XSI DVDs

[Stoehr]

I haven't personally seen the "Getting Started with XSI", but I do have 3dtutorial's Rendering Videos, Character rigging 2,3, and 4, and I purchased the XSI Scripting. They are all great. I can imagine the same is true for their other products. I personally feel you can't go wrong with 3dtutorial.

[LemonNado]

I can only second the opinion about the 3dtutorial XSI tutorials. I have been through all of them...... I also enjoyed 3dquakers tutorials.
LemonNado

[alona]

Those two tutorial sets are as different as can be (and therefore both are very valuable!).

"Getting Started with XSI" was originally geared, I think, towards those transitioing from Maya. It has lots of tips for these folks, but is still extremely valuable to all beginners. Also, it is certainly not just for beginners; it spends time on explaining property propogation and overrides, passes, the rendertree in depth, rendermapping, and other advanced subjects. It has a lot more "theory" explaining clusters, weights, construction modes, etc.

In modeling, it goes over most of the deformers, and explains much of the theory of SubD's, but it does *not* contain a full modeling session of a complex object - only a relatively simple propeller. This is just not what it's about. Or in animation, for instance, it doesn't spend too much time explaining what a keyframe is, but rather digs right into stuff like biped guides, the mixer, the dopesheet etc. In the end, it even has a very valuable section on particles.

"Digital Tutors - Basics" takes a very different approach. I should start by saying that I've only seen parts of it, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. It is certainly aimed at people with very little 3D experience, although it is obviously useful for anyone starting with XSI.

It does a full single project from start to end, so there are a lot of "real life" examples of how to attack a modeling problem. It explains the basic workflow of working with materials, but it does not get into the render tree at all (it does explain the texture layer editor). Also in animation, it talks about basic bones and path animation, but not shape animation with weights or anything advanced like that.

BTW this is not meant as criticism - there is lots of ground to cover for beginners in XSI, and it is wise to leave the advanced stuff to separate tutorials. I would love to see their new particles tutorial ("Fundamentals"), and I can't wait for DT to issue a deep texturing/lighting/rendering product.

So, again, those are very different beasts, and each is very valuable in its own way. If I were you, I would get them both :-)

Hope that helps,

AA

[ecas]

Thank you all for the comments, I still thinking about what to buy.



"Getting Started with XSI" was originally geared, I think, towards those transitioing from Maya. It has lots of tips for these folks, but is still extremely valuable to all beginners. Also, it is certainly not just for beginners; it spends time on explaining property propogation and overrides, passes, the rendertree in depth, rendermapping, and other advanced subjects. It has a lot more "theory" explaining clusters, weights, construction modes, etc.

In modeling, it goes over most of the deformers, and explains much of the theory of SubD's, but it does *not* contain a full modeling session of a complex object - only a relatively simple propeller. This is just not what it's about. Or in animation, for instance, it doesn't spend too much time explaining what a keyframe is, but rather digs right into stuff like biped guides, the mixer, the dopesheet etc. In the end, it even has a very valuable section on particles.
AA

After I will learn the basic stuf I will want to learn particles so I will probably
buy the particles DVD, but the question is would it be better to buy
Digital Tutors - Basics and Advenced Rendertree (http://www.3dtutorial.com/xsi.php?detail=29) instead of the two DVDs
that have the same purpose, Im sure that a large amount of the stuff that
one DVD have the other one also have it.

[LemonNado]

After diving in as a noob and surviving it I must say that I would (again) go for the getting started tutorial. IMHO it is necessary to get the big picture first. Everything is interconnected in XSI and it you just pick modeling for example then there are all of a sudden 100 keys and buttons which will do very weird things to you and it takes ages to figure out why the viewport behaves like this, the lights are out and you model in the dark, dude where's my headlight, etc. etc. etc.. If you have a good overview, then go and get a tutorial which describes a modeling adventure from start to end.

Don't worry, it's so complex, you'll end up enjoying the same information three times till you can put it to good use. Always remember, you can animate all the modeling, and the lighting, and all the other cool fx's. It's all interconnected. That blew at least my mind for a while....

And you can model with animations (duplicate items via animation). WILD stuff which will pass you by for a while when you don;t get a good overview from start.

Just my 0.02Cents
LemonNado

[ecas]

Thank you all for the help,
now I know what Im going to buy :)

[Leonardo Vega]

I haven't seen any of the two, but I have been watching 3d Buzz's videos. Anyone feel that after watching 3D Buzz's XSI videos, that it's still "worthwhile" to buy one of these beginners DVD's?

Check out www.3dbuzz.com, sign up, then go to the download section and go to XSI. Plus, they are free :)

- Leo

[alona]

Of course it is worthwhile. 3dbuzz are nice to get you up and running, but they don't cover one tenth of what's in the tutorial sets mentioned here. Like I said, "Getting Started" has tons of advanced information, and Digital Tutors goes a LOT more deeply into actual modeling, texturing, rendering and animation than the 3dbuzz tuts.

AA

[mocaw]

I'm enjoying the 5 DVD Production set from Softimage. Going over the BSP tree isn't fun, but it is rewarding. I'm only on my second disk, and my head is already jam-packed with more info than I know what to do with (OK so I know what I'll do with it).

[dwigfor]

I got some cash for my Bday and wanted to buy some training. I was thinking of 3dTutorial-Getting Started, Scripting, and the head modelling. Also, I wanted to get work to buy the 3dquakers car rig tutorial. Any opinions on the head modelling and car rig tutorials? Is the car rig production friendly or is it more of a gimmick.

[inneractive]

I have all the 3DQuakers videos (XSI Bundle), but have only gone through the Introduction to Architectural Modeling, and it is great. Setting up windows and doors that open and close with a slider was a lot of fun. I can see how an architectural modeler could build up a whole library of these. The tips for texturing and for measuring distances with NULLs was useful too.

I have skimmed through the others and they look good as well. The Car Rigging looks very cool, but since I am not doing production stuff I am not sure how production friendly it is. I'll look through it again this week and let you know what all is in it. You have probably seen this, but here is the link to the Car Rigging training info:
http://3dquakers1.com/webroot5/review.php?id=5

I will also be going through the Digital-Tutors 'Basics' video soon so will comment on it then.

[mharrison]

I just got both of the Digital Tutor's XSI sets and they are really good for beginners. The XSI Fundamentals one
I've also got the Modelling I and Production Solutions and Tips from 3dtutorial.com and they are really awesome as well.

[AmbiDextrose]

I just got both of the Digital Tutor's XSI sets and they are really good for beginners. The XSI Fundamentals one
I've also got the Modelling I and Production Solutions and Tips from 3dtutorial.com and they are really awesome as well.

How would you compare the modeling videos from Digital Tutors and 3D Tutorials? Specifically in trying to address real-world modeling solutions? Use of clusters? Surface tools?

I wish there was a more intensive video training for modeling like the 3D Palace ones for 3DSMax.

[alona]

Any opinions on the head modelling and car rig tutorials? Is the car rig production friendly or is it more of a gimmick.

Dwigfor, I had a quick look at the car rig tutorial and I can say that the rig developed there is very serious stuff - highly sophisticated, with actual controls for acceleration and brakes, and car following the steering wheel movements very realistically. I'm not working in production so I'm not sure what you mean by "friendly", but it seems to be very well laid out with custom (animatable) parameters to control the rig interactively.

AA

[dwigfor]

I was wondering how practical it'd be to use that (Adv. Car Rig). Think I'm gonna get my studio to buy it.

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