Who designed this interface? There just doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for why things work the way they do. I've watched umpteen tutorials and I still don't know how to select meshes, or move the camera around. It's almost like as soon as I learn someone changes everything all over again. Why can't you just click on a object to select it?

What version are you using? 2.5x is actually a whole lot nicer than previous versions. It's not that bad. It does have a lot of features though, and just that alone makes things hard to find sometimes.

Laurie

It is packed full of features - so is maya but that doesn't have an interface issue. I have tried blender but its not for me.

I thnk where you may be getting confused is the fact that within most 3d applications you use the left mouse button to select your mesh or camera whilst in blender you use the right mouse button. Blender was created on the basis of speed and accuracy which is why it has never had the cheerful interface style shown by others and so also uses less CPU than others and so can be used within a smaller climate.

I will agree that blender is not the the easiest program to learn, but when it comes to modelling it knocks the socks off most programs and even makes the BIG! boys sweat a bit.

I will also say that when it comes to learning about the program, blender has a lot more resources than any other 3d program (I also use Carrara7pro, Hexagon, Bryce7pro and several others) I have ever used.

I have been learning about blender for the past 8 months now and starting to get more comfortable with it... Hopefully I will start developing some models/scenes of my own soon.

Overall this is just my thoughts on the program and everyone can have their own opinions.

Quote - Blender was created on the basis of speed and accuracy which is why it has never had the cheerful interface style shown by others ...

Blender started out as a Unix program, and ther were few if any GUI conventions to follow.
When it was ported to Windows and Mac, each of which has it's own fairly strong convention on how all things GUI are to be done, it's not surprising that when a program doesn't follow those conventions, people get confused and find it hard when they have to learn absolutely everything from scratch.

Well, I changed the turntable to trackball... or trackball to turntable... I forget, but I did find the user preferences and changed how the mouse moves. So now it's more like Maya which, although I've never used it, seems to be a lot easier to control.

I've also learned to select the vertices, although I'm still having trouble moving them where i want.

Man, this thing makes Shade look like a child's toy.

Quote - Man, this thing makes Shade look like a child's toy.

Funny you should say that, but it was trying to get my head round Shade's way of doing things that made Blender actually make a lot more sense.  

It boils down to being able to understand the intended workflow, concepts, and terminology that are an inherent part of each app.
Like programming languages, after working with a few, it becomes easier to map fundemental things onto what's available.

Stick with it - it'll grow on you. I agree... it is not the easiest programme to learn, but then, neither was Poser, to begin with. And even down the pike, as I got into the material room and the cloth room: all huge challenges.

The difference here is that Poser costs beaucoup dollars: Blender is free. So, given that time is money, you might find the tutorials at blendercookie worth the money and time investment.

Quote - Stick with it - it'll grow on you. I agree... it is not the easiest programme to learn, but then, neither was Poser, to begin with. And even down the pike, as I got into the material room and the cloth room: all huge challenges.

The difference here is that Poser costs beaucoup dollars: Blender is free. So, given that time is money, you might find the tutorials at blendercookie worth the money and time investment.

Yeah, seems that's how I've spent my holiday. Watching tutorials.

Blender Cookie is awesome. If it wasn't for them, I'd still be trying to figure out how to select the cube and delete it :P

Laurie

From the Lee Salvemini interview:

What do you think is the best way for a beginner to learn Blender?

I think there were only about 5 Blender tutorials when I started learning, I had to go to 3ds max tutorials and try to translate the techniques.

These days the resources available are amazing! If I could sum up a good method for learning Blender it would be: Read/watch 5 tutorials on a subject (like modeling a human head), give it a shot, fail, read/watch 5 more tutorials and have another go. I found after a few horrible failures trying to model a human head, something just clicked, a mix of about 2 or 3 different tutorial’s techniques making my own custom method, and I was able to model a human head fine every time since! The ‘click’ moment where it just works is so satisfying, and a few of us almost liken it to a ‘level up’.

Okay, I need some more help. I'm trying to figure out how to do the referencing images for backgrounds.

A Step by step would be helpful. I am trying to find it in the Blender User manual as well.

A lot has been put into the properties panel (to the side of the main 3d view window). Near the bottom you'll see Background images... Tick the box, then Add image then Not set, then Open...

