Autodesk Smoke is a timeline based NLE (Non-linear editing) software, it’s fitted with a huge collection of video effects tools.  It’s widely used in the movies and Broadcasting, it’s used to create many of the content on YouTube, TV shows and movies.

There are are many alternatives for Autodesk Smoke, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut are two of the most commonly used of these alternatives, while OpenShot and Cinelerra are two free and open source alternatives for Autodesk Smoke.

Learning Autodesk Smoke can be helpful for YouTube content creators, and for those who’re working or willing to work in the broadcasting and movie industry. This post is a road map for anyone willing to start learning Autodesk Smoke online for free from scratch, the post will present and compare between the best online sources where beginners can start from and follow along.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Autodesk Smoke) 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 Autodesk Smoke for Free from Scratch

Smoke Training

Smoke Training is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Smoke through video. You don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 34 video tutorials, each video tutorials covers certain topics in Autodesk Smoke.

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

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of Autodesk Smoke, though that won’t be a problem for beginners.

Verdict: This is the best free online outlet for beginners to start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials.

Autodesk Website

Autodesk Website is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials, you need to register in order to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 7 video lessons, each video lesson covers certain topics in Autodesk Smoke.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just select the lesson you’re interested in and the video will start. It’s worth noting that you can’t jump to an advanced lesson without finishing prior lessons.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The training material used through the training could be downloaded for free, which makes it very easy for beginners to follow along.

Cons

1. The training doesn’t cover every aspect of the software, it only covers the basics of the Autodesk Smoke.

Verdict: This is a very good outlet for beginners to start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials.

Smoke Learning YouTube Channel

Smoke Learning YouTube Channel is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk smoke through video tutorials.

Structure: The “Getting Started” playlist has 51 video lessons, each video lesson covers a certain topic in Autodesk Smoke.

Interface: The standard YouTube interface.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training isn’t well organized for beginners.

Verdict: This is a good outlet for beginners to start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials, though it’s worth noting that the videos aren’t well-organized for beginners.

Shelf 3D

Shelf 3D is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials. You don’t have to register to have access to the video tutorials.

Structure: There’s no real structure or organization for the training. The training is divide into 30 video tutorials, these tutorials cover many topics in Autodesk Smoke.

Interface: Click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new page where the video resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros  

1. Free.

Cons

1. There’s no structure or organization for the video tutorials.

Verdict: There are better outlets stated in this post for beginners to start learning Autodesk Smoke.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Autodesk Smoke for free

1. Smoke Training is the best place for beginners to start learning Autodesk Smoke through video tutorials.
2. Autodesk Website is the best place for those who’re using another software and want to get an overview about the Autodesk Smoke.

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 Autodesk Smoke.