Announcement #5 (9/4/18): This class if officially over. See page 26 for the closing post and don't forget to fill out the questionnaire!Â
Announcement #4 (8/27/18): REMINDER that this week's stream is on Wednesday, NOT Tuesday. I'm out of the office Monday (8/27) and Tuesday (8/28) but will be back in full grading force on Wednesday.
Announcement #3 (8/6/18): New way to Submit Homework. Please create a unique forum thread to contain all your homework submissions for the month, rather than everyone submitting in this main thread. More info on page 12.
Announcement #2 (8/7/18): Zsolt has done it again. He's prepared the report card document for this month. Feel free to monitor your grades there throughout the next 4-5 weeks.
Announcement #1 (8/6/18): Class is officially in session!
**Experienced Blender users are Welcome! Clarification about involvement on page 2 of this thread.
Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender 2.8! If you're interested in computer graphics, 3D modeling, and you're new to Blender / new to Blender 2.8, this class is where you need to be.
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 August 6th - September 4th.
Abstract: The goal this week is to simply get familiar with the application. Weâve 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 didnât cry. But the reality is 3D software is daunting. Thereâs SO MUCH to digest especially when youâre a beginner.
This first week weâre going to overview Blender 2.8 and 3D from an absolutely beginner perspective. What is Blender for? What can it do? Wait, this isnât a juicing seminar?
Goal of the Week: Get comfortable with Blender 2.8's UI, viewport navigation, creation and position objects.
Pre-recorded course to watch:
Week 1 Live Event (Remember to RSVP!)
Homework:
Abstract: Enter the world of mesh modeling: The oldest form of building 3D objects with your computer. Weâll discuss the technical art of âpushing and pulling vertsâ as modelers often call it. Welcome to this wild, geometric world!
Goal of the Week: Practicing editing a polygonal mesh's components to create a custom 3D model.
Pre-recorded courses to watch:
Week 2 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
Abstract: 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!
Goal of the Week: Practice digital sculpting.
Pre-recorded courses to watch:
Article to Read: Big Idea: Digital Tablets
Week 3 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
Abstract: At this point, you've been introduced to the key 3D modeling methods. Meaning that you have the tools you need to MODEL STUFF! This is where practice will make perfect. This is where you build stuff.
Goal of the Week: Be inspired to continue modeling and spend the week modeling or sculpting a challenging object.
Pre-recorded courses to watch: Modeling in Blender Learning Flow
Week 4 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
This thread is reserved for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender 2.8" class. Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask Kent and fellow participants questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, Kent will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of Auguest to review homework and answer questions.
Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication and participation is reserved for Citizens.
I was testing out Blender 2.8 today and I noticed I couldn't find where to add background images. So I googled it and found out that the old way of using background images is gone from 2.8... So I thought I would give you all a heads up, in case you want to use background images for sculpting or something.
There are 2 options for using images in 2.8, here's a link to the explaination of how it works:
ssmurfmier1985 Miranda as the BC1-1808 class for beginners is a repeating one after having the same topics in January in BC1-1801, suggesting to have a short look on the submissions in that thread on the below link:
Actually that link drives you to page 39 from where the Week4 submissions started till the last one, you will see that absolutely having the creative freedom to present the homework in the best shape depending on your actual technical skills.Â
So briefly no fear you can texture /shade etc. your model which can be an own one from scratch of course, even I think that is the best choice as the slogen says "First Never Follows" :)
csehz Thanks! love that slogan, I'm going to challenge myself with something from scratch, go big or go home right? đ On my way to check out the entries for the first class!
nekronavt Heh yeah, it's a recent bug introduced by new feature additions and optimizations. I'll report it as soon as I see it again. Currently I'm not sure what's causing it or how to reproduce it..
ccarrotnl Submitting homework *already*?! Heh well..aaight then. It looks great! And that's very interesting info about 2.8 + sketchfab. I'll address that quirkiness in the first livestream.
