3D Model Making
roberthutchinson
Posts: 309
What is the best model making (character making) software out there that will not break the bank; has a short learning curve, meaning that I can make my model without spending six months on how to run the program. I have lightwave, but to learn how to use it is horrendice. I need to make a model of a monkey that I have photos of for my book. It would be nice to have it fit some sort of genesis character so clothes purchased thru daz would fit it. Probably would need to be sculpted after a genesis child. Maybe someone, here, would like the task for some bucks...I don't know.
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It honestly depends on the end user as everyone is different. A sculpting type software would sound about right but I know you can use software like Silo as well as seen by the Glen Southern videos on youtube where he makes creatures. You may have to just download trial software and try differnt things.
However, have you tried this product here - http://www.daz3d.com/darwin-the-toon-chimp - for Genesis or the bundle - http://www.daz3d.com/ape-world-2-bundle - its has different types of apes including the moneky
Thanks for the advice. I have looked at the Genesis monikers, but the monkey I need is a stuffed animal...very friendly looking. I have the head completed by purchasing a service from a 3D Modeller that I want to use. It could use a little more fur, but what I need is a body...and not a skinny one like toon monkey. I do not know if I could get my monkey head to work on any of the other monkeys offered. I will see what silo can do.
Blender is FREE, 64bit and constantly updated. I know for a fact that some of the merchants here use this powerful opensource 3D tool to create morphs and clothing as well as props for Daz studio. Youtube has plenty of tutorials on how to use this piece of software.
Blender would also be my first recommendation; it is my number-one go-to application for creating and modifying geometries. However....
You also mentioned that you want something that is easy to learn, and to get up-to-speed with fairly quickly. That definitely does not describe Blender. The user interface is rather counter-intuitive, and consequently takes a bit of getting used to, and the program relies so heavily on hot-keys and other keyboard shortcuts, that there is a substantial learning curve involved, if you want to wring the most out of it.
Have you looked into Hexagon? It's available here, in the DAZ store, it's a pretty powerful 3-D modeling application, it is capable of "organic" modeling, and is quite reasonably priced. (I have it, although I don't use it all that much; as I mentioned, I lean toward Blender.) There are also crap-loads of tutorials available to help you get up-to-speed fairly quickly.
You should give it serious thought.
Character making based on a DAZ genesis or Poser figure is much simpler with a modeler that accomidates morphing (mesh modeling without vertex count change). Blacksmith3D may be the easiest and most affordable to use however the greatest convenience and capability is with cartainly achieved with ZBrush.
Blender is fine with maintaining vertex order as long as you don't apply modifiers and do check the maintain vertex order box in the export dialog. I checked out all the freebies and heavily researched the paid applications. I settled on Blender because it is powerful and comprehensive. I have found it more difficult to learn to use and render in Daz Studio than to use Blender.
Blender was only difficult to learn until I stopped listening to all the people saying how difficult it was to learn. If you do the foundational learning properly, the rest of it is much easier and you can get as ahead of yourself as you like. You can download blender at Blender.org and they have a couple of links to popular and recognised learning resources both paid and free. The free ones have all the information you need to get started on understanding the UI, navigation, modelling tools, modifiers, lights, camera....
If you've been using DS half of it should be pretty familiar. Of course modelling is like everything else and takes time to learn - it can be a bit more complicated than you think. Blender can sculpt too. And it has physical and particle simulation....
Blender is huge but you only need to use the bit or bits that are relevant to your needs. You don't have to read the whole encyclopedia to find out about one thing. You may find its totally not for you. All the best finding something that suits you and have fun with what you want to do with it!
In all honesty, I think that Blender gets a bad rep based on older versions. The newest ones are much easier to learn from as there is seriously a lot of videos out there to learn from, in my oh so humble opinion. That said, once you learn to model (well, mind you), you can learn from almost any video or tutorial regardless of the 3D package.
If you want to model, you can do that in any package. If you want to model well, that will take diligence on your part. Ease of learning is totally subjective. As already mentioned, you should try them all to see if one groks with you better than others. Once you've learned, you can usually move on to almost any other package. There will always be a learning curve as to the interface, the tools, locations of things, what works with what. Those things you just need to keep working at till they become muscle memory. I would strongly advise you to let go of the notion that you'll find something that instantly lets you make things as you want. Everything will take time and you will do one model, and go on to the next with, hopefully, the knowledge and experience of the previous model to spur you on to making the next one better.
Good edge flow will be critical with characters. This should be evident to you when you work with older models where the rigging and or mesh failed to bend as one hoped. Of all the things you can make, figures and their clothing will be the hardest insomuch as there is a need for it to deform well in order to look right. Start with small projects and build on them. Practice, practice, practice. Few achieve good models overnight. Many of us are still on the quest and the good ones will never come home from the crusades. :) Just keep at it.
...for a manageable learning curve Silo (which is now 64 bit) or Hexagon are my recommendations. The UIs of both are pretty straightforward and simple to adapt to which lets you concentrate more on the learning curve for modelling.
Hexagon has the advantage that it has a two way bridge with Daz. It's downsides, it can have some stability issues which seems to vary from user, and it is still only 32 bit meaning it can only be allocated a maximum of 2GB even on a 64 bit system unless you make it Large Address Aware. Hexagon is priced under 20$. Silo is 150$ but occasionally will go on sale for 99$.
ZBrush (which also has a bridge to Daz) is around 700$.
You're talking about 3D software - easy to learn doesn't really exist; the more powerful the tool, the steeper the learning curve.
It's about finding one you like.
I tried out Hexagon, and the only thing to like is the bridge; this is a personal opinion obviously.
I'm a fan of Blender; for anyone learning Blender - learning the short cuts is not essential, but if you want to accomplish it (whatever it might be) at a significantly faster rate, then learn the short cuts.
Everyones opinions on ease of use are theirs, just try every modeling app you can get your hands on and find which one works best for you. It's pretty much what I have done over the years, Rhino, Silo, Wings, modo, Maya, C4d, hexagon, etc. I have 4 installed at the moment that I use, 3DSMax, carrara, Blender and Milkshape which all serve a purpose.
Milkshape?
That's still around?
No offense, but what can it do that Max, Carrara, and Blender can't?
I use it for modding a few games with specific MS plugins
I also use Gmax for the same reason
...for myself, to tackle and stay focused on the task of learning the concepts of modelling, the UI (or cost if you cannot afford it) should not stand in the way. There are several successful PAs here who use Hexagon.
...just my two zł worth.