text:
Sculpt brushes not functioning properly
I'm a total newb to Blender, so I don't know if this is a simple problem, but I'm following a tutorial and am currently learning how to use the sculpt tools. However, while the tutorial is showing very smooth and predictable results, my brushes aren't reacting the same way. I've tried several brushes, and most of them are producing a similar result. The flatten brush is only flattening along the sides, but it's not making a stroke like it seems like it's supposed to. All the other brushes are malfunctioning as well. Sculpt/draw, crease, and Nudge make similar strokes, nothing at all like their example images, and nothing at all like I've seen they're supposed to.
I have smoothening on, dyntopo is on, all of my modifiers are applied, so there are no actives ones. I tried applying the scale of my object, and the scale, but none of those solutions have solved the problem. I've searched in all of the forums I could find and still haven't found anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The tutorial I'm following:

My results trying the same:

did you play around with the detail size in the dynotopo settings to get more resolution on the mesh when you make a stroke? Do you have a pressure sensitive tablet with pressure enabled on the brush?

Just figured it out. I had to apply the modifiers to my object.

Hi, thanks for the post. This site is not a regular forum, answers should be substantial and thoroughly explain the solution and required workflow. One liners and short tips rarely make for a good answer. If you can [edit] your post and provide some more details about the procedure and why it works feel free to restore it, otherwise it may be deleted or converted into a comment. Perhaps add a few images illustrating the workflow and final results. See How do I write a good answer?

Thank you for this simple answer! That was exactly my issue, having to first apply the subdivision surface modifier.


text:
Can't motion track backwards
So I'm trying to track a panning footage(start in center, pan left, pan right without stopping in the middle, and back to center.), and I want to place the tracker in the end where there is no motion blur and track backwards to get a more accurate result, but every time I try to track it won't even do one frame without losing the target while it is clear to see. What should I do?
TL;DR
Cannot track backwards without losing the target while it is clear.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


text:
Scale Subinstances separately in nested instances
I would like to use geometry nodes to create the Weaire Phelan structure (Wikipedia) such that I can independently transform (and in particular scale) every single cell.
To that end, I so far have:

Built the two necessary pieces, one with 14 sides (left) and the other with 12

using Geometry nodes, arranged them into a unit cell pattern. Eight pieces in total. I also gave them different materials mostly for debug purposes.

I generated a grid  of points to instance this construction on. Here a 5x5x5 grid. This is entirely procedural.

and finally I instanced the cells and scaled them accordingly.

The problem now is, that the scaling happens on the full cell, rather than on each individual piece. What would be the best way to accomplish this same thing but per piece?
I have found that something like this is possible with Pick Instance and Instance Index:

However, this is not good enough: While that lets me scale the pieces individually, the transformations are still centered on the points in the grid rather than the pieces. In effect, the pattern ends up being the exact same if driven by a texture. The scale is sampled from the grid positions and the locations to scale towards are also on the grid. I need both of those things to happen at the positions of each piece instead.
I think maybe it's possible by also feeding in the noise texture eight separate times and carefully shifting it around but I can't quite get the shifting right and it seems like a very brittle, error-prone method. I am hoping for something more efficient

Now I've understood the problem better and here is the solution.
So transform instances moves object while keeping object center in place, this is not suitable behavior for our task. So instead, I will create additional points for each separate piece.
This is a plan - add 8 copies for each point, shift them, rotate instances. Unfortunately, blender doesn't allow rotating points, so we have to mark them using IDs and later rotate them as instances. So this is my result for 3 pieces out of 8:

Some repeating actions I've putted into node groups. First one assigns an ID and offset points:

Second one uses IDs to rotate instances:

I've put the system on test using this setup:

And have good results:

You can't scale nested objects separately, because root objects share the same data

This is the walkaround:) you can group repeating actions in a group to make nodes simpler, though

That make sense, I'll think about this

@kram1032 I've updated the answer

This works perfectly, thank you

The solution is, to prevent subinstances. In my example I used a cube, an icosphere, a cone and a cylinder. These represent your elements. I arranged them in a grid 2x2. This represents your cell. And I arranged 5 of these grids on a meshline, which represents your 5x5x5 grid.

But instead of instantiating the elements directly on the 2x2 grid, we mark every point of it using the Capture Attribute node. Then we only instantiate the grid on the meshline and realize the instances:

Now, that we have our complete grid, we can instantiate the single elements based on the marker and scale them individually relative to their instantiation point, which is the same as their origin.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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OSL: Anomalous normals returned by getmessage("trace")
One approach to finding if a shading point P is inside another object in OSL includes firing a probe ray back towards the camera from P, and detecting, whether the first face encountered faces towards P, or away from it.
This involves finding the normal of the first hit face. According to the OSL specification, I would expect this to be expressed in "common" space, which in the Blender/Cycles implementation, is world space.
This shader, tN_anomaly, is essentially for debugging - it prints formatted information about P,  the probe ray fired from it, and the point hit by the ray.
#include "stdosl.h"

// DEBUG HELPER - return 1 with probability prob
int pRnd(float prob){

    int iP = int((noise("usimplex",P))*  1000000000) ;
    int iI = int((noise("usimplex",I))*  1000000000) ;
    return( ((iP^iI ) % 1000000 ) < (1000000 * prob));

}

// DEBUG HELPER - return string repr of raytype(s)
string dbgRayTypes(){

    string sRT = "";

    if (raytype("camera")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[CAM]");
    if (raytype("diffuse")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[DIF]");
    if (raytype("glossy")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[GLS]");
    if (raytype("reflection")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[RFL]");
    if (raytype("refraction")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[RFR]");
    if (raytype("shadow")) sRT = concat(sRT,"[SHD]");
    if (sRT == "") sRT == "[NUL]";

    return sRT;
}

//SHADER START

shader tN_anomaly(
       output int hitBackfacing = 0
)
{
// fire a ray back towards the eye from the shading point
    if (trace(P,I)){

        // DEBUG INFO DUMP SETUP:

        // Built in to OSL ...
        // All following points and vectors in world space...
        // global -  P:  shading point of current object.
        // global -  I:  vector from P to eye.
        // global -  N:  shading normal at shading point.
        // global -  Ng: true normal at shading point.

        // create containers for traced object´s values...

        string tObj; // name of object hit by the probe ray
        vector tI;   // vector from the probe ray´s hitpoint to P
        point  tP;   // point on target hit by the probe ray
        normal tN;   // shading normal at tP
        normal tNg;  // true normal at tP

        // Assign the corresponding values...

        getmessage ("trace", "geom:name", tObj);
        getmessage ("trace", "I", tI);
        getmessage ("trace", "P", tP);
        getmessage ("trace", "N", tN);
        getmessage ("trace", "Ng", tNg);
        // END SETUP

        // CALCULATE OUTPUT: Whether the hit mesh´s hit face was backfacing.
        //   If the normal of the first face hit is frontfacing to the camera,
        //   (down I), it´s backfacing to us.

        if( dot(tN,I) > 0) hitBackfacing = 1;

        //PRINT DEBUG INFO for one in a thousand 'hit' rays
        //
        // Output style:
        //
        // | ray type: [RTP]
        // +----------------------+---------------------
        // |           self       |        hit: tObj
        // | I    Ix ,  Iy ,  Iy  |  tIx , tIy , tIz
        // | P    Px ,  Py ,  Pz  |  tPx , tPy , tPz
        // | N    Nx ,  Ny ,  Nz  |  tNx , tNy , tNz
        // | Ng   Ngx,  Ngy,  Ngz |  tNgx, tNgy, tNgz
        // | bf         ?bf       |        t?bf
        //
        // Where:
        //
        // [RTP] stands for the raytype flags produced by dbgRayTypes()
        //
        // Ix (and likewise) is the x component of I (etc.)
        // tIx (and likewise) is the x component of the hit object´s I (etc.)
        //
        //  ?bf is, whether P is viewed from the back, using backfacing()
        // t?bf is the output of the script, stored in hitBackfacing

        if (pRnd(0.001)){

            string dbg = format    ("\n\n| ray type: %5s\n", dbgRayTypes());
            dbg = concat(dbg, "+----------------------+---------------------\n");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("| %14s%8s%13s%s","self","|","hit: ",tObj));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "\n| I");
            dbg = concat(dbg,format("%7.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",I[0],I[1],I[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, " | ");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("%5.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",tI[0],tI[1],tI[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "\n| P");
            dbg = concat(dbg,format("%7.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",P[0],P[1],P[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, " | ");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("%5.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",tP[0],tP[1],tP[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "\n| N");
            dbg = concat(dbg,format("%7.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",N[0],N[1],N[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, " | ");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("%5.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",tN[0],tN[1],tN[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "\n| Ng");
            dbg = concat(dbg,format("%6.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",Ng[0],Ng[1],Ng[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, " | ");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("%5.2f,%5.2f,%5.2f",tNg[0],tNg[1],tNg[2]));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "\n| bf");
            dbg = concat(dbg,format("%12i",backfacing()));
            dbg = concat(dbg, "       | ");
            dbg = concat(dbg, format("%11i", hitBackfacing));

            printf ("%s\n\n",dbg);
            }
        //END PRINT
    }
}

In the illustrations, there are two unit cubes. The yellow cube is 0-1 in world X,Y and Z. It uses the shader in this node tree:

The hope is,that if the first face hit when probing back to the eye is backfacing with respect to the probe, the yellow cube will be shaded blue.
The pink cube's material is a simple tinted transparent BSDF. It's called 'TGT'.
OK, here's the first case. the camera is looking down Z. The pink cube is above the yellow cube, and clear of it, so you would expect the first normal to be encountered by the probe to be (0,0,-1).

A typical line printed by tN_anomaly is as follows:
| ray type: [CAM]
+----------------------+---------------------
|           self       |        hit: TGT
| I  -0.00,-0.00, 1.00 |  0.00, 0.00,-1.00
| P   0.96, 0.94, 1.00 |  0.96, 0.94, 1.15
| N   0.00, 0.00, 1.00 |  0.00, 0.00,-1.00
| Ng  0.00, 0.00, 1.00 |  0.00, 0.00,-1.00
| bf           0       |           0

So far, so good. The first face of the hit object, (TGT's P, second column) is in the right place, just above Z=1, and its normal (N or Ng, second column - these won't differ with flat shading) shows as (0,0,-1). The output (bf, second column) is thus as it ought to be as well.
Now the second case: this time the cubes overlap, so we would expect the first normal encountered to be (0,0,1).

