Tao Framework

2008-08-19T09:49:00.002+02:00

I won't like to say, that either Direct3D or OpenGL is the better implementation for bringing 3D Scenes on a 2D Screen.

I'm always trying to give everything a try, get an objectiv opinion and find out the pros and cons.

Trying both at the moment, I were looking around for a "managed OpenGL" - which, of course, isn't there, because OpenGL is written in C#'s (grand)parents.

But there are Frameworks trying to map the functions to managed code.
The most used and best ones I've found are:

Because of some very good Tutorials I found, i decided to give Tao Framework a try and up to now it's (ones more) exactly what I've been looking for.

Learning Blender

2008-08-01T07:50:00.006+02:00

Cause I'm doing lots of programming the whole time, I thought I've to get another hobby... (beside my family, working, studying once more, and my other hobbys)
I'm playing around with managed DirectX and for that I need 3D models to animate and so on.

Having lots of experience with Google Sketchup I think it's good for making "sketches" like the name says, but not for creating 3D-Models and animating.
A few days ago I read that Caligari TrueSpace 7.6 (which has been bought by Microsoft) is for free now. The tutorials looked as if it was exactly what I've been looking for.

But somehow while playing around, I gave Blender another try and et voilà, this time I got it. I really had fun with that program and after learning the basic things it got better and better. What a great program! (now ;-) )

If you try to learn Blender too and don't find the starting point, maybe you'll try the same way that worked for me.

Read Blender Documentation (German) - didn't find something on the same level and beeing up-to-date like this in english.
Read it and parallel try, including the chapter "Die erste Animation in 30 plus 30 Minuten"
After that chapter you have the real basics and know how to handle the, strange but very powerfull, user interface of Blender
Then I read the Issue #1 on Blenderart and made the roboter tutorial "Papero", including texturing and animating
After that tutorial i felt very comfortable working with blender
My next steps will be a) doing other issues from Blenderart, b) read on in "Blender Documentation" and c) maybe I'll give "Creature Factory" a try (when I'm a little bit more experienced)

After just a few days (half a week) I think I've passed the steepest part of the learning curve.

Knowledge is Power

Tao Framework

Learning Blender