With more than 2 million downloads in a year, Blender is the premier free, open source 3D software that allows artists to create oceans, flames, cloth, hair, and other physical attributes from the real world No other title offers step-by-step instructions on Blender's more complex features while showcasing the unique objects and characters that can be created in Blender The friendly but professional tone focuses on visual examples in full color and provides clear, in-depth explanations of how each specific step was taken and why each choice was made Serious practitioners of CG who are interested in learning more advanced skills will be pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated coverage of Blender's fluid simulation system and all of its latest features Reviews the Bullet physics engine, which handles a variety of physics simulations such as rigid body dynamics and rag doll physics

Tony Mullen, PhD, teaches at Tsuda College, Tokyo, where his courses include modeling and animation with Blender as well as the Python programming language. Mullen has been a cartoonist and an illustrator and has a broad background in CG-related work. His screen credits include writer, codirector, or lead animator on several short films, including the award-winning Gustav Braüstache shorts. He is also the author of Introducing Character Animation with Blender (Sybex).