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Low Poly Scene Creation Activity!
Low Poly Scene Creation Activity!
In the next course activity, we will be learning how to create a 'low poly' scene. What is a 'low poly' scene you may ask? Well, it refers to the creation of a stylized Blender scene that is characterized by bold use of colour, explicit geometry and objects with few surface details.
In the next course activity, we will be learning how to create a 'low poly' scene. What is a 'low poly' scene you may ask? Well, it refers to the creation of a stylized Blender scene that is characterized by bold use of colour, explicit geometry and objects with few surface details.
If we were to describe this further, we might say that the scene looks sort of like it has been... made out of 'folded sheets' of paper.
If we were to describe this further, we might say that the scene looks sort of like it has been... made out of 'folded sheets' of paper.
We will offer the instructions two ways:
We will offer the instructions two ways:
(A) A video guide OR (B) 'step by step' approach. Good luck and have fun! :)
(A) A video guide OR (B) 'step by step' approach. Good luck and have fun! :)
A - Video instruction guide(s)
(instructions begin - 36 seconds into the video)
(instructions begin - 36 seconds into the video)
Other 'Alternate' Video tutorials
More 'advanced' Video Guide - pace is fairly quick so you will need to pause frequently!
Assignment Criteria
A landscape scene with mountains and valleys -
A tree
A stream
Colour tinting on sky
2 other features of your choice! (For example, snow on mountain peak or rocks or different parts the ground different colour - like green grass )
B- A Step by Step Guide to creating a new Blender Scene.
1. Start a New Scene
1. Start a New Scene
Open Blender → New → General.
Delete the default cube (X → Delete).
2. Create the Ground
2. Create the Ground
Add a Plane
Add a Plane
Press Shift + A → Mesh → Plane.
Scale it up (S, then type something like 10).
Add Geometry for Sculpting
Add Geometry for Sculpting
Low poly still needs enough geometry to shape the terrain.
With the plane selected → Add Modifier → Subdivision Surface.
Increase Levels to ~5.
Apply the modifier (click Apply).
3. Sculpt the Landscape
3. Sculpt the Landscape
Go to Sculpt Mode (top-left dropdown).
Use these brushes:
Grab → for pulling big hills and valleys.
Smooth → to soften areas.
Keep forms simple—low poly looks best with big shapes.
When done, go back to Object Mode.
4. Make It Low-Poly
4. Make It Low-Poly
Add Modifier → Decimate.
Choose Planar mode.
Adjust Angle Limit until you like the chunkier low-poly look.
(Somewhere between 5–15° usually works well.)
5. Add Low-Poly Trees (Easy Method)
5. Add Low-Poly Trees (Easy Method)
Using Built-in Shapes
Using Built-in Shapes
Shift + A → Mesh → Cone (for tree leaves).
Scale it squished or stretched for stylized shapes.
Add a Cylinder for the trunk.
Select both → Ctrl + J to join into one object.
Duplicate trees with Shift + D and place them around.
Or create rocks using Icospheres with a Decimate modifier.
6. Add Simple Low-Poly Materials
6. Add Simple Low-Poly Materials
Low poly looks best with flat colors.
Select an object → Material Properties.
New Material → choose a simple color.
Make sure shading is set to Flat:
Object Mode → Select object → Right-click → Shade Flat.
Do this for your terrain, trees, rocks, etc.
7. Lighting and Camera
7. Lighting and Camera
Lighting
Lighting
Add a Sun Light (Shift + A → Light → Sun).
Adjust angle for nice shadows.
Increase strength if needed in Light Properties.
Camera
Camera
Press Numpad 0 to look through the camera.
Move the camera using:
G (move)
R (rotate)
Shift + Tilde (~) for "fly mode" in Blender 6.
8. Render
8. Render
Go to Render Properties → Change render engine to Cycles or keep Eevee for faster renders.
Render → Render Image.
Animation 12 - PLanning notes
Animation 12 - PLanning notes
(*) not for student use!
(*) not for student use!
Here are the steps to downloading and adding in a 'rigged puppet character! Good luck: )
Here are the steps to downloading and adding in a 'rigged puppet character! Good luck: )
1) Prepare: tools & files you’ll need
1) Prepare: tools & files you’ll need
Blender (latest stable release recommended).
A rigged puppet file (common sources: Mixamo, BlenderKit, Blender Market, Gumroad). Files usually come as .blend, .fbx, gltf/glb, or DAE.
(Optional) animation clips (FBX from Mixamo, or actions inside a .blend).
