In-App Browser for How-to Videos, etc
While learning Blender, I'm almost always following along with one of the many fantastic instructional videos found on YouTube or other places. The problem with doing this using separate applications is that you have to click out of Blender to pause the browser video, click back into Blender to do the thing you were shown, then again into the browser to play more video, and so on. It makes for extra clicking which is bad for the muscle memory of the one who is learning. And a careless click-in can cause errors.
I'd like an add-on that allows for an editor window that's made to show videos. This way, easy pausing and restarting could be a natural part of the workflow and more conducive to learning. It seems like most people are learning Blender by imitating online how-to's. It may be that more Blender use is done in conjunction with videos than in actual production work. Students will learn more efficiently by playing these videos without leaving Blender.
Not exactly sure how this will be implemented. Perhaps a limited browser could be added to Blender?
3 Comments
I choose videos day-by-day depending on the requirements of the long-term model I'm building. Though I know it is possible to download YouTube videos, it's too cumbersome for me and probably most others.
A web browser window, however, would eliminate downloading and TOS considerations. It would give you more freedom to jump from video to video until you find the right one to dive into more deeply and try out in Blender.
Also, an in-app browser would have uses beyond how-to videos. The Blender Manual could be accessed directly, possibly with added features like clicking terms to highlight where functions can be found amongst the interface panels.
The browser would also let creators directly see how their work looks online.
Seems a definite improvement and likely has been discussed by developers. I believe some browsers are open source. There might be downsides I'm not thinking of.
Why not load the video in the Video Sequencer or Movie Clip Editor?
Download video, open in player, snap player to top of all (you can do it with Vitrite 4 example). Enjoy.