I started going through Mark's Carrara course yesterday, it's excellent, easy to understand, and very informative.

One of the primary reasons I decided to get a membership at VTC to take this specific course was because of the number of lessons devoted to working with hair. I've found very few resourses that discuss Carrara hair and the ones that I've found don't explain a lot of details. Trail and error wasn't doing it for me. I'm only about half way through the hair section and I've already learned a ton. Highly recommended.

I am having a small problem with one thing in the hair room and rather than email Mark directly to ask the question thought I would post it here so that any others who also might have the problem could also benefit from the answer.

The issue I'm having come at the point where I'm defining the hair goups and is with the size of the painter tool. I'm working with V4 and when I initially turn the tool on the radius is set at 1.00 and the tool is larger than her entire head. I am working in the medium work space. In the video Mark turns the radius of the tool down to 0.50 and its just about perfect. I have to turn mine all the way down to 0.10 and the tool is still bigger than her ear. Doesn't give me much detailed control.

 Hi Stagehand,

Glad the series is working well for you.

There have been some changes in how the scale seems to function in C7 as compared to C6 in the hair room. to accelerate brush size control when using the Grow Region tool, I always use the click+command/control key to interactively change the brush size. Remember the shotrcut of holding the Shift Key to deselect areas.

If you are more comfortable with entering the size numerically, know that Carrara keeps track of decimal places out to four digits (.0004) even though it only shows 2. This value can actually be changed in the Preferences for Carrara.

Hope this helps.

Mark

Stage, Mark is our master in Carrara! And all your tutorials are a great lesson for us all... and he is a cool guy too!

Quote -  Hi Stagehand,

Glad the series is working well for you.

There have been some changes in how the scale seems to function in C7 as compared to C6 in the hair room. to accelerate brush size control when using the Grow Region tool, I always use the click+command/control key to interactively change the brush size. Remember the shotrcut of holding the Shift Key to deselect areas.

If you are more comfortable with entering the size numerically, know that Carrara keeps track of decimal places out to four digits (.0004) even though it only shows 2. This value can actually be changed in the Preferences for Carrara.

Hope this helps.

Mark

Thanks Mark that does help. I found that going down to .02 got me to point of being able to select a polygon not that I wanted to be that meticulious but did give me the feeling I had more control.

I had been playing with hair off and on for several months and had almost resigned myself that I could never get it to work,  I haven't even finished all of the hair lessons yet and feel my knowledge and abilities have grown 1000% So again thank you.

stage

Quote - Stage, Mark is our master in Carrara! And all your tutorials are a great lesson for us all... and he is a cool guy too!

Totally agree there!

Attached Link: JonnyBravo Video Tutorial - Carrara Dynamic Hair

You might also take a look at the hair tutorial recently posted by JonnyBravo2010 over at Daz; it's a video with voice over narration and includes some good tips.  

The video tutorial is toward the bottom of the page.

Good luck.

Thank you.

A question : once you have subscribed to VTC, do you normally download Mark's courses ? 

As a subscriber you cant download the videos. The nly way to have it offline is buyng the DVD.

I've a huge fan of Mark Bremmer's tutorials as well.  Any word on when the Carrara 7 Tutorials will be ready for VTC?  I'm thinking about subscribing again once they become available.

Mosk the Scribe

 I was a bit delayed thanks to some work deadlines but the c7 version is wrapping  up now. Shouldn't be too long.

That's great to hear.  I'm really looking forward to them!

Quote -  I was a bit delayed thanks to some work deadlines but the c7 version is wrapping  up now. Shouldn't be too long.

Way cool! I've kept up the VTC subscription because of some great videos they have on other software I've got. Looking forward to the new stuff, too Mark... Thanks for all your hard work.

As a network designer/admin I joined VTC for the techy classes(you know all that geeky router and sysadmin stuff) But then I found Marks tutorials, and had the answers to questions I've had for years.. The other graphics courses are good as well,
 I am glad that the Carrara 7 courses are almost ready.. Can't wait.

Quote -  I was a bit delayed thanks to some work deadlines but the c7 version is wrapping  up now. Shouldn't be too long.

So glad to read this Mark. I have had Quite a TIme trying to make Heads or Tails of the new functions in C7Pro and it has left me with continueing my work in C6Pro. I especially need to learn how to UV Map_Wrap/Unwrap. My poor old brain just can't figure it out anymore ** :^(**

Hey Mark -

Not to be a pest . . . but can you give us a ballpark figure when those C7Pro Tutorials might be coming out?  I found the C6 set very useful, and I'm hoping these will be out in time for me to watch before diving into my next project.

