I'm very happy to announce that I've begun production on my next Blender Training DVD!
This DVD will cover Blender 2.5 exclusively and will contain many hours of new and unpublished tutorials. There won't be any 2.5 versions of any of my existing tutorials so this will be fresh new content!
The training will be mostly small project-based tutorials so that what you learn is in the context of a real project scenario. This helps you understand not only How to do something, but also helps you have a better understanding of Why and When. Also, the project-based tutorials will allow you to repeatedly experience the full workflow so you develop a better understanding of how things work together.
In addition to the project-based tutorials, there will be several quick tips and technical demonstrations.
All of the tutorials will be broken up into sections lasting no more than 30 minutes so you can always have time to sit down and complete a lesson (no long tests of endurance and patience).
The level of the training will be for Beginner- to Intermediate-level users. Keystrokes will be shown as needed. If you're just getting started with Blender or 3d graphics, this DVD will be of tremendous value to you. However, no one really likes their results to look like beginner stuff, right? So, the lessons will be taught so that the results you get will be something you'll be confident in sharing with others. Bad lighting and crazy texturing will not be taught. :)
As a Blender Foundation Certified Trainer, I'm very serious about the tutorials I create, so the attention to detail and quality will be high (content, product materials, packaging, and delivery). The focus will be on teaching, instead of merely demonstrating. Also, there will be skill-building elements included such as exercise files, puzzles (crosswords, word finds, etc.), and short tests.
So, what will the DVD cover?
and more!
(In no specific order at this point)
Interface tourQuickStart videos for the user interface- Easiest approach to learning how to model a human head with good topology
- Rendering tips
- Lighting tips
- Several short modeling exercises (with texturing)
- Animation basics
- Animating a bouncing ball
- Modeling
and animatinga spacecraft - Sculpting basics
- Basic Video Editing
- Using text in Blender
- Smoke basics
- Cloth basics
- Particles basics
- Hair basics
- Composite Nodes basics
- Plenty of links to helpful resources within the Blender Community
- HTML interface for the disc contents
This list will likely change to some degree based on Blender's development. However, I will be sure to post information throughout the DVD's development to provide sneak previews, updates, and specific tutorial titles. A lot of smaller details (modifiers, interface elements and tools, etc.) will be covered within the context of the projects and in Reference videos.
What will the DVD not cover?
In-depthrigging- Game engine
- Python programming
- In-depth character animation
- every aspect of Blender
NOTE: Due to the increase in the number of discs provided (from 2 discs to 4 discs), the cost will increase to $50 USD plus shipping after May 13, 2011.
Update: Official Release Date Changed...
Update: Partial Mindmap of DVD Structure...
Update: Some content examples...
Update: Bouncing Ball tutorial example...
Update: More Bouncing Ball lessons...
Update: LOTS of Trees in Wide Open Spaces
Update: more updates...
Update: New Tutorial for 2.5 DVD ("yardwork")
Update: 2.5 DVD Update
Update: DVD update: Bearsly Junior Learns a Lesson
Update: News: BlenderNewbies DVD Update (texturing sample)
Update: For Pre-Order Customers Only, providing temporary download links for groups of the video tutorials from the DVDs.
Update: Final Update
Shipping cost:
- $3.00 U.S. deliveries
- $4.00 Canada
- $9.04 International
I'm really excited to finally get started on this project and I look forward to creating a top-quality resource for getting you up to speed with Blender 2.5!
Thank you for support! Please feel free to ask any questions or comment.
Kernon
51 comments:
I just purchased it. Looking forward to it!
Hey, thank you very much! I'm juiced up to make this DVD(s) be something special.
Awesome, given how good the 2.4x version was I can't wait. Paypaled it, so now just the waiting!
It's good to see that for the 2.5 release everyone seems to be moving much more quickly in getting documentation and tutorials done.
Excellent.
Thanks! I've been trying to hold out as long as possible while Blender stabilizes. It's come a long way since the initial alpha release so it's time to get serious with the tutorials.
I got your last DVD and love it. I'll be ordering this one for sure! Keep up the good work, mate.
