3ds Max is a powerful, deep, and multifaceted program, so there's always more to learn. This weekly series aims to keep you on top of the latest tools and techniques, and introduces fresh perspectives on traditional methods for architectural and product visualization, animation, visual effects, games and virtual worlds, and motion graphics. Instructor Aaron F. Ross presents a new topic every week, spanning the full range of 3D graphics tasks, including modeling, rigging and animation, shading and lighting, camera operation, and rendering. He gives special attention to streamlining workflows, such as automation of time-consuming tasks, so your productions run more smoothly and efficiently. Come back every Wednesday for a new tutorial to expand your 3ds Max knowledge and skills.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Companies need DevOps professionals who can help their teams ship high-quality products and services quickly and reliably. Earning the Azure DevOps Engineer Expert certification validates your DevOps expertise, helping you become more competitive both within your current organization and in the job market at large. In this course, instructor Robby "Sap" Millsap helps you prepare for the Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions (AZ-400) exam—the required exam for this certification—by exploring the concepts covered in the test's Implement Continuous Integration domain. Sap works through key exam topics, including strategies for managing code quality, integrating security analysis tools into your build process, and planning build dependencies. Whether you're studying for the AZ-400 exam—or you just want to take a deeper dive into continuous integration with Azure DevOps—this course can help you acquire the skills you need to be successful. (Author: Robby Millsap)

Blender boasts a variety of essential features and add-ons for 3D creation. In this weekly series, learn how to better leverage these tools—and work with some features that you may not have heard of yet. Join David Andrade as he covers a variety of topics, including useful Blender simulations, updates to Blender such as the Principled BSDF shader, and animation techniques. Tune in every Wednesday for a new Blender trick to enhance your media production workflow.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Take your CAD skills up a notch. Work smarter, not harder, with AutoCAD. <>iAutoCAD Tips & Tricks provides weekly tips, techniques, and workarounds to make designers like you more effective and more productive. Learn how to use AutoCAD features in exciting new ways, customize the workspace and shortcuts to save time, create more accurate drawings with the measurement and organization tools, and more. Shaun Bryant's insights give you that competitive edge you can't get from a regular training manual. Tune in every Wednesday for a new tip!

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Sometimes you need to experiment to grow as an artist. What better place to try out new design ideas than the Drawing Vector Graphics Laboratory? Every Wednesday, Von Glitschka introduces a new method, tool, or resource to stretch your creative muscle and explore a new artistic style. Each lesson pulls back the curtain on Von's design process—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to give beginners the self-confidence they need to start drawing and provide experts an inside look at a fellow professional's workflow.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Would you like to work faster and more efficiently with SOLIDWORKS? There is a ton of knowledge in the SOLIDWORKS community that you'll never learn from the documentation. Gabriel Corbett has spent years studying the program, attending conferences, teaching classes, and talking to fellow experts. In this weekly series, he shares his insights with you. These tips and tricks cover many different facets of the program, from renaming files, customizing properties, to sketching and constructing difficult geometry, replacing parts, and drawing links. Each weekly episode is just 2–10 minutes—ensuring maximum returns in a minimum amount of time. Tune in every Wednesday for new SOLIDWORKS tips.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Since its inception, the Grasshopper plugin for Rhino 3D has consistently grown in popularity with designers. This graphical algorithm editor boasts capabilities that make the process of creating complex 3D models less tedious and more efficient. In this series, instructor Walter Zesk shows you how to work even smarter with this powerful plugin. Get techniques that can help you resolve common challenges in Grasshopper and make the most out of its capabilities. Tune in every week for a new tip.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Looking to add 3D to your professional skill set? In this weekly series, join EJ Hassenfratz as he shares tips, techniques, and strategies for boosting your 3D skills with Cinema 4D, the essential tool for motion graphics artists and designers. Learn how to enhance your designs—and streamline your overall workflow—with these helpful tactics. Tune in every Thursday for a new tip.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Do you feel like you're aligned with your highest potential? Breathwork is an ancient practice for quieting the mind and body. This breathwork course helps you clear, cleanse, and let go of heavy tension. Learn how to control your breathing to ease boredom, focus scattered thoughts, release pressure, decrease lethargy, ease sadness, and tame a distracted mind. Each exercise should help you improve your mental and physical well-being and achieve a clearer, more focused mental state—in just moments.

