Using Jason van Gumster’s deep Blender knowledge, wield Blender like a pro to create spectacular animated 3D graphics as an integral part of a large production environment following a recipe based approachDiscover methods for getting the most of Blender’s vast array of featuresUnveil tips for making Blender play nice in large collaborative production pipelinesObtain recommendations on extensions and techniques to push Blender beyond its limitsBlender is the “Swiss Army Chainsaw” of computer graphics; an open source 3D suite used for creating high-quality designs, images, animations, and visual effects. Using Cookbook-style recipes, this book walks through each of the major stages in producing animated content, from concept to final deliverable. At each stage, you will get practical recommendations to work more efficiently and collaboratively, arming you to work in a professional environment where deadlines matter and cooperation is essential. You will learn how Blender fits in each step of the production process, whether you’re doing an “all Blender” production or getting Blender to integrate well with tools in an already existing pipeline. By the end of this book, you will have a full understanding of how Blender can fit in each stage of the production process, and how to wield it quickly and efficiently.Take full advantage of how Blender organizes dataInterface Blender with other popular digital content creation applications using formats like glTF, Alembic, and FBXAutomate tedious processes using templates, assets, and PythonLeverage procedural techniques like modifiers, geometry nodes, and material nodes for modeling and animationWork with linked assets and overrides to allow for collaboration and reuseVisualize concepts quickly using Blender’s sculpting tools and grease pencil objectsThis book targets creative professionals and people who work at larger studio environments with heterogeneous software options that must work together. Animators, Modelers, VFX Artists, Technical Directors, Designers, Motion Graphics Designers, Digital Sculptors, Digital Painters, and Illustrators would benefit from this book. This book assumes readers to have a general understanding of how 3D art is created. If you are already comfortable working with Blender specifically, but want to improve the speed and scalability with which you complete your work, then this book is perfect for you.Understanding Structures within a Blender FileCreating Concept Art and Storyboards with Grease Pencil and DyntopoBuilding Animation-ready ModelsSurfacing Models with Materials and TexturesRigging Characters for MovementBreathing Life into Your Scene with AnimationSimulating Complex EffectsRefining the Look of Your Scene with Lighting and RenderingMaking Quick Revisions and Adding Polish to Your Animation with CompositingWorking Smarter and Faster