The typical output is as follows:
| ray type: [CAM]
+----------------------+---------------------
|           self       |        hit: TGT
| I  -0.00,-0.00, 1.00 |  0.00, 0.00,-1.00
| P   0.96, 0.94, 1.00 |  0.96, 0.94, 1.80
| N   0.00, 0.00, 1.00 | -0.00,-0.00,-1.00
| Ng  0.00, 0.00, 1.00 | -0.00,-0.00,-1.00
| bf           0       |           0

Everything checks out: you can tell the right face of the pink cube is being hit (by looking at TGT's P in the second column). But TGT's normal (N or Ng, second column), is pointing the wrong way. And the output backfacing flag (bf, second column), which should now be 1, thus hasn't changed either, since it depends on the direction of N.
Can anyone on BSE give an innocent explanation .. or ..
If this is a bug, where should I post it / ask further about it?

That's quite a lot of effort, to get to the bottom of this. Thanks! I'll have to try it out myself to see it work. Where would the output be printed? I'm guessing into Blender's console?

@kram1032  The system console .. (Window>System Console) .. careful not to close the window, you'll close Blender. The format that results from the code is not quite as tidy as the one shown here, it's single long lines, not pairs of short lines. Easy enough to fix. keep the relevant 'hit' rendered area small ( a small number of pixels) to avoid printing too many lines, You can adjust the quantity by zooming in and out.

@kram1032   Thank you for your edits .. part of the reason for my choice of formatting was to make it easier for readers of this question to see there wasn't a typo by tabulating the format parameters in the code - but your output is clearer. It's important to include Ng. The minimal case for exposing this anomaly is a pair of single faces, flipping the normals to test - (the same problem arises). Are you sure bf is provided by OSL? I can't find it in the spec, but you've managed to print it without defining it, so it must be coming from somewhere? With no docs, bf to what, I wonder?

I thought I read it somewhere, but I could be mistaken about bf. It definitely gives weird outputs. If that's because it's, in fact, undefined, and it behaves sort of randomly, then that's entirely my bad. It'd be easy enough to remove just those lines from the script though. And a traced backfacing check is simple enough to do regardless, as you demonstrated already with the original script. Perhaps it should just do it that way (showing you what output the script actually gave for that hit in the end) - I noticed, that certain view angles WILL make the output be 1.

Well, you haven't even declared 'bf'. So the compiler would definitely object if someone hadn't given it to you... I would leave it in.. it might help figure out at what level the error is occurring. I suspect the weird result when using 'int' will be because the messaging system is set up to use fixed blocks of floating-point memory for speed and economy, and casts everything to 'float'. I'm very interested in your exceptional cases .. I don't have time at the moment to try and reproduce them but  perhaps, some time, you can put up a Blend file which shows them.

Oh, well, trace doesn't really complain if a value doesn't exist, right? Certainly not at compile time. I figured, if the flag doesn't exist, it might give a bad memory location or something. I just pushed an edit to that effect. If you rather have it left in, perhaps just don't accept that edit. Though maybe make it an int, then, because, as mentioned in the script, the int value it outputs is really weird, and if I'd expect a potential bug to lie there somewhere.

Or if you are asking about bf of the source object, I.e. the output of backfacing(), that absolutely does exist. That I am sure of. I'm just not entirely sure whether you can do getmessage("trace", "backfacing", tbf). I just called those "bf" so they fit into the table.

Ah, I remember where I read getmessage("trace", "backfacing", tbf) - that was used in Secrop's script here: https://blenderartists.org/t/multiple-transmissive-objects-as-just-one-surface/603321 - but I later determinded, that the corresponding check apparently did nothing, i.e. you could get rid of it without altering the script's behavior. And, crucially, same with the  getmessage ("trace", "material:index" ,  hitMaterialIndex ) and later check there. It'd just apply the closures regardless of what material intersects.

Note, https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/dev/render/cycles/nodes/osl.html "backfacing" isn't documented as an attribute proviced by Cycles. It might be an OSL standard though. And "material:index" is provided, so that should be working.

OK we're getting closer. This is the code we should be looking at... well actually, we may have to go back further into the kernel.to find where the traced N is coming from.. but this file lists the services made available by trace().. and "backfacing" isn't one of them. The returned 0 is a null result, so, yes, get rid of that call to trace("backfacing") and we'll do that bit by hand, using the faulty Ng.

That's exactly what my latest edit ended up doing. Thanks for the git link by the way. That's useful!

My understanding of the Normal in OSL (and, in fact, standard cycles shader nodes) is that it always represents the normal on the same side as the incident ray. This provides for a consistency between ray interactions with a surface without having to worry about how the 'geometry normal' is oriented.
In order to determine which face (inside or outside) the ray has 'hit' you need to use the 'backfacing' property. In Cycles nodes this would be provided by the Geometry node but in OSL you can use the 'backfacing()' function.
For example :
shader backfacing_shader(
    output color Col = 0
  ){

    if (backfacing())
    {
        Col = color(1,0,0);   // Red on the inside
    }
    else
    {
        Col = color(0,1,0);   // Green on the outside
    }
}

This means that to get your desired behaviour you need to check the backfacing() result and flip the direction of your normal if this returns a non-zero value.

Ah, I see what you mean too .. that's why I deleted the original comment.  N and Ng always return a vector pointing towards the ray origin, in whatever context, so they can't be used to discriminate between front and back facing faces. At least now we know that's policy, not bug, so thanks.

@Robin  :: Does it really work for you?  It doesn't for me.   Are you sure that  backfacing() is information from the trace() function call, and not from P?

@cppBeginner :: (love the cpp double-colon) ... this is going back some way for me, so would involve reconstructing some lost .blends to be sure.. my approach would be to set up minimal test-cases.. maybe if you do that, you could post a contrary example as another question? I'll have another look, when I can.

@Robin :: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/184868/check-whether-trace-collide-a-face-at-back-or-front-side , thanks.


text:
Cycles Material "Texture missing" in render?
I spent hours on creating a background with matte textures.
No problem, they show up in the Material and the Texture view:

Everything works.
Solid view:

Now I tried to render it and got this:

Pink textures all over the place. I have seriously no idea why Blender keeps doing this. I double checked all textures in the node trees, they are exactly where Blender points them at.
Here is the material:

but they just do not show up in the render.
I have no post-processing so far.
Here my lightpath settings:

I hope somebody can help.
Thanks in advance!

Well, I didn't move any files, but I packed and unpacked the blend file several times during the work progress so it might've corrupted some of the paths. Thanks for the links! I'll try that out

Well, probably the OpenGL textures for the material viewport mode are still in the video memory, while renring view tries to read them from either the Blend or the images. Did you try saving and reopening? Did you try to open image again?

Saved and reopened, restarted pc. Used the missing files method. Blender gives no messages of any missing files. Everything seems normal except it doesn't render :/

Update!
Apparently it has something to do with an out of memory error (since this is just a background for  gigantic scene with hundreds of textures)
As you can see it doesn't render properly when all objects are visible

But as soon as I hide every object except for example a tree that isn't rendering properly, everything works as it's supposed to

Blender gives no CUDA errors though.. I'm really confused.
I have 10GB or RAM installed and a GTX 550 ti with 1GB btw if that helps
SOLVED
Apparently there was indeed a CUDA out of memory error. It's fixed by just switching to CPU render.
Thanks everyone for their input!!!

It looks like the file path to your texture image is wrong/missing.  Blender has the image stored in memory so you can see it in texture mode, but when you render Blender tries to look for the original image but can't find it.  What you need to do is re-add your image texture to Blender so it can see the new file path.

The file paths are totally correct. Tried re-adding one texture. Still nothing.

Pack all the texture into .blend an then put render .......

Please add steps so other can understand how to do this.

Packing the textures into the blend actually isn't required to solve the problem. It worked for me in the past without doing so.

I know how to do it since I'm not a blender beginner :)

That's why I'm so confused. It's not just a simple "missing texture" error

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


text:
how to delete amature data in blender?
I have 3 armatures in my character, how can I remove the armature 002 001?

delete it in the "normal" outline by selecting it and then press x

then change to orphan data:

select it and right click -> delete


text:
Blender keeps crashing when opening a file
So: I dont know anythig about Blender but my friend does and i have a fairly good computer while he has a crappy one. So he wanted to send me files to render (.blend). Everytime when i try to open them Blender crashes instantly. I tried opening them on different ways and i installed older versions of Blender and installed Blender in different folders and nothing works for me.
Do you have any ideas what we can do?

Which version of blender does your friend used to do the work?

And secondly, is it opening on your friend system?


text:
Can't select object in viewport but can in outliner as edit mode
While working with a car model, somehow selection in viewport is disabled, but I can select objects in outliner and pressing tab can allow me to work in edit mode.
Kindly see my blend file:

Press the select icon in outliner of an object, then you can select in viewport.

it is the left most icon on the right side...just in case... ;)

Do you want to be unable to select in the outliner too ?


text:
Is Plotagraphy possible on blender possible?
I have learnt plotagraphy using photoshop, but is that possible using blender

It seems to me that Plotagraphy is done with a 2d flowmap and a shader. There is no tooling to do such thing in blender. It should be possible to USE flowmaps in materials.


text:
Blurry Render for a Character
My problem is that I have my character with clean lines in Texture Mode and when I try to render it, it becomes blurry. In Cycle Render it's even worse, I can't see the textures I have created on Gimp.

Here are my render settings :

I looked at many answers on Internet but didn't find the answer I needed...
Well, have a good day !

I believe this boils down to the way Blender displays pixels. It attempts to blend them together to make low-res textures less obvious.
You can set how Blender blends pixels together in the material node editor, on the image texture node.
By default, Blender sets pixel blending to "Linear." This blending mode will result in the blurry effect you want to get rid of.

Setting the  blending mode to "Closest" will allow for the sharp pixels I assume you are after.
Hope this helped!

Oh that might be it, but how do you access the image texture mode ? It shows a blank space for me...

