some notes towards a « #blender for hackers » tutorial series [1]
I think I want to follow the #racket/#plt/#htdp method of restricting blender to subsets of gradually growing "tutorial-specific workshops" (using the "blender apps" feature that allows you to export just a subset of the application), except have the whole tutorial be an interactive text adventure within these restricted subsets of blender, in which you are directed in the use of various tools to "fill in the blanks" of simple scenes, almost like a coloring book, that introduce new features when you enter a revealed message, or the correct number of vertices in a well-topoligized shape, essentially basing each tutorial off of procedural use of a restricted set of standard blender key commands.
so imagine Tutorial 0, where you are presented with a very minimal "edit mode" workspace,; just a viewport, the selection tool, the rotation axis (+ "drag" "zoom" etc), a terminal prompt introducing the tutorial, and some illegible text out yonder. from the very beginning, I would introduce keyboard "a" (for select all) and numpad "del" (which "brings you" to any set of selected, useful for navigation), which brings you to the message "del the magnificent". entering the message into the text prompt then explains orthographic vs. perspective view, and camera rotation (the numpad keys), and you're instructed to essentially "select, del" between a path of vertices, shifting perpspective to reveal messages at each, which entering introduces more vertices and and key commands, gradually building up a vocabulary, quickly introducing the ruler tool, and really focusing from the start how all the gridwork magically "snaps together", effectively giving you a simulataneously 2D and 3D editing experience where everything perfectly lines up geometry if you navigate and edit procedurally, trying to convey to the user that Blender is really this sort of magical "fantasy #art studio" experience where you have all the tools you would in a serious sculpture or plastic arts studio, except everything is (comparatively) easy and free.
[1] (written as fast as possible, sry if its a mess)