Save a project folder and keep originals untouched (make a backup copy).
2) Download the rigged puppet
2) Download the rigged puppet
Choose a source:
If you want quick humanoid rigs + animations: Mixamo (free Adobe service) is very convenient (downloads FBX or FBX for Unity).
If you want Blender-ready characters, look for .blend rigs (Rigify enabled) on Blender Market / Gumroad.
Download the file in a compatible format. If you plan to retarget Mixamo animations into Blender, use FBX (binary). If you can get a .blend with the rig, that’s easiest.
3) Import the puppet into Blender
3) Import the puppet into Blender
Open Blender → File → New (or open your project).
File → Import → FBX (.fbx) (or glTF 2.0 / Wavefront (.obj) if those are your formats).
In the FBX import options:
Set Scale to 1.0 (you can change after import).
Enable Automatic Bone Orientation if available (helps with Blender bone axes).
After import the Outliner should show:
an Armature (the rig)
a Mesh (the character)
possibly materials / actions
4) First checks & fixes
4) First checks & fixes
Apply transforms:
Select mesh and armature; for each do Object → Apply → Rotation & Scale (or Ctrl+A → Rotation & Scale).
Check object orientation: If character faces +Y or -Y incorrectly, rotate the armature or mesh 180° on Z, then Ctrl+A apply.
Check skinning: Select the mesh → go to Pose Mode for the armature → rotate a bone. If mesh deforms wrong, weight painting may need work.
Normals: In Edit Mode select mesh → Mesh → Normals → Recalculate Outside if shading odd.
Materials/textures: Point Blender’s Shader nodes to textures if imports lost paths.
5) Parenting / binding (if mesh is not bound)
5) Parenting / binding (if mesh is not bound)
If you imported a mesh that has no Armature modifier or isn’t parented:
Select the mesh, then Shift+select the armature → Ctrl+P → With Automatic Weights.
This creates an Armature modifier and vertex groups for bones. Then test posing.
6) Importing / adding animations
6) Importing / adding animations
Single .blend with actions: Open or File → Append → navigate to the .blend → Action or Object data-blocks and append actions/armature.
FBX animation clips (Mixamo):
Import each FBX containing the animation. Blender creates an Action for the Armature.
Open the Dope Sheet → Action Editor to view each Action.
Rename Actions for clarity (e.g., walk, jump, idle).
7) Retargeting (if rigs don’t match)
7) Retargeting (if rigs don’t match)
If your puppet rig differs from the animation rig (common when using Mixamo animations on custom rigs):
Simple approach (Auto-retarget add-ons recommended)
Install and use an add-on like Auto-Rig Pro (paid) or Rigify’s retargeting scripts to map source bones → target bones.
Blender 4.x+ has improved retargeting tools; search in Pose → Animation → Retarget if available.
Manual approach (more work)
Import source animation armature (e.g., Mixamo) as a separate Armature.
Use Copy Transforms / Copy Rotation constraints from source bones to target bones, then Bake the resulting pose to a new Action on the target rig (Object → Animation → Bake Action) with Only Selected checked and Visual Keying enabled.
Clean up resulting curves.
Consider using a retargeting add-on for speed and reliability.
8) Build an animation sequence (Action → NLA Editor)
8) Build an animation sequence (Action → NLA Editor)
Open Dope Sheet → Action Editor. Each imported clip shows as an Action.
Convert Actions to NLA strips:
With the Armature selected, go to NLA Editor.
Click the tiny pushdown button in the Action Editor or in the NLA Editor press Add Action Strip to add the action as a strip.
Arrange strips on the NLA timeline:
Move, scale, and blend strips to make transitions.
Use Blend In/Out handles or set strip blend mode (Add, Replace) to smooth transitions.
Fine-tune keyframes in Graph Editor or Dope Sheet for nuance (timing, easing).
For looped animations (walk cycle), set strip to Repeat (NLA strip properties → Repeat).
9) Polish: IK, constraints, and corrective shapes
9) Polish: IK, constraints, and corrective shapes
Add IK constraints for hands/feet if you need foot planting. Use Bone constraints in Pose Mode.
Use Pose library for common poses (Blender: Object Data Properties → Pose Library).
If mesh collapses in some poses, create Corrective Shape Keys and animate their influence.
Use the Graph Editor to smooth curves and add easing.
10) Bake / Clean for export or rendering
10) Bake / Clean for export or rendering
If you used constraints or drivers and need a pure keyframed animation for export or game engines: Object → Animation → Bake Action (select only bones, visual keying, clear constraints if needed).
