Hi you all, as you know, I care a lot about the use of only software / app that you can afford, without using piracy. That’s why I started to learn Blender.
Lot of people in architecture don’t think immediately about Blender when talking about renders… but I have seen amazing results and I want to try to learn this software. Are you ready for a journey like this with me?
Let’s go.
1 – Install
Of course, first thing… download it! It is completely free and it always will be. And yes, you can use it for work and commercial purposes. Of course if you want and can, you can finance-support the project.
Free to Use. Free to Change.
Blender offical page
Free to Share. Free to Sell Your Work
Be sure to be in the OFFICIAL HOMEPAGE, and download the latest version. It is available for everyone: Mac, Linux and Windows. Install it in ENGLISH. This is very important, since once you need some help you can find much more discussions, tips and helps in English rather than other languages.
2 – Familiarize with the interface
Get familiar with the workspace and save your preferences. How? We’ll see it together in the next chapters
3 – Learning Basics
I started my learning path from Youtube. I luckily found these tutorials published by the official platform and financed by third parties. They are quick, they also help to introduce you and learn each part of the interface and seem very easy to follow. For architectural modeling purposes, you should at least see the first 14 videos (they last less than 5 minutes sometimes) – continue if you would like to render. They are clear and concise. I am loving these guides.
Blender Fundamentals 2.8
4 – activate the most useful add-ons
- open Blender
- open EDIT -> PREFERENCES
- CLICK ON ADD-ONS
- search the add-ons you will find here or in other tutorials as…
- bool tool – for boolean tools, click here
- cycles render engine – our rendering engine
- edit mesh tools – for offset. Check this guide
- import-export dxf – see also this article
- import image-plan – the possibility to add images as references for plans
- node wrangler – to ease the use of shading, as suggested in this video link
- stored views – to save very easily your current view – see this video (ita) or this (eng)
5 – Focus on very specific/architectural exercises
Try something directly dedicated for your purposes, as modeling for architecture if you are in this field for example. Because Blender is a very complex and complete software, learning everything is sometimes unuseful and wastes a lot of time. Go straight to the point instead!
That’s what I am doing, there are a lot of videos on the internet about each field: two favourites about architecture and essentials are Fabrizio Cimò (IT) and CG Essentials (EN).
As you understand, I am not a pro – at all!! – but I am writing these posts just to help other architects and designers learn the basics quickly and ease their transition into Blender without being too scared of it.
I will help you as much as I can, then the rest of the work will be done by you, by searching each time the things that you need. And I am sure, you will overcome the master! 🙂
I will give you all the hints I will learn during this path with strong attention to modeling and rendering for products and architecture!
6 – How much time?
I spent almost 1 month to get familiar, and then I decided that the time was ripe to make the transition from Rhino to Blender. Most of the work in reality started here: I forced me to deliver the designs using this program, even if I didn’t feel my knowledge ready and “complete”. But this is the way you learn more, because you learn what you really need. Spoiler: I don’t feel ready either now.
The first times will be hard, then it will be downhill.
and…
Keep it simple!!
For any kind of suggestion, please write to me!