Need advice 3d modeling
chi-man
Posts: 2
in The Commons
Hi all
I've decided to start 3d modeling in order to make robots and suits of armour for the G2M/F and up to use in daz 3d.
i knew there's alot of 3d modeling software programs out there, what i would like is some advice on the best ones to use that
have the best compatibility with daz 3d.
I would appreciate any advice anyone can give.
Thanks
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
...well, Hexagon (sold here) has a two way bridge to Daz and an elegant UI, however it is only a 32 bit programme and can have some stability issues.
Silo recently went 64 Bit and costs 150$ however it often goes on sale for around 99$
You can get Modo (a pro grade modelling programe) through Steam for around 125$ or so, but that version has some limitations.
Blender is free however you need to deal with a rather clunky keyboard/hotkey driven UI that has a relatively steep learning curve
Thanks Kyoto Kid i really appreciate your post
Silo was actually on sale three days ago for $19, I can't remember exactly. Someone posted a heads-up on the Silo thread in Art Studio. I posted some screenshots on what the interface was like, how to use it. I'd look at it so you can see if it's your cup of tea. (I have ZBrush so don't use Silo. And haven't done ZBrush in awhile so no help there. ZBrush is expensive, I wouldn't start with that.)
What they said : )
I'd just like to add that while it takes a while to learn Blender it was definitely worth it for me ; )
Depends on ho patient you are :D : )
You can try Hexagon, it's inexpensive and more than few PAs use it regularly to make content. It's not perfect, but there's no shortage of free tutorials available for it on the internet, and there's a forum for questions here and the learning curve for it is considered intuitive.
http://www.daz3d.com/hexagon-2-5-download-version
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/hexagon-discussion
There is a zbrush core version which has a 20% discount until 14th. More info here: http://zbrushcore.com/ Works out about $120 vids here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqi_sQ8KlQja2vV-kYwCDGt3MgSiLf4VF
There's also Wings3D, which is free and does just modeling, so there's not much to it to learn ;).
Laurie
1. Is cost an issue? And if so how much are you willing to spend?
2. What are the specs of the machine you intend to model on?
3. What is the time frame you are hoping for before becoming reasonably proficient?
4. Do you have any experience with any other modeling software?
Those four questions can really help anyone trying to answer your question narrow it down to the best choices for you specifically.
if you want to just try something try Hex, but it has not been updated in years, and it features are too limited for being much more than a modeler but if modeling is your goal it will get you there if your patient with an application that can be notorious for it's multi-platform instability.
If you want to try something that will hold it own against any high end modeler costing thousands and it's free it's Blender, but the learning curve is no joke.
Hex can probably be learned without tutorials, Blender there is no way you can do it without someones help, but to compare the two is comparing a dingy to an aircraft carrier.
I highly recommend Blender. All I ever heard from other people was how hard it was, so that put me off it for several years, but really that's EXTREMELY subjective. I downloaded it and found it quite user friendly. I don't find the UI to be clunky and even using it on my laptop with my non-3 button tablet mouse, it works great. And you really don't need to learn a bunch of hotkeys, because every command is in one of the menus.
Not only is it free, but it has built-in dynamics, sculpting, uv mapping, particle systems, and a hair generator. It's a brilliant program for learning modeling and there are hundrends of really good video tutorials out there, as well has the helpful blender artists forums.
That's just my opinion. And what's there to lose. It's free!
try all the modeling apps you can find till you find the one that clicks with you on the user interface (UI) since it usually boils down to this for most users.
Give Hexagon a try. It's got an amazing UI. It's pretty long in the tooth and doesn't always run well on some modern machines but it's cheap and the bridge to Daz Studio makes it worth the $20.
For compatability with DAZ Studio, Hexagon at $20 would be the best. It does have stability issues, although I have not had any problems with it, and it has not been updated in years. Another option might be Carrara, which is currently on sale.
As FSMCDesigns said, try each one. You will find elements of each program that you like and dislike and same goes with the UI of each program. My own personal preference after trying pretty much all listed above, I choose Silo as my modeler.
Hmmm, trying each one seems like the long and (expensive) route. First you need to figure out everything that's out there, then start looking at the reviews and tuts to get an idea of what they can do, and how people are using them. Then whittle down the list until you come to the ones that most closely seem to fit your specific needs and only then get a demo or trial vers and get the resources that can fallicitate your learning.
The other thing you can do is find a product that is the epitome of everything you would like to do, and simply ask the creator what their workflow was and what they used, and duplicate that. Most creators aren't jerks acting like their guarding Solomon's Mine; I've found most to be quite forthcoming when it comes to giving advice. That's how I came to develop a lot of my personal workflow, and there is no question as to if your choices can get the results you want, because you've already seen what those tools can do in the hands of a master; it's only up to you at that point to develop you own skills.
