3D Modelling Apps for a Former Modeller? 40
capsteve asks: "I've gotten back into 3D modelling after YEARS of absence in the 3D scene, and I'm having some difficulty sorting out the chaff from the wheat. I cut my teeth on 3D back in college, learning a dead end system called Z-Grass then moving into Super3D and StrataVision, shortly thereafter. Recently, I've gotten back into doing 3D modelling using Blender, Wings, and a tiny bit of POVray and YAFray for rendering. I'm looking for an all around 3D modeller that has the ability to perform subdivision modelling, particle effects, and HDRI rendering (to name a few options), yet still have an intuitive interface. Also, my platform of choice is a Mac. I'm pretty happy working between Blender and Wings, but I wonder if there are others out there who've had experience with some commercial apps that would be comparable with the ones already mentioned?"
"I'm not opposed to working between several apps, but I think in order to really get my skill up to snuff, I need to settle on a single one. I'd love to get Maya or Cinema 4D, but i think my wife would kill me, and I was wondering if some of the entry level apps (like Silo or Modo) would help me build my skills up to the point where i could migrate to a Maya/Cinema at a later date? Any thoughts?"
One Word: (Score:2, Informative)
Great modeler from some former LightWave devs. There's a free, unrestricted, "production evaluation" version available for Mac OS X and Windows. Have at it.
Re:One Word: (Score:2)
I would recomment Silo for speedy organic modeling, and if you need rendering maybe a basic version of Cinema4d 9 (quite a good modeler by itself: poly + nurbs), plus the advanced rendering module. And I believe it would come cheaper than modo. And you get the possiblity to buy more Cinema modules, as you need them.
Re:One Word: (Score:2)
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:2)
Maya was a Mac app before ever running under Win32. Despite what you say, Linux is fast becoming the major platform for content creation - thus carring the Mac along with it. There are _native_ Linux builds of Maya and Softimage. 3D Studio is rumored to be looking at it as well and a native version of Lightwave is in the pipe. All of the Win32 3D folks I know would gladly give up that damn MS resource hogging so they could give those extra CPU cycles
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:2)
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:3, Insightful)
Discreet unlinkely to port (Score:2)
I doubt you'll ever see Max or Viz for anything other than Windows, barring maybe HEAVY use of Wine/Winelib.
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:2)
Really?? That odd, being that back in, oh, '97 when I was working on SGIs using Alias|Wavefront's PowerAnimator (aka Alias) we had an NT workstation running Maya 1.0 betas and then 1.0 final. I never knew Maya to run on OS8 (Maya 1.0 was out very early in '98, OS9 didn't ship until '99)... or OS9. And it didn't come out for OSX until, what... v3.5?
Nice try, but Maya was initially released for NT 4 and Irix 6.2 (not sure about Linux)
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:2)
Re:Hot topic over here... (Score:2)
Hmmm... (Score:3, Interesting)
Blender was a good pick. The developers are doing a good job of maturing it to a professional level app for any type of content (including film). It's the only other modelling app I have installed or ever use since I found the grail... When it comes down to it, I'm a Maya guy (big bullet to bite $$$). I can't really see myself going back to anything else after I started using it. It is a complete package with versatility that is unmatched. Whatever you do, try Maya last or you'll end up begging your wife until she lets you blow that $2500 :D.
Please ignore the guy who posted the crack and torrent to Maya - especially if you ever plan to do serious work. When you show/submit/release what you create, Alias may very well come asking how you ended up with Maya and have no license for it on record (I've seen it happen now and it's ugly). It's a good feeling to say that "this was created with Maya and Photoshop" without looking over your shoulder. People are usually genuinely impressed that you have a Maya license. It makes you look a bit more professional. Conversly, saying that "I can't tell you" or some other vague excuse for how you created your work makes you look more foolish than mysterious.
