# Parametric Workflows with Blender: Animating Robots for Digital Fabrication > Learn to use Blender's Geometry Nodes to develop custom digital fabrication workflows. This hands-on workshop will teach you different approaches to developing tailored machine instructions, from drawing with plotters and cutting with CNCs to 3D printing and robotic fabrication. ## At a glance - Format: On-demand course - Price: €93.50 (list €110.00) - Difficulty: Beginner - Duration: 8 Hours - Schedule: Jan 11-12, 2025 - Instructors: Luis Pacheco - Categories: 3D-Printing, Fabrication, Design Workshops - Software: Blender, Tissue add-on - Students: 46 - Rating: 5.0 / 5 - Canonical: https://paacademy.com/course/parametric-workflows-with-blender-animating-robots-for-digital-fabrication - Enroll: https://paacademy.com/course/parametric-workflows-with-blender-animating-robots-for-digital-fabrication --- ## About this course Parametric Workflows with Blender: Animating Robots for Digital Fabrication is a workshop covering procedural toolpath generation for 3D printing, CNC machining, and robotic arm control using Blender's Geometry Nodes system. Participants begin with Blender fundamentals and workspace setup, then progress to node-based toolpath creation for plotters and CNC machines before advancing to additive manufacturing and robotic fabrication workflows. The robotic section uses the Animaquina addon for multi-axis toolpath simulation and robotic arm animation within Blender. Safety protocols and fabrication constraints are addressed throughout. A final individual project integrates all techniques covered, and basic Blender 3D modeling experience is recommended. ## What you'll learn - Develop toolpaths for 3D printers, CNC machines, and robotic arms usingBlender and Geometry Nodes. - Harness the power of Geometry Nodes for parametric design. - Utilize attributes to customize your toolpaths. - Develop custom visualization and debugging tools for your projects. - Troubleshoot common digital fabrication challenges. - Apply your knowledge to real-world fabrication projects. ## Methodology This workshop will explore several digital fabrication workflows using Blender. We will begin by introducing the fundamentals of Blender's interface and navigation to ensure all participants are comfortable with the softwareenvironment. We'll set up a workspace tailored for digital fabrication tasks and familiarize ourselves with Blender. We will export some manually generated toolpaths to get conformable with blender's main interface. Next, we'll delve into Geometry Nodes, Blender's powerful system for procedural and parametric modeling. We'll explore how node-based workflows can generate toolpaths, and we'll practice creating toolpaths for drawing and cuttingapplications using plotters and CNC machines. We will then focus on 3D printing workflows. Starting with basic toolpath generation using Geometry Nodes to create optimized toolpaths for additive manufacturing. We'll address common 3D printing issues and constraints,ensuring that your designs are print-ready. The final part of our workshop will cover robotic fabrication workflows. We'll introduce Animaquina, a Blender addon for animating, simulating, and controlling robotic arms. You'll learn how to create multi-axis toolpaths suitable for robotic fabrication and understand the constraints and possibilities of working with robots. We'll also cover essential safety protocols and best practices in robotic fabrication. Throughout the workshop, we'll emphasize the use of attributes within Geometry Nodes to tailor and customize your toolpaths. Students will work individually on a final project that integrates the techniques covered in theworkshop. ## Requirements Basic Blender 3D modeling knowledge is highly recommended. ## Curriculum ### Session 1 - Intro + PAACADEMY Updates (05:45) - Lecture (10:57) - Blender Setup and Basics (53:22) - Curves to G-code Workflow (32:04) - G-code for Machines (52:56) - Halftone G-Code Workflow (35:34) - Geometry Nodes Halftone Portrait (11:17) - Spiralized Drawing for CNC (36:50) - CNC Drawing and Troubleshooting (38:28) ### Session 2 - 3D Printing and G-code Generation (56:11) - 3D Clay Cup Printing (55:51) - Calibrating the PotterBot 3D printer (13:02) - Calibration and Debugging (24:12) - Interactive Robotic Toolpath Programming (08:10) - Simulating Robot Toolpath Movements (38:11) - Robotic Printing and Simulation (32:02) - Robot Real-Time Control (15:58) - Robotic 3D Printing Simulation (16:47) ## FAQ ### What software and add-ons will I need to use for this workshop? You will use Blender alongside the Tissue add-on and Animaquina, a specialized add-on for animating, simulating, and controlling robotic arms. ### What prior knowledge or hardware setup is recommended before joining? Basic Blender 3D modeling knowledge is highly recommended, and using a computer equipped with a numpad and a 3-button mouse is strongly advised. ### What digital fabrication machines and toolpath workflows will be covered? You will learn to create custom toolpaths for plotters, CNC cutting machines, 3D printers, and multi-axis robotic arms using Blender’s Geometry Nodes. ### How will we learn to simulate and control robotic arms inside Blender? You will use the Animaquina add-on to generate multi-axis robotic toolpaths, simulate movement, control robotic arms, and apply essential safety protocols for robotic fabrication. ### What practical project will I build to apply these procedural fabrication techniques? You will work individually on a final project that integrates Geometry Nodes attributes to create tailored G-code and custom machine instructions for real-world fabrication.