Years ago I used Cinema 4D, then dabbled in Cheetah (I’m a Mac user), Have looked at Blender on and off, but it just looks way too complicated. I’m a hobbiest, but I still want good results.
Is there a series of tutorials that walk you through the basics of all the steps (model, texture, rig, animate, render) I probably won;t sculpt, but would like to at least paint displacement or normal maps for details.
I know Blender has updated the interface a lot, but there still seems to be tons of tabs everywhere and jumping in and out of modes to get the jobs done,
Anyway, I’m old and cranky and just want to “get to it” without spending the rest of my life learning yet another app to do what I’ve done with some degree of ease.
As a fellow noob, I’ll impart this bit of orientation: Blender is HIGHLY modal. If you get confused at any point, a good habit is to pause and think “What mode am I in?” or “What mode is the presenter of this tute in?”.
For tutorials I cannot recommend Grant Abbitt enough: he makes you feel like you are actually a killer modeler. He’s the 3d equivalent of Bob Ross. https://www.youtube.com/user/mediagabbitt
Also: master all the viewing modes as early as possible. There’s so many possible permutations it’s very easy to get lost in wondering “W(here)TF is my g.d. mesh???”. Beware of “local view”, which everyone else in the universe would call “solo view”, because the blender devs just can’t bring themselves to use standard terminology.
OTOH, the price is right, and there’s a plugin/addon (<—terminology again) for damn near everything, many free, others a bargain. Have fun. Render often.
Yeah, I don’t get the modal systems. When you rig and test the rig, it looks like you’re constantly jumping from mode to mode! Other apps you’re just kind of…there…
I still don;t understand why the Z axis is up. Is there any other app that has that? Yet, bones have Y up…I think. Things like this are what has made me quit before getting started.
Historical reasons: the first CAD and plotters’ working surfaces were horizontal, and X and Y. When they added the vertical component, it became Z. Makes sense in a CAD setting, ie “the real world”.
Now, in the screen world, the working surface was already vertical. When they added Z it became “screen depth”. YMMV, but I don’t get worked up about it.
What confuses me is why some Selection Tools have to have a special exit strategy, don’t let your menus work (just found THAT out) and stick to your cursor like a booger. It’s all very antiquated.
We won’t even talk about “right click select”, don’t want to upset the cultists, and it’s pretty much been handled.
You mean the historical selection tools like e.g. the B key for box select and C key for circle? You don’t really have to use them anymore. In default keymap the W key cycles your selection tool between box, circle, lasso and tweak. These all work on drag and release.
Indeed. --I would be happier if they altered the cursor to reflect which Selection mode was active-- instead I have to nervously flick my eyes up there to see which is currently ‘on’.
Years ago, using DirectX, I attempted to write my own animation studio (at the time I was a C++/VB6 software programmer). I blame Spielberg and Jobs, for producing “Jurassic Park” and “Toy Story”.
Then, in May of 2014, I stumbled into Blender and the rest is history.
If it’s not too late, I suggest using Blender version 2.79, and stick with the Internal render engine.
(and then there was a gasp from the crowd)
If you are redecorating a Frank Lloyd Wright, then you got a lot of learning ahead. Otherwise, if you’re just looking to have some fun, 2.79 Internal.
It sounds like Blender has a lot of addons, so I figure if something too complex, I will search out an addon for it!
Yes, Jurassic Park is why I got into 3D and animation. In fact, if I get up and running in Blender, it’s back to dinos for me. I had modeled a few and rigged and animated one in Cinema 4D, which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. So, the goal is to model, paint (normal or displacement maps rather than a full sculpt), rig, animate and add some scenery. Again, just for me.
The other goal is to make the process enjoyable. Cinema 4D was very enjoyable to use, so I was able to progress without having to constantly refer to a manual or watch tons of tutorials. This is the main reason I’ve ignored Blender all this time.
So, do you guys think I should just start with the donut tutorial to get an over feel for everything, or is it best to go through the tutorials on the Blender site first that go through the mechanics of the program rather than starting on a project?
