Trying to rev back up… January 11, 2008
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Sorry for the delay guys, I have been extremely busy with school, being a Junior now and all… school gets very hectic. I currently am having a bit of trouble getting back into my artisitic mindset, but when I do, I will be sure to let you know…
I think I am going to do something that has to do witha broken heart or something… I’ve been gushing “heartfeelings” onto printer paper the last few weeks, and it’s hurting a bit right now…
So how better to vent than with a good piece that expresses me?
Talk to ‘y’all later!
Not dead, just… Getting there. November 25, 2007
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Ok, that title actually meant a lot of things well, more like two.
As you should know, the original walker project got killed when my hard drive died. So, I am restarting it. I plan to use the exact same workflow as last time. I’m starting with the front toes section, then the heel, afterward I will make everything from the ankle up, adding hydraulics at every joint upon it’s completion.
As for Ubuntu, that Linux distribution– “distro” in computer nerd speak– 7.10, the version that is needed to run the latest versions of GIMP and Blender, does not want to work on my laptop, all of the text is showing up in squares.
Never fear! Windows is here! Yep, I do have Windows installed on my computer now, so I can use my laptp to some avail, and if I absolutely need to, I can revert back to Ubuntu 7.04.
Oh, and I found out what Ubuntu is:
Ubuntu is an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others’, or ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.
So, happy Blending to all!
Nice Blender Fluid Guide. November 21, 2007
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For those of you with computers that can handle Blender’s fluid simulation, this guide is for you! Antonio Gessi has make an animated guide on how to work with the fluid simulator in Blender. Mind you, it isn’t a tutorial, he’s simply acquainting you with the settings and terms blender uses to describe various functions of the simulator.
I hope you enjoy it!
OH NO!!! November 18, 2007
Posted by danizzil in Uncategorized.4 comments
I have bad news, very, very bad news.
My Hard Drive died two days ago, the partition that held all of my data, and the partition that help Windows XP, both got corrupted somehow. I’m running on a Linux Distro known as Ubuntu. To tell you the truth, I really like it performance wise for Blender, runs like a charm.
The bad part is that the only Blender file I didn’t have backed up, was of course, my walker project… WOW.
So, I might later on, restart the project, learn from what I did wrong, AND BACK UP EVERYHTING I HAVE.
I can not emphisise enough, back up all of your files in some way, shape or form, your HD will die on you at some point and you will regret not backing stuff up.
Don’t EVER forget Murphie’s Law:
If something can go wrong, it will.
Oh La La! Rigging! November 14, 2007
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Everything needs a starting ground. There’s always the cornell box for lighting and GI. Then there is that square patch of grass just so we can say, I can model grass. We even make little stick figures and make them do the cha cha to prove we can rig a character. Everyone except me that is.
I found a very nice document on rigging a character, all the way from the head, to the toes, even a master bone. This is a sub-section of the Blender Summer of Documentation (BSoD) site. There are sections on how to make materials, light things, animate, and even model! For some reason, this seemingly obvious web site has eluded my ever-watchful eye when it come to tutorials.
This tutorial is the result of about a month of intense work as part of the Blender Summer of Documentation. I created it with the hope of introducing many new users to Blender, as well as providing a resource for experienced Blender users.
Even if you’ve never heard of Blender before, you will be able to do this tutorial.
Enjoy!
-Ryan
Here is the Link to the site, there’s plenty to look at!
A lot of credit goes to Ryan on this amazing tutorial, I really hope this helps all you Blenderheads out there. It sure will help me!
Very Nice Grass Tutorial! November 13, 2007
Posted by danizzil in Tutorials.2 comments
I really like this one. Rendering grass correctly is always one of those really interesting subjects. Every one has their slightly different way of doing it, and all of the techniques work just as well, when used correctly.
Imperitor has a way that I find to be a good way of doing it, of course it is the common, static particle method. What I really like about his tutorial is that he also describes how to set the way the grass bends, and how to weight paint it, to help make paths and dry spots.
Thanks Imperitor!
Here’s a link to the tutorial, I hope you enjoy it!
Rigging Tips. November 12, 2007
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I find this one to be very short and sweet, and definitely helpful! The author explains how to fix several common problems, and I found this is definitely a good thing since I’m going to be rigging this walker soon. They are all mainly tips on keeping bones aligned, which is very important when using IK chains and such.
Sometimes getting our bone chains aligned can be tough and cumbersome. As you probably already know there is no Local coordiante system for bones in Edit Mode, so we only have the Global coordinates to work with. This is a good reason why you always be happier aligning your legs and arms at least to one orthogonal plane, the XY, ZY or ZX plane.
Here are some tricks to help you keep your bones aligned.
So, here’s the link to the blog, it’s made with wordpress!
Happy Blending!
Just a quick blog update. November 12, 2007
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Ok, so I am going to change this blog from just my stuff, to general news and tutorials I find interesting for Blender. I just figured I’d give all of my readers just an update. Think of it as a “Blendernation” that also has updates on current WIPs I’m making.
A leg! November 12, 2007
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Well, it’s getting done! As you can see, I’ve added most of the leg to the walker, there are a few things missing that you will see later on. There is going to be a hydraulic piston on the front part of the knee joint. I plan to add some circuits later on, mainly on the armor and the foot primarily.
Texturing is going to definitely play a big part on the project too. When I get the chance, I want to learn how to UVW Unwrap stuff, so I can make some really cool textures for the joints and things like that. (more…)
A foot… November 9, 2007
Posted by danizzil in Walker Project.Tags: 3D, Animation, Blender, Game, Mech, Mechanics, Robot, Walker, Weapon
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So, I have made a foot, no big deal you say? Think again. This foot is basically
the right (or left) foot of a robotic walker I’m making, but the big deal about it is that it is more or less functional. The joints need fine tuning, but I have tackled the hardest part in my eyes, getting the hydraulics to work. Every time I have made them, one thing or another doesn’t work, one half won’t track, or the other doesn’t move, period.
