Blender Materials & Rendering Introduction: How to create stills and animations

Blender materials and rendering tutorial, introducing material allocation, shaders and nodes, rendering still images, setting the background, and rendering animations.
This video follows on from my episode “Blender Modeling Introduction”:
• Blender Modeling Intro...
The Blender Principled BSDF shader web page is here:
docs.blender.org/manual/en/la...
Blender can be freely downloaded from: www.blender.org/
You can also obtain the free GIMP photo editor from: www.gimp.org/
And the free DaVinci Resolve video editor from: www.blackmagicdesign.com/prod...
Note that I have several DaVinci Resolve videos, most recently including this review of DaVinci Resolve 18: • DaVinci Resolve 18: Th...
In this video, I used the following Blender keyboard shortcuts:
Render -- F12
Maximize area -- Ctrl-spacebar
Toggle wireframe display -- Shift-z
Duplicate object -- Shift-d
After duplicating an object, press x, y or z to constrain movement to that axis.
View select -- press the key below Esc (which is the tilde on a US keyboard).
Insert keyframe in the timeline -- press i
To scroll a menu bar, press the mouse wheel (middle mouse button) and drag.
For additional ExplainingComputers videos and other content, you can become a channel member here:
/ @explainingcomputers
More videos on computing and related topics can be found at:
/ @explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: / @explainingthefuture
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:45 The Basics
09:27 Multiple Objects
12:49 Booleans & Dice
17:02 Saving & Backgrounds
20:30 Materials & Nodes
30:12 Animation
34:00 Wrap
#Blender #Materials #Rendering #explainingcomputers

[@rv6amark]

I hope folks here realize how much work it took to learn Blender, and to put this video together. Powerful software almost always has an interface that looks quite complex on its surface. I used several CAD programs and mechanical design programs, and we always tried to stress that the only way to learn was to "crawl, walk, and then run." If you try to wrap your head around the entire package (run) first, you will stumble, get frustrated, and stop trying. So, if you want to learn this package, start at the beginning of this video, follow and learn the moves Chris has discussed, play with it a bit, then move on a bit in the video. (BTW, good job making this video, Chris!)

[@klaxoncow]

I'll quote the old - but wise - joke: "How do you eat an elephant?" "One small bite at a time!" Don't try to stuff the whole elephant in your mouth. It won't fit. Cut it up into small bites and eat each bite, one at a time. Rinse and repeat - eventually, you'll have eaten the elephant.

[@flaggerify]

Cinema 4D has a far cleaner interface and is at least as powerful.

[@Reziac]

@@flaggerify That may be, but Cinema 4D is expensive, and Blender is free.

[@flaggerify]

@@Reziac A job or two would pay for C4D while you're still trying to learn Blender.

[@Reziac]

@@flaggerify If you're in that business, certainly may be the case. If you're a hobbyist, it's not a reasonable expense.

[@RoboNuggie]

It's going to take repeated viewing for my old grey matter to create new neural pathways, but this guide and the one before will help me more than any of the written guides I've seen previously. Invaluable.... thank you Chris

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. What I hope I have now created are a "Blender in 70 minutes" guide to the absolute fundamentals. Good luck with your learning and experimentation!

[@lolaswift111]

Hi Chris, after watching so many tutorials and learned almost nothing. these two videos finally worked for me. Many many thanks and any more blender tutorials would be greatly appreciated.

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is great to hear! :)

[@micwax]

Not only do you provide clear explanations, but you also ensure that your screen resolution is set to an appropriate level for optimal visibility. It's frustrating when presenters use excessively high resolutions like 7680 x 4320 pixels without regard for the audience's ability to follow along, so I appreciate your consideration. Well done!

[@teleosus1]

Blender is so much fun, it also teaches about spatial awareness, it really should be an elective in grade school.

[@kentjensen4504]

You’re so brilliant. Your Blender videos may be the best introduction to this software I’ve seen.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@lesliedeana5142]

I love your opening! No better way for a professor to say 'I hope that you've done your homework!' :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Leslie. And thanks. :)

[@johncundiff7075]

Thanks for teaching the world something useful every Sunday! Brilliant Mr. Barnatt!

[@bubo1]

Imagine if Chris and Grant Abbitt ever got to gether to do a Blender colab, I don't think KZbin could adequately capture the extreme levels of Britishness that would involve 😄

[@generalwhine5350]

I've been using Blender for a few months now, and this was even helpful to me. Another tip is you can drag & drop the material shader on to your viewport 3D item too, clicking the material ball that is checkered and dropping it on your item - I use this all the time!

