Introduction: Blender New Curves System
If you’re into 3D modeling and animation, you’ve likely heard of Blender Curves System – a powerful open-source software known for its versatility and extensive capabilities. In a recent development that’s generating a lot of buzz among artists and designers, Blender is set to introduce a brand-new curve system tailored specifically for hair grooming. This exciting addition, scheduled for Blender 3.3 LTS, promises to revolutionize how digital hair is created and styled. In this article, we delve into the main design philosophy behind this new system, its initial features, and what lies ahead for the world of hair grooming.
The Basis: Blender Curves System
At the heart of this new hair grooming system is the Curves object. To get started with grooming hair, a surface, often representing the scalp, is needed. This surface serves as the canvas onto which hair curves are added and manipulated. Creating a Curves object is as simple as navigating to the Add menu and selecting “Curve → Empty Hair.” This automatically sets up the necessary configurations, including linking the active mesh object as the surface and establishing deformable curves. This streamlined process allows artists to swiftly add and comb hair curves with ease.
Enhanced Tools for Hair Grooming
Spherical Brush
A key highlight of Blender’s new curves system is the introduction of a 3D brush. Unlike the previous 2D brush, which often led to unnatural hair effects and distortions, the 3D brush operates more intuitively. It calculates the position in space based on nearby curves and applies its effects in a spherical manner, resulting in a more organic and realistic hair grooming experience.
Destructive and Procedural Workflows
Blender recognizes that different projects and characters call for different approaches to hair grooming. The software supports both destructive and procedural workflows. The destructive workflow is ideal for meticulously crafting hair strand by strand, offering tools like comb, pinch, puff, and slide. On the other hand, the procedural workflow focuses on generating hair based on parameters like clumpiness, length, and density. This dynamic dual approach ensures versatility for various creative needs.
Geometry Nodes Integration
The new curves system seamlessly integrates with Blender’s Geometry Nodes project. This enables non-destructive modeling and further enhances the possibilities for creating complex hairdos, children interpolation, and non-straight hair types. Artists can now achieve their visions with enhanced precision and control, all while enjoying the benefits of a procedural pipeline.
The Future of Hair Grooming
As Blender’s new curves system is still in its early stages, there’s much to look forward to. The development team is working towards exciting additions that will be showcased in a SIGGRAPH 2022 demo. Some of the upcoming features include enhanced node-based operator support, new tools for cutting and smoothing hair, and a fill operator. Additionally, the focus is on expanding support for hair-specific Geometry Nodes, paving the way for a comprehensive non-destructive pipeline.
Conclusion
The introduction of Blender’s new curves system for hair grooming marks a significant step forward in the world of 3D modeling and animation. With its user-friendly tools, integration with Geometry Nodes, and support for both destructive and procedural workflows, this system offers artists unprecedented control and creative freedom. As development progresses, we can anticipate even more exciting features that will redefine the way digital hair is conceptualized, created, and styled.
FAQs
When will the new curves system be officially available in Blender?
As of now, the new curves system is slated for release with Blender 3.3 LTS. The development team is actively working on refining and expanding its features.
Can I still use the old curve object for hair grooming?
While the old curve object will still be available for certain curve primitives, the new curve object is designed to replace it for enhanced hair grooming capabilities.
How does the 3D brushwork in the new system?
The 3D brush calculates a position in space based on nearby curves and applies its effects as a sphere, resulting in more natural and organic hair grooming.
What are the benefits of the procedural workflow for hair grooming?
The procedural workflow allows for the creation and shaping of hair based on parameters, offering scalability and the ability to replicate and tweak hairdos efficiently.
How does the new curves system integrate with Geometry Nodes?
Blender’s new curves system seamlessly integrates with Geometry Nodes, enabling non-destructive modeling and expanding possibilities for complex hairdos and effects.
