What is the Weighted Normals modifier used for?

In this video, I cover hard body type modeling and specifically use normal modification to control shading instead of boundary polygons. We look at the use of the Weighted Normals modifier along with manual adjustment of normals using the Set From Face function.
00:00 Introduction
00:40 Basics of Normals
04:20 Demonstration of Split Normals
08:00 2 methods for controlling surface normals manually
09:08 Using the Set From Face function
10:30 Transferring vertex normals
12:34 Using the Weighted Normal modifier
14:34 Remodeling the face plate using modified normals
#blender4 #splitnormals #weightnormals #normals

[@kaizu4914]

This is what advanced N-Gons modeling should be, no add-ons, pure knowledge

[@TheFunnyGUYryan]

Very glad I've found a tutorial which comprehensively breaks this down and explains the concept!

[@davexmit]

I’ve been modelling a 90s PC and have been slapping weighted normal on everything. I couldn’t figure out why a hard surface model would have so many surface ‘defects’ but now it’s clear that it’s just the smoothing ‘leaking’ into flat normals from details. Thanks so much for this information.

[@AirmanCS]

Again and again you approach 3D like you should, with in depth knowledge of what you are doing, this channel content should be on a museum lol

[@designfreedom3651]

Your videos are not only of high instructive value and very well-made, but the way you deliver them is also quite therapeutic. Thank you.

[@darshjoshi1641]

Couldn't have said it better!

[@NeilMyatt]

This really helped me plug a few gaps in my mental model of how normals/shaders work. Many thanks dude! 😊

[@maxfahl]

This is pure gold!

[@hermanzaum]

Christopher, you have a very clear and concise way to teach 3D concepts. Thanks a lot!

[@ramyissa20]

Easily one of the most informative 3D channels

[@TheUninstaller2000]

perfect video.. made sense and no over explaining.

[@almac8840]

Great explanation! Definitely helps to understand what is going on under the surface. My usual approach is just tweak setting till I get the result im looking for 😄

[@Arikiatrukido]

Man....Blender has the most interesting tutorials, I my old ass still uses 3ds max

[@borishanudel]

Oh, this is SUPER useful! Thanks a lot for an explanation 👌

[@Gustmazz]

Incredible video! Just pure knowledge delivered in such a clear way. Really, thank you.

[@Igoreshkin]

My god Christopher, this is some university level of teaching. Thank You for Your effort to make me less dummy :)

[@d_dog9939]

thanks, i do learn something about normal from this

[@andrea_ciani]

Very useful tutorial, thank you Christopher 🙂

[@hacotell]

Your videos are of the most technically informative I have seen. Thank You!

[@Mranshumansinghr]

Love your attention to detail.

[@ppsystems4317]

Hi Chris, again a very professional teaching .... your videos are really high level university teaching... but makes it very clear why we are doing some actions ! Many many thanks for this.... I understand now after some years of using Blender !!

[@MarcoMazzo]

Thank you, very well explained

[@sidekick3rida]

Hi Chris, I really like your in-depth technical teaching style. Cheers!

[@TheRayToaster]

This was a fantastic tutorial, Thank you! Bookmarked for many future rewatches!

[@artbybruno1734]

Great video! 👏👏👏

[@coleorloff]

I love how into the weeds you get. Such great information. And lots of it!

[@iainpendery8623]

Great tutorial and explanation. It's great to know the reason some of these functions exist and how to use them correctly!

[@punmije]

This is probably the best Blender and 3D modeling channel on KZbin. Props to you, sir! It's really instructive and not misleading like some very famous Blender KZbin channels that often suggest you buy addons to fix the shading issues, just moving some vertices here and there without a general idea of how things work. I've learned so many useful approaches and tools just by watching your videos. I never knew there was tool called knife projection, for instance.

[@askolotus_prime]

fixed my normals! thanks a lot

[@RealGaryGibson]

Amazing tutorial!

[@HVYRAY]

Just wanted to add my THANKS for this and all your other tutorials. Great content and excellent delivery! I also appreciate all the "extras" like giving us the office chair model (Part 3 of Duplicating Objects) as well as the time markers for the videos. Much appreciated!!!!

[@matslarsson5988]

You filled several gaps for me on this topic. Huge thanks!

