Here's something nice to watch if you have some time left this weekend. Roger did some alien head modeling in about 35 minutes, recorded it all and plays it back at twice the speed.
I personally enjoy the eye modeling most, I guess because this is the most realistic part of the model. This video isn't going to teach you any Blender techniques (it's way too fast for that), but it does show a few good basic techniques for organic/face modeling. Watch, and pay attention!
Note: In case you didn't know yet, you can also download these videos from the Google Video page (look for the 'Download' button) as MP4, but you can also download the Flash movie file (*.flv) using a cool little service I found today called VideoDL. (You can play .flv files with VLC).
41 Comments
Hahah)) sorry .. but this video proves blender's poor modelling capabilities yet again)
Vladius, you are just plain rude. I was impressed by this man's abilities. If you don't like blender, don't bother visiting.
Obviously Vladius T is not a regular visitor here (all the better methinks) if he was I'm sure he would realize what an ignorant and misinformed statement that is. My Advice to you Vladius, is spend a little while looking at blender, (and a few galleries) perhaps even trying it (now theres an idea) and then come back and let us know exactly why you feel blender has poor modeling capabilities.
i liked it too. is there a tut that can explain the "symetrical creation" part. i would benifit and save time if i could learn to do that!
@blendedarmyfrog: Have fun :) http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Mirror_Modifier
Also you might want to check out the two "Related Articles":
"Siggraph - Face Modeling" and "Modeling a face and ear video tutorials"
Werner
I'm quite familiar with blender. Sorry for turning up to be rude. Tried to express that this modelling video is looking ridiculous in an unformal way. Sorry again, but I cant figure out how to say about it in another way. Have you seen other modelling videos? From mirai, nendo, silo, modo or even oss wings3d? Well .. they differ, a lot(including speed and result model quality)!
It wasn't posted as a professional demonstration. It was posted because Roger wanted to post it.
Vladius, the quality of a particular model or a particular tutorial has nothing to do with the quality of a particular program. It's a tool like any other tool and the quality of the resulting model depends on the talent and expertise of the person creating the model. A talented modeller can get it done in any app. The program doesn't create a good model for you, no matter what program you use. (I've seen noobs make crappy results even in Zbrush). Quite frankly, I don't believe you when you say you are "quite familiar with Blender". If you were, you would know that all the essentials are there. After the basic operations, every modeller has its own choices of what bells and whistles it wants to add. Talented modellers spend their time making models, using many different tools, and engage in constructive criticism (both giving and receiving). They do not make posts bashing other people's software because they feel they can only elevate themselves by putting other people down.
Vladius, show what you have done better, before criticizing others, blender is a great program and free, any tutorial is good for beginners and this comunity every day show us something new to learn, is something that we must appreciate.
Differently fom Vladius T:) I can not do something better than this...and i'm thankful for all who shares his own choises of making smth. and experience...thanks Roger..that was good video and it showed me good ways of making organic model...thanx
Guys! Don't let this whole thread be dominated by Vladius comment. If he feels that way then so be it. I do not like monster models but I enjoyed the tut for what was put into it. Thanks Roger!
Vladius, would you rather use NURBS? Because that's the only thing that Blender really lacks, and I think that sub-surf is better than it anyways!
Great video! I've been looking for something like this for a while now! Thanks for sharing it, Roger!
to Tynach: not NURBS, but just modern subdivision modelling technics and tools.
Guys! guys! guys! Im visiting blendernation regularly. One of the fathers of democracy said "being a patriot means criticizing native country" or something like that. Well, Im one of the best patriots of blender!)) I dont really think that blender is flat-out bad software. It is just clunky and cumbersome) and could be better. What Im trying to do is to attract attention to obvious flaws. Excuse me, Im doing that in my own emotional and honest way)
To Vladius T:
I like the tools Blender provide for modeling and I used Wings 3D and Silo before it, so, I was wondering if you could provide some links of other video tuts and what are the things you find annoying.
I respect your opinion very much and would really like to know what I might be missing in Blender compared to other packages.
Also, the developers read BlenderNation too and they could become motivated to add / fix anything that might be clunky or cumbersome like you said.
-- Rui --
PS: Beware that WordPress blocks all comments with two or more links ;) . So, if you can, post one link at a time and mention the things you see as positive points on that Video Tut (from another application) when compared to Blender.
Vladius T
I regret many blenderheads won't hear of anything that isn't glowing praise and constant admiration of their wonderful blender.
It can even be a little pathetic at times but rest assured not everyone thinks like this.
Personally I welcome honest appraisal and feedback.By all means speak your mind.
