Will there be a manual for 2.40 like there has been for other versions (2.3 and 2.2)?
God, I hope so, because there has been some radical departures from the original.
It’s just that it would such a help, everything else I’ve learned I had to get snippets of info from the net (like fishing for just on sardine with a purple stripe in Atlantic - hard)
dear forum
i am a newbei here as well as to 3d. but my hopes perked up when i read nykysle say that there are manuals for blender 3d 2.3. can any one out there tell me where?
thanks
car313
car 313, open Blender and go to Help/Manual. If you want to hold it in you hands the go to http://www.blender3d.org/e-shop/default.php?cPath=21
Blender document development has been moved over to the http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Manual it ain’t finished yet but its the easiest and most up to date source.
2.4 will be documented will begin as soon as it’s released but we can’t do screen shots until they’ve loaded the new latout.
good luck for now
I notice that bones (Gus tutorial) are still 2.3. Presumably this is essentially the previous docs undergoing transition.
I understand the wiki is something almost anyone can contribute to but does anyone know if there is a defined procedure/priority for updating sections?
Armatures and shape keys seem to be getting a lot of interest as they are quite different to the previous version but it’s dificult to find any practical information about them. As they form the basis of most animations, it wou;d be nice if some details are released soon 
Yeah, I know - just be patient. I am, really I am.
Edit: I just reloaded the page (properly this time) and see shape keys do have a section. Armatures however are still the old system.
Apparently there is going to be an “update” manual for 2.40 (Most likely an incomplete manual so you will most likely need the older manual), as well there is going to be a training dvd in the new year. I hear this from Ton’s presentation for the opening presentation. I didn’t go to the Amsterdam conference (I was at the Montreal conference at the time), though I watched the video form http://www.blender.org/cms/Newsitem.619+M59e6cb66e2d.0.html.
seriously i think the way how the manula was made before isnt the way to go anymore.
blender develops to fast for print version.
i would rather go for an electronical (paid) version.
that one also allows faster updates which could be a paid version as well.
imagine you have a printed main version and two smaller books with updates. well the amature system will not change that much anymore but for example the modeling tools seem to get more and more tools. how do you want to cover that? also how can you make a reader aware that in book a the information is old and in book b that section is the correct one.
claas
Ahh, but some of us old timer types like to have printed materials to read offline. Plus if its on bookstore shelves Blender would get more exposure in general.
I’d be interested in purchasing a short book on the new features. Though, I’ll probably be deep in the wiki as I actually go through the 2.40 release.
I personally think that we will get the best documentation with the wiki system. It will be as up to date as possible. Now there are (just a rough guess) approx 20 people working on the blender wiki, and all of them voluntarily.
The manual did already undergo greater changes in some sections (which will not change that much with 2.40), if 2.40 will come out with it’s new layout, we will get an up to date manual in pretty short time.
I saw a keyboard layout which looks like a grwat idea but it was missing a lot of shorcuts. Is this also a work in progress?
Hi!
I was just wondering:
I have bought the 2.3 guide, not too long time ago. I havent read it yet, but if there is going to be a radical update guide is there any point in reading it? Or should i read it, and then hope for an update guide?
Or read it, and then find out some more myself?
what do i do :o
The problem is: the more experienced the user is, the more he can benefit from an older manual. Many things will not change with version 2.4, others will be exanded, but no feature is lost.
But some buttons will be at other places (Subdivision Surfaces are a prominent example), and that may be quite confusing for absolute beginners.
The greatest changes are made to the armature system, shape keys, particles, softbodies and fluids. So you will find little (or nothing) about that in the printed manual.
Other sections are perfectly usable. So it maybe that it is better to first look at the wiki, and read the 2.3 guide afterwards.
Hmm… How about a base manual for the major revision (2.4) and a small updates (maybe in the form of a small subscription magazine) for minor revisions (2.4.1)?
This only for the hard-copy… If you make the online documentation subscription based, you would drive away new users who are trying to learn to use the program… not good if you’re trying to grow the comunity.
BTW, how does one get involved with the documentation project?
Hi! Thanks for the replies, and on the #blenderchat i got informed of this site:
http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Releaselogs.34.0.html
wich contains very good changelogs for the new things. Its rather good and contains “documentation” for all(or most of?) the new things.