Hi All,

As you may have noticed I have just released my latest tutorial creation - Product Package & Poster. Now comes the time that I find most unsettling - that is trying to come up with a new and wonderful idea that can attract new users. Sometimes the unsettledness can be allayed by redoing an older version tutorials that I feel has been successful and that covers many important processes. Some of the older ones don't really lose their appeal and so don't require too much planning on my part since it has already been done. However, coming up with completely new ideas can be quite mind numbing and that is why I am making a public appeal on the forum for ideas.

I am at the point where all the V12 tutorials have run their course of usefulness and I am not sure if any of the remaining ones should be rewritten for v16. As I ponder this, I thought that I would ask on the forum if there were any topics or products or areas of interest that new users would like to see covered in a Textual Creations tutorial. If you have a suggestion or idea, I would sure like to hear it, although I can't promise that I can accommodate it. There are lots of reasons that some things won't work (i.e. complexity - organic shapes, too many parts, not enough research data to make it possible for me to write about it let alone construct it, etc.) but perhaps you can make a suggestion that will ignite my creative embers. If you have a suggestion that I do transform into a tutorial I will be sure to give you a free copy upon completion.

Anyone?

Hi Don, I've always enjoyed your Tutorials. If I've learned one thing alone from each one they've been worth it. My interests are mainly mechanical. I don't really need any more info on Paperspace. What I would like to see would be Tutorials more on mechanical drawings with the enfosis on drawing methods. Sorry for that spelling error. Take care, John

Don, I think one or more tutorials that set forth the applications of Constraints would be useful. A specific example that comes to mind is a constrained bent-up sheet metal object. (I'm working on one now -- not sheet metal -- that's giving me no end of trouble.)

Henry H

Lots of us that play with TurboCad aren't employed as Cad operators and have minimal drafting experiance. From my standpoint, I took one drafting class in HS in the early '70s, and another in college shortly thereafter.

Something I think would be good would be how to incorporate ANSI/ASME drafting standards into your CAD drawings. The use of Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing when drawing a CAD model. Also the use of welding symbols.

Basic workflow, layers, exploded drawings and animations to ensure there aren't any interferences with assemblies. I find this to be chanllenging, remembering what layer I put stuff on.

More details on the TurboCadCam plig in. How to interface it with a machine running Mach3 as the controller. Small CNC machines are now in the hands of hobyists, so a tutorial demonstrating the tools in that plug in directed to the Mach3 control software would be a great plus.

I'm sure some of this my be in your other tutorials, but not sure as I haven't taken them.

Most of my stuff is mechanical also, steel tube, wood, and sheet metal structures along with detail parts (airplanes).

It's a late reply to your request for ideas but....at some point you did a tutorial on a watertower. What do you think about revisiting it for v16.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Don, I will put the water tower tutorial in the lineup for updating - I remember that it was a pretty interesting one.

Well Don I am really late.  I have been away from drafting for several weeks and thus have not been on the forum.  As you know I do architectural work so that is my emphasis.

I am continuing to struggle with a process to work together between Sketchup and TurboCad in 3D.  Sometimes my ideas are gelling and sometimes I think I have just missed the point. or done something too soon.  Sketchup is such a great tool for modeling, TurboCad is good for laying out floor plans and of course detailing.  Knowing how and when to export and import and how to use TurboCad's limited X-reffing is the key.  I would be happy to talk more with you on this if you wanted to develop a tutorial.

Hi,
I'd quite like a motorcycle related tutorial. Maybe an engine or chassis of an old classic or a newer machine.
The engine tutorial would be the engine exterior only otherwise it could get a bit too complicated.

David.

The engine tutorial would be the engine exterior only otherwise it could get a bit too complicated.

I'm not sure David, I rather like the idea of an engine tutorial, assembling it would be fun.

Regards,

Paul.

I appreciate the tutorial ideas a lot. They are good ones so far and have already got my mind wound up with plans. Keep them coming.