Attached Link: http://www.blendercookie.com/2010/03/15/using-multiple-background-images-in-2-5/

I have seemed to notice a lot of people struggling with Blender and the ones who love working with it usually say something just "clicked" one day. Im sooo close to that point I can almost feel it. I never spent a whole lot of time with 2.49 but am really liking 2.58.:biggrin:

Yay! You go, Amandagirl! Yes, it will click, and then - sheesh! - you'll have been Blenderised (which means: you wonder why other software doesn't work as efficiently as Blender does )...

ETA: btw, if you think that Blender gurus don't make mistakes, have a look at this!

Thanks Robynsveil and Amandagirl! That was perfect! finally something went right!

Also on backgrounds, there is a new tip at Blendercookie on how to map background images to empties (using 2.58) which allows you to view the images from any angle. A much better method if working from blueprints and the like instead of just reference photos.

Also, if you're having trouble with the mouse right click selection method in Blender, this can be changed to Left click selection through the user preferences.

 Also remember that if you are used to a particular programs shotcut keys, these can also be mapped through user preferences and saved as a new keyset.

3D software in general is difficult to learn. But I agree Blender is a head scratcher when you first dabble into it. That is why I am glad there are so many free resources to learn Blender with. I watch youtube tutorials and Blenderguru tutorials that is why I feel comfortable with the software. I used to visit this site called Blendervideos too bad it is down due to technical difficulties. I learned a lot about blender by watching the tutorials on that site.

Anyway, thought I'd show you my first Blender model. A dress for P8 Alyson. Haven't decided whether to conform it yet, so as  for now, consider it dynamic.

VERY nice!! I'm glad you figured it out :-).

Laurie

looks good!! going to be the first of many??

I'm just learning blender myself so I agree it can be confusing but you seem to have got the hang of it now

Looks like dynamic is a good choice for that dress, myself, but I'm a wee bit prejudiced... :biggrin:

Great first dress, Blender is a great program and it gets better with every revision; you can virtually do anything in it and set it up the way you want. you can change any/all settings so if you want the controls to mimic Maya thats do-able.

My Maya now collects dust lol

Eclark it all depend on the attitude you have going into it

if you are expecting for it to be like poser and studio you will be lost because blender is an actual modeling program and not just a pose and render software

i still use 2.49.2B   i have 2.58 but its like trying to read cyrillic to me for now

if you need help just ask and i am glad to see that you got the shrinkwrap modifier working

normaly im a 100% mechanical mesh modeler but then again im not too big on people

its all just simpleplanning

I'm watching the video tutorials ( a great help) but something I notice about all of them. Even though these guys sometimes make a mistake, and sometimes I can tell some things are speeded up, they're really rather quick.  I'm having trouble just remembering commands and trying to remember what i did last time so I can do it again.

I agree...PDFs provide a far more flexible information source, bookmark-able and you can easily go back.

so you are looking for the .pdf for the 2.5+ versions

i the older (2.49 and before) versions you could open  the cheat sheet in the bottom of the screen and even keep a log of what the last ???? actions were

the 2.5 will keep a history as well   im just trying to remember how to set it up and view it

ill have to do some more research into that and id say also ask this on the daz forums in the old   blender anyone thread that you started

while I do love the way blender grows and evolves its does make the learning curve bloody awkward and theres so many bits I haven't even looked at yet

Attached Link: http://gryllus.net/Blender/3D.html

Thanks so much for the link AmandaGirl. I actually subscribed to BlenderCookie but really haven't found the video approach all that... approachable. However, they and practically the rest of the universe find videos the way to go. Maybe I need a remedial " how to take best value from video tutorials" tutorial.

Quote - Thanks so much for the link AmandaGirl. I actually subscribed to BlenderCookie but really haven't found the video approach all that... approachable. However, they and practically the rest of the universe find videos the way to go. Maybe I need a remedial " how to take best value from video tutorials" tutorial.

