Another recommendation for a good start with blender:

Introduction to Character Animation
by Ryan Dale

Link

This is actually the best tutorial, that I found. Perfect for starting. It will teach you all the basics from mesh modelling to animation and even lip sync.

OK, thank you very much, especially for the links and the infos.

http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Charac...8397&sr=8-1

this new book about blender is supposed to be very good. it doesn't cover animation only but also modeling.

Thanks, that sounds very interesting, but is there a German Blender book on the market? Or, if not, what else books could be recommended? There aren´t this much 3dgs books available, but for kind of a newbie it´s hard to see what books about blender are good or not.

There´s at least a german manual:

Link

i think there will be a new german book about blender by carsten wartmann this year.

OK, i think i´ll start with the online manuals and see after i´ve got a few basics which book i buy. Is there a must-have english book?

Thanks for your adivse, Best greetings, Thracian

Personally, I found that blender was slow to learn, but then again I first learned modelling with blender and maybe it would be easy to adjust to if you already know how to work with MED? Whatever the case, blender is an awesome modeller and smooth animation is possible.

I use blender for modeling. It's true that it takes time to get used to the interface. I'm still getting used to it. But after sticking with it, I can produce really good results with very little effort. I use the previously mentioned blender to mdl7 exporter. The blender book on character animation mentioned is also very good. I have been working through it for the past two weeks or so and have learned lots. Not to mention all the tutorials that are out on blender.org.

I am testing fragmotion for animation. I like it so far and it's very cheap at only $25. You can find it here...

http://www.fragmosoft.com/

The "trial" allows you to do everything it can do (to the best of my knowledge). Just get used to interruptions. I am going to give it two weeks or so and then make a purchase decision.

OK, Thank you very much. i have started to work through a few tutorials on blender and i begin to see the possibilities of this software. But i have to admit at the beginning it is a very difficult tool. i think i will by the book, because after having worked a few days with blender, the MED seems really to be no alternative.