Training & Versions of Software

[Jock]

If you were going to be doing online tutorials for purchase what would be the best way to approach it do you think regarding software.

 

I can see two side to it because you either use the latest version of software but run the risk of alienating people who have yet to upgrade and meaning they cant use your files, making the tutorial pretty redundant.

 

Or you use an old faviroute that more will have access to because older versions of max and vray will open earlier versions but not the other way round. So i'm thinking Max 2009 & Vray 1.5sp5.

 

That is of course as long as part of the tutorial includes you sharing files but I'd have thought that was the best way to do it.

 

Thing is if i do need to upgrade and get vray 2.0 i thought it best to do it now before the current offer ends.

 

Any ideas?

[BrianKitts]

I would say if you're really trying to put something worthwhile out there to make your mark and contribution to the industry then you should be utilizing the latest software.

 

The arguement could be make both ways..... you said using older software might be more usable to a large group. But I would highlight that the older your software the sooner your tutorial becomes dated and obsolete in the future. You may not get the larger user base now, but it will only grow. Whereas if you use dated software your user base would only shrink moving into the future.

[Jock]

Thanks for your input and i think its a valid point. I havent fully decided as yet but i beleive i'm more inclined to go down the route you suggest. Just means a bit more expense up front is all.

[dande]

It depends on the tutorials.

 

If they are basic tutorials that don't utilize functionality that hasn't changed in the later versions then you could push them to people with older versions and if you have exercise files then I would save them back to an earlier version.

 

You could then do more advanced tutorials which utilize features in the latest versions.

 

That way you could pull in more people and as they upgrade they may come back to your site for the more advanced tutorials.

[David Arbogast]

I also prefer taining based on the latest software. Whenever I see training from old versions, my immediate consumer response (what I'm thinking) is that the training is possibly obsolete. That's possibly an unfair response, but it's just the reaction that gets triggered in my brain. For those who haven't upgraded, training based on the latest software also provides the added benefit of helping them assess whether they want/need to upgrade in order to get the added benefits...and that is valuable as well.

 

David

Edited February 18, 2011 by David Arbogast

[Jock]

Thanks guys, i appreciate your input.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

I would go with the latest software if you have access to it, ....but in reality the work I do in Max can still be done in Max 9. Not 2009, but Max 9.

 

Maybe I need to do more to update my methods? ...for a couple of years the only significant updates were to the Mental Ray integration into Max. Now they have started introducing the graphite tools, and the Slate editor, so things will change, but I do most of my work without using those tools.