This course was created by Desk Yogi. We are pleased to offer this training in our library.

Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies v1.0 (ENCOR 350-401) is a 120-minute professional-level exam associated with the CCNP and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certifications. The exam tests a candidate's knowledge of implementing core enterprise network technologies. This course helps candidates to prepare for the first three domains of this exam: Architecture, Virtualization, and Infrastructure. Instructors Kevin Wallace and Charles Judd show how to design enterprise architecture, including planning for all the necessary services and capacity. They also cover the various types of virtualization, from virtual machines and switches to entire virtual networks, and review the infrastructure technologies you typically see in enterprise networks, such as MSTP and RSTP, IPv4 and IPV6 routing, WLANs, Dynamic NAT, and more.

This course was created by Kevin Wallace Training. We are pleased to offer this training in our library.

Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies v1.0 (ENCOR 350-401) is a 120-minute professional-level exam associated with the CCNP and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certifications. The exam tests a candidate's knowledge of implementing core enterprise network technologies. This course helps candidates to prepare for the last three domains of this exam—Network Management, Security, and Automation—as well as general exam preparation. Instructors Kevin Wallace and Charles Judd show how to configure connectivity, monitoring, messaging, and authentication tools such as SNMP, syslog, NetFlow, and more. They also show how to secure a network from internal, unauthorized access as well as external threats, and automate networking. The course includes study strategies and exam prep tips to ensure you're ready for the real test.

This course was created by Kevin Wallace Training. We are pleased to offer this training in our library.

Take a deep dive into usability testing techniques and methodologies for user experience (UX) design projects with research expert Amanda Stockwell. In this course, you can learn which types of tests—remote or in person, moderated or unmoderated, task-based or unstructured—to use for specific types of projects and users. Amanda also shares tips on conducting usability tests, from recruiting participants to moderating sessions. Plus, learn how to analyze and present the results of your testing to the rest of your organization.

Learn how to create surveys and quizzes quickly and easily with Microsoft Forms, which comes bundled in the Office 365 suite. Curt Frye begins by showing how to create a basic survey, including how to add different question types—multiple choice, open-ended text, rating, and more—add ranking options, and allow for file uploads. Next, Curt steps through creating quizzes, including adding quiz questions, assigning point values to questions, and adjusting quiz options. Once you've learned to create a basic survey or quiz, you can learn how to edit forms, share them with other users, adjust themes, and preview how your form will look on different platforms. Finally, Curt shows how to view and analyze your results.

CompTIA recognizes that cloud-based infrastructure services is an increasingly important piece of an organization’s IT systems. The CompTIA Cloud+ certification validates that you have the skills necessary to plan, implement, maintain, and deliver cloud technologies and infrastructure—it's a credential that can boost your career and your visibility to employers. This course helps you prepare for the first domain of the exam, Cloud Concepts and Models. Learn about the different types of clouds and the basics of a robust cloud architecture. Then review the system requirements for cloud deployments, and discover how to successfully create and execute a cloud deployment plan. Instructor Tom Carpenter also explains how to test your deployment and resolve common issues.

This course was created by Total Seminars. We are pleased to offer this training in our library.

Sleep is mandatory. You can't outsource it and you can't negotiate it—and it has a powerful impact on everything you do while you're awake. So why not build habits to optimize your sleep and live your best life? Learn how to make sleep a priority and take steps to achieve sleep wellness. The Sleep Ambassador®, Nancy Rothstein, shares tips for optimizing sleep and performing at your best in work and life. Learn how to prioritize sleep, assess your sleep, create the right sleep environment, and adopt strategies to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nancy offers concrete, practical advice based on research and science—so you can master sleep as your superpower.

Learn how to use the rendering power of Redshift to improve your motion graphics workflow. In this course, mograph artist Ryan McCauley introduces C4D artists to this powerful rendering engine that plugs right into any production pipeline. Learn the basics of biased GPU rendering and the node-based workflow in Redshift. Discover how to use the tools and options in the real-time Renderview, control geometry, work with particle systems, and create your own materials and textures. Find out how to place and manipulate lights and cameras in a scene and output a final render. Plus, get useful troubleshooting and workflow tips to help your Redshift rendering—and integration with Cinema 4D—run smoother.

