Blender need marketing kit!!! No Joke

Support Basics & Interface
#1

You know I have been reading stuff on this and many others forum for the past few years and had brought myself a copy of Blender 2.30 Manual and pre-order Orange DVD to support this great foundation but I still find blender is hard for noob ( no, I am not a noob!). The most flutation I get is to learn to use the old and new features in the blender 2.40 release if an average blender head like you and I find it hard to get inforamtion; I would imagine the nob would feel like looking for a needle in the hay stack.

Ok what we need is something like Maya Max 3D and Cinema 4D, etc 4 pages (glossy print?) pdf product brochure that would list all the features of the current product (these should repeat the features listed of all ealier features not just new features). So reader can understand the product at a glance. Instead of the wiki manual lets allow user to download as pdf of each manual section so they can printed and read on their own leisure. Also it would good to listed of all file format supported both import and export. And a comparison to other products such as Maya, MAX, Softimage… as part of the brochure (make the brochure 4- 6+ pages)

If someone who is well verse in all versions should written a list of all features that had been included in 2.40 that would be a really good start! Wat do you say if we should make this a small project on its own?? Then once this is established we could expanding to include the manual and tutorials and plugin - eventually an updated and current manual. Let start very small first.

It would be a shame if we couldn’t being release 2.40 and beyonds to be on the par with the commercial product - I think 2.40++ could do it with the help of proper brochure for the start.

#2

That’s a worthy idea.

I got another one. I recall reading somewhere that people hand out cds Ubuntu (free linux distro) free. Why not to make something similar with Blender?

All it would take is an official cd that contains Blender versions for different platforms, some .blends and perhaps some sort of documentation that helps to get started. Perhaps something that you just described could be included in the cd.

#3

The list of features is here:
http://blender.org/cms/Blender_2_40.598.0.html

I dont think this listing import/export and stuff has any sence. At 5MB/download you can just download the program and check it yourself.

I agree about some PDF printable tutorials, which would help some people.

#4

besides, the new release will be out, instantly making your efforts defunct and wasted.

#5

We are working on the marketing end of things, my goal is to be fully ready by Siggraph 2006.

LetterRip

#6

I used to hear a saying back in the day when I was promoting my band(s) and trying to tour a bit: “…It takes 8 years to be an over-night success”. Blender has been around longer than that, and it is already scratching the surface as #1 search for 3D tools on google. I think in less than 6 months, Blender’s popularity is going to explode. Even now, you can’t keep the buzz quiet if you tried.

#7

I have to disagree with one point. As a complete noob to the 3D graphics industry, I tried versions of 3d Max, Lightwave, and Maya over the last 6 months and was just about to give up because I just couldn’t catch on. I downloaded Blender and made my first model in a day with textures and materials. I’m playing with lattices right now and once I’m done with that I’ll be moving to the next tuturial. I’ve found the ease of blender amazing. Part of it might be because of all the video tuturials which really sped up the learning curve, but I think the program itself just has more “common sense” to it.

#8

The list of features is here:
http://blender.org/cms/Blender_2_40.598.0.html

That is exactly my point, I quiet aware of the release log but it just take too long and confusion of versions for average user to find it useful. I want to see the list of all features in each release spell out clear and square - table contents like of features so user can explore more if they want to. And this should be done for each release as the product brochure. I think letterip plan is on the right track but I hope he would including my suggestions.

All you have to do is just grap 4 pages sample glossy of Maya, Cinema 4D, etc as sample I think they done great job in marketing.

I got another one. I recall reading somewhere that people hand out cds Ubuntu (free linux distro) free. Why not to make something similar with Blender?

Checkout Dynebolic Debain base Linux with Blender Ready(I think 2.34 was last check) !!

We are working on the marketing end of things, my goal is to be fully ready by Siggraph 2006. 

LetterRip

I can’t wait to see the result - Wow!