Blender - Starting up

foozball3000

foozball3000

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Hi, can anyone give me some advice/pointers as to getting things done in Blender?
www.blender.org
I was pretty good in 3D Max, but had to remove all my Illegal Copies, as my work is being used for profit... So, now I'm using Blend... because its free and I can afford that. :D
(Moving from 3D max interface to Blender seems really hard)
 
The only things that I know blender can do are:

* Blending Bananas
* Blending Apples
* Blending Pineapple

sorry mate, all I can say is going from any interface to a different one is gonna be a pain in the ass.

atleast you got some fundamentals down, so maybe start with the basic tutorials to get going.

good wuck.
 
*hops of to visit uncle Google, hoping that he'll tell him how blender works... and how to import 3D Max's models and Scenes*

Come to think of it... seeing as I'm home, I should probably rebuild my webpage.
 
What might help is using Wings3D (also open source like blender - www.wings3d.com) to make your models (it's very easy to use) and then import those models into Blender for rendering...

Also, there are a number of tutorials on and linked from Blender's site, you might wanna check those out.
 
All the best trying to move from Autodesk to Blender....

Blender seems pretty cool when you download for free etc, but it comes down to features that makes maya and 3ds max so much more appealing.

I began with Blender when I started out in 3D, and after about 5 months moved over to Maya 8 (now using maya 2008).

The best and most comprehensive lit I could find on Blender was :

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro

Give it a go, but you are NOT going to find the training material on Blender that you would find on either Maya or 3DS max... Think Sybex publications.

All the best in your effort to learn the fastest growing 3D package out there.
 
I forgot to ask.... Nurbs, Polygons or SubD?

I did not touch Nurbs in Blender while I was learning it apart form the odd basic revolve, planar or bevel from vurves. But I have heard from some people that managing and working with Nurbs is painful in Blender.
 
KirPlunk said:
I forgot to ask.... Nurbs, Polygons or SubD?

I did not touch Nurbs in Blender while I was learning it apart form the odd basic revolve, planar or bevel from vurves. But I have heard from some people that managing and working with Nurbs is painful in Blender.
Click to expand...

I've never really played around with Nurbs. Poly-modling always got the job done for me... and I kinda enjoy the challenge to do it in as few as possible polygons. I'll have to look up again what SubD is.. :)
 
foozball3000 said:
I've never really played around with Nurbs. Poly-modling always got the job done for me... and I kinda enjoy the challenge to do it in as few as possible polygons. I'll have to look up again what SubD is.. :)
Click to expand...

Subdivision Surfaces. used a lot in maya.

yes, im totally with you, never bothered with nurbs, poly's work just as well.
 
What would you call programming events in 3D Max?
(To make fire-works, explosions, dust trails...ect?)
 
Subd is Almost like polygons...

you make a basic box mocup of the model's size and curves etc... when you convert to Subd (with as little polygon count as possible) you can view your details (vertices, faces and edges) according to different detail levels.

Lets put it this way... say you have a simple poly model of bart simpson. All the Faces, edges and vertices are visible when you go into component select mode.

With Sub D you can see for example Level1 detail... showing only the bigger frame of the model's components... so you can break down you detail levels and go from one detail selection to the next without desturbing the coordinates of other detail levels.

This is by FAR the most flexible modeling technique to use, and when you first understand polygons, the easiest to learn extremely detailed modeling.

For fireworks , fire dust etc you will use (in maya and 3Dsmax) the dynamics feature. You create partical emmiters and pysics attributes (gravity, wind, tubulance etc) Easier said than done.... It's one of the things in the 3D world I have the most problems with.
 
foozball3000 said:
What would you call programming events in 3D Max?
(To make fire-works, explosions, dust trails...ect?)
Click to expand...

There are MEL script commands you can use to customize the dynamic effect... probably if the default toolset you are going to use cannot deliver the desired results.

MEL scripting = Maya Embedded Language
 
KirPlunk said:
You create partical emmiters and pysics attributes (gravity, wind, tubulance etc) Easier said than done.... It's one of the things in the 3D world I have the most problems with.
Click to expand...

that's easy stuff man!

I'm having trouble with the new emmiters which have rules, that are defined in that flow-chart like fashion.

ever tried the afterburn plugin, or the fumefx plugin? they make smoke, flames, explosions and plumes quite well....
 
I have really only started with dynamics like 3 weeks ago, but I find the learning curve a bit tougher than modeling and texturing. Maybe me just a bit on the slow side....:D

But seriously.... Any dynamics training material you can recommend?

I am busy with Sybex Mastering Maya 8.5 and Sybex Secrets of the Pro's, But I find the dynamics sections a bit ambiguous and would like something that works from the ground up. I like to have a firm understanding of the concept of something before I get my hands dirty.
 
KirPlunk said:
I have really only started with dynamics like 3 weeks ago, but I find the learning curve a bit tougher than modeling and texturing. Maybe me just a bit on the slow side....:D

But seriously.... Any dynamics training material you can recommend?

I am busy with Sybex Mastering Maya 8.5 and Sybex Secrets of the Pro's, But I find the dynamics sections a bit ambiguous and would like something that works from the ground up. I like to have a firm understanding of the concept of something before I get my hands dirty.
Click to expand...

If it was 3D Max, I'd have a reccomendation... but otherwise. Nope. :)
 
I am thinking of maybe someday tackling 3ds max as well, so gooi mielies.
Lets hear it.
 
KirPlunk said:
I am thinking of maybe someday tackling 3ds max as well, so gooi mielies.
Lets hear it.
Click to expand...

It's a book called Deconstructing the Ellements. The guy uses a wide variety to pull it off. Most of the teqniques serve as a base to give you an idea of how to program events. And its great fun making volcanoes that explode...

I'll see if I can find his webpage. Please support him buy getting his book rather than downloading the ebook.
 
KirPlunk said:
Fanks!

How is 3dsmax btw? I heard that bugs are much less than with maya???
Click to expand...

I love 3D max. But I don't know about any bugs... other than my UV mappings not sticking to my models.

For general use...they're more or less the same.

Just keep in mind, you're firstly an artist, and then you use the tools. :)
 
Come to think of it... I've found a new challenge. ;)
Using a 3D Max tutorial book to do a model in Blend. I know it sounds like utter madness...but if you ponder about it for a while.. it makes sense. You then learn to do it all by yourself, using the tutorial as a guide... rather than being spoon fed.
 
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