[@sanketmanna8653]

Please, teach more about creating animation, already loving this series.

[@DigitalProphet]

I discovered that the secret to using Blender (I think) is learning the hotkeys. Not just because its faster but because the blender UI can be really obtuse sometimes. I spent a couple weeks hunting for things before printing out a hotkey cheat sheet that I could use until it became muscle memory.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, some hotkeys are essential. The interface is . . . not ideal (if much improved).

[@freesaxon6835]

I've said it before..... All credit for the graphics you create. I wish there was a Blender ' get me out of here button ' when you have gone down the rabbit hole of sub menus 😮😂😂

[@jls9225]

Elephants playing monopoly, it's too cute. I'll say it again, todays young kids growing up now, are so lucky (It would have taken multiple samples to get right in factory, but now a few clicks on a keyboard and wow you're done, and you are doing all this, from the comfort of your home). I'm little late, but have a good rest of your weekend Christopher and have a good week as well. As Always, Be Smart and Stay Safe.

[@fiafan]

As someone who has never used Blender, I can attest that all of the options look a bit daunting. You make it look easy though! Great video!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Daunting is a good word for it! What I've tried to cover in this video and the last one are the practical basics of what you need to know to get started and get somewhere!

[@klaxoncow]

Blender's interface is a bit like a plane's cockpit, isn't it? Dials and knobs and sliders everywhere! But, in fairness, 3D modelling is just an inherently complex thing to comprehensively cover, and Blender really is a comprehensive application. I mean, for simplicity, Chris used DaVinci Resolve for his video editing... but Blender does actually include a built-in video editor as well (!). Yes, it gives you an appreciation of what I mean about "comprehensive" when you realise that we're talking about something that has full-blown video editing as a sub-component. And, in fairness to Blender's video editor, it's perfectly competent. I've used it and while I'd still recommend a dedicated designed-for-the-purpose video editor, like DaVinci Resolve, exactly because it's been designed and tweaked for that express purpose, I could pull off any video edit I'd do in a dedicated video editor like that with Blender's built-in editor. In fact, Blender's video editor can do a few things that your average standard video editor can't do. Related to the 3D rendering and motion tracking and visual effects and things. There is a reason why Blender includes a video editor. It's because, with animations, you might want to mix 3D models with video footage and other effects like that, so to comprehensively cover everything, Blender includes it and it is all fully integrated with the rest of the 3D package. I guess the point I'm driving at is that Blender's interface does look like the cockpit of the Space Shuttle, admittedly, but that's because, well, you effectively are piloting a Space Shuttle here. If you go up to the cockpit on a plane, then it is a very complex dashboard in front of the pilots... but it needs to be, in order to fully inform them and allow them to pilot the aircraft. In a similar vein, if learning Blender - or any 3D package - the best approach is "ignore everything... except this dial, which tells you the altitude, and this dial, which tells you your speed, and this dial, which is your orientation. Learn those three dials first. Once you understand those, I'll show you another three dials and what they're for". The beginner is not expected to completely comprehensively understand everything they're looking at, all in one go, within 3 seconds. That way lies madness, indeed. But, as Chris is doing here, we take things one at a time and learn each bit individually, then put it all together. And, eventually, with much practice, it all starts to slowly sink in. It's the old joke, isn't it? "How do you eat an elephant?" "One small piece at a time."

[@Reziac]

@@ExplainingComputers I need to watch this again and do a copy-every-move and get the eyes and brain accustomed to the feel of the program. But I'm much further along than I was before, which was nothing at all!

[@Reziac]

@@klaxoncow That's what I like about Chris' approach... just turn this knob here, ignore the other knobs. Nothing will fall apart and something good will happen.

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@klaxoncow Great post.

[@Colin_Ames]

Definitely an excellent tutorial. It would take many viewings of the previous video and this one before I could become remotely competent. On another subject, the National Railway Museum is a really great place to visit.

[@markdonnelly1913]

Bloody awesome! Such a powerful piece of software. Another great video Chris.

[@user-vr4hd4gt7m]

Superb series Blender so far!! Please consider making a video on importing files from another CAD program with the intention of making a realistic rendered image. More tips on design with the intention of rendering would be welcome as well.