Sounds like you are just using the material tab for your material. If you want to access this through the node editor, make sure "Use Nodes" is checked. You should be able to do this just from wherever your image texture has been applied from, though.


text:
My color/material nodes aren't applying to the entire object
Here is a screenshot of what is happening. You can see that the sides of the fireball are grey rather than red, and the sides of the skull are the same way. When you render preview it, they are both the color they are assigned, and also white. When you move around to view the objects from different sides, the white/grey sheen will move around as well and different parts of that object become colored. Anyone know what is going on?

I don't have the same effect with the same node setup, could you please share at least one of your object? https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/

double check if you have only one material, If the sides are filled in and if it looks the same in rendered mode


text:
How to reduce seams when texture painting
It is very annoying when you are trying to texture paint an object and you get this:

It appears that it is like a seam resulting from bad UV unwraping.  What can I do to help prevent this?  I am not good at UV unwrapping.

Please show your UV Map ... so people can inspect it and give you better instruction.  Have you tried any techniques to hide part of your mesh while painting?

How can you hide your mesh while painting?  When I switch back to texture paint mode it displays all mesh whether hidden or not.

All I did for a UV map was Smart UV unwrapping.  I think it puts in automatic seams.  I would prefer, in order to stay anonymous, to not show my model, but perhaps I could make an example?

In your tool Options panel, increase your bleed from default 2 pixels to maybe 4 or 6 pixels. Also, this problem can sometimes be from the problems in viewport from the actual projection  from too far away with the brush - and then moving the view and zooming in to paint sometimes helps. Are you on 2.8 or 2.79 right now?

Hey, I upped the bleed as you said, and it worked great!  If I find any more problems I'll comment, but it looks like that'll work.  Thanks!  I suggest you post the last comment as an answer.  And, in answer to your question, I am still on 2.79

Just experimented a little more with it, and the bleed problem doesn't completely fix the problem, but it helps.  Instead of leaving a seam unpainted, it causes paint to "travel" up the seam further than you intended it to.  If you've got any ideas, that's great.  I'm not terribly worried about it, however.  I can probably get a good result if I fiddle with it long enough.  Thankyou for your help!


text:
how to build hair like this?
it looks like one mesh, and no using the particle to make it.  how can I make the hair like this?

maybe a texture?

hello please share the hair object: https://pasteall.org/blend/

Looks like so-called hair cards which are just joined to one object. Hard cards are textured planes. You can create them with help of hair particles.


text:
Beginner question: uv unwrap unexpected unwrapped shape
So I unwrapped a wrench model and marked the seam:

The unwrapped part of the u-shaped faces are like this:

Any idea why I end up having the diagonal lines (the red line) there? There are no doubles, and I think there's no extra face/edge/point around because I couldn't select face or edge on those diagonal lines.

Or...is it a mesh too high-poly to conduct operations like unwrapping and sculpting?

the root cause of this problem is the same as the other question you posted before, big non-convex n-gons. You need to at least split the face of the spanner into only convex parts.

Agreed, you need to make all of your faces convex (all interior angles for a face are less than 180 degrees), where each face has at most 4 sides.

I see. Really got to remember this non-convex n-gon thing then. Thank you very much!!!


text:
Move Bar To Bottom (2.8)
I'm trying to figure out how to move the 3D view header to the bottom.  It used to be at the bottom by default in version 2.79, but now it's the other way around.  Could someone show me how to move it?

Right click on the left side of the header where the menu entries are and select Flip to bottom

where you able to right click anywhere on the bar for it to work?

@RBlong2us no on the left side.

interesting, It only lets you select the bar on the far left or right.  Must be so that it prevents you from accidentally clicking the bar.

well, thanks for the answer!

figured out that it isn't a matter of clicking the left side or right, but just clicking near the buttons on the header. check my answer edit

Ok, I figured out the answer.  You have to right-click near the buttons on the header.  Unlike the older version, the header only consists of buttons; there is no colored background for you to click on.  It's transparent.  So, in order to actually click the header, you have to right-click near the buttons.


text:
Texture paint settings 2.8
I was wondering if someone could tell me where the texture painting settings -the ones that were in the tool bar were moved to?
I'm trying to start texture painting, I don't know where to go to find paint slot settings and such.

I'm not sure if I understand what you are looking for.
What I figured out is, there are not many preinstalled settings but you can create numerous own.

Open the brush setting with the tools button (2)
Create a new (default) brush withe current settigns (1)
Select out of all created brushes (3)

When converting a 2.79 blender file to 2.80, existing brush settings (at least some) are taken over.

This was not what I was looking for, but it is good to know!  I found what I needed:  I was looking for how to add a paint slot to my object so I could start painting.  It is the panel that you press 'n' to pull up.


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How to Rig This
I have this Bone Rig that I don't know how to rig.  Think of it like a dog ear.  Here's a picture.

I'm trying to figure out how to rig it so that the bones on the right side are the control bones.  The lower right one is the one that moves the lower part of the ear, while the upper right one influences the middle.  Here's some other pictures to show what I'm looking for:

Someone know how to do this?

you could give an IK constraint to Ear4 and Ear6 with a Chain Length of 2 and the 2 horizontal bones as Targets. Perhaps add some Pole Target as well. I'm not sure that it would be the best way to rigg dog ears that said... (Spline IK?)

where should I put the poles and targets?

Not sure pole target is needed, should try without first

yes perhaps the pole target isn't necessary, but actually do you want to rig a dog ear or do you want to use this particular armature, because another armature good be better for this purpose

@RBlong2us, stick the pole head to the bone's tail

the pole facing the same way as Ear_6.001?

I'm using this rig for a dog ear.  I am up to suggestions on how to change it, though.

I might subdivide it

maybe you could use one of my answers here: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/116124/how-to-rig-a-cartoon-style-hose-limb/116128#116128  you could also use physics, more realistic and fun but a little more tricky

K, thanks.  I'll take a look at it.. looks promising.  I'll let you know if it works.  Thanks

for physics, tutorial by Alimayo Arango:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c11l2o5uCQs   or Daniel Kreuter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02YYfXC7H8U

Isn't physics harsh on render times?

not with these methods as only several vertices are affected by physics, they are used to guide the rest of the mesh, it's worth a try  ;)

K, thanks.  I'm gonna try manual first.

Question:  I would like to use B-Bone display for the ears, but the rig doesn't need it except for the ears.  How should I solve that problem?  Should I make the ear rig a separate armature, or would that cause problems?

edit: yes you could do that, simply parent the ear armature to the head bone of the body armature


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In Blender 2.8, how do I light an EEVEE scene with an HDR?
Blender 2.8 supports the same world node setup that Cycles does. This correctly puts the HDR image in the world background.
But EEVEE doesn't light the scene properly. Everything looks flat and washed out. Is there a way to properly light an EEVEE scene with an HDR?

Yes and no.
EEVEE can't use mesh lights or HDRI lights "properly". Why? Because EEVEE is not raytracer.
For further reading/watching please see:

Blender Cycles vs. Eevee 15 Limitations of Real Time Rendering in
Blender 2.8
Blender's Cycles vs. Eevee (Ray Tracing vs. Real
Time)
How does EEVEE work?
EEVEE and Cycles render lighting differences

What you can do about it.
Fake it. Or just try to do it.
You will not get the same results in EEVEE as in Cycles. Period. You can try to match HDRI lightning with use of Sun lamp, and smaller lamps (point, spot, area) to be as close as possible to source.
Render your image in Cycles and then by eyeballing try to reproduce as close as possible result in EEVEE.
EEVEE will use colors and light direction from HDRI but the rest like AO and shadows are not supported.
Example.

This is just a quick example of how you can try to mimic "proper" lightning and shadows. As you can see it's not nearly as good as Cycles result due to pretty complicated HDRI.
For second image I've used Sun lamp, two Area lights for blueish tint, EEVEE AO with high factor (3), Soft Shadows in EEVEE Shadows settings and a lot of tweaking under the light settings itself.
I'll not post settings screenshot on purpose as they will be always different for different scenes and there is no "rule of thumb" for them and posting mine could cause more distraction then learning value.

Make sure that Scene World is ticked in the dropdown menu next to the renderer selction in the top right hand of the viewport and eevee will use the HDRI.


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How to decorate cyclinder
I would like to decorate a vase with flowers that is extruded from the surface.
Shrink wrap may be useful,not sure how to go about that. I am able to do this on a flat surface but not when the object is to be applied to a curved surface   Could some one please point me in the right direction to apply a 3D object onto a curved surface. Thanks

this what I have in mind. Then extrude the image and 3d print it

What I understand from your question, a bit confusing to me, is that you wish to decorate a round surface, like a vase, with some "flowers", but you wish those "flowers" to be also "extruded", I guess you mean they should result a little higher than the vase surface. If this is what you wish, you  need to texture the vase curved side, and then probably use a "displacement" modifier, to make the "flower" shape to be extruded outwards... you need to practice with this on a plane first  (I suggest to use a grey shaded flowers image), you'll need high detail vase surface to have good displacement

This is not so simple, though. If you just wish to 3d print this, you could also try to extrude flowers as separate meshes, maybe curve the flower shape mesh with some modifier, and then "apply" the curved flower extruded shapes to the vase shape. A 3d print shape processor doesn't always need to have  a perfectly modeled mesh, but will calculate the overall vase shape and obtain a solid shape to print...

I write this as an answer to be able to add a picture of what I guessed you want: is it something like this?