Thanks

 No worries. They are out of my hands and in video post production at VTC. I'm sure they'll be ready within a week or two.

That's great to hear, Mark.  Thanks for letting us know!

Do you know if you bought the cd version if they have an upgrade path for the next? I should really just write them but reading this made me think about it.

 I don't think they do. However, if you've already gone through the CD, you could do the 30 subscription thing and go directly to the movies that cover the new features.

Mark

I was doing some work out of Chicago in 2006 and at one point had some down time.  A co-worker had the Carrara Pro 5 Course on Disc.  He let me watch the entire thing while I was working there.  
Mark is amazing the way he explains everything.  I learned alot, but didnt retain everything so I dont have the Disc to reference too.

I think I'm going to purchase the DVD for 6 Pro. :)

I've been using Carrara for 5 years almost every day (though I've had C for 10, was hard to pull myself away from RayDream to learn something slightly different). I'm capable enough with the program to use it for aerosol product label design visualization and building props for label images or product usage shots. I've developed working habits regarding vertex modeling, lighting, etc. that have been adequate at least. I think I'm becoming a better modeler, becoming more proficient at building different types of product containers and props.

I subscribed to the VTC tutorials to better understand shaders and shading, figuring I knew enough about everything else I could just skip ahead to that section. But instead I decided to start at the beginning, maybe I'd learn something anyway.

Holy moly! I've learned something new in almost every lesson, and I'm only as far as the vertex modeling lessons! I probably developed a bruise on my forehead for all the times I've slapped myself - "I could have done it that way!?" or "So that's what that tool does!"

I consider myself a seasoned user, by no means a pro (although I plan to get there) and the lessons have taught me so much and I've got a ways to go. I would highly recommend even a 1 month subscription to the tutorials even for long time users.

Cujos to Mark, not only for the fine work on the tuts, but also for his willingness to help the rest of us out on the forum. I hope to give back to the community myself as I learn more.

Thanks again,
Lumpy

So whats the difference between subscribing and buying the tuts on DVD?

Subscribing gives you access to all their other tutorials.

 Subscribing is $30 a month. You can do just a single month if you like. The DVD's are $99 but you get to keep them.

Thanks for the kind words all!

Don't mean to be a pest, but can you call them folks at VTC and see what the holdup is?
I keep looking in the "New Releases" catagory and it isn't there yet, I am not overlooking it somewhere else am I???
Thanks,
Mark

 You're not a pest at all. I'll see what I can find out.

Mark

Thanks So Much Mark!!!

 ya, I'd like to know where the carrara 7 tutorials are or when they will be released...   would be cool to watch!

 All I know is that they are in post production. I haven't been given a date yet but as soon as I know, I'll pass it along.

Mark

Thanks SOOOOO Much!!!
I'll be watching for it!!!

 well, he can certainly get his point across,...  Got to say you're a damn good teacher there Mark... thanks to those lessions I finally attempted fur on my Llama head (ok, it sorta looks mmore like a wolf or something but hey, I've been building on it since carrara 1 sooo...)

still needs work but the fur make my mac show it's age. almost impossible to work with it because even pushing a button sends it off into beach ball hell.  :/

anyway... here it is so far....

nose needs work and ears and chin need a higher hair count but I just don't know if that will send my mac into the beach ball grave.. anyway

Hey guys,

Mark Bremmer's long awaited course is now available at vtc.com - 15 hours of educational magic!!

Thanks Mark!  Can't wait to go through the videos.

 SAAAWWWEEETTT!!!!!!!! been waiting for those!! 

Yeeee Haaaaaw!!!! Soon as I get to work I will open it up and crank the out!!!
Thanks SO Muck Mark, You Da Man!!!!!

 Holy crap!!!  need to fix the audio in the "indirect & ambient Occlusions" tutorial... my god it scared me... last 1/4 there is a wicked noise/scratchy thing going on... very load and scary!!  :scared:

 Even I didn't know that they were out yet.

I'll have to check out the audio issue. Everything was clean when I sent it to them.

 it' only happens for a sec, but boy it'll make ya jump out of your skin, more because it's so unexpected

CD is not available yet though...