Reply To: COLLAB2021 – HQ – Stylized Fantasy Environment

@theluthier – While I did not participate on the backhoe team, I attend all but one of the live streams.  I am confident that I learned several new things during each session.  The participants were excited and supported each other in a truly collaborative fashion.  There were interesting discussions – such as:  if a screw won’t be seen do you still model it?  The stretching exercises were always welcomed.  In the end, a phenomenal complex model was created.  Coming into this Spice Vendor’s House project, this community has an exceptional team resume.

I do not consider this project to be underwhelming.  I applaud your strategy of working on a relatively small project, refine the teaching process with the possibility of working on larger projects in the future.  Get a larger number of people on the same page on how to collaborate effectively within Blender.  I am confident that you will enlist more experienced users to assist.  Expand from there with bigger projects if it makes sense.  The only disappointment that I have with the project is the project name:  COLLAB2021.  I’d prefer it to be called COLLAB2021A, which would imply that there would be a “B” this year.  Having said that, while you are working on this and other collaborative projects, it is probably affecting your timeline for your anatomy course.  And, trust me, every Citizen is very interested to learn how to make portraits like you have already unbelievably created in Blender.

I am also excited to see what this project will become.  On Vadim’s ArtStation page, he delineates the Spice Vendor’s House into three sections:  Market, Residence and Production.  My future CG Cookie collaborators are a creative bunch.  I am sure that I am not the only one that is thinking:  what is on this property that we can’t see?  Perhaps there is a balcony from the third floor bedroom overlooking a spice garden on the back side of the house.  On the outside of the production side are there bushels of whole spices?  Maybe wooden shelves, a table, or staging area?  What is the watermill used for?  Perhaps, to grind the spices?  Perhaps it powers a conveyor system that moves the spice jars within the house and over the stream.  The potential for project creep is real.  However, it has to be balanced with the course schedule.  That is fine.  Perhaps some people will create models of what it looks like on the inside of the house when this course is complete.  

Also, your enthusiasm is infectious.  Just look at the responses you have already received upon announcing this class.