What Tutorial Videos Should We Make?

I think we need to like “advertise” doc tutorials more.

I found this great one that I haven’t seen talked about anywhere else.

https://doc.babylonjs.com/how_to/layermasks_and_multi-cam_textures

I really wonder who made it.

looks like it was cubes or DK

that seems really interesting…

I know I used it here: giv0.gitlab.io/fpsg

press f to go into freecam.

I was going to use the layer mask to prevent the gun model from going through walls, but I couldn’t do it with an imported model.

@Deltakosh did you make it?

I did not. Maybe @JohnK

No. Not mine.

So I don’t know who did it :slight_smile:
maybe @RaananW ?

As one of the crew who is producing the videos and pushing our branding presence as a whole, let me take a minute to explain why we are talking a lot about video. We don’t think this is an exclusive medium that rules all else. We still believe in playgrounds and examples and want to be able to pair our video content with actual code samples when the topic allows. The inspector series could have been done with code and a click through, but the investment in doing it would have been substantial. When we put out this series, we set up a system that allowed us to do the entire video in one take from bumper to black.

That means that if the video was 5 minutes long, it took us 5 minutes to make. Most people wanted to do a few takes, but that meant we were able to get through most people’s videos in about 15-20 minutes in a new process that was unfamiliar to everyone on camera. Once we do a few rounds, I think people will get used to being on camera and we won’t have to do more than two takes of a video. Some people, like @Deltakosh sat down and did their two videos back to back in one take each. We were able to do all 10 videos in a single work day while still making progress on other materials for the 4.0 launch day.

We want to find the quickest path from question to tutorial, whatever the format so that we can push more content quickly. Video is definitely a medium that goes stale, but it is very cheap to produce. And it is not our only plan for the learning space, just the first out of the gate because of the low cost.

And beyond the ease of creating video, there are also many topics that Babylon users care about that require video. The entire art pipeline cannot be taught without showing tools outside of a playground. I know there is a ton of content out there about DCC tools already (I watch just about everything that I might find a nugget of truth in) but there are Babylon or glTF specific things that need coverage because they don’t exist elsewhere and video is the best place for that.

We’d also like to grow the community for Babylon and part of those efforts is going to where people making the kind of content that Babylon excels at spend at least some of their time. I can’t tell you the number of tools/techniques I’ve discovered because YouTube suggesting a video to me based on what I just watched. (and I see our inspector videos all the time in suggestions now)

That said, no amount of video will replace documentation, examples, or playgrounds. This is just another (very cheap) tool in our arsenal to get out the content that everyone is excited about. If we put out a video and get responses that the video wasn’t enough and the community wants a deeper dive with code and step-by-step implementation, then we have succeeded. We found a topic that the community cares about without wasting effort on a more costly format. We can then know that we are spending our capacity where it matters most.

Hope this helps with understanding why you are hearing a lot about video right now. And I love that the community is jumping on the bandwagon and offering to create content. If there’s something you are passionate about and want to create some content (video or otherwise), we would love for you to share it with the community. I am working to expand our branding toolkit to contain video bumpers, slide templates, and more, so keep an eye on the repo if you want to create content. And if there’s something specific you need, drop a feature request issue on the repo!

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Sharing my 2 cents here.

When I first encountered BabylonJs, I got started with these gems:

Unbearded DK (and the other David too) really helped me as a total noob. I think similar content is suitable for entry-level new comers who want to get started with BabylonJS, or even Web 3D in general.

Please take a moment and consider who are likely to be the main audience of BabylonJS? I guess someone with some experience in 3D, whether in traditional visualization or gaming, and is interested in Web 3D. So I think a gentle yet comprehensive introduction to Web 3D, using BabylonJS as the experimental lab/example tool, might be a good starting point.

I do believe more videos and a solid YouTube presence is the foundation of publicity that BabylonJS need to build and grow.

Looking forward to more quality content from the crew!

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I’d watch a podcast, could sneak a tut in there.

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LOL :smiley:

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I think a full (but simple) game tutorial video series would be helpful, but I know that’s a lot of work. Something like a simple multiplayer Tic Tac Toe or Checkers (Draughts) game (i.e. a game everyone knows and understands) would provide a small, achievable target with potentially large learning benefits for new BJS developers. It’s also something that could be expanded with more advanced topics, after the basic game and tutorial series is done.

It sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into doing this … :wink:

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You are so punk rock wingy…

“Do you WANT a puppy stampede, here?” Yes, yes we do, everyone loves puppies.

I’m confused about all the talk of monies and branding with all this though. Figured it was as simple as if some of us would make some quick tutorial videos or not.

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I appreciate you Larry and it’s good that someone is fighting for the protection BJS’s foundation (or their understanding of such).

Just remember though “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." - George Bernard Shaw

Lets get as many puppies here as possible, honestly fresh meat is always welcome and it helps expand business opportunities for indepent guys like me.

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I’d like a series on lighting and setting up different types of environments. Some people underestimate the importance of good lighting. Bad lighting can make a beautiful scene look terrible.

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You gotta think though, Im guilty of “easy question” asking simply because there is so much to wrap ones mind around when doing certain projects. Even more so for someone new to the system, or someone learning Javascript for the first time.

How we approach it could be make or break for some fledgling programmer’s decision to engage or not in our community.

babylon bob… haha :slight_smile: make him out of all primitives and overlay him on the video.

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+1 for in-depth shader video(s) :smile:

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+1 for lighting series :smiley:

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@PirateJC & @PatrickRyan

IMH (and over-priced educated) O, video is a great way to begin pulling in the younger audience. A simple series of intro tutorials showing how to make a game, a 3D/VR environment, and a basic ‘business’ site are going to hit your primary audiences. Stick to the basics; they don’t have to update as frequently.
Good pedagogy/andragogy are critical. Wingy is right, it shouldn’t be a talking head or just pictures of code. There has to be good scene change. Love the idea of Babylon Bob (and don’t forget Barbara)!
I have been working on a book to teach the basics (and have an online class planned once the book is finished. I’ll attach an early draft of chapter 1 if anyone is interested in reviewing or giving feedback.

If you want to bounce ideas off someone who builds curriculum and training materials for a living, DM me.
Creating VR Worlds with Babylon.JS.zip (295.5 KB)

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The subject goes deep, so something like Quaternions are Spooky – Josh Marinacci – Medium with a bjs focus would be nice to scratch the surface.

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