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3D Tutorials and Links (20170222 Images Replaced 1/3)

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Lizard:
For the starts, i assume, you're NOT familiar with the interface of Blender, so i'll provide you with step-by-step instructions and explanations, why i'm doing so.

- Setting up the object.
So, you opened Blender and the interface could look like this:


The interface is divided in 3 parts (1,2,3), one broad timeline(3) in the bottom, broad 3d window (1) left with Toolbar left(summoned by "T") and Object Properties (summoned by "N"). To the most right, there's Scene Properties (2) with little important buttons down.

If it doesn't look like this, grab and pull at the corners marked by green "1" to get new windows and click on green "2" to select the appropriate window type in menu: that would be "properties", "3d view" and "timeline". To make windows vanish, direct the cursor on the separation lines between windows, until a doublesided arrow appears, rightclick, select "join area" and click on the window you want to disappear.

Now, select the cube with rightclick (it might be already selected, its outlines being yellow) and hit "X" to delete it.
Mind that, the key shotcuts works accordingly with position of the mouse cursor. So if the cursor is elsewhere than the window you work, the shortcut will either won't work or do something else.

Now, you import your model. The ones who already have their model ready and parented/joined all clothes to the mesh, may skip this step until further notice.

Go up left to "File" menu, select Import/Wavefront (.obj) and select your file, wherever it is. Click on Import OBJ. Now this should look like following.

The coordinates are shown by the red arrow. Y is the axis the model is facing, X comes from the side and Z comes from the top.

The imported model is still off - it needs to be moved (Don't. I did it and messed up the deformation later), but rotated a bit on X axis. It can be done with mouse, but i prefer the shortcuts: it's quicker.

So, switch first from perspective to orthogonal view with Numpad 5, then hit Numpad 3 to the "side view."


Numpad 1: front
Numpad 3: side
Numpad 7: from the top

also,
Strg+Numpad 1: from the back. Try the other combinations to figure out.

Read the spoiler if you want to know how the meshes are moved along the axis. Again, don't do it here, the mesh position is fine as it is.
To move the mesh in the middle among the Y axis, hit the following sequence of keys (not combination): "G"->"Y" (grab mesh by the Y axis) and drag it with mouse to the middle.If you look at the mesh closely, you can notice that it's a bit tilted forward, so you need to rotate it along the X axis so it stands upright.

Now there is a little difference between object and mesh which you should know.

If you start to rotate the selected object while in Object Mode, it will spin along the object's axis. (the little orange dot left in the middle and not as intended). But we want to rotate only the human mesh IN this object, and a object can contain multiple meshes.
So, select with rightclick the object and hit "Tab" to switch into Edit mode. The mesh must be already glowing yellow, selected, but if it don't you could select and deselect all meshes with "A" (as well as the bones, what comes later)

Hit sequence "R"->"X" and adjust the rotation with the mouse. Mind that, the closer the distance of the mouse cursor to the object is, the faster will the object spin. So to adjust precisely, move a mouse cursor a bit aside, before you hit the sequence.

Hit "Tab" to go to Object mode back.

Now, switch to the front view with Numpad 1

We will now add a new object, a single bone, but first, a short explanation to this thing:


This is a 3d cursor and is where the bone or any other object will appear, after you add it.
You can place it wherever you want with left mouseclick, (depends what view you have on) but also snap it to the grid or to the center of the scene, if you summon the Snap menu with Shift+S, if you want to place it precisely.

For example: leftclick just above the pelvis of the mesh, (define height) then switch to side view (Numpad 3) and leftclick again at the same height (define length). It's now directly in the mesh.

Switch back to front view.
Summon the "What-to-add" menu with Shift+A and select Armature/Single bone. Whoops, nothing happened.

Go to those important little buttons i mentioned earlier, at the Scene Properties, in the right. Press one with little stickman on it and find above the X-Ray field. Check it.

Now the bone is clearly visible and fit to work with. Also, the field i marked green, is the appearance, how the bones should be displayed. It matters, especially when we recalculate their rotation and weight them, but that comes later.

Go back to our bone, which is called Armature. It is, as a object, (we're still in Object mode) our whole skeleton. It just needs to be edited.

- Setting up the skeleton
Double-rightclick the bone (Blender wil think first, you select the mesh object, then select the Armature), hit "Tab".
You're now in Edit mode and it's now important to know why the bone looks this way. This is a so-called Octagon bone.
It has a root (1), a body (2) and the tip (3)


The root is the starting point of a bone in a skeleton and is where the other bones extruded from with "E". You can extrude one right now, if you want it to grow straight up, hit the "E"->"Z" sequence.
It is also a point where the bone is parented to other bones, later more to this.

The body of the bone is actually a line through the octagon and the blunt point of this octagon shows where the root is. Later it's of importance that the body can be seen how it can be rotate along its axis.

The tip is at the same time the root of the next bone you might extrude. Both tip and root can be moved to move and scale the main body and serve as joints (as you've could guess) in the skeleton.

(Warning, long text)
So, how does it deform the mesh? The tip, root and body "radiate" around them a area of influence, called "bone weight"
The bigger this area is, the more weight has this bone. Every vertex in this area of influence is controlled by the bone, it keeps the position related to it. Additionally, the root provides a rolling point for the vertexes in its vicinity, moving them around the center and stretching and squeezing the edges around it. The better the topography of mesh was made (made with foresight to these kink areas, quads folds best), the less strange artifacts are seen in the ready render.
But enough of this.

The bones must go through the center of the mesh and encompass it most symmetrically, so the backbone of our char will go through his belly and not located near his back.



Imagine where our man must have his rolling points and joints and extrude new skeleton segments from there, right through the areas of stomach, chest, neck and finally tip of the head.
Mind the Scene Properties to the right (little button with a bone on it) and the name of the bones in upper right corner.