I can explain step-by-step how to get it, but I wish to be sure that I did understand well...
this was obtained starting from a simple cylinder and then an image like this:

Let me know, in comments, if you wished to get something like this, and if you still need instructions, I'll add to this answer...
[edit] Ok, since you still need it I try a complete step by step description of how I got that vase above. I hope your hospital trip was nothing too bad, anyway :)
The overall descriptio is this: we're going to create a quite detailed vase, first, applying all modifiers, in order to obtain a good-looging basic shape, with smooth geometry (remember that 3d printers don't smooth geometry as 3d programs do, so to get printed smooth results, your mesh needs to be really smooth, and thus, detailed).
Then, we will duplicate a rectangular portion of the outside conical surface of the vase, that we will use to create an "extruded" flower shape, using a displacement modifier. This extrusion needs to be far more detailed than the vase, because this is required to have a good displacement result, but the displacement will be applied to a curved surface, so the "extruded" flower shape will nicely follow the overall vase curvature.
Done that, you'll have two separate shapes: the basic vase, and a rectangular portion of its outside surface dispalced as a fower: you can then join the two objects, and try to export this to STL format, and print that: in my experience, 3d printer's software (like CURA or others) can print an object if they can spot a "solid" shape, even if it comes from a roughly joined mesh,like in this case.
Here's how to:

First step is start from a basic cylinder, remove top face, and scale lower face, to get a basic vase shape, giving it a "brick red" material (cyles renderer, later on this)

Then, use a solidify modifier to give some depth to your vase mesh, and apply it whan satisfied

Then, since we're going to use a subdivision modifier (subsurf), let's add some extra edge loop near the top and bottom of the vase shape (and also on the top ring of the vase), otherwise it would distort too much there. You can do this with CTRL+R command: a new purple edge appears, then move it where you need, then apply (right click or enter).

Now let's apply the subsurf modifier, level 2 is enough,

and then apply it, getting a quite dense and smooth basic shape

Now move the view to front, and select a rectangular shape of faces

Then duplicate it

And then separate this duplicate part, obtaining a separate object. Don't move, scale rotate this separate object or the vase, they need to stay where they are now!

To get a better view of the separate object, hide the vase (select it and press H)

Now you could make this object mesh more evenly spaced, but preserving its curvature: I'm not sure this is really needed, but I did so, dissolving some edges

...ending with just this central one

then, using again CTRL+R  I subdivided the upper and lower parts, ending with the same amount of vertical and orizontal loops.

then I subdivided this mesh 20 times (needed for later displacement): you'll get a VERY dense mesh...

then I loaded a black flower on white background image in the image/UV editor, like this. The flower image is also set as the texture of the vase "brick red" material (see texture settings)

in edit mode, using U on the complete selected mesh, I chose "project from view (bounds)" to get a nice fill of the UV grid on the image (on the left)

Then, move to modifiers and insert a displacement one, select a small negative strength, select "UV" texture coordinates, and set the object UV map as "UV map"

What you'll get in object mode is like this:

Now unhide the vase you hidden before since it's invisible now, see the outliner, and clik on the disabled "eye" icon to make it visible again, you'll get something like this:

Place camera and lights in a good way to see the result, which should be something like the above result:

I know this isn't too short, but is not that complex, after all. Let me know if some clarification is needed. Meanwhile, I thought of another method, maybe simpler, to get similar results... If it works, I'll add another answer, or add to this one.

yes this is what I would like to be able to do. Step-by-step would be appreciated. More smaller flowers round the pot. Sorry not answering sooner been in hospital.Thanks

Wow .  Thanks very much for your great effort. Will try it in the next day or so.

I tried the your method which you describe up to
6. Now move the view to front, and select a rectangular shape of faces
But wasn’t getting it right
So I stepped back a bit and tried to get the flower onto a
plane, ready for printing , but ran into difficulties.
File import svg
scaled 7the image to a reasonable size.
Geometry to origin
Object >apply >bscale
Select the object CTRL + J
A twice
Alt + C  mesh from curve/meta\surf\text
Edit mode
Edge mode press  A twice
F
Could not delete centre face
I wanted to extrude the face

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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Braille text in blender
I'd like to use blender to add some text in braille to some blender 3D modela in order to print them via 3D printers.
Is it possible in an easy way? How?

I know nothing about braille but this should be as simple as grabbing a suitable font and extruding it. I tried braille normal from fontspace. Once in Blender, add a Text object, edit it as needed and then navigate to the .ttf font file under Font, the Regular input should be enough.

One you are satisfied, you can edit the Extrude slider for the depth or convert it to an object and play with it some more (booleans etc).

Note that braille normally uses a lot of contractions and while people will probably be able to read the plain text in a braille font they may find it more difficult.

iKlsR approach can be very problematic if the layout of the dots in the font does not match the dimensional standards of Braille:  https://www.ukaaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Braille-Standard-Dimensions.pdf
I made the Blend file according to this standard (dimensions and proportions) and am currently using it for 3D printing:
https://stikey.net/braille/
When we tested the printed 3d Braille model at the Blind People's Association, they were delighted with the quality...
You can find a printout of symbols/letters for other languages here:
https://www.perkins.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/world-braille-usage-third-edition.pdf


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Blender Game - How do I start the game with the cursor centered?
I have a custom cursor, I need it for moving crosshairs. I have a moving ship that is only controlled with the keyboard, but in front of it are 2 empties. When I press the assigned key/button, 2 bullets come out. It works great. I also have it so that these empties turn when I move the mouse. Mouse/mouse movement - and - mouse/look. It works when firing the guns, I can move the mouse and the guns move. The problem that I am having, however, is that the cursor and the line of sight for the bullets don't line up. If I press the "reset" on the mouse/look actuator, the cursor will stay in the center while the bullets aim and move around freely. If I click off on the "reset" on the mouse/look actuator, it's better, but the cursor doesn't align to where I'm shooting. I can kind of fix this by forcing the cursor to the side, and it centers both of them for a little while, but after a minute or so, the two become separated once again. Is there a way to fix this?
This is how I have it set up right now:
Here's how the empty is set up for firing the guns:

Here's how the cursor scene is set up, which needless to say is overlayed:

And this is what it's doing. Notice how the cursor is near center, but the bullets are firing off to the side?

Basically, I want to know how do I link up the bullet line of sight with the custom cursor?

Update I have found a script that centers (well, a little off from center but that's preferable for me) the mouse upon starting.
import bge
bge.render.setMousePosition(int(bge.render.getWindowWidth() / 2.003),
int(bge.render.getWindowHeight() / 3))
Sadly, the empties do not align to center the way that I want it to still. It still makes them shoot off to the side. Is there a way to fix this?

With mouse look (function, script), the mouse stay almost in the center of screen and slightly add  it movement to the vector where supposed you aim every frame and then the mouse is set to the center of screen and calculated movement again. That's why it never alling with watever you are pointing.

This answer I wrote a while back might be of some help to you.

According to the description you really want to let the ship fire projectiles toward a point under the system mouse cursor.
I suggest to use a short Python script to position an "aiming target" empty at the desired location (e.g a collision point under the cursor). Then let the turrets turn towards that aiming target (TrackToActuator).
Setting the system mouse cursor to the middle of the screen at game start would still add to the player's comfort.

I'm not very good with coding yet, so how would I go about doing that?

nvm I just put a completely invisible cursor in front of my ship, and tracked the turrets to it. It works great now. :)


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How To: 1 Bone Moves Entire Arm, While IK Bones Can Bend Arm
I am trying to make a very simple character who has two IK bones in his arm (Besides Target and Pole) to move and bend it. At the moment I am to move his arm, bending it "realistically".  However, I am also wanting to be able to move the entire arm without it bending, like a Minecraft character.  How do I do this?  It wold be preferable if I could do this without creating a new armature.  Is that possible?  I am also trying to keep my armature(s) simple, if possible.

I think I found my own answer.
If I keep my target far enough away from the arm bones, the arm will stay stiff.  I could animate it that way, by moving it, say, 1.5 m away from the arm on its local Z axis.  When I want to bend it, I can move it in closer on the local Z axis.
Whether this is an efficient method, I don't know, but I think it will work for me.
I am going to leave this question open for other suggestions at this time.


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Scaling and then Scaling Back in Edit Mode
I want to be able to scale things in Edit Mode, like by .1 for instance.  Then I want to be able to scale it back again to its original size.
The problem is I don't know how to figure out what I need to scale it by the second time to get it back to its original size. xD
Would someone enlighten me? :D

To go back you do 1/x where x is what you scaled by the first time.. For example 0.1 -> 1/0.1 = 10

Thanks man!  Post as an answer and I'll give you credit for your math wizardry! xD


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Alternating between Objects
I would like to alternate between a few different objects or meshes to create an animation effect.  I, however, would prefer not to animate their render check box, because that is rather inefficient.
How could I efficiently animate objects alternating between each other?  It would be freaking awesome if I could do it similar to how shape keys work :D
Any advice is welcome!

Swap out the meshes.
Using same method outlined here can swap out meshes using a frame change handler.
In example below "Cube" is the object that is having its mesh swapped.
Have made a very simple example by making a mesh name list
["Cube", "Cube", "Cone", "Suzanne"]

use "Cube" on frames 1 and 2, swap to "Cone" on frame 3, then to "Suzanne" on 4 onwards.
Test script, for object named "Cube" use "Cube" mesh for 35 frames, "Cone" next 20 ...
import bpy

def swap_ob_mesh(ob_name, anim):

    def handler(scene, depsgraph):
        ob = scene.objects.get(ob_name)
        f = scene.frame_current

        if 0 > f or f  >= len(anim):
            return
        mesh_name = anim[f - 1] # first item on frame 1
        me = bpy.data.meshes.get(mesh_name)
        if ob and me:
            ob.data = me

    return handler

# while testing
bpy.app.handlers.frame_change_post.clear()

# test call
anim = sum(
        (
            ["Cube"] * 25,
            ["Cone"] * 20,
            ["Suzanne"] * 35,
        ),
        []
        )
bpy.app.handlers.frame_change_post.append(
        swap_ob_mesh("Cube", anim * 2)
        )

Improvements:

Make a better data set eg "Plane", (22, 44) could indicate to use "Plane" mesh on frames 22 to 44
Shapekeys. Make a set of shapekeys on each mesh to emulate a shape of each other mesh. Values could be set to tween at the changes.


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Annotate Tool: Visible Every Frame?
I'm having a problem where I want the annotate tool strokes to be visible every frame.  However, it appears that it is only being visible for the frame I drew it on.  How can I make it visible every frame?

I found the answer.  The top tab of the 3D view has Annotation tool information, and if you hit the "Note" drop-down, it has a field that says what frame the annotation was drawn on, and says either "locked" or "unlocked."
If you click on the field you can set it to "locked," and the drawing will now appear every frame.


text:
Apply Same Smoke Settings to Other Objects?
I am using more than one smoke domain.  I create a new mesh, and then I add quick smoke.  My previous smoke domain is all set up with the settings I want.  Is there a way I can select both of them and apply the smoke settings of my finished smoke domain to my new one?
Thanks!

give it a try and report back the results.