No, the basic problem with the video approach is that you have to watch the video instead of doing it yourself. And if you miss something, you have to waste time searching for it in the video. I just wish some of the Blender cookie videos were accompanied  by pdf files.

best way to use a vid tut is on twin monitors ;-)

Sorry. Only got the one. And it's old! :laugh:

just found this

http://www.cdschools.org/54223045235521/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55205

is a pdf (one for 2.5 an an older one )   only had a quick peek but looks good

and is vids if you want to watch them

is even a couple of d/l's that might be usefull

have fun

You know what would really help? If someone wrote a book of blender projects designed to help you learn the program.  They should be simple projects like making a lamp, Glass, Cup, excetera, and describe step by step how it was made. The only real problem I can see with it is that with Blender always being in development, int could become outdated quickly.

There probably won't be a official book until after the 2.6 release, since the 2.5 series is a developmental faze. Most of the coding, shortcuts and basic tools have been implemented in 2.5, while the 2.6 series will be the stable release and the base program won't see many coding changes.

I prefer reading tutorials too. But sometimes a video tutorial helps getting through the stickier parts.

RobynsVeil... I know what you mean about Blendercookie. I think the tutorials there are great, but I catch myself saying "What the heck did he just do???" to many times. What I really would like is the same step by step tutorial in video and written form, that way you can use one as a reference for the other. Probably just a lot of wisful thinking though.:laugh:

ill talk with some of the guys at cookie to see if i can get permission to make a pdf from thier tuts  if not ill remake them on my end and do the pdf files from my work as i have time

johnathan williamson is releasing a new book intended for the 2.5 series on lowpoly modeling but it wont release till september

maybe ill get lucky and theyll say yes

I guess I'm the odd man out. I like the videos since it's much easier for me to do if I see it done ;).

Laurie

Quote - I guess I'm the odd man out. I like the videos since it's much easier for me to do if I see it done ;). Laurie

You're young, Laurie (as is AmandaGirl, I would think), and you stay on task. My mind tends to wander during video tutorials, and next thing you know, the moment's gone and I'm like: "wha... wha... what??" Then I have to start over again. And some of those young whipper-snappers must be on toxic amounts of Red Bull or whatever energy drink is at hand: they go so bloody fast through stuff!

Nah, gimme a pdf anytime. I'll get through that at least... eventually.

@ Unbroken-Fighter: wow, could you? Would you? You'd have my (and I'm sure at least Amanda's) undying gratitude!!

trust me you arent the odd one out im better with videos as well

i learned how to rebuild an engine by watching a video  then rebuilt my own and it ran for another 200,000miles

but its all about prefferences and for some its better to have a text based item with images to look back to

Wow Eclark! Really, really nice!! You'll have it down pat in no time ;).

Laurie

nice job

depends what sort of shade you want, a simple one is just add a cylinder an scale one edge bigger gives that cone shape(dont forget to untick cap ends!! I often do)

or if u want a dome type add a sphere cut off the bottom then extrude/scale the bottom edge with propotional editing on (mouse wheel controls its strength) delete centre top vertex for a hole in top

ps in object mode click the smooth button in left hand tool bar, wont affect the poly count but will make viewers go arrrrhh

have fun

use a torus (or two) scaled to suit and some cylinders once you have it assembled join them into one object (ctrl+j)

Well done, eClark! Strong work. Ah, another Blender convert... heheheh :biggrin:

Robynveil... Young ,,,Me? Unfortunately I'll be 48 next month:sad: I guess it comes from having to learn everything from books back in the day. My kids think I'm crazy when I tell them I had to go to the library and look at actual books to do research projects.

eClark... I agree, great job on the lamp! It honestly does get easier.:thumbupboth:

Well, I just turned 59, so everyone seems young to me, Amanda. Which made Blender 2.5x a bit more of a challenge: I'd finally gotten my head around a fair few of the hotkeys in 2.49b and was happily modelling away, and now spacebar is different and a lot of stuff is just different. Wish there was a hotkey for that Select Only Visible toggle thingie - I go back and forth so much on that one.

But sometimes I really think they want to keep Blender sort-of less-than intuitive for us Windows-conventions users because it's also a Linux toy and Mac toy and they have different conventions to Windows.
Oh, and geek-status, too, maybe? :blink:
"I Blender, therefore I've attained a distinction as having learned an arcane interface rivalled only by Vi (or Vim)" -- whatever. It's powerful and it's free and I wouldn't be without it. Once we get BMesh, little else the others have to offer that can ever come close in terms of power and capability.

Did I mention it was free?