Just writing to let you know that Blender has been selected for v2.0 of TheOpenCD scheduled for release in December. This is a compilation of the very best user-level FOSS available on the Windows platform. The program selection is slowly growing as more desktop applications mature, but the current number is still just 25.
In the next few weeks we’ll be working on the text and other content to be included with the CD browser. This time the installer will also be multi-lingual. You are invited to stop by our forum [1] and wiki [2] to help with text authoring, screenshot submissions or other suggestions that will help portray Blender in a favorable light. Blender is probably our most complex application, so we need to include a generous amount of supporting materials. I guess we can get most of that from the Manuals and Tutorials pages on blender3d.com; are there any particular ones you would recomend?
We would also appreciate any help anyone could provide with translations (esp. after the text freeze on Nov 10th). Thanks.
hmmm…I’ve read through some of the posts in your forum…and I see that an issue for you is documentation, or more importantly, a lack of up to date documentation.
How are you doing for space on the cd? Im sure someone like greybeard will be able to do an hour long video tutorial for you guys (I’ll PM him, if you like)
The advantage of this, is that not only will it show some of the newer features of blender, but will also go a long way towards showing people that it actually isn’t that hard, and that then can use it productively…
hmmm…I’ve read through some of the posts in your forum…and I see that an issue for you is documentation, or more importantly, a lack of up to date documentation.
I think this was written some time before Blender Guide was complete. How much of that is available in HTML or PDF? How is the free documentation project coming allong?
I also see that there are about 20 tutorials available on-line. How many of these would you guys recomend we put on the CD? Are some better than others, do some overlap? Can these be freely distributed? Can we use screenshots from these in the general CD browser?
We’d also like to include some showcase items made using Blender, such as stills (10-15) and animations (3-4). Which would you recomend? We have included the demo reel before, is that still the best introduction? (you mentioned making a new intro, can that be completed in a month’s time?)
We still have ~200 MB of free space on the disc, so that should not be a problem.
As for the online tutorials, a lot of them are now defunct. I’ll take a look at them tonight and compile a list of tutorials that are both good and up to date.
I also got in contact with greybeard to see if he is interested in creating a beginner video tutorial for the CD. Trust me, you’ll want it if he is willing, his tutorials are probably the best I have seen. I’ll let you know what he says, or you never know, he will probably reply here
One, problem though: they don’t play too well in VLC. All three have a blue line on the bottom and Cyan Sun has some problems with the sound. The two avis both play well in MS medial player, but we’d like to play them directly off the CD with VLC (plus VLC is on the CD as an installable too, and we’d like to promote that). Perhaps they can be encoded differently? I’m sure the authors have high-rez stills around. It wouldn’t even be a problem if they were twice as big (file size) since there is space on the CD. That might even make them less grainy (esp. Cyan Sun).
The moebius one has another small problem: the slight nudity. Now, I don’t mind and most people don’t, it’s artistic, it looks good, etc. But we are aiming for wide distribution with this CD, including schools and folks in the bible belt So, we need to go for the lowest common denominator I’m afraid. (did anyone follow the Ubuntu Linux artwork controversy? There was a storm of protest about some artistic images, which didn’t actually show anything)
The previous CD contained ‘Mick’ and ’ Midnight Snack’, so we might go with those again too. I really liked the new ‘Chicken Chair’ one! Very cool (and plays great in VLC). Perhaps the shorter playing length compared with the others (esp. mobeius) is good too, enough time to get into it, but not enough to get bored.
Some of the new stills look great, esp. the Yfray ones. The challenge there is selecting a good mix of 10-15, and tracking down all the artists for permission.
Sounds cool, is it possible to run Gimp from cd or install to it? It would be great to use it everywhere where I want. I already have a usb stick with 512 mb ram, and got Blender (win and Mac), Mirc, Firefox, Winamp, winrar an even Python (win and Mac) on it installed. It runs perfect. I can work on my blender stuff anywhere on windows and Mac (on my work) I only need a linux part
All five of GreyBeard’s video tutorials. Anybody who has viewed them appreciate them for the genuine insite into Blender, as well as the professional way they are presented. That’s what I would include.
All five of GreyBeard’s video tutorials. Anybody who has viewed them appreciate them for the genuine insite into Blender, as well as the professional way they are presented. That’s what I would include.
Bad idea. Remember that these are people that probably will never have used 3d before. Greybeards tutes will be too much for them to digest, without doubt.
I can work on my blender stuff anywhere on windows and Mac (on my work) I only need a linux part