Hi, it's terrible when my first input to the site is like this, but to say I'm new to digital art is an understatement.  I discovered Blender at the weekend when exploring old CD-ROMs (a copy of the original Not a Number version), and, after a web-search for a tutorial found the new version. 

having installed it, etc. I was working through the manual tutorials when suddenly my 3D window got stuck in Object mode.  I've tried every possible combo I can think of to get out of it, to no avail. 

after a few other problems I gave up, but working on another tutorial (modeling a sword for DAZ studio from this site) I've encountered the same problem as I tried to UV map...  after running it once I noticed errors and tried to correct them by re-entering edit mode only to find i couldn't.

In both cases I was accessing the camera and it seems to be the only thing that's changeable...

Help...

okay, I've managed to get around it somehow, but I've no idea how...  has anyone else encountered this problem and have a clue how to get around it (I just mashed menu options until it behaved)...

Hi LL,

To Edit a mesh:

1. Make sure you have your mesh object highlighted by right clicking on it. If you can't see your mesh object press the "home" key for "view all". You may also be on the wrong layer - try pressing the number 1 on the top row numeric keys to see the default layer 1.

2. See this picture of the 3D window header and find the "View Mode"  pull-down.
   wiki.blender.org/index.php/Image:Manual-3D-Header.png

Then select "Edit mode" from the list. (Shortcut = TAB key)

I hope this helps. Welcome to Blender and the forum.

l3la

unfortunately, as it was that tutorial I was working through, I'd tried both of those, I think it's probably a hair's breadth from that - i re-tried some of those options in different sequences... it's helpful advice, if not an explanation...

thanks

when you have the camera selected you can't enter edit mode, it's not valid for a camera.

To edit UVs you need to go the UV mode rather then edit mode, unless you mean you were going to change seams....

one of the problems was trying to get out of the camera view, as it wasn't responding properly, another was that it wasn't letting me into edit mode even with all selected and the right layer (I've spent 2 days tearing my hair out as I try to work through the "your first animation in 30 + 30minutes" in the blender.org user manual, part of it being because the manual is showing options that aren't there in the new version).   it'd been the seams that were the problem (Gus had a hole through his belly), but that's sorted now (re-loading without UI over a new window), but it's getting stuck as soon as I try to add an armature (not shifting to Edit mode, not letting me shift to Edit mode, generally not responding and on more than one occassion falling over...)  When I can add an armature, it's being applied 8 squares behind the figure, and I either can't select the ends to adjust where they end, or can only adjust the ends meaning it takes an age to get the armature in the right place.  I managed to get it working once, but it crashed before I could save...

I'm having very few problems sculpting (beyond forgetting to put things on different layers), but these little ideosyncratic bits of the manual tutorial are driving me demented...  

It's definitely an easier interface than the ones I've used before (AutoCAD, DesignCADPro, and CAD3D, as well as the original Blender (I've had the first three for years, but gave up on them until I got my hands on Poser 5 (again had original Poser, but got bored with it until a book on Photoshop pointed me in the direction of this and Renderotica))...  My computing scientist partner finds the interface clunky, but has been using Windows since 3.1, whereas I shifted from Basic to Windows 2, to 3, to 3.1, to 3.11, to Mac and then got got bored...  hopefully I can get over this bump and get used to its ideosyncracies...  may take a while though, but I'll post renders of things I'm happy with once I get a few..

my advise is keep trying , start with simple tuts and work your way up , starting to animate from zero is a bit steep, Maybe its also usefull to get a couple of hours with a personal teacher , I myself give them for 50 euro an hour , those can teach you the basics and help you skip those situations in wich the obvious awnser is staring you in the face all the time.

another tip, that just sprang to mind is, temporaly install an olderversion of blender to have the tut exactly fit the layout. all old versions are downloadable at the blender site.

any idea which version is used in the manual?

thanks for the advice, I've kinda been doing that, and have abandoned the animation tut in favour of the rest of the manual, working on props etc. instead (thus far a simple sword and helmet done)... 

can't afford private tutorials a.t.m. - i've been on long-term sick leave for a while so money's a bit tight (snapped my right arm in a 19' fall down stairs, bone's healed, but muscles are degraded and the bone's a different shape (it was too close to the elbow to put in a cast without risking loss of mobility)).

a long time ago I made a starters  tut in here. its about making a castle wall, it might still be in this forum?

Attached Link: Video tutorials link

Thanks to all of you, I've not had a chance to do much with Blender of late, although I think I've worked out how to import geometries eventually...  I'll have a dig around the forum etc. tonight if I can find time (my partner's at a work do so I'm home alone...).