What's a good 3d modeling program?
- Thread starter blando3
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triplej96
Veteran
insanityfw
Ban Me Please!
It depends on what you want to do.
Sketchup is a painless way to get into 3d work. It's better for geometric things such as houses and light industrial design. You can even add a cheaper render program to it that is a really simple, point and click type of plugin. Not photorealistic, but pretty good for presentation.
C4d is supposed to be good for the money, but check out MODO by luxology. www.luxology.com. Great all around program for many types of modeling.
I've been following MODO for a long time and it's getting very powerful. On the 301 version you can even import Sketchup models into the program to take things to a much more advanced level.
You'll be hard pressed to find one program that does everything, but again, that depends on your needs.
J.
Sketchup is a painless way to get into 3d work. It's better for geometric things such as houses and light industrial design. You can even add a cheaper render program to it that is a really simple, point and click type of plugin. Not photorealistic, but pretty good for presentation.
C4d is supposed to be good for the money, but check out MODO by luxology. www.luxology.com. Great all around program for many types of modeling.
I've been following MODO for a long time and it's getting very powerful. On the 301 version you can even import Sketchup models into the program to take things to a much more advanced level.
You'll be hard pressed to find one program that does everything, but again, that depends on your needs.
J.
As others have posted, it depends what you want to do. Besides video and photography, I am a independent designer-drafter for industry. I presently use a mid-range cad package called Vectorworks. You can create most anything 3d with this, edit, and render the results in a variety of formats. Some people create in VectorWorks and then render in other packages, even cinema4d. VW can create animations in .mov or quicktime. Besides modeling, it has a large following in architecture and stage lighting creation. NNA the publisher is a pretty good outfit with good support and it is cross platform.
You pretty much get what you pay for in the 3d modeling world. Sketchup is a great doodle program, but a full function application will cost you some $$
PM me if you want more specific info about VW.
Grant
You pretty much get what you pay for in the 3d modeling world. Sketchup is a great doodle program, but a full function application will cost you some $$
PM me if you want more specific info about VW.
Grant
ANewman
Active member
My suggestion would be Lightwave 3D. I've been a Lightwave user for quite some time and am always amazed by new users creativity and output... You can try before you buy too! http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/lwtrial.php Good luck!
My shameless pic of a gravity racer I made some time ago. I'm an automotive clay sculptor by trade, but our studio had an internal design competition for our contribution to the XGR (Extreme Gravity Race). in 2007. It was my first try besides making logos...
My shameless pic of a gravity racer I made some time ago. I'm an automotive clay sculptor by trade, but our studio had an internal design competition for our contribution to the XGR (Extreme Gravity Race). in 2007. It was my first try besides making logos...
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Marc Villafan
Well-known member
Wow! The new interface is so much better than the old one. That'll be 100 points to Blender now.
more than a program, the choice would be on external features.
You can find lots of libraries and 3D elements, but they are not all compatibles with all applications (while there is always a way to convert more or less).
Some cannot do animation, or export/import tracking point, lipsync, reverse cinematic, some can with (expensive) plugins and some can natively.
There are programs that are not real 3D editors but can allow you to map pictures on simple shape creating object that look really good.
For example, you will find more ressources for 3DSMAX (models, tutorials, tools) than for any other program, but 3DSMAX could not be the best choice.
There are some editors that are really simple like the old ULEAD 3D STUDIO, for making text or very simple shapes.
Anyway 3D is time consuming and you can go a lot faster by just renting services of people who master the apps.
You can find lots of libraries and 3D elements, but they are not all compatibles with all applications (while there is always a way to convert more or less).
Some cannot do animation, or export/import tracking point, lipsync, reverse cinematic, some can with (expensive) plugins and some can natively.
There are programs that are not real 3D editors but can allow you to map pictures on simple shape creating object that look really good.
For example, you will find more ressources for 3DSMAX (models, tutorials, tools) than for any other program, but 3DSMAX could not be the best choice.
There are some editors that are really simple like the old ULEAD 3D STUDIO, for making text or very simple shapes.
Anyway 3D is time consuming and you can go a lot faster by just renting services of people who master the apps.
Gord.T
Still "Senior Member"
They're all pretty good. Here's my take on it...as you will..
I started with max for 3 months. I did okay, buuuuut, I left it after that.
Max is fine, but, again, it wasn't for me. 3 Monthes later I tried C4D and it was perfect for me. I still use it, 4 years now. I love it. I don't like the R.10 render engine but... there are tricks you can port your models and animations over to other programs for final render.
But, point is, really, C4D is best to start with imo. Not Maya. Maya is the top dog, but damn, it's a beast and will probably discourage you before you can produce anything. It's ummm a high end program, and I wouldn't recommend you start with that one without some teaching. In the end, yeah, maya is the top dog, but don't try too much at once if you know what I mean. Don't start with Maya, you'll end up dead.
Try C4D. They have a free trial. I love it. Everyone I've met loves it. haha. Try it.
I started with max for 3 months. I did okay, buuuuut, I left it after that.
Max is fine, but, again, it wasn't for me. 3 Monthes later I tried C4D and it was perfect for me. I still use it, 4 years now. I love it. I don't like the R.10 render engine but... there are tricks you can port your models and animations over to other programs for final render.
But, point is, really, C4D is best to start with imo. Not Maya. Maya is the top dog, but damn, it's a beast and will probably discourage you before you can produce anything. It's ummm a high end program, and I wouldn't recommend you start with that one without some teaching. In the end, yeah, maya is the top dog, but don't try too much at once if you know what I mean. Don't start with Maya, you'll end up dead.
Try C4D. They have a free trial. I love it. Everyone I've met loves it. haha. Try it.
Anhar_Miah
Veteran
OK here is my take
I started with truespace, then did Blender for a while, later I settled with Max, after a lot of peer pressure I thought I give Maya a try, I've been hacking for a while but can't kill my Max habits, the UI seems somewhat disorganised and really not thought out carefully (IMHO), anyway I've since gone back to Max.
I did try Blender just the other day after reading the above post about the new UI changes, the changes have been good, but I still find some it very difficult to snap out of the Max habits!
I did try C4D a while back, but the UI kept confusing me, but I could see its potential.
I'd say Max or Maya, just pick one and stick with it...
Anhar
I started with truespace, then did Blender for a while, later I settled with Max, after a lot of peer pressure I thought I give Maya a try, I've been hacking for a while but can't kill my Max habits, the UI seems somewhat disorganised and really not thought out carefully (IMHO), anyway I've since gone back to Max.
I did try Blender just the other day after reading the above post about the new UI changes, the changes have been good, but I still find some it very difficult to snap out of the Max habits!
I did try C4D a while back, but the UI kept confusing me, but I could see its potential.
I'd say Max or Maya, just pick one and stick with it...
Anhar
Duke M.
Veteran
3D modeling and animating has a learning curve. Not everyone gets through it. I'd download a couple of the free programs like:
OpenFX
http://www.openfx.org/download.html
It can import DXF and 3DS model files, among others.
or Blender
http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/
and play with them awhile before I shell out serious money for anything.
YMMV, but my impressions are:
OpenFX
http://www.openfx.org/download.html
It can import DXF and 3DS model files, among others.
or Blender
http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/
and play with them awhile before I shell out serious money for anything.
YMMV, but my impressions are:
- Lightwave produces some of the best images, but the UI is archaic though adjustable.
- 3D Max has a nice user interface, but the renderer is harder to tweak to make photorealistic. Same with OpenFX.
- Maya has some nicer modeling tools, but I thought it was overpriced when I tried it years ago.