[@qwertybg333]

Thank you very much Sir for your time for doing all these very informative and, of course, interesting videos. Everytime we can learn something in a very clear way 🙏🏻

[@ronaldmarshall5845]

Great Video Chris! Appreciate you explaining Blender so well. You do such a great job explaining things and go at a speed th a speed that gives you time to digest the information. Keep up the great work!!!

[@johnglielmi6428]

Thanks for all your informative videos. I do watch your channel when a new video comes out. as I'm basically a computer and robotics hobbyist that is close to retirement. and I'm looking for these hobbies of mine to help out in generating a secondary income in future. Learning the new tools of the industry is always a must. and It is best to learn from the most knowledgeable, articulate instructors. You never fail to amaze me with all the hard work you put into your videos, to maintain quality and accuracy. Thank you so very much for that hard work!

[@dovix]

As someone who's learning blender for only half a year that's useful

[@zishanrahman2031]

I've said it once before and I'll say it once again: An EC video a Sunday makes Sunday a fun day!

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@paulofagandini8877]

This has been an amazing tutorial, I saw many before, and this is the most methodic and useful that I have seen. Thanks

[@catallaxy]

Another excellent Blender video. Your videos are the most concise and enjoyable on the internet. Thank you. I hope that you will continue to do more Blender videos. You are a natural born professor! Perhaps, if you wish, you might do an in depth video on how to use the material nodes in Blender. This is a fascinating but, bewildering topic, especially for an old geezer like myself. This has always been a stumbling block for me. Your pedagogical talent suggests to me, that you are the best person to take a crack, at this mystical topic. Thank you again.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this.

[@catallaxy]

You're more than welcome.

[@williamedds1]

Excellent demonstration! Thank you for making this

[@MicrobyteAlan]

Excellent video. Very detailed, I’ll be watching it several times today on my tablet whilst Blendering on my computer. Thanks. It’s a new beginning.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck and enjoy! Delving into new and good software can provide a great feeling of venturing across a new frontier. :)

[@TheAnimeist]

There are so many rabbit holes to go down with Blender. It's a complex system. Chris, as usual does an amazing job of whittling the system down, and presenting what is needed in practical terms. Well done. Peace!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks. Peace in KZbin comments is a rare and wonderful wish. :)

[@dang48]

As always, very informative and yes, it will take time to absorb all this into the sludge. What I really enjoy about your channel is that you cover a very wide array of topics and checking for the next video is like opening a box with a surprise in it. An idea that I think would look neat if this was used to make an item like a circuit board go from intact to exploded view. Thank you Chris. As always, very informative.

[@G_C340]

Every time I turn to blender it has changed and advanced so much that I am completely de-skilled. Thank you so much for this and especially for getting basic tutorials up to date. (One tiny point, dice is the plural, die is the singular - should you ever think about revising the tutorials.)👍👍👍👍👍

[@ExplainingComputers]

Fair point on die/dice! :)

[@Spitbiteart]

This is amazing, Chris! Your videos are terrifically accessible. I found other Blender tutorials too confusingly presented to retain any learning from them. With your two videos I have finally actually learned and have begun to understand how to use Blender! Many thanks!

[@ExplainingComputers]

This is great to hear. Thanks for watching.

[@theloniusbuddha2776]

Holy God, you make the best blender videos I've ever seen. I'd love to see some videos on how to make assets for games and VR if you're up for it.

[@richy69ify]

Awesome job putting this together.

[@mubarkroyal7894]

Very clear guide, Clearly you put alot of effort to make it this easy. Thank you sir

[@Darkk6969]

Awesome video! I've played around with Blender for years but never really made use of it till now after watching this video. I actually brought up Blender on one screen and followed the steps as shown in the video. At the end of video I was like "Great Scott! I've finally done it!!"

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear!

[@mike_vahemoubayed8099]

This series is absolutely awesome!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@user-vx2fz2kp4k]

Hi Chris - The two blender videos you have created so far have reignited my desire to get to grips with the software. All the other videos I have watched seem to be created by blender users, but not educators. As an ex technical trainer in industry, I recognise your approach as one I would adopt. If you do decide to create more on this subject, I am particularly interested in producing models for 3D printing with textures such as wood grain. Please keep up with the fantastic work you do.

[@prometheushub]

Best blender beginner tips and tricks ever. Keep up the good work!

[@dieferman]

Thanks Chris for sharing such informative and entertaining content!

[@andymouse]

Fascinating, I wish I started 10 years ago !...cheers.

