I just finished the script for the Blender Basics Part 2 video tutorial. Given how this is developing, I’m just going to leave it open ended as to how many of these I’m going to do. Some of it will depend on time, and some on feedback. There will most likely be a part 3 and even a part 4, and who knows after that…

Here are the outlines for Parts 1 and 2.

Part 1:

• The Startup Scene
• Preferences
• Saving Settings
• The Interface
• Navigating the 3D View
• Layers
• Manipulating Objects
• 3D Transform Manipulators
• The Object Origin Point
• Pivot Modes
• Viewport Shading

Part 2:

• Creating Objects
• Set Smooth
• SubSurf
• Edit Mode

There’s more going on in Part 2 than the outline suggests, the script is around 6,000 words. The Part 1 script is almost 7,000 words. Some might find it odd that I covered SubSurf before Edit mode, but it seems to work well in the script, providing an introduction to Modifiers; where Set Smooth provides a segue into how the right amount of geometry is necessary to make a model look good.

Here’s the tentative draft outline for Part 3:

• Object Data Blocks
  • OOPS Schematic
  • Outliner
  • Linked Duplicates
  • Scenes
• Editing Tools
  • Loop Cut
  • Knife Tools
  • Separate
  • Split
  • Mark Sharp / Edge Split Modifier
  • Normals
• Construct a model (Soup Can)
  • Vertex Groups
  • Applying knowledge of editing tools
• Materials
• Curves
• Parenting
• Constraints
• Cameras
• Lighting
• Rendering
• Basic Object Animation
• ???

As you can see, Part 3 is most likely going to be Parts 3 and 4, and even 5, as I’m currently taking time in the scripts to explain concepts and introduce new tools and methods along the way. They get big fast, and I already worry that I’m squeezing too much into a single segment.

I also may begin recording parts 1 and 2 as soon as Monday or Tuesday, before finishing the Part 3 script, but I need to weigh the pros and cons of this a bit. I still haven’t settled on where to put Parenting, whether I should hazard to cover it before Edit mode or not. This would require modifying the Part 2 script, which will probably have to be done anyway, as it was hastily assembled.

I’ve been asking myself along the way, “Does the Blender community really need more Blender Basics video tutorials?” The answer may indeed be, “Not Really,” but it’s going to get some anyway; and if the response is positive or constructive, I hope to be making video tutorials semi-regularly as time drifts by.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 7th, 2007 at 4:19 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.