🔥 Out now: The most comprehensive and in-depth Blender handbook ever!

plasmasolutions

Hey Polycounters,

my name is Thomas Beck - some of you know me already from my [Blender Developer Sneak Peek](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQB_JPnenWON0sB3QBoGx-Q) series on YouTube 📽, from my tweets on [twitter](https://twitter.com/plasmasolutions) or from my Blender contributions as a Blender core dev (like the "wireframe" modifier, the "white balance" modifier for the VSE, "fonts preview" in the file browser editor, making operators work with multi object editing for 2.8, ... ). I have more than 15 years of professional Blender experience as an artists, director and developer, founded a design, software development and training studio (Plasmasolutions), and I'm a father of a beautiful 2.5 year old son. Today however, I'm talking to you as an eBook author :open_book: .

In the last 6 years I wrote 2 German Blender books, both super comprehensive, up-to-date and well received: the [1st book](https://www.amazon.de/Blender-2-7-umfassende-Handbuch-Galileo/dp/3836224968/) had 700 pages, was targeted at Blender 2.72 (not yet released at that time) with an Amazon rating of 4.4 / 5 , and the [2nd book](https://www.amazon.de/Blender-2-7-umfassende-Werkzeugen-Funktionen/dp/3836244543/) 800 pages, targeted at 2.79 (also not released back then) with an Amazon rating of 4.8 / 5 .

Today, after 2 more years of translating, improving, refining and recreating countless pages and images, and based on the successful German predecessors, I'd like to present you my newest baby, a super in-depth, 17 chapters wide, 917 A4 pages & 1200+ illustrations strong international version for Blender 2.79b - this time as an professionally type-set and laid out eBook: "Blender 2.7 - the comprehensive handbook".

🔥 Have a look at https://plasmasolutions.de/the-comprehensive-handbook/?be=9 to get more info about the eBook, reading extracts, some first testimonials, an overview of all chapters and to understand why Blender 2.8 is covered in the appendix 🚀.

I wish that I can give you something with this book that I desperately missed when I started with Blender: a very comprehensive Blender guide that is not only showing you how Blender and its tools work, both on the inside from a developer's, and at the surface from artist's perspective, but also show you the real world origins of many areas that Blender touches - may it Rendering, Lighting, Rigging, Animation and many more.

This post is meant to give you a heads up that the book is out there in the wild now (more specific since the first day of the amazing Blender Conference 2018) and to give you the possibility to ask me anything in public that you have in mind before buying the book. On top, I'd like to have a platform for interacting with you - so I'll use this forum for polls about further book topics.

If don't like to share your thoughts with the world or if you'd like to ask me anything in private, write an e-mail to blenderhandbook@plasmasolutions.de. And if you already bought it (and massively improved your karma points by doing so - thanks so much , I really can't wait to read your feedback here or via mail!

Last but not least: I am a silent member of this forum since July 2014, though I'm reading almost daily here. I hope that this post is not only introducing my book but also me as a reader.

Btw: my favorite topic is low poly art (which I totally suck at) & I hope to post my own tries here in the future to get critique and improve. Now that the book is done, there should be time for it

Much love ,
Tom

Additions after I posted this:

🔥 Specials 🔥

-------------------

Hey guys, just a heads up: From today until 2018-11-25 is Black Friday week for my book: 20% off - so if you want to get it, get it now 🔥

🤓 Reviews 🤓

-------------------

 If you want to read a review about the book 📖, Blendernation just posted one: https://www.blendernation.com/2018/11/23/blender-2-7-the-comprehensive-handbook-review/

Cathodeus

Hello, i am intrested by your work. But do you plan any printed version ? Or maybe do you know any way that i could print that version in a real book [pro service, not DIY] ?

plasmasolutions

Hi Cathodeus,

a printed version is currently not planned - an eBook allows me to quickly alter content and distribute it while still maintaining a revenue that is much higher than a printed version (1$ per Book!!). I checked out so many different printing services but was disillusioned - all services stop at 500 pages max, color pages are expensive as hell (and I would never sacrifice quality in a printed version). If I would cut it in half and print it in color, I would pay 120€ per 1/2 Book... it's just not practical.

So long story short: Unfortunately not without abusing a laser printer at home / work.

Cheers and thanks for your interest,

Tom

wannabe

Pretty sure I am gonna purchase it. Great job

plasmasolutions

Hey @wannabe thanks so much for your support - and if there is anything you want to know beforehand, like if I plan to introduce a "Black Friday Week Discount marathon" starting this Friday, or if you could get the discount earlier, just ask

SimonT

this looks amazing! i can understand the idea to have it printed because learning something on the pc and having a book laying on the desk is better for me as well, but i totally get the problems with prices...

anyway, thanks for the work! blender ftw

wannabe

Hey @plasmasolutions , a discount sounds nice I'd be interested.

plasmasolutions

Hey @SimonT on top, I don't want to be responsible for all the trees that are dying for me then No, for real: There are other benefits as well - the resolution and quality of my pdf is super high, much higher than on ordinary eBooks, that means you can zoom super deep into images to see every detail, caption and node...AND I love to perform full-text searches on it. This would all get lost when I print it. Not trying to find excuses - just explaining my reasoning to not follow the print path. On a final note: I love printed books with high quality content!

plasmasolutions

@wannabe Coupon: pm

Michael Knubben

Glad to see something like this being kept up to date! I know those first few hurdles into Blender can be the hardest, and having a trustworthy comprehensive guide can be much more helpful than googling up a storm.

