Tutorial pool idea.

[Oshyan]

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Videos work well for some people and not for others, and they don't necessarily take significantly less effort than text. They're also virtually impossible to *collaborate* on effectively (at least with more than 2 or so people), which makes them a lot more of a burden for a single person, being unable to split up things into smaller tasks for different people to tackle, refine, improve, etc. That's the beauty of the wiki.

One could even imagine writing the base tutorial in the wiki over time (with possibly many different contributors), and then 1 person recording a video version *of* it. But I don't think it makes sense, given the already difficult time getting tutorials made available, to focus efforts on video. It just places the burden more on individuals who are, as we've seen, seldom have the time to fully produce something on their own. Imagine if, rather than having to single-handedly write the script for, record, and edit a tutorial of 30 minutes length, you could just write a couple of paragraphs, and others would fill in parts of it as well. A major long-term benefit of a collaborative approach is even if only 1 person contributes at a given time, as long as people keep making changes, jumping in when someone else stops working, the effort and improvement can continue.

- Oshyan

[TheBadger]

I agree 100%!

Im going to learn how to use the wiki page neon set up as an example, this weekend. And I will post links to all of the tuts I found with a brief description. That should give a good start at centralizing info, since the tuts I found are scattered across the internets. As I said, there is something like 30 of them just on deviantART alone, and I have found more in other places. Some of them by people in this community too! I have no idea why there not already here? Maybe where I found them is not where the author wanted them?
But as I said these tuts are just tips and tricks, puzzle pieces, that would have much more use when you know what the finished puzzle is supposed to look like.

So there still needs to be at least two or three, begin to end tuts from intermediate to advanced. I think there is already several good get started lessons. (but more would be nice too)

Having said that, Ill also try to make a good effort to plan out how to raise some cash and disperse it per the ideas given in this thread.

Everyone interested in this should please start thinking about the images they would most like to be walked through, and people who think $500 is an ok price should start thinking about which images they are willing to *part with*. Although please remember that the tut you author will likely be seen by hundreds, and possibly thousands of current and future TG2 users! So putting a link to your website, or product page, will be good exposure. Not to mention that you will be able to say that, not only are you a great TG2 user, you also teach TG2! Something that may sound nice on a resume  Just buttering your bread baby, just buttering your bread.

[TheBadger]

Hi,

I just learned to use the wikki, sorta. And I posted links to more than 20 tuts there. Some of you may not have seen them all. And new users probably haven't seen any of them.
Worth checking out

Also,

Please go to the new thread to post links to the images you would like to see tuts on.

Lastly,
There are some great ideas in this tread. I hope they will be developed!

[RedSquare]

calico ~

Video training is the very best.

Thank heavens, I'm sitting here thinking - what are they talking about,  everyone with one exception is discussing a written tutorial.  Solely written tutorials !  Good grief this is a graphic medium which in the main displays its wares via the brilliant contributions by all you lot.  The last thing I would want to do is to just read how you done it; I would want to see how you did it.

Now before everyone jumps on my head from a great height I have been training and educating for over 50 years and to accept the above as the be all and end all for prospective tutorials would be a grave error.  You have to fit the design to the purpose.  If one can demonstrate something on video more readily absorbed by which ever level of target audience you are aiming for, why on earth write the tutorial to the exclusion of any other forms of media.   Mix and match, mix and match. 

Of course there are perfectly valid reasons and examples of written tutorials, but please do not ignore other methods of delivering your pearls of wisdom.

Coming back to Terragen after almost five years away I was amazed at how few tutorials there seemed to be; but then I was perhaps expecting too much but as this is the home of Terragen, I still find it amazing that it appears on the surface that there aren't any.  No sticked FAQ thread either, so you lot must harbour amazing patience, when twits' like me ask the same questions over and over again.

Fortunately I remembered that you use Wiki, But where the hell is it, I thought ah! must be showing a direct link on the home page.  Nope.  Tutorial link perhaps, hmm, lo, I eventually found the link, but you don't 'arf make things awkward to find.

Bless everyone; you are doing a great job otherwise.   

[Tangled-Universe]

calico ~

Video training is the very best.

