Introduction to Shape Keys in Blender 2.6

by Jonathan Williamson

Hello and welcome to this quick video tutorial tip for using shape keys in Blender 2.6!

Through this video Jonathan Williamson will give you a quick introduction to shape keys in Blender 2.6 and how to use them.

Shape keys are also known as morph targets and can be used for anything from mesh animation to facial expressions to fixing bad deformations from rigs.

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Discussion

36 Responses to “Introduction to Shape Keys in Blender 2.6”
  1. Andres Felipe Munoz
    Posts: 4

    Hello, when you activate the button “Appy key shapes in eddit mode” allow you to see the mesh defform in eddit mode when the slide is between the 0 and 1, if you dont activate only will can see the mesh in its final defformed shape. Hope that make sense :)

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    1
     Mar 28, 2012 at 11:37 pm
    • kathleen
      Posts: 1

      so whee do you find the option: “Apply key shapes”?

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      1.1
       Jan 20, 2013 at 10:09 pm
  2. Jeremy Deighan
    Posts: 263

    I could make a full time job out of keeping up with your tutorial posts. Do you EVER sleep?!

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    2
     Mar 29, 2012 at 12:15 am
  3. Peter Utinek
    Posts: 80

    thx for nice quick tut,about that duplicating and mirroring of shape key .that could be done if only copied shape is on value 1 after that choose add from mix and then apply mirror shapekey.

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    3
     Mar 29, 2012 at 1:59 am
    • Ferris Moritz
      Posts: 13

      thanks

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      3.1
       Apr 15, 2012 at 4:12 pm
  4. Paskal Rell
    Posts: 1

    Yesterday i wondered what Shape Keys are… Now I know it :D Thank you Jonathan, great tutorial!

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    4
     Mar 29, 2012 at 4:09 am
  5. sharif ahmed
    Posts: 7

    Many thanks for this…….i will request please more video tutorial upload.

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    5
     Mar 29, 2012 at 7:22 am
  6. Peter Griffith
    Posts: 18

    I’ve been curious about shape keys as they permit expression/lipsync animation.

    Question that I have, Jonathan, is can such animations be imported into the Unity3D game engine?

    gryff :)

    PS Why did I get a message that I’m “posting comments too quickly slow down” when I tried to post this ?

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    6
     Mar 29, 2012 at 10:27 am
  7. jonathan johnson
    Posts: 8

    can this be used for clothes on character for games because ive been looking at Max Payne 3 trailers such as this which at 0:20 and at 1: 43 which has what im talking about if u look at his back :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69iDdW4lGCA

    also great tutorial will need to try it soon at some point :D

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    7
     Mar 29, 2012 at 1:20 pm
    • drxms
      Posts: 27

      Yes it can be used on any mesh. A very handy invention.:)

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      7.1
       Mar 29, 2012 at 6:17 pm
      • drxms
        Posts: 27

        But usually you use cloth simulation for clothes. Obvious i guess. :P

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        7.1.1
         Mar 29, 2012 at 6:23 pm
      • Ferris Moritz
        Posts: 13

        You’d use shape keys for cleaning up cloth animations, such as around elbows, knees, etc…Those areas tend to be prone to unwanted results and are best fixed with a shape key…Although I’m a user that has just recently migrated from maya to blender after 10 years of waiting for ngons(i can’t think in edgle loops only XD)…I’m assuming it’s the same in blender?

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        7.1.2
         Apr 15, 2012 at 4:16 pm
  8. J C Roberts
    Posts: 12

    The function you didn’t cover is “new shape from mix” which does come in handy. With another key or combination of keys applied, choosing this makes a new dedicated shape key out of the result. It’s convenient if you do, say, a smile, then you want to build on that to get a grin. Turn up the smile key, use new shape from mix, then you can make further adjustments to the smile shape to make whatever variations on it you want.

    Of course, don’t try to animate both of these shapes at the same time, since they’ll result in a double-strength smile like Jack Nicholson’s Joker.

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    8
     Mar 29, 2012 at 1:45 pm
  9. Moolah
    Posts: 66

    Hello, Jonathan!
    Nice tip!
    What’s about “relative” checkbox? I can’t understand what the opposite mode does.

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    9
     Mar 30, 2012 at 10:23 am
  10. Chris Chaney
    Posts: 25

    have to say i would really like to see a more in depth tutorial to follow this up with the use of drivers etc.
    between this and facial rigs are there any points in particular that make some areas better than others?

