Introducing Character Animation with Blender

I just finished this book just yesterday and I have to say this is one of the most comprehensive sources for an individual who is learning to use Blender 3D. It includes detailed step by step tutorials, photos (color in the digital version), and links to the online cloud where all the reference files are stored. I purchased volume 1 of this book and this version hits all the major components of the Blender 2.5 system spot on. I definitely enjoy the way that the text does not assume anything and guides you so you have a full understanding. This book is a requirement as it gently leads you up to the more advanced Blender 3D books which cover Physics, Game Programming, and Movie Making. For all those who may gripe and say that there are equivalent or better text available that are open-source, Tony Mullen does a fantastic job of presenting content in a way that doesn't make the book obsolete. I was easily able to navigate 2.5 with his old book written for 2.4. Also, the level of instruction of this book compared to open source means is like comparing a Wikipedia page to a college class in history. You get what you pay for. Open Source is readily accessible granted (I used "Noob to Pro" too) but this book is really if you want to refine your skills and take it to a higher level. I'm just about to crack open my "Bounce, Tumble, & Splash" Blender book soon. You won't be disappointed by the quality. Definitely a good reference from a experienced veteran who worked on Sintel and other open movie projects.

Goes through the process of creating a character from start to finish in blender. Topics covered include basic geometry, the modifier stack and some common modifiers (mirror, subdivision etc...) UV unwrapping, texturing, animating etc... The only feature that I found is missing is a dicussion of the sculpting tools and re-topologizing a high poly mesh. (Character Development in Blender Jonathan Williamson covers these features but doesn't arimitures etc...). Blender is very powerful but has a reputation for being hard to learn and use because of its non-standard ui. Introduction to Character Animation with Blender was the most useful for me as I got over the hump and became productive.

I fell in love with this book from the first time I picked it up. It has all the things I need to do my character modeling and it also gives me ideas to branch out on my own. Thought I am not reading it through and through, I can tell you, for what I use it for, buying it is the best decision I have made.

This book is primarily geared toward character animation but it gives a great overall look at Blender and its capabilities. Although this book was written prior to the new Cycles render engine and there are several modeling improvements available it stands the test of time IMHO. I highly recommend this for anyone starting out in Blender or wishing to learn more about the specific tools covered.

I'm getting a lot out of this book. It's helped me through a project I'm working on. It covers a lot of ground. It's a good book for someone who is new to Blender and interested in animation. The only thing I wish was different, is the formatting on the book. I wish when they mention a key command they would bold it in the text. They do have call outs but they're small and barely noticeable. I've learned to keep a highlighter handy for referring back to things later.

I purchased it after getting into Blender, a great 3D modeling program and is FREE GNU. This book has a nice Tutorials on modeling and includes easy to use Animation and how to make a complete scene with a room and table and a character that is animated to make it "Real". Would recommend this to anyone getting into Blender and Animation.

I gave it 5 stars because it's by Tony Mullen so you will not be let down. The only reason I am commenting here is to let people know that there is NO dvd that comes with the book. Hopefully someone will change that in the product information on this page. You can get the files by going to the Sybex website which is also mentioned above.

I think by itself it is a little light on information with regards to modeling. But if you want to learn to animate your model then this is the right book. But I do recommend getting more information about modeling and animation from other sources and couple this book with those other sources.

Blender is a brilliant program but really you need some expert guidance and this book is just that. I had been learning Blender from the .org and a number of You-Tube videos, they all left me with questions, this book filled in the gaps. It's easy to read and follow, the tutorials make sense and are in a logical order. It's my second Blender book but easily the best. I would recommend this book to all having their first stab at character animation, I didn't use the supplied character, mainly as I wanted to exoeriment with my own. No book will be quick from opening to having your finl animated model, this one took some getting through, but worth it in the end. Easy to dip back into for reference as well, enjoy.

I loved the book.There is a whole lot of information, explained in details, very easy to understand.It covers everything you need to know to make a decent animation project.

Es gibt meines Wissens kein vergleichbares Buch, das so tief in die Character Animation in Blender einsteigt. Danke Tony Mullen.

( June 2012) I bought this book in August 2011 and I work on it part time(about 5-15 hours a week). I finished the tutorial, but I find that some places are not so clear for a beginer. For that and no color pictures I give 4 Stars JF

Very useful and covers a lot of ground. I think it's more useful than a Beginner's Guide because it is focused on a goal. And that goal is obviously character animation, something that a lot of people getting into Blender are interested in.