I think a few days ago something in my head went click.
I just came to a strange revelation in Blender. I’ve been working on the program for about a year and a half where I work. It started with a suggestion of using 3D models to represent the divisions of a company and, well,… now I’m churning out this stuff at a breakneck speed (the modeling workflow in this program is incredible).
Through this time I was under pressure, I was the only one with a bit of knowledge and through gut wrenching, fire breathing and air pulling moments I actually learned something.
And now I think I finally understand why it takes so long to get to grips with the program (or any 3d package). I thought I understood the program a year ago, but all I knew was where to get everything and what they did. It’s not how fast you do something or how well your photographic memory remembers EVERY tutorial you’ve ever read. It’s about understanding and implimenting the program. It’s hard to explain.
I get the same feeling with the program as I got when I studied German years ago. You suddenly wake up one day with a ‘feeling’ for the language. And suddenly this world pops out of the blue… and you see everything in German (Blender). Okay, not really but you understand what I am trying to say.
At my work I had to to the basics of everything - rigging and posing, texturing, modeling (especially) to death. But those basics actually taught me the foundation language for this program. And now I am lying in my bed at night dreaming up REAL possibilities for my own creations. If my work would just give me a breather some time!
I’m not really mention anything new but I thought I’d share my joyfull moment of finally understanding 3D and the language of Blender…
That’s great! I’m starting to feel the same way about Photoshop. I can’t remember half the tutorials I read, but I’ve noticed that I’m starting to develop my own techniques. For instance, with one project I had to put a lantern on a table and make it look as though it was in the room. I created the room’s wall from scratch, used a picture of a table that had a baby sitting at it. I just erased the baby (top half of the photo), and then used the clone stamp and healing brush to get rid of the reflection. Then, I created a room through which you can see the moon (another downloaded photo). Not to brag at all, but I can certainly tell I’m improving as I only had to use one tutorial for the project which was about making shadows.
it’s easy to explain, it is when you get enough practice that your subconciouse takes over and does the “work” part without you even thinking about it, like when you learned to ride a bike. it is the moment you subconciouse starts useing the equipment as an extention of your body, that frees uo your mind to focus on what you want rather than how to do it. like walking. you dont think lift this foot, shist the torso this way, move the leg forward, move arm back to counter ballance, put foot down, move body above foot, then repeat the same thing. you are just able to think “i want to go there” and let your subconciouse do all the hard work of getting you there without you even thinking about it. it’s when the subconciouse takes the work load of the conciouse mind, and since all we notice is the conciouse mind it just seems alot easier, alot less work.
now all you have to do is come up with a mental image and let your subconciouse get it on the computer for you. once you have your objective in mind you dont think, you simply react. it’s second nature.
vfxjunkie.
Yes! That is EXACTLY what I’m talking about! Starting to think for yourself is the first signs of real improvement. For some it comes quickly and for others it takes a bit longer… like me.
rdo3
You are right. But let me explain it like this. Someone gives me tools to build a house. I use the ruling square to put cement on the bricks and I use a shovel to scrape the walls even. It makes sense but good lord, when I figured out how to use the tools properly and why they work that way, I could start planning and building a lot better. Using the tools is subconcious, but understanding them… thats something different. I think…
Musicians will know what I’m on about. It’s very much like learning the piano or guitar. One can go any of a thousand different directions with it. Takes months to learn the basics. Takes years to get really good. Can spend a lifetime mastering all it can do, and still produce nothing but crap with it if you’re not a student of the art.
Congrats, that’s a good feeling when the “fretboard” opens up for you.
…Should’ve said keyboard… Blender is more like piano, imo (versatile).
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i know exactly what you mean. the same happened to me.
first you are learning blender. after a while you are using it like a tool.
and then, suddenly at some point it becomes something like a natural extension of yourself.
you are flying through the menus, pressing buttons, keep moving objects and verts with your mouse without even thinking about it. as if the movements were burned into your synapses.
the funny thing is, if someone relatively new to blender is watching you soaring through the program, it is almost impossible for him to follow.
quite the same just happened to me regarding the C language.
for years i was scared about learning this language. i avoided it wherever i could.
i kept learning a variety of other languages but not C.
now a couple of days ago someone finally convinced me to seriously tryout C.
i snatched a good book about the basics of C and guess what.
there are so many similarities to other languages i already learned in the past.
of course i had to learn some new commands and operators and some new concepts but nevertheless it felt, well, natural.
