I’ve been working with Blender for about 10 years now, mostly from home, and I’ve enjoyed the journey so far. But recently, I’ve started feeling a bit isolated, and I’m looking for ways to change things up.
As a freelancer, I have the flexibility to work from anywhere as long as I have decent computing power. Rather than investing in a heavy laptop with a strong GPU, I’ve set up my PC to connect remotely via my laptop and Wi-Fi. Now, I’m planning to work in public spaces like cafes and libraries.
Does anyone here have experience working with Blender in public? I’d love to hear your recommendations on good spots and how often people approach you when they see you working in 3D.
I’m also in the market for a new mouse, as my current one has been giving me some issues. I’ve been considering the Logitech MX Master 3S since it’s popular among creatives, but I’m concerned that the middle mouse button (MMB), which is crucial in Blender, might be too loud for quiet environments like libraries.
For those of you who work in public, what mouse do you use, and how do you find it in terms of noise and usability?
Hello,
so in germany i would be afraid that the internet isnt good enough to do that…
And it might not be possible everywhere but i see this more as a change and not a constant day-to-day thing where you want to work from a cafe…
For the mouse, it might be too loud for the lib but its fine for a cafe…
Well, I’m in Germany and I’ve thought about that too. I’ll just need to test it I guess.
The main Library I’ve picked out is the nearist University Library. I’ve seen a lot of people work on their laptops there, so my hope is the Wifi is quite decent there.
For the mouse you mean the MX Masters, or mice in general?
There was a period in which I was occasionally working remotely using Parsec to connect to my home PC. It was working well, as my home connection was on fiber. I even came up with a way to remotely turn on the PC. From BIOS, I had activated a function to turn on the PC when the energy kicks in. I had then a smart switch I was turning on from my phone. Parsec activates in the Windows login screen, so I was able to log in and start working. It worked, but it was depending on the connection of the place I was too much, and if occasionally there was a technical issue I couldn’t fix it from remote.
Now I have started working on a laptop as my main workstation and I love the mobility. Sometimes I go to my local public library and I love working from there, I feel really focused. Similarly, when I travel, I just go to libraries mostly, I think they’re my favorite place since my student times
Not so often, but there was once a time when a group of kids had come and was quite interested in Unreal, as I was using it.
No problem at all on that regard. I use a Logitech G502 and I don’t think it’s causing any problem in libraries.
I do it often (going to the ZLB to work)… specially in the winter, to save some money with the gas bill. Never had any problems using a mouse there…
(well… the ZBL has also a music studio, and you can often ear someone training there )
In the summer, I prefer just to bring my wacom… because I like to work in parks or near the river or canals.
That is what I’m fearing. That I can only work in very specifc places, that have a good enough internet connection.
I will just have to try it out and see what work.
I’ve actually set up “Wake on Lan”, which lets me power up my pc from my phone. It has some difficulties and does not always work, when the PC is completely shut down.
But since I’m still at home every day, I can turn on the PC in the morning, and shut it down at the end of the day.
Depending on what freelance project I’m working on, I could also do it on a good laptop.
What Laptop are you using for that? I dont really want to carry a heavy gaming laptop around with me, that is big and noisy.
I’m using a Lenovo Thinkbook 16p G4. I’m very happy with it, as it feels quite well-built, it is quiet for normal usage, the screen is nice and it has an RTX 4060, which for me works fine enough for a laptop. Memory is upgradable too, so I’ve added 64GB of RAM. There are some times, like Christmas, in which prices go quite a bit down, so I was able to buy one for less than what they sell now.
I like in general being able to work from where I want, and this was the best compromise I could find and afford!
Jeah i got the logitech master 3s, its not loud at all and the best mouse in that regard i had but there is still a sound from the mousewheel button.
Like i said its probably cool to do that once in a while but maybe not daily since parsec is lagging sometimes and if its just the pc doing heavy things and not the inet connection.
I will look into that. Currently investing in such a pricy laptop is still a bit early, since I’m not even sure I like working in public. But once I’ve tried it for a while and like it, I will have to look into good laptops.
Even in public spaces like a library your stuff could get stolen.
So keep the price point of your hardware in mind.
I would instead of a mouse use a small tablet so the noise level is nearly non-existant.
For tablets, either the non-screen ones like a Wacom Bamboo (if you don´t need tilt)
and with Displays, maybe a Huion Kamvas 13. Its price is low enough that replacing it wouldn’t be so devastating. (currently 209€ @ Kaufland in its Online store.)
When it comes to computer mice, I only use the three main buttons. My last three mice had extra side buttons, but I never found a use for them. It seems like many mice are highly rated because of these extra features, but they don’t really add value for me.
The main things I’m looking for in a mouse are:
Reliable functionality, including smooth performance over Bluetooth.
Comfort. It should feel good in hand.
A sleek, professional design, especially for use in public settings. No RGB lights or flashy gaming aesthetics.
Ergonomics. It should support my hand long-term. From what I’ve heard, the MS Master S3 is known for this.
I’ve tried working with a Wacom tablet before, but it’s not for me. My hand tends to cramp up when using a pen for these kinds of tasks, so I only use it for specific things like sculpting and sketching, which I don’t do often.
I’ve never spent more than $60 on a mouse since I don’t need many features, but given that I use it for several hours every day, investing in a higher-quality one seems like a smart choice.
Do you think it makes sense to have a separate, more affordable mouse just for public use? I’ve always used wired mice, but in public, I’d prefer a Bluetooth option to avoid dealing with cables.
Of course, I wouldn’t leave my gear unattended, even for something as quick as a bathroom break. But avoiding investing in good hardware just because it might get stolen doesn’t sit right with me. If that ever does happen, maybe I’ll reconsider.
that´s not worth the hassle.
No one for example cries when a Cherry MC 1000 which price range is between 5-9€ gets damaged or vanishes but that mouse is clearly not what you described you need + has a wire and is clearly audible.
hardware which gets moved often, can get damaged.
cables can break internally, leaking water bottles etc.
My thought process was, hardware which is relatively cheap to replace is one thought process less to juggle with. The hardware needs to be good enough and robust that you are comfortable with it and can do the jobs you want/need.
and I would ask staff first(or trusted people around me) and if that fails, would use a locker which many libraries have before going with all the gear into the bathroom.
What kind of public library is it you go to? Are you sure it’s not the local crackhouse?^^
Anyway, I’m not scopelma, but I imagine he just puts his stuff into a backpack and therein it sould be safe for most kinds of bathroom activities. And in public libraries I’ve been to, there’s usually some lockers somewhere you could temporarily fall back to, if needed.
)
the laptop is inside its own cover, and then in the backpack. I don’t take it out while I engage in… erm… bathroom activities.