I agree that blender can seem very clunky. The beginning of this video started with the eye socket and the modeler was trying to get it to circle around a center point. they could have used the 3d cursor to rotate around but they didn't. I think, Vladius, and others take the time to appreciate things like the open forums here that will directly affect the Blender software.
If anyone gets riled up and angry about Blender, it's me. It's you. It happens. We're all feeling the pain of the learning curve, and when you've felt it for long enough, you numb it out. We keep trying because Blender wants us to make it all better at the dispense of a painful learning curve instead of a painful price.
I think it's time we dug up the "what i like from other software" threads and have some real hardball discussions. Even Ton himself would love some freshened-up ideas, I'm sure.
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74490&page=3 (among others)
Big Fan:
Give me a break it was not exactly constructive crits. :(
Vladius T said:
Hahah)) sorry .. but this video proves blender’s poor modelling capabilities yet again)
There is a big difference between trying to help and being a jerk.
Now you describe people who did not like his rude tone as "pathetic"?
Sorry for even posting this but you sir have disrespected the posters on this list.
I just watched the video and it certainly gave me some ideas and was a joy to watch. Thanks Roger!
After years of knowing (and always trying to improve in) Blender I'm still amazed at the efficient modelling toolset that always keeps getting better still.
Yesterday I watched an equally good video of modelling a nose in some other software (I'm currently fighting with noses...). While I enjoyed this as well, the modeller had always to click about three times just to change the editing mode (like rotate, extrude, scale etc). I find Blender's way of mostly just hitting a key (ot two) much faster.
oh how awful...disrepect for blendeheads
No I said it can be pathetic that some people won't hear of things that arent praise and admiration.
Read carefully.
and I too am sorry you posted it because it tends to illustrate exactly what i was saying.
peace brother :)
Ignoring the childish rants from some previous posts, I would like to say thank you to Roger for making the video. Any video that someone takes the time to make is filled with many things to learn, if that is your goal in watching it.
I especially like the time-lapse videos because you can get a better feel of the overall workflow. I think it would be interesting if some modeling challenges required recording of the creation process. This could serve as proof of the amount of time it took to create the model as well as be informative for others. Of course, the recorded session would be sped up to get the time-lapse effect and reduce the file's size.
Big Fan:
You speak too soon and too often
Hey Big Fan,
If this is such constructive talk regarding blender and if it would help to get blender to a better place please take Vladius T's words to #blendercoders and see what they think:
hey coders what do you think of this crit:
Hahah)) sorry .. but this video proves blender’s poor modelling capabilities yet again)
Does this really help the devs to improve?
You don't slap someone in the face and say peace brother. It just does not help to bring peace. :(
Smells like troll bait to me
Anyway...let' s take things for granted. And , anyone out there who knows where to find those famous 104 Nigel Hirsig ( not 100 percent sure about the spelling ) video tutorials? Thanks,
especially Roger and his likes for making the effort of making a video and sharing it with others...
He expressed his opinion in a short succinct sentence.
He didn't like it so much. ok?
He does not need to present a white paper on how to improve blender to you.
You all take this far too seriously and personally.
Big Fan:
Sorry for getting so steamed. Please take my peace offering here.
I tend to get steamed at what I see as wrong doing. :)
Vladius T:
Did you ever consider that Roger would read you post? did you consider that he might have worked very hard to create this tut as a help to others? If you did not like his work it could have been said in a way to spare Roger the shamefull attack.
Ok.
For my part I apolgise to the community for upsetting people lately by taking a different line of thought to most.
Please remember that I am also a 'big fan' of blender and often say thanks to people for their contributions.
Always I include a credit to having used blender in my work when it is presented to clients.
Think we have completely missed the subject of this post.
The step by step is useful to demonstrate the poly by poly technique. For people who havn't come across it or are new to organic modelling. However I do feel the actual model on display isn't brilliant. Fine for a doodle/freestlying though, which i am guessing it is.
At the end of the day, a poly is a poly, regardless of app. I think Blenders modelling is pretty solid. Programs I use on a frequent basis are Maya, Max, Wings and Blender. I like the loop tools etc and I think everything is there. Possibly one of the faster modellers I have come across, apart from wings.
Wow, nice long discussion for once :]
I'm usually pretty quiet, but read Blendernation daily, and had to join in..
Clunky? No, Max is clunky, Blender is not. This is one of the very reasons I enjoy using Blender so much; I find it an incredibly slick program most of the time, and am also more than happy with the modelling tools.
