Blender Demo Reel Released 120
James Cho writes "The Blender demo reel has been released, showcasing some of the best artwork made with what has become the most powerful open source 3d content creation software. It will be later shown at SIGGRAPH 2004, the premier international computer graphics exhibiton and conference."
bittorrent mirror.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Karma-whoring since 1976
Re:Interface (Score:2, Interesting)
Realsoft 3D, the descendant of Amiga Real3D also has such configurability - but out-of-box, the default layout is okay (at least on windows, the linux version apparently was written by people who think "Unix==Motif" and it therefore sucks in the buggy,slow Motif way.).
Blender has surpassed lightwave a long time ago. (Score:5, Interesting)
It's faster, easier to use (yes, after the initial learning curve that is there with every single piece of software ever made.) and produces massively better output when coupled with yafray.. Hell I am able to render on a renderfarm of older computers for only the price of hardware!
Blender is going to steal the show. It certianly outshines lightwave already.
Re:Blender has surpassed lightwave a long time ago (Score:1, Interesting)
Its much easier to create and tweak good looking shaders in almost any commercial 3d app than in blender (for now).
If blender gets this right, and some more modelling tools, it can seriously compete with some $1000+ offerings!
Your Opinions Please? (Score:3, Interesting)
The really interesting thing... (Score:3, Interesting)
Overall, I'm impressed, and if anyone else is on the lookout for something new, it could be worth a look (no I don't work for them, or have anything to do with the site!)
Re:Interface (Score:3, Interesting)
But the number one thing that annoys me with the blender UI, which will probably never be fixed, is that, flying in the face of 20 years of WIMP software conventions, they chose to use the LEFT mouse button for selecting things, and the RIGHT mouse button for positioning the cursor. I used it for several weeks and never did get the hang of that. Kept moving the cursor around when I meant to select something. I can't count how many times I carefully placed the cursor exactly where I wanted it only to turn around and carelessly right-click on some object to select it and -- DOH! I just moved the cursor. And there's no undo of cursor repositioning. Very annoying. So you just have to go back and redo your careful cursor placement manually.
Oh, and the lack of global undo is another major annoyance, but that'll probably be fixed someday. Undo has been added for certain sub-modes already. But I think the main Blender developers are too attached to the whole RMB for cursor positioning/LMB for selection thing to ever change that.
This is probably the right time to ask (Score:5, Interesting)
So, let's say I just install it there on the school computers and kids from 3rd to the 10th grade mess with blender. What chance do you think they have of developing some decent 3D graphics skills that they could use in the real world? Let's take willingness to learn as a given - in fact, it's so much, it's WAY past enthusiasm. The barrier is literacy - therefore, the tutorials will just be there, but the fact that they will be used cannot be taken as a given.
In short, what do you think the chances are that a kid, with very little knowledge of a computer can start using blender and learn it in a few years to the point where the 3D skills developed give him/her a pretty decent chance of an entry level job in the graphics industry? The reason I ask is because I have seen some of the kids there and they are true artists. You should see what they can do with MS Paint.
Re:Interface (Score:3, Interesting)