Beginner tutotials

ladee7bug
Seaman Recruit
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Jul 2009, 23:47

Beginner tutotials

Post by ladee7bug »

Is there anyone here that know where I can find some great beginner tutorials similar to the south park videos that will show how to model and animate? Thanks
I am wanting to do the south park video but don't quite understand all of the interface yet.
User avatar
ranger0101
Master Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 363
Joined: 22 May 2009, 13:15
Type the number ten into the box: 0
Location: Orrville Ohio U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by ranger0101 »

Lady7bug :bananahi:

If you would like to model and render SouthPark charicters in TrueSpace here is a link to a tutorial video set
for that http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSp ... cate=Older
There are alot of other trueSpace tutorials there allso and they are all free... The site will be shut down in about sixty days, so grab all training videos you can before the site goes away. They are all very good.

Cheers
ranger0101
In order to Create Art... You must first learn to See...
My Website http://www.theartoftimkoons.yolasite.com
User avatar
First Light
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 169
Joined: 22 May 2009, 11:17
Type the number ten into the box: 0
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Contact:

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by First Light »

EDIT: This thread was originally started in what is now the "Truespace Workspace" forum and the following comments were written with this in mind. Since then, it has been moved to this new general-purpose "Tutorial requests" forum where members can request a tutorial for any 3D program, including both the Workspace and Model Sides of trueSpace.


Hi ladee7bug,

A "beginner tutorial" showing how to create the South Park videos doesn't exist for the Workspace Side and the current 7.61 version of trueSpace. The link that ranger0101 provided is to an old course from 2004 that uses trueSpace 6.6 (which would be equivalent to the Model Side). Remember, this is the Workspace forum where the discussion should focus on using the Workspace Side.

Caligari has a wide variety of training courses and, as ranger0101 wrote, they may only be available for a limited time so you may want to download all of them so you'll have them in the future. Caligari divides its courses into four groups. Here are links to each:
The first two groups (Fundamental Courses and Master Courses) are the current ones that either (1) use trueSpace 7 or later, or (2) contain material that is still relevant to trueSpace 7 or later. You'll see a few courses that use trueSpace 6.6 and even trueSpace 5 but they teach general principals that are still considered relevant.

The second two groups (Older Courses and Tutorials) are primarily archives for courses that are considered out-of-date because they use techniques in older versions of trueSpace that may cause confusion to new users of trueSpace 7 or later. The South Park Reloaded course is in the "Older Courses" group.

The reason why the training courses are the way they are is because trueSpace has been an evolving program. For example, when trueSpace 3 was new and someone created a tutorial for it, they didn't redo the tutorial when trueSpace 4 was introduced a few years later. Over time, Caligari wound up with a collection of old courses and tutorials for which there were no up-to-date counterparts. By the time we get to trueSpace 7.6, course and tutorial authors are primarily interested in documenting what's new---not redoing topics covered before with older versions of the program. One of the results is a lack of beginner-level courses and tutorials for the latest version of trueSpace.

I began a list here http://united3dartists.com/forum/vi ... ?f=4&t=115" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; of the trueSpace training courses and the version of trueSpace used for each in order to help newcomers with course selection. So far, I have only listed the current courses (Fundamentals and Masters). I'll try to add the older courses, too, in the future as I have time.

Another thing to understand, is that trueSpace began to undergo a major change with version 7. Caligari decided to move the program to a new software architecture that changed the way the program works. They were in the process of porting all of the features and tools of version 6.6 over to its new architecture when development ceased in May 2009.

During this transistionary phase Caligari realized that users would need to continue to use trueSpace 6.6 era tools until the transition to the new architecture was complete and so they created two programs in one when they created trueSpace 7. The older version 6.6 part of the program was called the "Model Side" and the new part was called the "Workspace Side". Since each side was really a different program, Caligari also included a component called the "Bridge" to allow users to move their models and scenes from one side to the other.

Finally, we come to the latest release: trueSpace 7.61. It was released in two editions. First came "trueSpace 7.61" which included the Model Side, Workspace Side and Bridge the same as previous 7.x versions. Then Caligari released "trueSpace 7.61 Standard" which included only the Workspace Side. Although Caligari had not yet finished porting all of the features and tools from the Model Side (equivalent to version 6.6) to the new Workspace Side, they decided that it was far enough along to release a Workspace Side-only version anyway. The advantage of using trueSpace 7.61 Standard is that it is a smaller, faster program since it lacks the Model Side and Bridge.

Why is this important to you? Because some of the things you'll see in the older courses and tutorials can only be done on the Model Side of trueSpace 7.61. If you're using the 7.61 Standard edition, you won't have a Model Side and you won't be able to follow those portions of the training. Even some of the 7.x courses show Model Side techniques that won't apply to the Workspace Side-only 7.61 Standard edition.

