Announcement #5: This class has officially come to a close. Please check out the closing post and thank you for joining!
Announcement #4: Week 2 is officially complete! Thank you for submitting your homework on time. Let the grading commence.
Announcement #3: Week 1 is officially complete! I'll be grading 55 homework submissions by my count. Thank you for submitting on time. I'll be busy today :)
Announcement #2: First week's live stream recording is available and I've started filling out the homework roster. Feel free to keep an eye on the Report Card throughout the month if you'd like.
Announcement #1: Class is in session! We're all going to learn a lot and have fun the next 3 weeks. I wrote a kickoff post on page 3. See you tomorrow for the first stream!
Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Get Started Building Stuff with Blender 2.8! If you're interested in computer graphics, 3D modeling, and you're new to Blender or just new to 2.8, this class is where you need to be. Ushering in the modern era of Blender, we will familiarize ourselves with what's new as well as get up to speed with how to build STUFF in 3D.
This "Class" format invites all Citizen members to focus together on a particular topic/skill for a month. Participation looks like this:
WHEN? The class will take place from JULY 29th - AUGUST 20th.
This time the class curriculum is project-based. You will have the opportunity to choose between 3 assets to create throughout the month: A wooden sign, a barrel, a sword or a treasure chest. I chose these assets because they're fun to create but also conducive for teaching fundamental skills.
The goal week 1 is to get familiar with Blender 2.8 and model your chosen asset. If you're brand new to Blender it's very important that you spend time each day of this week getting comfortable with Blender's interface. Once you're comfortable, you will have a more enjoyable experience learning and practicing modeling.
Courses to watch:
Homework:
Plain gray models can be boring. So we paint them with colors! This is where "textures" work their magic. But before we can paint on our 3D models, we have to layout UVs. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry. After you watch the texturing course and the live event for this week, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Course to watch: Treasure Chest Course (Chapter 2)
Homework: Layout UVs and paint textures for your sign, barrel, sword, or treasure chest.
Texturing introduces color to your models but materials make your model appear to be plastic, or wood, or metal, etc. If you're asking yourself "What's the difference", fear not! I will make sure you know the difference by the end of this week.
We will also be exploring the Eevee engine and how it works together with texturing and shading for a realtime workflow.
Pre-recorded courses to watch: Treasure Chest Course (Chapter 3)
Homework: Create materials and establish appealing lighting for your sign, barrel, sword, or treasure chest.
This thread is reserved for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Get Started Building Stuff with Blender 2.8" class. Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask me and fellow participants questions pertaining to the class. As the instructor of the class, I will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of August.
Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication and participation is reserved for Citizens.
Will this be a beginner course, or a more advanced one? Do we have to create one of those three things, or can we create whatever we want? If given the choice, I will make a crossbow with a firework in it.
williamatics This looks like a beginner course to get everyone familiar with 2.8 based on the information provided in the course syllabus. Based on my past class participation experience, Kent will be flexible on what you want to make, and I expect more so since this is a beginner class with the purpose of getting familiar with 2.8 and not focusing on something specific, like modeling a car. But, that's up to Kent to decide.
silentheart00 From the description I would say you can only choose to do one of the 3 assets he mentioned.. seems like he specifically has chosen these for a reason. But indeed, up to @theluthier to clarify :)
williamatics I'm trying to keep this beginner-oriented while still being plenty to do for experienced users. You're welcome to go with a crossbow if you'd like. I'll probably update the syllabus to allow for custom asset choices so long as it fits in the same category, which seems to be lo-poly medieval-ish, which your crossbow fits well.
I didn't care much about the classes last year but I won't be making the same mistake this year :)
@theluthier Wait, what if I want to make a sign for an old western type of scene?
Does it have to be medieval?
Hello, I'm new to Blender and new to CGCookie. I was wondering if you have to reserve a spot for this class or if you just show up when it starts up.
straocastus every citizen can join, even when it's already started, no seat limit. So just show up and join the fun times :)
straocastus I wish our system was more official, but mostly it's just show up :) When you RSVP to live events I get a list of the people planning to attend, so that's sort of like reserving a spot. But like Miranda said, there's never been a limit on these classes.
Welcome to CG Cookie btw!
straocastus Actually it's a bigger event then you might have thought, the venue is big, sometimes people stay lurking in the shadows, there's fireworks before the streams starts, a countdown clock was implemented recently, you can ask all the questions you want, Kent riffs the guitar and better of all, the room has air conditioning.
dostovel Lol! Sounds like a treat! I'm definitely looking forward to it.
@theluthier So you jam on the guitar. Do you know Free Bird?
Looking forward to taking part, and getting some structure to fumbling my way round 2.,8 :)
Can't wait for this :) Opened recently Blender 2.8 after long time and got a feeling that I have forgot a lot of things...
svetimas Things have certainly changed over development. Hopefully it'll settle before release!
Nice! I was about to subscribe to SGCookie and for sure will now. Thank you!
Damn - I am on holiday then - maybe I can take the computer with me :-)
I am looking full of expectation and joy to this workshop. I love the live events and this is my first class :)
I think we should use RC3? https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-80/