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Practical Animation
Steps
GustavoPatow
IMAE UdG

Character

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Scene

Scene to export

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Boulder

Export

(LDView)

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Export (II)
Character:.3ds
Boulder:.3ds
Scene:.stl (?)

Export (III)
ThiscanalsobedonewithaBlenderextension:
https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scr
ipts/ImportExport/LDRAW_Importer

Simplyfollowtheinstructions

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Import @ Blender
Becarefulwiththegeometryexplosion!!!

THE CHARACTER(S) 10

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Before we start
Hat

Head Body

Leftarm
Rightarm

Righthand Lefthand

RightLeg Pelvis
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LeftLeg

Hierarchy Pelvis

Body LeftLeg RightLeg

Right Bag(not
Head Leftarm
arm shown)

Right
Hat Lefthand
hand

Whip

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Pivot Points

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Identify components: Head

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Identify components: Head

Rename!

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Identify components: Pelvis

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Identify components: Torso (Body)

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Parent: Head > Body

Ctrl+p

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Parent: hat > head

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Parent: left arm > body

Set left arm pivot point!
Position3Dcursor
Thenassignorigintocursor

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Beware of cursor depth mode!

(Shouldbedeactivated)

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Build hierarchy: link & set

pivot point!

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If wanted, add some

constraints (they are practical)
ObjectConstraintspanel>addconstraint

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Limit the desired rotations

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Do not forget: they are local

constraints

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Tricks
Ifyouhavemanypartsofapiece(e.g.,thearm)
selectallofthem
(shift+leftclickontheoutliner,itissafer)
join themall(ctrl+j)

VERYIMPORTANT:Beforeproceeding,be
completelysurethatyoufinishedwiththe
hierarchyand thepivotpoints.
Blenderdoesntlikelatechanges 26

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THE SCENE 27

Import & Scale scene

(& character)

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Final import (& scale): Boulder

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Addaplane
Add some impostors (shift+a)and
positionit

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Texture it Gotoeditmode(tab)and
unwrapthetexture(u)

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Go to the uv/image editor

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Open the texture image

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And start moving the vertices

SelectwithRMBand
movegrab(g)them

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to select the area of interest!

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Important:youveonly assignedtexturecoordinates,notatexture!

Create a new material

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and directly go to the

textures panel
Createanewtexture.Makeitof
typeimage (defaultisclouds)

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open the image

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Do not forget to set coordinates

to uv (instead of generated)

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Change mode to visualize it

Totexture,butremember:its
muchslower!

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Add a light (shift+a)

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And voila!

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Clone (shift+d) the plane

Ifyouwant,gobacktosolid viewingmode:itsfasterformanipulation!

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Add materials for the scene

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SET THE CAMERA AND ANIMATE! 45

Set the camera up First,splitthe3DViewwindowintwo

(youcanremovethepanelswitht
andn)
Inoneoftheviewsselectcamera

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And lock it to the view!

(Itsatthenpanel)

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Probably it will be easier if you set the default

pivot point to individual origins

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Finish adjusting your initial

camera

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This will be your first keyframe so

position everything!!!

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Timecursorshouldbeatframe1(0inourstoryboard)

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Set the first keyframe!

Oncedone,selecteverything
pressatwice:onetodeselectanythingselectedandanotheronetoselectall
Pressitoinsertakeyframe.SelectlocRotScale!

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Now, the second keyframe

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Thestoryboardsaysframe12sohereitis!

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Position your character at

Frame 12 (Dontworryaboutthecamerarightnow,just
thecharacter)

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And keyframe it!

(i, character only)

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(Stilldontworryabout
Next stop: Frame 72 thecamera)

Gotoframe72,positionthecharacter,and
keyframe it(notthewholescene,onlyIndy)

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Frame 73 is a change of
camera
Gotoframe72 andcarefullypositionthecamera
Addakeyframe (i)forthecamera

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Now, you can check frame 12

Camera is OK! Blenderpositionsitbyinterpolation
betweenframes!

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Change camera at Frame 73

Simply,positionandkeyframe it!

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Camera change
Twoways:
suddenlymovefromoneframetothenextone
Requiressettingacamerakeyframe atframen andframen+1
Usetwocamerasandshoottwopiecesofanimation
Thenstitchthemtogetherwithsomeexternaltool

HereIusedthefirstone
BecauseitiseasyandBlenderuseslinearinterpolation
Othertools(e.g.,3DStudio)requiremorecomplexsetups
becausetheyuseothertypeofinterpolation(e.g.,Bezier)

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Go to every keyframe in the

storyboard and keyframe it!
Hint:Keyframe exactlywhatyouseeleavedetailsforasecondpass

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2nd pass Addthesecondarymovements!

(e.g.,movelegsandaddsmalldetails)
Adjusttimingsandmotions

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Lights: add or adjust as much as necessary

(render a few frames along the full animation)

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Lighting tricks
Ambientlightingisbad
Makesyourobjectslookdull
Mayseempracticalforarealisticanimation,
itisnot!
Useavery lowvaluefortheambientlight
Ifyouwantabitofintelligentlighting,createa
verylowenergylamp,putitnearthecamera,
andmakethelampchildofthecamera
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Filler light

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More tests to be sure

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Final render!
And Enjoy!!!

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PICKING OBJECTS UP 67

Useful tricks: Taking and

leaving objects (Blender style)
First:setyoursceneup(hierarchyforthecharacter,initialposition,etc.)

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Set you characters animation

(without the object)

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Constrain the object

SelectitandaddaChildOfconstrain

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Set the constrain up (I)

SelectitsTargettofollow
Forconvenience,deactivateanyscaling

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Set the constrain up (II)

Youllprobablyseethattheobjectjumpstosomewhere
else
Youcanfixitbysettingtheinfluenceto0.0
But,ifyouwantittorestinitscurrentposition,pressSet
inverse
Ifitdoesntwork,pressClearinverseandSetinverseto
completelyeraseanyinfluence

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Keyframe the constraint

Pointtotheconstraintwithyourmouseandaddakeyframe (pressi)
Theconstraintgetsyellowshowingthereisakeyframe

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Go to the frame before grabbing

Ifyourcharactergrabstheobjectatframen,gotoframen1
Setanotherkeyframe withinfluence0

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Grab the object!

Atframen setanInfluencekeyframe withvalue1

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And thats it!

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OTHER USEFUL TECHNIQUES 77

Armatures
AreafundamentalBlendertechnique
Theyaretheskeletalanimationbasis
Averygoodtutorial:
http://www.cgmasters.net/freetutorials/blendersarmatureda
crashcourse/
Anothergoodtutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlxPCUJb8

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Useful tricks: Morph Targets

InBlender,amorphiscalledShapeKeys.Agoodtutorial(8:43):
http://cgcookie.com/blender/2012/03/28/introductionto
shapekeysinblender26/
Oneobservation:thebaseandfinalmeshesmust havethe
same numberofvertices
Itisatthevertex(orobject)datasectionpannel,underthe
entryShapeKeys

Asimplertutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTp_f_u8Nl0

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Useful tricks: Fracture

Using Blender FractureToolsTo Realistically BreakAn Object
http://lesterbanks.com/2011/10/usingblenderfracturetools
torealisticallybreakanobject/

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Useful Tricks: Sound

Render with Audio Blender Tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1HcpDhdeLM

Quitesimple!;)

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More advanced stuff

Armature+IK+animatingacharacterpickingupanobject:
http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/08/22/animatinga
characterpickingupanobject/

Asimpletextbasedexplanation:
http://www.harkyman.com/2009/10/23/how
topickupanddropanobjectinblender/

Reallycoolstuff! 82

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