Using the Noise modifier

Here is by far the most useful F-curve modifier in Blender’s offering:

Figure 11.10: The Noise modifier

The Noise modifier generates pseudorandom noise along an F-curve, which is a fancy way of saying it deterministically randomizes the F-curve, which is a fancy way of saying it makes the F-curve go all wiggly. It’s not all that different from the shape of a “noisy” audio waveform. This is terrific any time we want to create shaky, random movement without needing to manually insert a bunch of random keyframes.

For this exercise, we’ll use the Noise modifier for its most popular use case: simulating camera shake.

Adding the Noise modifier

When someone operates a video camera without a stand or tripod, their hand will naturally shake a little bit. The effect of this can be seen in the recorded video. In 3D animation, we have to deliberately simulate this to make it look as though our camera...