Pitching out to the community - especially regular and veteran users of the software. If @stephomi sanctions its creation; we should write a detailed user manual of Nomad’s UI and functions, similar to the way Blender’s Manual has been written by its community throughout time. Wouldn’t take too long if the right people assigned to the project (users with deep knowledge of the software use) chooses a category each, and we compile sufficient documentation together as one. I’ll also have a word with Glen Southern about contributing. A Bible effectively, collection of written work from different authors, I’m happy to do also do the editing and compilation. @knacki @SporkFuMaster @Adam @Genko3D @Bezzo @Steve @Costorella_Stefano @r_moseley_art @JimWatL - apologies if there’s someone I didn’t hail on this list, just rolling a few names from top of my head who I know regularly frequent the forums and post work. Would need planning and discussing before hand how we would approach the project specifically.
I like the idea.
What about creating a parallel wiki or Google doc? You could leave official manual to Stephomi, as a high level manual and create a parallel manual that goes more into depth.
Just thinking out loud.
I like the idea of collaborating through google docs, it would allow for quick editing and access to the collective work. I was originally thinking we just write article style columns (screen shots etc.), and I compile them together and send them to Stephane, to put onto the main Nomad site (if he’s happy with the content, etc.)
I am flattered to have been quoted. It’s a very good idea. On the other hand, for my part, I am too irregular in my schedule, especially since I am going to resume work so I would help randomly if necessary.
That’s cool dude, understand wholly about busy schedules. There’s a lot on all our plates this year I can imagine. If we’re all on board in general for this kind of project, the over-all support for it will could help bring it into fruition.
It’s just an idea for now man, hopefully we can all pool together at some point and produce the documentation needed, a lot more new users entering this territory, tutorials hold their weight for now but still good to have that hard text and information to digest.
Well, I wouldn’t want to break the mood, but what kind of documentation are we talking about? Because Stephomi has created a very complete manual on her website.
Nomad has expanded a lot since that was written, whilst I wholly agree it is very thorough - I’m aiming more toward what the newer builds allow for, updated screen shots of the UI, the icons - basically take that information and enhance it further with visuals as well as annotations. Show more recorded examples of operations (like the video in the Stroke section of the manual). Basically fluff it out more and add to whats been done. I’ve gone through the entire manual as it is, more beginners need to read it in my opinion, especially if it’s more filled with visuals. It’s one area of the Nomad site I want to start directing users to more from the FB group when they have queries.
Perhaps instead a downloadable PDF (example) contributed by the community to complement the manual already would be a better result, there’s the user manual - here’s an enhanced operation bible for people wishing to dive deeper and learn more about the software. An example would be a small paragraph coupled with screen shots how to make glowing mesh material (additive + bloom) - a query I find surfaces a lot, and without watching a tutorial with it specifically in, it’s generally information passed on by another user. It’s all in the manual if you hunt for the information in separate parts, but again, not everyone is technically savvy enough to do that.
ah yes in that sense then I understand better, a sort of set of advanced tutorials.
Yes! More written documentation, tutorial styled - better way to describe it. What Stephane has already written is gold, but those couple thousand words equate to all the written documentation of Nomad, the rest is just relying on video tutorials on YouTube. I just think that gap could be bridged more by some more easily accessible readable content - which also benefits international users, because it’s a lot easier to translate written text than relying on subtitles to digest the information.
I’ll write some up over the holidays, post them on here - see what people think.
It’s a bit different because Nomad is a closed source commercial product.
That being said, you can find the code for the website and manual here:
Understood man, the open source part of Blender only rang with me after I posted. I think the way forward for my thinking is to just write some tutorial documentation instead to compliment the numerous video ones - which I hope more people will do as well.