Member themacguy Posted January 30, 2011 Member Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Greg's "Make-A-Rat" tutorial series is WONDERFUL--just the right amount of "granular" detail to really get the message across--without getting confused with too MUCH detail! I'm now working with 3d-Coat, after viewing the tutorials---but just how the various "rooms" link together---for UV's texture-maps, Retopo, Sculpt and Paint--is still something of a mystery to me, because the tutorials don't quite have enough of the "WHY" explained. Without the "why" and the "what" and the "how" all explained in granular detail "in parallel" it's VERY difficult to establish a conceptual FRAMEWORK of "understanding" to hang other, and more advanced "steps" onto in a way that makes sense...In some areas of the workflow, I think LOTS more detailed tutorials are needed... PERHAPS what's needed is to interpolate a few more video tutorial sub-sections into the "Rat Project"?!?!) Info on UV's and "baking" settings, the editing of "maps" generally needs LOTS more explanation of the "HOW" and "WHY" these map edits need to be done... ---the details of "peeling the skin off" of a model are still very confusing to me... I see that (in Javis Jones series of videos) they DO cover a heck of a lot of this "UV" stuff---but at what, for me, feels like a "machine-gun" pace--and in a manner that assumes that I already have a clear conceptual framework--a solid grasp of "WHY the pieces of the workflow fit together".... Presently I do NOT have that grasp--the WHY of various steps in the UV manipulation/editing workflow is missing... ---so all that's left is (at best), is my attempts to perform a rote repetition of steps, with almost NO understanding of really what's going on.. And I'm just not getting anything like the results in the "Build a Rat" project tutorials... (a lot of system-crashes and software-freezes on my Mac....hmm....) Example: Javis' tutorial on UV maps: rotating them with the "Manipulator" tool for flipping, or resizing, or smoothing.... --Well,,, what does this MEAN? WHY do I do this? Not enough of it is conceptually spelled out, to allow the formation of a coherent "understanding" of the workflow. ----and it's nearly impossible to follow along, without FIRST having that conceptual understanding... Again, I'm not expecting such a fully-developed series to be FREE---We all have to make a living somehow, right? :-) but the details---conceptual and practical---and a breakdown of the ENTIRE workflow at a sufficient level of "granularity" ie: the tutorial sequence has to "not skip over the obvious"...because it is NOT obvious to a beginner, learning about "3D stuff" and who is working with this program, for the first time... A complete mystery (to me) is precisely HOW to name files correctly so that they'll "reload" correctly while I'm (attempting to) build something with several objects, with different shader/texture settings on each section/face/part.... --and using various texture maps, bump maps, shaders et al... And, above all---HOW TO NAME/ORGANIZE them correctly??? How to "package" a 3D-Coat project so *everything* it need fit into a SENSIBLE export package.... THAT is a tutorial all "Newbies" would like to see...I'm sure! It is also a FEATURE REQUEST--I would LOVE to have a simple button called "EXPORT ENTIRE PROJECT" (if there *is* one, I haven't found it yet!) A few more conceptual lessons on "workflow details" working with (I'll suggest it yet again!) Use a REALLY REALLY SIMPLE model, to demonstrate the PROCESS.... Say, a cube with each side coloured/textured differently!! Then follow it through the PROCESS, with lots of fine-detail--both conceptually and practically. ---retopo-paint-sculpt-render "rooms"---with attention to the (for newbies) the "arcane" details of these rooms, and the conceptual toolkit that makes each room work... --UV (ultra-violet?) maps, "skinning the carcass" etc... I'll bet I'm not the only newbie going "W.T.F." and scratching their head! Javis very fast overview of UV techniques is probably very good for more advanced users...who can fill in any gaps from their OWN conceptual framework... ---but it is just NOT "granular" or "expository" enough (for me) and/or for people who do NOT know ANY of this stuff already! It's all "getting there", but there are still a few gaps in the "flow" of the tutorial series.. :-) Hell of a lot of excellent effort, tho' A++ to ALL concerned, for that! :-) As always... <Rant Mode/OFF> ;-} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psmith Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Well, well . . . I know I simplified things - for the sake of new users. Why complicate them? Why not show what can be done, easily? 3D-Coat is deep - so deep that I confess to not understanding the "Why's" of every aspect of it. I do know how to "do" a number of things - but "Why" must I do them in these ways? I can't really say. This is Andrew's territory. I've been pressing Andrew - from my first involvement with his software - to make everything simpler, plainer, more self-explanatory. But, this is not an easy task for Andrew - or for anybody. But, never fear - I will take your requests to heart and attempt to explain the things that I do understand - as I understand them. I am, but a simple man, myself. Greg Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rob Posted May 6, 2011 Member Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I'm just starting on these forums and would second the request for videos like this RatFromScratch set. Very well done and clear. This is the sort of thing that would be worth a little money. Maybe someone here could do something like SetupTab does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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