Blender - Play with SFM Models

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Last Update: Apr 10th 2020
(See Change Log at the bottom)

Do you want to Pose/Animate/Edit/Render SFM characters in Blender?

This guide will show you how to import models from Source Engine games into Blender, apply textures to the models, and prepare the models for posing and animations.

The User Interface shown in the gifs below has been changed slightly to help new users identify the different Editors/Windows within Blender.
For eye comfort, feel free to change the appearance of Blender's User Interface via File - User Preferences.

Report broken Gfycat links or try changing the URL to this: https://giant.gfycat.com/GfycatID.webm

If you are completely new to Blender 2.8, make sure you understand the basic fundamentals:
- Blender Fundamentals (It's quick, I promise.)
- If you don't do this, you will accidentally press something and not know why it's negatively impacting your work.

After that, make sure to keep the following page open in a separate browser window or tab:
- Blender - Common Mistakes & Tips

While waiting for the finished guide, you can take a look at some of the following resources:
- Importing Source Filmmaker models into Blender by Ganonmaster
- SFM To Blender 2016 [Part 1] [Part 2] by Lizendy
- SFM To Blender 2018 [Part 1] [Part 2] by Lizendy

Tools/Add-ons that will be discussed in the guide:

Crowbar | VTFEdit | Blender Source Tools (Blender Add-on)
- These 3 tools are currently being used to import/export source models to and from Blender.

SourceIO
- A new experimental Blender add-on that imports MDL and VTF directly into Blender without the use of Crowbar, Blender Source Tools, or VTFEdit.

SourceOps
- A new experimental Blender add-on meant to be a more convenient alternative to Blender Source Tools.
- SourceOps only does export

SFM to Blender skeleton script
- A Blender add-on that connects bones together and setup IK controls.

These demos need to be organized, remade for Blender 2.8, and will have written sections for them:
[Blender 2.79] Import Source MDL and VTF (SourceIO - No Crowbar/VTFEdit)
[Blender 2.79] Look Mom, No Crowbar!
[Blender 2.8] DAZv4 - Fix Non-Manifolds
[Blender 2.8] DAZv4 - Set New Base Key
[Blender 2.8] Fixing SFM Eye Texture with Shader Editor
[Blender 2.8] Fixing SFM Eye Texture with UV Editor
[Blender 2.82a] Fixing Missing UV Map for Eyes
https://gyazo.com/064ff21414609df1a48c75ba5f207ffd
[Blender 2.8] View textures in Solid Shading with Flat Lighting
More demos are coming...

Shortcuts & Hotkeys

Blender 2.7 - Hotkeys

- Don't panic if you forget a keyboard shortcut. Just press spacebar key.
- I highly recommend you activate the Dynamic Context Menu addon for more spacebar functionality.

Blender 2.8 - Hotkeys

Selection Hotkeys:
LEFTMOUSE = make a selection
  SHIFT-LEFTMOUSE = make multiple selections
CTRL-RIGHTMOUSE = Lasso select
ALT-LEFTMOUSE = Select Object Menu [Demo]

A = Select All
  ALT-A = De-select All
B = Box select
C = Circle select
L = select Linked [Demo] [Bones]

Transform Hotkeys:
G = Grab/Move selection
  ALT-G = Reset Location
R = Rotate selection
  ALT-R = Reset Rotation
S = Scale selection
  ALT-S = Reset Scale
[ Press X,Y, or Z to lock a transformation to an axis ]

X = Delete selection
M = Move selection to a collection
H = Hide selection
  ALT-H = Unhide selection
  SHIFT-H Hide everything except selection

SHIFT-A = Add new Object/Bone/Node
SHIFT-D = Duplicate selection

T = Tool Shelf
N = Properties Shelf

SHIFT-S = Snap Menu
SHIFT-C = Set 3D Cursor location to center [0,0,0]

HOME = view entire scene
NUMPAD_PERIOD = view only selection(s)

TAB = switch to Edit Mode/Object Mode/Sculpt Mode/Texture Paint/Weight Paint/Vertex Paint
~ = activate 3D view pie menu
Z = Viewport Shading Mode
Q = Quick Favorites Menu
F3 = Search for any Blender function or tool

Work in progress..

For more shortcuts, check the links below.
- Keymaps
- Blender Fundamentals 2.80

How to Get SFM Models Working in Blender?

**Change Blender Render to Cycles Render (top header)**

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Step X. Apply Materials and Textures (using Node Editor)

I recommend using the Node Editor to avoid any problems.

Click to Show

Blender 2.7

[Right click video to change video speed]
- Mirror Gfycat: [Part 1] [Part 2]
You can learn more about the awesome Principled Shader HERE and HERE.

