Rigging tutorial from www.3dmastermind.com

[franky]

did anybody buy it and might share their opinions? i am looking at it but i am unsure of how much advanced the topics are covered.
i look for quite in depth and advanced material, like 3d quakers stuff. the sample movies dont show a lot to get an impression imho.

[Leo]

Hey Franky,
This is something i'd be interested to know too, though I'm in the other side of the spectrum, looking for intermediate stuff, the next step after DT stuff, I guess...
So, anyone willing to share??

[paulrus]

Well, from what I saw it's done by Manny from Softimage so I'm guessing it's top notch stuff. Manny built an inch worm rig for me that was really sweet a while back.

So if you want to base your purchase on reputation, Manny certainly knows what he's talking about.

PG

[3DMastermind]

Hey Franky.

Thanks for your interest.

I have had an overwhelming demand for the Training Kit, not only from XSI users but from other packages also and am really grateful.
It does start with the basics and in a progressive rate gets more and more advanced.
I show everything you need to create and animate rigs for your characters and move on to more complex issues like:
-Rigging/Shaping the face/jaw for a cartoon and human character, also includes lattices.
-Blending facial shapes/expressions/dialogue via a custom panel
-Muscle bulging on bicep by distance expression with sliding skin. (Something I don't do but helps to understand rigging in depth).
If you already know how to tackle these areas then you may already be at the same level.
One thing's for sure, I am quite sure that everyone will be more confident in the character rigging and animation process after viewing the vids.

[Leo]

Hey Mammy,

The content certainly goes beyond my knowledge but I guess that's the idea, right? I'm sold! Heading to your website right now... ;)

If I weren't away on a trip, I guess I could pick up the kit with you in person, since I live 3 blocks away form SI, hehe...

[ViCoX]

Thankyou, I bought this kit and it looks sweet.
I was just wondering whats the stuff about this product being nodelocked? I can watch it on one machine only? : )

[franky]

thanks manny for the explanations.

[Scabyx]

Hey Manny

Thx for this great staff, but please help me. How can i buy it from you without using Paypal, cause it is a bit difficult in hungary to use this staff. Is there any other method, with i can buy this amazing Tut DVD from u, buddy.

Thanks in advance

Scabyx/hungary

[3DMastermind]

There are alternatives...
You can send your enqiery to 3dmastermind@live.ca
and they will reply with details.

[Scabyx]

Manny Thanks!! :-)


I will do that.

Heyho

[bblevins]

did anybody buy it and might share their opinions?

I just got it and have watched the first 11 sections. (of 47) and here are my thoughts thus far. I'll follow-up with more thoughts as I go through the sections.

I'll state up front that I think this is one of the best tutorial videos I have bought. I would say it is geared to intermediate users. (If you like the 3D Quakers stuff, you like this as well.)

The pace of the demos are just right. Easy enough to follow without skipping information. In comparison, I find the Digital Tutors stuff moving too slow for me and aimed at people very new to XSI. The 3DMastermind tutorial is well placed as a follow-up to the Artist's Guide that comes with the XSI software.

Another thing I like so far is that Manny shows multiple ways to do things, eyes for example, teeth another one. Manny gives a brief example on alternate methods and explains why he may prefer one over another.

Manny is using XSI foundation, so everyone can use the tutorial.

The tutorial is locked to your system and you'll need to register and activate it before you can watch. Depending on when you email your registration code, this could take a day. This should have been done while I was waiting for the disk in the mail. In the future, I hope this process is streamlined.

On the whole, I'm very happy with the product and recommend it to every XSI user.

Now, onto the next section!

-B

[ViCoX]

The tutorial is locked to your system and you'll need to register and activate it before you can watch. Depending on when you email your registration code, this could take a day. This should have been done while I was waiting for the disk in the mail. In the future, I hope this process is streamlined.
-B
Damned.
Can you request multiple nodes? Its just that theres couple of guys at work that would like to watch this too.
Great to hear positive things about it, though. : )
I wonder how long shipping takes to finland.. : (

[dbachmann]

i would buy it instantly, but I do not like node locked tutorials, mainly i work on one main workstation and want to watch and do some work with the tutorial there, but in the evening I like to sit down with my laptop and go through tutorials, node locking is not very handy for this.

it is great that 3dtutorials have removed the node locking on their tutorials, maybe 3dmastermind tutorials could come with at least 2 nodes, so mobile and stationary learning can be possible.

