CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #5 (Feb 1, 2018): The class is officially closed! Thanks to all who participated. Be sure to check page 43 for the closing "statement" and commendations.
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #4 (Jan 30, 2018): The timing worked out where this week's homework stretch is 10 days instead of the usual 7. So you've got extra time to complete the assignment! I'll look for submission through tomorrow, the 31st, and then I'll do a final post to close out the class.
BTW week 4's live event is archived if you missed it.
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #3 (Jan 15, 2018): Week 2 is done - We're halfway through the class! Today WEEK 3 begins where the focus is digital sculpting. This is a far more artistic method of shaping 3D models, so if you struggled in week 2, week 3 should be refreshing.
- Only 1 course to watch this week: Fundamentals of Digital Sculpting
- Live Event tomorrow at 2pm EST
- Please submit homework anytime between Jan 15 - Jan 21 with "BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission" at the top of your post.
Keep up the awesome work, Class! So much creativity and hard work being contributed from everyone 🤘
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #2 (Jan 8, 2018): Week one is accomplished! Today WEEK 2 begins. We're moving forward from basic viewport interaction and into mesh modeling; into Edit Mode and the modifier stack.
- Reminder that you have 2 courses to watch this week: Mesh Modeling Fundamentals and Modeling with Modifiers.
- Live Event tomorrow at 2pm EST
- Please submit homework anytime between Jan 8 - Jan 14 with "BC1-1801 Week 2 Homework Submission" at the top of your post.
As always, don't hesitate to ask questions in this thread!
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #1 (Jan 2, 2018): The class has officially started! Today we held the first live event to kick things off. The recording will be published by tomorrow at the latest is now available in "Past Events".
That means it's now up to you to watch the Blender Basics Course and submit your homework to this thread. Please add a big, bold title to your homework submission reply so I can easily tell. Like this:
"BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission"Also don't hesitate to ask questions along the way. I'll be checking this thread daily to answer questions, give advice, check homework.
This thread is for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Getting Started with 3D Modeling and Blender" class! Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask me and each other questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, I will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of January to review homework and answer questions.
This thread is intended only for Citizens who are participating in the class. Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication is reserved for Citizens.
Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender! This is the first "Class" format where Citizen members are invited to focus together on a particular topic/skill together for a month. Participation is this:
It will take place from January 2nd through January 31st and the topic is for beginners that want to get into 3D modeling. The class is based on pre-recorded courses that students are expected to watch each week along with weekly Live Events.
Download the latest official version of Blender and watch the Blender Basics course. The goal this week is to simply get familiar with the application. We’ve all been there: Opening Blender (or any 3D package), gazing at all the crazy UI, trying to orbit in the viewport, crying...Ok, maybe you were stronger than me and didn’t cry. But the reality is 3D software is daunting. There’s SO MUCH to digest especially when you’re a beginner.
This first week we’re going to overview Blender and 3D from an absolutely beginner perspective. What is Blender for? What can it do? Wait, this isn’t a juicing seminar?
During the Live Event we're also going to open the floor, ask me anything (AMA) style, so I can answer all your questions about getting started with Blender.
HOMEWORK: Create a scene out of primitive shapes. It can be anything from a landscape to a spaceship to a character. Just get comfortable with creating and positioning mesh objects. Here's an example:
Take a screenshot of your scene and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 1-6*.
Enter the world of mesh modeling! The oldest form of building objects in 3D, in the computer. We’ll discuss the technical art of “pushing and pulling verts” as modelers often call it. First, watch the Mesh Modeling Fundamentals and Modeling with Modifiers courses to be introduced to this wild, geometric world.
Practice makes perfect here and during this week's Live Event we’ll be mesh-modeling a few objects to demonstrate tools and workflow available with Blender. It’s ideal if you practice along with me!
HOMEWORK: Model either 1, 2, or 3 unique objects using mesh-modeling techniques. They can be as simple or as complex as you like, but they can't be primitives. I want to see that you've used mesh tools to significantly customize your shapes. For example, you could model a hammer, a cell phone, a keyboard, a game controller, a picture frame, a coffee cup - choose something fun!
Take a screenshot of your shaded model + wireframe-over shaded (as pictured above) and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 7-14*.
Digital sculpting is the more artistically intuitive method of 3D modeling. If pushing and pulling verts felt like the hard way of doing things, sculpting will be a welcomed alternative! Watch the Fundamentals of Digital Sculpting course this week.
