New to CGI

Hey guys..

I've been holding off on learning CGI for some time now, as it always looked really hard.
But the other day, I figured "what the heck" and I downloaded Blender.

I've been looking at tutorials and stuff, which are good for learning the basics (which I still don't have down, :, but I come on here and look at all your models, and I'm just dumbfounded.


Where do I even begin to make a model?



-Vaportrail

 

While learning the basic fundamentals is always a good thing, sometimes it becomes tiresome doing it from someone else's time table, meaning tutorials or books... the best way to learn in my opinion, is to figure out what you want to do, then find the way to do it...

basically what the military calls field training... drop yourself into the middle of it and work your way through... play with functions, try things whether you have any idea what it's gonna do or not... when you're trying to learn this craft on your own, there alot of trial and error... it also requires alot, and I mean alot of patience... some people have a gift for it, especially the young'ins, while some of us spend years learning(me)...

don't give up and don't listen to people when they tell you what you don't want to hear...

find something simple to start with, say a mechanical pencil, a pepsi can, a cell phone and just hack away at it till you learn what you need to complete it...

Darksteps...

 

it does take alot of patience to learn a program,especially 3d modelling.I learned 3ds max on my own,it took me about a year and a half to learn the program and how it works.Now all I have to do is practice my modelling skills.My WIP is on the forum actually,but it still takes alot of practice to model.Especially for modelling something with alot of detail.But just keep going at it and tryin to learn your self,find something you want to model or learn,and first try to learn it on your own or look it up on the internet for help.Thats what I do.

 

Ahh. Another one for Blender. Good on ya!

I agree with Darksteps. And do not underestimate the power of just arsing around with buttons to see what they do. While you often get completely unexpected results, they can also be very useful results in a later situation.

Oh yes. the edit mode (Press Tab) allows you to manipulate individual points on the model. I've always found that really useful. And ever since I found that Blender allowed you to use booleans, modelling has become much easier. Booleans are when you can have two shapes and make a new one by taking one away from the other, combining them or only having the area that they both occupy. One point though, booleans are... unpredictable. Keep arsing around with them.

Also, http://www.blenderwars.com has a lot of models, a few tutorials.

Some of the best tutorials I've found have been are on http://www.blender3d.org .

Though if you ever have any particular questions, feel free to PM me. It sounds like you're the same as me, just having fun with Blender as a hobby. Only I've had a couple of years head start.

 

I've actually seen Blenderwars.. and I can't figure out where to download the models.

The downloads page doesn't list em, and the models page is just images.

 

Ah, you need to click on the name of it, rather than the thumbnail above it. The name will popup another window with details like modeler, texturer, original format, converter and a link to download the model.

 

Oh boy. I just want to put my two cents in now before we go any further. This is not a teaching forum, it's not for asking "basic" how-to questions on how to use software. There are Blender-specific sites for training. The website can be confusing for some who aren't net or pc-savey to navigate. Don't not use the forums for asking basic questions about stuff like that either. How do I download it, how to I open up a rar file, how do I load the model, how do I convert it, etc. etc. etc. Read the FAQ or try finding a buddy here and PM/EMAIL him. Don't clog the forum up with questions like this please.

 

Heh.. I know how to open a model or rar file or things like that..

It was just a question of starting a model.
Like if I'm doing a ship, for example.. bridge or engines? Where would be a good place to start? It's so complex, I wouldn't even know where to begin.

But yeah, I'll try not to ask any simple questions. (Most of the ones you listed I already knew or can probably easily figure out.)

 

Well, you'll want to start off very basic. Follow whatever simple tuts you can find, model simple objects around your desk, things like that. This sort of thing will get you the knowledge of the tools and what the program can do. Once you've got the basics down, you can start modeling more complex objects, using what you've learned.

It's going to take time, though. Lord knows how many new users I've seen that have given up 3D altogether when they find out it's not as easy as it looks.. they jump in way over their heads, trying to model something very complex when they can barely model a box. They get frustrated and quit. By starting off slow, and working your way up to the level you want to be at, this won't happen (unless you're overly impatient.. hehe).

 

When modeling things in Blender (I have no significant experience in anything else), identify the primitives that make the shape up. Cubes, cylinders, spheres and the like. You can overlay these to make the shape of the ship you want. Like I said, and so scifi_3d_zoo doesn't get too annoyed ( ), any questions you have about Blender, feel free to PM me. I guarantee I won't use scary terms as I tend to know functions as "Fourth button from the left."

Edit: This was proof that I shouldn't be allowed to post when half asleep.

 

lol

I may have to take you up on that offer.
I gotta get the design my friend wants before I start working on it, but I'll practice my basic shapes until then I guess.

 

www.elysiun.com

that's like the unofficial home for blender. awsome and very active forums. im new to blender as well, i just got the basic modelling techniques down. ive moved to blender from maya and 3ds max, and ill never go back to those.

BTW, blender on linux is usually the best combo, but that's another thread.