Soccer Ball Part II

Hey guys! This one'll be reeaalllyyy brief because I'm on my way to stardom! Just joking, I have an important agenda to follow. So for this post, I won't be conducting an interview. I'll be *drum roll* STRAIGHTFORWARD.

Commands we used in this week's project:

Shift + G > Amount of Connecting Edges
 - This particular command selects ANY amount of connecting edges so you can delete or dissolve them anytime you want!

Alt + C > Curve from Mesh
- This converts your curve to a mesh, so it gives the exterior a rounded shape. We used this to make
the rings for our soccer ball!

Just Alt + C
- Again, this converts your curve to a mesh, and your mesh to a curve! You can manipulate either one. Keep in mind that the mesh is basically EVERYTHING (Faces, edges, vertices). The curve is... well, a curve!

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY
Wait, am I advertising soccer balls now?

Emission
- It brings light to our precious little Blender world. (Or you know, light to reflect off our soccer ball)

Object > Transform > Align Objects
- This is basically the Align & Distribute for Blender! It takes two objects, and aligns them so that they're straight.

Question of the Day:
Why must you hold down Shift when scaling the rings of your soccer ball?

- Of course, you want your work to be nice and precise! Accuracy! Precision! YES!!! When you hold down Shift, your rings won't go out of control and get too big. They'll be petite and extra adorable.

Working on this soccer ball was pretty easy! You just need to be totally accurate. Also, you HAD to listen to Mrs.Buenaflor give out instructions, or else you'd get lost. You'd have to wait for the power point's release. So, lesson for all children, LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHERS OR ELSE YOU'LL GET LOST AND CONFUSED. I, for one, got lost and confused at some point. Don't make the same mistakes, guys. . . Or you could make those mistakes, and learn from them! WOW, a Blender lesson and Life lesson all in one post. I should get a prize.

See you later, folks!

Soccer Ball Part I

Happy Valentine's Day, beautiful people! How's everyone doing? You're all probably preparing for that special date, huh? No need to be embarrassed! Have fun tonight, darlings, and I hope you enjoy this spontaneous interview with Jim the Interviewer!

*crickets chirping* Oooooor maybe not! Unfortunately, Jim will not be here tonight because he has "plans" (Someone's a social butterfly). So, I shall answer the questions and send them to him for our next interview. Here's my draft!

JIM INTERVIEW DRAFT 1
Today's topic is the Soccer Ball. Wait, haven't we already talked about this?... NOPE, this is different! This one is special because it has *drum roll* STITCHES YAY. Let us begin!

Q: What's the difference between the icosphere, UV sphere, and truncated icosahedron?
A: Alright, I won't necessarily define these terms, but I'll talk about when each 3D shape is used. The icosphere is not symmetrical, so it should be used when you're trying to make a golf ball or something with a rough looking terrain; the UV sphere is best used when you're making a smoother object like the disco ball (because it's symmetrical). And finally, we have the truncated icosahedron. Because it has pentagons and hexagons, the truncated icosahedron looks pretty legit if you make a soccer ball (And that's why we used it!)

Q: What's the latest modifier you used to make the truncated icosahedron's structure rounder?
A:  We used the cast modifier! This baby could make an object extra smooth and plump, just by changing the "factor value"! Super awesome, and in my opinion, easier to manipulate than the "Smooth" button at the side.

Q: What's the function of Shift G, X, Tab, Extrude Individual, Mix Shader, and Subdivide?
A: Oh my, that's a lot!
Shift G - Opens up a menu where you can select certain parts of an object. For example, you could select all edges or vertices. Whichever you want, boss!
X - This one is quite obvious, guys. You can delete and dissolve stuff!
Tab - Tab changes the "mode". Would you like easy mode, or normal? Just joking, it switches from Object mode to Edit mode. And if you aren't paying attention, it closes a bunch of your tabs to the left.
Extrude Individual - It's when you select a bunch of faces as individuals (I'm not talking about people, okay)
Mix Shader - You can have not one, but TWO colours on your object!
Subdivide - Allows you to manipulate number of cuts, so it's easier to select and distort certain areas.


Q: What's the difference between "dissolve" edges and "delete" edges?
A: Delete is way meaner than dissolve, I'll tell ya that. Dissolve just melts away an edge or two you don't want, and doesn't tamper with the mesh. Delete, on the other hand, ANNIHILATES EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH! LITERALLY ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! Sorry, sorry, lost my cool for a second there. But seriously, Delete, why you gotta be so rude?

Q: How'd you feel about this whole thing?
A: A lot of specific details to remember, but still easier than the Cloth Napkin. I stumbled a few times because Blender and I had a few misunderstandings, but everything's all good. One of the easiest projects I've done so far on Blender. You should try it out! It'll make you feel so accomplished because it looks pretty legit at the end. . . Well, from what I'm seeing, I conclude that it'll be totally legit in the end. Trust me.