[@kchow1879]

Thank you for you explanation. It all become clear of the different kinds of normals. As well how to setup normals properly for hard surface models to render.👍👍👍😀

[@vstreet7583]

A brilliant explanation of common shading issues. As always, concise and extremely useful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. THANK YOU! Dg

[@minimalfun]

Absolutely phenomenal, I don't even use Blender but I ve learned so much, Thanks a lot Chris.

[@AR-cy6uj]

This series of tutorials couldn't have come at a better time for me, I've been looking for something like this (teaching best practice rather than just 'good enough' methods and hacks). It's an excellent series, thank you so much.

[@stefanguiton]

Excellent!

[@robinsquares]

Super useful, and very well presented. Awesome work as always.

[@Heliostat]

This helped me understand some things about normals I completely took for granted. Honestly, this was explained clearer than anything in my Uni degree...

[@superkaboose1066]

Finally I actually understand normals! This was great!

[@krzysztofskraburski]

woow nice tutorial, thank you 🙏🙏

[@janklodvandamisback]

hope this video will be helpful for me one day!

[@healthymen]

Superb theoretical explanation sir, thanks a lot. Please keep posting such platinum videos.

[@infographie]

Excellent.

[@rubensangelo1646]

Thanks for your patience hahahaahhha We appreciate that!!!

Awesome stuff like always. I just noticed that current Blender 4.1 Alphas crash during Knife Project. I'll report that bug...

[@emanuelefazio3173]

This is a Masterclass tutorial.

[@ayodejiogundiran8666]

Thank you for this video. Very informative. I just started learning hard Surface Modelling with Blender. And, very quickly I have been exposed to the industry argument of avoiding ngons in 3d modeling. Please what is your take on ngons and quads in 3d modeling. I have been watching your tutorial for a while. You sounds like a professional in this field and not just some road side modeling artists. If you have a video on this topic you can recommend that also.. Thank you!

[@christopher3d475]

One of the reasons there's resistance to the use of ngons is some systems don't work well with them. For instance, Unreal Engine doesn't like them and it's best to triangulate or quadrangulate ngons in a model going there. But most general purpose systems like Blender handle ngons just fine. The restrictions for their use comes down to whether an object needs to be deformed in some way, that's a condition where ngons can cause problems. They can be used in a subdivision surface model, but you do have to be more careful with how they're done. For instance you do need to avoid concave ngons because they get subdivided to polygons that can end up overlapping onto each other. But at render time and when a model is subdivided, those ngons get converted to quads and triangles anyway.

[@timothycook]

Did you have to reupload? I actually watched again because there is some really good info in here. I use the Weighted Normals modifier from time to time but now I understand what it does better. Thanks!

[@christopher3d475]

Yes, I decided to make a change in one section, but it didn't alter the overall material in the video.

[@nezihardaucar]

Amazing explanation dude, you are a great teacher. Thank you.

[@Isnanbro2003]

Love your lessons as always man! Can you make a video on how you managed to nail the lens aspect of the model? I try by realistically putting convex-concave lens exactly like lens diagrams on wiki, but it never looks right. will you spill the secret sauce for that? 🙏🙏

[@MichaWeidenfeld]

Damn... If i knew a year ago, I could have saved a lot of time and anger! :D

[@riccardofasoli5726]

awesome tut! also, i just wanted to point out that for situations like at 27:30, the algorithm may be struggling because of the topology. i'm not sure why you dissolved that area into a single face, which is not an ideal quad based topology and can easily create shading issues :)

[@hariomparmar7327]

wonderful🔥will you make a quick tutorial on those metal materials. they look very nice👍

[@christopher3d475]

If you search my channel, I have a video on anisotropy which is used for the dial and button metals. The rest of the metals are just the Principled Shader set to Metallic mode (1.0) with a greyish Base color and a bit of roughness.

[@PxxTKlickshot]

Whats your take on using vertex groups and bevel modifiers for non destructive beveling? Since you can do a boundary loop and then the actual bevel with just 2 modifiers.

[@christopher3d475]

Watch my previous tutorial where I demonstrate that as a modeling option for this.

[@ramalshebl60]

re-upload because of 13:34

[@christopher3d475]

Yes.