Sorry to lead off with a complaint here, but this course skips way too many basic steps to be a core course.
There are so rarely STEPS given so as to make the course an exercise in frustration. As noted by someone else, you're using examples that are pulled from somewhere outside the course, but are not referenced inside the actual course. Why? What possible excuse is there for that?
"Due to legal reasons (i.e. asset usage) I'm unable to share this scene!"
Then don't use that scene. Find another one. Make your own.
"I simply used it as an example, so people understand the concepts. That said you can download any of the test scenes from Blender https://www.blender.org/download/demo-files/ and use those to do similar experiments."
Then that's what you should have used for this course.
"Just assume in this case the scene will be setup correctly already, so maybe before going into false color try changing some light values in the scene."
Just assume. You kidding? That's not a lesson.
If someone already knows what they're doing, they probably don't feel the need to subscribe to this course. If they don't know what they're doing, and it's likely the people viewing this don't, you're not giving them the foundation to follow along.
Let me tell you about the worst teacher I ever had. Ol' nine-finger Mr. Young. 10th grade Trigonometry. He would spend the entire 50 minute class period working some enormous problem on the board (yes, an actual chalk board). There would be a minute or two left in the class. He'd get to the end of the problem. And he'd stop. And he'd look at his answer silently. And then he'd say. "Wait, that's the wrong answer. But you get the idea. Class dismissed."
This particular course seems similar.
Hello Joe. Those are totally valid criticisms. I agree that it would be better to use a scene that didn't pose an obstacle if you wanted to follow along. If you feel you need further help with concepts or have any question whatsoever, the community is here to further clarify things, we help each other out a lot. Blender is a huge beast, it can be overwhelming. Just give us time stamps in the videos and we'll further discuss and tackle things that weren't too clear.
Hm, I had a math professor, that said "good morning" and then started doing some math magic and lost half of us after 2 minutes, and, I am pretty sure, nobody in the class could follow after 5 minutes.
For me, that was the best teacher ever; after each class, I had to put in a lot of effort to try and figure out what had happened. That's how I learned. He was definitely not the best teacher for everyone.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for giving your honest and in-depth feedback.
I do really understand where you're coming from, but this is not a teaching method I personally believe in and thus not something I did for this course. I strongly believe that you learn not in following, but in putting in the effort yourself. I've been teaching people stuff all my life; whether it was economics to my classmates who couldn't follow along, tutoring math and geography, teaching Adobe programs to people and now having a YT channel that teaches/helps people with Blender for 4 years.
No matter the subject the same problem persisted throughout all of it; if I teach someone that 1+1=2 but I don't explain the concept of addition, they learn nothing except the words 'one plus one equals two'. They don't understand why, but just know that it does. And although I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, I do also believe that this doesn't help them in the long run.
Instead I try to teach concept, and by giving people examples they can't replicate 1 on 1 in a course, they are required to put in the work on a project of their own, or just like I gave as an example, in one of Blender's demo files. But then still; the fact they can't copy me 1 on 1 and have to run into their own set of problems and hurdles is what will embed the knowledge in their heads.
Most people make a donut, then don't know where to go next or what to do. Not because they don't know what they want to do, but mainly because they've just performed the trick of making a donut, without actually understanding what they did.
I hope this clarifies my perspective on the course and information provided, but again I also understand this might not be the best fit for everyone. It's just what I believe in.
Cheers, Kaizen
