New book on German Longsword Combat - 1st Draft Here

[TheDude]

Thanks for that, I've revised the list above. I am thinking a download link from the swordworks site will be best along with a password that I wil send out to eachof you at the end of the week. Seem reasonable?

If you could PM me with how you would like your name listed it would help Some people I only know here via their usernames!

[Richard Strey]

I would like to offer my help, as well. I have close to seven years of experience with Longsword of the Liechtenauer variety and Meyer's Longsword. I have access to photocopies and/or transcriptions of Döbringer, von Danzig and Ringeck and a Meyer original at a week's notice. I'm a native German speaker and can read and interpret the aforementioned stuff.

[Paul]

A download link works for me.

[Oli]

downloadlink would be very okay

regarding acknowledgments: "Oliver Walter and Harald Winter* from Dreynschlag, Vienna" would be nice

*as i am sure we will work through this together

[Martin Wallgren]

download linky is fine:)!

[TheDude]

Thanks all and also for your PMs and works of encouragement. I will keep you all posted in this thread. One interesting note is that I intend on updating the book as time progresses.

[TheDude]

I have had a few questions on the images or artwork on my book and whether they will be high speed photos, sketches etc. Well, actually the illustration will be neither as I have elected to go the high tech route and use 3d modelling for the images. There are pros and cons for each system but this is one that fits my future plans and also always very clean and clear artwork in both mono or colour.

Here is an example:

[MugginsToadwort]

Ooh, pretty. Very impressive.

I do look forward to downloading the draft.

How flexible is the model for the 3D pics, and will we be able to make use of it, if we send you manuscripts for publishing? My Meyer interpretation is picking up speed....

[David Welch]

Poser?

Have you thought about making animated gifs for your website, and label it in your book, so that somebody could look at ill.24 in the book and then look it up on your site and see the animation? Depending on how many you have that might be a lot of rendering, though.

[Paul B]

Just "Paul Bennett" for me please, and a download will be fandabydozy. I like the 3D modeling btw. can the hand position be altered to show different grips?

[TheDude]

Hi, we plan on producing DVDs at some point in the future will a mixture of full 3d animation and live action. With out background in feature film making I reckon we can do something a little more interesting and detailed than the norm. That is for another day though

[Fab]

I hope you'll be quite open minded with the criticism/remarks we'll make

[TheDude]

Of course. Can you imagine the tin of worms I am opening by asking for the opinon of 10+ WMA people??!

[Richard Strey]

Yup. Using computer graphics definitely gives you the option of tweaking the image until it looks *exactly* what you want it to be. On the other hand, that could involve a lot of work. For example, how much can you tweak the hands? You'll want to show different versions of gripping the sword in different situations, sometimes the grip even shifts during a strike. So that's important.

[Matclarke]

More than happy to help out if you want an Australian (i.e. superior in all things fighty like) opinion.

PM me if you want credentials.

[Andreas Engström]

Of course. Can you imagine the tin of worms I am opening by asking for the opinon of 10+ WMA people??!

You will receive roughly 20 opinions from any 10 people, on any given subject

-Engström

[TheDude]

Only 20??!!

It is a lot of work. I would say though that this book is designed for the total beginner. I intend on going into greater detail in later volume and then may go back and update and expand the original depending on the interest.

[Martin Wallgren]

You could ask David Ringholm if you could use extracts from his Hanko Döbringer translation. Lots of goodies on basic things on how to fight with longsord there.

[Stevie T]

I have had a few questions on the images or artwork on my book and whether they will be high speed photos, sketches etc. Well, actually the illustration will be neither as I have elected to go the high tech route and use 3d modelling for the images. There are pros and cons for each system but this is one that fits my future plans and also always very clean and clear artwork in both mono or colour.

Here is an example:

for me personally, either make the costume authentic or modern but, not fantasy!!!

I think the CGI stuff will work really well for the gaurds and perhaps focusing in but, personally I would like to see photos of real people with proper action shots, prolly taken from high speed video, so you can see them in motion.

IMO Toblers stuff doesn't always help because the pictures are static shots, there is literally no before or after to his images and I reckon your eye picks up on this.

So CGI for Gaurds, high speed shots for techniques, with CGI for focus upon specific aspects of technique.

[Oli]

for me personally, either make the costume authentic or modern but, not fantasy!!!

thank you Stevie, just my thoughts exactly.

it may be not important to one who only and exclusively deals in WMA, but people (like me) who do also reenactment and are into the "medieval scene" could easily be deterred just by the fantasy-look, because in the so called "medieval scene" there are soooo many freaks out there who basically do not know what to do with a sword but preach you the art of fencing as if they were master Liechtenauer reincarnated ...

i would very much prefer modern clothing, as it signalizes that the author is someone who studies HEMA and nothing else without having a romantic or even unrealistic idea of ancient times ...

it also suggests that you did not really take a look at the pictures in the fechtbücher - as the clothing there is, of course, authentical.

my 2 cents on a topic that doesn't look so important on the first glimpse