Sounds awesome! I'm curious, do you burn your own dvd's or is there a company you go through to produce the dvds and cases? Good luck.
@Flawedprefect
Thanks! Great podcast, btw!
@joe
I produce everything in-house so I can have better control and flexibility. I use high-quality equipment and materials so the results are professional. I used to have a desktop publishing business some time ago so it's fun to be able to get back into those types of things.
I really don't understand the delivery costs here in Finland. Sure, there's vat but still.. it usually is much cheaper to order stuff from abroad than from the next city.
Few examples:
Blank dvd:s from Germany: 10 euros/20kg ($13.59/44lb). Random crap from Hong Kong - free shipping. Electronics from Canada - ~6e ($8). Tutorial dvd from US - $9.04 (6.64e).
And..
Logitech mouse from the store located in the next city 16e ($21.77). That's more than the mouse itself (which I just randomly picked to see the delivery costs).
So those shipping costs are dirt cheap.
Well, there are several reasons why you see a difference.
- As an individual, I don't have the budget that a larger operation might have to purchase supplies in larger (cheaper) quantities. I do purchase supplies in cheaper lots than what you can get at a store, but it doesn't compare to a company that might purchase by the pallet or truckload.
- My shipping cost also includes a handling cost. This helps to defray the costs of supplies needed for production, the time required for assembly and packaging, and the time required for post office visits. All international orders require me to have to interact with a postal clerk to process the shipping. With a line to stand in, it's about a 20 to 40 minute process (it varies). For Domestic orders I can print the postage at home and have the postal carrier pick them up along his regular route.
For my first DVD, I actually lost money on all of my pre-orders because I failed to properly calculate the correct shipping. I had to adjust my shipping charges after realizing my mistake. There was also a time where, in reviewing things, I realized that I was overcharging a little bit on shipments to Canada. I contacted all of those customers offering a refund on the difference. Some took the refund and some didn't.
My point is that I definitely endeavor to run a clean operation, but mistakes and miscalculations can happen. When they have, I correct them swiftly before anyone even has a chance to point it out to me. If I can get my handling costs down, I'm more than willing to offer a refund. My current prices are based on my experiences from the first DVD.
Hope that helps to clear things up.
Oh no, you got me all wrong. Must be my bad english skills. Sorry.
I don't want to know why there's a difference in shipping costs. That wasn't the point. Point was that how it can be so inexpensive for the customer. You could charge more, say double the handling costs for the international orders.
And that refund for the shipments.. that's just true kindness. Yes it's good to be trustworthy when you are selling things, but many (individual or big store) still wouldn't bother to do that.
I will order the DVD later on when changing from Blender 2.49 -> 2.5, but I want it without the discount :) Thank you.
Oh, sorry. :) No problem.
I didn't mind explaining, though.
No discount? That's shocking! :)) Thanks for the support!
Can u ship it to México?.
or how i can get it, i got a paypal account so, i can pay it.
Regards....
Yes, I can ship it to Mexico. You can click the graphic above and you'll be taken to the Paypal order page. If you have any further questions feel free to ask. Thanks!
Should have known about this earlier! Anyway I've placed an order! Love your Blender training videos Kernon! I personally benefited from your earlier 2.4 training videos!
Can't wait! Cheers!
Thanks! I appreciate it.
Hey Kernon,
I'm so happy to see you putting out this 2.5 DVD. I ordered it today and I know I won't be disappointed.
I really like your way of teaching and I think it's a great idea that you'll have a section to quickly reference tips.
Best of luck with production!!!
Thanks!
Yeah, I really want to try to make something that will be both effective and efficient.
This looks great, just ordered my copy. I am sure it will act as a valuable learning resource along with BlenderCookie's 2.5 training series. Can't wait to put my hands on it! Good luck with the creative process Kernon.
Thanks for the support!
I love the fact that I just now found today after working with Blender for over a week now, just found the tool bar, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, this has helped a lot!!!! Also, I was wondering do you still have the 2.4 dvd for beginners, as I am just starting out. And would like to know if you are giving a substantial discount for the 2.4 learning dvd for newbies like myself.