Adjust the bones with grabbing tips and roots with rightclick+"G" sequence from the side view.(Numpad 3)

Now switch to the front view again, we will now add arms. Just for the future, when Blender devs iron this out, there is a option "Mirror X Axis" to the right.


It lets you extrude two bones from one root, into both arms, but i guess it's broken for now, because it does so asymmetrically. So i'll let you extrude both arms two times, because repetition is a mother of learning  :P.

Now, extrude the bone segments into the tips of fingers. Our models don't need fingers, so rigging a mitten would be easy compared to complex hands, you'll have to look up it for yourself.


Select the bone i marked with green, with right-click, hit Shift+D, drag away the mouse and watch the bone being copied.
Also, mind this little jagged line between the roots of wrist and thumb. It means that the bone is parented to the wrist and follow the position, rotation and size of its parent. (as shown in marked field to the right). The extruded bones do it by default.

From the top (Numpad 7) it look it should be still some things fixed.
Since the skeleton should look symmetrical, i'd save you a bit of work with a hint. Select two joints on opposing sides with Shift+rightclick and hit "G"->"Y" - now you moving both joints symmetrically.


Do it with all remaining joints you can see. Then, holding Shift and mousewheel pressed, pan the view to the wrist and scroll to zoom on it. The thumb will be a little tricky.


You can rotate your view around the wrist with either by defined steps with Numpad 4,6,8,2 (leftaround, rightaround, over, under) or with with mousewheel held and moving freely around the wrist. As i said, the thumb is tricky, because it's difficult to see.
First, the thumb bone must be split up two, what's easy. Select it and hit "W" - in the popup, select "Subdivide" Now, start grabbing joints and drag them in correct places - I made you a little help to position the thumb correctly in the middle of the lines.


In the end, it looks a bit like this.

Try to spin the view around more often and check it from different views.

Repeat at another side.

Okay, now zoom out and pan in the middle. Switch to sideview with Numpad 3. Place the 3d cursor (leftclick) anywhere and add with Shift+A 3 new bones. Rotate the first with "R"->"X"->"9,0", the second with "R"->"X"->"1,8,0" and the third with "R"->"X"->"2,7,0" and scale the one showing downward so it reaches the crotch of the model with "G"->"Z". Switch to the front and check if all three bones are in the middle of the mesh.


While still in front view, select the bone showing downward, copy it with Shift+D and move its root to where the leg joint supposed to be, like here.

Extrude the segments down through the knee, to the ankle, to the ball and to the tip of the second toe, switch into front view and correct the placement of joints, they must be in the middle of the mesh to deform correctly.


Now, you can just select and duplicate it, since it's not much of detail, with selecting it by pressing "B" and drawing a frame with left mouse button, then, Shift+D->"X" and drawing it to the second leg joint is. Every other joint down is a routine work with "G"->"X".

Hey, zoom out. You have a skeleton!

Now we shall add some strings for our puppet we shall attach later. Go to the side view with Numpad 3, pan with Shift+pressed mousewheel to the feet and zoom with mousewheel on the foot. Select the bone with red arrow with rightclick, hit Shift+D and draw it underneath the foot. Hit then Alt+P and choose "clear parent" to delete the little jagged line between the roots. We don't need this bone to be connected with the skeleton this way.

Now grab the root of this bone with right click, "G" and drag it to where the joint is, the tip goes under the foot this way.

Now it look like a thorn, but i assure you, it's completely painless. Hit Strg+Numpad 3 to switch to another side view and repeat the procedere.


Now while you're at it, select the bones you added, name them "FootIKleft and FootIKright" and uncheck the flag marked with red arrow. These bones mustn't deform the mesh, they're only our handles to move the appendages.

Scroll out, pan to the middle and switch to top view with Numpad 7. Place with left click the 3d cursor and add a bone with Shift+A. The one to the right, select with B->leftdrag and flip it along the Y axis with R->Y->2,7,0, the one to the left with R->Y->9,0. Grab them and get their roots in one line of those of the wrists.

Now, select both with "B"->leftdrag and hit "S", "0"(zero), "Y" to align both bones in same line. Uncheck the "deform" flag to the right for both bones separately, as with the bones previosly, select the bones again with Shift+rightclick and move them on Y axis with "G", "Y" so their roots match the wrist joints and the tips peek outside the fingers. Scale if necessary by dragging the tips with rightclick, "G", "X" and name the bones "handleft_IK" and "handright_IK"
 
It should look like this now.


Now switch to the front view with Numpad 1, grab both bones with Shift+rightclick and move them with "G", "Z" to the joints, so the IK bones stick out of the hands.


Now we have all bones we require (unless you want to rig hair or clothing, but i'll come on it eventually later)

Surf:
Nicely done and easily understandable, I'm sure this will come in handy. :)

Graf:
Finally this tutorial came out :) Thank you for sharing the priceless knowledge of the rigging mystery with us!

Do you mind if I'll translate it and publish it on the fonline.ru forum? (Your nickname will be noted, obviously).

Lizard:

--- Quote from: Graf on November 08, 2011, 04:23:58 pm ---Finally this tutorial came out :) Thank you for sharing the priceless knowledge of the rigging mystery with us!

Do you mind if I'll translate it and publish it on the fonline.ru forum? (Your nickname will be noted, obviously).

--- End quote ---

Sure! :)

I'd like to ask someone to repeat this all by following instructions, i could've missed something. Ask, if necessary.

@Surf, Luther, Graf: Thanks, i appreciate your comments!

Luther Blissett:
You're an absolute legend. Should sticky this or merge with tutorial bits above.

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