Learn Blender in depth - with the most comprehensive handbook to date

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Hey dear Blenderer,

it’s awesome that you want to know more about my super comprehensive, 917 pages wide eBook :open_book:!

:link: Click here if you want to read a very comprehensive review about it from Phil Gosh, or :link: here if you want to beam yourself right onto my book page.

:moneybag: This Blenderartists offer is limited until Sunday and is already incorporated into the book’s price - so you don’t need to enter any codes for it. And if you follow me on twitter, you can get another 5% off of my book - just pm me there!

Last but not least, thanks so much for spending some minutes exploring my book, I hope to see you around and have a chat with you - nothing can beat direct communication with my readers - I love that!

Cheers,
Tom

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Are you in process of making the Blender 2.8 version of the book?

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Hi @calmadigital,

no, definitely not yet - there is much missing still and the UI is changing daily - currently Blender 2.8 is not ready to be documented. But I will definitely at the end of 2019 (I target 2.82)! Let me cite from my website:

But one thing is sure: When there is a stable version of Blender 2.8 – and I don’t mean the very first official release of 2.8 then I’ll definitely tackle this beast. And I’ve got some very interesting ideas in my mind to make you participate more easily on that – stay tuned!

Last but not least one thing: Yes, you as my awesome reader will definitely get a significant discount for a yet to be written 2.8 book. I value your support super high and will definitely show it!

Btw: When 2.8 is released I will add an Eevee primer to the book, and currently I’m expanding the book into “how to report bugs properly & how to compile Blender” - so it’s constantly expanded…

Hope that clears the future plans a bit, and if you want to know anything more, just ask - I’m an open book :slight_smile: ! And have a look at my website, there are many faqs already answered…

Cheers,
Tom

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How much does it have about terrain creation, importing real terrains, alpha textures for mixing terrain textures and so on?

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Hey JakeRS,

it’s a handbook that tells you how to approach Blender and it’s tools - therefore you get of course info about how to blend textures into each other with BI and Cycles, and how to use modifiers and Blender’s modelling tools to elevate terrain-like shapes, but there is no tutorial about terrain creation with Blender - and imho. that’s not the task of a comprehensive handbook but better suited for video tutorials that handle exactly this topic …

Cheers, Tom

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Hey, I wanted to buy your book, but when i put it in the cart the price goes up again? in the cart it’s 48.something euros and on the website it is written it is 39.something euros :confused:

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Nevermind, I forgot that in some places you only add VAT at the moment of purchasing…

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Hi Flo,

yeah that’s correct! In the EU, you have to add VAT depending on the buyer’s location (depending on where he is located when he’s buying it) - that’s why it’s shown to you when you put it in your cart. Btw.: It’s not different if you buy Gleb’s and Aidy’s course: it’s always 60 net + VAT that gets added while in cart.

Please note also that I reduced the price even more than 10% (by 20%) to give you the opportunity to catch the last Black Friday Deal :slight_smile: (so it’s currently on 39,99) as in the last week!

Cheers, Tom

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Here’s my feedback having read the extract: it’s a lovely looking piece of work, nicely laid out and with good illustrations.

My problem is that, like so many instruction manuals, it gets to the fence but doesn’t quite jump over it. The basics are very well covered in an easy and accessible style but for anyone really wanting to understand how Blender works, the text stops a little bit short.

Take this example when describing particle caching - “On this panel, you can: Define the position of each particle (CacheStep) at each frame and store it at a save location”. This just doesn’t explain what the variable is there for and, more importantly, suggests the user has limitless control - the position of each particle?? There are other, similar examples where knowledge is assumed.

So, a nice book for beginners but I wouldn’t yet describe it as comprehensive.

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Hey Stephen,

thanks for your feedback! But please don’t judge a book by an extract or extrapolate a missing info into the whole book. Comprehensiveness is not determined by a single parameter explanation but by an in-depth understanding how all Blender pieces work (isolated and together).

Last but not least: Whenever I get feedback about what I missed to explain properly (like in your example) I’ll add it to the book and make it available for my readers - that’s the beauty of digital books.

So: Thanks very much for this feedback - this specific explanation has been scrambled in the translation process (just checked: the German edition explains this correctly) - will change that this evening and re-upload!

Cheers,
Tom

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Hi Tom, didn’t mean to come across as overly critical.

As I say, it’s a good looking book and a welcome addition to the canon.

Appreciate all your hard work.

S

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Hi Tom,
we already where in contact about this. How about adding a little line under the buy button, that says:
+VAT where applicable.
So the surprise is a bit lower.

Anyway I had time to parse great portions of the book. And have to say you did a wonderful job.
I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who wants more than what’s given on the Wiki.

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Hi Markus,

thanks for the feedback, it’s so great that you find it helpful and all this time it took writing it was not wasted!
Regarding the vat: I just added (excl.VAT) for our EU peeps :slight_smile:

Have a great day everyone!
Tom

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you used to do the best release videos!

bought.

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Thanks so much, Master!

I’m getting ready to pick the series up again. I will most likely start with an overview of already implemented 2.8 features and fight my way back until I can finally review the features that are currently in development! I’m trying to record the first of the series on Wednesday, and release it next weekend.

Cheers, Tom

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Hi guys,

:christmas_tree: Just a heads up, there is a :mrs_claus: Christmas discount :santa: happening with a 33% drop in price :money_with_wings: for my Blender eBook - If anyone wants to read a super comprehensive Blender book in the Christmas holiday season, get it now - it wont get cheaper as this :christmas_tree:

Hi @StephenSamuels, as I promised when you noticed me about a lack of depth in the Caching / Baking section, I just released an extensive update on this section: It expanded from 1/2 page to 2 pages (including explanations that I had to dig out the source code for, to see what they do) and is now even much more in-depth than the German original - while still being easily digestible.

Btw: Just read that you also said that I didn’t explain what a particle actually is: That is done in great detail with examples earlier in the chapter (and was before) but was and is not included in the extract. As the extract is already 40 pages strong, that should be enough reading material to get a feeling for a book :wink:

:fire: That being said: V1.0.4 of the book has now been released - free for all existing readers and of course new ones. :fire:

Cheers,
Tom

2 Likes