I was wondering what you guys considered to be the best modeling program available? I am really getting into 3D art and am going to be doing a plug for Nova and wanted to do a total conversion for another game and have heard mention of quite a few different programs. For highly detailed and complex work would I be better off using something like Infini D, Strata Pro, Cinema 4D, Electric Image, Bryce, Maya for OS X or what? I can't even find Infini D anymore but I think one of my friends has it. Maya isn't out yet but it sounds super. Cinema 4D R7 just came out recently and so did Strata 3D pro 3.5. Although I have heard many negative things about Strata. I have an old version of Bryce but it isn't capable of much. I have heard of Electric Image before but I don't know of anyone who uses it so I don't know how good it is. I am surfing this board with an iMac, which could be used as a rendering engine, but my workhorse is a G4 733 tower with 512 MB RAM, 120 GB drive space, Super drive, GeForce 3, and 22" cinema display so hardware is no problem. But I would like as many opinions as possible as to which I should spend the money on. Oops forgot to ask about Lightwave too.

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(This message has been edited by Guyman (edited 05-30-2001).)

Speaking as someone who was in this predicament only 6 months ago, I would suggest starting with Strata3D simply because it is simple and FREE! Go to (url="http://"http://www.strata.com")www.strata.com(/url) and try it out if you want. All the other programs there are harder to master than Strata3D (or at least I thought so) and they all cost money.

Strata3D isnt much good for landscapes though, but your old version of Bryce should be able to handle that.

One more thing, with the free version of Strata3D you have to make most of the textures yourself, this is very simple but you really need Adobe Photoshop (or something like it) to make decent textures.

If you want to move on up from Strata3D, then you can do so, and you havent lost any money, so go try it out

Narmio

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dont listen to him! Strata3D isnt very good at all, if you can get an academic discount on Lightwave, then thats what i recommend. Its quite expensive, but well worth it! and Lightwave isnt near as hard as people think.

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.IcedEarth.com")Iced Earth(/url)

In my opinion, the Strata3D modeller is the best you'll find for free. But when it comes to something that does the best modelling and takes a price to attain, I would have to say Infini-D and Cinema 4D...

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Quote

Originally posted by Captain Skyblade:
**In my opinion, the Strata3D modeller is the best you'll find for free. But when it comes to something that does the best modelling and takes a price to attain, I would have to say Infini-D and Cinema 4D...

**

Infini-D doesent have a very good modeler at all - its inefficient, old, and doesent have much flexibility. Cinema 4D is better, but i still dont think it can compete with Lightwave.

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
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Don't get lightwave or Maya if you are just starting out. Both are several thousand dollar professional grade programs that are totally over the top for a beginner. I personally recommend Bryce as a first program. I have had it for a while now and have never been dissatisfied.

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"I don't want to insist on it, Dave, but I am incapable of making an error" - HAL 9000

Looks like so far the votes are for Lightwave. The cost of the software is no problem, but if I can save a few bucks with an academic discount what the hell. I guess I'll start looking for Lightwave and maybe a few others just for the hell of it.

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Hey it can be ordered for $1495 if you own Photoshop. Woohoo. Me is ordering now.

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Well, I do not have much experience with top notch programs, but I thing Strata 3D sucks. I use Infini-D. Even though people say it's outdated, I think it's easy to understand and it suits me fine.

If I do actually decide to buy a top notch program, what would be the best for the money? I don't really have very much money, so I can't afford Lightwav or Hash (no, not the drug).

-Kevin

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Dude, are you made of money or what? Ship some cash my way when you have the time...

Anyhow, Lightwave is a good program to be sure. If I could afford it...heck, if I could run it, i'd get it ASAP.
The thing about lightwave is that it's a terrible program to start out on. I'm not saying you shouldn't get it, but you'll probably get more out of it if you learn the basics of modelling, texturing, and all of that in a different program first. Anything will do, really. Something easier will help with the visualization of objects in 3D space, and the realization of how to sculpt them.

That may sound rather...ill...but 3D is a lot harder than it looks. You can really further appreciate a fine modeller like Cinema 4D or Lightwave if you've been frustrated by the limitations of a lesser program.