BTW David, I do have a Radial Engine tutorial that includes the creation of quite a few inner components. See: http://www.textualcreations.ca/Textual%20Creations%20Shopping%20Page.html#Radial_Engine_Tutorial. It has been quite popular, and a lot of fun, if I may say so myself.

EDIT: Apparently, you can use a radial engine in a motorcycle: http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/8726765/122_2006_03_z+legend_of_the_motorcycle+radial_engine.jpg or http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/JRL-Radial-Motorcycle.jpg

Hey Don

I have done a few of your tutorials, my favorites where the crank master battery which I see you have updated to v15. Also the water tower which was a really good one. Would also like to see the water tower one re-done for v16. That may entice me to upgrade from v15.

Hi,
I have this dream of one day designing and building my own recumbent bicycle.
This site has sparked my interest

http://www.atomiczombie.com/

Don, maybe you could do a tutorial featuring a bicycle of some description. I feel that would be something of real interest to me and a good start to designing my own bike.

Thanks.

Don,

How many hours a week do you spend working on those beautiful, highly detailed tutorials? I seem to recall you spend a few hours a week doing database work. So what does that leave you? 77 hours a week?

Mike...

Don,

How many hours a week do you spend working on those beautiful, highly detailed tutorials? I seem to recall you spend a few hours a week doing database work. So what does that leave you? 77 hours a week?

Mike...

Hi Mike, The amount of time spent on tutorial writing varies quite a bit from week to week since it gets fit in where my schedule allows.

I wrapped up my data work in the middle of July 2009. I finished inputting all the historical data (only took me eleven years at 80/hrs per month). The organization that I did this for is now capable of managing all current data so I am no longer needed. The end for me in this role was a good thing and a bad thing. Bad in that I could always count on that income as a constant and now it is gone - and Good because I came to really hate that work because it was so mind numbing.

Once the data work came to an end I became solely dependent on money earned thorough tutorial sales and CAD services. Although tutorial sales are fairly constant, the market is small (relatively speaking) so I cannot count on that as my sole income. It is not secure income either as fluctuations are noted at different times of the year. Although I do have some long term clients for whom I do CAD work this too is not secure income, nothing you can really count on per se. Some months they keep me hopping and some months I hear very little from them. So I squirrel away what I can when it is busy and hope and pray when it is quiet that more work will come. I continue to look for CAD and Graphics work but that is proving to be amazingly difficult. Just when I think something new will pan out, it falls through. I'm starting to get a complex already. The stress of insecurity these days makes it really hard to be motivated, so when I do have time to write, I have found it difficult to get started. I do have a new tutorial planned and if I can get over the hump I am against, it should proceed smoothly.

Hi Don,

Maybe you should expand your market. Like you say, the Turbocad niche is quite small.

Turbocad is also one of the very few programs left that still does "bulk" math modeling. Most of the others use some form of the master model concept. So pick one of those that have a large audience, tweak your tutorials to work with that cad program, and your income should go way up!

Besides, you now have the time to support tutorials for two cad packages! Turbocad and ________.

Mike...

I don't know what to suggest to you Don. I've found more and more companies are providing quite detailed tutorials on their websites free of charge. I believe their thinking is that users will purchase the product if they have easy access to how it works, so they build up a library of training videos on line.

There is also a lot of competition from cad/ graphic providers overseas that are using low wage employees and high end programs which produce some incredable work. It seems that static 3D rendering demand is being  replaced with 3D motion / interactives which requires  expertise in many more presentation products.

And finally there is the 'what's new' concept. Buyers of programs are always looking for the latest and greatest , which leaves older programs and related work gathering dust.

It's hard to keep pace being a 'one man show', maybe there is a team concept / organization that can boost your incentive to crank stuff out again.

I"d like to hear what new approaches you come up with.

