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best 3d software?

milemile
edited January 2010 in Chit chat
have been looking around for some free 3d software, the word on the web seems to be either blender or truespace.

i have downloaded blender, but haven't had chance to load it up, as the boiler is borked and the pc is in the kitchen where it is drafty.

have you guys had any experience using 3d software. the last time i did something like that it was using the 3d construction kit on the amiga, and i only managed to make a box. :-P
Post edited by mile on
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Comments

  • joefishjoefish
    edited January 2010
    I wrote some Speccy and ST 3D stuff, but I've never used anything recent.
    Joefish
    - IONIAN-GAMES.com -
  • ADJBADJB
    edited January 2010
    3D CAD is a black art no matter which software you use.

    I use commercial software because I get it for nothing (legitimately) but Blender has a very good reputation.

    Expect to put a lot of work in before you get anything that looks impressive out of it.

    No matter which one you choose try and get one with "dxf" support because its the nearest thing to a universal standard for file exchange and will mean you can get drawing from loads of different packages to play with and see how there done.

    http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/

    Is a good place to download drawings from which will save you a lot of time.
  • fogfog
    edited January 2010
    Mile, have you tried google sketchup?

    http://sketchup.google.com/

    or perhaps this

    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0008953

    friends who I help use 3d stuff for music vids etc..lightwave and more.. someone else does the rendering (they have a rendering farm) , we get the single frames and join them up.
  • ismellicecreamismellicecream
    edited January 2010
    It all depends on what you want to use it for. Apart from some high level functionality and some minor differences in workflow they all do the same thing, so its down to preference of the interface.

    I've never used blender but it has an excellent reputation, check out:
    [URL="http://http://www.elephantsdream.org/"]
    http://www.elephantsdream.org/[/URL]

    a movie made with blender.

    Commercially the two big ones are 3d studio max or maya. I havent much experience with maya although all my workmates use it, but I have a licence for 3d studio max and I find it very intuitive. If you're not using it for any commercial use, you can download a personal learning edition of Maya, which is fully functional, it just leaves a watermark on your renders and limits the resolution if I remember correctly.

    Either way, a good source of free tutorials and 3d community is

    http://www.3dbuzz.com

    They have a very high reputation.
  • guesserguesser
    edited January 2010
    sketchup is easy to use, but doesn't produce solid geometries like a "proper" 3d app.

    "proper" 3d apps are really hard to master and you'll probably give up after doing the 90 page tutorial on drawing a box...

    There's also PovRay, a code based renderer rather than a whizzy graphical model editor. I used to do a bit of PovRay code, but I fear I've forgotten everything I ever learnt of that now.
    My rubbish website including the redrawn Amstrad schematics and the Sinclair Wiki.
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    cheers guys i will give that blender a shot if i run into troubles i will have a look at all your suggestions.

    its just a static image of an aeroplane i intend to draw.

    in fact thinking about that i wonder if there are free 3d models on the web to download. that would make life easier, i will google that.
  • ismellicecreamismellicecream
    edited January 2010
    What type of plane, and what level of detail?
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    i was going to suggest Maya PLE, but i see since autodesk bought out alias/wavefront they've cancelled it and put a 30 trial in place. i had read in a magazine that they were going to put it back up, but it's not there. liars.

    i can recommend 3dbuzz as mentioned above. they give out a lot of free tutorials and even better ones for cash.

    a manual for blender should you try it.
    let us know what you choose?
  • psj3809psj3809
    edited January 2010
    Whats wrong with VU-3d ? ;)
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    ismellicecream wrote: »
    What type of plane, and what level of detail?

    bi plane, low ammonut of detail. eg, doesn't have to have proper curves, could just be boxes and straight lines.

    just had a look online there are some free models, but incompatable files or wrong model of plane.

    you seem to be able to buy them though, starting prices go from about 50 dollars.

    surely it can't be that hard, fair enough it its something complex but just sticking some boxes together can't be that technical.
  • joefishjoefish
    edited January 2010
    Here's exactly what you need:

    http://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/

    :D :D :D
    Joefish
    - IONIAN-GAMES.com -
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    bi wing
    F14
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    freddyhard wrote: »
    bi wing
    F14

    did you make those yorself?
  • ismellicecreamismellicecream
    edited January 2010
    I could probably knock out a really basic one for you if you have no luck finding a free one, depending what file format you need.

    Have a look for some blueprints of the model you want, for example:

    http://www.the-blueprints.com/search/biplane/

    and let me know.

