Blender Intermediate: Textures and Shading

Name: Blender Intermediate: Textures and Shading
Author: Jay Grewall

Learn shading and texturing, and how combining different techniques can produce realistic 3D objects

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 11 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello and welcome to Knowledge City's course on Intermediate Blender 3D. My name is Jay and today we will be learning about shading and texturing in Blender. But before we get started, we need to understand the difference between shading and texturing. Shading is the process of using a group of instructions and parameters to tell Blender how to display the surface of a 3D object. If you look at the rendering on my screen, you will see what looks to be a blue marble placed upon a pink floor with a solid cube in the background. In order to achieve this marble look, I simply created a 3D sphere and I applied different surface settings to it. I gave it a base color of blue. I increase the specularity which allows for the reflection you see here. I decrease the roughness to make sure that it is smooth and I'm able to see through it simply by bringing down the alpha of the object. If you look closely, you can see the 3D cube behind the marble. You'll also notice a little bit of frost in front of it. This effect was created simply by increasing what is referred to as the transmission roughness. Texturing on the other hand uses a two-dimensional image which is virtually wrapped around a 3D object. If you look at the rendering here, you'll see I have what looks to be a pool ball sitting on top of a piece of wood. This rendering is actually comprised of four images. Let's see what I mean when I say that. On the left-hand side here, you'll see the four images that are being used to produce this rendering. The first image you see is the image that I applied to the plane to give it the texture of wood. The second image here is what's referred to as the roughness map, and it is used to prevent the flat object from looking too shiny. This third image over here is what is referred to as the displacement map. When a displacement map is applied to a 3D image, it actually affects the geometry of the 3D image, and it creates bumps and grooves the way real wood would be. Underneath those three images, you see this image of marble with the number seven in the middle. This image was wrapped around the 3D sphere on the right-hand side, and when all four images are used together, you can produce a very realistic rendering. And this is a difference between shading and texturing and how you can use both to achieve realistic renderings in Blender 3D. In the next lesson, we will be explaining shading parameters. Thank you very much for watching.

Intermediate Provider : Jay Grewall 11 Lessons · 1h 12m in English

Course Description

In these lessons, you’ll begin by learning the difference between shading and texturing in Blender. We’ll cover the most commonly used shading parameters: subsurface, metallic, specular, roughness, anisotropic, sheen, transmission, and alpha. On-screen diagrams will be used to help illustrate how these parameters operate, and how you can modify them to create bars of gold and a shiny coin.

You’ll also learn how Blender’s procedural textures can be used without degrading the resolution or clarity of an object’s appearance. We’ll go over how to import 2D images and map them to 3D objects to create PBR—short for physically based renderings. We also introduce UV editing, a powerful method of modifying 2D images with greater precision. We’ll explore how multiple shaders and textures can be applied using nodes. Node-based editing involves “plugging” data values onto 3D objects – a method which provides more features and possibilities than Blender’s default values.

Learning the difference between shading and texturing in Blender will help you understand which option is best for producing the specific results you want. We’ll also demonstrate how procedural texturing can be modified independent of resolution, as well as how to apply a 2D image to a 3D object.

What You'll Learn

Distinguish between shading and texturing in Blender and when to use each
Describe the commonly used shading parameters: subsurface, metallic, specular, roughness, anisotropic, sheen, transmission, and alpha
Apply node-based editing by "plugging" data values onto 3D objects to create specific appearances
Use procedural textures that can be modified independent of resolution without degrading clarity
Map 2D images onto 3D objects using UV editing to create physically based renderings (PBR)
Apply multiple shaders and textures to objects using nodes

Key Takeaways

Shading and texturing work differently in Blender to produce different visual effects, and knowing the difference helps you choose the best option for your desired result.
Shading parameters such as subsurface, metallic, specular, roughness, anisotropic, sheen, transmission, and alpha can be modified to create appearances like bars of gold and a shiny coin.
Node-based editing involves plugging data values onto 3D objects, providing more features and possibilities than Blender's default values.
Blender's procedural textures can be modified independent of resolution without degrading an object's clarity or appearance.
Importing 2D images and mapping them to 3D objects creates PBR (physically based renderings), and UV editing allows modifying 2D images with greater precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this intermediate Blender course?

You'll learn the difference between shading and texturing, the commonly used shading parameters (subsurface, metallic, specular, roughness, anisotropic, sheen, transmission, and alpha), node-based editing, procedural texturing, mapping 2D images onto 3D objects, and UV editing.

What are PBR and UV editing as covered in this course?

PBR is short for physically based renderings, created by importing 2D images and mapping them to 3D objects. UV editing is introduced as a powerful method of modifying 2D images with greater precision.

How does node-based editing differ from Blender's default values?

Node-based editing involves plugging data values onto 3D objects, a method that provides more features and possibilities than Blender's default values.

How is this course structured?

The course is organized into 11 lessons covering Shading vs. Texturing, Shading Parameters Explained (Parts 1-2), Nodes-Based Editing (Parts 1-2), Shading Using Nodes (Parts 1-2), Procedural Texturing (Parts 1-2), and Texturing Using Nodes (Parts 1-2).