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    10
     Mar 31, 2012 at 1:29 pm
    • Jonathan Williamson
      Posts: 2965

      I can definitely agree with that! I have it down on my list to do more in-depth tutorials on shape keys and drivers. One thing you might check in the mean time is my tutorial on rigging an eye’s pupil; it uses drivers: http://cgcookie.com/blender/2010/03/13/rigging-a-pupil-for-dilation/

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      10.1
       Mar 31, 2012 at 4:49 pm
      • Chris Chaney
        Posts: 25

        I remember seeing it a while ago but I havent had chance to try it out lol. Hopefully i will get chance to put it into practice :)
        thanks again :)

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        10.1.1
         Apr 2, 2012 at 12:23 pm
      • Gary Parkin
        Posts: 109

        Put me in for an in depth too! This was excellent. Exactly what I was looking for to complete my animation. I didn’t want to use bones for a rubber ball.
        Jonathan, don’t leave CG Cookie. You’re an excellent instructor. I don’t get board and you go just slow enough so the idea catches on.

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        10.1.2
         Aug 14, 2012 at 7:23 am
      • Jonathan Williamson
        Posts: 2965

        Thanks Gary! I’m very invested on CG Cookie so I’m here for the long haul :)

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         Aug 14, 2012 at 9:39 am
  11. Paul Keur
    Posts: 5

    To get to know more about shape keys, look at David Ward’s Tutorial “Creating an advanced face rig”. He is going over this from start to finish.

    http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/03/16/creating-an-advanced-face-rig-part-one/

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    11
     Mar 31, 2012 at 2:16 pm
  12. Berat Tatlici
    Posts: 49

    Hey Jonathan,

    How To Create Black Screen In Blender 3D ?

    ______________

    BlenderTurkey

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    12
     Apr 6, 2012 at 8:06 am
  13. siddhartha
    Posts: 2

    where did you get this theme?? it’s epic

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    13
     Apr 10, 2012 at 8:54 am
  14. Ferris Moritz
    Posts: 13

    Thanks for the tip!

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    14
     Apr 15, 2012 at 3:52 pm
  15. vignesh
    Posts: 1

    plz send all tutorial to mail itz my request

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    15
     Apr 29, 2012 at 11:01 am
    • Jonathan Williamson
      Posts: 2965

      Hi Vignesh, we don’t generally email out tutorials on a regular basis; but we try to send out an email newsletter once a month. You can sign up for it by filling in your email at the bottom of this page: http://cgcookie.com/blender/

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      15.1
       Apr 29, 2012 at 7:23 pm
  16. Arif
    Posts: 3

    Hi. I’m a new learner of Blender. And I want to download your video tutorials (not the ones that are only open to the citizens) via internet download manager. I wonder if you allow this downloading situation without having a citizen membership.
    Thank you.
    I’m waiting for your answer.
    (I posted this question under a few other tutorials in order it to be answered faster. Forgive me if I have been rude)

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    16
     May 8, 2012 at 2:15 am
  17. lastsurvivor
    Posts: 1

    Hey I am having trouble moving the mesh and I have my new created shape key selected. I also have proportional editing enabled, but the mesh still wont move. Am I missing something? Thanks.

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    17
     Jul 27, 2012 at 10:00 pm
  18. Fauzi MG
    Posts: 12

    Hi, I’m From Indonesia. i want to asked something about shapekey. In your introduce about Shape Key, you try to duplicate head object to another way to making expresion or to modif a head. when we try to duplicate head object, can a head duplicate become monster or wolfman head?. Maybe the wolfman need adding vertex or plane.

    That is posible in shapekey blender or just the same vertex value can modif in shape key?

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    18
     Aug 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm
  19. herberts kasonde
    Posts: 2

    Hi there,i am from Zambia in the heart of Africa…i just wanted to inquire if at all you’ve got a complete animation video tutorial for beginners…please if you happen to have one,i would highly appreciate if you could share it with me..thank you…

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    19
     Aug 9, 2012 at 6:26 pm
  20. rjdefilippo
    Posts: 1

    thanks. this is great info for a beginner. I am so excited to be learning this. thanks again.

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    20
     Oct 26, 2012 at 5:53 pm
  21. Joel Schmidt
    Posts: 24

    hi jonathan i have just added a user image but i dont see it on my posts.

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    21
     Feb 25, 2013 at 7:57 am
  22. Joel Schmidt
    Posts: 24

    hi jonathan i have just added a user image but i dont see it on my posts. pleas help

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    22
     Feb 25, 2013 at 7:57 am
    • Jonathan Williamson
      Posts: 2965

      Hi Joel, it looks like your image never uploaded. It may be because the image was too large. Please be sure the image is no wider than 1600 pixels and the file size no more than 1mb.

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      22.1
       Feb 25, 2013 at 12:39 pm
  23. Shafi
    Posts: 1

    i’m 15 years old.i am a fan of blender.and i don’t no how i’m make short animation film in blender.please sent to my email how is it.it is my request.

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    23
     Apr 10, 2013 at 2:21 am

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