# Blender Notes

## Making Curved Pipes or vines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpplLg61efc

Start by creating the path you want the pipe to follow
- Make a plane
- Merge all vertices at center leaving only 1
- Use extrude vertices to position new vertices where you want path
- Use the Bevel command to rough in the curves
- Convert it to a "curve": Object > Convert > Curve

Give the pipe some shape
- A new curve property panel is on the right
- Increase depth to give it mass
- Increase resolution to make it smoother
- Fill caps if desired

Add some thickness
- Object convert to Mesh
- Modifier Solidify and increase thickness
- Apply
- The edges of the pipe may be smoothed out so
- Add a new modifier for "Edges"


## Fixing Faces Subdivides

Sometimes a face won't subdividie and thats because it's a polygon and not a square
You can somewhat resolve this by selecting the face then
- Face > Triangulate Faces -- LOOKS LIKE A GOOD TOOL
- Face > Tris to Quads
- Subdivide


## Inverse Kinematic Animations

- Create Armature and Bones
- Put a controller bone on end of limbs

In edit mode:
- Clear Parent from controller bone

In pose mode:
- Select controller bone, then shift click parent bone, then
- Pose > Inverse Kinematics > Add IK to Bone > To Active Bone

To prevent cascading moves:
- Select end bone (not controller bone) and under Bone Constraint set Chain Length

Constrain joints:
- in pose mode select each bone > inverse kinematics > lock axis

Copy limbs:
- name all bone limbs with `.L` suffix then select all bones and symmetrize

Automatic Weights:
- Select vertex object
- Shift Select armature
- Right click > parent > with automatic weights

Weight Painting:
- Object Mode > left click armature > shift click mesh > tab mode into weight paint
- from ehre shift click bones to swap to their paint mode


## UV Painting

UV Painting:
- you can texture paint a material
- set the base color
- TODO unwrap UV


## Stone Walls

Edit > Preferences > Add Ons > Extra Mesh Objects
Then Add a wall factory and adjust!


## Collection Instances

Make objects in their own Collection call it whatever, "A".

Then in the collection where you want the instances hit Add > Collection Instance

Be careful to duplicate the Collection Instance root, not the clones because they will link to the parent clone not the original instance.
If this happens you can fix it by selecting the instance, then under Instancing (right panel) > Pick the proper collection.


## Mountains / Terrain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=MW8-SecLwS4

Preferences > Add Ons > A.N.T. Landscapes
Add > Mesh > Landscape

Adjust presets or settings