Bits of Blender #77 - Distribute Strokes Extension

I created a simple extension/add-on to distribute Grease Pencil strokes. 

I show you how the add-on works, how you can get it, and where you can find the code if you have interest in seeing how extensions work. 

Bits of Blender #76 - Joining Strokes in 4.4 vs 4.2

The way you join Grease Pencil strokes has changed. In this video I show you how it was in 4.2 LTS and compare it to 4.4.

Bits of Blender #75 - Run multiple instances of Blender on a Mac

How do you run multiple instances of the SAME version of Blender on a Mac?

It is a quick tip, in a nutshell... Run this in the Terminal: open -n -a Blender

Bits of Blender #74 - Bézier Curves, Part 2

This Bit builds on Bit #73, going further into using Blender’s beautiful Bézier curve tools.

Bits of Blender #73 - Bézier Curves, Part 1

Blender has powerful Bézier curve tools that are a bit different than what you may be used to in other vector programs. This episode introduces you to how Blender handles Bézier handles.

It’s a little different from other vector programs like Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer, in fact I think it is better being able to easily see the handle types.

Bits of Blender #72 - A REAL 3-button Mouse

With Blender I use a trackpad, Wacom, and a Huion tablet monitor, but I’ve always wanted a good ol’ fashioned 3-button mouse, and I finally found one! This is not a paid endorsement, just news of a cool mouse I found to use with Blender 🤠 You can get the Elecom mouse here: https://www.amazon.com/ELECOM-Japan-Brand-BlueLED-Symmetrical-M-CAD01UBBK/dp/B07W5CXW6M

New Logo and New Bit!

Blender can be a challenge to learn at first, but its key commands are instantly addictive. I started using Adobe Illustrator with version 1.1 in 1987, but when I discovered Blender 2.37a in 2005, its shortcuts like G, S, R, X, and E quickly overtook 18 years of Illustrator muscle memory. I even caught myself trying to use them in the venerable vector tool! 

So for the new Bits of Blender logo (my series of quick tips and tutorials for the Blender community), I turned to Blender itself. I began with thumbnails using the Grease Pencil. For the final artwork, I switched to Blender’s Curve object using version 4.4. 

The Curve edit mode’s Pen tool, introduced a few years ago, should feel familiar to anyone who’s used vector drawing tools like Illustrator. The circular design features text wrapped around the outside of a bezier circle and the inside of another. Getting the text to align inside the circle had me stuck for a moment. I realized it was a matter of scaling the circle on the negative Y axis, which is not something you'd do in Illustrator! 

I created a one-minute Bit tutorial to share the solution. Let me know what you think of the new logo, and/or share your own tips for working with Blender’s Curve tools!

I did thumbnails using the Grease Pencil. Here's an example of the one I picked to move forward with.

It is always good to design in black and white first. This is just a step from being final, I decided I preferred the text in the circle to be all caps.

Final art, animated.

The logo mentions the year we started, has two sillouettes of the Blender Monkey object to represent me and Richard. The "o" is a nod to the 3D cursor pioneered by Blender. And of course it has a 0 and 1 to represent the computer "bit", which we use as a play on words for our series (a "bit" as in "a brief performance").