During the Live Event, we'll discuss the pros and cons of digital sculpting as well as how it compares to mesh modeling. Again, practice makes perfect with any craft, and we will also practice sculpting. Be sure to have your pen and tablet ready!
HOMEWORK: *Submit during the week of Jan 15-21*
There’s still much more to learn about modeling with Blender. Remember, it’s a craft. Time + practice is the only way to develop your modeling skills.
This week your challenge is to dive into the Modeling in Blender Learning Flow. While the class gives you a boost, the Flow takes you further into intermediate and advanced modeling techniques/workflows. Test the waters and see how far you can go this week.
During the Live Event we'll discuss the journey of becoming a skilled modeler as well as the potential for turning it into a career. Finally, I’m going to sift through homework submissions to commend my favorites and offer critiques!
HOMEWORK: Model and/or sculpt something challenging this week! Try tackling a character or a complex vehicle, etc. Show me what you've learned; what you're capable of!
Take a screenshot of your shaded model and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 21-31*.
BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission
Hi everyone.
During the work i have faced some problems:
1. problem with materials, what is easiest way to add same material to many objects?
2. how to control global environment?
3. I create some of simple form and then, for example move it down, is option to change quantity of segments gone? or i missed something...
Now I KNOW you're not a beginner 
louhikarme 😋 Pretty awesome submissions. I love the clever design of the bike using only primitives. And the detail in the landscape is nuts! I'm playing Breath of the Wild right now and this made me think of a 'blocked out version' of the world in that game.
Great job. It's fun to see what you more experienced users are doing with the homework. Thanks for participating!
Very cool scene 
deadly_cicada! See what I did there? I love the muted colors. Perfectly wintry.
Thanks for sharing details about your process! That's a helpful touch. Not over the top. Excellent work.
Your submission (and your English) is excellent 
nico_animation! Such a cool subject too. Looks like a legitimate model, not just a primitive scene. A++
Welcome to Blender! I hope this class is a big help on your journey.
Heh I like to see people taking the homework seriously! You're right 
blacksheep80: The assignment was to stop shy of edit mode and simply practice (a) navigating the viewport and (b) manipulating objects (in object mode, i.e. translate/rotate/scale).
But I'm not criticizing anyone for going into edit mode since it must mean they're comfortable with (a) and (b). Rest assured that you've followed the directions better. 👍
BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission
Gandalf: Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?
Bilbo: All of them at once.
Crappity crap crap crap. This was indeed an extremely challenging exercise to restrict oneself to merely primitives (that's an apt terminology for Suzanne. lol). It was very tempting to just press [tab] and fiddle with geometry. Definitely made one think outside the box and use your imagination.
Let's see... About my experience level. I've just started to seriously start learning Blender. Paid for yearly membership to CGCookie and decided to take the bull by the horns. It's a heckuva lot cheaper than paying for college tuition for any course for that matter. I've puttered with Blender prior to Cycles coming out, but never really had nor took the time to delve into it seriously. Now I am.
I'm pretty much starting from the ground up. Have sculpted Melvin a few times now and Retopologized the RoboOrb twice - once with Jonathan and once without. I'm finding the Learning Flows very detailed and helpful toward my quest to learn how to do 3D modeling. This class I'm hoping to use as a supplement toward the Learning Flows. I don't worry that I may have done some of this before - it all helps. So yeah, I consider myself a beginner.
Old Dog (aka Scott)
This is great! Put a smile on my face for sure! Just re-watched "Fellowship of the Ring." You've shown your quality!
Whoa. This is nice. Took the time to add in some nice details. Fun challenge isn't it. Looking forward to seeing more.
Someone can answer better I'm sure, but here's my take:
1) there is a dropdown with the material you have created. here you can rename/alter and use to assign to any object. I haven't figured out if you can select multiple objects and assign the same material.
2) not sure what you mean here. my guess is the world tab where you can assign a global color to the view
3) once you move a newly created object the controls to add/lower segments goes away. you have to add these options before moving or transforming the object.
Hope these are accurate and help. Like your image above.
It is super hard to not be able to mesh with the vertices, after a few scenes not going the way I wanted I decided to just go simple. and now posting I notice things modeled here are skewed. but 11 pm here and I need some sleep. So here is my lighthouse on an island.
BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission
On this scene the hardest was to create the headkercief from primitives, that is several toruses on each other. The leafs of the palm are stretched cones.
Regarding my experience in Blender - in theory having around 3 years experience as watched a lot of tutorials, but in practice rarely doing anything. Maybe this class will help to inspirate, you guys are very creative
