creating a realistic cube movement/jump and slides when landing.
  • Use graph editor for adjusting speed and trajectory for more realistic movements.
  • Ensuring correct keyframe positions and handling interpolations for smoother animations.

Rendering the Animation

  • Render settings: Save frame output as image sequences (recommended) to avoid re-rendering entire animation upon issue.
    • File format: JPEG (smaller size).
    • Save project before render.
    • Render the animation by Ctrl+F12 or via render animation option.
  • Compounding frames into video using Blender's video editor.

Conclusion

  • Summary on how to create basic animations and export them.
  • Encouragement to download project files.
  • Mention additional support available on Gumroad or Patreon for procedural materials and exclusive tutorials.