    EDIT: didnt see above post, I assume you're sorted now?
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    mile wrote: »
    did you make those yorself?
    yes, but about 10 years apart from each other. the bi-wing is rather clumsily made. i did it initially in autocad using 3dfaces, but it was the first 3d object i ever made!
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    yeah the bi plane model freddy provided will sort me for now. i can implement that into my game and see if i can get all the code to work, if i do then i can always have a look at doing my own model later on. not too keen on trying two things at once.
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    let me know if there are any problems with the download. i have the files here on my other pc if you need it fixed in anyway.
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    freddyhard wrote: »
    let me know if there are any problems with the download. i have the files here on my other pc if you need it fixed in anyway.

    what type of file is is out of interest?
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    i think the links i gave have both .max and .3ds
    i would have the original in .dwg which could be converted to .dxf
  • MinerWillyMinerWilly
    edited January 2010
    Tried any of these? http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-vector-graphics-editor.htm (I haven?t), but http://www.techsupportalert.com/ is great for finding freewares!
  • Dave_CDave_C
    edited January 2010
    MinerWilly wrote: »
    Tried any of these? http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-vector-graphics-editor.htm (I haven?t), but http://www.techsupportalert.com/ is great for finding freewares!

    Yay - another fan of Gizmo's freeware site! :smile:
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited January 2010
    I learned and actually own 3D Studio Max. But it really all depends on what you want to do. It took me a couple of years (off and on) to actually learn how model in 3D properly and this is something I'd recommend you really learn. I like to now build 3D models up polygon at a time, copying one polygon to another then modifying the edges and vertices to suit what I want to do - build up an almost low-poly version of the model then applying a mesh smooth to get the hi-ploy version..of course, then you also have to know how the mesh smooth will affect your polygons. It has been a while since I did any 3D stuff, but, by God, I sure remember how to build models.
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    redballoon wrote: »
    I learned and actually own 3D Studio Max. But it really all depends on what you want to do. It took me a couple of years (off and on) to actually learn how model in 3D properly and this is something I'd recommend you really learn. I like to now build 3D models up polygon at a time, copying one polygon to another then modifying the edges and vertices to suit what I want to do - build up an almost low-poly version of the model then applying a mesh smooth to get the hi-ploy version..of course, then you also have to know how the mesh smooth will affect your polygons. It has been a while since I did any 3D stuff, but, by God, I sure remember how to build models.
    just curious what is the most complicated scene you've done in max? i'm still learning and really have to get the finger out and do more with it.
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited January 2010
    Well, nothing is ever easy, but probably the most complex I have done is when I created a 3D model of my own head which I used in an illustration for an article about horror videogames. It took me ages to do and was the first time I had modelled something 'organic' and it didn't help that you know just about every detail of your face. I was relatively happy with it, particularly as it was the first time to do that. Wait until you try modelling an ear. Here's a wee example of part of the final design.

    b8_horror_final2.jpg

    Actually,when I look at this now, the eyes aren't 'moist' enough. It's all in the eyes, man.

    Sometimes, something you think will be easy to model just becomes a pain in the arse. Oh, and trying to create natural lighting...I always struggle with that.
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    that looks wicked
  • grey keygrey key
    edited January 2010
    Yeh, Mile can only make a box !...............
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • MinerWillyMinerWilly
    edited January 2010
    grey key wrote: »
    Yeh, Mile can only make a box !...............

    But in 2D only! :wink:
  • milemile
    edited January 2010
    MinerWilly wrote: »
    But in 2D only! :wink:

    lol.

    i wish
  • grey keygrey key
    edited January 2010
    MinerWilly wrote: »
    But in 2D only! :wink:

    More of a square, perhaps ;)
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • freddyhardfreddyhard
    edited January 2010
    redballoon wrote: »
    Well, nothing is ever easy, but probably the most complex I have done is when I created a 3D model of my own head which I used in an illustration for an article about horror videogames. It took me ages to do and was the first time I had modelled something 'organic' and it didn't help that you know just about every detail of your face. I was relatively happy with it, particularly as it was the first time to do that. Wait until you try modelling an ear. Here's a wee example of part of the final design.



    Actually,when I look at this now, the eyes aren't 'moist' enough. It's all in the eyes, man.

    Sometimes, something you think will be easy to model just becomes a pain in the arse. Oh, and trying to create natural lighting...I always struggle with that.
    i'm new to organic modelling with just covered unwrap uvw modifier. i've done a lot of architectural models and recently started using VRay. it produces good lightening, but i have to get a little more into it as well.

    i haven't done anything as complicated as a human, so no ear practice just yet. i've heard bums are difficult as well?
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