About Blender 3D
Blender 3D is a open-source 3D graphics suite, that is capable of modeling, rendering and animating 3D environments, and one of the best parts about it, is that you can download it right away for free. Another cool thing about it is that the installed program it's only 10 MB, and not only that, but it can run on Linux, Windows and Mac OSX.
About the Author
Allan Brito is a Brazilian architect who specializes in information visualization. He lives and works in Recife, Brazil. He works with Blender 3D to produce animations and still images for visualization and instructional material.
Besides his work with Blender as an artist, he also has substantial experience teaching 3D modeling, animation, and multimedia at Mauricio de Nassau College.
He can be reached through his website, where he covers the use of Blender 3D and other tools for architectural visualization.
Although this is a detailed guide, is far from being full of useless blabbering, and it goes straight to the point, taking you from a to z, from installing Blender and understanding how it works to the post production editing of the final images with another awesome yet free software: GIMP.
I recently reviewed a book called "SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization", and while SketchUp is a different animal with tremendous power, I feel that Blender has been avoided for far too long, and the truth is that it can easily be measured with SketchUp in many ways. More about that, after the brief presentation of the chapters.
Chapter 1: Introduction to Blender and Architectural Visualization
This chapter will cover the basics on Architectural visualization, the hardware and software requirements for Blender, tools for visualization, and CAD and 3D-Architectural modeling and resources.
Chapter 2: Blender 3D: Quick Start
Starting up with the interface of the software in Windows, and the customization power of the interface. Blender can be a quick tool if you know the keyboard shortcuts, and this is exactly what Chapter 2 covers.
Chapter 3: Modeling
You will learn about mesh primitives, operations such as extrude, subsurf modifier, smoothing faces, grouping and proportional editing.
Chapter 4: Modeling for Architecture
Architectural modeling is all about proportions, and precision. This chapter will teach you how to work with layers, and how to create the basic objects we use everyday in architectural modeling, like walls, openings, floors and lining, etc.
Chapter 5: Modeling Details
Yes, believe it or not, GOD is in details, and this chapter will demonstrate how you can model windows, and doors with the amount of detail you want
Chapter 6: Modeling Furniture
Here you have the option of modeling, of using predefined objects from a library. Also if you really want to create your own designs, there are two sub-chapters that will cover modeling a chair and a sofa.
Chapter 7: Materials
If you lack experience with materials, than this chapter will cover this subject. Materials of course will give life to your scene, so learn this fast, and learn it well.
Chapter 8: Textures
Working with textures can be nerve wracking, and can kill your mood if you don't find what you want, or can't get the texture to map on your object in the desired manner. This chapter will clear things for you.
Chapter 9: UV Mapping
what is UV mapping, and why should you care? well, the fact is that no matter what texture you use, if you don't map it the right way, it will look awful and un-natural to everyone.
Chapter 10: Light Basics
Light will get the best out of your materials, and this chapter will teach you how to use different types of lighting like: Lamp, Sun, Are, Spot, and will show you a simple exercise for best results.
Chapter 11: Radiosity and Ambient Occlusion
For some this might be new terms, but rest assured, this chapter covers all you need to know about this sort of rendering.
Chapter 12: Global Illumination with YafRay
YafRay, just like Blender, is a open source external render, which works great with Blender. Some say it's the external software that presents the best integration with Blender.
Chapter 13: Animation for Architectural Visualization
If you're a big animator, then this will give you all you need in order to create the best animation for you scene, from describing Keyframes, to Interactive Animation.
Chapter 14: Post-Production with GIMP
You surely heard about Photoshop, but I'm not so sure you heard about GIMP, and that's a shame, because this software can help you adjust your image in a few mouse clicks. This chapter goes in depth explaining post production techniques.
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