[@PS_Tube]

Greetings Chris. Have a nice weekend. These tutorial videos are great reference materials that you post time to time.

[@wktodd]

great video Chris. This is one of the most interesting series on yuotube at the moment ,please continue making them.

[@d.barnette2687]

Greetings from across the pond near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Whoa! Another groovy video. So great!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support, most appreciated. :)

[@rager1969]

Very cool. I don't know how I missed your previous videos on Blender, as I usually watch every Sunday. I had an interest and gave up but will revisit after I watch your other videos.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck!

[@chriholt]

Wow, the Blender software is amazing, but even more amazing are your skills using it - very impressive Chris!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Chris. :)

[@philipprudhomme6967]

Hi Chris! Thank you for this comprehensive extension to your previous video on Blender.

[@ExplainingComputers]

My pleasure!

[@Tushar_KN]

Been waiting for this one. Thank you Christopher 😊🙏

[@ExplainingComputers]

You are most welcome. :)

[@dezmondwhitney1208]

This Really well explained lesson showed me that I Still can learn something new and useful in computing. I learnt quite a lot. Many Thanks.

[@420bobby69]

Hi Chris. Glad to see you're continuing the Blender series!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Views picked up on the first episode in time. We'll see how this one does! :)

[@420bobby69]

@@ExplainingComputers Glad to hear it! Also I feel your pain with Blender's camera controls. My go-to is CTRL+ALT+NUM 0 to snap it to current viewport view, but its rarely perfect. Tweaking it afterwards is still a PIA lol. Anyways, hope the series continues picking up views. Would love to see more!

[@kittybeans8192]

I've had learning Blender on my to-do list for well over a year, now I've finally gone and gotten my feet wet with it. I made some nifty lookin' dice! Got a feeling this is gonna be a lot of fun, thanks for an awesome tutorial!

[@dingolovethrob]

"...and earlier I had a fun time positioning 21 spheres" .... we appreciate it Chris, we really do. 😄

[@srtcsb]

Really good stuff Chris. If I'd been able to get this great results using Sculpt 3D on my old Amiga all those years ago, it would've been considered magic😁. Thanks for another great video.

[@fram1111]

“Yes, that’s what I like about you. You make everything look easy and easy to understand. But that’s it until the next episode. Keep your blender on high.

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Good afternoon to you and thanks for the new video love watching them Miguel.

[@lionelreesable]

Thanks for the video. Much appreciated and best wishes.

[@liontuga155]

Thanks! Another EC video immediately added to my favourites list. :-)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Excellent! Great to hear. :)

[@cuspajzz]

Another great video tutorial 😀👍

[@panvrek8952]

Thanks again. I believe texturing is next. How to apply textures on models. I know, you cannot turn this channel into a blender tutorial. But, if you plan to make another one, maybe this is the theme

[@TrollingAround]

Loved this, thank you 🙂

[@alanthornton3530]

Thank you Chris for a very impressive Blender video. I need to break this down into bite size chunks with plenty of practice, it's good to learn a new skill :)

[@MekazaBitrusty]

Another fine example of great blender tutorials!! Thank you very much for making it. One minor criticism, the singular of dice is die. 😉

[@khansaghaz]

I love your tutorial, very easy to understand

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks!

[@electronscape]

i use it for making VR games, and its extremely powerful bit of kit, granted not used it for years so i'll definetly be coming back here to re-train my self! lol amazing video though nice and simple....... :) thank you Chris!!!

[@lorderectus1849]

Oh look 👀 it’s Mr Spoon 🥄 on show!

[@BarnokRetro]

Thank you for taking the dive into Blender for us! It's pretty crazy what you were able to do. I'm not sure I'd have the wherewithawl to to get good at it. That said, it's a very interesting topic and another great video!

[@HKey_Root]

Blooming marvellous. **scuttles back to watch Blender #1** Boy at the back - "Please sir, how do you animate the fans?"

[@ExplainingComputers]

To animate the fans, first they would need to be separate objects. To achieve this, in edit mode you would for each fan select their faces, and then right click and select "Separate" to turn the fan into a different object. Then back in object mode, right click, "Select Origin" and "Origin to Geometry" (so that the fan will turn on its own centre). Then go to object properties and make the required rotation axis animatable (here "X"). And then finally, go to the last frame, and increase the rotation. And the fan blades will spin! :)

[@HKey_Root]

@@ExplainingComputers Wow. Thanks. I asked tongue in cheek as I never imagined it would be possible. Amazing.