Become a Bluebeam pro. Bluebeam is a robust suite of software for working with PDF documents in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. These tips and tricks can help you use Bluebeam more effectively and become an expert at managing your projects in a paperless environment. Industry expert Jim Rogers offers an ever-growing list of tips and tricks that will help you speed up your workflow and use new features like dynamic properties.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Selenium is one of the most popular tools for testing web-based applications. It allows QA engineers to write and automate tests across many different browsers and operating systems, without a special scripting language. This course introduces Selenium to new users, covering installation and basic use cases. Find out how to set up the test-writing framework, WebDriver, and Selenium Grid, which allows you to distribute the testing load and run tests against a remote server. Learn best practices to write effective tests using variables and functions, and to organize tests into suites that can scale over time. Instructor Meaghan Lewis—a QA engineer at GitHub—also explains the test pyramid paradigm, which details an ideal way to balance unit, integration, and UI testing.

In The Practicing Photographer, photographer and teacher Ben Long shares a weekly serving of photographic instruction and inspiration. Each installment focuses on a photographic shooting scenario, a piece of gear, or a software technique. Each one concludes with a call to action designed to inspire you to pick up your camera (or your mouse or smartphone) to try the technique for yourself.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

In this series, David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción, co-hosts of the web's top resource for InDesign tips and tricks, InDesignSecrets.com, share some hidden and sometimes surprising workflow tips that will make working in InDesign more efficient and more fun. The course covers built-in timesaving features such as Quick Apply and auto-expanding text, but also little-known tricks, such as using the eyedropper to copy and paste character and paragraph text attributes and making accurate selections by selecting through or even into objects.

New techniques will be added to the collection every other week, so check back early and often. Find more tips and tricks at indesignsecrets.com.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Engineering involves a lot of theory. But we don't always get to see it in practice. This series teaches fundamental principles that all civil and mechanical engineers need to know, alongside demonstrations that show how they really work. Using everything from desktop models predicting the movement of groundwater to hand-built examples of mechanically stabilized earth, instructor Grady Hillhouse explains how engineering concepts become real. Every month, he introduces an important new topic that will improve your understanding of essential engineering principles, including force, strength, tension, compression, and more, and help you find better solutions to common design challenges.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

They will critique your nachos.

Groundhog Day, Back to the Future, The Matrix, and more.

He launched Diddy’s career.

And she wants to visit your island.

Wondering how you can help? Portland COVID-19 Mutual Aid is a great resource. You can fill out this form to offer support. If you are in need of food or other supplies, please fill out this form to request support. They are prioritizing assistance to folks who are sick, unhoused, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, trans, and/or queer, including those displaced from Portland to the nearby areas. Follow @pdxcovid19mutualaid on Instagram for updates and reach out to pdxcovid19mutualaid@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Description is a copy-paste from Alberta Cooperative Grocery newsletter, the actual mutual aid is being organized by a neighbor of mine. As of yesterday, it had been up for 2 days and had 2000 offers and 100 requests. Good thing she is good at coordinating volunteer coordinators! Here is the more direct short link to both forms.

Thu April 30 at 8:00 PM, Everywhere

Ripped from the headlines, and inspired by this FPP, let's watch Contagion together on our own. It's widely available from US streaming services for under 5 US bucks. Youtube, Amazon (*not* on Prime Video), Google Play, Apple itunes, possibly available if you have Cinemax. We do not have the ability to share a stream.

. Fanfare
. IMDB
. Rotten Tomatoes
. Fact-Checking 'Contagion', npr

Thursday, March 19

Make popcorn, grab a beverage. Launch MeFi Chat, choose the LiveWatch tab (upper right), say hello. Please be ready to launch the film at 9.15 EDT; too early for the West Coast, too late for the East Coast, but whatevs. It will not be synchronized; we are resourceful. If you can't afford the movie, maybe I can screen share with 1 person? I'll watch my MeFi Mail, I have a gmail account in this name, also this page in case of issues. This is not a thing we've done before, but I've never had to avoid Covid-19 before, either. The unexpected is the new norm. This is only nominally hosted by MeFi, so if you want to complain, memail me, not the mods.

Thu March 19 at 6:00 PM,

Hey, guys. Struck me this morning that it's a good idea for MeFites in town to know where everyone is, what potential needs folks have, and how to help if things get much worse. I'm setting this one as a proposed meetup in Austin in the hopes of getting emails out to folks in town, but right now I have no intention of meeting in-person--just organizing folks in town so that we can set up a network we can use to help one another and familiarize ourselves with anyone who's local on the site. Anyway, here's a space. Thoughts?

Hi everyone, Who wants to get ironic and have an online Calgary IRL meetup sometime? Location: the internet! Might be good for sanity, who knows. Hope everyone is staying both safe and sane!

Sat March 28 at 7:30 PM,

Using the mighty combination of Discord and Steam, I will host a trial session where mefites can join my discord server, view my screen, and play Drawful 2.

Time: 8pm EST this Sunday, March 29. What: Drawful 2 -- https://store.steampowered.com/app/442070/Drawful_2/ How: Discord -- https://discordapp.com/ Where: The voice channel on my discord server -- https://discord.gg/MEcVs5S What you'll need: at the very least, a computer with a microphone, speakers, and connection to the Internet. Though if you wanted to connect without using audio, I think that should be fine too. A Discord account. Your very best drawing on a phone screen chops. A note on Drawful 2 -- it's designed for 3-8 players at a go, so depending on how many mefites show up, we may have to do some sharing. I'll be available on Mefi chat and on Discord from 7:30pm EST until the start time to assist with any technical or user set up issues. Discord can be confusing sometimes.

Sun March 29 at 8:00 PM,

Missing contact with fellow humans? How about a virtual happy hour? Now with date and time! Tuesday, April 7, at 7 PM. We can't really go to the 4th Avenue Pub, but let's pretend.

COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in my plan to have monthly NYC meetups. But perhaps we could get together virtually over drinks or dinner sometime? If you think this might be a good idea, please share your comments or suggestions! If it sounds like a terrible idea, feel free to let me know that too! (Non-NYC Mefites welcome too, of course!) I think we will use Zoom? Does that seem good? Or LiliaNic's WebEx account if we become a really large number of people? Looking forward to seeing y'all!

Tue April 7 at 7:00 PM, home

Hey all. So, is anyone else hungering enough for social interaction that a Brady Bunch-esque layout of little video windows of friends seems like a really good idea? Any MIJ (Mefites in Japan)* up for a meetup over Zoom?**

I've only recently started using Zoom, trying to get ready for if I'll need it for the upcoming (in theory) school year, and Gotanda and I were talking about maybe doing a zoom-based nomikai/meetup. Update: Tonight (April 12th), 8:00 pm Tokyo time, over zoom. I'll memail links to people, so if you didn't get a link, send me a memail and I'll send you an invite. *Though, since this would be online, we could open this up to just about anyone, right? **I just went with zoom because it's literally all I know at this point, though I have heard about all the fun security worries and invasiveness it brings along to the party. If anyone has any other ideas, I'm totally open.

Sun April 12 at 7:00 PM,

Hey y'all - let's have a virtual meetup! The theme is "Quarantine Hobbies" - let's share our tales of dead sourdough starter, failed crops, ugly sweaters, bad television!

My preference is to do this on a weekend closer to the evening. I don't have one of those fancy upgraded Zoom accounts that lets you go more than 40 minutes, so please share if you do. How does April 18th at 4:00 PM (Eastern) sound?

Sat April 18 at 4:00 PM,

MeFites in Japan, unite! (While, of course, maintaining appropriate distance) This upcoming Sunday (April 19) at 19:00 we'll be meeting on Zoom to chat and conviviate (that's probably not a real word). You're probably at home, you're probably going stir crazy, you probably want to meet new people or see familiar faces again, so you should join us! If you want to attend, say the word and we'll send you the Zoom meeting invite link via MeMail.

Sun April 19 at 8:00 PM,

I'd like to use this thread to figure out if we should, can, or will play a game inside animal crossing. I've heard it's been done but I don't know any details. Would it be funny to play a version of d&d or a similar role playing game? I think maybe? Or keep it simple? Should we try it?

