Experience a plus -Advanced model
924506
...advanced for the average Earthling.
 Pay attention to physics. If you don't want a nose-sitter, you may want to add some weight inside each nacelle during assembly, or possibly adjust the angle of attack around the center of gravity on the stand. You will notice this gravity/mass challenge just before you are ready to wrap things up.
 When assembling the nacelles to the superstructure, pay special attention to tab placement and the order in which you want to proceed to the finish-line.
 Be mindful of where the edges of your delicate pieces are during the build. Tabs are not forgiving. About 4 hours total build, plus a break between build sessions.
544296
This updated version is extremely powerful. The next best option to taking the onsite program. Helps you understand your past and enables you to best plan for the future you envision for yourself. I highly recommend this book.
3364611
This is one of the most complex high grade models that I have put together so far. There are more parts and therefore there is more detail for this model. Although there is not as much detail as a high grade model. This is a definite must for any good high grade collection.
1701725
There's a bit of a learning curve to getting a good scan, but they offer a free live tutorial when you register the software. They were able to help me out with a specific problem I was having with some difficult objects during that, and were unbelievable patient with me. That session alone saved me months of frustrating trial and error if my experience with similar technologies is any indication. I cannot say enough good things about their support team - they are knowledgable, quick to respond, and simply a pleasure to work with. I find this harder and harder to find these days. Their YouTube tutorials are also great references.

As for the scanner itself, it's very good for what it is. I've toyed with some DIY laser and structured light scanners, and never really got anywhere with them. You really need proper lighting on your object, but this is a 3D scanner for under $1000. If you want significantly better quality, you'd better be prepared to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for the equipment and another several thousand for training. The scans are certainly good enough for the home user/hobbyist. The autoclean function built into their software works surprisingly well, and the manual cleaning tools are simple and intuitive to use. Even with a significantly more expensive commercial unit, you'll need to spend a lot of time cleaning scans up in 3D modeling software, so that's really not an issue. Check out YouTube or their site for examples of what typical scans can look like once you've got the feel of dialing in the settings.

Some tips I learned from the live session:
1. Use diffuse light. A photography light box is ideal. Lighting hot spots and deep shadows don't scan well.
2. Use a plain background for your scan. Any movement in the background (e.g., cats walking behind it) will be picked up as noise.
3. Contrary to what I would have thought, a white background is not the best. White will actually overexpose the scan, so a matte grey or similar matte background works best.
4. Take them up on the offer to schedule a free tutorial. I usually skip these sorts of things, but for some reason I actually signed up for this one. It was invaluable for learning the Advanced tab settings.

TL;DR; - Great company to deal with and a great prosumer grade product. I was in no way compensated for this review; I just really like this product and will be using it a lot.
2449308
Too many great features to list. I used it on my high class gaming PC. It is for the more advanced computer user at is has MANY MANY extras.
1664395
WOW, amazing precision from the laser cutting, and the texturing.  Great attention to detail.  Took me 16hrs to build, and it's a VERY advanced model, with tiny pieces.  LOOKS AMAZING once completed.  Recommended to have at LEAST eyebrow tweezers!  Recommended for patience folks!
4699889
I have been interested in making my models more attractive, more realistic and more historically accurate since I returned to the hobby recently. In pursuit of that goal, I have purchased quite a number of modeling books over the last year or so. Some are decades old while others are new. I have picked up tips from all of them and my projects have slowly improved.

In the description of TANKART 2 by Michael Rinaldi on Amazon I thought I saw potential to sort out the mental morass I had developed, to provide a system to get from raw plastic parts in a box to a finished model that is a vivid representation of a real machine fixed in a specific time & place. This book lays out a system to do just that. The author is a wonderful builder, but even more important, he is a graphic designer and thinks the whole process through with a specific end goal in mind.

There are beginning chapters on general topics such as materials & techniques that give an overview of these subjects. From the general the author takes us through specific applications by showing how he builds a number of models selected to show different modeling aspects. Combining the general with the specific clearly illustrates the process to achieve the goals outlined for each project.

After reading some of these I feel I have a firmer grasp on the overall process of taking that box of parts and converting it to a work of modeling art. Now I'm busting to try some of these techniques in the system Rinaldi laid out. The most important part to me is the thought process of using layered steps to create an overall effect.

Being a designer, Rinaldi also laid the book out in an attractive, informative & logical manner. The pictures are large, well photographed and have circles that lead the eye to the specific feature that are mentioned in the captions. TANKART 2 raises the bar for all such publications & I highly recommend it!
3589034
Great advanced camera. The big ring at the base of the lens can be assigned different functions. Shooting with manual focus assigned to the rings is great! Also the viewfinder is always nice to have when you need it. Wireless connecting the camera to my smartphone has not always been stable requiring reconnecting. But when it is connected properly to your phone, you can manually adjust all camera features from the phone and initiate your shots from the phone.