Happy Valentine's again, my wonderful readers! Enjoy the night while it's still young!

Au Revoir, lovelies!

Is that a new constellation? 

3D Soccer Ball

Welcome back to another segment of "My Blog's Random Interviews"! Introducing your host. . . Mr. Interviewer! 

Mr. I: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! Today's topic, you ask? *suspenseful drum roll* DIGITAL ARTS! Ha, what do you expect from us?! Some 1st period World History lesson? Nope, nuh uh, Big N O - Sorry, that's the wrong show, folks. Now today, we'll be discussing the 3D Soccer Ball Model made by the one and only, Jackie! One and only guest, I should say.

*Loud Applause and Fangirl Screams from Audience*

Mr.I: Welcome back, Jackie! Great to see you, again! How are ya doing?

Jackie: Haha, I'm doing great, Jim. It's nice to be back. . . Again .__.

Jim (Wow, a first name!): *Nervous laugh* Uh, well, why don't we talk about your latest project? A 3D Soccer Ball, I hear.

Jackie: Oh yeah, sure. That is my latest project on Blender, and I gotta tell you Jim; It's wayyy easier than my last one!

Jim: Really now? I'd love for you to elaborate more for the audience, but I gotta stick to my questions or else I won't get paid! Am I right, folks?! *Crickets chirping - Jim clears throat* So, can you differentiate the Icosphere from the UV sphere? 

Jackie: Oh, of course! It's quite simple, really. The UV sphere, which was used in the last project, has a smoother cover, making it easier to distort. The Icosphere, on the other hand, has a hexagonal base - It has pointed edges, and is probably really sharp in real life. 

Jim: *Looks at index card* Alright, how about the modifiers? What did you use in this one?

Jackie: Well, I used two: Bevel and Subdivision Surface. And before you ask me about the differences, I'll beat you to it! Bevel was used to make the ball's texture more defined, and Subdivision was used to make the ball smoother. And because of these two, the ball looks totally legit! 

Jim: Totally, soccer balls are gray.
Jackie: Quiet, Jim! It's in the editing process.

Jim: Awesome! Now, what is the importance of keyboard shortcuts: F6, Shift G, Shift + Alt + S, Ctrl + B, and S?

Jackie: That's a lot, Jim! Let's go through this one by one.

S - scales an object

Ctrl + B - Shortcut to open Bevel's Operation Menu

Shift + Alt + S - Tinkers with the sphericity 

Shift G - Group Selection/Options

F6 - Operating Panel

Jim: Wow, I'm learning something every time you're here! Last question; Could you share your experiences with us? How'd ya feel making this 3D Soccer Ball?

Jackie: Honestly, Jim, it was easier than the last one! I didn't need to rotate all the way, or change the camera's view. It felt nice for a change. No need to stress over anything any more. I got to practice my Blender skills, learn new shortcuts, and it was fun making this Soccer Ball. I hope we have more projects like this! 

Thanks for dropping by! See you later, folks!

Cloth Napkin Part 2

Alright, so we (classmates and yours truly) were told to create another post, talking about our experiences with Blender. This is how I feel, people.

Will this be on Trivia Crack? 

I'll be brutally honest; Blender is a pain in the behind. There are a lot of things you need to do to create a project as simple as the cloth napkin. It requires patience, diligence, and a lot of your time. I guess I'm not a fan of Blender because I was never interested in Digital Arts. Some people just click from the start, but me? Nope! But even if Blender gives me migraines and stress, it challenges me to think and helps me stay patient (Both of which I need if I want to survive with my energetic classmates). And at the end of every project, you gain more knowledge about Digital Arts and you can see how beautiful the outcome is.

I learned about different commands this week, guys. I had to use things like "solidify", change the view to the "camera's perspective", and animate the whole shindig. After, I was able to "render" my file to get the finished product (Picture attached ^). Oh, and don't forget the terms! Never forget the terms. Well, I knew most of them because I searched them up beforehand so. . . Here's the word of the day! (Sorry, awkward ending. Not good, my bad)

Cycles: A new render engine that is available to Blender Internal. It's a ray tracing based render engine with support for interactive rendering, a new shading node system, new texture workflow, and GPU acceleration.

The more you know. 

The Cloth Napkin

Welcome back, dear children! Sorry, it's been a while. . . Just got back from break, aaaaand I've been preoccupied with my best friends, Netflix and Hulu. Just joking! Well, sort of. Here's this week's topic!~

Q: So, Jackie, how's Inkscape?
A: It's been great! But, Mr.Interviewer, I haven't used Inkscape since last year! (I've moved on to Blender)

Q: Haha, that's funny. Seriously, how's Inkscape?
A: If you were paying ATTENTION, I secretly whispered to the crowd that I've moved on to Blender. And what is Blender you ask? According to their official website, t's a free and open source 3D animation suite. That means ANYONE can use it!

