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Blender: Difference between revisions
Deleted the Blender 3.1 information box, changed "add-on" to "addon", moved "Copying Materials" image to "Lack of textures on animated models" paragraph, deleted "Setting materials in Shading" as it was a duplicate for some reason
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(Deleted the Blender 3.1 information box, changed "add-on" to "addon", moved "Copying Materials" image to "Lack of textures on animated models" paragraph, deleted "Setting materials in Shading" as it was a duplicate for some reason) |
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Blender is a free and open-source program used for 3D modeling, animating, rigging, texturing, video editing, digital drawing, etc. It is the community's current 3D software of choice for modding Oni. | Blender is a free and open-source program used for 3D modeling, animating, rigging, texturing, video editing, digital drawing, etc. It is the community's current 3D software of choice for modding Oni. | ||
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Up until 2019, the Oni community's 3D program of choice was [[Mod Tool|XSI Mod Tool 7.5]], a free version of Autodesk Softimage from 2009. But Softimage was discontinued in 2014, so the community was using increasingly outdated software. XSI was the only free software that the community could make any sense of (although very limited), and it had no problems handling Oni's assets and animations, unlike other programs. Blender was overlooked because, despite its popularity, its user interface was notoriously bad. Also, attempts at importing Oni's assets to Blender ran into [[#Oni-specific_issues_with_Blender|a number of issues]] with unknown causes. | Up until 2019, the Oni community's 3D program of choice was [[Mod Tool|XSI Mod Tool 7.5]], a free version of Autodesk Softimage from 2009. But Softimage was discontinued in 2014, so the community was using increasingly outdated software. XSI was the only free software that the community could make any sense of (although very limited), and it had no problems handling Oni's assets and animations, unlike other programs. Blender was overlooked because, despite its popularity, its user interface was notoriously bad. Also, attempts at importing Oni's assets to Blender ran into [[#Oni-specific_issues_with_Blender|a number of issues]] with unknown causes. | ||
However, Blender's user interface received a total overhaul in version 2.80 which was universally praised. The program has become a serious free alternative to industry-standard 3D programs like Maya or 3ds Max. This, along with the considerations that Blender continues to be actively developed, is a light-weight program, supports Macs as well as Windows, and has an abundance of support from the Blender community, eventually made it clear that Oni modders needed to move on from XSI to Blender. The final | However, Blender's user interface received a total overhaul in version 2.80 which was universally praised. The program has become a serious free alternative to industry-standard 3D programs like Maya or 3ds Max. This, along with the considerations that Blender continues to be actively developed, is a light-weight program, supports Macs as well as Windows, and has an abundance of support from the Blender community, eventually made it clear that Oni modders needed to move on from XSI to Blender. The final nails in the coffin were XSI's lack of stability and a limited amount of resources and tutorials to work with. | ||
From 2020 to 2022, a significant amount of work was done to allow modding Oni in Blender: the <tt>-blender</tt> tag was introduced to [[OniSplit]], and a new [[Using the Rigify animation rig|animation rig]] tailor-fit for making Oni animations was created, along with [[BlenderOni]] – a companion tool for said rig. With all of this done, the community can now create new content for Oni in a modern, free, well-supported 3D modeler. | From 2020 to 2022, a significant amount of work was done to allow modding Oni in Blender: the <tt>-blender</tt> tag was introduced to [[OniSplit]], and a new [[Using the Rigify animation rig|animation rig]] tailor-fit for making Oni animations was created, along with [[BlenderOni]] – a companion tool for said rig. With all of this done, the community can now create new content for Oni in a modern, free, well-supported 3D modeler. | ||
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General Blender basics: | General Blender basics: | ||
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG8qK5zPqgM Wolf's 45-Minute Crash Course for Blender Virgins] (this is one of the best Blender basics tutorials out there; it's also good if you know your basics already and you want to find out if you've missed anything) | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG8qK5zPqgM Wolf's 45-Minute Crash Course for Blender Virgins] (don't get this is one of the best Blender basics tutorials out there; it's also good if you know your basics already and you want to find out if you've missed anything) | ||
Modelling: | Modelling: | ||
