Blender's latest feature release introduces several exciting new tools that will revolutionize the world of animation creation within this popular free open-source software. Among these are Animation Nodes which offer users more flexibility when working with animations, while also providing a user-friendly interface for those without extensive knowledge in programming.

Animation nodes provide an alternative way to animate objects compared to traditional keyframe animating methods found elsewhere; they allow you to string together individual animation sequences (called 'node groups') like building blocks - each node performing its specific function until finally producing the desired output on screen. This approach not only speeds up your workflow but also makes it easier for non-itsybitsy techies such as myself understand how everything works behind closed doors.

In this article, we'll dive deeper into what animation nodes are and show you some examples of how to use them in Blender 3D software:

What Are Animation Nodes?

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Animation nodes are a new feature introduced by Blender's developers that allows users to create complex animations without having any prior knowledge of programming languages like Python or C++. They work similarly to the popular node-based compositing application Nuke, but instead of manipulating video frames and colors, animation nodes deal with animating objects over time.

Using Animation Nodes in Blender

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To start using animation nodes within Blender 3D:

1. Open up a new project by going through File > New > General (or press Ctrl + Shift + A on Windows or Command ⌥ + Option/Alt + A on Mac).

2. In the left-hand sidebar, click and expand 'Animation' under which you should see an entry called 'Nodes'.

3. Double-clicking anywhere inside this node area will open up a panel from where we can drag-and-drop different types of nodes onto our scene.

Basic Animation Node Setup

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To get started with animation nodes in Blender:

1. Create a new empty object by pressing the 'Ctrl + A' keys (Windows) or Command ⌥ + Shift + C on Mac, then name it 'Cube'.

2. Select this cube and switch to Object Mode using either keyboard shortcut Tab or right-clicking inside Outliner panel -> Switch Type -> Mesh.

3. With your cursor still over 'Cube', click-and-drag leftwards until you see a new node called 'Empty' appear at mouse position; double-click on it once more so we can rename our newly created object as well - let's call this one too 'cube'.

4. Now that both objects are set up, go back into Edit Mode by pressing Tab again followed by clicking anywhere within view port space where you want to place first animation node.

Adding Animation Node Groups

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Once you have your basic setup complete (an empty object named 'Cube'), it's time to start animating! To do this:

1. Select the cube and switch back into Object Mode.

2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on 'Animation' > 'Nodes'.

3. Double-clicking anywhere inside the node area will open up a panel from where you can drag-and-drop different types of nodes onto your scene.

Here's an example animation using three simple animations:

1) Create two new empty objects by pressing Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command ⌥ + Shift + C on Mac, then name them 'Sphere' and 'Cylinder'.

2) Select the sphere object.

3. In the Properties panel > Animation Tab > Action, click the '+' button at bottom left corner to add a new action called 'sphere_anim'.

4. Animate your sphere using keyframes as usual (e.g., press Shift + R then drag mouse).

5. Repeat steps 2-6 but for cylinder object instead.

Now let's string these animations together!

1) Select the cube and switch back into Object Mode.

2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on 'Animation' > 'Nodes'.

3. Double-click anywhere inside node area to open up a new panel where we can drag-and-drop animation nodes onto our scene - in this case, three:

* First: Animation Player (name it 'sphere_anim_player')

- Connect its input socket to the output of sphere object's action.

* Second: Scale Node

- Connect its input sockets to both X and Y coordinates of cube's location property.

4. Finally, connect the output of this scale node back into position property of our original empty 'Cube'.

With these steps complete, when you press Play (or spacebar), your animated scene should now play back with sphere animating around a stationary cylinder! Of course, there are many more advanced techniques available using animation nodes - but hopefully, this gives you an idea of how powerful they can be.

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In conclusion, Blender's latest release has made it easier than ever before to create complex animations without needing extensive programming knowledge. With the introduction of Animation Nodes and their user-friendly interface, anyone can now easily string together individual animation sequences like building blocks - making animating objects in 3D software accessible even for those who are newbies at this whole thing!

So what are you waiting for? Download Blender today and start exploring all that animation nodes have to offer!

Blender 3d animation nodes audio