Blender in ‘Microsoft Expression Blend Bible’
After spotting Blender in the Microsoft.com Knowledgebase and finding Elephants Dream available for download from Microsoft.com, we have now received a Blender sighting in the ‘Microsoft Expression Blend Bible’ :)
I was browsing this computer store in my area in Kansas City and I ran across a book called “The Microsoft Expression Blend Bible” I knew Expression was a graphics program, but i hadn’t seen it in action. I guess it’s kind of a flash creator/killer, and has some 3D capabilities.
Anyway, I was flipping through the pages when BAM! I see Suzanne in a screenshot.
Ok, now I’m on a mission, time to Google. Well that was easy enough.
The writers are Gurdy and Mary Leete and it looks like Gurdy keeps a pretty cool graphics blog up too, he obviously follows blendernation and links to it occasionally. Here’s the website for his MS Expression Blend book, using a screenshot from Suzanne as well.
Gurdy is no stranger to free software, having written books on OpenOffice and Linux. He has quite an impressive resumé too! Perhaps if he reads this entry (if posted) maybe he can comment if Blender can integrate well with Expression Blend or Flash.
Has anyone else ran into Suzanne lately?
The Suzanne he mentions is on page 331. Do a ‘Search inside this book’ on Amazon (see the link above) and look for Blender to find it.
You’re from kc? I think theres a fairly sizable blender community here, someone should get a group together
I’m willing to bet that Microsoft will come up with their own version of Blender someday.
Always great to see professionals using Blender. Indeed, no other 3D software at any price allows you to make a monkey so quickly and easily!
@Tynach, I wouldn’t worry about that. I don’t think Microsoft wants to try to go head to head with all the established commercial 3D apps out there, nevermind an increasingly established free app like Blender. Anyway, Microsoft has been having an awfully hard time breaking into new areas that are already dominated by others (search, Zune, um, Expression, etc…) Maybe they’ll have some luck with the Surface, which is at least a pretty cool piece of hardware.
By the way, more interesting news, in case nobody’s seen it. Off topic, but, well, maybe just a little?
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/10/200-everex-gree.html
A $200 Ubuntu box at Wal-Mart!
Dear mr. Gurdy and ms. Mary Leete,
I would like to notice you about an error you made while writing the book. The characters ‘e’ and ‘r’ are missing all over the place.
Hope that’s enough information for now.
It’s been a joy to read your book.
Sincerely,
Some Fan
Maybe it is only the color in Expression Blend or the shape of the palettes, but I got a dejá vu while seeing the first screenshots of Expression Blend in a magazine. Looks like Blender with a modern theme….
Carsten
If Micro$oft were to someday, open source something cool, wouldn’t that generate more business for them, and even better software?
Blender is just too cool for “The Man”. lol.
Some Person: I think all the seemingly missing ‘e’ and ‘r’ are due to similarities in the names of two programs. The book is about “Miscrosoft Expression Blend” (which appears commonly shortened in the book to just “Blend”), but talks about using Blender for making objects and such to import into “Blend”.
This guy has a very interesting blog! Right to my RSS reader :)
Who are TKR101010?
Are Mr. Gurdy or Mrs. Mary Leete?
TKR101010: It was a joke ;)
Yeah!…they copy some Blender because Blender is the Coolest Application In the World!
all of them have a EYE-still watching Blenders Development and Features!!
Some: Oh. It was something that confused me at first and thought it was the same case with you. ;)
I got a free copy of expression just when microsoft had bought it. great vector program the new version is a bit expensive though about 600 dollar.
Hey… It DOES look like Blender! Even the color chooser has the same basic layout as Blender!
Would anyone here be surprised if this is the proprietary Blender I mentioned above?
Just so people know “The Man” Is retiring.
Hmmmm… I wonder what MS staff use Blender….
Well… Softimage|3D was owned by Microsoft, just before Avid bought it (and turned it into Softimage XSI).
SpikeSpeigel42
Yes, I’m here in KC, contact me through my site http://www.smick.net if you like. I’ve thought about setting up something. I’ll let you know. Did you know about my 2 day blender class here this summer?
I’m smick on blenderartists by the way too.
@Tony
@Tynach, I wouldn’t worry about that. I don’t think Microsoft wants to try to go head to head with all the established commercial 3D apps out there, nevermind an increasingly established free app like Blender. Anyway, Microsoft has been having an awfully hard time breaking into new areas that are already dominated by others (search, Zune, um, Expression, etc…) Maybe they’ll have some luck with the Surface, which is at least a pretty cool piece of hardware.
timmyelliot beat me to it, but Microsoft used to own Softimage|3d, which is a competitor to Blender.
Mike and Spike: I’m about an hour north of Kansas City, I’d like to know about this group. Also, nice site Mike, you need to expand.
I would like to know what a cpu needs to run blend comfortably please help