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Currently we have an animation rig available in the form of a Blender scene available [http://mods.oni2.net/node/388 HERE]. The rig was made by Geyser and Delano762, and a tutorial on how to use it is available [[Using the Rigify animation rig|HERE]]. The rig is based on the Rigify plugin for Blender and serves as the '''community's modern tool to create new character animations for Oni''', featuring both Forward and Inverse Kinematics – an enormous improvement over the previous FK-only method of animating. | Currently we have an animation rig available in the form of a Blender scene available [http://mods.oni2.net/node/388 HERE]. The rig was made by Geyser and Delano762, and a tutorial on how to use it is available [[Using the Rigify animation rig|HERE]]. The rig is based on the Rigify plugin for Blender and serves as the '''community's modern tool to create new character animations for Oni''', featuring both Forward and Inverse Kinematics – an enormous improvement over the previous FK-only method of animating. | ||
This rig is intended to be used together with [[#BlenderOni|BlenderOni]], a Blender | This rig is intended to be used together with [[#BlenderOni|BlenderOni]], a Blender addon designed as a companion tool for it – '''without it, the rig is extremely difficult to set up, to the point of being almost useless.''' | ||
The rig has the following capabilities (which come with Rigify by default, unless otherwise noted): | The rig has the following capabilities (which come with Rigify by default, unless otherwise noted): | ||
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==BlenderOni== | ==BlenderOni== | ||
BlenderOni is a Blender | BlenderOni is a Blender addon intended as an integral companion tool for the fan-made animation rig for Blender. It contains functionalities that automate a lot of operations necessary for the rig to function and be used properly. However, the vast majority of the addon's options can also be used for general Blender purposes. | ||
For more information on BlenderOni, please check its documentation page available [[BlenderOni|HERE]]. | For more information on BlenderOni, please check its documentation page available [[BlenderOni|HERE]]. | ||
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'''Currently there is no option in OniSplit for exporting animated models with textures.''' While you don't need textures for animating, they are very useful, particularly in the case of Oni; the models are low-detail to a point where you can lose sense of which direction elbows and knees are facing if you don't have the textures on. | '''Currently there is no option in OniSplit for exporting animated models with textures.''' While you don't need textures for animating, they are very useful, particularly in the case of Oni; the models are low-detail to a point where you can lose sense of which direction elbows and knees are facing if you don't have the textures on. | ||
Because there is no option to export animated models with textures, '''the current workaround for that is to import an unanimated model with textures, then import an animated model,''' and either copy materials from the unanimated model to the animated one (the faster method), or set the materials on the animated model manually. | Because there is no option to export animated models with textures, '''the current workaround for that is to import an unanimated model with textures, then import an animated model,''' and either copy materials from the unanimated model to the animated one (the faster method), or set the materials on the animated model manually in the Shading tab. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! Copying materials | |||
|- | |||
| [[Image:ABR_Copying_materials.png|200px|frameless|center]] | |||
|- | |||
|} | |||
===Alpha transparency issue=== | ===Alpha transparency issue=== | ||
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{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Konoko upon importing to Blender !! Fixed transparency | ! Konoko upon importing to Blender !! Fixed transparency | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Image:ABR Konoko broken alpha.png|200px|frameless|center]] || [[Image:ABR_Konoko_fixed_alpha | | [[Image:ABR Konoko broken alpha.png|200px|frameless|center]] || [[Image:ABR_Konoko_fixed_alpha.png|200px|frameless|center]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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Except for sounds, textures and text-oriented resources, Blender has the potential to be THE editor for Oni. Its powerful Python support is very useful for customization. | Except for sounds, textures and text-oriented resources, Blender has the potential to be THE editor for Oni. Its powerful Python support is very useful for customization. | ||
Additional imports/exports, XML/.oni file creation and configurations should be automated, and customization should be used to streamline workflows as much as possible. Tools in the form of | Additional imports/exports, XML/.oni file creation and configurations should be automated, and customization should be used to streamline workflows as much as possible. Tools in the form of addons should allow users to be artists instead of coders, speeding up development of the actual projects. | ||
A successful modding community requires not one of these points, but all of them: documentation, tools and tutorials. | A successful modding community requires not one of these points, but all of them: documentation, tools and tutorials. | ||