Episode #9 from the series: New things I learned this semester – Blender Animation Rendering

Rendering an animation with Blender requires careful attention to detail to achieve high-quality results efficiently. Ensuring the computer meets the necessary hardware requirements, including adequate CPU, GPU, and RAM, is the first crucial step. Closing unnecessary programs helps free up system resources for Blender’s intensive tasks. It was not the first time that I rendered an animation in blender but surely one of the memorable ones.

Scene preparation is vital, involving optimization to reduce render times. Simplifying geometry, reducing texture sizes, and using instances instead of duplicates save memory and processing power. Proper lighting setup avoids excessive noise and enhances the animation’s visual appeal. Using appropriate shaders and textures, and avoiding unnecessarily high-resolution textures, is also important.

Render settings must be configured carefully. Selecting the correct resolution, such as 1920×1080 for full HD, and an appropriate frame rate, like 24 frames per second, ensures the animation meets project requirements. Adjusting the number of samples balances image quality and render times, while Blender’s denoising tools help reduce noise with fewer samples.

Choosing the right render engine is another crucial decision. Cycles, known for photorealistic rendering, can be slower, while Eevee, suitable for real-time previews, is faster. Fine-tuning the chosen engine’s settings enhances performance and quality. For this projects I chose the render engine Cycles because I wanted a realistic look to my scene.

Animation setup involves checking all keyframes and ensuring smooth transitions. Baking physics simulations, such as cloth or fluid, before rendering prevents errors. Managing renders efficiently by rendering in smaller batches or using network rendering can save significant time. Rendering to an image sequence allows re-rendering specific frames if issues arise, avoiding the need to start over. I had some issues with setting the camera right – at first I wanted my camera to track my object. When I figured that out, I didn’t like the look of it. My solution was to animate the camera as well.

Organizing work is essential. Regularly saving the project and using version control to track changes prevent loss of progress. Keeping backups of important files and renders provides security against unexpected issues. I had the issue that I had to many tabs open while working in den render view of blender. ZACK BOOM everything was closed and I was sad.

I’m not quite happy with how my tennis ball turned out. The particles spread into the white Ring, the color is a bit of and the general experience was a 3/10. I learned in the past years that sometimes you just have to close a chapter and be happy with how it turned out regardless of the expected result. It’s not perfect and I’m not very satisfied but I hated the project in the end so that was the best I could do. Why I hated the project? While working on the project a film was released named „Challengers“. So now working on this project seemed like I was inspired by that movie – Which I was clearly not. I wanted my project to stand alone – more or less original thought – but with the movie coming out it looked like I was jumping on a hypetrain and there is nothing I hate more than this. Nevertheless I pushed through, but did not gave it my all.

Episode #6 from the series: New things I learned this semester – 360 GoPro HDR

Creating HDR images using a GoPro Max 360 camera can significantly elevate the lighting quality in Blender projects, enhancing realism and immersion. The GoPro Max, known for its ability to capture panoramic views, allows you to create HDR images by taking multiple bracketed photos at different exposure levels.

To start, set up your GoPro Max on a stable tripod in the desired location. Unlike some cameras, the GoPro Max doesn’t have a built-in HDR bracketing mode, so you’ll need to manually adjust exposure settings. Take a series of photos varying from underexposed to overexposed, ensuring you capture the full range of light in your scene.

Once you’ve captured your bracketed photos, transfer them to your computer for processing. Use HDR software such as Adobe Photoshop, Photomatix, or Luminance HDR to merge these photos into a single HDR image. This process involves aligning the photos to compensate for any slight movement during the capture, then merging them to retain details across both the darkest shadows and brightest highlights.

After merging, adjust the tone mapping settings in your HDR software to fine-tune the appearance of the HDR image. This step ensures that your HDR image looks natural and realistic, maintaining a balance between light and dark areas.

Save the final HDR image in a format compatible with Blender, such as .hdr or .exr, to preserve its high dynamic range properties. In Blender, use the HDR image as an environment texture in the World settings. This allows the HDR to influence the lighting and reflections in your 3D scenes, enhancing their visual fidelity and realism.

By utilizing HDR images captured with a GoPro Max 360 camera, you can achieve sophisticated lighting effects in Blender, making your renders more dynamic and true-to-life.