Hot Software Tips How-Tos

How To: Make a tank track in Blender 2.5

In this video, learn how to make a tank track using the computer program, Blender 2.5. This track is great for animation and design and can be added to any drawing of an army tank. Tracks can be tricky to get right but this video should be able to help you out and walk you through it.

How To: Use Quick Brushes in Apple Aperture 3

Learn how to use the Quick Brushes feature in Aperture 3. Whether you're new to Apple's popular photo editing application or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the newest iteration of the program, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a blend between surfaces in AutoCAD 2011

Looking for a primer on how to blend two separate surfaces in AutoCad 2011? Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular 3D drafting application or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the newest iteration of the program, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the AutoCad 2011 Materials Browser

Need some help wrapping your head around AutoCad 2011's Materials Browser? Don't fret: Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular 3D drafting application or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the newest iteration of the program, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Apply transparency to objects in AutoCAD 2011

See how to apply a transparent texture to design objects in AutoCAD 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular 3D drafting application or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the newest iteration of the program, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Manage library patterns with Rhino's Paneling Tools

Learn how to use 2D and 3D library patterns in the Paneling Tools plugin for Rhino. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a seasoned 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create screen captures for quick proofs in Rhino 4.0

See how to capture your screen view for quick proofs when working in Rhinocerous 4. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a seasoned 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use Rebuild and Change Degree in Rhino 4.0

Learn how to make use of the Rebuild and Change Degree tools in Rhinocerous 4. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a seasoned 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Troubleshoot solids and Booleans in Rhino 4.0

Learn how to troubleshoot solids and Booleans in Rhinocerous 4. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create complex surface shapes in Rhino 4.0

See how to create complex surface shapes using Network Surface in Rhinoceronous 4. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the geometry menus in Rhinoceros 3D

Learn how to make use Rhinocerous 3D's geometry menus. Whether you're new to Rober McNeel & Associates' popular NURBS-based modeling application or a 3D arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Rhino 4's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Degrain a garbage matte in the Nuke 5 node compositor

Learn how to remove grain and noise from garbage mattes when working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Set key frames in the Nuke 5 node compositor

Learn how to use set key frames (or keyframes) working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Transform Jack in the Nuke 5 compositor

Learn how to work with the Transform Jack tool in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use viewer nodes in Nuke 5

Learn how to use viewer nodes when working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Disable nodes in Nuke 5

Learn how to turn a node off when working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Connect and disconnect node trees in Nuke 5

Learn how to edit node trees when working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Build node trees in the Nuke 5 compositor

Learn how to use generate node trees when working in Nuke 5. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Save time with keyboard shortcuts in Nuke 5

Speed up your Nuke 5 workflow with the handy key commands dmeonstrated in this clip. Whether you're new to the Foundry's popular node-based compositing application or a seasoned post-production professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with Nuke 5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a detailed overview, watch this free video guide.

How To: Convert a wma file to an mp3 file with Winff easily

Being able to convert files into other file types is handy for those who are interested in using other programs with certain files. Doing this can be difficult though, if you don't know all the shortcuts. In this helpful tutorial, you'll find out how to convert a wma file into an mp3 file or vice-versa using Winff. So sit back, pay attention, and enjoy!

How To: Make a curtain in GIMP, the free Photoshop alternative

In the mood for a little digital decadence? Learn how to create red velvet drapes using the GIMP image editor. Whether you're new to GIMP or simply looking to pick up a few new tips and tricks, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on how to get started creating your own digital curtains, watch this graphic designer's guide.

How To: Use three apps to sync your home and work computers

In this installment of her Work Smart series, Gina Trapani returns to explain how to use three diverse applications to better synchronize the contents of your home, office, and whatever other computers you might have. They are Googledocs, Dropbox, and Evernote, and each one can help your files become easier to access from wherever you might be computing.

How To: Make adjustments with the Curves tool in Aperture 3

Looking for a Photoshop-style Curves tool in Aperture 3? Look no further. Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to use said Curves tool to make curve adjustments to your digital images.

How To: Highlight hot and cold areas in Apple Aperture 3

Ferret out any pixels with clipped highlights in Aperture. Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to automatically highlight hod and cold areas within Aperture 3.