I was asking if there was a way to.  I don't know how.

delete the second domain and duplicate the first one (Shift +D)

Once you've set the second object as smoke inflow.
Delete the second smoke domain.
Duplicate the existing somke domain, bring it over the second object.
Then you need to delete the cache simulation on the second domain, and re-cache a new one.

When you cache Smoke (and other simulations) blender creates VBD files, that control the voxels for simulations. For multiple simulations, those have to be unique, to each domain.

when I do that, it changes the shape of all of the fires to the one I just cached.

That is why you need to delete the cache.

is there a difference between freeing data and deleting cache?

try it and see.

I already did free data and free noise.  When I baked the cache, all of them turned to the same shape.

When you cache Smoke (and other simulations) blender creates VBD files, that control the voxels for simulations. For multiple simulations, those have to be unique, to each domain.

oh, so I need to change the cache folder for each one so they are different. Thanks!


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IK not smooth - snapping
I have rigged a low-poly block character so that it has an IK armature.  The problem is that when I try to animate it, when the legs get close to extending straight, the leg will be moving smoothly, then it will quickly snap straight.
This does not look realistic at all.  How can I fix this?

Yeah I've had a similar problem, all I know how to do is just to keep the distance from getting to that snapping point by adding a distance constraint.

that's not the best solution, though, because then the leg will never straighten.


text:
Set Current Pose As Shape Key
I would like to be able to set my character in certain poses and then convert those poses into individual shape keys (or as a rigged bone) to save animation time.  This is not for animating the entire character, but for changing the shape of the eyes.
I want to be able to have shape keys to get certain poses, but I also want to be able to hand-shape it using the rig as needed.
Thanks!

if you create a pose with the armature, you can go in the Armature modifier and, on the dropdown menu, click on Save As Shapekey, it will create the corresponding shapekey in the Shape Keys list

Inside the Armature modifier, there is an option called Save as Shapekey. Use that.

This works, but it also requires me to reparent the mesh to the armature.  How can I reapply the armature using the already-created mesh groups?  The mesh groups have the predefined weight paints.


text:
Control Bone Has No Fixed Position

I have this rig set up with a IK constraint that has one bone that acts as the control for the leg armature (Labeled in Screenshot).  I have been following a tutorial, and it shows me how to rig it, but apparently I am missing something.  When My control bone moves far enough away from the IK bone, it will "migrate" away from the bones - see the picture.  Is this supposed to happen?  What must I do to make this work correctly?

I think it is what's supposed to happen with this kind of rigging as the controller is supposed to be independent from the leg and foot, and I guess the foot should be parented to the controller so that when you rotate the controller, the foot follows, but maybe link the tutorial?

It's a course that you had to pay for on Udemy.

here was a similar question, maybe it will help: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/132366/rigging-in-2-79b-ik-handles-cause-hands-feet-to-detatch-from-the-body-alterna/132368#132368

Interesting... He posted a .blend file that I looked at.  It does the exact same thing.  Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be.  Thanks for the help!

Jaroslav has linked to this other question that may help as well: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/21379/how-to-ik-rig-legs


text:
Deleting an object from the outliner

Not sure of correct term, but, how do you delete a layer such as the 'body' layer.

Once again, not sure of correct name for this, but the (244) should read (1). How is this deleted or changed?

The (244) is the current frame actually :)

That's not a layer view even tho it looks like one if you are coming from other software. The view you are looking at is called the Outliner and those are objects in your scene. To delete an object in Blender, you can go the the 3d view, select it and use the X key. From the outliner, right click the entry and choose Delete. Further reading — How do I delete an object?

That is the frame number in the bottom left corner of the 3D view. It is just telling you what the current frame is.
You can use any means of changing the frame to change that display: timeline, graph editor, dope sheet, etc.
The fastest way to return to frame one is to press ShiftLeft Arrow.

You can disable the display of the current frame in the user preferences.
In the Interface tab uncheck the box for Object Info, that will hide the active object's name and current frame.

Blender 2.8:

Blender Preferences > Keymap > Outliner
Find Delete Collection  — with Backspace
Change command to object.delete, uncheck ‘Confirm’

Select an object in outliner and press Backspace. Super fast. A default option did require two clicks: right click and select Delete.
You can still delete a collection pressing the X (another default keymap in Blender).
Note: The object shouldn't be hidden.


text:
wacom tablet right mouse and 3D cursor
just got a new wacom tablet , mapped
 the right mouse button
for selecting ,everything great  but how can i  get rid of the 3D cursor,wich is following my pointer the all time ???
(disabling it in user- pref just left it frozen in the middle ...)

unfortunatly after installing window 10 , reinstalling the driver , the stylus is not selcting with RM button , just get a variation of usless ripple effect at the cursor and it does not select anymore...

Go to Blender Preferences> Input> Tablet> Tablet API set it to Windows Ink.


text:
What is this type of texture called?
I kinda need help figuring out what the following type of texture is usually called, as I'm trying to figure out how to add it over a pre-existing material
texture:

Hard to say, it's a texture that is obviously associated with a UV Map. What's it mapped to in the Material Setttings?

What is the pre-existing material, and what mesh are you contemplating applying them over. It would be helpful if the pre-existing texture, the texture and the mesh would be packed into a ~.blend file, and by upload to a facility like [Blend-exchange}(http://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/) or similar.

I guess it is the specular map. Specular maps are the maps you use to define a surface's shininess. Here's the example of a specular map I've found on net:

Here's how it works: First example (the one pictured below) doesn't use specular map. As you can see the gloss is evenly distributed on the model.

Second example shows the same model, but with the glossiness distribution based on the specular map.

To control on what parts you want the glossiness to appear you have to create a black and white texture and map it on your mesh (in my case pure black color is a 100% glossiness and white color is no gloss at all).

After setting the texture as a factor between Diffuse and Glossy shaders, you have your gloss appear on the desired parts of the model.

Here's the interesting tutorial about how to create the specular maps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gqp4bNJ52M

Don't forget to use non-color data for the spec map.


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How to use normal displacement instead of vector displacement in shader editor (2.8)
I am creating a material in 2.8, and am using real displacement in the shader, but how do I use normal displacement, rather than vector? The reason is that when I use a black/white heightmap,  the geometry displaces in a single direction, not in the direction of the geometry's faces.

Figured it out: Use heightmap for the height value in a displacement node, use the output of the displacement node as displacement.


text:
How to separate two meshes in one object
I added two torus objects, and when I click one of them, it also selects the other. They both share the same node thing. I want to delete one of them, but it keeps on deleting the other with it. I can't even undo placing the second torus without removing the other.

Go into edit mode, press P and press By loose parts

Go into edit mode and selecting the entire one torus by moving your mouse over the one and pressing L. Then press P which brings up a menu called separate, then just click on selection and it should separate them into two objects.


text:
I am using the gLTF addon, how do I make my node group glTF Metallic Roughness exactly the same as my Diffuse BSDF
When using the Diffuse BSDF

When using the glTF Metallic Roughness

As you can tell the colour of the cubes looks different from each other. Additionally when using the glTF Metallic Roughness, you can see it is reflecting this white colour and I don't want that.
How do I make the glTF Metallic Roughness Exactly the same as Diffuse BSDF so that the object looks exactly the same?
(I installed this addon from this place https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-Exporter/tree/master/docs)

They're different shading models; it may not be possible to exactly match one with the other and vice versa. If you're creating a model for export into some 3D engine, you should try importing both and verify that it looks correct there, as ultimately the engine will determine how it looks.
In the future the glTF Blender Exporter will work with the Principled BSDF node, and then you won't need a special addon glTF PBR node like this.


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Q Automated surface generation?
I have a NURBS surface definitions (i.e. the control node positions) but want to automate the generation of the surface in Blender.
Currently I generate a flat regular grid of control nodes by staring with a flat surface and repeatedly using
bpy.ops.curve.extrude_move(TRANSFORM_OT_translate={"value":(0,1,0)})
or
bpy.ops.curve.extrude_move(TRANSFORM_OT_translate={"value":(1,0,0)})
I can then select each control point in turn and using for example
bpy.ops.transform.translate(value=(-3.52127,-3.49763,2.31155))
move it to where I want it to be.
I can generate these lines automatically (Mathcad & Excel) but do not know how to shift between control points automatically, or access and define the locations directly without using the GUI.
Can someone propse a Python script to either cycle through the rows and columns defining the locations or select the next point in the U or V curve?

This answer provides a script that generates a NURBS surface. Maybe you could try to tweak it to match your UV shape.


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Minecraft Reference Image is Blurry
I have a minecraft image as a reference image in my blend file, but it automatically blurs it.  I know how to fix this with materials, but not with ref images.  How do I fix this?

Question: is the reference image a texture? Minecraft textures in blender become blurry because they are only 16x16 pixels. Could you add a reference image?

I was adding a reference image, using a png image that I had created.  It is low-pixel

Does this answer your question? Background image is blurry I don't think you can change the interpolation of a reference image, but if you use the add images as plane add-on (shipped with blender) you can then modify the interpolation of the image texture node in the shader editor.


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Mesh Crumples at Elbow When Arm is Rotated
When I rotate my characters arm so that both the upper and lower arm are facing down, the mesh at the arm moves around like it is crumpled.  I do not believe this is a problem with the weight paint, but rather something to do with the pole bone.  I think it must not be moving correctly with the bones to keep a consistent bone orientation.  What should I be looking at to fix this problem?
My current Rig is set up with an FK arm and an IK forearm.  The elbow pole is set behind the character lined up with the elbow.  The Pole is parented to the hand target bone, which is located at the end of the forearm bone. It's also a low-poly model which probably makes the crumpling worse.
Sorry, I am purposefully not showing my mesh because i wish to keep it anonymous.  I hope this is enough information to solve the problem.

hello, please show some screenshots or even share your file (delete some parts if necessary): https://pasteall.org/blend/

I am not sure about adding screenshots at this point.  I am looking at videos and stuff as well, but I'd like to ask you a question if nothing else:  does it make sense to have the elbow pole parented to the hand control - the target for the forearm ik?

sorry I've never tried that but maybe it works

I'm just not sure how the pole bone is causing it to deform so bad.  I think the pole bone is not supposed to be parented to anything, but I'm not sure what could be wrong.  The weight painting looks great.  Maybe roll?  Any thoughts?  Sorry about not showing the model :D If you can't help without it that's alright.

if you don't want to show the model because of copyright issues you can remove some parts of it before sharing

Oh wait!  I figured it out!  It was influenced by another bone which I didn't expect.  I should have checked but I thought for sure it wasn't influenced by anything else.  That's what happens when you think you know what you're doing lol.

