Introducing Character Animation with Blender

Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2^nd Edition is written in a friendly but professional tone, with clear descriptions and numerous illustrative screenshots. Throughout the book, tutorials focus on how to accomplish actual animation goals, while illustrating the necessary technical methods along the way. These are reinforced by clear descriptions of how each specific aspect of Blender works and fits together with the rest of the package. By following all the tutorials, the reader will gain all the skills necessary to build and animate a well-modeled, fully-rigged character of their own. The character built over the course of the tutorials is included as a .blend file on the DVD, for the reader to experiment with and learn from. Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2^nd Edition is inspiring as well as educational. A color insert includes sample characters and frames from animations by many of the Blender community's most talented artists, which help to illustrate the impressive potential of the software.

Tony Mullen, PhD, has a broad background in CG-related work. He teaches at Tsuda College and Musashino Art University, where his courses have included modeling and animation with Blender and programming with Python. Mullen has been a cartoonist and an illustrator; his screen credits include writer, codirector, and lead animator on several short films, including the award-winning, live-action/stop-motion film Gustav Braustache and the Auto-Debilitator. He is the author of Blender Studio Projects: Digital Movie-Making; Mastering Blender; and Bounce, Tumble and Splash!: Simulating the Physical World with Blender 3D, all from Sybex.

PART I: CREATING A CHARACTER WITH BLENDER.

Chapter 1: Blender Basics: Interface and Objects.

Chapter 2: Working with Meshes.

Chapter 3: Completing the Model with Materials, Textures, and Particles.

Chapter 4: Armatures and Rigging.

Chapter 5: Shape Keys and Facial Rigging.

PART II: BRINGING IT TO LIFE: ANIMATION.

Chapter 6: Basics of Animation.

Chapter 7: Armature Animation.

Chapter 8: Facial Animation and Lip Sync.

Chapter 9: Nonlinear Animation.

Chapter 10: Further Issues in Character Animation.

Chapter 11: Lighting, Rendering, and Editing Your Animation.

Chapter 12: Using Python Scripts.

PART III: BLENDER IN PRODUCTION.

Chapter 13: Blender Institute.

Chapter 14: A Look Inside Blender Open Movies.

Chapter 15: Behind the Scenes at Sintel.

Chapter 16: Plumiferos.

PART IV: BLENDER AND BEYOND.

Chapter 17: Other Software and Formats.

Chapter 18: Resources for Further Learning.