[@daveindezmenez]

On image sequences from animation renders, you can also make them into video files in Blender itself. When you go into Blender you use Video Editing. You open the folder with the images, select all and put them on the time line. From there you can select your video and audio (if you have added that) formatting information in the Output properties tab along with your destination and choose Render Animation once again from the Render menu. The reason you don't do this first and instead render individual frames is because it is protection against the computer crashing in the middle of things. If you render individual frames and something happens you can always pickup from where the render left off without having to start from the beginning.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Indeed, but I did not want to complicate matters further by opening up a whole other aspect of Blender. In education, less is usually more. :)

[@daveindezmenez]

@@ExplainingComputers Of course there's the extra complication of having to install another program and trying to learn it too.

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@daveindezmenez True, but I assumed that anybody wanting to render animations would already be using a video editor. My intention here was not to over-complicate what I showed in Blender. And for most purposes, the Blender video editor is not something I would recommend. :)

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

I prefer to render to separate image files in PNG or EXR format. That way I can experiment with different settings for video encoding in FFmpeg, without having to go back and rerender it all again.

[@daveindezmenez]

@@ExplainingComputers Not all video editors can import image sequences. The one you showed in your example can and is an excellent choice for a dedicated video editor, especially since it has a fully capable free version lacking any restrictions (time trial, watermark, etc.)

[@danielkerryann]

Superb video, thank you 🙂

[@trevorford8332]

You know it took 20 years to understand Lazarus(Delphi}, so I suspect it'll take 20 years to understand Blender. very impressed!! I'm a slow learner.🙂

[@geoffhodgson2492]

Brilliant, keep up the good work, more more more!

[@gregbowen617]

Well, this is my second video of yours and you use three apps that I am attempting to learn! I have started dabbling with Gimp, but not DaVinci resolve yet so much fun to look forward to!. Thanks again from Melbourne Australia… 04:23 am.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for watching. :)

[@urielpelaezcdmx]

Excellent tutorial. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👍🏻

[@boboften9952]

Thank you Chris

[@SusanAmberBruce]

Very interesting, thanks

[@seaofcuriosity]

More vedios on blender ? Even if you bring a paid course covering full blender, this quality of explaination will deserve it.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. You have me thinking . . .

[@Ayo22210]

Great videos!

[@m.fatihyldz8159]

Im not interested in 3d modelling but you really are a great tutor

[@mohamedelouadghiri2016]

Very impressive

[@orleydoss3171]

Great tutorial as always. The type of dice elephant use to play Monopoly 😂

[@Reziac]

The most valuable thing is familiarizing us with the basic tools, so it's not such a leap into the unknown. Had the thought while watching that Blender must have been designed by the people who actually use it. (Unlike some software we all could name!)

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

It was a key revenue generator for the company that originally created it. So it had to work well.

[@Reziac]

@@lawrencedoliveiro9104 Ah. I had not looked up Blender's history.

[@daveindezmenez]

If you hit N on the keyboard and go to View you can check the Lock Camera to View checkbox and maneuver like you do otherwise and get the camera aimed the way you want. It's much easier than grabbing the camera out of Camera view and guessing. You can uncheck the box for moving around the scene again without affecting the camera position.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, as I elluded to in the video, there are lots of ways of moving the camera. But coming from LightWave, camera control in Blender is poor.

[@daveindezmenez]

@@ExplainingComputers But this way is much more intuitive and there's no back of forth of move the camera and check it it, move the camera and check it, rinse and repeat.

[@ExplainingComputers]

@David Thrasher I do see what you mean -- I've just been experimenting with the "Lock camera to view" option. :)

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

Or you could line up your view first, then hit CTRL-ALT-NUM0 to align the camera to that view.

[@gower1973]

First rule of the Shader Editor is enable Node Wrangler!

[@pauljcampbell2997]

Wow, really good video Chris! Thanks mate! Its a pity there arent more videos from you on Blender, but i get it. The views on this one were down on the first. I see you use Davinci Resolve. I love it too!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this, and you are right. Whilst the first video did well, this second one dropped substantially. I still don't know why, given the high views and positive comments on the first one.

[@stalinvlad]

Ah, Blender, such joy.

[@more.power.]

Thank you excellent.

[@kharsair]

It will be cool if this channel can teach some parametric precision modelling in CAD software for 3D printing. Nevertheless, well explained!