[franky]

i bought tutorials form charbel and mr. salzmann and both gave me 2 codes for my home and my office system without any hesitation. that doesn't mean they do this on regularly basis, that just means that you can ask for it and not take everything as given ;)

[3DMastermind]

Hi Bryan, thanks for your great review and quote:
"I'll state up front that I think this is one of the best tutorial videos I have bought."
This is really rewarding. I worked hard and took my time on this project to make sure that users will tackle rigging and animation without any uncertainty or hesitation after viewing the tutorials. I have even spoken to pros that insisted that they would change their ways :)

Thanks again.

[mechis]

Manny asked me to post up my thoughts on the tutorial... so here I am :)

I got the dvd a week ago and like it a lot. Previous to this, I had seen the 3dquakers video, which is also excellent. I'd compare them by saying that the 3d quakers video is like watching an artist in production, while 3dmastermind is like watching a teacher. Also, the 3dquakers video shows you how to make the rig step by step, but he doesn't really explain why certain things he does are the best way to work. 3dmastermind does.

Also, what I like about this video is that it's full of little tips and tricks that I had never known about. Topics he covers are: basic rigging theory, basic shape rigging (sphere head), basic human rig, biped guide, toon facial rig/slider panel, realistic human jaw, and a simple animation test.

I'd say this is geared for beginner/intermediates and that it pairs well with the 3d quakers rig. I'm happy with it and look forward to more videos from Manny.

As a suggestion to Manny, I hope he will consider producing videos on lighting design for animation (using standard XSI lights), or the rendertree. I'd pick up those videos immediately.
~Mechis

[ebbmeister]

I've just finished watching it too and would highly recommend it.

It's closer to a 3dquakers title than a Digital Tutors in terms of complexity. The pace is just right and as already mentioned Manny normally shows or describes several ways of achieving a similar result and, more importantly for me, explains his preferred method of working and why.

I like to purcahase intermediate to advanced DVDs to look at other people's workflow, to see if I'm missing a trick or two, or just for confirmation that I'm doing things in an efficient manner. You get the impression from this DVD that Manny knows exactly what he's talking about and that his methods are refined from experience.

The difference bewteen a title like this and a rigging DVD from Digital Tutors is that the empahsise is not simply on tool explanations, but more one best practises in real world situations.

I look forward to the bext title from 3Dmastermind.com!

Cheers
Phil

[alvin_cgi]

I am just wondering possible you can provide the download option?:biggrin:

Alvin

[mechis]

The tutorial is 2.4 gb (664min)... I doubt a download option is very feasible...
~Mechis

[alvin_cgi]

I see... 2.4 GB isn't too bad for broadband I guess, after compression should be smaller. I bought some video tutorials were all above 1.5 but less than 2, and download them didn't take too long.

The tutorial is 2.4 gb (664min)... I doubt a download option is very feasible...
~Mechis

[EricTRocks]

I don't think it has to do with file size specifically, more the cost of bandwidth. It ain't cheap.

Eric T.

[mechis]

Yeah, that's what I meant. Big filesize means lots of bandwidth.
~Mechis

[Zac-Donald]

I wish I could afford this atm, how forgiving is this tutorial for beginners? I don't have much experience with rigging besides the basics in maya, and I'm still fairly new to 3D and XSI in general.

[mechis]

It's great for beginners. Also, considering how much material is covered, the price is more than fair.

Manny explains stuff pretty well and if you don't completely understand, just post questions on the forums :)

~Mechis

[Leo]

Hey Zac, we're basically in the same boat... I bought this tutorial from Manny but haven't gone through it yet cause I also purchased several other tutorials/books + all the free available resources online, I have my hands full!!

But if you're a real beginner like myself, I'd suggest you also get Digital Tutors rigging DVDs and go through them before Manny's. This way, your time with 3DMasterMind will be much more productive since you'll already be familiar with the terms, tools and basic rigging workflow.

Of course, I couldn't resist and already installed my 3DMasterMind tut to take a sneak peek and trust me, it's no Digital Tutors... I wish there were more intermediate titles like this one, which would actually TEACH you instead of just SHOWING you how to get things done.

