Elephants Dream & Blender

[Everdene]

Anyone interested in 3D should watch Elephants Dream, made completely with the open source Blender software by the Orange Team:

http://orange.blender.org

I find it interesting how in some circles Blender doesn't get much respect. The interface can be difficult (although I've been jumping into it again the last few weeks and found it has improved immensely since I tried it a couple of years ago). Perhaps this film will help to boost Blender's reputation among the big boys like Maya and Lightwave. Strange script but pretty visuals.

[Chris Stearns]

I'm downloading it...

I just started to get back into Blender. The 1st time through I got a little overwhelmed with the interface, and the fact that I had never messed around with 3D before added to my frustration.

This time 'round I'm going step by step with tutorials. It's still intimidating, but I'm pushing forward. I've gotten as far as building a space station, putting a material on it, lighting it, and making it and the camera move. Then I make the background pure green and render it to jpegs in an NTSC template. Throw the jpegs in a timeline at 24fps(24 jpegs per sec), key out the green and presto! I'm making a space opera!

I'm still struggling with textures and uv unwrap though, but yeah, this program rocks.

Check out cgtalk. They have a place for Blender discussion(and it's third below maya and 3ds, I don't think that means anything though).

OK, it's almost done... I'll check it out.

[Everdene]

I'm going through a similar experience with Blender, dieselfoot (except without creating a space opera). Blender is a whole lot better the second time around.

I've heard CGtalk called the DVXuser of the 3D world. From what I see, that looks about right. Great forum.

Another good thing about Blender right now is version 2.42 is coming soon. It was developed during the making of Elephants Dream. I've read into it a bit and it looks like a big leap forward (not that Blender isn't already quite amazing).

[RyanT]

I tried blender for a long long time and had a very difficult time jumping into 3d. I don't know what it was, the interface, or maybe just my lack of awesomeness, but I'd always get close to finishing something and then I'd hit some key sending me into a downward spiral where I could never get my work back.

I got maya and for some reason things are so much easier now. You get what you pay for I guess...haha.

I'm interested in looking at this movie though, seems pretty cool. I'm downloading it now...

[Everdene]

I'd always get close to finishing something and then I'd hit some key sending me into a downward spiral where I could never get my work back.

I remember that, too. I'm not saying Blender is now easier than Maya, but sometime in the last couple of years a much more standard undo was implemented.

[im.thatoneguy]

I find it interesting how in some circles Blender doesn't get much respect. Perhaps this film will help to boost Blender's reputation among the big boys like Maya and Lightwave.

It doesn't get much respect, because it's technically inferior. Usually "those circles" need the latest and greatest to be competitive, and $3000 really isn't that much, only about a week or two of work. It's much like saying "the sony partycam for some reason doesn't get much respect from professional shooters".

Having seen Elephants Dream I think it, if anything, reduces my opinion of Blender based on the quality of the animation. And still no N-Gons, Quality NURBS or Patch modeling... Just what am I supposed to use it for?

I'm also not sure I would call Lightwave one of the "big boys". If you ask me, lightwave isn't the competitive break-out competitive package it used to be, and as such is going to fade out to a silent sideline existance in the near future unless they start throwing some more money at it. XSI and Max are both closing in on Maya while lightwave has if anything slowed. Perhaps it's just settling into its niche.

[Everdene]

It's much like saying "the sony partycam for some reason doesn't get much respect from professional shooters".

This is kind of what I mean. There's a hostility towards Blender among some. Your comment relegates Blender to something like Cool 3D or Anim8ter, not that there's anything wrong those applications.


Having seen Elephants Dream I think it, if anything, reduces my opinion of Blender based on the quality of the animation.

I'm hoping the animation was a stylistic decision, because I also thought that it was weak (along with the worms at the end), but I have to admit that Elephants Dream increased my opinion of Blender tremendously.


And still no N-Gons, Quality NURBS or Patch modeling... Just what am I supposed to use it for?

