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Which software combination will work for me

ZBrush Usage Questions
#21

I know where you’re coming from. It’s worth the investment in time and $ to get a good modeler though. Now that doesn’t mean take the plunge on modo if you can’t afford it. That means find a good modeler that you can swing, and save up for the next step.

You could work with a free modeler, like Wings 3d or Blender, while saving up for something like modo. That or get a lower cost one like Silo. Now I only have experience with modo, so that’s all I can comment on, but I do hear good things about those others.

You just gotta decide if you need that awesome renderer and toolset or not. If you can get by with a different renderer or by doing render passes in ZBrush (which outputs nice results), then all you really need is a way to model hard surface shapes. That can be cheap, free, or even done in ZBrush sometimes!

The downside to ZBrush rendering is doing things that require true light physics, like glass, shadow casting, volumetrics, subsurface scattering, hair/fur, particles… modo is even lacking in particles (smoke, fire, etc.), fluid simulation, and a true hair system. However, the fur and the way the materials react with the light is brilliant. It’s quite a step up from ZB rendering.

I also suggest considering how “loose” of art you’re wanting to produce. The more photo real, the more you need a good render engine. The more loose and freehanded, the more you can just draw that stuff in. I find myself somewhere between. I like realism, but it has to have that freehand or it’s too perfect for my taste. Remember this gives you a lot of slack on the science behind 3d rendering. Play it to your advantage.

In addition to ZBrush, modo, and Photoshop, I also use Corel Painter 11 often. It’s choppy as hell compared to PS, but has a ton of good tools and uses. I also just added 3d Coat and Groboto to the arsenal. Both are very cool. While they’re also quite handy, the main ones are ZBrush, modo, and Photoshop.

In the long run, I would definitely plan on saving up for a good package such as modo that offers the beauty shot renderer and features as well as good modeling tools. Just grabbing some modeling tools could probably get you by for now though. Art’s more dependent on the artist than the software, ya know?

#22

Just wanted to thank zber2 for your feedback. For some reason your posts didn’t appear on my system last night.

Thanks especially for the Blender feedback. Looks like I’ll be burning the midnight oil, testing Blender, Silo, Daz, Modo and Vue.

I was trying to avoid so much of a choice, but I suppose it is inevitable that what suits one may not suit another.

I just wish I was loaded, then I could go for the big boys (Maya) and never look back.

#23

lol I know what you mean. I do alot of wait and save. my last big purchase was for a wacom tablet. got an intous 4 medium. almost too big… should have got a small…

#24

Any one used Strata 3D?

The more I look the more I find. I did a search a few weeks ago. It feels like there are more and more products getting into 3d every day.

I’m going to have to stop searching and just try a few.

#25

This is driving me nuts. I just found a really good deal on Carrara 5. Anyone know anything about Carrara?

Mark

#26

The current version is Carrara 7, which is currently owned by DAZ. It has some following, but I wouldn’t seriously recommend it to anyone except maybe as rendering engine “upgrade” from DAZ Studio Advanced.

I’d take up Blender before burning up time on Carrara which lacks some the character animation tools you’re wanting to learn about. (I personally found Blender frustrating, but very rich in functionality. It feels like a work in progress, but the UI overhaul in Blender 2.5 might change my mind.)

-K

#27

I agree with Kerwin re: Carrara. I think the same goes for Bryce, Strata 3D, Truespace. They’re all about the same.
Blender can be frustrating and daunting at first, but, the trick to using Blender, and anyone who uses it extensively will tell you the same thing, is learning the keyboard shortcuts.

#28

Kerwin and zber2

Thanks for you comments. I feel like I’m actually getting somewhere. I did start teaching myself Blender and I was getting on quite well. I even purchased keyboard shortcut transfers, which I applied to a spare keyboard.

More importantly the information which goes a long way is the comment:
“Carrara. I think the same goes for Bryce, Strata 3D, Truespace. They’re all about the same.”
This information allows me to reduce the never ending list of 3D software.

My conclusion is to use what I have in my toolbox: Blender, Poser, ZBrush, UVMapper and Photoshop. I have downloaded Vue Pioneer and might have a play when I get a chance.

I’d just like to say thanks to everyone who got involved in this thread. It has allowed me to move on and get on with the important stuff - WORK.

Thanks again
Mark

#29

Glad to see your under way Mark. Here is a link that can get you started in Blender. It has a lot of good video tutorials.

Blender 3D Design Course