Blender Basics

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As a thank you for checking the documentation, you can use the code documentation20 to get 20% off on any product on the following platforms:
SuperHive, CGTrader, Gumroad, RenderHub, and Cubebrush.

This offer is exclusive to users who explore the documentation section.

📝 Note: This documentation is intended to support the use of my models. It is not a full Blender tutorial, but rather a collection of common solutions and tips for basic Blender features—focused on frequent questions from customers.

🎨 Pink Textures in Blender — How to Fix It

📦 What's Included in the Package?

When you purchase one of my models, you'll receive:

A .blend file
A compressed .zip file named UNZIP_FIRST.zip
A compressed .zip file named Documentation.zip
Notes.txt

💡 Important: The textures are separated from the .blend file to keep it lighter and more modular.

🗂 Step 1 — Extract the textures folder

Extract the UNZIP_FIRST.zip file into the same folder where the .blend file is located .

For example:
/MyModel/

├── model.blend

└── textures/

├── BaseColor.png

├── Normal.png

└── Roughness.png

Do not rename the folder or move its internal files.

🔁 Why does this work?

All textures are set up with relative paths inside Blender. This means that as long as the textures/ folder is in the same location as the .blend file, Blender will find them automatically.

❌ What happens if you don’t extract the textures?

If you open the file without extracting the textures/ folder, Blender won’t find the files and will show the materials in pink (magenta).

⚠️This is not a model error—it's just a sign that the textures are missing.

✅ How to relink textures (if you moved them)?

In Blender, go to File > External Data > Find Missing Files .
Select the folder where the textures are.
Blender will update the links automatically.

💡You can also visit this explanatory video: Fix Pink/Purple Blender Missing Textures Issue in 30 Seconds

🔄 Version Compatibility in Blender

My models are usually created using the latest stable version of Blender, but I always make sure they are compatible with version 4.0 and up. All files are tested on those versions before being released.

⚠️ Warnings When Opening or Saving

If you open a .blend file with a Blender version older than the one used to create it, you may see the following messages:

When opening the file:

When trying to save the file:

✅ What to do?

I recommend using "Save As..." to save a copy of the file and avoid possible conflicts or data loss.
Ideally, you should work with the same version in which the file was created , or a newer version.
Despite the warnings, no real data will be lost if you work between versions 4.0 and higher. I'm responsible for testing and ensuring compatibility.

🐍 Python Script Warning

When opening the file, Blender might display this message:

This message appears because the .blend file includes Python scripts , such as the rig's interface script (rig_ui.py). This script is completely safe and required for the rig to function properly.

✅ How to fix it?

Check the box “Permanently allow execution of scripts” and click “Allow Execution”,
this will make scripts always run automatically. Or if you prefer, simply click “Allow Execution” to run the script only for this file.
You can also enable it manually here:
Edit > Preferences > Save & Load > Auto Run Python Scripts.

🔐 This is a Blender security measure to protect you from unknown files, but in this case the script is a legitimate part of the rig and poses no risk.

🧱 Using "Simplify" to Improve Performance

What is "Simplify"?

Simplify is a Blender option that reduces scene complexity while working, without affecting the final render quality. In my models, it comes enabled by default so you can navigate and work smoothly, especially if the model has many levels of detail.

Why is it used?

My models often include Multiresolution modifiers with up to 4 sculpting levels,
which can be heavy for some systems.

To prevent slowdowns, I keep Simplify activated with:

Viewport Subdivisions: 0
Viewport Particles: 0

⚠️This means you'll see a lightweight version of the model while working, but the final render will automatically display at full quality.

How to enable or disable Simplify?

Go to the Render Properties tab (🎥 camera icon).
Open the Simplify panel.
Enable or disable the checkbox.
You can adjust:

Max Subdivision (maximum subdivision level in the viewport)
Child Particles (number of child particles)
Texture Limit and other optional settings

🟢 Recommendation

Turn it on while working or doing quick tests.
Turn it off if using Live Render and you want to see the model in full detail.
For the final render (F12), Blender automatically ignores Simplify and always renders in full resolution.

