Allan Didier

Allan Didier

Computer Science Teacher
Menu
Allan Didier > Mr. Didier’s Classes > Computer Graphics and Modeling > Graphics and Modeling Projects > Beginner Projects G&M > Beginner Materials

Computer Graphics and Modeling

Menu

Beginner Materials

Goals

Students will learn how to apply simple materials, textures, and shaders to mesh objects.

Skills

  • Materials, Textures and Shaders
  • UV Unwrapping
  • Transparent materials
Materials and Textures

Assignment Details

 You need to demonstrate at least 5 materials:

  1. a basic color
  2. a simple texture
  3. a single mesh with at least 2 materials
  4. a glass or transparent texture
  5. a UV wrapped texture.

You can create the following mesh objects with the following materials or textures applied to them to accomplish this assignment.

  1. Two walls and a floor made out of planes or cubes and placed together to form a corner of a room. Add the following textures to them.
    1. Add a simple color to at least one of them.
    2. Add a simple texture or material (bricks, stone, metal, wood, etc) to at least one of them. 
    3. Add a color or material to the third wall just so that it is not gray like the Blender void.
  2. Glass/Transparent Object. Add a transparent object in the room so that you can look through it to the objects above. In order to see transparent objects, you need to look through them to other objects and not the gray Blender void.
    1. Use a somewhat complex object for the transparency. Basic shapes such as cubes and planes don’t reflect light very well and can be hard to see as transparencies. Good transparent objects to use include:
      1. A drinking glass or cup. You can create this from a cube, inset the top face and then extrude the middle face in. 
      2. The monkey mesh object (Suzanne). This object has many faces and reflects light well for this project. 
      3. Your object from the Beginner Modeling assignment. Don’t use the Beginner Meshes objects as they are all simple objects and will each require transparent materials applied to them. 
    2. Add the transparency using one of the techniques in the tutorials below. There are many ways to do transparencies, I just need to see one way. See below for some other tips on transparent objects.
  3. UV Wrapping. UV wrapping can get very complicated, very quickly. For this project, I suggest wrapping a cube because it only has 6 sides to it. You can wrap something more complicated, but you do not need to for this assignment. You need to use a separate 2D image (jpg, png, etc) to wrap onto your object. You can look for an image online or just use the brick one below. Make sure you can demonstrate the UV wrapping by adjusting the material as it wraps around the cube. If you use the brick texture below, you can adjust the wrapping so the bricks wrap smoothly around the cube. 
Brick Texture for UV Wrapping. Right-click and choose Save Image As to download the file.
Poor UV Wrapping
Good UV Wrapping

Tips

Transparent Objects

When viewing transparencies, keep in mind there are 2 different ways to view them when rendered: EVEE and Cycles. Here are some things to look from when viewing transparent objects in v2.8

  • Cycles Rendering
    • Render Settings
    • switch to Cycles, not EVEE, rendering to see the above transparency
    • Cycles is more precise, but much slower than EVEE.
  • EVEE: In order to see the transparency and not just the reflected world image, check the following boxes.
    • Object Material Properties
      • Viewport Display
        • Settings
          • Check Raytrace Transmission
    • Render Settings
      • Check Raytracing

Submitting your work

Image files that you use for the materials or textures don’t normally get attached to your Blender file. So, if you just submit your work, Mr. Didier won’t be able to view your work properly. If you used any files or images as the materials or textures for any of your objects, you need to make these files available when you submit your work for grading. You can do this two ways.

  1. Upload the individual files alongside the Blender file in Google Classroom when you submit your work.
  2. Pack the files using the File–External Data–Pack All Into .Blend. This puts all the images files into the Blender file so that you only need to submit one file, your Blender file. 

Resources

Blender Fundementals 2.8 tutorials

Intro to Shading
Shading Editor
Intro to Textures

Two Materials on a Single Object

Transparent Glass

You don’t need to add everything in this tutorial. You only need enough to make it look like glass.

Glass and Liquid

You don’t need to add everything in this tutorial. You only need enough to make it look like glass.

UV Unwrapping

Rubric

Transparent Texture

  • The transparent object is complex enough to see the transparency well. I.e. the object should not be a simple mesh object.
  • A transparent material has been applied so the object is visible, but transparent.
  • The wall, floor, and lighting make the transparency easy to see.
  • The transparent object is a little too simple to see the  transparency well.
  • A transparent material has been applied, but the object is not very transparent or nearly invisible.
  • The wall, floor, and lighting don’t help with the transparency.
  • The transparent object is too simple to see the  transparency well.
  • A transparent material has been applied but doesn’t really work.
  • The wall, floor, and lighting make the transparency harder to see.

Grade / Topic

A

B

C
Simple Color
  • A simple color material has been applied to an object.
  • The color makes the object stand out from the void.
  • A simple color material has been applied to an object.
  • The color really does not makes the object stand out from the void.
  • A simple color material has been applied to an object.
  • The color makes the object blend into the void.
Simple Texture
  • The texture applied makes the object look realistic.
  • The texture fits properly on the object.
  • The texture applied makes the object look somewhat realistic.
  • The texture fits on the object, but could fit better.
  • The texture applied does not really make the object look realistic.
  • The texture does not fit well on the object.
Multiple Materials
  • A single mesh object has at least 2 easily identifiable and different materials applied to different areas. 
  • A single mesh object has at least 2 partially identifiable and different materials applied to different areas.  
  
  • A single mesh object has 2 easily different materials applied to different areas, but it is difficult to see. 
UV mapped/ wrapped object
  • A simple UV material has been made or imported properly.
  • The material has been wrapped well around the object.
  • Seams have been added to get the material to wrap properly.
  • A simple UV material has been made or imported properly.
  • The material has been wrapped well around the object but not very well.
  • Seams have been added, but don’t really help with the wrapping.
  • The default checkerboard has been used.
  • The material has not been wrapped well around the object.
  • Seams have been added but are more confusing than helpful.