Anyone ever used Blender?

No Im not talking about Futurama its a 3D animation package which someone told me about a few months ago and ive just started playing with
it this weekend.

Its free and it absolutely fantastic if not bloody complicated!!

With Youtube tutorial help ive managed to create a photo-realistic logo. Now the PC is animating a video sequence flyby which takes 3 seconds in real time but the software is estimating 9 hours to complete!!

Anyone was so impressed had to post here, here's my logo

 

Nope But believe it or not I used the work with 3D Studio Max and Lightwave, plus many other animation packages for non linear digital video editing, I built systems for Sky MTV and even Mira, days gone by, all I have now is a collection of old T shirts and some out of data software, also had some low end stuff like Uleads Cool 3d and media studio, back then it was all new, high end real time capture cards by Matrox were 10 grand and the first plasma TVs were 20k! Now you can capture and edit on a smart phone pmsl....I think looking back I should have stayed where I was, I was top of my game but sadly life had a calling back out of the office, perhaps I saved myself....lol

 

Wow Art you always amaze me with the thinks you've done! I love the video editing and this 3D modelling is really cool. Would love my job to be more creative, currently supposed to be a technical specialist for an IT company but not much room for creativity there

 

lol, thanks mate, yep spent a few years networking too (still look after a few offices networks on call to this day!) ultimate brain dead stuff, novel netwear and Windows NT at the time, yes animation was great! Music, film footage and all the glam some times, even did a demo day for a guy who shot porn for a living, can you slow mo that, hell yeah..lol Animation sequences used to be made up of single frame stills, exported as TGA image sequences with an Alpha channel so they can be keyed over other footage, you could also apply motion paths for them to follow plus add transitions to the sequence too, simple stuff once your shown how. Antialiasing, volumetric ligting, rendering lense flare and all that were topics of the day...lol

 

I'm a Windows NT MCSE, haha those were the days eh! Never bothered keeping it up to date mind..

Yeah all those sorts of effects are in this Blender Art, just cant believe its a free piece of software tbh as seems to do everything! Some of the effects people have produced on youtube are amazing.

OK OK here's one I just found

 

FREE that's amazing! I love a good rushes reel! Does look good, does this mean LC and his possy will be taking to the air?

Only know one person now in mainstream editing now and we became aquanted through the bikes

 

haha well never rule it out Great thing about it is there some really good Blender sharing sites so you can download other peoples models etc. Anyway as the PC is estimating now 3 hours to finish rendering this 90 frame video I may need a new PC!

I may have heard of this chap of which you speak..

 

Another vid, how cool would a transformer blade be for the Wombleator haha. As you can see quite some tool for a freebie

 

lol, a new PC hay, think big mate, render farm is what you need....lol Push the Honda over and make way for some racking...lol
A all these fast PCs and Macs maybe quick but they ain't real time yet!

 

Get it from here Remal, seems to be a Mac version also so your in luck

Download - blender.org - Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software

 

OK another effort with some mood lighting

 

Thanks LC, I might have a little play (although, old dog new tricks might prevail) with this over a bottle of wine during the Christmas break. Have a good one mate.

 

Thanks same to you freedom, I should be in the garage working on the bike all the pannels are removed ready for a good clean up and some maintainance / upgrades.. But still playing and watching YouTube vids on how to use Blender!

Missus is getting pissy as says I may as well be working if I'm going to spend all christmas on the laptop.. She has a point, time to crack the Christmas chocs and watch a chrimbo movie this afternoon I think

 

You should be creative enough to get a load of the company tin working as a render farm for your stuff

And you call yourself a techie