Q: Oh, umm alright. . . Well, I'm searching it up right now, and it looks really complicated. Are there any shortcuts? Mouse shortcuts, in particular?
A: Of course! So there are 3 shortcuts IF you have a mouse.
- Panning: Middle Scroll button + Shift + dragging mouse
- Rotating: Middle Scroll button + dragging mouse around
- Zooming: Scroll the Middle button (obviously, right?)

Q: So can you reflect on this little project for everyone? I mean, we're all curious.
A: Aww, I'm flattered! Well, I learned A LOT about animation and what goes on behind the scenes. I'll tell you this I don't want to be an animator or something. *audible gasp from crowd* Woah, wait, I'm sorry, but it's not my thing! To be honest, it's really interesting and sometimes I get challenged; but I swear, there will never be a time where I don't have a migraine while working on such projects. I know I've probably discouraged all of you, but I promise, if you are totally into Digital Arts, you'll have DA fun time ;D

Happy New Year, guys! Talk to ya soon!

Transparent Text

This week I added "transparent text" to one of my favorite pictures. Here are step-by-step instructions to create this fun project.

1. Import a picture and select the text tool. Type in whatever you want then adjust to your liking
2. Make sure the text is black. Duplicate it (Ctrl D) and make the copy maroon
3. Duplicate again; change colour to red
4. Duplicate again; change colour to olive
5. Duplicate again; change colour to yellow
6. Duplicate for the last time; change colour to black
7. Select the black text on top, open up Fill & Stroke (Ctrl + Shift + F), change blur to 0.5
8. Go to Path -> Outset x 3 (Honestly, this depends on how big you make your text - just make sure it slightly overlaps the rest)
9. Move the text slightly to the right so you can see the olive one just a bit - To make life easier, just press your right arrow key 3-5 times.
10. Move the text a level lower by clicking on the "Lower Level" icon OR by pressing PgDn once.
11. Don't deselect the black text just yet. Select the yellow text by holding down Shift and clicking on it. Go to Path -> Difference
12. Now that you have that shadow effect, move the text aaaaall the way to the bottom THEN bring it back up one level so it's on top of the picture but below all the other coloured texts.
13. Deselect the shadow-y text and select the olive one. Change the olive colour to white and Select Path -> Outset x 2.
14. Lower its level by pressing PgDn; Select the red text, too; Go to Path -> Difference
15. With the white text (or should I say white border now) still selected, change its opacity to 30.
16. Alright, almost done. Deselect the white text and select the maroon one - Change the maroon colour to a white (Make sure opacity is 100)
17. Select the gradient tool; Your gradient should be linear.
18. Start your gradient at the top of the first letter and drag it down halfway. Pull up the square box half an inch or so. Ta-da!~ You have yourself some mighty fine looking text.

Q of the Day: What were your challenges or difficulties in creating transparent text and how did you overcome them?

A of the Day (Get it? A of the Day??? No? Oh well alright. I'd add in a + but THAT wouldn't make sense): I had problems with the outset. Frankly, I wanted to throw my laptop out the window because my outset didn't work. Thankfully, my wonderful peer fixed it for me, so I was able to finish just in time for grading. If your outset doesn't work, you can do it manually by readjusting the size. That would take time, however, because you have to make sure it isn't too big or too skinny. Outset on my laptop is a pain in the behind, honestly.

Happy Thanksgiving, Beautiful Commoners

ERMAGERD HAS SENPAI NOTICED ME YET

Making a Video Tutorial

Welcome back to another segment of *drum roll* DA BLOGS WITH JACKIE! DA as in Digital Arts, guys - not the ghetto "the". Alright, so I actually created a vid tutorial! Please people, contain your excitement. Jokes, I know you want me to continue sooo here's my blog for this week!

Q: What is a video tutorial?

A: Video tutorials are basically videos with people who record themselves and show the world how something's done. A video tutorial should have basic but detailed information so you can create more things in life. I think good vid tutorial examples are DIY's. 

Q: Why do people create video tutorials?

A: Because they need to pass their high school computer classes. Jokes, that's just me and some other people in my class. Well, people create video tutorials because they either love recording themselves doing something OR they want to teach a variety of people worldwide. Some people actually learn more from video tutorials than reading instructions. I guess video tutorials help you see how something's supposed to look like in the end, unlike written instructions - those confuse the poops out of me sometimes. 

Now you're all wondering, "What happened to Jackie's video?". Weeeell, I don't want to show you all my tutorial, so I'll explain it so you get an idea of what it's like! In my video, I basically covered the topic from last time: creating clip art through insects. I created a majestic mainstream ladybug in the span of 16 minutes. My work was quite organized because I gave a step-by-step run through for the whole thing. Also, my voice was clear enough for viewers to understand the instructions. I think viewers can learn from my tutorial because the topic is really simple and I gave specific instructions PLUS shortcuts to make your life easier. You're welcome, people. 

See you later, guys!