I purposefully do not share my projects because if I end up using them in another account or displaying them publicly with my real name, I don't want this anonymous account to be connected to it.  That was my reason - although it may seem ridiculous and it is a pain :D

pasteall is anonymous. But anyway it looks like you've succeeded  ;)

Thx man for the help! (I'm just waiting for someone to move this convo to chat lol)

watcha think should I delete this question?  I'm guessing it will get closed for being a duplicate or something.

You don't have to care, the moderator will close if he thinks it's better

lol aight then cua


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Blender 2.8 Colour wheel weirdness
Using 2.8 Beta I discovered that most of my colour values end up being a shade of pink, (irritatingly) and I'm not sure quite what's going on. It happens with literally everything. Is there a setting I need to change, or is this actually a bug? As you can see in the screen recording, the white dot in the centre is moving around.

Thanks in advance.

In render tab - color managment set Display device to sRGB

Maybe, it is a good point for 2.8 start with factory settings.

Bit of a pain to have to do this, sRGB looks like mud.


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Should I remove hidden geometry on a model for use in a game engine?
So I have this armor and base mesh character I wonder if I should remove the body and insert the armor because I'm worried with the vertices count that will ruin my fps any help?

Game would be an RTS exactly like Total War Rome
Game engine would be UNITY
With a Video Card Nvidia GeForce 930M

Welcome to the site, Gerald. Unfortunately, in my view, you've not provided enough information to obtain an answer to your question. One crucial bit of information lacking is what game, and more particularly, what game engine you have built your character and the armor for. Another crucial bit of information is details about the video card you are building the character for. Having written that, it's likely that if you're using a current version of a game engine, and hardware that the graphics handling system might not process hidden vertices, anyway.

Ty sir for the reply already edited it, I don't know if that would be enough for the information Sir.

Going for a pretty general answer here, bear with me or skip to the end if you just want a yes or no.
So, while most if not all engines will offer some form of culling (not rendering/using what is not seen) you will still see detrimental drops in your framerate if your model has a significant polycount. By itself when testing you might be fine yes but games are meant to be dynamic and when you throw particles, physics and post processing in the mix it's a lot more for your system to process now.
For a quick example, fire up Blender and add the default cube, right click and select it, it is selected instantly! Now subdivide it say 10 times, add a subsurf modifier and set the view level to 6 and try again. It takes a while, this is a rather exaggerated example but it's more or less what your engine which is also a 3d software does as it has to iterate over the vertices in the mesh. Now imagine doing that on a moving character and having to do matrix math for every frame to calculate the new points for vertices to be at.
Even if your engine does support culling or some other magical algorithm to discard hidden geometry or automatic level of detailing (LOD) you would still most likely be hit with load times at some point whether when launching your game for the first time , loading assets or saving depending on how you go about it.
"Real" world example now, if your model has 100, 000 vertices, this is what is loaded into your engine of choice, if your armor is 20, 000 vertices and covers say 50% of your characters body. Your final polycount would be 70, 000 vertices instead of 120, 000 if you delete the hidden parts of the character model.
In any 3d modelers workflow there is usually an entire step dedicated to this called retopology where the simplest base mesh that can support the high details from a much more detailed and higher poly count model (usually sculpt). See https://cgcookie.com/course/introduction-to-retopology/
Even better, if you can generate normal and or displacement maps you can also see your polycount drop even more significantly. This is what pretty much every game studio does. If you're making a game you can't imagine that everyone will have a "good" machine to run it and most games ship with several different models depending on the resolution and or settings you are playing at.
For example here is a somewhat popular and funny screenshot of Skyrim being forced to run on the lowest possible setting. In game detailed grass and tree leaves are merely planes and that shiny detailed axe is a blob with some good textures.

Counter Strike Go

So in conclusion, people will try every trick in the book for lower geometry while still having a good look so if it isn't being seen and you can animate or get a similar effect, remove it.


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2.8 beta - How to hide HDRI in EEVEE?
I know how to get a transparent background for a render in EEVEE and I also know about the lightpath node trick to hide it.
However it seems like there should be a simple checkbox to disable it in the viewport on rendered preview. Am I missing something?

Light Path is your only way. There is no simple checkbox. You can hide/change background in lookdev and such but not in EEVEE.

You can use the light path node to achieve this:

As you can see, it's showing up in reflections, but for the camera it just displays the other background shader. This also works for cycles.

Can’t you just set the strenght at zero in the world properties panel? Then there is no more HDR background and lighting. Or disconnect the output node of the world settings in the (node)shader editor?

I want the lighting from the HDRI but I don't want the HDRI to show in the background.


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Move 3D cursor back to center hotkey?
Is there a hotkey to move the 3D Cursor back to X=0 Y=0 Z=0?

Re: duplicate mark,  "Precisely move 3D cursor" asks about moving cursor to any spot in 3D space. The above question asks about a hotkey for re-centering the cursor. These are separate questions with different answers.

Use Shift + S and then "Cursor to center".
Or you can use use a direct hotkey Shift+C.
You can also use the right panel to set the position manually (bottom right of the picture) :

Oh yes, i did not know this one. Thanks R00t !

But Shift + C changes the camera position, that's not always good

For anyone wondering this works in 2.8, too. I googled for this and this is the top hit.

in 2.8 it's called Cursor to World Origin for the Shift + S option

The camera change is indeed really annoying.

To move the 3D Cursor back to X=0 Y=0 Z=0 you may use the Shift+C shortcut.

File --> User Preferences --> Input -->
Name for 3d View command is 'Snap Cursor to Center'.

There in it can be changed to what ever.
Mine is set to 'P' since I don't use the Game Engine.


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Scene showing black outlines with no object faces
I just downloaded a .blend file from blendswap but when i opened it in blender it is looking like graphs, i mean it looks like a bare structure, no white faces (walls). please help.

it might be helpful in getting better answers if, in addition to the screenshot, you could post a link to the file you downloaded from Blendswap.

At the first sight it looks like you have Viewport shading at wireframe enabled. But I can see it is is at solid. So it should render the faces.
I suggest to check Properties/Object/Display. Maximum Draw Type should be at Textured.
You can also switch to edit mode an see if there are faces (they should become visible when you select the surrounding faces).
Overall it might be a compatibility issue. Do you know what Blender version this file was save with? I think Blender is shows a warning when you open an old blend file. This warning should contain the version.
Be aware that blend data is not necessarily 100% compatible between blender versions. Subsequent versions usually convert fine but long jumps can cause such issues.
If so download that version and load the file there. If that is as you expect you need to find an Blender version that correctly loads the file, save it there and try the same thing until you reach your current Blender version.


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Rigify rotation controls not working as intended
I developed a character and added a generic rig, previously all controls worked when rotating with shortcut key R but recently I got an issue when selecting controls and trying to rotate them with the R key. Only arrow symbols are moving but the controls do not move, it seems to work with W quaternion rotation in the Transform panel however.
Any idea what could be causing this?


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Blender particle system objects not colliding
I have a simple particle System of falling balls but they won't collide to each other like in nature.
What am I doing wrong, what have I forgotten?
My aim is that the balls have volume and stack up like real putting them in a barrel o.s.l.t.
Thanks for any kind of help!
My current .blend of this http://www.filedropper.com/showdownload.php/schneemann

Possible info: http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/7633/hard-self-collision-make-particles-occupy-space

Thanks, have read this allready. Even with molecular addon it won't work. I'm watching this molecular addon tutorial here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haS3B6q82kY for the 2nd time ... it won't work!


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glTF: How to optimize exported glb file from blender having more number of loop-cuts?
I have plane with 200x100 loopcuts, when I export glb the size of the file is around 2MB than I again sub divided the mesh couple of times and now binary file is around 8MB.
How can I use more number of loop-cuts and still maintain the file size smaller?
I am using latest version of glTF exporter and blender.

If your goal is a smooth appearance, you can use smooth normals to give the effect of a smooth surface with fewer loopcuts. If you are sure you need the loopcuts, your options are:

Disable export of normals, tangents, UVs, and any other per-vertex data you aren't using in the exporter settings.
The glTF format supports compression, but you'll have to apply it to the model after exporting from Blender. Use glTF-Pipeline to compress the model with the -d flag and you should see a file size reduction of 90-95% for models that contain primarily geometry.


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Script Import-Export GLTF : no textures linked
I'm trying to script a plugin which imports some GLTF objects, positions them in the scene and reexports the scene as one gltf. But I'm running into a couple of problems:

When I'm exporting the scene in gltf, there's no .bin and there are no textures written in the GLTF.
I have tried to import and export a single GLTF, and I have noticed that the import shader is not the same as the export one... More precisely, the MetallicPBR node of this plugin https://github.com/ksons/gltf-blender-importer is different from the metallic roughness node of this plugin https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-Exporter. I have noticed that when I re-plug the textures into the node appended from the Blender-exporter master, I have my textures exported and written into the gltf.