And if you are using the full 7.61 edition with both Sides and the Bridge, you'll need to learn the difference between the Model Side and Workspace Side and which tools apply to each. Even in cases where a tool is available for both Sides, it may operate differently on one Side versus another. That's why we have a separate forum here for the Workspace Side and the Model Side---to try to minimize the confusion.

Where to begin? I would start with the trueSpace 7 tutorial "Getting Started with trueSpace 7" by Paul Ashington in the "Fundamental Courses" section. Then I would work through each of the courses that use trueSpace 7 or later. Jack Edwards' trueSpace 7.51 course on "Workspace Organics Modeling" is considered a very good one.

You'll undoubtedly have many questions. Just take it slow and when you have a question, ask it in these forums. You'll seldom have to wait long for an answer.

Best regards, First Light
ladee7bug
Seaman Recruit
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 Jul 2009, 23:47

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by ladee7bug »

Thanks or your speedy reply.
I just download the truespace on this week. I have the 7.6 beta which one is that? Can the South park tutorials but followed for this version or not? I am looking for some beginner tutorials that will help me understand the software.
v3rd3
Lieutenant Commander
Posts: 1177
Joined: 21 May 2009, 20:04

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by v3rd3 »

ladee7bug wrote:Thanks or your speedy reply.
I just download the truespace on this week. I have the 7.6 beta which one is that? Can the South park tutorials but followed for this version or not? I am looking for some beginner tutorials that will help me understand the software.
If I recall the South Park tutorial correctly it was done using Truespace 6.6 which is the predecessor to the model side. The author may have used plugins that are no longer available. If you run into this issue post here and someone with the plugin may offer to help or we can work together to create workarounds.

Keep us posted on your progress.
FranOnTheEdge
Seaman
Posts: 6
Joined: 14 Feb 2012, 18:48
Type the number ten into the box: 9

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by FranOnTheEdge »

Is there a tutorial on how to import an .obj into truespace, add textures, and render it?
User avatar
Draise
Captain
Posts: 3198
Joined: 21 Sep 2009, 19:33
Type the number ten into the box: 0
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Contact:

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by Draise »

Thread to an OBJ import tutorial:

Thread

There are a number of ways to do textures and render it. If you have the Modelside, you will use an older renderengine to traditionally render images. On the Workspace side, you will use DirectX shaders to render realtime images. YOu don't need to wait for renders, because what you see is what you will get!

When I get the time I'll find or make some tutorials for you.
FranOnTheEdge
Seaman
Posts: 6
Joined: 14 Feb 2012, 18:48
Type the number ten into the box: 9

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by FranOnTheEdge »

It looks like I'll have to do a lot of research in order to find out how to scale objects uniformly, as at the moment I can't get the model big enough to look at the inside of it without destroying the proportions.

I don't think the download I just got from C/Net downloads.com is the 7.61 beta 8 - I think it's just 7.6.
Although it does seem to have both workspace and model.

Thanks for the link to the object importing thread, I did (eventually) manage to import the model.

I have made a model of a theatre/playhouse, which I need to use to demonstrate/and workout a plot point in my current novel. Some parts of the model are UV Mapped, but most are not.

Unfortunately even making the model much bigger in the original modeler (Wings3D) does not increase the size in TrueSpace when importing this bigger model. So I'm stuck.

I'll look forward with interest to any tutorials you create.

Especially if they are concerning scaling models uniformly!

Fran
User avatar
Draise
Captain
Posts: 3198
Joined: 21 Sep 2009, 19:33
Type the number ten into the box: 0
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Contact:

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by Draise »

FranOnTheEdge wrote:It looks like I'll have to do a lot of research in order to find out how to scale objects uniformly, as at the moment I can't get the model big enough to look at the inside of it without destroying the proportions.

unfortunately even making the model much bigger in the original modeler (Wings3D) does not increase the size in TrueSpace when importing this bigger model. So I'm stuck.

In either side, make sure you have the scale button activated, then click the LMB then the RMB then drag to scale uniformly. All geometry in TS will scale to the COG, or center of geometry. Unfornately you can't scale a group of objects to each of their individual centers, it will scale to the COG of all the grouped objects.

Also, when you import an object from the ModelSide-File-Load dialogue, choose in the filetipe filter "obj" then "settings" then you have some extra options. I found you can also preserved UV's from other software.

If you want here is trueSpace 7.61 beta 8 with both sides.
Download

Update 1 (install before update 2):
Download

Update 2 (install after update 2, then refresh the program default context):
download
FranOnTheEdge
Seaman
Posts: 6
Joined: 14 Feb 2012, 18:48
Type the number ten into the box: 9

Re: Beginner tutotials

Post by FranOnTheEdge »

Draise,

Thank you very much, I'll download those now and try them out tomorrow.

Much appreciated.

Oh and thanks for the tip on settings for Object import - that's sorted now. And yes, I see that the UV mapped areas are coming in nicely textured.

Fran
Post Reply