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Which 3D Modeling software?

Started by
17 comments, last by Gilderoot 24 years, 5 months ago
Yo, ok. I learned this about 2 years ago. There are many 3D modelling programs, as you were mentioning before. Most game artists prefer to use 3D Studio Max. The lastest version is 3. It is quite expensive but you can make professional looking models in it.

I am into programming and 3d modelling and when I talk to professional 3d modellers they all think 3d Studio Max is a shitty modeller. I personally think it's easy and really good, I've been using it for 2 years.

The main reason it is rated so low by many pros is because it's bones, which are a structure of bones that can control objects, is really shit, but there are 100s of plugins some very expensive, some free that make up for these problems.

Here are all the 3d modelling programs I can think of:

3d Studio Max 1.2 / 2.5 / 3.0
RayDream Studio
Truespace
LightWave
Maya (Which is suppose to be one of tha best on tha market and tha most hardest to use and one of tha most expensive, mainly for character animation)
PowerAnimator
SoftImage
POVRay(Freeware, and it's a raycaster, but it uses a C-based language for modelling, I personally think it's stupid)

I know RayDream Studio is cheap in cost.

These are ratings of tha modellers from what I hear from tha pros.

1. Maya
2. PowerAnimator
3. Truespace or 3D Studio Max or Lightwave
4. RayDream Studio
I'm not sure about SoftImage

But in tha end it's up to you, you gotta go around to all tha modelling sites you can find and check out tha models and go to the actually modeling sites.

I really like 3D Studio Max, which I'm sticking to right now.

3D Studio Max - www.ktx.com
Truespace - www.caligari.com

You could find the other sites for all the other modellers pretty easy.

Oh ya, some modellers like Maya and PowerAnimator only work on special workstations. PowerAnimator I think needs an SGI workstation and I think Maya needs a NT Workstation.

RESEARCH!!!

Later man,

email - datisme@notme.com

Da_KiD

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The modeler I recommend is trueSpace; it's what I use on a daily basis, and unlike 3DSMAX or LW, the interface is very easy to learn, and not in the least cumbersome. It may take a bit of time getting used to the icons the menus use (no text - though the name of the tool shows up when you mouseover the icon). tS also uses right-clicking extensively for all tools, allowing you numerical access for all applicable tools and advanced features for some. The .cob format is also very "chunky," meaning the data is extremely well organized, and the full format support is not needed to load the file into a game engine, something programmers tend to like, especially if parts of the file are not needed in/by the game engine. I'm working on a few games right now that use the .cob format, and the programmer (same for all) seems to love dealing with it, as compared to .3DS. If you HAVE to use another format, there is full support included out of the box for .3ds, both binary and ascii, and a number of other formats. tS can import all formats it can export to, and also imports wavefront .obj format, a very, very nice format to use as a step between programs.

-Nick http://www.digital-soapbox.com

-Nick "digisoap" RobalikWeb & Print Design, 2D & 3D Illustration and Animation, Game Designhttp://www.digital-soapbox.com[email=nick@digital-soapbox.com]nick@digital-soabox.com[/email]
When did 3DS MAX get a difficult UI? Just wondering, since I find it the most intuitive UI of any piece of software I've ever worked with - especially considering the complexity of the product (And I have tried a few: 3DS, Imagine, RayDream, TrueSpace)

/Niels

<b>/NJ</b>
i think 3ds has a beautiful UI, ive found truspaces UI to be clumbsy and not well thought out (like windows :P)
Lightwave has an excellent modeler. I have never heard it described as difficult to learn before. It has a very intuitive interface and allows for modelling of organic shapes very easily using things like metanurbs. Things like aircraft/tanks/boats are all very easy to build. Humans are slightly more challenging, but still within grasp. check out:
http://www.newtek.com
My comments about 3D apps are based on personal experience and comments I've heard from others; while some people (it seems) like the 3DSMAX interface, I never really found that I could into the app as easily as trueSpace or Alias, which in my opinion the easiest 3D app to learn. Out of every single application I've used, I find that LW has THE worst interface ever imagined. Maybe it's because I'm not an old Amiga user like most of the power uses, but I'd think the idea of a GUI is to go PAST text buttons, else we'd all still be using 3DSr4 under DOS.

-Nick http://www.digital-soapbox.com

-Nick "digisoap" RobalikWeb & Print Design, 2D & 3D Illustration and Animation, Game Designhttp://www.digital-soapbox.com[email=nick@digital-soapbox.com]nick@digital-soabox.com[/email]
I suppose the answer to this question could be summed up like this: Call the companies, and ask for Demos. (they should send a perspective customer a demo). Play around with it, see if YOU like it. Then decide which one was more to your liking. Personaly I like Lightwave & Truespace more than 3d Studio Max, due to Max's non-intuitive (to me) User Interface. But that was fixed with Max 3. So just go try them and make up your own mind don't let other people tell you one is better than another because 90% of the time it B.S. they are all good programs you just need to find one that you'll beable to learn fairly quickly and find intuitive.
Joseph FernaldSoftware EngineerRed Storm Entertainment.------------------------The opinions expressed are that of the person postingand not that of Red Storm Entertainment.
Exactly. Despite the different features and pricelevels of all these softwares it all comes down to you, the artist. Just find a tool that you´re comfortable with, whether it be a "low-end" like Ray Dream Studio or "high-end" like Maya. I´ve seen great stuff come out of these "cheaper" programs, so you shouldn´t be too hindered by small lacks in advanced features. As I said, just make sure that you will like the program, find it relatively easy to use, and that it has got the features you need, exporting options etc.
No one has mentioned Bryce 4. Not good for figures but for textures, structures and landscapes it is unbeatable. Or what about poser 4? The UI's are good. As a newbie I reserve the right to be ignorant and underinformed.
I like bryce, for terrain rendering it can't be beat. And although I've never used poser it looks to be good at what it does, creates characters. But I've always been disapointed with MetaCreations lack of exporters. And the fact that poser does high poly models makes it useless for most 3d games.

I've heard great things about animation master 99...and I love truespace, Lightwave isn't that bad either (to me). But as I said before see if you can get a demo of the products before you buy something & are completely disapointed & left with an expensive coaster and table leg fixer....

Joseph FernaldSoftware EngineerRed Storm Entertainment.------------------------The opinions expressed are that of the person postingand not that of Red Storm Entertainment.

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