(Copied from a previous post on a recent thread)
The question of which graphics program to use hass been asked and asked and asked and asked on this board. Just running a search would reveal at a conservative guess, 81 different threads.
However, just to humor you, listed for the most part in ascending price (or estimated price in USD):
(url="http://"http://www.povray.org")POV-Ray(/url) (free), (url="http://"http://www.wings3d.com")Wings 3D(/url) (free), (url="http://"http://www.blender3d.org")Blender(/url) (free), (url="http://"http://www.alias.com")Alias Maya 5.0 Personal Learning Edition(/url) (free - not full featured w/ watermarks), (url="http://"http://www.softimage.com") Softimage XSI Experience(/url) ($19.95 - not full featured w/ less obtrusive watermarks than PLE), (url="http://"http://www.eovia.com/home.jsp")Eovia Carrara Studio 3(/url) ($399), (url="http://"http://www.maxon-computer.com/")Maxon Cinema 4D 8.5(/url) ($595), (url="http://"http://www.strata.com")Strata 3DPro 3.9(/url) ($695), (url="http://"http://www.eovia.com/home.jsp")Eovia Amapi 7 Pro(/url) ($799), (url="http://"http://www.rhino3d.com")Rhinoceros 3.0(/url) ($895), (url="http://"http://www.softimage.com")Softimage 3D 4.0(/url) ($1495), (url="http://"http://www.newtek.com")Newtek Lightwave 3D 7.5 - soon to be 8.0(/url) ($1595), (url="http://"http://www.softimage.com")Softimage XSI(/url) (no price quoted, but probably more expensive than Lightwave), (url="http://"http://www.alias.com")Alias Maya Complete 5.0(/url) ($1999), (url="http://"http://www.discreet.com")Discreet 3D Studio Max 6(/url) ($3145), (url="http://"http://www.alias.com")Alias Maya Unlimited 5.0(/url) ($6999)
That's about all I can think of for right now. Note that Alias Maya 5.0 Personal Learning Edition and Softimage XSI Experience are watered down (or in many cases, crippled) versions of the full packages. Also, be aware that the most expensive program is not necessarily the best program, especially if it cannot do the job that you specifically bought it for. On the image gallery, Wings 3D, Strata, Infini-D (not for PC, but is a precursor to Carrara), Cinema 4D, Strata 3D, and Lightwave are the most popular programs. Lightwave is the program that ATMOS used to make EV Nova, and is my personal favorite program both as a modeler and as a still renderer. What is a renderer, you ask? After you finish making your 3D model, the only way you can output it as an image is through a process called rendering. A good renderer can with the right ingredients make photorealistic images.. Wings 3D, while gaining popularity, does not come bundled with a renderer and requires another program (POV-Ray and Strata are two preferred renderers) to render final images.
As I forgot to mention before, if you're a student, these programs can be significantly less expensive.
Matrix
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"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought -- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen
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(This message has been edited by what_is_the_matrix (edited 04-12-2004).)
