For the first time user, it's not as friendly as some other 3D packages but still an outstanding bit of kit.
Blender 2.43 was released this month and has a new feature of interest to Anime Studio users - it now includes render baking. Basically it means the lighting in a scene is mapped onto a 3D object: This map can be imported along with the model into another application to create realistic 3D objects.
The following is a step by step guide to creating a Blender texture map then import into AS. It is not a Blender modeling tutorial as such, but designed allow anyone new to Blender to make a 3d object for AS. It includes other critical functions such as creating lights and secondary views. The tutorial is long and I hope every step painfully detailed.
You don't have to understand all the terms or processes. Just go with the flow and you should do it first time. If you already know the interface, you can jump to part 2.
Go grab a coffee and take your time.
Rhoel
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How to Bake a texture map in Blender and import into Anime Studio Pro
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Part 1: Let's make an object and light it.
When you start Blender, it opens with a cube object. Since it's there, this tutorial will use the standard cube.
A cube is the same on all sides, so let's flatten it make it easier to see which bit we are working on.
The standard window is the top view: In case you have switched to another view, let's go back to the top view: Press NP7 (number pad key 7). You should see this.
I have labeled the key items. Any object which has a magenta outline is selected. You can RMB (Right Mouse Button) click on an object to select it.
For this exercise, you we will need to see the cube in 3D. To do this, either hold down the CMB (Centre Mouse Button or wheel) or use Alt + LMB (Left Mouse Button) to move the window around. It can be tricky at first but get it into this position; If you loose the window, don't panic - just NP7 the window back to top view and try again.
We need to flatten the box. We need to see it better first:
RMB select the cube, then hit the TAB key. This takes you into the edit mode. You will see the cube is now changed, as have the buttons along the bottom of the screen.
If you have a mouse with a wheel, scroll the mouse wheel to enlarge the cube so you can see all the corners easily.
Time to flatten the box:
Hit the S key - S stretches an object. We want to flatten the cube in one axis only. On the lower left of the window, you will see a xyz axis indicator. We want to flatten on the Z axis, so hit the Z key. You will see a white line running vertically through the box. Flatten till it looks like this.
Time to save your work: Blender uses Ctrl + W key combination and not the Ctrl + S as most programs. Save the file to whatever directory you want - please keep all the elements of this tutorial together (don't worry about the reason).
Next stage: We need to add some colour and lights to see all the sides of the box. Use the Tab button to get back to Object Mode. Hit NP7 to go to the top view. We need to change the colour of the box. Make sure the box is selected and the lower window looks like this. Hit F8 to get to the materials window and click the two buttons to get back to this set-up.
You will see I have highlighted a grey box marked COL: This is the object colour. LMB the grey colourbox and a small window opens - select a pale yellow or similar. Do not use a strong colour as this will hide the lighting.
We need to add more lights and change their colours:
RMB click on the light. The light should have the magenta outline.
Let's duplicate the light. Hit Shift + D, then move the mouse ... a new light will be created.
To change the light colour, LMB the light colour box and select a deep red colour.
Make another new light. Shift + D this red light and drag it to the front left. Change the light colour to a deep blue.
Time to switch to the front view - hit NP1 (Number Pad 1). You see all the lights are at the same height. - Lower the light to the ground plane. To move it, hit G to grab it then drag to a lower height. Duplicate this light, move it to front right, make it green and place it below the ground plane. Ctrl + W to save your work.
To save us jumping from top to front views, we can have several screens open at the same time. Let's create a split screen:
Move the mouse pointer up to the edge of the top window - the cursor changes to an up and down arrow: press RMB. A menu pops up - select split screen. You should now have two screens. Put the mouse over the right window and press NP1. You should see top view on the left and front view on the right. NP7 the left screen if it has anything other than the Top view.
Lets render the scene so we see what we have. Rendering is easy, just hit F12. With luck you should have this.
If you haven't then go back and repeat till you have. You can move the lights (or any object) by RMB to select, then hitting G (the grab button). Move things around until you are happy.
We are now ready to make the UV map.
Part 2: Making a UV Map:
In the left window, select the box again (RMB)
Go to the Edit window. (TAB)
zoom and 3D the window (using the center wheel, SHIFT or Ctrl will move the window NS, EW), and get it like this.
On the right window, you will see I have red circled a new button. Change this to UV/Image editor. The window will now be just a black box - that is fine.
Let's make the first seam of the map.
Click A then Z to make the window like this.
The box now has magenta "dots" on each corner - there are called vertices's. We are going to select the lower back two: this the B key twice - you get a cute little circle (the mouse wheel makes it larger or smaller). When they are selected, they turn yellow. Click on both vertice so you have this.
RMB click to get rid of the vertice select tool.
hit Ctrl + E, and select Make Seam option.
Hit key A. to de-select the vertices.
(A toggles between select and deselect).
You should have this.
If your box looks like that, congratulations, you have your first seam.
Repeat the select vertices, Ctrl +E, Make seam, A cycle until you have this pattern.
Please save your work.
Time to prepare the image which will store the lighting information.
On the bottom of the right window, you will see an "image" button. Click it and a pop-up menu appears ... select new. This opens a new dialogue box. Enter 1024 for both width and height options. Hit okay.
We are now ready to unwrap the UV map.
Go back to the left window and hit TAB. The window changes to UV face select.
Hit A. The box will highlight in a delicate shade of pink and the right window will change colour.
With the mouse in the left window, hit U (to Unwrap). A menu appears, select unwrap.
You should see this.
Time to render the lighting to the new image:
Hit Ctrl + alt + B.
This brings up a new menu - select Full Render.
You should get this.
NOTE: If you get an error message saying no images found to bake to, don't panic , I sometimes get this message too ... just do the image/new/okay again - this might be a bug or me being out of step - whatever, it re-links everything together:
Hit ctrl + alt + B and it should render fine.
If the image window renders the lighting, you are nearly done:
Save the image!
In the right window select the image/save as. Please save the image in the same directory as before.
Final stage: Output the cube as a file Anime Studio understands.
make sure the cube is selected. Then go File/Export/Wavefront OBJ/... save the object to the working directory, call it blender_UVbox. Use the standard settings and hit okay.
Save your blender project and quit.
Congratulations, you have successfully make your first UV mapped obj file. Let's look at it in SA>
Open Anime Studio Pro:
To import a 3D object in Anime Studio, you use File/import/OBJ 3d model ...
navigate to your working directory where you stored the blender tutorial, and select the blender_UVbox.obj file.
The file will be imported but you get this - a screen full of box side.
Don't panic - AS has a 3D script to handle this automatically.
Use Scripts/3d/autoscale to bring the object into view.
This will scale down the object - you probably will be looking at the side of the box.
Use the Rotate Layer X and Rotate Layer Y buttons to rotate the box - you should get this
You can also use the 3D world view button to play with the object.
And that, as they say in animation circles, is all folks.
Rhoel
2007-03-07
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If all this looks daunting, it's not - I have just detailed every little step with a newbie in mind ... there is nothing more infuriating than one missing step at all regular users know but Joe Newbie doesn't.
Have fun with it - the potential of this tool is awesome.
Rhoel