🧭 Recommended Interaction Mode

To work properly with the model:

Use Object Mode to move, scale, or position the entire model in the scene.
Use Edit Mode only if you want to modify the geometry (not recommended unless you know what you're doing).
Use Pose Mode to animate the character using the rig.

⚠️ Avoid editing the mesh directly in Edit Mode if you're not familiar with rigging systems. You could break the connection with the rig or the shapekeys.

🦴 How to Select the Rig and Use Pose Mode

To animate or pose the model properly:

Click on the rig object in the scene (usually named Armature or something similar).
Switch to Pose Mode (Ctrl + Tab or from the dropdown menu in the top-left corner of the viewport).

In this mode you can:

Move the controllers to pose the model.
Activate facial expressions, gestures, or predefined movements (if included with your model).

✅ If you select only the mesh, you won't see the controllers.
Make sure you're selecting the rig object, not the geometry.

🧱 How to Move the Model Correctly in the Scene

The model should not be moved, scaled, or rotated directly.
It is locked for transformations and parented to the rig, which is the object you should manipulate.

✅ To move, rotate, or scale the character:

Select the main rig (for example, Natalia_Armature).
Use the corresponding controllers to:
- 1. - Move the entire character
    - Rotate or adjust the pose
    - Scale the whole setup (if necessary)

⚠️ Do not apply transformations (Ctrl + A) to the rig or the model unless you know exactly what you're doing. Applying scale incorrectly can cause visible deformations in the mesh.

🦴 An Optimized Rig Organized by Layers

The rig is designed to provide a clean and comfortable animation experience:

Most bones are hidden to avoid distractions and mistakes.
You’ll only see the essential controllers: IK, FK, joints, expressions, corrections, etc.
Everything is organized into bone layers, which you can activate depending on what you need to animate.

The layers are accessible from the side panel (N key) in the rig’s custom tab.

🧩 If you don’t see this panel, it’s possible that the rig_ui.py script didn’t run automatically. In that case, you can manually access the layers from the Armature Properties panel, under the section “Rig Layers”.

🎭 Expressions and shapekeys controlled by the rig

The shapekeys included in the model are visible in the object properties tab, but should not be modified manually.

All shapekeys are controlled by drivers connected to the rig.
They are responsible for facial expressions, volume corrections, and automatic deformations.
If you try to adjust them manually, the drivers will break, which can cause the model to malfunction.

⚠️ Always use the rig's controllers to activate expressions or poses. The system is designed so you don't have to touch anything directly from the ShapeKeys panel.

➕ Importing the model into another scene (Append)

All my models are organized inside a collection, which includes all the necessary elements of the character or body part (mesh, eyes, mouth, rig, etc.). This allows for a clean and organized Append.

✅ How to do the Append correctly?

Go to File > Append.
Select the model’s .blend file.
Enter the Collection folder.
Choose the model’s main collection (for example, Female_Arm_Cinematic, Natalia_Real-Time, etc.).

This will import all the necessary objects in a structured way, without having to select them one by one.

🎛 Custom Shapes when doing Append

Blender will also import all the rig’s custom shapes as separate objects. This is part of the Rigify system and is completely normal.

They are not hidden: they will appear in the scene as visible objects.
In some cases, there may be dozens of objects.

What to do with them?

You can delete them from the View Layer panel.
Or simply select them all and move them to a separate collection to keep things organized and hide them.
They do not affect the rig’s functionality.

🖼 Final Rendering

The models are ready to render without the need for additional settings.
All configurations have been prepared to deliver the same result shown in the preview images of the product listing.

✅ General recommendations

There is no need to disable Simplify: Blender automatically ignores it when performing the final render,
so the model will be displayed at maximum resolution.
You can adjust parameters such as samples, resolution, denoise, or light paths depending on your hardware capabilities.
The default values in the file are configured with the same settings used for the promotional images.

🔥 Recommended Render Engine

By default, all models are optimized for Cycles.
If the model has been prepared for Eevee, this will be clearly indicated in its description.
It is not recommended to switch render engines (for example, from Cycles to Eevee),
as this can seriously affect visual quality, especially in materials like skin, eyes, or translucent surfaces.

🧠 Materials are calibrated to make the most of the model’s original engine. Using the wrong engine may result in flat shadows, incorrect textures, or loss of realism.

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