Keentools, the creators of FaceBuilder, have recently released the beta version of GeoTracker, their automatic geometry tracking tool. It’s a really amazing tool, and to see it ported to Blender is just incredible! I couldn’t be happier about this. I’ve used both FaceBuilder and GeoTracker at my workplace for many years.
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Free Hard Surface Models
This year I did a lot of practicing with hard surface modeling, so I thought I’d offer these models for free. You’re welcome to use them in whatever you want. They’d make great practice models for texturing or good background sci-fi clutter in a scene. Download links below.
(more…)Hard Surface Texture Painting in Blender
Earlier this year after I did those hard surface modeling and painting timelapses, I got many requests to do an actual tutorial on the process. So even though there’s plenty out there already about texture painting in Blender, I went ahead and did it. There’s a short overview video and then three longer videos going into much more detail.
(more…)The ClothFX add-on
If you’ve seen my presentation from the 2017 Blender Conference, you saw a transition effect I did for the TV show “Star” (check out 15:45 minutes into my presentation). The director wanted a transition into the mind of an actress to show what she’s thinking about, and described it as if a pencil is poking through from inside her head, and then the frame tears apart from that point, revealing the next shot underneath. (more…)
Christmas Donation Tutorial Winners!
Wow, I can’t thank you all enough! Lots of people donated, which was a wonderful surprise, since it was the first OpenVisualFX contest and I wasn’t sure how good the turnout would be. You all really came through, and thank you so much for that! The Maryvale Christmas party was great, and we got everything we needed just in time! (more…)
Blender Conference 2017
I attended my third Blender Conference this year. Third! That’s crazy! I remember before I had ever gone to one, wondering what it was like, how fun it must be to be around that many Blender users, what Amsterdam is like, what the Blender Institute is like. And now it’s the place I’ve been to the most outside of my own country! (more…)
Stretching & tearing cloth in Blender
At work this week, I came across a problem I wasn’t sure how to solve. I would never call myself a Blender expert, especially in the area of simulations, and even more especially when dealing with cloth or soft bodies, so it didn’t surprise me that I couldn’t figure this out. Thankfully, the magical hive-mind of Twitter came to the rescue. More specifically, a Blender user from Bulgaria named Syziph. (more…)
Creating a Matte Painted shot in Blender
A few months ago, I was excited to once again contribute to 3DArtist magazine. This time I was asked to write a piece involving set extensions, which of course means matte painting. I hired an actress and headed right out to shoot something that could be open to lots of different creative interpretations! The printed article (and what was offered for download) was limited by space, but I thought it was a fun tutorial so I really wanted to go over all the details here on the blog and take it even further. (more…)