If you're gonna by LW(6.5) for mac, now is a good time (as you may have noticed). A thousand bucks off for photoshop owners. Criminy, that's good.

Oh, and as a end note, don't snob the lesser software. I've seen people do incredible stuff with freeware 3D programs...

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Quote

Originally posted by Onyx:
**Dude, are you made of money or what? Ship some cash my way when you have the time...;)
**

He, he...

Quote

**
Oh, and as a end note, don't snob the lesser software. I've seen people do incredible stuff with freeware 3D programs...
**

I agree with Onyx: for a beginner the software should be inexpensive (better if free) and possibly with a bunch of tutorials (or with a numerous user's community to support you)...
...from this point of view i think Strata 3D fits well (maybe even it is surpassed by other products...)
Just my two cents...
Ras

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Quote

Originally posted by Guyman:
**Hey it can be ordered for $1495 if you own Photoshop. Woohoo. Me is ordering now.

**

jeez, you are made of money, arent you? and what 3D expirience do you have already? email me, or ICQ/IM me if you need help with Lightwave, i know much of that program!

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.IcedEarth.com")Iced Earth(/url)

ONYX has a really good point. And WTF!!! I though I had a pretty nice setup . . . er . . . thats one hell of a computer you got there.

Anwyay . . .

I recomend starting with an easy to learn program, Mechanisto or Strata 3D is fine. I like Infini-D myself, I know ONYX used RayDream and did some great stuff in that. You need to be pretty experienced to get what you want out of a program like Lightwave. Any you wanna try to buy the Academic version if possible, its $900 or so.

Lighwave is also a little different in how it handles objects, but if you feel like a little steeper learning curve, it will work fine.

- Squinky

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Quote

Originally posted by Squinky:
**ONYX has a really good point. And WTF!!! I though I had a pretty nice setup . . . er . . . thats one hell of a computer you got there.

Anwyay . . .

I recomend starting with an easy to learn program, Mechanisto or Strata 3D is fine. I like Infini-D myself, I know ONYX used RayDream and did some great stuff in that. You need to be pretty experienced to get what you want out of a program like Lightwave. Any you wanna try to buy the Academic version if possible, its $900 or so.

Lighwave is also a little different in how it handles objects, but if you feel like a little steeper learning curve, it will work fine.

- Squinky

**

ah, he'll be fine. i had to forget everything from my previous programs besides what polygons and points were... i didnt have any trouble at all.

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.IcedEarth.com")Iced Earth(/url)

I would recomend lightwave, even 5 is fine (I'm on a powermac 5500, 5.5 runs fine, (6) does not ), it is quite easy for beginners too, just dont think of objects, only polygons and points exist, as deadboy said. A good place for tutorials is (url="http://"http://www.ap3d.com/betterspace/")http://www.ap3d.com/betterspace/(/url)

If you cant, however, leave the concept of objects, I would suggest Cinema 4D XL. I've used R6, and can say that it is really powerful, but more geared to interior scenes than to spaceships etc.

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--sitharus
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another good Lightwave tutorial source (found by the great DeAdBoY himself! ) can be found here: (url="http://"http://members.home.com/lightwavetutorials/Main_Menu.htm")http://members.home....s/Main_Menu.htm(/url)

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.IcedEarth.com")Iced Earth(/url)

(This message has been edited by DeAdBoY (edited 06-05-2001).)

Thanks deadboy. I won't have the software for another two weeks or so anyway :frown:

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Quote

Originally posted by Guyman:
**Thanks deadboy. I won't have the software for another two weeks or so anyway:frown:

**

ah, well, you might want to have a look at some of the tutorials there for an idea of what you're in for, and bookmarking the main page is a good idea

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DeAdBoY-
(url="http://"http://www.grybs.com/harzius")Harzius Productions(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.IcedEarth.com")Iced Earth(/url)

Bryce 4 works pretty well, but if you can afford Lightwave then Bryce would be a bit useless except for landscapes. My money supply is fairly limited (I blew a years savings on Bryce) so I don't have much experience with other programs. Whatever you do, don't get meshworks. It crashes constantly and renders badly.

Jeezus holy crap. Nobody has that kind of computer setup. That would be like having a supermodel for a girlfriend!

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