Jack

I have never done any of your tutorials, but from what I see you do a really good job. I think one of the problems with the tutorials is the higher end program you have to use to do some of these. Mechanical or pro. Most people dont have the funds to go that far out of there way which therefore turns them away. I am sure if your efficient enough with TC you could find a way around this, but as a new user there stuck trying to learn which again turns them away. I believe I have read a way to get a hold of PRO at a cheaper price, but again, as a new user there stuck. Not everyone knows this. I also believe you are really reasonable priced for your tutorials. One thought that comes to mind is how much money do I have to spend to learn this software on top of already buying the software. As far as I am concerned, you are doing people a favor so to say. Some companies buy the software seat license and then they purchase on call help for a period of time for any occurances they have and cant work around. So keep up the good work and thanks.

I have never done any of your tutorials, but from what I see you do a really good job. I think one of the problems with the tutorials is the higher end program you have to use to do some of these. Mechanical or pro. Most people dont have the funds to go that far out of there way which therefore turns them away. I am sure if your efficient enough with TC you could find a way around this, but as a new user there stuck trying to learn which again turns them away. I believe I have read a way to get a hold of PRO at a cheaper price, but again, as a new user there stuck. Not everyone knows this. I also believe you are really reasonable priced for your tutorials. One thought that comes to mind is how much money do I have to spend to learn this software on top of already buying the software. As far as I am concerned, you are doing people a favor so to say. Some companies buy the software seat license and then they purchase on call help for a period of time for any occurances they have and cant work around. So keep up the good work and thanks.

Hi dj722000 (Do you have a name?)

These are from posts I made at a different times with regards to tutorials and the differences between Pro & Deluxe.

There are actually huge difference between Deluxe and Pro and this is due to TC Surface objects used in Deluxe and Solids in Pro. Although you can create some nice stuff with Deluxe, it is very limiting when it comes to missing processes, like shelling, filleting, using compound profiles, boolean ops, and many many other things. I know my message to Keith seemed mysterious but all I told him was that any Pro version of TurboCAD is better than Deluxe and I told him to search ebay as I had just done so to see what was available and saw that there were v12 and v14 Pro versions available for very low costs. Once a Pro version was purchased, it would be very reasonable to upgrade to newer versions when desired. Going from Deluxe to Pro is like being broken out of prison - what creative freedom one gets from such a move. I know what it is like to be under budget constraints and I too started with TC Designer and then Deluxe. I could not afford Pro at the time and I didn't know that one could find such deals on ebay. So I waited until I had the good fortune of receiving the Pro version as a gift. Not everyone has that luxury, so finding a sale is good. My first purchase on ebay was for Adode's CS3 at $1K. I was so nervous but if it turned out to be a viable solution it was going to save me a thousand dollars. The seller had been in business for many years and had hundreds of positive reviews. So I went ahead and got a brand new boxed version in no time at all. I was even able to upgrade to CS4 via Adobe just recently. So the moral of the story is - there are ways to get the better software without having to beg borrow or steal.

I only have one v14 Deluxe tutorial that would work just fine with V16 Deluxe. It would take you through all kinds of processes that would help ease the learning curve.
See: http://www.textualcreations.ca/Textual%20Creations%20Shopping%20Page.html#Dinner_Setting_Tutorial

I used to have more Deluxe tutorials but did not keep up with them as it was too much work writing for both Pro and Deluxe. Since this new forum started there sure seems to be more Deluxe users and I would consider writing for Deluxe again if I thought it might be worth it. Trouble is that new users are not always willing to spend 40 (ish) dollars on tutorial materials when they only spent three times that for the program itself.

Hi,
Ebay can be a very good source for Turbocad. I recently won an auction for the platinum edition of V15 Pro.
Cost me £160 for genuine boxed software from a reputable seller, cheaper than it would have cost me to upgrade to Version 16 Pro (around £270 for the upgrade).
It's worth keeping a lookout and setting up email alerts for what you want.

David.

I found TC v15 Mechanical for 299..  Which is what I origionally wanted.   

Sorry Don, I'm done, didnt meen to hijack your thread. Wasnt expecting all that.