Blender --Help Center--

[-Archmage-]

Welcome to the Blender Help Center.

Video--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a simple video about making a hut in blender, made by Eliminator.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hectate's video:
In this video:
Basic unwrapping functions (including keyboard shortcut buttons)
Basic UV manipulation
Exporting a UV to an image for manipulation

Programs required:
Blender3D (version 2.48a used)

Watching this in HD is recommended.
Youtube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEVFzyS4Xog


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Kung Fu Panda]

Oh yes we should - since I'm one too

[-Archmage-]

Well, I'm just hoping that someone like the following, people who are experienced in Blender, will made tutorials for people who are having trouble with Blender.

-Omega
-John.d.h
-gAMeboy(your animation isn't that great, but it's good)
-Titi

[Hectate]

Ideally we should have an art or design subforum. Right now everything goes into the mods forum and either is out of place or gets pushed down as new mods and other posts show up.

It would be a logical place for a Blender/Gimp sticky post.

I suppose an alternative would be an actual website. Glest Guide could be expanded, or it could go elsewhere, if it's not Glest specific (which Blender skills aren't).

Update: Agreed Arch. I'm doing some tutorials, partly to help others, but also because the fastest way to learn something is to teach others (assumming you do it well).

[-Archmage-]

Right here, is where people should submit Blender help and stuff like that, because I think it would be nice to have a center for help instead of a string of topics.
So Hectate, should I just put your Blender videos link on here or what.
I plan I make a video on basic modeling just to get people started.

[-Archmage-]

Ok, I created a video, it's not that good, but it should help a lot of newbies.
It's on the first post.

[-Archmage-]

Hold on for the video I have to upload it still.

[Hectate]

That's fine. I'm probably going to update my website with the tuts as they come out. Linked here is just as good. Make sure you also post the details from my post about contents and such. Later we can update to have a central page on my site if needed.

Anyone that posts a video tutorial should be sure to detail
1. The goals/result
2. Prerequisites, if any
3. Programs required to reach/complete the goal, and versions used in the tutorial (in case version features differ)
4. Link(s) to download samples, results, or starter files
5. Any special information otherwise needed (special thanks, credits, copyrights, etc)

[gameboy]

here is a very helpful tut for low poly modeling, u can use the reference pictures here to build ur human model on. of course some experience is needed to fully understand the tut.

Code: [Select]

http://poopinmymouth.com/process/character_tutorial/character_process.htm

[Hectate]

I read that tut before and, IIRC, it's not entirely Blender compatible. Some great info in there though.

[Omega]

Um, dude, the Archives of the GG (Trying to upload now, but the DAMN site ain't loading!!!) will make it possible to do this, and anyone can make articles (which are scanned for porn and spam codewords).

Of course, its not uploaded yet. I honestly can't figure this out...

[-Archmage-]

Well, he's some motivation to help you.
If you get it done, we'll all be so grateful.

[John.d.h]

I'll try to put together an animation tutorial when I get some time, since I think that's what I'm best at.

[Hectate]

If anyone has a good tutorial but can't record it, let me kbow and we might be able to team us on it.

[-Archmage-]

Man my tutorial is too long I have to plan ahead more, and not go over so much stuff.

[Hectate]

Planning is key. I've had to do a lot of teaching and similar work; here's a few tips (not that I'm the best at any of these).
1. Have an outline. Scripts are good too if you have specific things that need to be said, but an outline is key. It keeps you on track and if it's well-prepared your lesson will flow nicely.
2. Practice. You literally need to go over the entire lesson, Out Loud, at least once - more often if it's complicated or you have issues with a certain section. This is a good time to tweak your outline too.
3. Tell your audience what will be covered up front - they need to know the goal of the lesson. Obviously the pre-tutorial notes (as I mentioned before) are perfect for this but it doesn't help to give a sentence at the beginning about it either.
4. Time yourself while practicing. For you, this will keep it under the 10 minutes (or tell you where to break for multiple segments). In a classroom setting though you'd have to worry about class times, breaks, and especially keeping their attention.

If you're doing animation - put a tutorial in for rigging (segment 1) and then just keep expanding it with further segments. I assume that after having a model, rigging is first. Correct?

[John.d.h]

If you're doing animation - put a tutorial in for rigging (segment 1) and then just keep expanding it with further segments. I assume that after having a model, rigging is first. Correct?

Correct.  Making a good armature can go a long way to make animation a lot easier.  A while ago I redid a couple of animations for one of Dark Magic's units, and I had to mostly redo the armature because I could barely make sense of the other guy's work.  I'll be sure to make this the first part of my tutorial.

[-Archmage-]

I use bone heat, but now, because of experience, I double check by looking at the vert. groups.
Yes, John is right, a good armature makes an animation a lot better.

[Omega]

I just can't figure it out... I try and I try, but I can't get 110mb to logon on the school computers. It works at home... I blame IE!

[-Archmage-]

Well, I was just seeing what happens if you visit your site on IE, and it works for me at least.

[Omega]

Yeah, but I mean that I can't logon. Without the ability to logon, how can I upload???

I'm going through a few proxies that I know...

Grr. Firefox is the obvious answer, but the school computers are WAY too limited. I mean, they won't even let you RIGHT CLICK. It runs some sort of VB script at startup. Anyone got an idea to stop it? (Yeah, its probably against the 'rules', but so?)

[Hectate]

Try firefox portable on a flash drive, or even boot an OS from one. Live CDROM booting might work too. Depends if they didn't disable other booting options and the availability of USB and CDROM.

[Omega]

OT:
It limits the filetypes... No exe's will work... Hmm. Proxies all failed me too.

HUH??? I just tried it now and was unable to logon using firefox at home... I just don't understand...

I was unable to logon to their forums... Kept saying 'invalid password'

Couldn't reset password, wouldn't recognize the email.

BAH!

EDIT//
YES! YES! YES!!!
Finally got it to work. Had to use Firefox's FTP thingy (FireFTP) and managed to get it to work there. Only problem: I'm still stuck with having to use MY computer to do this. Unless anyone knows a FTP website (?) or anything that I could access from a school computer... Is that even possible?

[Kung Fu Panda]

I need help - when we add any object it's supposed to be in edit mode right? When I add any object and I'm in object mode, the object I add is also in object mode! ???
Plus suppose I go into side view and suppose I add a circle, its face is toward the top view (It doesn't have a face I just said that for better understanding). Which means If I try to view it from front or any side, it's just a line. Is this normal?

and John.d.h did you try the video tuts of the website I mentioned in Off Topic?
For others who don't know,..

Code: [Select]

http://www.animationforcreation.com/2008/09/lesson-one-basics-of-blender.htmltry it out - scroll down and view the flash videos
   

[gameboy]

Umm.. u can just go into edit mode by pressing 'TAB'.

Yes, unless ur in edit mode the circle always faces the Z axis when u create it, if u go into any other view i.e. num 3 or num 1, it appears to be a line, that's because all its verts are on the same plane.
1 shows the circle in side (num3) view.
2 shows the circle from top view (num7).
3 shows the circle in from another view (not sure what to call it).