Hello... and how the hell do I start?

[daniellefountain]

Hi all,

 

I'm an architecture graduate currently employed at a small architectural and planning firm. I need to up my skill set before returning to do my masters in the Autumn, and since where I work only uses SketchUp, I need to go about learning more advanced software outside of work hours in order to be nuts when I go back to uni.

 

I'm basically asking the best way to go about learning Revit and 3DsMax. I can use AutoCAD and Google SketchUp no problem. I have once learnt the basics of 3DsMax before at university, but have mostly forgotten about it as I never used it.

 

So...

 

Should I learn one first, then the other, or learn at the same time?

Are there any good tutorials that come in some sort of set or order for both?

Or is it best to just fiddle about with it with a made up project or a real project?

 

Any suggestions about anything related are welcome.

 

I'm sure something similar to this must have been posted before but I couldn't find anything. So if this has been answered before feel free to drop a link.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

P.S - This is the first time I've ever used any sort of forum, so how do I go about using it effectively?

[RyderSK]

 

Or is it best to just fiddle about with it with a made up project or a real project?

 

 

I don't suggest starting with that. It's good to go through as many tutorials as possible, this can speed up the learning process by great deal. (one can learn in week as much as he would in a year on his own). The resources for beginners are quite everywhere, from completely free to quite cheap to slightly more expensive.

 

Personally I would start with something complex, but completely beginner oriented, which means, that no part is skipped and the tutorial isn't destilate of crucial points, but rather the whole process with every single click of an mouse from A to B. There are few of those. One I would suggest is those of guy named Viscorbel. Don't be discouraged by the example architecture he works with, he has horrible taste, it's not even architecture. But he teaching skills close to none, he's fluent speaker (no "aaah...yeah,well"...) and has good english. But foremost, he has tutorial that are like 14+ hours long and just go over every possible stage, recording it as he does it.

 

After that, there are numerous way to go about it further, but, beginning correctly I consider most crucial.

[daniellefountain]

I don't suggest starting with that. It's good to go through as many tutorials as possible, this can speed up the learning process by great deal. (one can learn in week as much as he would in a year on his own). The resources for beginners are quite everywhere, from completely free to quite cheap to slightly more expensive.

 

Personally I would start with something complex, but completely beginner oriented, which means, that no part is skipped and the tutorial isn't destilate of crucial points, but rather the whole process with every single click of an mouse from A to B. There are few of those. One I would suggest is those of guy named Viscorbel. Don't be discouraged by the example architecture he works with, he has horrible taste, it's not even architecture. But he teaching skills close to none, he's fluent speaker (no "aaah...yeah,well"...) and has good english. But foremost, he has tutorial that are like 14+ hours long and just go over every possible stage, recording it as he does it.

 

After that, there are numerous way to go about it further, but, beginning correctly I consider most crucial.

 

 

Thank you for your help. I can't straight away find any architectural videos by Viscorbel, but it's all the same theory I guess. I'll have a proper look later.

 

I should add that I'm definitely aiming for free tutorials, up until I've learnt the most that I can from them.

 

Also, have you any thoughts on Revit?

[TomasEsperanza]

I recommend video tutorials as your main tool to learning. Along side some supplementary reading.

 

I concur: VisCorbel is "Tha Man!" His tuts are great. He has used several examples that feature Rococo influenced interior designs, which I think is a great way to demonstrate how to tackle more challenging geometry, and as you say it's about theory, plus technique.

 

Other reputable video tutorial providers include: Digital Tutors, and Infinite Skills. I expect others will recommend their favourites

 

If you don't have a second monitor yet, this comes highly recommended. (Though not essential, it just makes life so much easier).

 

Knuckle down and you could be flying around with confidence before too long, but stay cool there is so much to learn it can seem daunting - just stick to your plan and trust in the process

 

Good luck and have fun

[daniellefountain]

I recommend video tutorials as your main tool to learning. Along side some supplementary reading.

 

I concur: VisCorbel is "Tha Man!" His tuts are great. He has used several examples that feature Rococo influenced interior designs, which I think is a great way to demonstrate how to tackle more challenging geometry, and as you say it's about theory, plus technique.

 

Other reputable video tutorial providers include: Digital Tutors, and Infinite Skills. I expect others will recommend their favourites

 

If you don't have a second monitor yet, this comes highly recommended. (Though not essential, it just makes life so much easier).

 

Knuckle down and you could be flying around with confidence before too long, but stay cool there is so much to learn it can seem daunting - just stick to your plan and trust in the process

 

Good luck and have fun

 

Thanks for the tips! I'll check out those guys' videos.

 

I have two monitors at work, they're great! At home I don't even have a desk! Ha. Just me, my laptop and an arm chair. One day though...

[TomasEsperanza]

BTW: On the Digital Tutors site, there are some architecture specific tuts by Micha Koren, his teaching style is very efficient.

[Guest dialog]

http://www.lynda.com is a great starting place for cheap tuotorials. Covers 3DS MAx, VRay and pretty much any other software on the planet. CG School has some good videos and books as well. You will eventually learn your own tricks of the trade too when you start working under extremely tight budgets and deadlines.

 

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