How To: Retouch portraits with adjustment brushes in Aperture

Have a photo that could do with a little touching up? Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to touch up your digital photographs utilizing Aperture's built-in adjustment brushes.

How To: Show focus points in Apple Aperture 3

Hone in on the focus points of your digital images. Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to display focus points within Aperture 3.

How To: Use the Loupe tool for a closer look in Aperture 3

Want to zoom in on a particular part of a digital image in Aperture while maintaining the overall perspective? Try the Loupe tool. Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to use the digital Loupe feature within Aperture 3.

How To: Enable full-screen mode in Apple Aperture 3

Give your digital pictures the screen real estate they deserve. Whether you're new to digital photography or merely unfamiliar with Apple's Aperture 3, you're sure to benefit from this free video software tutorial from Lynda, which presents a thorough, step-by-step overview on how to use Aperture's full-screen mode.

How To: Create a Fantasy World with Adobe Design CS5

Read this great how-to article on generating a fantasy world in Adobe Photoshop. Constantin Potorac leads you through, step-by-step, as you follow along and create a fantastic scene, beginning with basic stock images. Combine stock images of a background, tree, and model. Transform the background into a magical wonderland, add atmosphere with cloud effects, and birds to give it life. Edit the image of the model to blend in with the background - add some elegance to her dress and hair, with fa...

How To: Convert a wma file to an mp3 with Winff

If you're looking for an easy way to convert a wma file into an mp3 file easil, you've found the right video. In this tutorial, you'll be taught how a program call Winff can help you with all your converting file needs. It's easy to use and is so simple that you'll be done in no time at all. So sit back and enjoy this brief, but informative tutorial. Enjoy!

How To: Combine movie clips in QuickTime Pro

If you have multiple clips that you need to splice together, check out this tutorial. In it, you will learn how to combine different clips into one using Quicktime Pro. This is a very easy process and takes less than two minutes to demonstrate. If you are looking to sequence separate clips into one big movie, just follow along with the step by step you see here and you will have a masterpiece in no time.

How To: Stream DVDs to AVI with the VLC media player

Learn how to stream DVDs to AVI using the VLC media player in this video tutorial. To begin, open your DVD disk on the computer. Save the stream and save it to a file (save it somewhere where you will remember it). Then, go with the default and press "OK.". Locate the file you just created and launch it. Then, launch the DVD. The VLC media player will open and you will hear your DVD. During this process, the media player will be transcribing your video, which will take a few seconds. To learn...

How To: Burn Flash FLV video to a DVD with Replay Converter

Most of the videos that you'll find on the internet from sites like youtube are probably flv format. There is now a handy new tool that you can use to convert those flv files and burn them onto a DVD, it's called Replay Converter. As the start the program up you'll see a button that says 'add file'. Using this you can add files to the program's queue. Put a blank DVD into your DVD burner beforehand. Now with the files in the queue, tick the 'Burn to CD/DVD' option. You will have the option to...

How To: Copy DVDs to a Mac computer with Handbrake

This video shows you how to copy a DVD to a Mac using a free application called Handbrake. Open the Handbrake window, select the DVD you want to copy from where it's listed on the side, and click open to start scanning. After the scanning is done, a window will come up where you can choose which file on the DVD you want to copy. If you're copying a movie, it's usually the largest file. Choose what type of file you want to convert it to, and it will start copying. If the DVD is encrypted, you ...

How To: Burn an ISO file to a DVD on an OS X Mac

In this how to video, you will learn how to use convert an ISO to a DVD using a Mac. First, download the ISO file. Next, go to your hard drive and applications folder. Scroll down to the utilities folder and choose Disk Utility. A new window will pop up. Open back the folder where the ISO file is and drag it to the window of Disk Utility. Insert the blank DVD into your Mac. Select Open Disk Utility and click okay. Right click on the file and select burn from the menu. Click burn on the next w...

How To: Batch compress multiple photos at once

Open Image Compressor 2008 and go to the Image Tray. Pick the images you want with the image selector and click on them to add them to the Image Tray. If you want to add every photo in a certain folder, you just click on the Add All button. Once you have the photos you want, you can batch compress them. You can go to File>Batch Compress to start the process, or just click on the Batch Compress button in the toolbar. Then, pick the compression options you want, or edit the images. You can also...