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3D softwares are not all equals...


a_bertrand

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As all, 3D softwares are not all equals, some offers more features than others, some are free some are extremely expensive, and yet some are specialized in some domains where others are more all rounded. So how can you pick one? What should you learn? How much you should expect to pay?

Requirements:

Well, as always you must first think what are your goals:

- Use pre-made objects?

- Use pre-made human models and just setup the poses?

- Create CAD designs?

- Create relatively simple 3D models?

- Create models with displacement maps, complex textures or more?

- Paint on 3D models?

- Sculpt 3D models?

- Render static images?

- Render animated movies without bones deformations?

- Render animated movies with bones deformation?

- Render as quickly as possible?

- Render with all the possible features (Global illumination, Sub surface scattering, ray tracing, refractions, micro displacement, fur and more)?

Of course the more features, the more likely you will not find them in a free or cheap package.

The packages:

You may start with THE open source 3D package: http://www.blender.org but you may get annoyed by its interface and the lack of features of the renderer. On the other side you can fully develop for it in Python.

On the free packages:

- http://www.daz3d.com/ (just to setup & render, no modeling tools)

- http://www.caligari.com/downloads.html

- Udini apprentice http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=589&Itemid=221

- 3DCrafter http://www.amabilis.com/products.htm

Then if you have a little budget (count about 1000$) you could pick one of those:

Lightwave http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/

Modo http://www.luxology.com/

Cinema 4D http://www.maxon.net/ (for the minimal version)

Project Messiah (excellent for animations / soft bodies) http://www.projectmessiah.com/x6/index.html

Electric Image (render & animation) http://www.eias3d.com/

On the higher level you will find between 3-10K:

3D Max http://www.autodesk.com

on the same site you will find maya and softimage (yes they bought their concurrents)

Cinema 4D http://www.maxon.net/ (for the complete version)

Houdini http://www.sidefx.com/index.php

 

I will stop here the list as it is nearly without limit.

Most softwares runs on Windows and Mac OSX... Some on Linux too.

What could you expect of softwares like Modo ?

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BTW this image as been rendered by me and took 2 min and 30 sec to render. That's also what offers a good software: very quick render times. (Goal was to test furs, global illumination and micro displacement not to create a great image ;) )

Remember:

Most if not all softs offer a demo / trial version. So try them, check the features, check the work-flow (as this changes A LOT from one soft to the other) and then only then decide which one suit you better.

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Well I started myself with Truespace (quiet some time ago) and won even a caligari (past owners of Truespace) contest in Jan 2000 (http://www.caligari.com/gallery/imagesgallery/2000/Jan00/index.html) and some mentions (http://www.caligari.com/gallery/imagesgallery/2000/Jul00/image09.html, http://www.caligari.com/gallery/imagesgallery/2000/Sep00/image01.html).

After a while, Truespace simply wasn't enough for me as I was trying to work more with Subdivision Surfaces and Truespace was quiet lacking in this department, I switched then Lightwave which honestly is a complete different world.

And now, after long years of fidelity to Lightwave, I decided to purchase Modo 501 as it offers me a few features which simply are not there in Lightwave and I'm waiting since too long, also Lightwave do currently have a split between the modeler (create 3D models) and the Layout software (where you setup your models, create the anims, lighting, and render). For me I find it annoying and prefer a single application. Modo seems to be a good choice but yet I don't own it since long enough to tell beside the renders are incredible and the speed is amazing.

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Just a quick clarification ... Daz offers a free limited version of the program I use; it wont have all the features and abilities to create the images you may see me post. Ive got a few thousand dollars in rendering engines, plugins, and advanced software for the Daz full feature suite. It is/was a nice place to start tho, and it wont be the end all be all for my 3d gfx work.

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Can u export the models created into a Like a model file where it shows the full 3d interface.

What I mean is when u open this file up you can swizz around it and look at the back.

I found a game maker called Platinum Arts Sandbox.

You can import models into it and then create your world in it.

Once you have finished your world you need to code it.

So what you do is you go into the game maker interface and say you want a door to open when u aproachbit you type `entset mapmodel id, type of ent, range, then how back/ forward you want door to swing .

For example

`entset mapmodel 1, 10, 10 -5

But then for things like when you walk up to a person and you want a conversation to start you need to do the same again except set the ent type to 8 or 12 then code into the main file

Level_trigger_1 {

Newgui (Tom)

}

You get the Idea

So us there any of them that you can do that with.

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You are mixing a 3D game engine with a 3D DESIGN / RENDER software Coly. If you are after 3D game creation I would strongly suggest to check http://unity3d.com/

Beside that, most of those packages I listed support at least some way of scripting which would allow you to react to open a door when something approach, but that would be quiet certainly used to automatize animation (like cinematic scenes) and not to produce a playable game ;)

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Like Alain pointed out, Rendering and design softs and 3d game engines are totally different worlds! This is why I am enrolled int the game art and design program and not the Media Arts & Animation Degree, Game Programming, or the Game Design programs. Each degree offers different curriculum based on the different aspects of 3d game creation. (the design word in the program I am enrolled in refers to layout and graphic design, not game function design). I wish I could answer your questions on game mechanics, but I've got no clue, I just make it look pretty.

I do know that BrokeAss Games (a Daz vendor) offers figures that work with Torque, Unity, GameCore3D , and other 3d engines. While Daz offers a Game Developer Kit for DAZ Studio. Perhaps you can do more research into this and let us know what you find out.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 7 months later...

Today I downloaded Houdini Apprentice, and beside the fact I'm somewhat lost by the quantity of tools, I must say the tool is simply amazing. Sure you cannot use it for commercial purpose, but even simply learning what such tool can do is amazing. I would strongly suggest any of the 3D wanabe or even not wanabe anymore people around to get a copy of it (Linux, Mac or Windows).

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ZBrush is certainly a great tool, but as said I would not use it as main tool, more as additional tool in the pipeline. Also, this kind of tool works much much better with a graphic tabled than with a mouse. So you must add yet another 400-600$ for the graphic tablet if you don't have one. Yes 3D is expensive and time consuming. But if you enter the business it's also something which pays really well.

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ZBrush is certainly a great tool, but as said I would not use it as main tool, more as additional tool in the pipeline. Also, this kind of tool works much much better with a graphic tabled than with a mouse. So you must add yet another 400-600$ for the graphic tablet if you don't have one. Yes 3D is expensive and time consuming. But if you enter the business it's also something which pays really well.

Yes I found out this the hard way, doing anything with a mouse in that ( I played around with the free/basic version) is far from effecient.

I went and played around with Blender (a new version released since this thread was started) again, it has a much easier/simplier interface now, now I'm still learning this stuff, so I have no idea if there's any improvement in features for it's renderer, if you haven't already you may want to take another look at it, see what you think.

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Blender is certainly am incredible software if you think it's free. It does also have quiet a few cool features you don't find in many other packages. I would say if you manage to get a grab you may indeed produce good things. However all the tools tends to be... amateur level in their implementation. The GUI as you stated was a good example. It is a bit like photoshop and gimp.

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  • 7 months later...

Cinema 4D is a great package and you can certainly produce some good art with it. One of the most complete packages out there, as it cover basically all, from modeling, texturing, animation, rendering and even some simulation. Yet to get all those you need to buy the full package which is not free, as you end up at a price of 3695$ !

At that price, I would personally look into Softimage but... that's personal choice.

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