Thursday 31 December 2020

3D and Blender 2020 review

Over the summer I tackled 3D and started to learn the free BLENDER art software  After downloading version 2.82a for free, I found lots of YouTube tutorials that made Blender easy to learn.




*3D PIPELINE*


I developed a 5 step process for making 3D animated GIFs:
  ~RemoveBG~PhotoAmin~Mixamo~Blender~EZGif




(1) 2D drawing into 3D file

I began by cookie-cutting my drawing out of the background, either with RemoveBG online, or Photoshop Elements -- and saved the result as a PNG file with transparent background.

RemoveBG


(2) Then I uploaded the PNG figure into PhotoAnim (Windows software) and followed this tutorial to export a 3D figure in OBJ format.


 


 ALTERNATIVES

One could also transform PNG images from 2D into 3D online with:
However these programs only create flat STL files, not so ideal.  Import into SculptGL online, or Blender, in order to export a flat OBJ file.  

Or:

YouTube Tutorial:  Blender Convert Image to 3d Object 

 
(3)  ANIMATING the OBJ file

Mixamo will animate the figure, but it only accepts OBJ and FBX files (or ZIP file with the OBJ and MTL files inside). The 3D figure has to be a frontal figure with the arms stretched out, in a shape like the letter "T."  Then you can tell the software where the wrists, ankles, etc. are, and it can "rig" the figure for movement.


--Also note that Mixamo is free and online, but requires registration.

I imported my OBJ file into Mixamo and animated my drawing, selecting from amongst a wide variety of movements.  Then I exported the 3D animation as an FBX file.




  • These pre-Blender steps are also explained in the May 3D Review blog post.

(4 BLENDER

Next I uploaded two FBX animations of the same drawing into Blender and created a video from a 3D scene:



Of course creating in Blender is more involved and thus outside this quick synopsis.  However ultimately I exported an animation as an MPG file.


(5)  Converting an MPG into an Animated GIF

I uploaded the MPG file into EZGif online to make an animated GIFEZGif will let me crop and resize the result as well, and reduce the file size down small enough to post it on my blogs.






*BLENDER*




The two main Blender postings are:




The 360° YouTube compilation video above is most impressive when viewed in the Oculus VR Headsets.
In the YouTube search engine type -- youtu.be/nYjqdlLnZH4 -- to get the "surround video."


AI ADDONS

Apparently there are plenty of extra addons for Blender, so I wondered if there were any AI (artificial intelligence) and other unusual addons.  There is (more info at the end of the Blender Experiments blog post):

  • Vonorator -- not an add on, but alters 3D files online


DOWNLOAD 3D FILES

Midge Sinnaeve put free VJ Loop Blender files into the public domain, so that one can download them and do as he wishes.






Blender seems to lend itself to collaboration, as anyone can post a Blender file for others to download (like I did above):, such as in Blender Nation, and even SketchFab.


Download my Blender files:

There are more resources now besides Thingiverse to download 3D files, that can then be uploaded to Blender:


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