In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial we have some fun and show you how to model a simple palm tree using a series of modifiers and linked meshes. The tutorial also demonstrates a technique for quick and dirty outdoor rendering.
Note: this tutorial uses the official Blender 2.5 Alpha 2 release.
Note2: We are aware of the poor audio quality on this tutorial, Jonathan just moved to a new house and is working to address it.
Support the site – Download includes:
- High resolution .mov Video
- .blend file at the state of the tutorial








Nice tutorial Mr. Williamson! Very nice! Just thought I’d add, you mentioned that in some cases hooks are better suited for animation than bones. As Andy Goralczyk said in his “Creature Factory” DVD, hooks are perfect for animating wires, pipes, and tubes to create a “swaying” motion. This could easily be used to make the palm tree sway in the wind. As I said, great tutorial. Wasn’t aware of either the pattern select or the apply ObData option. Definately useful! (Awsome Desktop background BTW!)
Thanks for your tutorials. They are always well demonstrated and very informative. I do have one suggestion: Would it be possible in the next tutorial to record in a room more isolated in terms of background noise? Your audio sounded muffled and there was a lot of ambient sounds which distracted from your presentation.
I realize you’re taking time out of your busy schedule to share your knowledge with us, so I apologize for sounding negative. I appreciate the work you do and the quality of your presentations. Thanks again for another great tutorial.
Very nice tutorial. You have an excellent teaching style and your sense of humor makes the videos rather fun to watch.
Hey,
Thank you so much for all your tutorials – When I startet using Blender about one year ago I gave up after 1-2 weeks because it all seemed too difficult to me.
Now I tried Blender again with these tutorials and lots of thinks are better to understand.
I try to learn Blender for interior, exterior and architecturial designs – might you do a little tutorial about one of that themes? (:
Hey Marco, for architectural design you might want to have a peek at http://www.blender3darchitect.com/
Brilliant tutorial, so much to learn in only 40 minutes. Loved the pattern selection tip, this is surely gonna be utterly useful. Also, the idea to avoid array and substitute it with likend duplicates was rather enlightening to me since I’ve encountered a similar issue recently. And I too admire the desktop wallpaper, presumably derived from Mr. Revoy’s works.. Thank you once again!
Hi, thanks for this one. Very nice. But what is going on on the background?
Some noisy activity all the time.
I’m feeling uncomfortable hearing it but not seeing
Thankyou so much for this excelent tut. I didnt know where the primitive operator model was hiding, f6, thanks. I was just about to model lots of palms via pin dup etc. (that was gunna suck), so thanks again. And I love the way you value add the tut with extra tips (like the camera constraints and lighting at the end).
Nice tutorial, with very useful tips that I did not know, like pattern selection, hooks and so on.
But something that I did not understand is why do you have to design the “end cap” at the opposite stem side? It makes no sense for me, it will be easier to have an “start cap” or something like that, that allows you to draw the beginning of the stem right in place.
Hey Jonathan thanks again, I always watch your tuts and learn a little something new each time. I thank you for not editing out mistakes as well.
Keep it up.
I must say, I’ve grown quite fond of your introductory “Hello!” before each tutorial. Keep up the good work!
And here I was thinking it was getting dull!
-Jonathan
Never a dull moment, sir!
Hey Jonathan, the copy individual modifier is in 2.49b (but not in 2.5 yet) by selecting your objects and pressing CTRL+C –> modifiers
great tutorial!
Thanks for your hard work on the tutorials.
I’m wondering though… how exactly did you select the leaves around the 6 minute mark? Is is select linked mapped to the mouse?
Sorry for posting again.
I’m also wondering how the curve modifier works exactly? For some reason when I was messing around with the axes (following this tutorial), the leaf end sometimes met with the origin and other times didn’t while the curve stayed in the same spot. This isn’t how it happens in the tutorial so is it maybe something different with the latest version of Blender? Or did I do something wrong?
Thanks.
lol… x.x
I really have to see things through before I ask. xD
Ignore that last post please.
Sorry ’bout that.