Learning Blender on Udemy

I want to create cool 3D expressions

I want to create rich expressions in the browser, but I felt that 3D modeling was necessary.

I am not good with GUI tools.
There are so many menus, and when I click a button, if multiple things happen simultaneously, I feel uneasy. With command lines or code, I can read from the text, so I don't feel that anxiety. This accumulation of anxiety has solidified into the idea that GUI tools = troublesome.

So, I wondered if I could model by defining each vertex one by one, without using modeling tools like Blender, and started researching.
Three.js has various templates such as BoxGeometry and SphereGeometry.
However, these are all primitive shapes, and to create unique models, it's necessary to use BufferGeometry and write a large number of vertices.

The other day, when I consulted about this at a study session, I was gently encouraged to use modeling tools, but also taught methods that seemed achievable with just programming:

• Creating faces by combining triangles
• Fluid simulation
• Volume rendering

Fluid and volume seemed fun, but both required defining the positions of the reference vertices, and I felt that I couldn't make much progress without starting with the method of creating faces by combining triangles.
Nevertheless, my strong desire not to touch GUIs led me to painstakingly create vertices with BufferGeometry, but this is impossible...

Depending on the object, tens of thousands or more vertices might need to be set.
While programming offers convenient tools like loops and functions, there are parts, like curves, that are difficult to input manually.
To display high-quality models in a web browser, it's also necessary to reduce the number of vertices.
To do all of this with warm, manual effort would require something beyond sanity.

I chose Blender

The main reason is that it's free.
There might be better free tools out there, but I felt Blender was number one in terms of 'Googlability'.
Also, it's used by Studio Khara, famous for Evangelion, so it must be good.

Learning on Udemy

I was watching YouTube, but sometimes the content was in English, or I couldn't find the continuation of a series, or I was led to some paid page after getting to a good point.
Also, there's a large quantity of content, and creators have different approaches, making it difficult to grasp the essentials.

Therefore, I decided to focus my search on high-quality paid courses with a clear roadmap to completion.
Also, since there are no courses for the latest 4.x version, I decided not to stick to one Blender version but to switch between multiple Blender versions depending on the course.
The hardest part about learning a GUI tool is that the location of functions differs between versions. If you understand the concept of a function, you can find it yourself, but if you don't know anything, just searching becomes exhausting.

I decided to focus on courses by Umechan on Udemy.
After taking the courses, I particularly liked the following points:

1. Slow speaking pace

I adjust the playback speed of videos depending on their content and my condition.
When a fast speaker is slowed down, it can be difficult to understand, but when a slow speaker is sped up, I don't feel much discomfort.

2. Potential for further development

The courses also offered Shader and Grease Pencil topics, which made me excited about progressing to more advanced content after finishing the introductory parts.

1. 【First to Learn】Latest Blender 3.3 LTS 3DCG Modeling Intensive Course Part 1

Video duration: 3h

I learned the basic usage of Blender.
Although I had learned the basics from YouTube and other sources, I started here again with the assumption of knowing nothing to get a feel for the course.
There was a bear modeling exercise at the end, but since there's also modeling in the next aquarium course, I skipped it.

2. 【Definitive Edition of Comprehensive Blender Learning!!】Blender Aquarium Course

Video duration: 6.5h

This video was a bit more challenging than the first one, and it felt just right to watch this one after the first.
You can review how to use Blender while learning new techniques and advanced uses of known techniques.
Since the subject was a beautiful aquarium, I enjoyed learning it very much.
The first course focused more on how to use Blender, but this video taught me how to apply lighting and perform UV editing, focusing on use cases.

I'm glad I took the courses

My苦手意識 (aversion/weakness) towards GUIs has significantly decreased.
I still have minor concerns like "How do I re-display the operator tool?", but I plan to learn them little by little.

Not just Blender courses, but Udemy courses in general are often divided into 10-20 minute segments, which made it easier to progress by doing them in my spare time rather than all at once.
It was like, "Let's do one while the bath is filling up."

I'm so happy to have found a way to bring my mental images to life, which has broadened the scope of my future enjoyment.