Re: [Inkscape-devel] User Help (tutorials)

Quick video template update (to keep bullshit from walking ;) ) I've almost completed the intro animation, but got bogged down with some emergency charity work that a friend required last-minute. I wanted to add in the sound effects, which I've recorded myself, but ran out of time tonight. However, here is a quick wip sample for your Monday night amusement: www.opendesignstudio.org/inkscape/samples/inkscape_intro_animation_wi p.ogv The title "INKSCAPE" will fade in underneath and "Draw Freely" will be scribbled in underneath it as last additions. Thanks for the patience. Hope everyone's collective weekend has been a pleasant one. :) More soon. -C On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 10:31 AM, C R <cajhne@...400...> wrote: > PS- Speaking of crowd-funding, be sure to visit Synfig Open Source > Animation Studio's crowdfunding campaign and show them some love! > :) > https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/synfig-free-animation > -software#/story > > On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 9:39 AM, C R <cajhne@...400...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > So I'm getting late to this discussion. I guess it sounds like > > > people > > > are > > > ready to do this! > > > > > > > This will be an ongoing project, so input is great at any stage. > > You're > > not late either, it's early times still. :) > > > > > > > (sorry, kind of long) > > > > > > > > Also never a problem. More information is better! > > Welcome to the discussion, and thanks for your advise! > > > > > > > I'm of the opinion that there is no lack of tutorials in the > > > Inkscape > > > community. I've done some both intensive and extensive > > > searching for > > > Inkscape tutorials, to compile a centralized source of > > > tutorials, for the > > > community (something I saw lacking in the community, and wanted > > > to > > > provide). > > > http://forum.inkscapecommunity.com/index.php > > > > > > > > Thanks for the link, and for your work collecting and vetting > > these > > resources! :) I'll have a look through these, I'm sure they will > > be quite > > useful not only in determining the best way to proceed, but in > > terms of > > information content and possible linking from the finished > > documentation > > (pending approval from the parties that made them). It may also > > be good to > > have two video sections that link off the main Inkscape.org > > website, one to > > a set of official tutorials, and the other to the growing set of > > excellent > > community-done resources. > > > > For the tool feature videos, it would be useful to have small > > official > > videos to accompany the documentation. I find that it's quite a > > matter of > > preference which people prefer (written or video tutorial). Even > > my own > > preference changes depending on my moods, so having both > > available is no > > bad thing. > > > > Official videos have manifold purpose: > > > > -They provide concise context-relevant information that we can > > include > > alongside the documentation for Inkscape. This saves time having > > to google > > for videos of the information at hand, so more time can be spent > > learning > > in a streamlined way, that it may not be possible to get from > > even a list > > of several thousand user-contributed videos. There will be a lot > > of > > repeating concepts that are covered in user-videos, but there > > will also be > > be a lot of gap-filling as well. > > > > -They provide more content-rich inkscape.org, which adds to the > > professional image of the project, and is important for trust and > > provides > > a nicer experience for new users. I've lost count how many times > > people > > posting on the forums have been told to "google it" (even though > > I reached > > these comments BY Googling!). Why should they have to google it? > > Users can > > spend more time learning, and less time reading what other users > > think > > about their issue on forums (that's time saved in hours across > > possibly > > hundreds of comments). We are in the unique position to provide > > an answer, > > on the spot, that is guaranteed to be the correct one. :) > > > > -They are a resource under the project's control. One of the > > criticisms > > that our open source community faces is that information is > > scatter-shot, > > and you may not be able to find resources, or links may be broken > > to the > > original content, or the content may only be available in some > > countries. > > Having control over our content ensures we can reach the most > > people. > > > > -They give us another opportunity to connect with more users. > > This is > > important not only for development purposes, but also for social > > media > > campaigns for development acceleration, appearing at graphics > > conventions, > > etc. (I do all my convention-booth graphics in Inkscape, btw. So > > thanks > > again to all the Inkscape devs for making life easy for me!) > > > > -It enhances the public image of Inkscape as a professional > > resource for > > serious designers. Great-looking well-thought out videos are a > > must for a > > project like Inkscape! :) Every video serves as yet one one more > > advertisement for the Inkscape project. The more of them there > > are, the > > more eyes are likely to see them. We can capture search keywords > > as well > > with each video, gaining the project more exposure. > > > > -It provides an opportunity for us to teach best practices for > > professional design workflows, as well as educate new users, and > > ease the > > transition from commercial software packages. (If you Like > > Illustrator, > > you're going to LOVE Inkscape!) :D > > > > > > > > > So I'm bewildered with complaints of people not being able to > > > find > > > tutorials. I did that all with my handy internet search > > > engine. Nothing > > > fancy, I can assure you! I wonder if maybe those folks just > > > have not > > > ventured outside of DA, in their search? > > > > > > > Or their search terms didn't turn up any relevant videos. One of > > the > > problems with video content is if you are looking for something > > very > > specific, you may have to hunt through lots of complete > > tutorials, hoping > > they cover the thing you want to know. This problem is solved > > more easily > > with feature-focused videos, accompanied by all relevant > > keywords. The > > inkscape.org website should also contain a search box to search > > these > > keywords in our own collection of official videos. I also > > recommend an > > expandable tree-style map of our videos providing a way to click > > down and > > feel out what you are searching for (handy if you don't know what > > a feature > > is named). > > > > > > For example, a piece of the tree could go: > > > > +Tools > > -Select and Transform Tool > > -Edit Paths By Nodes Tool > > +Tweak Objects Tool > > - Tool Overview > > - Using Different Modes > > - Width, Force, and Fidelity - Getting the effects you want > > + FAQ / Troubleshooting > > - Why does the rest of my shape turn into a glob? > > - It's only working on some objects, but not others > > - etc. > > -Zoom Tool > > -Measurement Tool > > -Rectangle/Square Tool > > -etc. > > -Working with Shapes > > -Working with Layers > > -Working with Groups > > -Selecting > > -Filters > > -Exporting > > +Using Colours > > -What is a colour space? > > -What is a colour system? > > +FAQ / Troubleshooting > > -My printer wants an Illustrator (.ai) file, arrrgh! > > -My greens are looking too Blue in print > > -My blacks are too grey in print > > +What should I use for my project? > > +Can Inkscape use PANTONE colours? > > -Pre-Press Considerations > > -etc. etc. > > > > > > Note that only certain branches of the tree need videos. Others > > could > > have a quick animated gif with a text explanation. It's important > > to > > include all the written and video materials together, so visitors > > do not > > have to visit different sections of the website to find the > > information > > they are after. > > > > > > > Nevertheless, I do think it's important that there are > > > "official" > > > tutorials. > > > There was some talk a few months ago about building a > > > Documentation team, > > > and I would certainly look forward to participating in such a > > > group > > > (although iirc, it was only going to happen when someone had > > > more > > > time.....I > > > don't remember the exact details anymore). > > > > > > > > > I would be happy to assist the Documentation team. > > I would be equally happy to help assemble it if those involved > > previously > > do not presently have the time. > > > > I think more *official* tutorials are needed, than the 6 or so > > currently > > > available. But I have serious reservations about video > > > tutorials with > > > music > > > background and no narration. I have never seen such a video > > > that I found > > > was helpful, in my opinion. > > > > > > There will be narration, it will just be textual, step-by-step, > > rather > > than voiced over. > > There is nothing preventing people from adding voice overs, but > > I'd like > > to start cranking out as many of these videos as possible, and > > I'm not > > convinced my voice would be pleasing enough. :) > > > > > > > (You may notice there are probably less than 5 > > > YouTube vids on my page. It's because I haven't found many > > > worthwhile, > > > that > > > aren't connected to a proprietary venture.) > > > > > > > Yes, control over the videos is a key benefit of doing them > > ourselves. > > > > > > > Videos from the Screencasters (heathenx/Richard Querrin) series > > > are still > > > the best video tutorials around, imo (even though now somewhat > > > dated). I > > > think they represent the standard we should strive for, if > > > there is some > > > consensus that video tutorials are needed more that text > > > tutorials. > > > Although I haven't seen any indication of a need for video > > > tutorials, > > > more > > > than text. It's just trendy, afaict. > > > > > > > For the longer videos, I'd agree, but for feature documentation > > videos, > > we will need more concise and much shorter videos with less > > banter, and > > none of the "subscribe, rate, etc." stuff. :) > > > > That sounds like a cute idea for an intro to the tutorials > > (the > > bouncing > > > > > bubbles, etc.), but honestly, that's the fun part of making > > > tutorials. > > > Has > > > anyone volunteered to make the actual tutorial part of the > > > videos? (I > > > haven't finished with reading the whole thread yet.) > > > > > > > I'm volunteering for both at this point, but once we have the kit > > (which > > includes the finished intro/outro, and caption overlay), it will > > be easier > > to enlist others to help with the tutorial parts (screen > > -captures, and > > captioning). > > It may sound fun and trivial, but the intro, format and templates > > are the > > ground-work for a professional video series. They will make the > > tutorial > > content consistent, and MUCH easier to do. The point of these > > initial steps > > is to produce a kit that we can use to make quick, professional > > looking > > videos with Inkscape branding. While I will have the initial > > sample > > completed this weekend, I suspect we will change it a bit based > > on feedback. > > > > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > brynn > > > > > > > Thanks for your input and thoughts! They help tremendously. > > > > -C > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > From: "Martin Owens" <doctormo@...400...> > > > Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 7:53 AM > > > To: "Inkscape Devel List" <inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net > > > > > > > Subject: [Inkscape-devel] User Help (tutorials) > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > > --------------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Inkscape-devel mailing list > > > > Inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > > --------------- > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Inkscape-devel mailing list > > > Inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel