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Getting Started with CINEMA 4D, Part 17 Outdated for R18
Posted: 16 May 2017 01:25 PM   [ Ignore ]  
Total Posts:  11
Joined  2017-05-07

My apologizes should I be incorrect about this matter.

Part 17, when using R18 at least for this beginner, has a completely different interface for the Material Editor.  This interface difference is so significant that I can no longer make use of this introductory Featured tutorial.  In the Part 17 video Patrick is utilizing settings that don’t even exist in R18.

I, being a complete beginner, can not integrate between the two completely different version Material Editor interfaces.  And, should it be possible, to set my R18 preferences so my Material Editor has an R15 interface; that is clearly not the answer.

In short, this matter is a serious problem and has brought the use of this fundamental introductory tutorial for this beginner to a crashing halt.  I realize as a Prime member I have access to thousands of videos and tutorials; yet, this video, I thought, was to provide a solid foundation to this very complex software.  Then at that point I could make use of the extensive search functionality in Cineversity to further my learning. 

Any citation to videos updating this Getting Started video would be appreciated.  But even then, how does one integrate back to the 2013 Getting Started video that I’m 2/3 of the way through?

Thank you.

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Posted: 16 May 2017 02:33 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Hi RR456,

I certainly understand your idea about this problem. It is frustrating to have to translate the content in the video to the interface of the video. The idea of an adapted interface is often not even possible, as things have maybe changed too much. I certainly can see you argument here.

I guess the main concern in this [Part 17] is the Reflectance channel. Please go to
https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/siggraph_2014_Patrick
Click on the chapter Reflectance in the list below the presentation.

An in depth course of the new feature is here:
https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/reflectance_part_01

.

More about the main question and problem of keeping this up-to-date.

Since the earliest days I did tutorials, I also watched tutorials from others. If my observation is correct, I did “consumed” so far 6,500+ tutorials in over a decade. My idea is to learn each month a new application, so I keep the feeling fresh of that “first moment” and how it is to run against the wall. I could praise and rant about the content I have seen so far in a dramatic way. But my point is more about how to explore the field of this newer way to learn, when I have had started to learn 3D way back in time, there was no video tutorial at all available. None. So, I have a good idea about the market-development by now and from its start; Not to brag about, don’t get me wrong. More to confirm that what you experience is a widely unsolved problem.

I think anyone interested in sharing information has an strong interest that the content provided is enjoyable and useful. Since 3D is quite a wide field, even 100s of tutorials will not provide all there is to know about, to have a savvy base, considering that we have many fields to work on, as in motion graphics, visualization of any kind, e.g. architectural or medial, any kind of VFX for advertisement or movies, character animation and lots of 2D graphics as well, etc, etc, etc. Perhaps nema the main areas to start with: Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, Animating, Camera-work, Rendering, to name the six core discipline. For each, lets say 50 tutorials on an average.

Let’s say we could have this core of 300 tutorials. To keep all of that up to date to the point, we would release each year 300 alone for that purpose. Which means, since we are over a decade old by now, we would have made more beginner material than we have at all available. Yes, you’re right, that would be possible, but many recourses to do so would have been needed to be added. Given the fact that these tutorials need be provided the day a new version comes out, that would cause a huge work close after Feature Freeze and Release date. To keep the quality high, the current established Quality management would have the need to be ten fold to guarantee this.
The cost would explode.

Yes, I certainly see your point, but to balance all parts of the equation, I think we found a good balance among all parts. I certainly try to be here nearly 24/7 to flatten the bumps on the road. Could it be better, certainly and always, but it has a price-tag and it would certainly kill the whole thing before it really played out. Look at Lynda as the main market leader for online training, even after a three digit [$] million amount was infused the majority of material is not from this year, for the same reason I mentioned above.

I know I have not solved the problem you have , nor do I have seen anyone showing a model that would provide a great idea to do so. Again, if possible, I’m happy to help.

But if this isn’t working at all for you, please use the “Contact Us” button in the right lower corner and communicate what you would like to do next.

All the best

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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Posted: 16 May 2017 05:50 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
Total Posts:  11
Joined  2017-05-07

Thanks Dr. Sassi for your reply.

I’ll study the two links you provided in attempting to integrate the 2013 Getting Started video with the areas in discrepancy regarding my R18 interface.

In addition, thanks for discussing the challenges Cineversity faces overall in its online tutorial mission.  Over the decades I’ve learned many platforms including multiple database environments and the accompanying SQL statement constructions, web development both static and dynamic in multiple RWD scenarios including Bootstrap frame, the dynamic environment having a MariaDB backend in a current PDO interface.  And I would conclude, the learning of all those disciplines was a “walk in the park” compared to the vastness of learning pertaining to the current subject matter.  Thus, I do understand your discussion of the challenges you face heading-up Cineversity.

Thanks for your valuable time.

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Posted: 16 May 2017 06:05 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Thanks for understanding, RR456.

BTW, I’m not organizing or deciding the content of Cineversity. I’m here to help/mentor (whatever the right term would be). However, I consider the changes of learning and how to reply to it, as one of my major interests.
Your list of achievements reminds me of mine, so please allow me to digress for a moment, to illustrate another point: My background consists out of six degree, with three of them advanced. But taking one of my smaller degrees, the Technical Draftsmen (a three year education), I have no idea how to bottle up the knowledge to make it accessible in a single course for example: But I consider that knowledge a must know base for any technical based 3D modeler. I will not even start to imagine how to do it with other things. This year I got a pilot license FAA part 107, and it was a walk in the park compared to learning a node based compositing back with Shake example. Things are changing and software is getting easier and more accessible, but the variety of options and tools has certainly increased.

I have heard it many times, that the manuals (from all major 3D apps) are considered the largest volumes when it comes to software. The last printed C4D manual was over 3,000 pages. I guess we have passed that amount by now.
So, I totally agree that this is certainly a different “beast”, as you wrote: “…vastness of learning pertaining to the current subject matter. …” It is, easy to get started, but quite some work to get closer to the complete system.

Another observation that I have made over the years, when I finished for example a ten story building, I knew every single detail of my create. Starting with a new building felt so claustrophobic and painful, but with the time it grew as well inside of me. I found that my movie work has the same sawtooth flow and I go with it.

All the best

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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NEW: Cineversity [CV4]

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