3DComic Toolkit for Blender
Greetings! Wanna make your own 3D comic? you came to the right place.
This is a 3D Comic toolkit for Blender that allows you to save out your own scrolling 3D Comic websites like https://3dcomic.shop . I make it for myself to create my own 3D Comics and decided to share it after sharpening it for years. I update it frequently as I use it to create my own titles.
The Toolkit comes with all you need to start creating your own 3D Comic directly from your Blender scenes. These are not 2D rendered comics, but true 3D Comics where every panel is rendered live using real time 3D Graphics.
Features:
-3D Panel scene manager. Since every panel in your comic is a scene inside your .blend file, the scene manager will let you read and edit your comic directly inside Blender. Adjusting all Lettering, Lighting, Visuals and story flow in context, just as you'd expect.
-Automatic 3D Comic Site Generator. The workhorse of the toolkit. It automatically combines, decimates, converts and exports a custom .glb file for every scene. In one click, it automatically generates the entire 3D Comic website and opens a web browser with a local server so you can read it just your own 3D Comic readers will. To make it public, you just need upload the directory to your website. (I use Github Pages to host 3dcomic.shop)
-Inkshade - This part of the Toolkit allows you to instantly create black and white "ink shaded" comic look from your 3D Scene in Eevee using a combination of custom nodes and modifiers. The same look gets rebuilt automatically in the exported 3D Comic that will run in browsers. note: the ink is effected by scale so you may need to adjust the "WhiteOutline" modifier thickness.
-Collection Baker. Tool for combining, decimating, unwrapping, light baking your panel scenes in one click. Essential for combining the best of cycles with real time 3D. Can bake lightmaps or PBR textures.
-Inkbots! The Toolkit comes with an assortment of 3D inkbot characters, wordballoons, captions and SFX to help get you started. Everything all set to be refined in edit mode.
-Pose Cycler - quickly cycle through character poses with the mouse wheel. you can setup your own hotkey or use mine here: https://github.com/spiraloid/Spiraloid-Toolkit-for-Blender
-Multilingual Lettering. Comics have a global audience so localizing your lettering works right out of the box, assuming you speak the language (or can use google translate). Just set the active language and start adding in localized letters for that language. The letters will be automatically exported and the 3D Comic site will know how to switch between them based on the letter URL. For example, here's the Inkbots comic in spanish!
-Toggle Workmode this will turn on and off all inshading modifiers to make working on ink and toonshaded scenes more convenient. you can find the menu at "3D Comics > Utilities > Toggle Workmode menu". I bound mine to the tab key ( and moved edit mode to "double click", "e", and "ctrl+enter" for lettering but you can bind it however you like)
-Key Scale Hide will automatically create keyframes for the selected object that will making spring into view. I use this for most of my letters. I usually set frame 35, select the letter and hit "3D Comics > Utilities > Key Scale Hide". This will scale the letter down to .0001 and then it appear on frame 35 with a bounce curve.
https://3dcomic.shop/inkbots/s01e01/index.html?lan=es
requirements:
a WINDOWS 10 PC (sorry I don't have a mac).
Blender 2.92 or later
https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-92/
Python 3.7 or later.
(be sure to check the box to add python to your path on install. this step is needed to make "read 3d comic" menu work since it runs a local python server)
https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.7.7/python-3.7.7-amd64-webinstall.exe
recommended web hosting:
Warning: This is a tool I use and update frequently. No support or warranty should be expected or implied. It's free afterall. however if you hit problems, I suggest connecting with others interested in making 3D Comics exist, on these Communities:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3dcomic/
https://www.reddit.com/r/3DComic/
!!!!!!!!!!!!NOTICE!!!!!!!!!!
My Github has all my latest bug fixes and features, I strongly suggest downloading and installing the latest version from there:
https://github.com/spiraloid/Spiraloid-Toolkit-for-Blender-3DComicToolkit
if you activate developer mode, in the utilities menu there is a "validate panel scene" command that I use to do housecleaning. Using this should resolve most problems. Since blender has some many things you can do, it means things can break easily if you do something too custom. Definitely report things you find missing.
here are a few other compatible addons I use frequently:
http://gum.co/importFBXVertexColor
here are my personal hotkeys and general use addons:
https://github.com/spiraloid/Spiraloid-Toolkit-for-Blender
If you make something cool with this, send me a link https://linktr.ee/spiraloid, the world needs more 3D Comics!
