Free Learning.

[Kanga]

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerrormessage/a/mingwm10-dll-not-found-missing-error.htm

Have a read. How to fix your problem.
You are lucky its windows, this error comes up more often so there are answers available.

[thudpucker]

Many Thanks Kanga.
You scared me to death. I hardly know anything about PC’s and that Win-7 Error table list finished me off.
I deleted all traces of Pencil and will go on with some other programs till I find one I can used without having Nightmares while learning.

[Kanga]

Many Thanks Kanga.
You scared me to death. I hardly know anything about PC’s and that Win-7 Error table list finished me off.
I deleted all traces of Pencil and will go on with some other programs till I find one I can used without having Nightmares while learning.

Ok
http://alternativeto.net/software/pencil/

[thudpucker]

I’m still trying to make some thing work.
In school we trained on Adobe Illustrator. Whatta grand program suite that one is!
I could never afford that one though.
So we used InkScape as an alternative.
For some reason, during a long complex project in Ink-scape, the screen would go blank.
When you got the screen back your project was gone!
A defense was to save often, but nobody ever figured out why Ink-scape would just disappear off into cyber space.

I have to wait till after 2AM my time for all these long downloads. Still trying to get Pencil.
I need something with directions real handy.
Dick

[Kanga]

The inkscape problem sounds like a leak. In any case it isnt anything you can fix unless you can write software.

You need an alternative with a forum not just instructions. Lots of applications have communities of enthusiastic users often accompanied by the developers. You need a place you can ask questions.

I am mostly busy with 3d graphics and don’t my way around 2d animation software. Perhaps the Animation guys and gals can give you a hand.
http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdisplay.php?f=26

[thudpucker]

Yippee, I got Pencil to work!

The Ink Scape problem was in the University Computer lab. Your right. I don’t know so I stayed away.
Thanks for your help with those links.

2D and 3D, Raster, etc are Vocabulary words. I’ll spend some time with WIKI on that stuff.
I understand Layers.
My problems were in sizing and placing.
OK, onwards n’ upwards.
Dick

[Kanga]

Yippee, I got Pencil to work!

These are the times where air punches and the Mypos dance of joy are appropriate!

Have fun Dick.

[bigworld]

do you like 2d animation … you want free software like flash Depend on the vector drawing and frames - tweening process and much more

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[thudpucker]

I would really enjoy any kind of 2D or 3D software that would Function in a way I’d expect it to.
I’d also like some better written Tutorials and Manuals.

I’ve downloaded a bunch of programs, and tried them till the Frustration drove me off.

My suggestions to Software Creators would be to use their Grand Parents as the Beta testers.
I’d kick my Granddaughters Butt Good if she’d have written some of this stuff I’m dealing with now.

[Kanga]

My suggestions to Software Creators would be to use their Grand Parents as the Beta testers.

Ha ha grandad, it has nothing to do with age. My students are between 16-18 and there are a number that feel just as you do. It is just a question of getting used to how things work. You get used to trouble shooting and problems often repeat themselves. Once you have solved them a number of times it will get to be second nature.

[thudpucker]

Kanga it’s not the intellect of the student, it’s the illogicality of what happens when we put the mouse to the program.
“What the Heck? Why’d it do that???” and there’s no way of asking for help at that point.

By the time we get to be my age, we wont put up with something that don’t work like it should.
That’s the reason for Grandparents!
The Grandparents would have those kids fixing what’s wrong till it was an easy thing to work.

Intellectual Properties and threat of lawsuits make it necessary for creators to dodge and duck.
So a Tool in one creation has to be renamed in another creation.
The functions have to be different.
I understand all that. It has to be!

What I don’t understand is why the Tutorial or Help file seems to have so little to do with the problems experienced by the users.
I’ve sent this same message to a lot of creators, including the biggie; the creators of Photoshop.

I sent three letters to Adobe during my College Course in internet graphics. I was trying to help them, myself, and all future student out.
Adobe has a wonderful help file.
I think that may have been the reason for only the one generic reply. They felt the very good help file would cover all the questions.