All I want is a keyboard shortcut for vert, edge and face!! (I know CTRL Tab, but it could be easier than that)...Oh, and the Numpad '.' - I find it very annoying that I can't centre objects in the viewport as easily on my laptop.
Anyway, just wanted to say that 'clunky' isdefinitely not a word I would use when talking about Blender, it seems to me to beexactly the opposite when compared to many commercial apps.
Big up to ALL the Blender community, including Vlad!!
Vladius T. I'd like to know what modelling tools you think are missing in Blender.
I've worked with many 3D packages and the only difference I find is the lack of nGons, wich make modelling easier for noobs.
Modelling with quads is harder than doing it with nGons, but when you master them develop a great knowledge on mesh topology.
It's clear this video wasn't make by a outstanding pro modeller, but hey... most of us aren't professional modellers either, so what's de big deal?
Can you make a better modelling video? Maybe. But do it. Lighten us with your habilities. Otherwise, please, STFU.
This is a community, and we are a community because we share knowledge and the results of our best efforts. As for now, Rogerd did something you didn't, and shared it with our community. Respect that.
It's not about democracy and speaking you mind. Is respect for the others effort.
@ Höhrer:
thank you!
whoooo, cool down.... I'll come to Vladius T's defense now.
He was indeed a bit forward/ sarcastic. Second, I'll won't criticize someone for putting that much honest effort into his or her work. But I surely criticize Bart for a lack of set values. Indeed on its own merit this work isn't anywhere near jaw dropping. You see, the last two years the greater part of the user base and the software itself has become truly mature. Blender is an excellent modeling tool amongst others. There are some ex-Maya profesionals lurking around the Blenderforums (like Gmanx for example) and day 1 Blender heads that truly make astonishing work. So in comparison this isn't that news worthy, I've seen better. @ndy's step by step poly technique was far better for example.
Why does everything have to be mind-blowing and jaw-dropping to be of value?
It is not that it has to be mind blowing. It is that it has to accommodate the users. When one user has a problem, you begin to find most users have a problem even if not directly related. : ) I would like to know why this post became all about defending Blender or slamming Valdius T...lets try to keep it professional…please...as a blender user I try to benefit from these posts and learn more through blender through other contributors. maybe I will be that contributor. I would only be so lucky to show someone something they did not know.
I've noted two things here that are recurring in this community. It may be worth writing a post about... hmmm :)
I think that these issues need to be resolved in order to make this community more mature. Any professional who is curious about Blender will surely be put off by the nature of some of the comments on this website.
Have fun,
Bart
Oh, and @Toontje: this work wasn't posted because of it's artistic merit, but because it showed the process of modeling in a nice way. Of course, we would be SO happy if you submitted better samples but for some reason that hasn't happened yet ;-)
toontje:
Why exactly does Vladius T need defending?
Bart how about writing some simple house rules or guidelines for us to refer to police ourselves in the absence of a moderator.
Although opinions and debate is healthy we narrowly avoid war here sometimes i think.
It makes it worse that people come here from all different cultures and languages. It is too easy to react badly to another who did not intend it the way it was read.
It was read the way it was written. Enough said.
Its true that other modeling apps have advantages over blender.
- a simple examples is having to merge vertices's together, is currently harder then it should be... and using knife on an fgon dosnt give desired results,
But thats to reason to be so negative. Most of those otehr apps are newer then blender and focus only on modeling.
Every so often parts of blender get recoded to make them more up to date, EditMesh is in for a recode at the moment and work is being done to improve it.
I find the attitude "Blender is bad because other apps are better", strange.
sure theres areas to improve but blender IS improving...
Let s get back to today, shall we? I need some help here; Where can I find those 104 video tutorials by Nigel Hirsig? Or some other Absolute Beginner videos, I am just switching over to Blender and need to find some easy introduction tutorials.... so if anybody out there has a link..would be appreciated...
ps;
Thanks to All of you sharing you modelling videos with the [email protected]
It is very hard to produce so-called "constructive" critics when you see a totally "incorrect" behaviour. When I see such thing, I just can't do anything but express my totally negative opinion. Would you explain in details to the people why something is black and not white at all, if you clearly see that the thing is black? Would you hold yourself easily from saying something rude, when there is a sign under the black thing, saying "This thing is white"? The blog-post defined this video as good by no means and that was the most irretating for me.
Vladius: you're contradicting yourself: if what you're saying is true you would have commented on that instead of posting your 'Blender sucks' comment. I stand by my comment and I'm sick of this entire thread.
If you *really* want to help, submit good story leads.
Commenting is closed on this post now.
Bart