TimTheFoolMan
Well-known member
Kinemac
Kinemac
Here are a couple of things I did with Kinemac, which I got as part of a MacHeist bundle:
Fools & Film Title Card
iTGooch Animated Logo
I created the first animation in about 6 hours, which included the amount of time it took to learn how to use Kinemac from scratch. The second took an hour or so.
It's not a full-fledged modeling program, but if you're looking to do animated titles, it's got some interesting capabilities. One of the more interesting things I've done with Kinemac was to create a CGI bullet, and and then combine the movement of the bullet with a video sequence, such that the toy gun (that was shown in slow motion) appeared to fire a slow-moving bullet. - Tim
Kinemac
Here are a couple of things I did with Kinemac, which I got as part of a MacHeist bundle:
Fools & Film Title Card
iTGooch Animated Logo
I created the first animation in about 6 hours, which included the amount of time it took to learn how to use Kinemac from scratch. The second took an hour or so.
It's not a full-fledged modeling program, but if you're looking to do animated titles, it's got some interesting capabilities. One of the more interesting things I've done with Kinemac was to create a CGI bullet, and and then combine the movement of the bullet with a video sequence, such that the toy gun (that was shown in slow motion) appeared to fire a slow-moving bullet. - Tim
Doesn't anyone use Animation Master any more? It's a great 3D program for learning. It does everything you need in one package. They sell it two ways: $299 for a "forever license" for one version, or as a $79 subscription for one year. It really is a great program, and they have a lot of great tutorials and forums on their site, which is here:
http://www.hash.com/
Be sure to check out their YoutTube page for examples movies (linked at the top of their homepage). Great stuff for the price.
http://www.hash.com/
Be sure to check out their YoutTube page for examples movies (linked at the top of their homepage). Great stuff for the price.
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Another vote for Lightwave here. It's much easier to learn a new interface with words instead of icons. I also think it is the easiest renderer to work with as far as getting a good look.
Maya and Max are both really expensive comparitively (can't use learning editions for commercial work).
Softimage is also really good, but expensive.
Modo is a good modeler, but lacking on the animation side..depends on what you need it to do.
Blender...well, I didn't like it, but haven't tried the new interface.
C4D is good, but the $800 core is missing many of the elements included with Lightwave, and it takes quite a bit to even things up.
30 day demos are your friend...
Maya and Max are both really expensive comparitively (can't use learning editions for commercial work).
Softimage is also really good, but expensive.
Modo is a good modeler, but lacking on the animation side..depends on what you need it to do.
Blender...well, I didn't like it, but haven't tried the new interface.
C4D is good, but the $800 core is missing many of the elements included with Lightwave, and it takes quite a bit to even things up.
30 day demos are your friend...
Galleddrim
Active member
I cut my 3D teeth on Caligari TrueSpace2. Now I'm a Lightwave user. However . . . looks like TrueSpace 7 is available for free now! Can't hurt to try it out. It really was a pretty intuitive program to use:
http://www.caligari.com/
http://www.caligari.com/
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
As with most 'too good to be true'... a Windows only app... which of course works if on predominantly uses Windows... for something...
Back to...
Blender Free, Blender on {Windows,Mac OS,Linux, *BSD}...
blazer003
Well-known member
Here's my 2 cents. Blender can do 80% of what any other 3d app can do. The extra 20% is stuff you won't ever be doing unless you're working for a big studio, and in that case you're probably using a proprietarily designed version of that app anyway. Blender actually does some things much better (IMO).
I started with MAX, then did Blender, then tried Maya. Granted, had I started with Maya I may have fallen in love with its interface, but I just can't get enough of the ingenuity of the Blender community and how open source leads to such great, useful and powerful features.
Here is one of my Blender projects:
I started with MAX, then did Blender, then tried Maya. Granted, had I started with Maya I may have fallen in love with its interface, but I just can't get enough of the ingenuity of the Blender community and how open source leads to such great, useful and powerful features.
Here is one of my Blender projects:
El Director
Veteran
Nice work man! I'm a blender user too, though mostly for previz now. way to show what can be done!