[Catflavor]

First of all I want to say that the videos I have followed are really helpful. Please, keep them coming!!

Here's my constructive feedback: I'd like to hear more explanation of the steps I am following. I just did the lavalamp tutorial and although I have created something really cool which I wouldn't have known how to do on my own, I still don't have a great understanding of what the reasons were for many of the steps in the tut.

For example:

That copying and scaling of glass, air and liquid layers....I understand that it was all about making the materials visible through each other, creating refraction and allowing the lights to shine out...but I didn't get a good feel for why some materials faced one way, and others the other etc. A few choice words along the way would have been really helpful

Likewise with the particle systems, I didn't know what effect the many variables in the particle system and the wind had. I could make a guess at some, but it would have been a great time to say "this makes the particles float up", "this gives them some turbulence", "this makes them fuse together when they get close to each other" and so on. As it was, by chance I built my model at roughly twice the size of the one in the tut, so I had to experiment to make it work for me.

At the end of a good tut you've got a model which looks like the one in the vid. Whereas at the end of a really good tut you know why it works and how to tweak it.

I know that in all of this I can just experiment, and I do. But I am totally new to LW, so it might take a few people like me to ask those questions and ask for those features or comments that you experienced folk who create the vids must know as second nature.

...I'll probably find this has all been addressed in the vids I haven't downloaded yet!

[Bakura]

Yeah I'd Have to agree too. Not that there wasn't anything wrong with the tutorial It would just make us understand more of what were doing and why.

I too just finished the lava lamp tutorial and that was great

I just wish I could do the Animation and make the lava
But I can't becuase we have to pay to get points and we need points in order to download.

Why pay?? Aren't Tutorials supposed to be lessons avaliable to everyone for learning purposes?? So we can have a much better understanding of the program and its tools....

[Johnny9ball]

"Why pay?? Aren't Tutorials supposed to be lessons avaliable to everyone for learning purposes?? So we can have a much better understanding of the program and its tools...."

Well it costs money to run a website like this and it costs lots of money to pay for the bandwidth for all these people to download these big files trust me it isnt cheap.

Do me a favor and go try to buy a DVD training video and see what you get for what your paying. On average you pay 50$ to 60$ usd for 60 mins of training. Here 45 to 60 mins of High Quality training from Philip costs you ohh about 4 or so dollars. Go right now and buy a video for 60$ that lasts 60 mins and watch it. That is.....if you think its worth it.

By the way they are offering free Tutorials here, they are free for you but they cost them money to make and money each time someone downloads them.

If you just save a little bit you can easly pay for the videos. Even if you are to young save your allowance from mom and dad and ask them to buy you points with there credit card if you dont have one. Or ask for points for your Birthday

I just finished the Mclaren tutorials up to #7 and let me tell you they are Awsome in there Quality and Philips teaching and 3D ability I learned Tons.

[adldesigner]

Originally posted by Bakura
Why pay?? Aren't Tutorials supposed to be lessons avaliable to everyone for learning purposes?? So we can have a much better understanding of the program and its tools....

Dude, I don't want you to take this wrong at any level, I'm a quite comprensive guy, and I pretty much like helping people out -even though at times a can be really obnoxious- but ...uhh ....
What world do you live in?!

I won´t bother explaining why you have to pay for 50 megs videos -and more- since our friend Johnny made an excellent remark refering to that point. However I would love to know where did you learn the "Aren't Tutorials supposed to be lessons avaliable to everyone for learning purposes??" bit.

Cheers from an overly sincere pal, :beer:

[Catflavor]

Johnny was right, the tuts here are exceptionally good value for what you get. It pains me to say that, cos I hope the prices don't go up

As a comparison I have the "get into seven" series, which are also great, but deal more with concepts than guiding you through a project. They would usually cost you a load more than these tuts, but they came free with LW for me ) very helpful.

Anyway....we digress.

[quaoar]

Nothing but praise for Philip!!! If I could've afforded to go to Germany his beer would be on my tab..... that being said.....$22.00 us couldn't be spent anywhere else for the value it gets you here...So to everyone at all of the "simply" sites I say keep it up!!!! although Cat has a point too....maybe going into why you picked one tool over another and the same with fx... would be supremely helpful...

[quaoar]

afforded? is that even a word? lol

just so you guys know, myself and philip where discussing videos for the shop the other day and there could be a "tools" video comming soon

this wont be like the "project" type tutorials in the vip area but more explanitry and example orientated