This bundle specifically is wonderful! 3 batteries, a wall charger that can also be used in the car, 64 gig card that's 4K video ready, and much more. GREAT VALUE
1648762
The calculator is a superb device and is best used by those who need the sophistication of an advanced calculator. Be prepared to devote the time needed to study the User Guide (included CD) to fully understand how to use the calculator.  Of course, the option of using RPN or conventional data entry is most appreciated.  My applause to the engineers at Hewlett Packard.
1659306
LOVE IT!  This quad might be "little" compared to many other units, but I feel it packs quite the punch in the fun factor.  This is my second quad (first being an Estes syncro) so I wasn't out of my league, but advanced mode shows me I still have a ways to go to perfect my skill - and this unit in standard mode will be perfect for that.
2042300
PROS:  Great new features.  Cool new adventures to test your flying abilities.  Reworked/different ATC options for specific missions.  Still supports full DX10 while looking sweet on DX9 systems.

CONS:  Still requires substantial horsepower from CPU/GPU/RAM.  Requires an additional 1.5 GB hard drive space bringing the total to 16.6 GB, expected with a few add ons to scenery and some aircraft.  Not a big deal for a flight simulator.  Bigger the better, right?  The F-18 piloting is difficult/glitchy at times, maybe just my comp.

Overall, it is worth the price.  It has cool missions and new aircraft to play with.  The racing is fun as well.  If you really enjoy FSX, then get the expansion.
4696269
Received the book in excellent shape, and even though the book is too advanced in some understanding, it's still a must have. I'm not sure if the book hellps with my model too much, but it is ok
746555
I am a commercial photographer, as well as an author. I have been a photographer since the middle seventies, and grew up on film. I mention this detail, because if you are shooting digital (and most people are these days) and you are not shooting Raw format, then you are not getting the full potential from your images. I'll go further: apart from sport photogs who shoot JPEGs by necessity (instant wireless transfer of finished images), everyone can benefit from shooting Raw--the capacity to recover highlights and to lift shadows noiselessly alone (and Raw can do so much more) makes this a necessity in countries where the light is very bright--like Australia.

This book provides the understanding of 'what goes on under the hood', essential to a deep understanding of a complex piece of software, Adobe Creative Suite, and its key plug-in, Adobe Camera Raw. Following this, the authors take you through the processing of real images, step-by-step, and showing what the adjustments have done to the original. Alternatives are presented too, so the flexibility of this excellent software is revealed. Following this, the authors take you though the maze of Batch Processing--with humour and precision together--and, frankly, if you are not using Batch Processing, then you are only using a fraction of this software's potential. Do you want to save time? Batch processing is the answer, yet virtually impossible to learn from Adobe's "Help" files.

I was an advanced level user of this software before I bought this book (having used ACR since the first inception), and use Capture One Pro, and two other Raw processors, but feel that the combination of keyboard control and flexibility of workflow when processing hundreds of images makes ACR the winner. You will not need to touch a mouse if you follow the authors' directions; they reveal ALL the hidden keyboard shortcuts. Bruce and Jeff's book is the key to unlocking this power--the additional information I gained about the new sharpening features of the latest version of ACR from this book alone paid for itself in saved time on a project I have starting next week.

IMHO, this is the only book on Raw processing you will need. Once you understand all that is written here, you will be a genuine expert Raw processor yourself.
1662909
Did a bit of research on Norelco shavers before replacing my husband's 7000 series model.
This is a step up!  It's a better engineered product, with more advanced cutting heads and a better look on top of that.
I noticed right away he didn't have 5 o'clock shadow when he came home.  He commented that it got hairs on his neck he used to have to touch up with a blade.
For about twice the price, you get:
*longer battery life/ very short charge time
*extra pivot point- the whole cutting head can flex, in addition to the 3 individual cutting heads
*more shaving area--what does 50% more cutting surface really mean?  the product is not bigger, there is just less wasted space.  a noticeable improvement over 7000s.
*good travel case (fits shaver only) to prevent scratching.

Don't spend any more than this!  You will get an improved product without paying for any extra flashy features.  Get rid of the old HQ8 blades and move on to the HQ9.
742107
A very nice feature if you want to try it out before committing to a one year subscription!
276694
Do not limit yourself to old school, commit your se
lf to excellence. You will be self satisfied and wealth.
1555395
About ten years ago, I purchased Jasc Paintshop Pro 8 and never really took the initiative to learn how to use it properly.  So I'm approaching Corel Painter (a much more sophisticated program) as a complete novice.

While I haven't really had much time to work with it, I've been watching endless tutorials online (on YouTube, as well as the links provided by the manufacturer) and am both extremely impressed and very excited to start using it in earnest.  The brush options alone are so numerous (130) as to be almost intimidating!

Personally, I'm most interested in the automatic painting function that allows you to turn any photograph into a virtual painting simply by selecting from a number of menu items (style, brushstrokes, etc.) and letting the software do its stuff.  Even that seems rather involved and the learning curve pretty steep, so I'll probably end up purchasing a book to walk me through the process step-by-step.

Despite having barely scratched the surface of all the things Painter 2016 has to offer, I'd still highly recommend it.  My advice to potential buyers is to check out some of the online tutorials - whether you're a rank beginner (like me) or an old pro with experience of the earlier versions of the software, I think you can get a good idea of all the great things this program has to offer.  I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with it.