Vue is a software for 3D scenery generation, it is used by major studios like; Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Sony Pictures Imageworks, DreamWorks Animation and many others. It was used in major movies like; Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. There are many skews for Vue the major key differentiation is that Vue xStream is an add-on for other software like LightWave and Maya while the other skews (e.g. Vue Infinite, etc.) are standalone applications.

Learning Vue  is essential for CG professional as well as CG amateurs and students, it’s also useful for architects as it helps them bring their vision to life. Vue might be of specially interest for architects as it helps them quickly render their designs especially those with many plants, grass or any other vegetation unlike other software like 3D Studio Max which would take much more longer time to render.

The aim of this post is to present and compare between free online sources that beginners can rely on to start learning Vue, the sources stated here are full-structured courses that beginners can follow along.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Vue) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Getting Started with Vue Online from Scratch

Geek at Play

Geek at Play is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the free training. The training entitled “Introduction to Vue 2015” is the best for beginners to start from. It’s worth noting that as a free user you’ll have access to 26 video lessons out of the 57 video lessons available.

Structure: The free training is divided into 26 video lessons, each video lesson covers certain tools/topics in Vue.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The training covers the latest release of the software.
4. The training covers the basics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using the software.

Cons

1. The training isn’t complete as you’ve to pay to have access to the full course.

Verdict: This is the best free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials.

Cross Training YouTube Channel

Cross Training YouTube Channel is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials.

Structure: The training is divided into 27 video lessons, each video lesson covers certain tools/aspects of Vue.

Interface: Standard YouTube interface.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well structured and organized for beginners.
3. The training covers the basics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using Vue.
4. The training focuses on Vue for architects.

Cons

1. The training doesn’t cover the latest release of the software, though that won’t be a problem for complete beginners.

Verdict: This is an excellent free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials. It’s the best outlet for architects to learn Vue.

E-on Software Website

E-on Software Website is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into two main sections, each section is divided into a group of video lessons that cover the various tools and techniques in Vue.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the video lesson resides.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. A large collection of video lessons.

Cons

1. Old releases are used throughout the training.
2. The training isn’t well-organized or structured for complete beginners.

Verdict: In Spite of the drawbacks, this is a good free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials.

3D Tutorials

3D Tutorials is fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Vue through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: There’s no real structure in this outlet it’s just a huge collection of 150 video lessons that cover the various aspects and tools available in Vue.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video lessons you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the video lesson resides.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. A huge collection of video lessons.

Cons

1. Lack of structure and organization.

Verdict: Though this outlet has a huge collection of video lesson it’s not suitable for complete beginners to start from.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Vue:

1. Geek at Play is the best outlet for CG artists to start learning Vue through video tutorials, while Cross Training YouTube Channel is the best outlet for architects to start learning Vue through video tutorials.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in learning Vue.