There are excellent artists who primarily use meshes. And, by the way, you can always supplement your main application (even Maya) with enhanced modeling tools.


I'm also not sure I would call Lightwave one of the "big boys".

It has big boy penetration (especially in certain markets) and some of the people who use it think they are big boys, too. :)

[marlenedegrood]

I've been studying Lightwave off and on for over a year and recently downloaded Blender. I really like it. I work with Mac and fortunatly have a Wacom tablet so the 3 button thing works out fine using the mouse on the tablet. I think what I like best about Blender is that it's fun, and the online tutorials are busting out of the google pages, whereas with Lightwave you have to pay for anything decent.

I'm not a professional 3d artist so there's no need for me to put out the kind of bucks that Maya costs, Lightwave was bad enough after adding in the cost of books. When a program is free and it's good then it gets a huge following so you can count on tons of online user support.

For anyone just wanting to test out the 3d waters then I highly reccommend Blender.

[J.R. Hudson]

I've been using XSI as of late and have found it very easy to use and super intuitive with the aid of tutorials.

-

As for Blender, I think it looks very nice and for a free open source application ? Awesome. The Elephant film was very cool, whether it be stylistic choices or technical limitations.

For those that take the time to learn how to use this; it definately has a place in the market. For those that think it does not would be very narrow minded.

Here is some examples of Blender in action (Including the less than big boy Spiderman production) (Do people think before talking anymore?)

http://www.blender3d.org/_gfx/gallery/images/io_2000_12.jpg

http://www.blender3d.org/cms/typo3temp/pics/33677c117a.jpg

http://www.hamsterking.com/blender/3d/stairs.jpg

http://tfp.killbots.com/3d/jake/001_bender-walking.jpg
http://www.blender.org/bf/spidey1.jpg

[marlenedegrood]

Bender......Blendered. Love it! Oh yes and.....awesome work John!

[vincent_price]

the power of open source!

[marlenedegrood]

the power of open source!
Amazing huh?

[vincent_price]

Amazing huh?

yeah! :)

[marlenedegrood]

So I've spent some more time with Blender and I'm getting more impressed by the minute. The documentation and online tutorials are amazing and with each one I read, and try, I see the beauty of this software. I think I'm going to place my time into learning Blender, and put Lightwave on hold for a while

[surf]

So I've spent some more time with Blender and I'm getting more impressed by the minute. The documentation and online tutorials are amazing and with each one I read, and try, I see the beauty of this software. I think I'm going to place my time into learning Blender, and put Lightwave on hold for a while

is it better than Lightwave?

[Everdene]

I haven't used Lightwave for quite a while (and never did really learn it). For me, however, Blender will be my 3D tool of choice for a long time to come. It doesn't have to be "better" than other tools. It does have to be good, however.

There are still some things I find missing in The Gimp (I can hardly wait until 2.4), but The Gimp has become my 2D tool of choice. Why am I willing to use The Gimp and Blender instead of Photoshop and Maya? First, The Gimp and Blender are excellent applications and I can acheive the results I need with them. Second, I'll be honest, expense has a lot to do with it. I don't mind buying software, but I don't like spending many hundreds or thousands of dollars for software when it will be outdated within a year. Open Source software doesn't add a new version number and charge me hundreds of dollars every time a new feature has been added. I can concentrate on my skills rather than concentrate on how I'm going to pay for every new version. And I know I will always be able to use these skills because the latest version of the software tool will always be available to me without a huge expense. Speaking of money, I also hate the whole status thing. The whole "I'm better than you are because I own Maya" attitude. Finally, cheap distribution, corporate sponsorship, abandonware, and just plain generosity are all providing us with incredible software tools. Why not use them, promote them, and help out these projects with some of my talents? It's a community thing.

[surf]

well, you will not be better if you use maya. you can be only better. anyway, if you can do everything in a free software, why not?