Instructables Robot #fandom

This is my entry for the fandom contest! :) Yes of course the models were made in tinkercad! :)

This is an animation based on the Instructables robot. I took lots of inspiration from both tinkercad and Instructables and peter the penguin from Tcad is featured prominently in this video. :) This video is designed as a huge thank you to all Autodesk, Tinkercad, and Instructables staff. :) (the models were made in tinkercad, textured and animated in blender.)

{sorry if it hurt to watch the robot tumble down the stairs... it hurt to animate it to... but he's ok :) }

This instructable should walk you through the basic animation techniques used in animating this video, however it does not include a modeling Instructable. (to view the instructable on how to build the robot look here...https://www.instructables.com/Instructables-Robot-in-Tinkercad/ )

computer, T

These are the basic tinkercad models I used. I will not go into great detail on how I built these in this instructable, but for a step by step guide to the instructables robot I encourage you to go read this Instructable. :) https://www.instructables.com/Instructables-Robot... He was my entry for this same contest last year :) {no I didn't win anything lol}

I also encourage you, that if you plan to make something similar, to build your own room and facilities! :)

Some of these steps that I list may seem redundant and appear to do nothing, but if you do not follow them carefully, it will NOT work. :)

First Download your model from Tinkercad into Blender. Once there go into edit mode in the top left hand corner of your screen. Once there hit the A key, it should select every vertex. Once that has been completed, right click and hit hit separate, by Material. Then return to object mode. This should have caused all the different colored shapes to become individual parts. [BE SURE TO EXPORT MOVING PARTS AS SEPARATE STLS!]

go back to edit mode, but this time only select one shape. (for example the body) now you will hit the U key on your computer, and select unwrap. (it will take it a second, and then the computer will have loaded the unwrap variable, there will be no apparent change)

Next do the same thing again, hit U, and select Smart UV project {again no apparent change will occur, you should see a pop up in the bottom left hand corner of the editing screen, that says Smart UV project, (if you have a vertex count box appear, set it to 89 before selecting ok or continue [varies from different versions of blender to my knowledge]) if not just continue} {the picture doesn't show what happens after U is hit, but it brings up a pop up... unfortunately my computer wouldn't allow me to photo graph that result but it should be pretty self explanatory and easy. :(

After you have completed the previous steps, go to the shading tab, select an image either from the internet or from a reliable textures website... I use Textures.com.... and connect the nodes (color to base color) in the bottom half of the screen. The change will be instantly apparent. :)

Repeat this step on all models assigning them different textures as you see fit. The photos of my staff faves in the design were easily achieved by putting a plane there and texturing the plane with the photo graph :)

a very valuable part of every animation is lighting. takes some trial and error, but set your lights where you think they give you the best results! :)

The little highlighted pyramid like object here is the camera. The camera is obviously what you see out of when making the video. To alight the camera where you like hit the camera icon on the right of the edit screen. This will show you what the camera is seeing. adjust it with the moving nodes, to get the precise first scene. Once that is done it is time to move on to the actual animation of the camera.

These basic rules apply to all animation in this video not just the camera so focus closely.

One: Hit the Auto keying button, shown in the picture above, it should be blue. Once that is done, select the shape you are animating (camera), go to the keyframe editor, and hit I, then you need to select all channels with your mouse in the little pop up that comes up :) be sure the runner (blue line that goes through the key frame editor and tells where you are in the animation), is at 0.

Next you will want to move the blue runner to the next area of the keyframe editor, to the time that you want the camera to move to another place. you will then select the camera and move it there. Be sure the blue button is still pressed. a new key frame should appear after the movement, and after reseting the runner to 0 and hitting space, or play, it will show the animation of the camera from point A to point B. This creates an animation. All animating will flow from this step. any shape you select, and move, and then move again at a different time will follow the same principles. - the only catch is in the next step. :)

you can see here if you look at the graph editor, on the right, that the camera follows a linear patter for the entire animation. However you may not want some objects to follow a linear pattern. In order to change that, select the two keyframes that you want to follow a different pattern, and right click in the graph editor. This will allow you to change them to parabolic, bezier, constant, and so forth. a good example of this is found in the next step.....

As you can see the robot has lots of key frames stacked directly on top of one another. This guy is a lot of different parts and required keyframe to keyframe work in many aspects of the animation to ensure his body parts didn't go flying everywhere :) lol... still sometimes looks like he is falling apart. XD :) Anyhow back to the point...

This guy's interpolation type is bounce in the key frames I selected, I wanted him to hit the ground and then bounce back up like a real object. Furthermore, if you look at the second picture, you will see that he uses all of beziers to make him speed up and slow down.... this part of the animation is crucial, otherwise everything would look flat. hope that was helpful. (that's the basics for animation! :) try it out!

yes I know he fell down the stairs... don't worry, he's alright.... :)

your animation is practically finished! now its time to render it out! :)

got to the printer icon, under properties, and set the settings to color instead of black and white... assuming that's what you want. Then set your desired quality... I usually set it to 85 thou 90% is standard. you choose what works best for you... the better the quality the slower the render thou... so do your best to decipher between speed and quality... needs some quality, but it also needs to meet your timeline..... I'm sure you will figure it out :)

I always set it to AVI JPG as well. This type of file is usually supported by most computers without an external download. also give it a name, and select where its going to go! :) desktop, etc....

select the camera view, and set the keyframe runner to 0.

Then go to the top left hand corner of your screen, and hit render, then select render animation. Leave the computer ALONE until it finishes. (I suggest setting your system preferences, so that the computer does not turn off. :) once done, you can close down blender and access your noise less animation :) ....

of course we want noise and sound effects, we also want a cool intro and credits... so got to iMovie and get started! :) (all sound for my animations comes from zapsplat.com)

carefully match up the sound effects you have collected, with their appropriate place in the animation! all green is sounds, and all purple is credits or effects :) play around with it and have fun! its pretty simple thou... just alight each where they go, and you've got it! export the video in the top right hand corner of the screen, and then post it on you tube! ....Last but not least, send me the link of anything you make! I'd love to see it! :) Thanks alot! HOPE THIS INSTRUCTABLE WAS HELPFUL! and I hope you all didn't have a heart attack when Instructables fell down the stairs :l....

Special thanks to all Autodesk staff (banner) Instructables staff (robot) and Tinkercad staff! (peter the penguin trophy that he made :) Hope you liked my video! even thou I probably won't win, I still want all of you guys to know that I am super thankful for all the work you guys put in to all your programs and softwares, and websites, I love using them, and am SUPER thankful for all the work you guys do! thanks alot! :) Hope you all love the video!