just started and already having problems

[PinkBunny 🐰]

so I went on youtube to find some beginner's guide to learn some tips during this lockdown, and what I found out was that putting monkey on fire was very simple in a video while doing it on my own here it just doesn't work, can anyone tell me what's the problem? do I need different plugins or updates compared to others? isn't base version of blender supposed to have smoke and fire? or is it a bug? when I select fire it just doesn't work

[The Renderer]

Well, we cannot know which video you watched or what exactly happened on your end unless you tell us. The "base" version of Blender is complete, there are no other versions. There are plugins and addons but if you needed one of those it would have been mentioned in the video. It probably isn't a bug either. It *could* be that the video was made with an older Blender version and something has changed since. The most likely reason is that either you didn't follow the instructions correctly or the video is missing a step or two.

I strongly suggest you start with the Blender 2.8 Fundamentals series (search for it on YouTube, you cannot miss it) and only then go on to more advanced stuff like smoke sims.

Edit: I may have misunderstood, maybe you aren't a beginner to Blender, in that case at least tell us the video and at which point you had an issue (maybe with a screenshot?)

[PinkBunny 🐰]

Originally posted by The Renderer:

Well, we cannot know which video you watched or what exactly happened on your end unless you tell us. The "base" version of Blender is complete, there are no other versions. There are plugins and addons but if you needed one of those it would have been mentioned in the video. It probably isn't a bug either. It *could* be that the video was made with an older Blender version and something has changed since. The most likely reason is that either you didn't follow the instructions correctly or the video is missing a step or two.

I strongly suggest you start with the Blender 2.8 Fundamentals series (search for it on YouTube, you cannot miss it) and only then go on to more advanced stuff like smoke sims.

Edit: I may have misunderstood, maybe you aren't a beginner to Blender, in that case at least tell us the video and at which point you had an issue (maybe with a screenshot?)

first of all , thanks for the response, I managed to find a fix, it took me another video to find out and fix it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPfDXy3cjmE I took the steps from this vid, and my another question is why I needed to take those steps when some people don't need to do this and it instantly does the smoke and fire effect. cause as I found out some needed this video instructions which I posted to get the results, and some didn't

[still__alive]

They quite recently re-did the smoke and physics simulations systems (or implemented some whole new systems), so if you watched a video from before, then it would've been using the older simulation systems. But you probably have the lastest version of Blender which is using the new simulation systems.

[PinkBunny 🐰]

Originally posted by still__alive:

They quite recently re-did the smoke and physics simulations systems (or implemented some whole new systems), so if you watched a video from before, then it would've been using the older simulation systems. But you probably have the lastest version of Blender which is using the new simulation systems.

video is like 8 months old only so does it make that much of difference?

[still__alive]

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

Originally posted by still__alive:

They quite recently re-did the smoke and physics simulations systems (or implemented some whole new systems), so if you watched a video from before, then it would've been using the older simulation systems. But you probably have the lastest version of Blender which is using the new simulation systems.

video is like 8 months old only so does it make that much of difference?

It can, I think this was a big change, relatively speaking. They swapped their older simulation systems for the new ones like a month or two ago.

[PinkBunny 🐰]

Originally posted by still__alive:

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

video is like 8 months old only so does it make that much of difference?

It can, I think this was a big change, relatively speaking. They swapped their older simulation systems for the new ones like a month or two ago.

so basically, if someone wants to learn something in blender or from other types of software, I have to watch out and make sure I watch as latest videos as I can right? so if it's older than 1 year or half year, I might stalk the problem which wasn't even described in the video...... well this takes difficulty to the next level doesn't it? what's your advise to avoid things like this then?

[Girlgamer87]

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

Originally posted by still__alive:

It can, I think this was a big change, relatively speaking. They swapped their older simulation systems for the new ones like a month or two ago.

so basically, if someone wants to learn something in blender or from other types of software, I have to watch out and make sure I watch as latest videos as I can right? so if it's older than 1 year or half year, I might stalk the problem which wasn't even described in the video...... well this takes difficulty to the next level doesn't it? what's your advise to avoid things like this then?

Check the version of the tutorial matches your version of blender. Most 2.8 tutorials should be ok (unless that particular thing has had a major overhaul, theres always patch notes to keep you updated). Many of the older tuts give valuable advice, even if the method is outdated.

[Girlgamer87]

You think this is tough? Try something simple like importing a rigged model into unity :)

[still__alive]

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

so basically, if someone wants to learn something in blender or from other types of software, I have to watch out and make sure I watch as latest videos as I can right? so if it's older than 1 year or half year, I might stalk the problem which wasn't even described in the video.....

Yes, and no.

