Blender For Dummies. Jason van Gumster

      An exception is if you’re using Blender with a drawing tablet like the ones produced by Wacom. Recent updates introduced in Blender 2.80 have tried to make the program more accessible to tablet users, and although tablets are much less expensive these days than they have been in the past, not everyone has one. For that reason, I focus primarily on using Blender with a mouse, although I will occasionally point out where having a tablet is helpful. Because Blender makes use of all your mouse buttons, I stipulate whether you need to left-click, right-click, or middle-click. And in case you didn’t already know, pressing down on your mouse’s scroll wheel typically accesses the middle mouse button. I also make use of this cool little arrow ( ⇒ ) for indicating a sequence of steps. It could be a series of hotkeys to press or menu items to select or places to look in the Blender interface, but the consistent thing is that all these items are used for steps that you need to perform sequentially.

      I also assume that you’re working with Blender’s default settings and theme. They have changed substantially with the release of version 2.80. You can customize the settings for yourself (in fact, I still use the presets from previous releases of Blender; 20 years of muscle memory doesn’t go away easily), but if you do, Blender may not behave exactly like I describe in the book. For that reason, and contrary to previous editions of this book, I focus mostly on accessing features through the menu system rather than using hotkeys. Hotkeys are meant to be customized, but the menus in Blender remain a consistent way of accessing features. Bearing in mind the point about Blender's themes, you may notice that the screenshots of Blender’s interface are lighter in this book than you see onscreen because I created a custom Blender theme that would show up better in print. If I used Blender’s default theme colors, all the figures in the book would appear overly dark. I include this custom theme at blenderbasics.com if you want your copy of Blender to match what’s shown on these pages.

Icons Used in This Book

      As you flip through this book, icons periodically appear next to some paragraphs. These icons notify you of unique or valuable information on the topic at hand. Sometimes that information is a tip, sometimes it’s more detail about how something works, sometimes it’s a warning to help you avoid losing data, and sometimes they’re images that match icons in Blender’s interface (there’s a lot of them). For the icons that aren’t in Blender’s interface, the following are descriptions of each icon in this book.

      

This icon calls out suggestions that help you work more effectively and save time.

      

This icon marks something that I think you should try to keep in mind while working in Blender. Sometimes it’s a random tidbit of information, but more often than not, it’s something that you’ll run into repeatedly and is, therefore, worth remembering.

      

Working in 3D can involve some pretty heavy technical information. You can usually work just fine without ever having to know these things, but if you do take the time to understand it, I bet you dollars to donuts that you’ll be able to use Blender more effectively.

      

This icon doesn’t show up often, but when it does, I definitely recommend that you pay attention. You won’t blow up your computer if you overlook it, but you could lose work.

      

Blender is a fast-moving target. Quite a bit has changed since the previous edition of this book. These icons point out things that are new or different in Blender so that you can get to be at least as effective (and hopefully more effective) with the current version as you were with past versions.

Beyond the Book

      Blender For Dummies, 4th Edition, includes the following online goodies only for easy download:

       Cheat Sheet: You can find the Cheat Sheet for this book here: www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/blender

       Extras: I keep and maintain a website at blenderbasics.com with additional resources. I have a whole bunch of tutorials, both in written and in video format, specifically for readers of this book. Also, Blender’s a big, fast-moving program. I do my best on that site to chronicle changes in Blender that affect the content of this book (and perhaps share a new tip or two as well).

Where to Go from Here

      Wondering where to start? The easy answer here would be to say “Just dive on in!” but that’s probably a bit too vague. This book is primarily intended as a reference, so if you already know what you’re looking for, flip over to the table of contents or index and start soaking in the Blendery goodness.

      If you’re just starting out, I suggest that you merely turn a couple of pages, start at Chapter 1, and enjoy the ride. And even if you’re the sort of person who knows exactly what you’re looking for, take the time to read through other sections of the book. You can find a bunch of valuable little bits of information that may help you work more effectively.

      Regardless of how you read this book, though, my one hope is that you find it to be a valuable resource that allows you to flex your creative muscles and, more importantly, have fun doing it.

Part 1

      Wrapping Your Brain Around Blender

IN THIS PART …

      Getting comfortable with Blender

      Customizing the interface

      Working in 3D

      Starting to create in Blender

Chapter 1

      Discovering Blender

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Figuring out what Blender is and what it’s used for

      

Understanding Blender’s history

      

Getting familiar with the Blender interface

      In the world of 3D modeling and animation software, programs have traditionally been expensive — like, thousands-of-dollars-and-maybe-an-arm expensive. That’s changed a bit in the last few years, with software companies moving to more subscription-based ways of selling their programs. The entry cost is lower, but paying each month can still add up pretty quickly. There are some valid reasons for the high prices. Software companies spend millions of dollars and countless hours developing these programs. And the large production companies that buy this kind of software for their staff make enough money to afford the high cost, or they hire programmers and write their own in-house software.

      But what about us, you and me: the little folks? We are the ambitious dreamers with big ideas, high motivation … and tight budgets.