But it doesn't explain why I have no bin exported when I'm trying the first scenario.
So two questions:
1. Do you know why I haven't any .bin exported?
2. Is there a means to export my textures correctly without having to replug them in the code?
Here's my code:
import bpy
import os
import math
import shutil
import glob
import time

def Run():

    FolderSetup()
    Construct()
    Import(Construct.gltf_list, Construct.gltf_amount)
    Place()
    Export('.gltf')
    Clean()

def FolderSetup():
    Tempfolder = os.path.join('C:\\', 'Users', 'Maelys', 'Desktop', 'Validation-test', 'Temp')
    FolderSetup.rootfolder = os.path.join('C:\\', 'Users', 'Maelys', 'Desktop', 'Validation-test')
    file_tails = ["*.obj", "*.mtl", "*.jpeg", "*.jpg", "*.gltf", "*.bin", "*.png"]
    file_list=[]
    file_paths=[]
    folders = []

    file_tails_length = len(file_tails)

    for i in range (0,file_tails_length):
        file = file_tails[i]
        file_list.extend(glob.glob(os.path.join(Tempfolder, '**', file ), recursive=True))

    file_list_length = len(file_list)

    for i in range (0, file_list_length):

        file = file_list[i]
        filename = os.path.basename(file)
        filepath = os.path.realpath(file)
        dirname = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(filepath))
        folders.append(dirname)

        shutil.move(os.path.join(dirname, filename), os.path.join(FolderSetup.rootfolder, filename))

    shutil.rmtree(Tempfolder)

def Construct():
    Construct.MyScene = bpy.context.scene

    if "Cube" in Construct.MyScene.objects:
        bpy.data.objects["Cube"].select = True
        bpy.ops.object.delete()

    if "Lamp" in Construct.MyScene.objects:
        bpy.data.objects["Lamp"].select = True
        bpy.ops.object.delete()

    Construct.path_to_obj_dir = FolderSetup.rootfolder

    # get list of all files in directory
    file_list = sorted(os.listdir(Construct.path_to_obj_dir))

    # get a list of files ending in 'obj'
    Construct.obj_list = [item for item in file_list if item.endswith('.obj')]
    Construct.gltf_list = [item for item in file_list if item.endswith('.gltf')]
    Construct.obj_amount = len(Construct.obj_list)
    Construct.gltf_amount = len(Construct.gltf_list)

def Import(listtype, amount):

    # IMPORT OBJECTS FROM FOLDER AND ARRANGE THEM IN A LINE
    for i in range(0, amount):
        item = listtype[i]
        path_to_file = os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, item)
        bpy.ops.import_scene.obj(filepath=path_to_file)

    Import.imported_objects = Construct.MyScene.objects

    print(listtype)

def Place():
    pos = [0, 0, 0]
    prevpos = pos
    prevsizeX = Import.imported_objects[0].dimensions.x
    prevsizeY = Import.imported_objects[0].dimensions.y

    for object in Import.imported_objects[1:]:
        sizeX = object.dimensions.x
        sizeY = object.dimensions.y

        pos[0] = prevpos[0] + (prevsizeX / 2) + (sizeX / 2) + 2
        bpy.context.scene.objects.active = object
        object.location.x = pos[0]
        prevpos = pos
        prevsizeX = sizeX
        prevsizeY = sizeY

    #
    # RECENTER OBJECTS

    view3d = bpy.context.screen.areas[4]
    context_override = {'window': bpy.context.window,
                        'screen': bpy.context.screen,
                        'area': view3d}
    bpy.ops.view3d.snap_cursor_to_center(context_override)

    bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')

    bpy.ops.view3d.snap_selected_to_cursor(context_override, use_offset=True)

def Export(type):
    Export.time = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d_%H%M") + "_"
    export_folderpath = Construct.path_to_obj_dir
    export_filepath = os.path.join(export_folderpath, Export.time + "Validation" + type)

    bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')

    if type == '.obj':
        bpy.ops.export_scene.obj(filepath=export_filepath, use_selection=True)

    elif type == '.gltf':
        bpy.ops.export_scene.gltf(filepath=export_filepath)

def Clean():

    # CLEAN
    export_obj_list = []
    export_mtl_list = []
    export_gltf_list=[]
    export_bin_list=[]

    export_obj_list.extend(glob.glob(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, '*.obj')))
    export_mtl_list.extend(glob.glob(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, '*.mtl')))
    export_gltf_list.extend(glob.glob(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, '*.gltf')))
    export_bin_list.extend(glob.glob(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, '*.bin')))

    print(export_bin_list)

    for i in export_obj_list:
        filename = os.path.basename(i)

        if filename != Export.time + "Validation" + '.obj':
            os.remove(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, i))

    for j in export_mtl_list:
        filename = os.path.basename(j)
        if filename != Export.time + "Validation" + '.mtl':
            os.remove(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, j))

    for k in export_gltf_list:
        filename = os.path.basename(k)
        if filename != Export.time + "Validation" + '.gltf':
            os.remove(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir,k))

    for l in export_bin_list:
        filename = os.path.basename(l)
        if filename != Export.time + "Validation" + '.bin':
            os.remove(os.path.join(Construct.path_to_obj_dir, l))

Run()

Thank you very much :)

For some reason I couldn't write "Hello" at the beginning of my post so Hello everyone :)

The current glTF importer/exporter includes a test suite that uses Mocha and Docker to run Blender from the command line and automatically round-trips some glTFs for testing.  It's complex but it could be good reference for how it can be done.


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Create Sinosoidal Fringe Projection with blender... not everything by hand possible?
i am using blender to create optical settings for my work as an engineer in applied optics. I would like to create a lighting with simulates a display which projects a sinusoidal fringe pattern. I am really new to blender, just worked through the basics - tutorial and i would like to know if it is possible to create such a lighting, without creating like 1024 different planes by hand, and set the emission coefficient to sampled sinus-values.
I would like to just create on plane, and subdivide it into 1024 subplanes, but i cannot set the emission coefficient for this because it is still handled as one object inside blender.
Would be cool if someone can help me with an elegant solution to this.

I try to design an optical setup to measure objects from the industry. I need a certain number of cameras under the same illumination, the camera images should ideally have a maximum overlap of the illuminated object. This is why i use blender to check out different setups and positions for the cameras.
in short: I want to design the optical setup in blender, to reduce the "search-space" in the real world in terms of where to find the ideal positions for the cameras.
this is what the light source should look like

Could you illustrate what you are trying to achieve with some images? It is not very clear what you are aiming for

Is this an orthographic projection? Do you need shadows to be cast? Depending on what you need, exactly, you might not need a light.. just appropriately projected textures.

I'm not sure I completely understand your requirements here, but could you meet your needs by using an image texture of your sine pattern (or an appropriate Wave texture) as the input to the "strength" parameter of an Emission shader? Math node(s) (e.g. "Multiply" and/or "Add") between the texture and the Emission shader would let you adjust the overall illumination--or use a Color Ramp node for more control.

@risingfall Based on what I understand from the post, this is probably the way to go, however the OP probably has no idea what you're talking about being new to blender and all. Perhaps you could expand your comment to an answer once the OP has provided more information.

@Rey Leonard Amorato yes I would be happy to, I just didn't want to waste time on a fuller answer if I was off base as to what was being requested

If I understand your requirement correctly, you're looking for a lamp that can project an undistorted (sinusoidal) banded image. This is very similar to Spot light with square shape and, in fact, you could potentially use the example provided there and simply use your image in the Image Texture to generate the required projection.
However, by taking the X coordinate and feeding that into a Sine maths node we can generate the sinusoidal illumination directly using the following nodes on the Point Lamp :

The Mapping node allows you to adjust the direction of the projection while the Value node controls the pitch of the banding. The 'Clip' frame simply limits the projection to the bounds -0.5 to 0.5 in each axis (so you get a clipped square projection) - adjust these values if you require a different aspect ratio or unbound projection. The 'Sine' frame simply generates the banding by multiplying by the 'frequency', adding 1.0 to remove negative values, and then multiplying by a constant for a suitable brightness for the lamp.
As in the linked question, the key to getting an undistorted projection is the Divide by the Z component of the Normal.
Here's the result :

Blend file included

I am not sure if I quite understand the requirement. But here is a simple  script that sets the strength of the emission shader based on the sine value. See if this helps. The parameter names are self-explanatory. If you want a different color for negative f(x) values, just un-comment the commented lines.
import bpy
import bmesh
from math import ceil, pi, sin, radians

def createMaterial(color, strength, matName):
    mat = bpy.data.materials.get(matName)
    if(mat != None):
        bpy.data.materials.remove(mat)
    mat = bpy.data.materials.new(matName)
    mat.use_nodes = True
    tree = mat.node_tree
    defNode = tree.nodes.get("Diffuse BSDF")
    mat.node_tree.nodes.remove(defNode)
    defNode = tree.nodes.new("ShaderNodeEmission")
    defNode.inputs["Strength"].default_value = strength
    defNode.inputs["Color"].default_value = color
    tree.links.new(defNode.outputs[0], tree.nodes.get("Material Output").inputs[0])
    return mat

def createPlane(w, h, location, name):
    bm = bmesh.new()
    v0 = bm.verts.new((-w/2, -h/2, 0))
    v1 = bm.verts.new((w/2, -h/2, 0))
    v2 = bm.verts.new((w/2, h/2, 0))
    v3 = bm.verts.new((-w/2, h/2, 0))
    bm.faces.new((v0, v1, v2, v3))
    me   = bpy.data.meshes.new(name)
    bm.to_mesh(me)
    bm.free()
    obj = bpy.data.objects.new(name, me)
    obj.location = location
    bpy.context.scene.objects.link(obj)
    return obj

numCycles = 40
numPlanes = 1024
phase = 180

w = .01
h = 5
maxStrength = 1.

planesPerCycle = ceil(numPlanes / numCycles)
planeStartX = w/2 - numPlanes * w / 2

bpy.context.scene.render.engine = 'CYCLES'
planeName = '_sine_plane'
matName = '_sine_mat'

posColor = [1, 1, 1, 1]
#negColor = [.8, 0, 0, 1]

mats = []
incr = 2 * pi / planesPerCycle

for i in range(0, planesPerCycle):
    angle = i * incr + radians(phase)
    mag = maxStrength * sin(angle)
    color = posColor
    #if(mag < 0):
        #color = negColor
        #mag *= -1
    mats.append(createMaterial(color, mag, matName + str(i)))

for i in range(0, numPlanes):
    x =  planeStartX + i * w
    location = (x, 0, 0)
    plane = createPlane(w, h, location, planeName + str(i))
    matIdx = i % planesPerCycle
    plane.data.materials.append(mats[matIdx])


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How to restrict proportional editing of vertices to an edge loop?
I am trying to model a fat guy and need to adjust an edge loop to better fit around his gut. I want to use proportional editing but only have it affect vertices on the edge loop. How can this be done? This is not the most pressing example but I will require smoother adjustments soon.

