NovaTux, the first open source videogame of Cuba

On the morning of March 26, was presented by the FreeViUX team, the first cuban videogame made in Blender: NovaTux, in the National Videogame Festival at the Central Computer Palace.

The expectation created with this product, that was made using only the free and Open Source tools: GIMP and Blender, they showed that it is possible to create materials with quality, regardless of the private tools for modeling and animation like 3D Max, that are often used in such creations.

Using the Blender game engine is a reliable alternative for all creators of videogames that are currently using OGRE, C++ and other tools to achieve the logic and the
visualization the games.

The jurors, after the meeting, met with members of FreeViUX for copy the Blender versions for Windows that they have, plus some documentation to begin experimenting with this powerful tool.

NovaTux is designed as a game for children and teenagers 9 to 14 years, where they toured worlds meeting specific objectives, all aimed at learning the main concepts of Free Software and GNU / Linux distributions, particularly making emphasis in the features of NOVA, the Cuban GNU / Linux distribution, and the importance of their use for our country.

FreeViUX left the door open for anyone looking for create other educational and  entertainment materials with free software and without needing to write large blocks of code, except if necessary, some Python scripts to add specific functionalities to the game.

The authors of Novatux are:

• David Padrón Alvarez
• Yoan González González
• Angel Camilo Guillén Guzmán
• Carlos Ernesto Díaz Torres
• Julio César Ojeda Hernández

but soon it will become a community project where everyone can contribute to its development.

A full success !!!

The 2nd Universitary Blender Workshop was a success. We all learn a lot of Blender and making movies!!!

2nd Universitary Blender Workshop

Blender UCI

In 2008 was celebrated the first Universitary Blender Workshop. We are calling upon all concerned from March 16 through 17 to celebrate its second edition. We will have lectures, workshops, best practice modeling and animation with Blender, and presentation of “Meñique”, an ICAIC Animation Studies project.

The UNICORNIOS group, sponsored by the Scrum Master, in coordination with FreeViUX (Free Videos Using GNU/Linux) project and the Free Software Polo; invites all interested in the topics of computer graphics in GNU/Linux systems, modeling and animation with free tools and in particular to digital creators using Blender.

The workshop will be supported by the FEU, enthusiastic teachers and students of film and animation.

Scrum Special Guest: Ing. Raúl Hernández Fernández (Farsthary)

The only Blender developer in Cuba.

Special Guest:

Ernesto Padrón Blanco
Graphic designer, writer and director of animated cartoons

GENERAL PUBLIC ACTIVITIES:

Cycle of Conferences:

• History of computer graphics in the film industry. Today in Latin America.

Speaker: David Padrón Alvarez.

• Paradigms of composite managers. Xeiba and Tocororo Desktop projects.
  Speakers: Yunier Vega Rodríguez y Eiger Mora Moredo.

• Guano: a lightweight desktop environment.
  Speakers: Abel Fírvida Donéstevez y Miguel Albalat Águila.

Workshop: Good practices in Blender:

30 interested people can participate. The team of modelers and animators from FreeViUX will expose their experiences.

Film Workshop (Cineclub):

• Presentation of “Meñique”, the first 3D long feature film made in Cuba.

• Sample videos developed in the UCI and videos from the Blender Foundation/Institute.

• Private academic activities (for institutional strategies)

Workshop: Advanced Modeling and Animation with Blender.

Workshop: How to become a Blender developer?

Workshop: Blender Course for TV

Discussion of ideas on the course of Blender for TV that is produced in the Faculty X, with the aim of be transmitted by the satellite channel. Course for the migration to Free Software, in the Polytechnics Institutes of the country.

For subscription write to: softwarelibre@uci.cu