I wished I could afford the 2.5 also but unfortunatly that is alot of money and I just don't have it :( And if the 2.4 is just as much I still will not be able to purchase that one either :(
Thank you,
Belle
Welcome to Blender! I'm glad the toolbar is helping. Also, check out the BlenderNewbies Forums at:
http://forums.blendernewbies.com/index.php.
You'll find a great bunch of helpful people there.
The 2.4x DVD package is still available at 30% off. You can get all the details at:
http://www.blendernewbies.com/tcdvdrom/index.html
Happy Blendering!
Thank you soooo much, & yes I have been looking at the blendernewbies.com/index.php all day LOL.. and have learned alot so far ... was stuck on a few things, and some of the newbie tutorials really, REALLY helped :) Very informative.
Thank you for the information about the DVD also, after I posted my question, when I scrolled up there was a link for the 2.4 DVD LOL Sorry for that.... but thank you again for the info, and being so detailed and helpful! :)
I am totally loving blender so far.
I have seen so far today where I imported a script from a tutorial, was wondering are there alot more that I don't know about? (Which I am pretty sure there are, but is there an area that tell's you what or where they are available?)
Also wanted to know I have already downloaded the 2.5 but there seems to be still a lot of kinks in it, is the final supposed to be done what at the end of this year?
Thank you again,
Belle
Yeah, there are a lot of scripts available for 2.4x. You can find a catalog of them at:
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.4/Py/Scripts
Blender 2.5 is definitely still in development. I'm not sure when the final release will be, but it does become a little more stable every day. It's become a lot more stable than the last official 2.5 Alpha release, so your best experience will be had by getting a recent build of the application at graphicall.org.
You're welcome!
I'm sorry Kernon, for being such a pest.... but I do-not understand (here comes the newbie out in me again LOL) But you state that I can get a recent build of the application at graphicall.org? I have 2.52 r27226, I thought that it is the newest release, but I do see that their are new ones, There are several listed, and I have no clue how to download these and or where? Also there are several different ones, 28498win32, also trunk-win32-r28498??? And render25 branch (32 bit [28497) etc. the difference between, latest blender builds and Optimized builds? Do I just need to download one? also not sure what all or where they need to go??!!!
Thank you again :)
Belle
No problem.
Basically, you want to target downloads that match your operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).
There are different code branches that focus on different areas of development. The "trunk" is the main codebase that all of the other branches eventually get merged into for official releases. You can check out the current state of development in those branches by downloading the appropriate build for your operating system.
The "render25" builds are for the branch where Blender's rendering engine is undergoing new developments. Optimized builds are those that have been tweaked for better performance.
All of the builds are created by volunteers in the community and that's why they aren't considered "official" builds. Since they aren't official releases, use them at your own risk as they are prone to unstable behavior. It's a great way to keep up with current developments, though.
To install a build, simply download it to a desired location and unzip the file. Start Blender via the EXE file, of course.
You can check out the FAQ page at graphicall.org for a few more details.
Hi Kernon. Thanks for your Dvd. I have a question. Is this Dvd downloadable? It would be very good.
Hi Blendfan. I won't have a download option for the DVDs (2). It would be too much bandwidth and potential support issues to manage. Thanks!
Kern,
I was just wondering if the workflow you are speaking of is from beginning to end of an entire project, such as Sintel. like how to start, picture boards, etc, or is it just workflow in blender?
Bert
The project-based tutorials will cover the process from beginning to end. Some highly-repetitive sections (texture cloning, large amounts of vertex tweaking, etc.) will be timelapsed, though, just to keep things from getting too bogged down.
I will cover how to start and manage a project as a separate tutorial (researching, file management, project cleanup, etc.), but I don't think it will be necessary to cover that in each tutorial since it's generally the same process.
I am really looking forward to the dvd. I am quite the newbie and am thankful that I have not learned anything on the old blender as the new blender 2.5 looks like a good version to get used to. I just ordered the dvd and would like to know when the release date will be or at least a tentative date. Thanks!
Thanks! I'm still not exactly sure when the release date will be for the DVD. Significant things are changing quite frequently at this point. For example, if I had chosen to do any sculpting tutorials before now, they would all have to be trashed because so much has changed with Blender's sculpting tools in the last few weeks.