Blender 2.8
- You can quickly switch to the Shading workspace to apply materials and textures for the selected Mesh Object.
 

TIP: Hair & Eyelashes (Alpha Transparency Textures): 
 

NOTE: If your Viewport Shading is set to Texture, the model will only show the active selected Image Texture Node:


BONUS: Shading a Human Skin in Blender:

----------
Keyboard Shortcuts Used:
Q or ~ = View Numpad Pie Menu (Addon: Pie Menu: 3D Viewport Pie Menus)
X = Delete selected object(s) or node(s)
Shift+A = Add new object or node


Blender 2.8 (Optional): Speed up 3D Viewport performance by switching to Solid Shading with visible textures.

Keep in mind, your character model may have extra clothes, hairstyles and body parts overlapping each other (it may look weird).
You can hide those extra parts or move them to a separate layer. 
In Object Mode, select the part(s) you don't need, and then press M key to move them to a different Layer or Collection.
- Example:

Depending on your model, you may need to do a few tweaks:
  



If you want more cleaning tips, click HERE.

-->

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Step X. Setup Bones for Easy Mirror Posing/Symmetrical Posing

Want to pose your left/right bones in a symmetrical fashion?
Click to Show
UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Bone Naming Conventions [INFO]
Naming conventions in Blender are not only useful for you in finding the right bone, but also to tell Blender when any two of them are counterparts.
If you have a bone that has a copy on the other side (a pair), like a hand, give it one of the following separators:


 
  Separators
  LEFT
  RIGHT
 
 
  
  handLeft
  handRight
 
 
  underscore _
  hand_L
  hand_R
 
 
  dot .
  hand.l
  hand.r
 
 
  dash -
  hand-l
  hand-r
 
 
  space
  hand LEFT
  hand RIGHT
 

If there is a lower or upper case “L”, “R”, “left” or “right”, Blender handles the counterpart correctly. 
Pick one and stick to it as close as possible when rigging; it will pay off.
Note:
- Placing the left/right part before the bone name is also valid.
- The short "L"/"R" code can only be used with a separator (e.g. “handL”/ “handR” will not work!).
Step X. Setup Camera

Click to Show

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7qGL3LIvcc
[Work in Progress...]

Step X. Setup Render

Click to Show

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N775uHb_4
[Work in Progress...]

Blender Random Tips

1. You can use Old and New versions of Blender any time, using the portable (.zip) versions instead of the installer (.msi).
- Portable (.zip) versions are exactly the same as the installer, in terms of performance and features.
- Portable (.zip) versions require no installation (unzip and run)
- Download Old and New versions of Blender from here: https://www.blender.org/download/releases/

2. What is a Normal Map and what is it used for?
- https://gfycat.com/UniformEntireHartebeest

3. Help! I can't Scale or Rotate anymore in Blender!

Blender - Common Mistakes and Tips

If you want a true introduction to Blender, check out these resources: https://www.blender.org/tutorials/
Blender Fundamentals

Blender Guru

Royal Skies LLC - Blender 2.8 Speed Tutorials

CG Geek

Darrin Lile

BornCG

Bryson Jack

Pte Jack

Lizendy

and many more...
If any of the videos are blocked in your country, replace 
www.YouTube.com/watch?v= 
with 
www.Invidio.us/watch?v=
Contact: XCurtainX
Show Change Log
Apr 10 2020
Added Demo for fixing Missing UV Maps for Eyes
- https://gfycat.com/calmshinyboto

Jan 13 2020
Added Basic SourceOps tutorial
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFQ22ZZUgMg

Jan 12 2020
Added Pte Jack Video: Blender - Import SMD, DMX, VTA and QC to Blender 2.79 and 2.81 for Editing
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXd_1aKBTF8

Jan 9 2020
Guide is currently work-in-progress
DONATE! Blender Development Fund

Separators	LEFT	RIGHT
	handLeft	handRight
underscore _	hand_L	hand_R
dot .	hand.l	hand.r
dash -	hand-l	hand-r
space	hand LEFT	hand RIGHT

Blender - Play with SFM Models

**UNDER CONSTRUCTION**

Tools/Add-ons that will be discussed in the guide:

Shortcuts & Hotkeys

How to Get SFM Models Working in Blender?

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Step X. Apply Materials and Textures (using Node Editor)

Step X. Setup Bones for Easy Mirror Posing/Symmetrical Posing

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Step X. Setup Camera

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Step X. Setup Render

Blender Random Tips

Blender - Common Mistakes and Tips

UNDER CONSTRUCTION