Blender Beginner

[antimatter289]

well you need to start with an idea of a model or simple scene to create. have you seen the wiki (http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Main_Page)? It's pretty awesome (it was voted as best wiki of the year a while ago I think).
Like ACad, blender is very keyboard shortcut-centric. So get used to <space>, <g>, <r>, <s>, <w>, numpad 1, 3, 7 0 (and ctrl-num1, 3, 7). Realize that by default the right mouse button is used to select things, and that the way the screen is divided and layed out is 100% customizable and zoomable (since it's all openGL elements). That should be enough to start you out. Welcome to blender!!

[RedSquirrel]

Don't focus on all the buttons, I have been using blender for many years now and I still don't know what some of them do :shrug: . Animatter289 has given you a great starting point, I'd suggest you bookmark the wiki because you'll find that you will constantly be referring to it. Take things slowly with blender at first, don't try to do to many things at once, maybe focus on one subject a day and once you have read a tutorial read it again and again until it sticks(I still recall reading through the old Nan Tutorials for blender a few times over). You have experience with Autocad and such so basically your half way there already, and remember its normal when starting out in blender to be completely shell-shocked :argh:.

[fktt]

(I would love it if someone would let me IM them up and ask for help in blender once and a while!). :) by all means, i have my msn in my "portfolio" here at cgtalk, feel free to contact me.. :)

[FreakyDude]

Same here, I don't go online with msn often, only privately and that's not often, pm me if you want it.
Seeing as you are an inventor and autocas person, I'd like to add you myself with some questions about these apps, both of them are available here at work, and I could have some questions about those too every now and then, if you wouldn't mind of course.

[antimatter289]

oh, and if you want quicker forum responses, sign up here: http://blenderartists.org/forum/
It's the main forums for blender.
cheers.

[CGIPadawan]

Blender also comes with an HTML based starter manual that has the Gingerbread Man 30 minute exercise. It gives you a pretty good idea of the basics.

[Oceanus]

Thank you for all of the responses and feedback. I will be sure to look into that wiki. I've visited it before and I look forward to learning more.

regards,
Oceanus:thumbsup:

[yellowflash]

You know, there's a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year Blender channel on IRC (Internet Relay Chat).

I believe that would be the one you want the most, if I'm not wrong. :)

You'll need an IRC program or at least one that have IRC protocol like Gaim, or XChat, Kopete (these are Linux messenger programs). I believe there are Everybuddy, Trillian and MIRC for Windows.

The channels you'd want to connect to are:

#blenderchat
#blendercoders
#blender

(To join IRC channels, you'll need to type: /join #blenderchat or one of the channels if you want to go to.)

Good luck :)

[Oceanus]

/join #blenderchat isnt working because I'm on the wrong server. Would you happen to know the name of the server blenderchat is on? I'm using mIRC for windows.

[MKR]

irc.freenode.net

That's where you'll find channels for most OSS projects. :)

[Tengwar3]

hey there i know a bit about blender and i woulld be willing to help any way i can. here area my screen names.

AIM:tengwar3
MSN:tengwar3@aol.com (also my email)
Yahoo: tengwar


i hope i can help

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