Luckily, with Blender being Open Source software, I'm able to keep tabs on development to be able to make reasonable guesses about the state of things.
At this point, I really need to get an official declaration from the Blender Foundation that the software is in a "Documentation Ready" state. Then I can move forward with confidence.
DVD development is on-going, though, in the areas that I'm confident are in their final state. However, I still keep things in their raw, unedited format so if I have to redo something it's not such a big deal.
Hi Kernon!!
I'd like to ask what will be the native resolution of the videos in the DVD?
Thanks!!
All of the tutorials are recorded at 1280x720. But, they get processed based on the nature of the tutorial. For example, quick tips are cropped to the area of focus within the interface.
Major tutorials like the spacecraft modeling are at the full 1280x720. Basically, I try to be efficient with the resolutions and dimensions to maximize disc space and viewing comfort.
Thanks!
That was EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!
Thanks for your time!
just ordered. super excited about these DVDs! Thanks Kernon!
Great, thanks for the update!
please...when is the DVD going to ship...do you have a date yet?
I seem to not have a talent for setting a release date, so I'm not doing that again. It's a complex project with around 200 videos.
However, what I'm doing is providing groups of tutorials (about every other day) to those that pre-order the DVDs, so they can begin learning while I continue towards completing the DVDs.
Thank you for your interest!
Do you think there would be any way for the DVD content to be made available as a purchaseable download, rather than physical media? Just trying to maximise your retail base and reduce your production overheads!
I've thought about it. But, being 2 DVDs (over 8GB), bandwidth and costs become an issue.
However, I am emailing download links to pre-order customers so they can begin learning while I finish the physical DVDs. The links are to individual tutorials, starting with the QuickStart tutorials.
Thanks!
Hello sir,
Very good price for the knowlege shared. I was wondering, just to avoid shipping costs (since I'm from Portugal) would it be possible to purshage via paypal to get a download link to the videos? Just like with the double dvd's at cgmasters. You can order the dvds or get the videos...
Thank you and keep the excelent work. I will see the day where 4K software will be put aside by open source. It's not the software that makes an artist, it's his art.
Just curious when is the expected release date? Also do you discus how to add decals to objects? I am currently teaching myself threw YouTube videos and i am trying to build a gun but can not for the life of me figure out how to add the decals on the scope turrets. Looking forward to purchasing this shortly.
Thanks
Joel
@Raul
My pricing of the DVDs(2) doesn't include the added costs of providing download links. Sorry.
@Joel
I'll be providing an update, soon, concerning the projected release date. Yes, I do discuss ways to add decals to objects.
Thanks.
Hi I was desperate to get hold of the old 2.4 DVD but didn't realise it was in limited quantity i'm a beginner in Blender it looked extremely useful and interesting but I will probably buy this DVD.
Is there any way on this earth that I might still get my hands on a copy of the old 2.4 DVD anywhere even if its second hand or something?
thanks,
Richard.
@Richard
Sorry about that. I don't have any of the 2.49 products that are pre-made, but I can still make them just as I did in the past. However, with so much going on with the current dvd, it will likely be about two weeks before I can create a package for that one. I can definitely get one to you, though.
Thanks.
Thanks Kernon for this amazing teaching material. I am new to Blender and 3D. I have watched the pre-order content videos. You not only teach Blender, but also how to model and get organized. Instructions are very detailed and easy to follow. You don't charge enough for all this ! I am looking forward to receiving the DVD's.
Thanks again
Alain from Montreal, Canada
You're welcome, and thanks! :)
For the past year I've been without a decent computer (damn you, house fires!). Now that I have one again, I'm looking forward to getting hold of the DVDs and re-learning =D Thanks for making this!
I am pleased with myself for having bought this, i kinda miss the kernon tuts(blender cookie etc.), its been a while.
Am looking forward to making some serious blender progress now.
I asked my wife and mom for this as a birthday gift. Doubt they'll get it though :-(
Just ordered these! Can't wait. I tried to use the Blender book but, for a software this complex, I really need someone to walk me step by step through things. This video series will be PERFECT.
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