Blender: Starting Blender

Name: Blender: Starting Blender
Author: Jay Grewall

Learn how to get up and running with Blender 3D

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 4 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello and welcome to this video tutorial on Blender 3D. In this lesson, we'll download Blender 3D from the official Blender website. We will then begin navigating the Blender interface to understand the most commonly used tabs and windows and their purposes. Before we get started, we need to download the Blender software. So let's head over to the Blender Foundation website at www.blender.org. In the nav bar at the top, we see a link called Download. When you click on it, you're taken to the download page. Using this dropdown menu, you can find the operating system you are working on and click on it. Blender will begin downloading the most recent version to your computer. Now that we have downloaded and installed Blender 3D, we're gonna go ahead and launch it. And we are presented with the Welcome splash screen, which gives us the ability to create new files in different environments within Blender. I'm gonna click anywhere to have this splash screen disappear, and now you'll see the entire interface of Blender. This may look a little intimidating, but don't let it scare you, I'm gonna help you get a good understanding of everything here. Starting up at the top-left, we have our File, Edit, Render, Window, and Help menus. These are standard operating system dropdown menus, which we're all familiar with. To the right of that, we see a series of other tabs. Right now, the Layout tab is selected, which is the general interface we are gonna be using throughout this course. The next tab allows us to model our 3D objects. Here, we can add geometry to our objects and go beyond the default parameters. The next tab is our Sculpting tab. Blender also offers a Sculpting tool which allows us to treat any object like a piece of virtual clay, and interactively form it into unique objects and characters. Under the UV Editing tab, we have the ability to wrap an image around any object using what is called the UV Editing. UV Editing is a standard term used in computer-generated imagery to basically wrap a texture or an image around any object, much like you would wrap a gift with wrapping paper. And the next tab is Texture Paint, where we can use a virtual paintbrush to paint directly onto a 3D object. The next tab is Shading, where we can apply colors and different parameters to colors in 3D space to achieve a certain look we may be going for. The next tab is Animation, where we can animate any object in 3D space. Using key frames, we can animate any property of an object including position, rotation, and size, and Blender will inter interpolate the properties between those key frames. The next tab is the Rendering tab, which allows us to take our entire Blender scene and render it out in 3D, which includes the coloring, reflection, lights, and any ambient textures we've assigned. The next tab is Compositing. Here, we are able to take previously rendered images and videos to modify them individually. This type of compositing is done heavily in television and movies we see regularly. The Geometry Nodes tab allows us to essentially layer or stack Effects Nodes onto one another and apply these effects to a particular object without actually destroying the original object. This approach to modeling is referred to as non-destructive. Finally, the tab we have at the top-right is called Scripting. Blender uses the Python scripting language, which can be entered in this panel to create automated tasks. You might be wondering why scripting is needed. Well, scripts are heavily used by 3D artists and animators to execute actions, which would otherwise be repetitive and time consuming. We're gonna be doing all of our work here in our Layout tab, so I'm gonna click here at the top-left, this is gonna be our main scene. Over to the right-hand side, you will see the Scene Collection panel. This is Blender's top level outline or a tree of our entire scene. It includes the camera, the objects in the scene, including the default object, which is a cube, and lights that are inside the scene. Underneath each one of these objects, we see a small triangle allowing us to expand or contract. When we expand each one, we see further parameters which belong to that specific object. Thank you very much for watching.

Beginner Provider : Jay Grewall 4 Lessons · 17m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

In this module, we will visit the official Blender Organization website, locate the appropriate version for our operating system, and download it to our computer. Once installed and launched, we will explore the Blender 3D user interface. We will explore the commonly used array of tabs which provides 3D Sculpting, UV Editing, Texture Painting, Animation and other tools, each with a unique purpose. We also look at Blender’s Property Panel, which provides detailed information about the scene and the items within it. It also provides parameters we can apply to the scene, along with modifiers which can be used to create dynamic effects to 3D objects.

This module reviews everything you need to know to dive into Blender 3D, from launching the software to managing your first 3D objects. Learn where to download the right version of Blender 3D, how to navigate its user interface, and explore commonly used tools. We will examine Blender’s Scene Collection Panel, the viewing gizmo, and camera controls that will allow us to quickly navigate to different angles. Using Blender’s Quad View, we will gain better simultaneous visibility of our entire scene through multiple viewports.

What You'll Learn

Download Blender 3D from the official Blender Organization website for your operating system
Navigate the Blender 3D user interface, including its tabs, panels, and windows
Examine the Scene Collection Panel and the Property Panel to view and adjust scene information and parameters
Explore 3D space using Blender's viewing gizmo, zoom tool, hand tool, and camera controls
Gain better visibility of your scene by working with multiple viewports through Quad View
Manage your first 3D objects and use commonly used tools such as 3D Sculpting, UV Editing, Texture Painting, and Animation

Key Takeaways

The module covers downloading and installing the correct version of Blender 3D from the official Blender Organization website for your operating system.
Blender's tabs provide an array of tools, each with a unique purpose, including 3D Sculpting, UV Editing, Texture Painting, and Animation.
The Property Panel provides detailed information about the scene and its items, along with parameters and modifiers that can create dynamic effects on 3D objects.
The viewing gizmo, zoom tool, hand tool, and camera controls allow you to quickly navigate to different angles within 3D space.
Blender's Quad View provides simultaneous visibility of the entire scene through multiple viewports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this Blender module?

You will learn where to download the right version of Blender 3D, how to navigate its user interface, and how to explore commonly used tools. The module also covers the Scene Collection Panel, the Property Panel, the viewing gizmo, camera controls, and using multiple viewports through Quad View.

Is this module suitable for someone new to Blender?

Yes. The module reviews everything you need to know to dive into Blender 3D, from launching the software to managing your first 3D objects.

What lessons are included in this module?

The module includes Navigating the Blender Interface (Part 1), Navigating the Blender Interface (Part 2), Scene Management, and Understanding 3D Space.

What skills does this module focus on?

It focuses on 3D Computer Graphics Software, 3D Modeling, 3D Modeling Software, and Blender 3D, including navigating the interface and exploring 3D space.

Where do I download Blender for this course?

You download Blender 3D from the official Blender Organization website, locating the appropriate version for your operating system.