sprites

[Paoletti301]

I use MS Paint and use Paint.NET to do what MS Paint can't. Then I use GIMP to do the fix it up.

why not just cut out the middle man and do it all in gimp?

[LB]

Because using a monstrous interface for something simple can be awkward?

[BHX]

No, monstrous interface is Blender :o.

[Duthomhas]

In what way is Blender's interface "monstrous"?

Because it isn't clunky like all those other programs? Or because you don't understand it?

I personally find it much more convenient than Softimage XSI's interface.

But then, I don't mind memorizing keyboard shortcuts so I don't have to keep clicking buttons and menus to do simple stuff.

[Paoletti301]

Because using a monstrous interface for something simple can be awkward?

its only monstrous if you dont spend anytime to learn it.

and if you want to use gimp like a better mspaint, it doesnt take to long to learn the basics ( which that in itself is much more powerful than paint )

in all honesty it take much more time to make something look good in paint then it does in gimp (inkscape is also really great at that, in fact id highly recommend doing art in inkscape then touching that up in gimp )

[Duthomhas]

I don't like the current version of GIMP (2.8). There are a number of little UI issues that drive me bonkers. One of these days (when I have the time to dink with it) I'm gonna reinstall 2.6.

[BHX]

Don't get me wrong, Blender is a great modeller and even has a game engine so you could make you own games and even I play with it every now and then just to keep fresh on the shortcuts. That said, even the community said the learning curve for the interface is harder than the commercial tools. I think the whole appeal of Blender is that it is free, and just as good as a commercial modeller, but if 3DS Max still had GMax and allowed you to use your files in games without a license, I think Blender would have suffered a loss.

[Duthomhas]

Blender has some stuff that commercial tools are trying to catch up to. (Of course, the reverse is true too...)

But the whole issue is that commercial 3D modelling tools use the standard Windows/Mac GUI-style interface. Which for a piece of software like a CAD program or 3D modelling suite, is clunky.

Blender uses a superior interface. It streamlines your workflow and allows you to organize each of your workspaces with non-overlapping windows. The trouble is, people are so accustomed to the Windows/Mac style GUI that they have a hard time using a better design.

But seriously, it takes all of a day to learn to use it.

[BHX]

Last time I used it was in my college degree. I made a low poly character that had a run animation. I made the character human looking, but the run made him look like he was running bow-legged. I got an A, but it was so ugly and comical at the same time.

[N36fSL3A]

Just because you think it's better doesn't mean everybody does. You basically said everyone is wrong to think that a non-blender interface is best.

[Duthomhas]

Yes, I did. "Better" is a subjective term, and since we're arguing subjectives here, I think my opinion is just as valid as BHXSpecter's, and is a good counter-balance to his blanket assertation that Blender's UI is "monstrous".

Industry professionals who use different programs typically have little difficulty learning to use Blender.

The loudest group of Blender UI haters is from newbies who couldn't get past the first hour with the thing. I personally don't think they'd get very far with a different program either -- there is more to know than just the interface.

Blender does have its warts -- but so does Softimage XSI, for example.

I'm just of the mind -- and so are hard-core Blender users -- that a richer command-set is more productive than your typical Windows GUI. I can do things in Blender with just a couple of keystrokes that XSI wants me to navigate through menus to do every time.

For a tool you plan to use intimately and productively, it isn't a waste of time to have to learn it.

[BHX]

@Lumpkin

Duoas said nothing wrong. In fact, he made me start thinking back to when I learned it and my college course that had me make things for game development.

I was just thinking. While I am comfortable with Blender and still get bored and do models and animations for fun, I did start thinking of the term 'monstrous'. I used it to talk about the learning curve, but I just realized another term to describe the features and abilities it does give you 'humongous'. While yes the Interface does pose the largest learning curve for Blender, it is also one of its strong points. I know a few people that can make models in Blender in a matter of an hour that would take hours in the other modellers. They keyboard shortcuts is another one of Blender's strong points and if you learn to master them you are golden (though it is the other half of the learning curve). Of course if you know Python, you can make a full game with its engine. So really, while Blender has a steep learning curve, it is way better to learn it than the commercial products as learning it will make learning them much easier with their dumbed down UI.

[N36fSL3A]

I'm sure no ones going to make a medium-ish game+ in blender.

Honestly looking at Python code and playing around with it the last few weeks, I realized my ignorance in saying it has no uses.

But at the same time, looking at large scripts the code just looks messy. I spend more than 20 mins looking up what variable is what in Notepad++. It's really unpleasant. (This is Blender code)

===
Off topic:

On a scale of one to ten, how good are you in Blender? I can only make simple stuff, like concrete barricades and simple buildings for my game (essentially just cubes with textures :P)

[BHX]

Lumpkin wrote:

I'm sure no ones going to make a medium-ish game+ in blender.

Lumpkin wrote:

Honestly looking at Python code and playing around with it the last few weeks, I realized my ignorance in saying it has no uses.

And now you can add your remark about Blender to it too.
Full List:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?256650-Quality-Blender-Games-LINKS

Z-Virus 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_uoeP1yIw&list=UUhHVH9uDG_ZXx0RHe5C_R9g&index=6&feature=plcp

Another FPS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QGVckVz2CU&feature=relmfu

Juggernaut Timelapse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1j4iSyMrGE

[N36fSL3A]

I actually saw both of those games before. They're nice.

By the way, I never said it was a bad modeler. Python code just looks messy to me on a large scale, however on a small scale it's fine. Maybe it's just a beginners thing.

[3qX21hU5]

It all depends on how you structure your code and how you make use of different modules. Obviously if you stick all your Python code into one module it will look like a mess and would be hard to navigate (Just like if you had all your C++ code in a single source file).

For Python I like how they use Package's (Like namespace's) personally to help organize projects.

For example

Project/
|-- bin/
|   |-- project
|
|-- project/
|   |-- game/
|   |   |-- __init__.py
|   |   |-- gameWorld.py
|   |   |-- playerController.py
|   |   |-- ect. ect.

|   |-- menu/
|   |   |-- __init__.py
|   |   |-- menuStuff.py
|   |   
|   |-- __init__.py
|   |-- main.py
|
|-- setup.py
|-- README

So you have different packages for each of your major components of your project. That way when you need something from lets same menu you just have to type from menu import menuStuff.

But generally you don't want a huge module with like 500+ LOC if you can avoid it, just like in every language you want to break things up so it is easier to navigate your project.

[N36fSL3A]

Thanks for the info, I guess the blender coders don't have the best practices in the world. I saw a MD2 exporter and it was obfuscated af.

Some declarations were hundreds of lines up, a complete mess.