Hey Reader,

Zach here,

With some fresh inspirations and resources from the 3D world.

Today, I’ll share Polyfjord's new 3D tracking technique, a CGI dragon in Iceland, and a reminder about our Master Compositing in Blender Course Sale ending today. As a cherry on top, Free Mannequin Rigs from P2Design.

Let’s dive in.

​Polyfjord’s new Photogrammetry 3D Tracking Workflow​

When Polyfjord releases a new video, I always watch it, expecting something exciting. This time was no different, and the 3D scanning and tracking workflow he shows in this video simply blew my mind.🤯

He not only explains in detail how to use the tools to create a perfectly tracked 3D environment using your smartphone camera, but also shares links to the (free) tools he used, including a script he wrote, which you can download and use 100% free.

​Filming a CGI Dragon in a real Cave in Iceland​

Alex Hanneman (Compositing Academy) shares an incredible and innovative VFX technique that allows for shooting real footage with a pre-made CGI dragon (or any creature) on location. This reverses the traditional CGI pipeline, where computer-generated VFX and animations were done in post-production after the video footage was already shot.

​This video vlog about shooting a dragon in a cave in Iceland shows this technique in practice. It has great narration and editing, so it’s not only interesting but also very fun to watch.

​Compositing Course 20% Off - Sale Ends Today!​

Today is the last day of our 20% Early Bird Sale for the Master Compositing in Blender course.

Grab it while it’s cheaper, and start using the "Force" of Blender's Compositor to your advantage.

To claim the 20% discount, use the coupon code: EARLYBIRD20

(Expires August 22nd, 2025–23:59 CEST)

While our courses typically receive positive student reviews on our website, Daniel Nees broke the record by achieving 100% five-star reviews out of 60 (with not a single negative review).

You can read what people who bought the course have to say about it here.

​Must Have FREE Rigs for Blender Animation​

In the previous newsletter, I shared the amazing animation that Pierrick Picaut made with stylized, rigged mannequins. Now he has released them for free to use on any non-commercial project.

Pierrick explains how to get these mannequins (characters + rigs) and use them for your animations in this video.

That’s all from me today, have a great weekend, and till next time.

~Zach