Learning CG is time consuming, and it can take a fairly good amount of time to learn any one software program to the extent that you can begin to do what you want with it. Learning and then unlearning a workflow can waste time -- time being a commodity that many people seem to take for granted, and I'm assuming your ultimate goal is to start creating, not going to school. The program with the most difficult learning curve might actually be the one that fits all your needs, you don't want to simply give it a week, and then jump to the next because that one "seems" on the onset to be "easier". Most demos used to be approx. one month and one month is a pretty good time period to get the basics of a sophisticated piece of software down and become moderately skilled with it if you're devoting ample time to it. So when you start trying out programs give yourself enough time to really know the program and experiment with it.
Just giving my experience and trying to save you some time and money.
nelsonsmith, my experience is the opposite and is also that of quite a few other modelers I know. The UI is a pretty big buy in with any app, especially a modeling program. Most modeling apps do the same things, just with different ways of doing it and different tools. I started with a small specific app for the game I was developing for, moved on to Rhino, then MODO, then Maya, then Gmax, then Wings 3D, then Hexagon, then carrara, then 3DSmax, then blender, then C4d, then back to Blender which I really wanted to learn since it was free and was a powerful app, but I never got along with the UI and it's keyboard oriented commands, I have also used Silo and a few others, but my app of choice is 3DSMax simply because it's UI makes sense to me. Yeah, the cost keeps me from being on the most current version, but I can get more done with it then all the others combined. Most modeling apps, even the high end ones have trial versions and also educational pricing if you are in school, so trying them shouldn't be that big of a deal.
I am also an open the app and learn as I go person, I rarely look at tutorials or documentation unless needed. I actually spent some good money on the 3DSMax bible, all 1300 pages of it and never really used it. I also never look at reviews, because with modeling apps, it's all subjective, so it;s kinda pointless other than if it will work on my OS or not.
Silo has a trial. Hex doesn't (but it's cheap). You might also want to take a look at Nvil. It's very Silo-like and has a free version you can check out.
Laurie
Like others, I recommend getting the trial versions of any that provide them. Definitely try Blender because it is free. I generally use either Hexagon or Carrara, but that is just a matter of being at ease with their user interface. I didn't like Blender's UI. But for free? Why not try Blender? Similarly, if Silo or whatever has a trial period, see if you like the UI.
Daz does offer a 100% money back guarantee a long as you don't abuse it. So, I think you can try Hexagon and Carrara at no risk. But, worth checking with customer service to make sure because AllenArt suggests otherwise. Contact sales support..
https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/topics/200235493-My-Account-100-Money-Back-Guarantee
See My Account - 100% Money Back Guarantee New post
Better Than Risk Free We're so convinced that you'll like our products that we offer a 30-day money back guarantee with every purchase made on our site! Try out any product in our store for thirty days. If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase we'll give you your money back. Daz 3d Logo Small And that's more than a guarantee. It's our personal promise. Comprehensive Customer Service: If you have any questions about any of the items listed above, the Platinum Savings Club and membership benefits, or about anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us. Our sales support staff will gladly answer any questions you may have. (Gift Card and Platinum Club Memberships and renewals are excluded). "Customers who DAZ deems to be abusing the return policy and excessively returning products will receive notification from DAZ. This notification may also include notice of additional actions such as suspension of the customer's ability to further leverage the return policy, and possible suspension of their account and/or ability to make further purchases." Home of the original 30-day money back guarantee.
I use Hex.. it doesn't have a trial but it's sold by Daz so you have the 30 day return available. Blender is a very good program as well, so is Silo. Hex just clicks with my brain the easiest. You need to find with one clicks with yours.
Carrara is also an excellent modeller, sold here and used by more than one PA (including me). It's also 64-bit (Pro edition), and can directly load G2M/F as well as the vast majority of Daz (.duf) and Poser sets. Plus it can do a whole lot more, from plants to terrains to oceans to replicators to volumetrics.
There are active forums for both Carrara and Hexagon right here, and the folks in both places are most helpful.
You can try Formz 8 there is a free version. http://www.formz.com/products/formzfree.html
Some video tutorials on using. https://www.youtube.com/user/formz3D
Good luck
Thank you soooooo much everyone for your advice.
i appreciate your comments so much, i've been looking up your suggestions and they all
look like really good 3d software programs to use.
I would like to thank you all again you've all been so helpful Thanks