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Gosh, is that the time?

Sorry, sorry…I’ve had my nose in tutorials all evening and I lost track of the time. Blender again — the free, Open Source 3D modeling and animation package.

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but I have promised myself I’ll slog through some tutorials this year and brush up on some of the tools I’ve used since forever. Sometimes, you learn one little trick and it opens whole worlds of possibilities.

Alas, I’m a long way from giving Mister Disney a run for his money.

Remember – here, tomorrow, six sharp Weasel Blog Time. NEW DEAD POOL!

Comments


Comment from Ripley
Time: February 8, 2013, 12:12 am

As it happens, I am about to start in Blender, but I am told it’s a steep curve. How useful are the tutorials, and any advice?


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 8, 2013, 12:34 am

There are some excellent tutorials, and some less so (as you would expect). Blender Cookie has excellent ones, but I haven’t found a way to sort by beginner/intermediate/advanced. But at least start with their short “getting started” tutorials, if you haven’t yet mastered the very basics of navigating the interface and so on

3D is complicated, no doubt about it. There’s a LOT to learn. I started with 3D Studio in ’96, when it was still DOS based, and worked with it long enough to feel fairly confident. Then, with every new release, it got bigger and more complex and there were more buttons I didn’t know what they did and didn’t have time to learn. No doubt it was getting better all the time, too, but ultimately I was so intimidated I just stuck to the few things I knew.

How steep the learning curve is depends on whether you’ve worked with any similar software before. The bad news is, there’s a shitload to learn. The good news is — depending on what you’re learning it for — you can do some very neat things from quite early on.

I’m finding Blender pretty friendly so far.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 8, 2013, 12:38 am

FYI, that weasel was built in Sculptris, another totally free tool (now owned by the people who gave you ZBrush). Easily the most fun and intuitive 3D program EVER.

It gives you a sphere, and you poke it and pull it until it looks like what you want it to look like. It makes way too many polys along the way, but it has simplify tools.


Comment from Nina
Time: February 8, 2013, 3:04 am

I’m guessin’ it helps if yer an artist first, though.


Comment from QuasiModo
Time: February 8, 2013, 3:12 am

The interface in ZBrush makes me want to smash something…I’m not bad in 3ds Max on tech type things.

Another software to play with is Daz Studio…it’s mostly geared towards organic modelling like people and animals…the basic version is free. You can also intermix models with Poser…lots of pre-made stuff out there…check out daz3d.com


Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: February 8, 2013, 5:36 am

I’m getting more and more certain that animated shows on the net are going to be the next big entertainment deal. Someone is going to come up with an easy to use, customizable animation program and people will be able to make any show they want for cheap online. Then its going to just explode. We’re really close to it already, there’s that weird site that does the dialog with computer voices out there.


Comment from dissent555
Time: February 8, 2013, 6:21 am

” . . . but I have promised myself I’ll slog through some tutorials this year and brush up on some of the tools I’ve used since forever. Sometimes, you learn one little trick and it opens whole worlds of possibilities.”

yeah, I’m in the same boat with Lightroom. Time to get the photo clutter organized and generate some output.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 8, 2013, 1:07 pm

I’ve thought that, Christopher. These tools are getting easier and easier to use, which opens them up to more and more people.

That robot voice theater thing doesn’t do anything at all for me, though. People seem to like it, but I can’t get past the wonky Dr Sbaitso dialect.


Comment from Ripley
Time: February 8, 2013, 3:37 pm

Thanks! I think it’s true that access to fabulous and easier to use animation and modelling tools will unleash all sorts of creative people. I still do most of my work with brush and pen, but I also have worked in film over the years and I found the home editing programs to be better than what we used professionally in the not so distant past. My 10 year old niece has more tools at her fingertips than a professional did not long ago — and in some ways is less inhibited about them.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 8, 2013, 5:14 pm

Oh, here’s a good one. From a spammer calling itself “porno” and the entirety of the comment is “porno” and the link goes to a utility for repair Outlook Express files.


Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: February 9, 2013, 1:32 am

I am listening to a lot of old radio shows lately, like Gunsmoke and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. I think shows like that coupled with animation and put into segments online would be really popular and not terribly hard to put together.


Comment from Oceania
Time: February 10, 2013, 4:24 am

I could CT you a Weasel on one of our systems … and you can surface render it ..


Comment from Oceania
Time: February 11, 2013, 8:55 pm

ladies and gentlemen!

You all know mevery well – well, some more than others … but this time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20018670

Shuaibu Muhammed Obama is Obamas cousin!

🙂
🙂
🙂

Now you know why I take the Piss out of you yankees!


Comment from Oceania
Time: February 11, 2013, 8:58 pm

Oops – they edited that! Good old BBC!


Comment from Remo
Time: January 9, 2017, 11:50 am

Hey, any chance you share this weasel model under a CC licence or something? It would make a great mascot 🙂 BR


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: January 9, 2017, 9:03 pm

Hey, Remo – if I can find it, you can have it. That post is four years old, after all. Shoot me an email (address in the header) so I have some place to send it to.

Though I’m not sure the weasel has a butt, let alone legs.

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