[Zac-Donald]

I found digital tutors slow, it repeatedly over explains the same tools in each lesson. As long as it doesn't skip steps I think I'd be happy skipping over Digital tutors, plus 50$ is like a week of work for me (and that could of been a video game :P)

[Leo]

Hey Zac, then by all means, skip to 3DMasterMind, I'm positive you won't regret!!

[SharonLee]

I've got to agree 100%. I've recently migrated from "another" 3d application here at work and I needed to get up to speed with rigging in XSI quickly. I purchased the 3DMastermind DVD and I've been working my way through it. I've got to say that I think it's really good.

What do I like about it? Well for starters it explains things very well without spending a lifetime getting to the point, in other words it is paced very well. The instructor obviously knows what he is talking about and presents the material in a clear and concise manner without a lot of umm's and ahhh's like some other DVD training that I recently purchased from another "Official Training Partner".

This DVD by 3DMastermind on the other hand is a joy and I can highly recommend it to anyone who really wants to learn beyond what is contained in the documentation and included help files.

So thanks Manny, this DVD is a big help.

Sharon

[AaronKent]

I just got to the half way point of the disks. For anyone interested in upping their xsi rigging and animating chops this training kit is well worth the dollars. I was a little hesitant about the node locking, but the videos work fine. I would say that these tutorials are not for a beginner, you should be a able to naviagate the application well, and understand the core concepts of 3D. Manny's pace is the aspect of this material I appreciate the most. I mentoined this in another post. He doesn't handle you with kid gloves. Be prepared to keep up, but expect to learn quite a bit in the process. If I had a wish list I'd like to see some more expressions / scripted operators training from 3Dmastermind, but, considering the quality of the first release I'm sure what ever Manny brings to the table next will be well worth the price.

cheers

AK

[juffi101]

Hi everyone,
I bought the tuts 3 weeks ago, and for me as a beginner in character animation its perfect.
everything well explained, worth every dollar....but would be cool if it´s downloadable...for us european guys
cheers j

[mechis]

If I had a wish list I'd like to see some more expressions / scripted operators training

Check out the scripting video from 3dtutorial. It covers that material very well.
~Mechis

[3DQUAKERS]

I also recommend the 3dtutorial scripting tutorial.

For those interested in scripted operators and plugin develpement for rigging TD's, something is coming your way from 3DQUAKERS.com. More info and a demo will be out soon.
I don't want to hijack this thead though. If you guys have any questions, feel free to email me.

[alvin_cgi]

... also would be cool if it´s downloadable...for us down under guys... cheers:cool2:

Hi everyone,
I bought the tuts 3 weeks ago, and for me as a beginner in character animation its perfect.
everything well explained, worth every dollar....but would be cool if it´s downloadable...for us european guys
cheers j

[dbachmann]

Ok, i bought the set and it is such a good thing to have done it!

A lot of things about rigging and the inner workings of the animation mixer, parameter editor, expressions and shape modeling mode became a lot clearer.

Before this tutorial I struggled a lot to understand the difference and usage of 2D/3D chains and where to blend IK/FK. It also helped a lot to see how volume constraints can be used effectively for limitation of controllers.

Another good thing is, Manny does not repeat himself over and over and goes straight forward, showing why he is doing something and why another method is for example outdated. For me the speed and method of teaching is just perfect.

Overall this is bang for your buck! at this pricetag it is a no brainer to purchase the set and step forward in understanding rigging in XSI. With this base you can do a lot.

And beside the quality of the content, the quality of support from Manny is great also. He gave me another license, so that I can work on my main workstation and on my laptop, thanks again for all, Manny!

Give it a try, this set is one of the best Tutorials for Intermediates/Pro's available.

Daniel

[alvin_cgi]

I awaiting mine to arrive...:yes:

Ok, i bought the set and it is such a good thing to have done it!

A lot of things about rigging and the inner workings of the animation mixer, parameter editor, expressions and shape modeling mode became a lot clearer.

Before this tutorial I struggled a lot to understand the difference and usage of 2D/3D chains and where to blend IK/FK. It also helped a lot to see how volume constraints can be used effectively for limitation of controllers.

Another good thing is, Manny does not repeat himself over and over and goes straight forward, showing why he is doing something and why another method is for example outdated. For me the speed and method of teaching is just perfect.

