I always pass it up at computer shows all the time.
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Jim Adams
Co-Designer 'The Light Befallen'
tcm@pobox.com
http://www.lightbefallen.com
Anything else besides 3DSMax?
I believe you can pick up Poser and Truespace packaged for like $200-300US.
I always pass it up at computer shows all the time.
I always pass it up at computer shows all the time.
Author
Jim,
Thanks for the reply, I assume these packages are able to export in 3DS format? Also, are they intuitive, I'm a programmer and I do not have a single creative mind cell. I need something fairly easy to use, because I would just like to see how easy it would be to implement a 3D enviorment in a game program as opposed to 2D, which I do now.
Thanks in advance.
__Well, since you're a programmer I'd suggest trueSpace. It supports a multimedia authoring language called Python (which is free.) Also, I've found it significantly easier to start modeling in trueSpace, though the menu layout is a bit funky.
Author
Sonic,
Thanks for the reply. It looks as if I'm going to go with Truespace 4 (just went to their website, and the features look really good) Now are there any tools you, or anyone else recommend, for modeling. Like pen tablets, specials mouses, etc...(anything except 3D scanners which is way out of my price range) Or is all the modeling done in these type of programs straight through the UI with ordinary mouse and keyboard.
Some of the models I see out there such as in Quake 2, Unreal, Unreal tournament, Half-life, are fantastic, and I would just like to know if they where all done just using a keyboard and mouse. Because that is some talent!
I'll go ahead and post this message in the 3D creation forum as well.
I only use a mouse and a keyboard.
I own trueSpace3 and haven't had any problems though I use a drawingboard for creating the textures.
I own trueSpace3 and haven't had any problems though I use a drawingboard for creating the textures.
A hint for you that just beginns with 3D, once you are sure of the package you are going to use (by budget or choice), take a look at all the shortkeys, ie for creating primitives and do repetetive things like boolean.
And don't make the same assumtion that I did when I started out with 3D, DON'T MODEL if textures can be used instead! Always add details with standard texture and bumpmapping. Even use displacement map if that exists (not in tS) rather than boolean!
Proggs for creation of MD2 models, BSP, textures etc, just brows in on: http://hem1.passagen.se/mcp/index.htm
and select Links page.
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U.G.M.S. [year2000]
Hi!
Im starting with 3D too and I was wondering if in true space you can model human-like figures. I got Moray and Bryce 3D but they dont allow you to make easily that kind of models...
Thanks in advance!
in response to habus:
_ trueSpace 4 includes bones which makes it really easy to models people. That's becuase all the muscle and skin flexes are computed by tS. Admitingly, I haven't used it to much yet (spaceships don't have muscles, usually.)
_ Poser is specifically made for human modeling, but making your own "people" is rather tricky. Also, the types of files to export to is not very broad. Given the choice between the two, I would go with tS becuase I can further with it than Poser.
_ On top of that I've (unfortunately) created a situation where I had to compare the two. It took me 2 1/2 hours to create pose one model in Poser 3, but only an hour to make a basic human form and pose it exactly they way I wanted to using tS 2.
_ Poser does have one benefit that tS will never have: Included professional models. With ver. 3 and up they even include hair (even though it looks like Ken's or Barbie's) and clothes.
_ trueSpace 4 includes bones which makes it really easy to models people. That's becuase all the muscle and skin flexes are computed by tS. Admitingly, I haven't used it to much yet (spaceships don't have muscles, usually.)
_ Poser is specifically made for human modeling, but making your own "people" is rather tricky. Also, the types of files to export to is not very broad. Given the choice between the two, I would go with tS becuase I can further with it than Poser.
_ On top of that I've (unfortunately) created a situation where I had to compare the two. It took me 2 1/2 hours to create pose one model in Poser 3, but only an hour to make a basic human form and pose it exactly they way I wanted to using tS 2.
_ Poser does have one benefit that tS will never have: Included professional models. With ver. 3 and up they even include hair (even though it looks like Ken's or Barbie's) and clothes.
in response to BlindSpot:
_ tS 4 includes something they call "displacement mapping" in their textures. I don't know if it is true displacement mapping, becuase it looks like bump mapping, but it isn't bump mapping either. (?) Exactly what is displacement mapping.
[This message has been edited by SonicSilcion (edited October 27, 1999).]
Author
I tried several searches but maybe I'm just not generating the right queries, but my question is what do you recommend to use besides 3DSMax? (for us still in the garage developers)
Are there any 3D animation programs out there that are feature rich, but yet budget conscious?
Thanks in advance.
in response to SonicSilicon:
It does?
Ok, I'd better download the demo and take a look at tS4. I've seen the NURBS and got a bit boored that it's like LightWave NURBS that don't use actual splines to build the surface with, like Rhino, Maya and such.
Caligari introduced Metaballs in tS3 (which I currently use) and that was what I needed at the time.
Displacement mapping however would be an interesting feature, since that means that unlike a bumpmap it actually deforms the object, just like the cool feature in Bryce that creates mountains! tS has used a 'deform mesh' (or what ever) for that in tS3, which often just made a mess with my models.
But hey, it's cheap compared to other 3D programs, and really easy to use!
I could btw need a hint on the Bryce textures, I've parsed the manual and still can't find out how to import own textures... Feel free to mail me if any ones' a Guru on that.
This topic is closed to new replies.
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