Digital Art Zone

I had posted a couple of weeks ago regarding Carrara 8.1Pro and image files. I gather from the response I got, that 8.1 and image files on a Mac have issues. (I’m on an intel iMac running 10.7). I’ve tried saving images (which I use a lot as texture maps and sometimes as backdrops) as psd, tif, jpg, png… you name it. I get an ERROR freeze anytime I try to select an image. I do have the latest beta of 8.5 running as well, but as I’ve been reading… 8.5 seems not to recognize anything in my existing library of textures, or purchased content. But it can handle images. I dread the new Mac OS update…. what problems will that bring on?

This is kind of a big problem for me. I don’t pose and dress figures in pre-built scenes. In my work, I’m building new environments for film concept art and previz. I rely on texture maps to match designed materials or locations. And I’ve built a library (through purchase, etc.) of props that I can use in many ways in the scenes I make. So not being able to use texture maps in 8.1, and not being able to access my object library in 8.5 really bites. And I’m having trouble saving files or renders in 8.5…. half the time there’s an ERROR freeze, and I have to force quit.

Somewhere else in the forum someone said that the Carrara developers don’t read any of these posts. I’ve commented more than once that Carrara is (or was) an amazing tool for someone like me doing concept art and 3D modeling for films. It’s fast, easy to learn and use, it renders beautifully. And, the cost is so much less than any of those other modelers.

People I work with think they have to have Rhino, Maya or Modo to do what I do, and I tell them they don’t….. I wish that DAZ would aggressively promote Carrara in publications and sites that are geared to 3D modeling for entertainment. I don’t know exactly what function they think Carrara is filling in the 3D world, but I think they’re missing a solid audience of potential users. Perhaps if the user base was larger it wouldn’t feel like Carrara was a bit lean in developer support?

ghdesign25 - 01 August 2012 11:38 AM

I do have the latest beta of 8.5 running as well, but as I’ve been reading… 8.5 seems not to recognize anything in my existing library of textures, or purchased content

The beta doesn’t come with content, nor does it automatically find any pre-existing content. You will have to address that. You can re-run Carrara installers and point them at the 8.5 installation, or simply copy the content files over. If you have poser runtimes just add them in the content tab.

ghdesign25 - 01 August 2012 11:38 AM

8.5 seems not to recognize anything in my existing library of textures, or purchased content. But it can handle images. I dread the new Mac OS update….?

...

People I work with think they have to have Rhino, Maya or Modo to do what I do, and I tell them they don’t….. I wish that DAZ would aggressively promote Carrara in publications and sites that are geared to 3D modeling for entertainment. I don’t know exactly what function they think Carrara is filling in the 3D world, but I think they’re missing a solid audience of potential users. Perhaps if the user base was larger it wouldn’t feel like Carrara was a bit lean in developer support?

Long story short you are going to have to install 8.5 if you want to use Carrara again. I thought the preference file issue was fixed, which would allow you to install the beta in its own folder. At some point you are going to have to reconnect 8.5’s browser to your folders. This might be very simple or difficult depending on your existing folder structure…. You could also try organizing your folders into a more Browser logical structure of nested folders, then adding the top directory allows access to all subfolders in the browser….

When people ask if I use Maya I say “yes”.