Sun April 19 at 8:00 PM,

I'd like to hang out with other MeFites online next weekend (April 24 or 25), from ca. 7pm PST. Not sure how (platform), so this and precise details would be yet TBD. 19+, your choice of food/drink (surprise us), your best hangout/bar attire, some warm (flattering) lights and funky decor, and some tunes (streamed with e.g. Watch2Gether or better).

I've never ever been to a meetup yet. I fact, I don't believe I've met a single MeFite in person yet. I haven't even managed to convince a real life person to join so please let's do this! Any interest? MeMail me or post here :)

Fri April 24 at 7:00 PM,

Hey all. I don't know if you noticed this, but we're in uncharted territory here. If you look at the sidebar, it has a list of "most active cities" for meetups, and we're essentially in second place (a couple cities have had four, sure), and if we have another meetup this Sunday, boom, we'll be one of the most active cities/amorphous regional groupings in all of Metafilterland! Can't you just feel those competitive juices flowing, urging you on to meet once again on Sunday night at 8 for some light chat, witty observations, and hilarious jokes? Edit: changed time to 8, longer explanation in the comments

I can set up the zoom thing again, and will mail invites out to anyone in the going or maybe fields. We managed about seven people last week, which was nice. I figure if we're going to do these things regularly, it might be nice to have a theme of some sort, something to get things going, and honestly, all I've got is jokes. Like, terrible jokes. Not offensive, just really, painfully unfunny jokes, the best kind! Please think up a terrible joke to share when we meet on Sunday, and from there, we can just sort of go wherever it takes us. I'd like to extend the invitation to Mefites around the world, as well, just on the off chance they're awake and up for meeting at 8pm Japan time on Sunday, but I'm not really sure how. I imagine posting in MeTa would get us more people than we could probably handle, and there's also a part of me that thinks 6-8 people is just about the upper limit for Zoom anyway. What do you folks think?

Sun April 26 at 8:00 PM,

It's easy to lose track, but Golden Week is upon us! Let's celebrate Golden Week's Greenery Day (Monday, May 4) together!. We can all reminisce about Greenery Day events through the ages, exchange Greenery Day trivia (surprisingly, Greenery Day has nothing to do with the American rock band called Green Day), and discuss how Greenery Day has affected our lives. Do you remember where you were the year that "GD" was moved from April 29 to May 4?

As usual we will be on Zoom, so download the Zoom client in advance for an optimal experience, and sign up here to receive an invitation to the event. We're scheduled for 8-10pm (roughly), Monday May 4. The following day is also a government holiday. Suggestions for non Greenery Day-related topics of discussion are also welcome. And does anyone want to play Trivial Pursuit?

Mon May 4 at 8:00 PM, Zoom Zoom Zoom

People are getting out and biking more these days. Are you one of them, or do you want to be? I've been biking the streets of Portland for 7 years. I can look at Portland's bike maps with you and help you figure out the BEST route that will get you where you want to go.

time/date flexible

Mon May 11 at 8:00 PM,

Pollinators are in decline, but the right selection of plants can draw bees, butterflies, and humming birds to your yard in search of food and shelter

From upright and airy to short and mounding, these grasses form the backbone of a prairie garden

These tough, fuss-free perennials and grasses have adapted to North American climates and lend to the rustic prairie charm

A 1902 house's long-neglected porch regains its turn-of-the-century charm

A reworked entry porch adds curb appeal and character to a no-frills facade

Dog-friendly flooring needs to be durable, easy to clean, and attractive too. Here's what you need to know if you have four on the floor

Faith is essential in being saved. Do you have enough faith? Do you want more faith?

There are many differences in Christian church doctrines. Some are more important than others. If there is anything that is most essential to understand, it would be what God's Ten Commandments say. The Sabbath is one of the Commandments.

There are many stories in the Bible about how God saved people from the pit. The Pit is also a symbol of when we are lost in sin, overwhelmed by Passions, Possessions, and Positions.

What could be more important and more precious than hearing from God? How do we know when God is communicating with us?

What should a Christian wear? Pastor Doug shares principles from the Bible on how to choose what is appropriate.