Sarcastically, I wonder why they thought I was sending the questions?
And if they knew where the answers were, why didn’t they tell me in a response?

So I’m still stuck. Pencil is good but has some things I didn’t find in the Owners manual.
I have Blender, GIMP, Google Sketch up and good ol’ MS Paint.
They all have different ways of doing things and all are great programs.
But they all have the same thing in common. NO Operator Lead Through!
No step by step Tutorial touching on every function of every tool.

By now your saying; “What’s he griping about, those are Free programs!”
And my answer to that is: “When I run across the program with the comfortable and useful help files, I’ll pay for it!”
I’ll pay for something that works!

We had lightening around us now, and I unplug everything, including the Antenna when the light show starts. Then I join the Dog under the Bed till it’s over.
See you tomorrow some time.

[Kanga]

Dick,…Dude!

The frustration you are feeling has nothing to do with intellect! However I will give you one tip. 3dsmax has the best help files and tutorial files around. I read the other day that anyone can get a free functional copy (actually any of the autodesk applications) by signing up as a home student. You are free to use the programs as long as you don’t make any commercial work with them.

I used Blender once and was surprised by how easy to use it was, the community on the forums welcomed me and gave me links and advice from the get go. I had no trouble with the application because I have been doing this every day for 10 years so no surprises there.

There were times I wanted to chuck my machine out the window for sure. I just had to learn step by step and use the internet like you are already doing. You will get the hang of it if you keep going.

Go get em tiger.

[thudpucker]

I’m wondering…just wondering.
What can I do to convince “Free Software to Students” that I am a Student. Also I have Collegiate Freshman Gran daughter in my house going to school.

You guys seem to like MAYA. What others might listen to me?

[JaredWhitney1]

You are provide vailable information to all people.thanks

[morisan]

I found this youtube channel by CGspectrum where they have a lot of beginner friendly intro videos on 3D character animation, making demo reels and concept art composition etc. I think they post their first lessons as free content and I found them really useful and accessable. Hope you guys can get some use out of it too!

http://www.youtube.com/user/thecgspectrum/videos?flow=grid&view=0

[luispages]

I thought I’d share this as it may be useful to some of you: www.indiegogo.com/vfxlearning

Please bear in mind that regardless of reaching the goal or not I will still release 3 Maya Dynamics courses, a RealFlow course as well as an Introduction to Maya for Effects. Each course is a bit over 12 hours of video and it will be in both English and Spanish.

Cheers

[vfxescapee]

I found this on the RealFlow Facebook community as well as the Autodesk Area: https://vimeo.com/58840072

www.vfxlearning.com

Mostly dynamics and effects material but they have an introduction to Maya course that covers the basics as well. Great instructors though…

[Kanga]

I’m wondering…just wondering.
What can I do to convince “Free Software to Students” that I am a Student. Also I have Collegiate Freshman Gran daughter in my house going to school.

You guys seem to like MAYA. What others might listen to me?

thudpucker sorry didnt see you there! You cant convince people to use free software because they will think that something expensive works better Free alternatives are just as good and sometimes better. Super specialty software will remain though because it is impossible to make free applications that cover everything.

I found this youtube channel by CGspectrum where they have a lot of beginner friendly intro videos on 3D character animation, making demo reels and concept art composition etc. I think they post their first lessons as free content and I found them really useful and accessable. Hope you guys can get some use out of it too!

links removed

Mostly dynamics and effects material but they have an introduction to Maya course that covers the basics as well. Great instructors though…

Thanks vfxescapee. That link doesnt seem to work though.

Cheers and thanks for the contribution.

[vfxescapee]

My bad, is fixed now.

[RGPorter]

This is fantastic information for those of us just starting out. I do have one quick question. You mentioned Graphics tablet. I was already looking at the Bamboo but was wondering, I’m looking at both the Capture and Create and wondered if one was better than the other or if it matters?

Again, thanks for the wonderful topic. I’ll be visiting this post often.