Importantly, for those looking to jump in with 2.8:

"But one thing is sure: When there is a stable version of Blender 2.8 – and I don’t mean the very first official release of 2.8
then I’ll definitely tackle this beast. And I’ve got some very interesting ideas in my mind to make you participate more easily on that – stay tuned!"

plasmasolutions

Hi Michael,

Keeping yourself as an author and the book up to date is one of the most important tasks when writing Blender books - we're just so damn fast with developing new features , BUT it's so fun to learn more (and I hope to have proved with the previous German editions that I'm capable of doing so) . All my existing readers will definitely be donated with coupons that reduce the price significantly for a possible 2.8 book...I won't let them hang and am super grateful for their support!

As for the Blender 2.8 project: As a Blender core dev, I naturally love our new version already! But I know the wip areas and state of it, so I will resist of documenting it too early - this would lead to despair *been there, done that*

Last but not least, I'll introduce more (imho super interesting) buying options and awesomeness to my readers when 2.82 is released (and a fresh 2.8 book is out) - I'll announce it here when it's ready. But first, I'll start working on getting an Eevee primer out that will accompany the book and is free of charge for any customer!

Cheers, Tom

Internet Friend

Thanks for this. My knowledge of blender ends at poly pushing and having a guide to everything it can do in one book is great. Looking forward to digging into the book.

plasmasolutions

Hey @Internet Friend you're totally welcome! Thanks so much for your support - and if there is anything that you want to tell / ask / throw at me while reading it, just do !

plasmasolutions

🔥 Hey guys, just a heads up: From today until 2018-11-25 is Black Friday week for my book: 20% off - so if you want to get it, get it now 🔥

All readers that bought the book this week got the reduced price already, I've refunded 20% to be fair ! The price is automatically reduced to 39,99 when you checkout, so you don't need to worry about anything. I hope to give more people the opportunity to buy it with this discount - therefore it will last for 9 days! Happy Blending!

ByteC

Cool, thanks, instabuy!

plasmasolutions said:

🔥 Hey guys, just a heads up: From today until 2018-11-25 is Black Friday week for my book: 20% off - so if you want to get it, get it now 🔥

All readers that bought the book this week got the reduced price already, I've refunded 20% to be fair ! The price is automatically reduced to 39,99 when you checkout, so you don't need to worry about anything. I hope to give more people the opportunity to buy it with this discount - therefore it will last for 9 days! Happy Blending!

By the way Tom, is the German Blender Book available as e-book too?

Cheers,
Peter

plasmasolutions

Hey @ByteC Peter, thanks so much! Much much appreciated! Re: German eBook -> pm!

polygons

Very cool! I wish I had this when I was learning blender back in 2.49 haha Most books on blender I have read were not great to be honest but it looks as though you have done a good job judging by the extracts. Good luck with your sales!

sacboi

Nice one! already got the necessary in hand to purchase a copy and by the looks of things will certainly come in more than a little handy once I've put together a system that can handle 2.8

plasmasolutions

Hey @polygons & @sacboi thanks for your wishes and support! If there is anything in there that you want to see improved, added or corrected, tell me - it's a living book and I'm very open to feedback!

plasmasolutions

Hey peeps, Blendernation just posted a review of my book from Phil Gosh - he seems to like it I'll link it in the first post so you can have a look if you're interested!

plasmasolutions

Hi peeps,

just a short heads up: I just started my 🎄 Christmas Special 🎄: My book is 33 % off the normal price for one week, starting now!

Apart from that, I just updated it to version 1.0.4 - which means two more pages about Baking / Caching in the particle simulation realm and over 50 typos erased.

The next update (Januar 2018) will contain everything you need to know about how to get your bugs reported properly & how to reach out to us (devs) and I'll shed light on the development phases of Blender...

I wish you 🎅 Merry Christmas 🤶, much 💕 and an awesome Christmas 2018!

Happy Blending,
Tom

plasmasolutions

Hi guys,

just a heads up: While Blendernation is featuring my book, there is a 🏝 summer discount 🏖 happening: 33% off the RRP of the book. You don’t need to enter any discount codes, its price is reduced as soon as you click on “Get it!”

One last hint: Every reader of my book will get my Blender 2.8 book (scheduled to be released at the beginning of 2020) for 50% of the RRP - more on this later via twitter and mail.

Links are as always:  Click here if you want to read a very comprehensive review about it from Phil Gosh, or  here if you want to beam yourself right onto my book page.

Thanks so much for your support and great reviews, you make me super happy!

Cheers,
Thomas

SnowInChina

are there any plans to release the 2.8 version as physical book ? or only ebook ?

i'm fine with 2.7 but reluctant to switch to 2.8 since there's so much different and new, so i am kinda looking forward to the 2.8 version of this

Mink

SnowInChina said:

are there any plans to release the 2.8 version as physical book ? or only ebook ?

i'm fine with 2.7 but reluctant to switch to 2.8 since there's so much different and new, so i am kinda looking forward to the 2.8 version of this

Did you read the rest of the thread?