Following on from yesterdays “Best Architecture book’s” article, I’ve continued the theme onto today article, which is all about software that’s used for creating 3D images.

People want more than images.

Architectural Visualisation has become a big part of the Architectural industry sector. Beautiful illustrations are no longer enough for a new generation of clients that expect to see their vision in highly detailed 3D animations, CGI images and 360-degree 3D visuals that can be viewed through a Virtual Reality Headset.  I recently experienced an interior design myself through a Virtual Reality headset at Emperor Vision and I have to say that it was amazing. The designs are so realistic, that you almost feel like reaching out and opening the doors and windows.      

Five of the best books for Blender users.

When it comes to the software that’s used to create these stunning designs -  as a techie, my curiosity got the better of me.  I recently downloaded a copy of Blender, a popular open source 3D modelling software application that’s used by many architects (and in other industries where 3D rendering is used in production).  I’ve been playing with Blender for a while now. As I’m a bookworm, it wasn’t long before I hit Amazon to look for some guides that will help me on my journey, because I really need that distraction right now!  Here’s 5 of the best that I found on my Amazon travels…

Blender for Dummies. Jason Van Gumster.

Stating the obvious, but this is the perfect book for people like me that are new to Blender and want to learn how to use blender by following a user-friendly step-by-step guide. At over 400 pages long, this book takes you from understanding how Blender thinks and works to exporting and rendering scenes.  They have also dedicated a couple of chapters the best community resources and working more efficiently.  Highly recommended for newbies. Take a bow Jason!

Click here to view the book on Amazon.

Blender 3D by example. Romain Caudron and Pierre-Armand Nicq.

At over 300 pages long, this book provides a guide on how to design a complete workflow with Blender in order to create stunning 3D scenes and films.  At first glance, this book looks a little overwhelming, but you soon realise that it’s actually aimed at beginners that want to learn how to create 3D projects.

This book will teach you the basics of 3D and how to find your way around the Blender Interface. From hereon in, you’ll learn how to create a 3D robot toy model from scratch, how to create a haunted house using advanced modelling tools – and how to create different materials for house and its surrounding environment.  This book is easy to read, fun to follow and very educational.

Click here to view the book on Amazon.  

Blender 3D Basics Beginner's Guide Second Edition. Gordon Fisher.

Although this is a beginner’s guide, the author states that knowledge of 3D modelling is essential, but no previous knowledge of Blender is required. After trying to tackle Blender without any prior knowledge of any design work, I understand where he’s coming from!  

Be warned, this book is over 500 pages long and contains a LOT of information about Blender for you to soak in, although for the most part, this information is nicely broken down into different sections that clearly explain every step and the outcomes of each exercise. It’s certainly not heavy reading.

There’s also some interesting background information about animation in the book, including going back to 1922 on an animation field trip that goes into detail about Felix the cat, which I very much enjoyed.

Click here to view the book on Amazon.

Blender 2.8 for animation. Allan Brito.

Freshly published in June this year, as the name suggests, this book focuses on using the latest version of blender for modelling and rendering architecture.  This book does a great job of providing you with all of the information needed to use Blender for architectural design, covering numerous subjects such as importing CAD data, precision modelling and preparing scenes for rendering. Basically, it will teach you how to perform the most important tasks!

The book also provides you with useful information on how to get around the interface updated for version 2.8.  

Click here to view the book on Amazon.

Learning Blender: A Hands-On Guide to Creating 3D Animated Characters. Oliver Villar.

My last recommendation is a publication that focuses on creating 3D characters in Blender. This book takes you through the entire process of creating 3D characters from scratch, from your very first scene to camera tracking, lighting and rendering.  The book is nicely laid out with plenty of visual guides that explain all the different elements of the user interface.  And at 368 pages long, this book is great value for money.

Click here to view the book on amazon.

I hope you found this Blog useful.

Thanks for taking the time to read my latest article. If you’re thinking of becoming a Blenderhead, then I’m sure that one of the above publications will help you on your 3D journey. Thanks very much for reading!