You could put the stuff you'll need to learn into 2 categories. There is the UI (user interface), and there is general 3d techniques. General 3d techinques apply across all software, however the tools you might use to get there will have some specificity to the particular software you are using.

As a beginner, you will probably want to find the latest videos on whatever you are trying to learn at the moment, if you can. So you can avoid old information that leads you the wrong way in the newer version of the software. But you are probably not always going to find up to date ones right away.

Once you achieve a certain level of familiarity with the software, you'll have to worry less about that. I will go and watch older tutorials on some stuff, because I'm comfortable enough with the UI and I have a very solid foundation on how it works. Like, I might go and watch a tutorial video from pre 2.8 (huge UI changes with that version) and I can translate that over to 2.8 and find where they've moved the UI stuff on my own.

For some things though, like when they did this swap from their old simulation systems (which had been around for several years at least I believe) to the new systems, even I might have to find the new videos specifically about the new systems. But, because I have a pretty solid foundation in the general Blender UI, I can make do with a much shorter and quicker video about the new stuff that might be a bit too fast for a beginner.

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

... well this takes difficulty to the next level doesn't it? what's your advise to avoid things like this then?

In my opinion, I'd say you want to get a really solid understanding of the Blender UI. So you can find the UI you need yourself without the tutorial explicitly walking you through it. And don't be afraid to ask questions when something like this trips you up. And the better you articulate your questions, the better we can help.

I really recommend starting with this playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa1F2ddGya_-UvuAqHAksYnB0qL9yWDO6

Videos 1 - 7 are essential to start getting a handle on the UI. Videos 8 - 15 are essential to start getting a handle on the modeling UI, as well as some basic techniques. Videos 16 - 20 for the texturing and materials UI. All of the above would be a good start on the overall UI. Videos 21 and beyond start getting into animation and rendering stuff, which you don't necessarily need depending on what you are going to use Blender for. But if you got the time, it doesn't hurt to go through the whole playlist either.

Then this is a good practice project to make some pratical use of the UI and start to get a feel for modeling:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjEaoINr3zgEq0u2MzVgAaHEBt--xLB6U

This guy's channel is also good too, after you start to get comfortable with the UI:

https://www.youtube.com/user/mediagabbitt

[*P0P$*FR3$H3NM3Y3R*]

Originally posted by PinkBunny 🐙:

Originally posted by still__alive:

It can, I think this was a big change, relatively speaking. They swapped their older simulation systems for the new ones like a month or two ago.

so basically, if someone wants to learn something in blender or from other types of software, I have to watch out and make sure I watch as latest videos as I can right? so if it's older than 1 year or half year, I might stalk the problem which wasn't even described in the video...... well this takes difficulty to the next level doesn't it? what's your advise to avoid things like this then?

If you want to follow along a tutorial step by step its sorta important that the tutorial uses a somewhat similar generation of blender. Basicly either 2.7x or 2.8x generation.
Once you got the basics down and know your way around, you will find that core concepts and such can be learnt from tutorials for any version or even other 3d packages. Most often you will find that things that worked for an older version of blender canbe replicated in new versions aswell. Minor inconvenience might be that functions might have new labels or hotkeys etc. No big deal most of the time.

[still__alive]

Oh, and if you do start on that fundamentals playlist, I also highly recommend not JUST watching the videos, but also working along with them and performing the actions yourself. So you start ingraining or integrating it or whatever into your workflow and memory.

[YourPeepingTom]

or just make sure the first videos you watch are very recent within like a month or two until you get a handle on things, once you know what most of the stuff in blender does you can watch older tutorials and know how to find all the stuff you need in the current version. go by the ole 80/20 rule

[Entropico]

You probably watched this video from Blender Guru: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPrnSACiTJ4

The answer to your problem is in the comments section of the video.

[McSpudfeker]

Blender Guru is alright, but I feel his method of teaching is somewhat lacking. Now, this could be due to learning style, I'm not trying to detract from Blender Guru. However, Grant Abbitt, also on youtube, has a pletora of amazing tutorials from beginner to advanced levels, and all his lessons can be found a gabbit.co.uk

[Ad Hominem]

When you're completely new to the software you really should follow along a tutorial that is for the same version, or very close to what you are using. 2.8 was a major major overhaul of a lot of things. And fluid sims have changed in a major way lately, scrapping the old way and implementing a whole new system.

That doughnut tutorial is pretty good from Blender Guru as well as Grant Abbit has some really good beginner stuff on youtube. Once you get your feet wet and learn your way around you will be able to watch tutorials from older versions and learn how that needs to translate into the current version, but to start you should stick with tutorials from 2.8 and above, and for fluid sims look for the ones that use Mantaflow (I think it's called, or Flip Fluid maybe)