Coming back to Terragen after almost five years away I was amazed at how few tutorials there seemed to be; but then I was perhaps expecting too much but as this is the home of Terragen, I still find it amazing that it appears on the surface that there aren't any.  No sticked FAQ thread either, so you lot must harbour amazing patience, when twits' like me ask the same questions over and over again.

There's a FAQ here, written by me:
http://www.nwdanet.com/terragen-tutorials/63-terragen-2-faq
I think I need to revisit this one, as some relevant changes to TG2 have been made in the meantime.

There are some good reasons stated in this thread why there aren't many tutorials.
Briefly, it's so difficult to write a decent one as the subject gets complex very quickly and you need to make it accessible to as many people as possible. Together with possible language barriers this all in all isn't very easy.
As said before Terragen 2 is more like a kind of language rather than having a very fixed workflow.
This is something I like to address though on my personal website, some time.
It will all be video for sure

[RedSquare]

Oh thank you very much for that link; I shall read and absorb later this evening.  Thanks Martin, much obliged.   

Video, exactly; if there is a language barrier then at least the viewer can follow your steps even if s/he doesn't  understand fully your explanation.  Plus I do not know many 3D modelling programs with only one way of (skinning the cat) work flow that is.   

[TheBadger]

I fully support people who want to do videos! I will even pledge right here and right now, to help with graphics or even rendering for the examples.
Although with rendering, it will depend a lot on what you want. A schedule will have to be planned. And I would not want my system tied up for more than 10-15 hours at a time. But the offer will stand.

Yes I want written tuts, preferably in pdf form. But my intention was just to get 2 or 3. I have a very long list why written is ideal. After the 2-3, I hope there will be lots of video tuts!

[Snowflake]

Hmm, here is really a discussion about the sense of TG tutorials 

Its a question how many time you can spend in a software to learn. If you have NO time, video Tuts are the efficient way to learn a Software in some hours. Specially TG is not innovative to handle becuase it is not visual GUI based most time. Its mathematic based with tweaking numbers and try and error is frustrated with hours of render times to see the result and if you are on the right way....

Other CG-Software packes have always tons of high Quality basic or advanced Tutorials Online for free, also as for pay or as DVDs.

Perhaps TG isn't so popular and it's difficult to sell a 5 hour advanced DVD for 49$ very often?

Here is a serie of Beginners Tutorial start - i found from CGScenery.com:

http://www.cgscenery.com/basic

I hope this Video series goes to advanced stuff for setup realistic looking settings and scenes.
Thanks!

[SteveR]

Just saw this thread and I actually think the OP has a great idea. As a newbie, I really could do with some structured videos (my preferred choice) that will take me through doing the basics but actually explaining the nodes. It is very hard work otherwise using the wiki and trying to work out the nodes and what each slider means. The tutorials I have completed from community members are great - and I am very grateful for them -  they showed me around the interface and I got a result, but they have been fairly click this, do this and you should get that.

So, for example, this is how you make a fractal landscape and this is how you mask it, why this can be helpful - and I'll explain the node settings as I go and which ones are important and which ones not to worry about so much.

I would suggest it focused on the just most useful node types and makes sure it covers enough to get someone from zero to being able to do an moderately complex scene. This way it gives people the understanding of the logic. Any tutorials must in my opinion clarify how the nodes interact. Once the common nodes are understood and how they interact then the other nodes can be learnt more easily from the wiki.

Decent and detailed getting started and an understanding the essential nodes in TG seem to me to be vital - surely would drive some sales as well. The nature of the software is such is that it can take a long time to experiment, it isn't like my other 3d packages where I can make a change and my real time hires preview changes in a second or so (it's an awesome way to work) - I get that this is not possible in TG (although I am hoping the TG3 preview is a lot quicker) but this for me is an absolutely vital reason why some detailed beginners stuff is needed. It is taking me way longer than I anticipated so far.  I know the power is there and so is the result but it absolutely should not be this hard.

So, although this is an old thread I for one would happily contribute if anything ever got off the ground. Will there be any new material from Planetside for the TG3 launch?

Also, thanks for the link Snowflake to the CG tuts - had not seen them - will have a gander now

Cheers all, hope I have not come across all whingy - don't mean to be!! I really am grateful for the user tutorials and the help people have given me on this forum - everyone is very supportive - hopefully I can return some of the advice one day!

Cheers
S