Good luck. Nice to have you back.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:2)
thanks for validating your thought regarding blender, i think it's quite a powerful app, and it seems that besides the syntax peculiarities and tool description, it has many of the tools the powerful commercial apps(maya,lightwave) have.
incidentally i was initially motivated to make a blender to maya transition based on the experience that landis fields [landisfields.com] had. he started with blender and trans
Re:Some rather unfortunate FUD (Score:2)
Hate to tell you, but I've seen an audit. Fucking sucks barely covers it. I was just like you until that happened, w
Maya and Lightwave for OS X (Score:3, Interesting)
Lightwave and Maya have both had native versions since the pre-OS X days, and while both were a bit slow out the gate with their OS X versions, both are current and feature complete.
I personally prefer LIghtwave, but I have yet to get a license of my own for an OS X ready version. Having used other workstations for both Maya and Lightwave I can say that they are both stable and fast.
As someone else pointed out Linux is gaining ground very fast in content creation and nowhere is it gaining faster than in 3D. I think this is because 3D users are the most technically minded of creative users, with the possible exception of Digital Compositors. (I'd argue that anyway.) Again Maya is leading the pack. Lightwave has a render client, but no modeling or layout.
As to Blender, I am never happy with it. The guys keep improving it and it is a good tool, but I see it as comparable to things like Truespace. You are definitely stepping up if you move to either LW or Maya.
I don't know modo, but I am trying it NOW. It seems quite promising.
Best of luck
Oh, and as to the aforementioned fools, please read my
Re:Maya and Lightwave for OS X (Score:3, Informative)
Was going to suggest XSI/Softimage (Score:2)
So on that end, you COULD get the lowest end Maya which won't totally break the bank. Also look into Lightwave. And while I started out on the precurser to Lightwave on the Amiga (called Videoscape...Alan Hastings first 3D app before going to Newtek), it is still two seperate apps with Modeler and Lightwave, which is kind of cumbersome in some instances.
The reason I was going to suggest XSI is because it's not that expensive for the base configuration and it's still a v
Maya.. (Score:2)
Other stuff (Score:2)
Of course there is Maya and other stuff like 3DSMAX, both of which you can get free versions to play around with. You're still stuck with their ass interfaces though. Although if you're a Blender user then obviously that must not matter to you. 3DS wa
Other apps for the Mac (Score:1)
Other good programs are Light Wave [newtek.com], Cinema 4D [maxon.net], and Modo.
All of these programs can be used at the professional level and are relatively cheap.
Re:Other apps for the Mac (Score:2)
Re:Maya PLE hindrance (Score:1)
Blender is awesome... it may not do everything, but neither does maya. Blender's interface is better than Maya, and it's control over the 3D environment is better too.. middle mouse button drag swivels the 3D axis.
Also, pro animation houses, modify maya using it's
Re:Maya PLE hindrance (Score:2)
i concur with you middle mouse(especially wheel mice) allow for rotation/drag/scaling/zooming that i've not experienced to the same degree. it's feels more natural than having to use a keyboard modifier to do the same. wings is the closest in
two of note (Score:2)
Lightwave 3D is nice, especially if you can manage an educational discount. For a straight, very inexpensive, modeler, try Silo [nevercenter.com] from nevercenter.com.
CLAY (Score:2)
Re:CLAY (Score:2)
I like truespace (Score:2)
Re:I like truespace (Score:2)
BURP (Score:2, Interesting)
Softimage XSI (Score:2)
I've personally tried 3D Studio Max, Maya (taking a maya course now), XSI and Houdini (out of the "big boys", that is), and I found XSI to have the best poly/subdivs modelling tools, and of the free
Try Hash Animation Master (Score:1)
Check out Eovia's products or 3D Toolkit (Score:2)
I recently purchased Carrara 3D Basics 2 and Hexagon from Eovia [eovia.com] and have been quite pleased. The combination provides quite a bit of bang for the buck. 3D Toolkit 2.5 from DVgarage [dvgarage.com] provides a low-cost version of Electric Image Universe, also a solid package.
Love the power of Blender. A shame that it has such an awful interface...
Art of Illusion (Score:1)
It's in Java and it's open source and free. The Mac front end is reasonably Macified, and the documentation and tutorials are pretty good. Give it a spin.
ab
If its commercial... (Score:1)