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3D Computer Graphics

About my work with graphics

3D Spitfire Model - Created with Blender

In 2003 I stumblled across the open source 3D content creation suite Blender whilst looking for free cad software on the freeware/shareware section of 3dlinks.com. With some experience of using AutoCAD and Solidworks in my day job I was looking for somthing I could use at home to help design and plan projects for my hobby engineering and CNC interests.

At the top of the 3d Links ranking I had a look at Blender and was amazed at the capabilities of this community produced program. Whilst not specifically a CAD program Blender has proved to be more than capable at producing accurate 3D models of machine components and further more you can render the models to a high degree of photorealism and animate their use.

As you have probably gathered whilst browsing this site my interests in Blender aren’t typical of the active Blender enthusiasts who post superb artwork and animations on their forum’s and web site. My current interests are to use Blender as an accurate design tool to produce engineering components. All the capabilities are there but most of the guides and tutorials are aimed at a more artistic representation of a product rather than a precision model.

At the time of starting this website, my thoughts were turning to ways to improve the CNC Router I built a few years earlier in the yeas 2000. Blender is the ideal design tool to use to build an accurate virtual model before machining the new components. It’s also a good opportunity to log my design thoughts and methods of constructing the models within blender concentrating on accuracy of modelling rather than artistic use of the program. My notes and ramblings on this project ted to the Blender Precision Modelling Guide which was published in 2007 (now out of date and withdrawn) and over the years has helped many others to use blender as an engineering tool rather than for graphics alone. Sadly now in 2021, I never found time to update my first CNC router, but am now planning a new router build.

Alongside the build I am now creating a free online Video tutorial course called Different Angle 3D to introduce new users to Blender with an emphesis on precision modelling.