Customer Reviews

Vue 7: From the Ground Up: The Official Guide

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those that want to learn Vue for use in their 3D art, you can do no better than Ami and Vladimir over at the geekatplay.com web site. They seem like professionals both in dealing with them and in the quality of work.

Vue 7 - From the Ground Up is a new book from them which is a beginners guide to learning the "Vue 7" software available from e-onsoftware.com. This book is mainly focused on starting the user out from square one and building on the fundamentals to learning Vue 7 in a logical and non overwhelming manor.

Each chapter is laid out in an easy to read and understand format that will guide you a step at a time to understanding what Vue 7 is and how to use the basic skills of this software. At the end of each chapter is a learning tutorial for you to do (which I HIGHLY recommend). These tutorials, including some FREE add-ons that you will need for some of the exercises are available for download (again all free) from the book's web site. Personally, I would suggest you finish the learning tutorials on your own, even though the finished product is supplied on the web site and just use the materials required for the exercises where needed. That way you really get a feel of learning.

The book and chapters are well laid out and there are several color photos for you to refer to. However, I would have liked to seen a few more photos showing some key references in the book that were just talked about but not pictured. This is not a detraction in any way, just something I think there could be more of.

NOTE: while this book is mainly aimed at those wanting to get up to speed and learn Vue from the very basics on, I feel it remains a valuable resource for most anyone using this software regardless. It gives you not only the learning fundamentals, but also the knowledge to build upon so you can go to the geekatplay.com web site and continue with their excellent free tutorials on more advanced topics.

Bottom line is this book is a must own for anyone that wants to or is using Vue 7 and I can think of no one better to recommend than geekatplay.com for doing so.

I've wanted to learn how to use Vue for the last year--and I finally found a fun and inexpensive way to do it!

1) BUY this book. It does a great job of explaining the features of Vue and how to use them. The step-by-step tutorials are very good. I have gotten lost a couple times, but I eventually was able to figure out what I either did wrong, or what the authors meant by the direction.

2) Visit the authors' website (geekatplay.com) to view their free online video tutorials! I was very impressed with both the quality and quantity of videos. Most people don't give this much stuff away free--especially when it is this good. It definitely shows they are committed to helping others learn these skills. If you are interested in animation make sure you watch their video tutorial "Flying Over Clouds." (Number 121)

3) Download the free Vue 7 Infinite PLE (Personal Learning Edition) version from the e-on software site. It has all the features of the full version which costs $895, and it doesn't expire. Obviously, there are some limitations connected to the PLE version. One of the major limitations is that when the files are rendered they have the software's logo and watermarked applied to it. And, the files won't work with other editions of Vue. However, if your goal is to learn how to use Vue 7 without spending any money on the software this is a great way to do it.

(If you are a student or educator, you can purchase a one year Education Version of Vue 7 Infinite for $99. I ordered mine this morning. You can also download the totally free Vue 7 Pioneer version, but I don't think it has features you need for doing many of the exercises in this book.)

After a year of thinking about learning Vue, I'm actually doing it! My next purchase is going to be the "Steam Punk flying ship" used in the "Flying Over Clouds" animation tutorial. Hey, it only costs $18.50 and I've already saved hundreds of dollars!

Update (June 24, 2009): I finished this book, and now I'm learning more with Richard Schrand's "Vue 7: Beyond the Basics." Thanks Ami and Vladimir for teaching me the basics. I love your website and I keep going back to watch more!

Vue7 From the Ground Up offers a pretty comprehensive guide to Vue7 and is targeted at beginner to immediate level users. The book authors offer many free video tutorials at geekatplay.com

The book offers full colour images on good quality paper.

The books companion website has several files for download including handy reference guides and example files for all tutorials within the book.

If you are intermediate or advanced user you may find the book a little light on advanced content which is understandable, however if you are new you will gain a great deal of valuable knowledge from reading and following the tutorials, and like any good reference book, returning to it from time to time to cement your understanding.

I have watched perhaps dozens of their excellent free online tutorials, and to me purchasing this book was also a small way of saying thanks for the hours & hours of effort the authors have put into helping the Vue community.

I have been a Vue hobbyist for about four years, and I have read many books on Vue. This is one of the thinner ones, but it is certainly one of the most readable and useful. I especially like how the authors explain all those twiddly sliders and buttons in a way that is easy to understand. If you like the geekatplay tutorials, you are going to love this book.

The authors assume you have Vue 7 Complete, equipped with every available module, while I would guess most users have a less complete version; certainly I do. It would have been nice of this book to let you know which features are not always available.

I agree with the 5 star reviews...excellent book...clearly written...lots of
great screenshots...a great learning tool & reference!

Thanks, Vladimir & Ami, et al, for putting together for us! =)

I have worked with 3D applications for 10 years and used Vue for several years. But I still had difficulties understanding some of the deeper parts inside Vue until I read this book. This book is well written. You may expect by the title that this is only a book for beginners, or intermediate Vue users. But this book will help you to move from beginner or intermediate to an advanced Vue user very quickly.

This is a very good book that I received in excellent condition. It is very informative for the newbie or help to brush up for the pro. I recommend the book highly.

I have paid lots more for other software learning books only to be left disappointed and feeling ripped off. That is so not that case here.

The key things I like about the book are:

- Full color, with lots of illustrations
- Written for the beginner and the advanced user
- Helps build knowledge and confidence without insulting your intelligence
- Full of tips and tricks
- Is a reference book as well as a learning tool

If you are using Pioneer or Esprit some of the features talked about in the book aren't available. However, I think you can download the PLE version for free to be able to access those features and get even more from from the book.

Another great thing is that the book fits nicely in with the hours and hours of additional free training material at the [...]website. Which, I strongly recommend you go check out.

This is a great book for both the experienced or beginning user of Vue 7. Vladimir and Ami take the time to explain how things work and then give you the tools to experiment on your own. Every user of Vue should also take the opportunity to visit the geekatplay.com website to view their great series of tutorials. This book is well worth the small investment they ask and if used...not just read...will make your 3D experiences in Vue much more rewarding.

Beautiful imagery and well-crafted project tutorials! If you're just thinking about learning to build 3D landscapes or have been doing it for years you'll still want to check out this book. And the low price makes it even better!