Blender Beta question?
Xtro
Posts: 39
The is a few minor little things, that i cant seem to pull off in daz3d and i know im gunna need to learn something like Blender or Hexagon to achive things that daz3d is either limited on or cant do, things like making my own clothes, props ect. Well i know im gunna have to get my teeth in to some other 3D softwear if i want to achive this. So the last few days ive been playing around with Blender and Hexagon, trying to get a feel for them since they are both Free. I then found some nice easy tutorials for the stable version of Blender on youtube by a guy who calls himself "Blender Guru" However i notice Blender are releasing they long awaited 2.80 sometime this year and it got me thinking? should i start learning on the Beta 2.80 version of Blender or stick with the current version, then move on to the beta when it gets released? The reason i ask this, is because the Beta has some mayjor changes to the interface and seems to be a massive update from the current one. However the stable version of Blender has some nice easy tutorials on youtube but some maybe outdated by the time 2.80 is out? As for Hex i like the interface and it seems to be more simple when going from Hex to Daz but i went with Blender (for now) because it seems to have a bigger following and community online. Also i doubt i will be able to make anything worthy for a long time since im gunna have to learn the basics so thats another reason why im thinking should i skip the stable version and start getting use to the beta? So whats your opinion?
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Comments
I would recommend using Blender 2.8 beta.
I have been using it for some months, and yes they are still tweaking and bug fixing, but what I have experienced is very minor. And the overall user interface is in my view a major improvement. So for private purposes I would say it is fine.
If you were to use it professionally, there migth be reason for being a bit more cautious.
I'm a long-time Blender user, and have looked at 2.8, but haven't made the switch yet - I'm not looking forward to either getting used to 2.8's way of working, or converting my workflow from earlier to 2.8.
If you're not creating production-ready assets, and can't risk loosing them, then move to Beta, it is pretty stable, but any software can crash. Last time I checked some useful plugins weren't yet ported over.
My main problem is: do I change to left click to select? I like right click to select, I don't select by accicent, which is brilliant. But the workflow seems geared towards the change despite the options to switch.
wont be using it professionally i just want to learn the basics for now and maybe later in the year make some stuff for my daz figures.
ha, first thing i did when playing with the stable version of Blender was make my mouse left click, did not want to get confused when using other programs. Since it gunna take me some time to learn the basics i might start with the beta. doubt i will be creating anything for some time.
I haven't even looked at 2.8 yet, but I have used Blender long enough to know that major versions can scramble the interface quite a lot, leaving you scratching your head when following along with a tutorial. hell, minor version changes can break a tutorial. For that reason, I would start with 2.79. Once you understand the logic behind everything, it will then be simple to switch over.
If the new beta was just some minor bug fixe's i would pick the 2.79 version because it is stable. But the 2.8 seems to be a major upgrade with a new interface and layout and also looks like its been remade from the ground up. I can see why long time uses are in no rush to use the beta, because they have a lot more at stake with current projects. So im thinking if i go with the Beta now and learn the basics within Blender 2.8, alot of people will have already migrate to that version when it is finally officially released. I just dont want to spend hours learning 2.79 then to find that i have to get use to the new interface of the beta. ive been playing around with 2.8 for the last few hours and it does look miles better and more newbie friendly. but like i said in my early post that the seem to be more tutorials for 2.79 if your just starting out. i just wanted to know if my strategy was a wise one or not?
...I have looked at and played around with the Beta and frankly am quite amazed. I have been waiting for this for a long time. I find the UI changes make it a lot easier to work with compared to having to use and memorise keyboard commands/controls and/or learn scripting. The tab setup is somewhat reminiscent of Carrara, there are now has on screen icons for tools and menus, and it is a lot easier to focus on one task (like modelling) without having a lot of clutter from other functions you aren't using. I just never could get my head into the heavy keyboard driven setup that earlier versions (including 2.79) had.
Basic modelling process and techniques should be relatively the same, only the UI and tools are presented differently, though the keyboard commands are still there, just no longer dumped in your lap out of the box.
[Sound of the Earth falling off its axis.]
If you're just starting out - go with 2.8 beta. You may need to adjust some older tutorials for it (though most things work the same, just in a different default location).
2.79 is great but they are changing a few things so you may as well get used to the newer stuff off the bat.
I can highly recommend starting with 2.8. It is such a major step and so much easier to learn.
I've been using 2.79 for a while now and as soon as I started with 2.8 I didn't want to go back any more. The right click / left click change was no big thing. I got used to it very quick.
It's just so much easier to find stuff because the UI is much more like you know it from other programs. So even if knowledge of 2.79 helps a bit, I don't see a major advantage in learning a complicated program first to get around with an easy program.
There are still a lot of tutorials on 2.79 or earlier of course, but a lot of tutorials for 2.8 are also available already (i.e. from Blender Guru).
And the shortcuts from 2.79 are still working, so even older tutorials can be helpful if you are looking for something special.
So the short answer is: Yes, a wise choice. :)
Kind regards, Eagle99
Blender 2.8 is almost a completely different software from 2.79b. Workflow is quite different. I have been using Blender 2.8 for awhile now. The beta is stable enough, but new features may break old projects( though I haven't experienced that in my simple modeling). I have and would use Blender 2.8, myself.
Re:Hexagon I would not rule it out do to a smaller following. If your target is Daz Studio content, the bridge adds some power to a Daz Studio to Hexagon workflow.
Agree that unless you have a very good reason to continue using 2.79b (commercial, production usage; your favorite plugin only works in 2.79b), you're best off using 2.80 beta. And update it every few days - the bug fixes are coming thick and fast.
If you don't already have muscle memory established for right-click select, use left-click as it is now a 'first class citizen' and one less thing to have to learn. Keyboard shortcuts are worth learning - they are massive time-savers overall.