Suggestions for new courses

Wouldn't it be an idea to open a pinned thread in which users could suggest things/ topics they would like to learn more about? There propably would be a huge variety of ideas and a course takes some time but it might be helpful for instructors to see if a large amount of users want to learn more about a specific topic. I for example would love to learn more about creating game assets (similar to the weapon course) or how to build an atual scene full of assets. Also a course on how to create an interior visualization and use textures and lighting to make it look as photorealistic as possible (similar to the architectual visualization course) would be awesome.

Just an idea on how the website could be improved. 


  • Markus Berg(thebergh) replied

    jgonzalez sounds awesome to me! Looking forward to that. 

    Or how about a livestream, kind of like the critique one, where members can send in models they have problems with, and you guys could show/suggest different ways to solve it. Taking content from the course and applying it in real life.

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    thebergh Great, I've pitched the idea to the crew. We could probably approach this from multiple angles. For the time being I'd like to go through our existing content and see what fits within the context of fixing topology and group them together within an article. Give some tips and tricks from those videos to make it easy to review. 

    A more in-depth approach would be to create a course specifically centered around topology, both starting from bad topology (like using an imported mesh), or fixing topology you created. Have a nice dose of exercises with those to really hone those skills and get experience fixing those issues.

    Lastly a live stream would help to see more practical examples from existing models members may have. I know @theluthier is conducting a class this month but something to consider afterward. 

    Topology is definitely something I struggle with myself, so I'd like to learn more about this myself. Thanks for bringing it up!

  • mleonard17 replied

    One thing that I would really like to see is something on the Sculpt Branch of Blender. From what I have seen, Pablo Dobarro is doing amazing work.   Anything on this would be great, a course, a livestream, a youtube post, anything. Maybe something like the live event Lampel did on the Dynamics Branch a while back. (By the way is it still up? I looked for it under past live events and didn't see it.)

    The link below they touch on stuff but really don't get into the nuts and bolts of using the sculpt branch tools. Please let me know if you will look into it. 

    Thanks

    https://youtu.be/RrFabBQOYZg?list=PLa1F2ddGya_87HJ72v_IgKUTNLIXSMfvB

  • concrescence replied

    Python course sounds nice to me and my mom :)

  • Simon Buz(svetimas) replied

    I definitely saw a new camera tracking course this week but now I cant find it. Am I working too much or have I saw something new coming up?

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    svetimas I'm not aware of a camera tracking course in the works or that was just recently published. Do you have any specifics about what you saw?

    I believe these are the only courses that use camera tracking: https://cgcookie.com/course/compositing-a-3d-monster-into-a-live-action-scene 

    https://cgcookie.com/course/2d-camera-tracking-in-blender 

    https://cgcookie.com/course/compositing-2d-motion-blur-in-blender


  • Simon Buz(svetimas) replied

    jgonzalez that monster course is the reason I found cgcookie :)

    It looked like a short car chase and I thought I will look after I finish blender class. But it might be effect of multitab browsing and I am confusing with some other site...

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    svetimas You wouldn't be referring to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXldgzeuj1k would you? This is the most recent car chase scene I've seen in Blender in general, so it made me think that's what you're referring to.

  • nathalieverduijngmailcom replied

    Would it be perhaps possible for the exercises (the files) to also be  available for free users? I get that you wouldn't be able to grade them, but I'd like to try for example some animation exercises. I would  love to be a citizen but  as a student I really can't afford it. Other free stuff would be great too!  If I could I would pay because I understand the effort that you make for the courses, but currently I'm looking to make the most of my free account. 

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    nnathalieverduijngmailcom If we did we'd make the video available to watch, but project files would more than likely be available only to members. Are you looking for specific challenges that you'd like to participate in? Would having a set of community exercises be something of interest to you? 

    I'm currently working on creating some fun community based challenges for the near future and animation would be a fun topic to explore within these. Ideally we could provide a single rigged object/character that could be used with these challenges. 

  • nathalieverduijngmailcom replied

    jgonzalez 

    Currently I have done some modeling etc. but I'd like to start with animation. I just think to start with character animation is a little daunting, so it would be awesome to do some of the ball exercises, but I wouldn't have any clue how to rig a ball. 

  • smurfmier1985 replied

    nnathalieverduijngmailcom you can download the ball rig used in the course for free on Blendswap, it has a CC-0 free license. So you don’t have to rig the balls, only animate them :)

    https://www.blendswap.com/blend/17858

  • nathalieverduijngmailcom replied

    ssmurfmier1985 

    The site unfortunately doesn't load correctly :(

  • João Pedro Gaelzer(jpgaelzer) replied

    REQUEST: I would love to watch a Grease Pencil course, mixing 2D with 3D and using classic and cut-out animation. Going through all modifiers, common GPencil problems, how to use markers, etc. Perhaps a course that the end product could be a 10-30 second short film. Or maybe that could be the content of upcoming lives. PLEASE GPENCIL! hehe

  • smurfmier1985 replied

    jgonzalez maybe the multiball rig could be added as a free download in the resources page? Since it already has a CC-0 license on blendswap. Could be convenient for Cookie members that want to try animation, it’s a good rig. And then it will already be available for challenges :)

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    ssmurfmier1985 As far as I know we don't have a reason for not having it up on CGC as a resource. So I'll be adding it soon. Would definitely make for a great starting rig for animations. Thanks for the suggestion!

  • smurfmier1985 replied

    nnathalieverduijngmailcom tagging you so you get a notification, see the 2 messages above this one :)

  • vonzaku replied

    CGCookie is in dire need of more 2D concept courses tutorials and flows. Not just 'quick tutorials'. It needs in depth tutorials on painting people as well as how to become more confident with colouring. Also the environment tutorials are too short and really doesn't attract me as a beginner in environmental art.

  • Jonathan Gonzalez(jgonzalez) replied

    vonzaku Unfortunately we don't have a concept instructor anymore. Tim who created most of the concept art content we have left a few years back or so and we currently don't have anyone actively creating content for that. 

  • david bourne(john2244) replied

    Honestly, I find that blender in regards to courses is a bit too intertmittent with the constant varying project tutorials rather than a solid tutorial flow.  Maybe there is a decent one somewhere but it seems like bits and pieces.


    I would like a "workflow management" tutorial on how to manage the files very effectively for blender, as assets when moved are not found anymore or able to be used, so a library materials / filing lesson of decent coverage is preferred.


    Also, I would like a longer continuous project tutorial based on an actual simple scene without the need for full render, just save file and continue, that covers camera changes (current issue), camera flare or reflection creation (current issue not a visible light in camera view in eevee- want camera light strike or simulation etc without add-ons), with movement, with camera tracking, with a simple sculpted character, simple moving car, definately a morror-modeling tutorial part on the difference between lock/unlock/xyz options etc, simple free HDR environment, simple image textures for car tyre UV mapping, and maybe a "UV mapping workflow" tutorial as I get lost when changing into UV mapping and find multiple UV maps and lists for other models etc, that are downloaded.  So a free UV mapped model of more than one map is a decent tutorial part also.  All to just create a smooth simple 10 second clip, with decent lighting in eevee, whilst adding shadow capture surfaces using the nodes if possible (also eevee car windscreen glass/reflection etc)  only very simple stuff...But when added together it gives a really decent tutorial for a simple project over a few hours, probably 3 to 5, over 10 to 15 parts.  But with no steps skipped also.


    Maybe there already is one but I need a pointer to find it as I am a bit sick of donuts and bits and pieces, or full blown pro-tutorials at fast speed.

    Thanks.