• Aaron

  over 3 years ago

  For me this is a 2 to 3 star experience.

  The level of expertise you are getting access to is the best thing about the course. Luca is a genius and super knowledgeable. The first few intro videos are really useful for understanding the mechanics of ray tracing and some key node concepts that must be understood to have a shot at getting through the course.

  But for me, the format does not work for a few reasons...

  * The platform. Gumroad, Blendermarket, etc, are in my opinion the wrong platform for this. Downloading 8 gigs of files, storing them, correcting the file names, and playing them locally is a poor experience from the start. I'd *much* rather have this on a web-based platform where things are already organized for me and my progress is tracked.

  * The pace. It's scripted -- which gives it a feel of quality production -- but it's just too fast. It's somewhat possible to follow along and create the node trees up until probably the "02-DistanceField.mp4" video, which is in "/02-WallShader_Part01" (again, a web based video course platform -- any of them really -- would be way easier for us). At that point, the complexity jumps up about 5x and it's a serious struggle to stay on pace without constantly going back every few seconds. The density of information Luca is saying in just a few seconds requires time to understand and conceptually digest. I came into the course feeling adequately prepared, already familiar with nodes, how texture coords work, data types, a firm grasp on the math behind it all, etc, and I really struggled keeping up. At a point, I gave up on it being a course where you build along with the instruction. So I leaned back and just watched.

  Overall, the course felt more like a moment to moment showcase/explainer on what you can do with nodes, rather than an intentional experience where you are guided along as a student and building together. If you don't mind that kind of experience, then the course is great.

• 

  Jonathan Williamson

  over 3 years ago

  Hey Aaron, a better video course experience is something we're hoping to build on Blender Market very soon! I can't make any promises but it's on our radar.
• Oliver

  over 3 years ago

  While the raw knowledge presented in the video is great, the presentation feels rushed.

  What I specifically mean by that is that I rather would have liked longer explanations of why certain nodes where used and what considerations went into it rather than it being more about the process of creating the specific brick wall material. It just feels there is too much time used for specificity and too little for general knowledge.

  I am very aware that there is additional material to go through, but it feels jarring to constantly have to pause the main course to check up on supporting material, just to come back to the main videos to continue. Additionally the speed of the presentation made me pause and rewind a lot because I was still processing the information given prior.

  It's not a bad course, in the end I learned quite a bit; I would just not recommend it to anyone who needs a more structured, well paced course to learn.

• 

  Aidy Burrows

  over 3 years ago

  Hi Oliver,

  Thank you for your feedback!

  My intention with splitting the additional details about specific nodes into separate videos was to focus more on techniques in the main portion. And to avoid stretching it out too much for those who are already familiar with the nodes, while at the same time still having the extra information there for those who need it. But I recognise that this does not appeal to everyone, and understand how you could be bothered by having to consult separate videos.

  As for the general pacing, this was indeed something I was trying to figure out as I went, this being my first course. I agree that, particularly in the beginning of the course, there is room for improvement on this front. I don't know if you are done with the course, but I think by the second half the pacing improved quite a bit, so I'd love to hear if this is in fact the case or not.

  Thank you again for your feedback! This is all relevant information for us to take into account for a potential course update down the line!

  And in any case, I'm happy that you learned something along the way.

  Luca
• Grigoriy Ignatyev

  over 3 years ago

  I am impressed by the quality and attention to detail, from the basics to advanced techniques with explanations. A great choice for artists interested in procedural materials.

• Neil Richards

  over 3 years ago

  Already learnt a great deal from only a few of the videos, I will forever be in debt to Luca. Amazing knowledge and teaching - and big thanks for adding visuals to the mathematics - it helps my artsy brain understand finally!

• Displaying ratings 11-14 of 14 in total

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