[@RoboNuggie]

Thanks!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support. :)

[@anguinan]

would be nice a video about how to apply physics to simulate mechanisms like gears, pulleys, etc.

[@lorderectus1849]

Oh I do like nice and shiny ✨

[@JoeSantini]

Love the content. Just finishing up your other channel I've got two videos left to watch.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for watching. :)

[@ColdIronGaming]

I'd love to see Blender Physics get covered by Explaining Computers.

[@sak123utube]

Two requests: (1) Please add animation using cloth. (2) Demo modeling an inflated hemisphere cloth under a side wind loading condition. Thanks for consideration.

[@ExplainingComputers]

A cloth sim video is a nice idea, noted. :)

[@timedriverable]

Geat job and well explained....Didnt know that you could initiate nodes from the material menu without going into the shading editor or the geometry tab. W6DLB

[@rogerkoh1979]

Wow. Look amazing. Wonder what else it can do?

[@dingolovethrob]

1100 likes in 7 hours, I think you're onto a winner.....

[@Ibrahimdude]

Yay gold medal. and how's your day chris good ol days? :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, a gold medal for you indeed! My day is going good -- and I hope yours is too! :)

[@inkysteve]

I'm old enough to remember when each of those renders would have taken minutes.

[@S-I-T]

It's such a well coded piece of software. It's boolean operations are so much better than Maya or Max. The node network stuff is beginning to nip on the heels of Houdini aswell. The fact its free is mindblowing. Great modelling btw Christopher 👌.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. And I'm very interested in your comment on the Booleans being better than Maya or Max. I have found that they are a lot better than those in LightWave. :)

[@S-I-T]

​​@@ExplainingComputers keep an eye out for the new SDF boolean stuff coming up Christopher. It uses a volumetric approach to booleans. Lightwave was great back in the day and should have been supported moving forward. A real pity. Have you dabbled with Houdini Christopher?

[@vincei4252]

@Stephen Ian Thomson. I've been a fully paid up user of Max from the late 90's until about 2015 when Autodesk got their slimy hands on it and converted it to cloud and demanded that I start to pay the cost of a full seat yearly. I stopped upgrading and the machine that has my copy of Max 2016 on it is about to be retired as its on its last legs. I am not so sure about attempting to reinstall Max 2016 as I am sure that the infrastructure to reactivate it is long gone. How has your migration from Max to Blender gone? I know it's a very powerful package and the fact that it's opensource so the rug will never be pulled out from under you is its primary selling point for me. Heck, just to try it out I have the entire Blender source repo checked out and every now and again I build it to see what's new but I haven't yet tried the thing in anger.

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@S-I-T I have never use Houdini -- but now that you've taken me to its website today, I am going to experiment! I've used LightWave for decades (I've still never used a better modeller), but know that I will need to transition due to the state of play with LightWave. I have been delving a lot into Blender, having discounted Max and Maya on price at this stage in my career. But Houdini looks like it offers options. I should have thought of it. Thanks greatly! :)

[@vincei4252]

@@ExplainingComputers I totally don't blame you for tossing out Maya and Max. Autodesk is a company I will never ever do business with again. Once you're baited and switched on don't let it happen again.

[@BossNerd]

I teach Bioinformatics. I often need to animate text representing DNA and proteins. At other times I just need to animate simple lines and balls. Examples animating these things would help me not only in teaching but in creating nice intro and exit animations to my videos. I have done some of this using very crude tools but would like to improve my production values using Blender. Eventually I want to expand to more complex shapes that can represent cellular components.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this, and noted. Good ideas for a future Blender episode.

[@Justin-Case-2.0]

As far as I remember Blender included its own video editor and probably still does, so you could have executed the last step within Blender as well ;-) But seriously: Thank u for another great video that hopefully will get more user into that fantastic piece of software! Other Blender topics to cover? There is so much u could do, maybe motion capture would be interesting. Blender that way deserves its name literally, cause you can blend 3d-creations with real world footage. Another interesting sub-chapter of animation is physics, it allows u to bounce those dices in a realistic way. 2d-animation might be interesting also, though u might prefer other tools for that. In general I am more interested in animation with Blender than realistic modelling cause in the end things are moving. :-)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, there is a video editor in Blender. But most people who want to render animations will be familar with another one, and I did not want overcompliate the presentation of Blender even more! I do like your suggestion of a motion-capture follow-up. Great idea, and noted!