Overall this is bang for your buck! at this pricetag it is a no brainer to purchase the set and step forward in understanding rigging in XSI. With this base you can do a lot.

And beside the quality of the content, the quality of support from Manny is great also. He gave me another license, so that I can work on my main workstation and on my laptop, thanks again for all, Manny!

Give it a try, this set is one of the best Tutorials for Intermediates/Pro's available.

Daniel

[mongo1515]

i'll add my 2 cents in as well. just got the dvd two days ago; got the key the following morning (wish there was some other way rather than nodelocking, but i understand...)

i've watched about a quarter of them so far, and the tutorials are excellent. i particularly like the fact that we see manny follow straight-forward workflows to get things done. i've followed other more involved tutorials before, but there's something to watching someone focus on a piece of the workflow, and see them do it a number of ways; the key shortcuts and overall plan begin to make more sense. i would recommend these for anyone who is not already an expert.

wish it had come with xsi originally, but whaddayagonnadoo?

[Optic_Nerve]

Hey guy,

Quick word here. I have bought my copy tree weeks ago and I am half way trough... not skipping(I like to hear what the narrator has to say or ad about the topics covered and get lessons recap also) . So far it is really paying off... and recommend to anyone who are only interested in a few topics covered in the dvd like I was.

Satisfied!!! Always looking forward to my next tutorial... worth the price, do not rip.

Cheers

[norvman]

My 2 cents too...

I have just about ever XSI rigging tutorial that has been made...

This one really hits a lot of nails on the head that have been needing to be hit in all the others...

I by far would not trade in my other tutorials for nuthin'

there is so much stuff to cover on so many things in Rigging in XSI...

but the really nice thing that Manny's tutorials do is not just show you how to set up a rigg in the myrid number of ways that he does... With bones and deformers.... but also using the shape manager, Parameter connection editor, Animation Mixer, building your own in scene controllers so your not having to hunt through the explorer window for controllers all the time...

And having all that information you quickly beginnin' to understand why his rigg is built the way it is...

It's sort of a "how to build a rigg and why you want to build it that way" Tutorial...

which I would have to say is lacking feature of just about every other tutorial out there up and to this point... (some go into it a bit .... others doin't cover that at all...)

Again I wouldn't do without my other XSI tutorials at all .... but this one definately needs to be on your resource list... and if I was new to XSI Rigging... I would purchase this one first... Simply because of this one's 'get you up and running quick and effecent nature"...

You can tell Manny put some work into it. This is not a "ow I geuss we will knock off another tutorial... type product"

JMHO

[leif]

I will have to agree with everyone here about this DVD and without repeating what is being said in this thread - 1. Excellent structure, 2. Great pace of learning, 3. Never gets boring.

My only complaint would be to say: "Manny, where were you when I did my Characters training at Escape Studios in London?. I would have come to Canada and bought the DVD from you directly and still saved a lot of money!!? :) "

Looking forward to the next set of tutorials from Manny, that's for sure!

Leif

[alvin_cgi]

No need to repeating what is being said... EXCELLENT!:D

Where is the next set of tutorials, Manny:hammer:




Alvin

[Sarford]

I'm waiting eagerly for my copy to arive.

It would have been better if it wern't node locked and if I could play it on OS X since most of my work is done on my macs (PPC's so no bootcamp for me), but you can't have it all I guess.

I still wanna have my grubby little hands on it as quick as possible though :D

[teamcarlisle]

I got this a few weeks ago, I didn't even have time to get through the first video, but I learned a lot just from the little I watched. Great dvd! On the down side, I upgraded to vista from xp, and apparently the OS is part of the Hardware ID for the node lock, when I went to re-install the dvd it gave me a completely different ID, so I have to request another liscense :(

[Zac-Donald]

just got my debt card back today, gonna order this along with my dvd drive I forgot to order with the rest of my comp :-P

EDIT: How longs does shipping to the usa take?

[xande3d]

I got my dvd a few weeks ago and due to some heavy work over the past couple of months i couldn't start watching until now,but I learned a lot just from the very little I watched. I am one of those guys migrating from 3dsmax so i have found the dvd very useful to help me wrap my head around this amazing app. http://community.softimage.com/images/icons/icon7.gifhttp://community.softimage.com/images/icons/icon13.gif

[Zac-Donald]

Just got it today, but I need to reformat my computer, so I'll do that before I activate :-\