Blender geometry nodes are an incredibly powerful tool providing huge creative potential and automation for building inspiring environments.
As you can see in the video below, learning nodes allows you to create your own tools (simple or complex) and use them again and again, creating complex shapes and effects without manual modeling!
In this new Blender course from Mads at AlanSmithee Arts, she will show you how to use geometry nodes so that you can:-
1. Take the heavy lifting out of manual modeling and environment creation.
2. Have a risk free approach in making changes to your environment.
3. Build environments faster by automating repetitive tasks.
4. Explore a wider variety of unique designs without affecting the original mesh.
5. See your environment build occur in real time at each stage.
Learning geometry nodes includes mastering a non-destructive workflow that allows for seamless design iteration and experimentation. Discover the art of modifying geometry without permanently altering the original mesh. You’ll learn how to automate repetitive creative tasks, saving valuable time.
Here’s another example of the kind of flexible Blender asset you could build by the end of the course:-
What’s unique about this course?
- Mad’s teaching style and supportive coaching for students
- See Mad’s unique terrain generator in action (built with geometry nodes) and understand the basics of how it works.
- Get an environment asset library unique to this course.
- It’s a live class where you can get support and feedback all the way through the course.
This is for you if you if…
- You’re keen to learn a new method of building flexible environments.
- You want to learn how to manipulate and transform geometry with more automatic and iterative methods.
- You want to learn new creative possibilities in Blender.
This is for you if you want to accomplish…
- How to create intricate and complex environments
- Master non-destructive editing of geometry.
- Learning how to build environments by automating repetitive tasks.
- Using geometry nodes as a tool for building your own tools
Mads is going to help you learn how to use geometry nodes comprehensively even if you perceive geometry nodes as too complex or if you have felt overwhelmed when trying to understand node networks.
We’ll show you how to utilize geometry nodes from the ground up and in step-by-step fashion. We will motive you along the way with our live classes of demonstrations and case studies showing you new ways to express your creativity with this powerful feature of Blender.
Course Content
Week 1 – Introduction to Blender Nodes and Workspaces
- Explanation of node organization
- Understanding node colors and shapes
- Basic math concepts
- Introduction to geometry nodes
- Starting the base for the terrain
Week 2 -Terrain Generation – Shaping & Displacing Meshes
- Generating terrain displacement
- Creating terrain based on underlying geometry (Slope, height, etc.)
- Introduction to using attributes
- Passing information between geometry and shader nodes
- Creating control with group inputs
Week 3 – Adding the Path – Curves and other objects
- Adding a Customizable path that can be drawn onto the terrain
- Exploring the interaction between multiple node systems
- Using Proximity to other objects to control effects
- Using curves for terrain manipulation
Week 4 – Building Fences – Curves and Instances
- Generating a mesh based on a curve
- Exploring instancing a custom mesh along a curve
- Using curve geometry information to rotate & place instances
- Simple UV unwrapping with geometry nodes
- Simplifying complex geometry challenges
Week 5 – Adding Grass – Instances, Collections and Scattering
- Introduction to scattering concepts
- Creating a grass scattering system
- Controlling grass distribution
- Incorporating multiple grass models
- Using collections for easy management
Week 6 – Adding Trees & Details – Advanced Scattering
- Advanced scattering techniques
- Combining different scatter systems
- Optimizing and managing complex scatter setups
- Exploring conceptual approaches to scattering rules
- Enhancing scatter systems with variations
Week 7 – Castle Wall Creation (VIP Week)
- Creating individual blocks for the wall
- Building a medieval-style castle wall
- Advanced geometry node techniques for the wall
- Forming the Tower with simple deform
- Applying principles learned from previous sections to create the wall system
Week 8 – Castle Wall Customization (VIP Week)
- Exploring ways to use randomization to add details to the wall
- Using shader nodes to add details to both individual blocks and the whole tower
- Implementing damage or aging
- Integrating the wall into the existing terrain
When will the Course be Run?
We’ll run the course from Saturday 26th August. Each live meeting will be run on Saturdays at 19:00 BST (London) / 11:00 PDT (Los Angeles) / 14:00 EDT (New York)
The course will run for six weeks (standard modules) and eight weeks if the VIP module is included with one live 1.5+ hour session per week.
Proven Experience
Mads from AlanSmithee Arts – Blender Coach and Trainer
Madelyn (Mads) is a digital artist based in the eastern United States with extensive experience in filmmaking, photography & design. She releases work under the brand AlanSmithee Art, a nod to the historic pseudonym of Hollywood. Mads began a journey into 3D digital art in 2019, exploring a program called FlowScape & its welcoming community of artists. In June 2020 she became the official tutorial designer, creating guides to Flowscape’s basic fundamentals, advanced techniques and creative possibilities. She also began to learn and use Blender in her art, initially using it to convert and create models for use in Flowscape and eventually to create whole works, scenes, and environments. Blender quickly took over as her main tool for creativity. In 2022 she brought her knowledge of FlowScape to the Digital Arts Live community in the form of a coaching group. This teaching environment was incredibly rewarding and courses on Blender soon followed. See Mads’ creative works on the AlanSmithee Art YouTube and on ArtStation.
Paul Bussey – Course Host and Facilitator
I have been inspiring, promoting, educating and connecting digital artists since 2010. We’ve published over 140 issues of our magazines 3D Art Direct, Digital Art Live and VISNews, with in-depth interviews of fantastic artists that inspire others with their work. I’ve hosted and organised over 220 live events to connect and educate digital artists, with many events having a focus on how to use affordable 3D software to create characters and environments.
Here’s How it Works
Live Training
Each week we’ll have a live webinar meeting (up to 1.5 hours) composed of training , coaching, an assignment and follow up.
The meeting will be recorded, which will be searchable and include captions. So if you miss a meeting, or want to go over something again then you’re covered.
The topics of these training sessions can also be based on the needs of the group. We will share solutions, strategies and techniques to help you get results where you need them.
During the live meeting there will be an opportunity for where everyone can share wins, goals, and challenges to get support and guidance from us.
You’ll have opportunities to get a focus just on you and have us as as a group look over your goals and challenges to help help you move forward in your creativity.
Private online forum to interact with the group between lessons
Any time you need some input or encouragement, you can turn to the private forum to connect with other group members, which will be inside the Digital Art Live STUDIO
This extends the benefits of the coaching group beyond the live webinar lessons.
Trouble signing up? Please Get in Touch