Here’s a super basic getting started w the #3DComics toolkit to make real time 3D Comics like http://3dcomic.shop
First, get the latest version from github:
https://github.com/spiraloid/Spiraloid-Toolkit-for-Blender-3DComicToolkit
To make a 3D comic, you choose from the top file bar menu “3D Comic > New 3D Comic”. Enter the official title of your new 3D Comic and this makes a 3D comic folder database in the location you choose. All the folders and files must be setup in this exact way, so word to the wise, only save your .blend files under the exact folder where it got saved.
Even though the toolkit handles all of this for you automagically (most of the time), it's very easy for you to break things should you stray from the golden path.
Because of this, I strongly recommend using blender’s 3D View copy-paste shortcut feature as you work. Copy and paste 3D models between two running versions of blender is the way I do my conforming. Keeps it clean.
Treat one version like a working scene where it's ok to be messy, and treat the other version with your Comic_v.001.blend as the golden version that you know will build correctly. If you keep this file efficient and cleanly organized you shouldn't run into much trouble. Here's how to make that file.
1: “3DComics > Create a new 3D comic”
This will create all the folders and save your 3D Comic a blend file in the correct location.
2: “3DComics > Panel > Insert a row”
This will create a comic panel scene. Typically each row only has 1 panel in it, but if you need to make a split panels, a choose larger number and the split scenes will get arranged side by side on the same row. Max panels on a row is 3 and since they all draw at once so it’s a good idea to divide the 100,000 triangle limit among them. ( PROTIP: panel width and height dimensions are determined by the naming convention of each scene name )
2: Make your 3D Comic art. remember what I wrote above about copy and paste. use meshes and grease pencils strokes only. I recommend making a black and white comics since it saves on texture memory. Use “3DComics > Color > Inkshade visible” to automatically create the ink outline modifiers for all the visible objects with a spotlight. You will likely need to adjust the "WhiteOutline" modifiers thickness per object to get the line art feeling right. depending on the scale, you might also want to adjust the "InkThickness" modifiers influence mask texture scale as well (in case it looks too "bumpy")
Once you have your ink looking right, you can use “3DComics > Utilities > Toggle Workmode” to turn them on and off while you work (they triple your scene polycount). I have my keyboard shortcut for this set to tab since I use it constantly, (which means use ctrl-tab, e and double click to toggle edit mode)
Note: The panels themselves are rendered in browsers on lots of different devices so keep the output polycount if each panel scene under 100,000 triangles. This polycount includes the scene, ink outlines, letters and grease pencil lines. So decimate aggressively.
3: Make sure everything you want to be in the 3D Comic panel into the collection named Export.##### in each panel scene. Only objects in this collection will be exported. All modifiers will be applied on export. The 3Dcomic toolkit handles all the necessary naming, so as long as you don’t pollute the naming by trying rename things you should be good.
5: To Add letters, use “3DComics > Letters > Add Wordballoon” you can select, move remodel the balloons as you like in edit mode. To change the text, select it and enter edit mode to rewrite it. (you also might want to pick out a good comic lettering font for your title from comicbookfonts.com or blambot.com) The word balloons are parented to the camera and can be switched by setting the active language to reach more people. The default is English.
6: “3DComics > Build 3D Comic”
Assuming you installed everything correctly (and didn’t mess with the naming or leave weirdness in your scene collections by mistake) a web browser should open with your 3D comic!
now make it better!
7: “3DComics > Quick Export Panel”
This is how I like to test out the comic in chrome. I usually spend a lot of time on just a single panel so this is a quick way to only export the current scene without having to wait for every scene to compile and export. I use this so much have this set to ctrl+shift+e shortcut.
(PROTIP: In your web browser, the 3D comic should reload automatically, however this can fail sometimes. if you browser isn't showing the latest awesomeness. make sure you're looking at the right tab and hold down the shift key when you press reload page button)
PUBLISHING:
Even though you are seeing your 3D Comic in your web browser, it's only on your machine. This is because it is using a python local server on your machine in your blender system console. To share your 3D Comic online, you must publish it online just like any website. This involves getting a server (github pages, wordpress, squarespace, wix, shopify etc) and then uploading directory where you made your 3D Comic.
(PROTIP: I use https://pages.github.com with my github account, but you can use whatever you like. When I want to update or publish a new comic, I use githubdesktop)
here’s an in depth tutorial:
Step one finish - Step two make it better!
Good luck!
Get the addon! Make 3D Comics!