Being so early I don't have the spreadsheet from Zsolt yet. So I'll try to remember this submission in the thread but if you don't see it after the first week, please remind me about it đđ»ââïž
ssmurfmier1985 I think you're right: Sticking to screenshots of the viewport/Eevee will be the best approach for this specific class. I will address this in the first livestream and update the syllabus in this thread's description.
yyukinoh1989 Mirando is right that you don't need to redo an exercise you've done already. You just need to post a link to said exercise in your homework submission post. I intended those instructions to be applicable to everyone whether doing the exercise for the first time in this class or having done them previously. But I realize that's maybe not so clear. I'll address this again in the first live stream. Thanks for asking!
@theluthier
thanks . i do have a question i noticed you said someone submitted their homework already?
are we allowed to work on the last project already ? or not. i still am new and want to put someting challenging but i am not sure if i am allowed to already start it ?
ssmurfmier1985 Great question. In short, both approaches are fine: Completing any course result within the modeling learning flow or creating something entirely unique.
The point of week 4 is to be a challenge to use what you've learned to create *something*. Included in that is less restrictions to promote creative freedom. And since this particular class is going to be unique blend of beginners and experienced users, I think it'd be cool if each student uses week 4 to create something to the max of their own ability: Including texturing and whatever else. I don't mean for that to contradict my 'no flexing' policy, but I hope it makes sense where I'm coming from lol.
I'll hash this all out in week 4's stream. Thanks for asking!
ssmurfmier1985 Ahhh nuts. I liked having the option in 2.7x...removing the background images feature is kinda big. Really good to know - thanks for sharing!
yyukinoh1989 Well, I'm not going to say "I do not allow you to start ahead of time!" đ
But I will say that it's best for me to keep track of homework assignments that are submitted at the same time. If I have to keep track of week 3 homework being submitted in week 1, and week 2 homework submitted in week 4, it's going to be very difficult for me to keep track of accurately.
So if you want to start working on homework ahead of time, please wait to post it as homework until the correct week. Also if you find that you have a bunch of questions that result from doing the homework ahead of time, please don't ask those questions until that week. It'll get very confusing for everyone if the timeline isn't followed in this thread.
Does that make sense?
@theluthier
That clears up everything.
I wasnt thinking about posting it sooner but sure did wonder if i could already start .
I doubt that what i am trying now will be able to be finished in one week .
Also one more question if we cannot complete the homework like we wanted it would that cost points ?
I still am thinking about what to try out and if it would be wise to try someting more complicater then someting a bit simpler to model.
@theluthier Welcome back, I hope you had a nice vacation? Thanks for all your answers Kent, that clears things up!Â
Thanks for the clarification on the week 4 assignment. I was a bit afraid about coming across as flexing. I am on summer break now so I have some extra time on my hands to try some things out so I'm exited to do something challenging. Would be kinda cool to see what everyone comes up with if they can go all out and make the best they can đÂ
Yeah the background images thing is kinda funky now... I'm making something for week one that I want to be precise with in terms of shape/proportions and so all the emptys are in the middle overlapping according to their right view, like a crosshair (hope you know what I mean), I have to manually turn off visibality of some to see what I'm doing. It sorta works, but the old way was much easier!Â
Ah well, you win some you lose some I guess, other changes like eevee are pretty cool đ
ssmurfmier1985 the way I've heard it, the developers eventually plan to add "background image planes" as a special object in the Add menu, and my understanding is they will be set up to only appear in the appropriate orthographic views and all that. Â But I don't know the ETA on when that will be added, so for now that procedure you found will have to be how it's done.
jakeblended That sounds like a great solution! I'll be patient then :) thanks for sharing
@theluthier Sorry for submitting so early. I got a little exited I think. đ Â I will submit the rest of my homework it the right weeks.
@theluthierÂ
There is a few other ways to show background images in 2.8.Â
              https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/110532/cannot-find-background-images-feature-in-blender-2-8
 When it comes to skextchfab they say that it probably is because the addon needs an update, but it might work to upload the file with the upload button on sketchfab allthough it didnt work for me.
ccarrotnl No need to apologize! No one has ever submitted so early before lol. Not a big deal - we're chill in here đ