Clean unused actions: Dope Sheet → Action Editor → fake user / unlink unused actions.
11) Render or export
11) Render or export
For rendering in Blender: set up cameras, lights; choose Eevee (fast) or Cycles (physically accurate), set output settings, then Render Animation.
For exporting to game engines: export as FBX. In FBX export:
Select Armature + Mesh,
Set Bake Animation ON (if you want animation baked),
Set Apply Scalings to FBX All or Scale: 1.0,
Use Forward = -Z Forward, Up = Y Up for Blender → Unity compatibility (adjust as needed).
How to Create a City Scene in Blender 6 - (see the steps below)
1. Setup the Scene
1. Setup the Scene
Create a New Project: Open Blender and start with a new project.
Set Up the Resolution: Go to the Output Properties tab and set the resolution, for instance, 1920x1080 for full HD or higher for more detailed renders.
2. Model the City
2. Model the City
A. Base Terrain
Use a plane to represent the ground (Shift + A → Mesh → Plane).
Scale it to fit the city size (S key to scale, then type numbers to specify scale).
B. Buildings
Use simple geometric shapes like cubes and rectangles to start building blocks of the city.
For each building, create a cube, then use S to scale it in the Z-axis (height).
Use Array Modifiers to replicate similar buildings for creating rows or city blocks.
Add variation in height, width, and shape to make the city feel more dynamic.
You can also model custom buildings if you want specific architectural details.
C. Streets
Use cubes or planes for roads. You can use the Bevel Modifier to create curved or smoother edges.
Consider adding curves (Shift + A → Curve → Path) to create winding streets or highways.
3. Detailing the Scene
3. Detailing the Scene
A. Windows and Doors
Use the Boolean Modifier to cut out windows and doors in your buildings.
Create window and door frames from smaller cubes and inset them using the Extrude (E) and Inset (I) tools.
B. Street Details
Add sidewalks, streetlights, and traffic signs. Use simple models and small props to enhance the realism.
Add street furniture like benches, trash bins, etc.
C. Props and Foliage
Add trees or plants (you can use Blender’s particle system for trees or use free models from sites like Sketchfab or BlenderKit).
Scatter objects like cars, pedestrians, and traffic lights to populate the scene.
4. Lighting
4. Lighting
A. Sun and Environment Lighting
Add a sunlight to simulate daylight (Shift + A → Light → Sun). Position it to create realistic shadows.
Use HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image) for environmental lighting. It adds realistic lighting and reflections, especially for city skylines.
Go to the World Properties tab → Color and select an HDRI image.
B. Artificial Lighting
For night scenes, add streetlights, neon signs, and windows lighting up.
Use emission shaders to make windows or signs emit light.
5. Texturing
5. Texturing
A. Buildings
Use image textures (like brick walls, glass, or concrete) to add detail to the buildings. You can find free textures on sites like Textures.com or CC0 Textures.
Use UV Mapping to properly apply textures to the buildings. This involves unwrapping the model (press U in Edit Mode) and then applying the textures in the Shading Editor.
B. Roads and Sidewalks
For roads, use asphalt textures or procedural textures. A simple Gravel texture can work well for sidewalks.
C. Windows and Glass
Use the Principled BSDF shader to create glass materials for windows, adjusting the Transmission value to make it transparent and adding some roughness for reflections.
6. Camera Setup
6. Camera Setup
Set up the camera to frame the scene. You can use multiple cameras for different angles.
Experiment with depth of field (in the camera settings) to simulate camera focus and make the scene look more photographic.
Use Wide-angle lenses for an epic city view or telephoto lenses for more compressed perspectives.
7. Post-Processing
7. Post-Processing
After rendering the scene, use Compositor to add effects like depth of field, motion blur, and color grading.
Add glow to lights and neon signs to make the city more vibrant.
8. Final Rendering
8. Final Rendering
Set up your render settings: Choose Cycles for realistic rendering or Eevee for faster results, adjusting settings like sample count and denoising for clearer images.
Hit F12 to render.
Additional Tips:
Additional Tips:
Details Matter: The more variation you add to buildings (textures, lighting, size), the more realistic your city will feel.
Use City Asset Packs: Consider using city asset packs from Blender Market or the Asset Browser for quick results.
Camera and Lighting Composition: Cityscapes benefit greatly from creative lighting, like sunset or nighttime shots. Use low, dramatic angles to emphasize the scale of the city.
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