Select your edge loop, shift H to hide the other vertices, then play with your edge loop, and when you have finished, alt H to make visible again.

Instead of selecting, Ctrl I then H to hide the "other mesh", simply select your edge loop and hit Shift H to hide unselected mesh.

yes of course you're right  ;)


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Why is my glass rendering black with a circle reflection? Importing FBX into Blender
I am extremely new to Blender, seeking to use it for architectural visualization for my fifth-year design studio. I am modelling in Revit, exporting as an FBX, and importing into Blender.
So far everything has taken PBR materials very well, except for the imported glass in both curtain walls and window families, such as below:

This was a quick test, only 128 samples, but I can't imagine more samples is the solution. Additionally a black ring is appearing on the floor of the renderings, which I imagine is a result of my glass. I am using an insanely simple node setup for the glass:

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Wireframes and quick render below:

Bottom wireframe is from previous posts' render. Thanks again!

See if these help http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/2558/how-to-illuminate-the-darkness-inside-glass-objects-in-cycles or http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/66702/objects-behind-glass-shader-appear-black or http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/71570/why-is-there-no-light-passing-through-the-window . Otherwise post some wireframe images of your glass objects and what is behind them so we can diagnose.

The third link helped, especially the quality of light in my renders, but for some reason the issue still remains. Forgive me, but I'm going to add an answer to my own question really quick in order to show you wireframes. Thanks for your help!

Answers are for answering the questions only, if you have further details either edit your original question, or post a new one

I need your node setup for the window to possibly diagnose the problem there. Looks to me like it's a material issue.

Which lights are you using, and where are they positioned?

I had the same issue and I think it was simply bad topology. I used the Remesh modifier with Octree 9 and unticked Remove Disconnected Pieces and it did the trick


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custom color property in panel draw layout
I have my panel with draw definition. And want define color for BGL in panel.
I know that Color class exists in blender, but how to use it? How to create custom color property for my panel?

The graphical representation is determined by the subtype field which is set in this example to 'COLOR'.
from bpy.props import FloatVectorProperty
...

object_color = FloatVectorProperty(
   name="object_color",
   subtype='COLOR',
   default=(1.0, 1.0, 1.0),
   min=0.0, max=1.0,
   description="color picker"
   )

Documentation on custom properties,
Nice tutorial on addons

Don't forget to specify min and max for color properties (edited above). You may also be interested in subtype='COLOR_GAMMA' with gamma correction to the color. Set size=4 for RGB + Alpha.


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Grease Pencil Animation
I am wanting to use the new features of the grease pencil for animation.  I am going to have a sphere that I want to draw facial expressions on top of.  However, it is not very efficient to try to draw directly on the mesh, especially if you are animating the position/rotation of the model.
Is there a way to draw grease pencil in a 2D window, and then apply that animation to the mesh of my character?
Please let me know if you need more clarification.  Thanks.

I got an answer off of Packtpub.com.  If any of you want to check out the course, it's called "Blender 2.8 Game Character Creation."
His method for being able to draw the face in a window at the same angle was to create a camera that was positioned face on at the head of the figure, and then to parent it to the head bone.
It's at that moment when you think: "Why didn't I think of that?"  You just have to look outside the box, I guess.

You may wish to accept your own answer to let others know you have resolved this question.  Also here's the link to the blend files https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Blender-2.8-Game-Character-Creation


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Finger Isn't Flexing
OK, I am new to rigging, so hopefully this is an easy question to answer.  I've got a finger rig, which I made by following a book, to be specific, the Second Edition of Oliver Villar's book, Learning Blender.  Here's a picture.

The big bone, called C_Finger_1, is the bone I use to control the finger.  When I rotate it, it rotates all the fingers, as it should.
However, when I scale it down, it should flex the finger, but it doesn't.  The fingers do nothing, except they flip when I scale the C_Finger_1 bone past -1.
I am very much a beginner to this sort of thing.  Could anyone point me in the right direction?

maybe share your file, it will help

sure, but how do I do that?

use this site: https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/   copy the URL of this page and paste it in the field that asks you to do it

here's the file:    https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/b/6424/

You need to:

Deactivate the IK's rotation option (don't know what is for, it's off by default):

Bend the bones a bit in Edit mode so that Blender knows how to flex it.

Once bent, correct the Pole Angle of the IK bone:

Thanks!  It's so nice to see the IK work after your work!

The reason why the Rotation was checked was because I had turned it on, seeing if it would fix the problem.  Thanks a whole lot for answering so quickly!

It seems to me, that it should be able to flex without you bending the bones downward.  Seems like you should have a direction of flex or something.  Doesn't really matter a whole lot.  I had a character with fingers that were completely straight.  So what I did was I bent the bones  downward by .001.


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How to change Follow Path Speed
I've got a simple object following a bezier circle, and I just want to figure out how to change the speed of the object following the path.  Could somebody show me how?

If you're asking about moving the object the full length of the path at a slower pace, read on...  If you're trying to vary, stop, or even make the object go backwards and forwards, that's a bit more complicated but can be added to explain this.  Just ask.
For the full path length at a slower pace -
Go into the path's properties (at right) and set the "Frames" value to twice what you had before.  Make sure your animation frame range is large enough to accomodate that number of frames.
In the Evaluation slot it's a good idea to delete the maximum frame number you have there already.  (set the timeline cursor to that frame number, hover over the slot and press ALT-i)
Now set the timeline cursor to the same frame number as you entered into the "Frames" slot.
Enter that number into the Evaluation slot and hover over it with the mouse and press i to keyframe it.
You've then doubled the number of frames (time) that your object has to complete the journey.

hey, thx!  I was trying to make the object go faster, actually, but it's still applicable, of course.  I had been able to do this once, but I forgot how.  One thing I'm wondering about:  What exactly does the maximum frame number do?  I'm not sure what you are doing by deleting a certain keyframe and adding another one at the end.  Could you fill me in?

Adding the new KF at the (new) end frame number is to provide a new (larger frame range the object has with in which to travel. (slows it down)  Deleting the old KF is just housekeeping.  In theory it shouldn't have any effect, but Blender teaches one to always expect surprises!  Follow the doctors' code - 'When in doubt, cut it out'

The max frame number?  I'm using 2.77a here and cannot see that one.  All I have is "Frames" (Number of contiguous frames the path will be active for)  e.g. that figure could be 100  frames but the path may not be started until frame 250 and ending at 349

oh, oops.  I meant the Evaluation Slot.

An eval'n slot keyframe determines where the object is going to be at a certain frame number.  Setup a path with just the starting and ending keyframes.  Drag the timeline along about half way, then slide the Eval'n slot value and watch what happens.  If you slide it to where you want the object to be at that frame, then keyframe it, that's where it will end up at that frame number when animated.  You can make the object run backwards and forwards this way, even stop there for a while if need be, continue on again later, so long as your frames slot has given it enough frames to do so.

Thanks a lot for your answers, @Edgel3D!  I appreciate it!

No problem.  I have a computer chockers with my old projects because after a while you forget the fine detail.  With Blender it's the fine detail that counts! Sometimes I can't even work out how I managed to get the result I did - i.e. I'm not able to repeat it.  Fluke perhaps?

Probably not a fluke... with Blender, you can easily miss something.  Seeing we are not the developers of Blender, we don't know or see everything. :D

If you'd like, through some of those flukes towards me, and I'll see if I know the answer. :)

There is one that I must get onto - It needs rewriting. We should set up a chat forum or whatever as this wouldn't be the place to discuss that...

how 'bout you add it as a question?  Or is it the type of question that would be closed? (irritating).

Can't chit-chat here. We have to set up a chat forum or similar.  I'm trying to do that but can't see how now.  I'm sure I've seen a button for that somewhere.  Thanks to your prompt - re: the problem with an older post, I went into that last night and found the reason it wouldn't work for me.  :)

Found that button. It's hiding down at the bottom.  If you want to chat, go down to the blue section at bottom left, 3rd option.


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Spin Shortcut Key (2.8)
what's the spin shortcut key?  In 2.79 it was Alt-R, but it no longer works.  I looked on the user preferences, but I couldn't figure out the answer.  Thanks

The shortcut has been removed in Blender 2.8. There are two ways you can add a shortcut, either through the keymap or by right clicking on the tool in the toolbar.
You can add it to your keymap under 3D View > Mesh as mesh.spin. However it's not particularly useful without the gizmo because the shortcut requires the configuration of the properties in the panel, which is much more time consuming.

The other approach is to right click on the spin tool in the toolbar, select Assign Shortcut and press the key combination that shall later trigger the tool. When you create the shortcut using this approach it will show the gizmo. This shortcut can also be created manually in the keymap (3D View > Mesh) by setting the identifier to wm.tool_set_by_id and the identifier of the tool to builtin.spin.

Hey, thanks for the answer.  I figured out that by right-clicking on the spin button on the tool bar, you can add a shortcut key.

@RBlong2us yes that also works.

is there any difference by which method you use?  I'm asking for a reason which is rather hard to explain

@RBlong2us Interesting, it does make a difference, because that way it actually shows the gizmo.

I'm not sure I like that.  I would prefer that it would automatically spin to an amount that I have used berore, then I can edit it later, instead of me having to drag it.  That's how it worked in 2.79..  I'm fine with it though.

I'm not sure how you got your result.  I tried to add a shortcut, but nothing happened when I tried it out.

I'm sure the shortcut worked, but as you said, the widget doesn't appear.  Where are the settings, then?  Am I missing something?

It should appear in the bottom left corner.

hmm... mustve done something wrong.  I did add a shortcut, though

oh, well.  It's not worth hassling over.  Thanks for your time, and for the overall summary.  Your answer probably works, I just must be messing up somewhere or something. :)

@RBlong2us added screenshots for the keymap configuration. Maybe that helps.

Thanks, @rjg.  I've now got a solution that satisfies me.  Thanks a lot!

Why do they have this obsession of moving shortcuts around? It really doesn't help anyone except to waste their time.

@Sebi 2.8x was a major update to Blender, with lots of new functionality that also required adjustments to the keymap.

@RobertGutzow Thanks! But it does make it hell to follow 2.7x tutorials :(