The Best Modelling Program for a Beginner

Posts

• Pulse0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #2

  Justice, I have used many platforms, since I am a 3d game modeler I will tell you what I think, but its just my opinion! There are many 3d platforms out there, some very complex and some with lots of potential! My advice would be to start with what you know and go from there! 3dsmax is what I use, but the learning curve is not to bad, since you have prior experience in Autocad! Also Cinema 4d is a popular choice, since its so well set up for the a novice, jumping in and pulling something out is pretty easy!
  I don't use Blender 3d but I hear it's quite excellent and it's free.
  
  Best advice is read up on these and there are others like Lightwave and Maya as well.
  
  The best I couldn't tell you but a great place to start is a freebee program called Wings3d and google sketchup! I hope that helped!
• spudmonkey0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #3

  Most 3d apps have trial versions and as Pulse says there are lots of free ones. The best thing to do is to try different products and see which one you like, assuming it fits in with your price range of course!
• [Deleted User]2 Posts: 3Member

  March 2009 #4

  Pulse wrote: »

  Justice, I have used many platforms, since I am a 3d game modeler I will tell you what I think, but its just my opinion! There are many 3d platforms out there, some very complex and some with lots of potential! My advice would be to start with what you know and go from there! 3dsmax is what I use, but the learning curve is not to bad, since you have prior experience in Autocad! Also Cinema 4d is a popular choice, since its so well set up for the a novice, jumping in and pulling something out is pretty easy!
  I don't use Blender 3d but I hear it's quite excellent and it's free.
  
  Best advice is read up on these and there are others like Lightwave and Maya as well.
  
  The best I couldn't tell you but a great place to start is a freebee program called Wings3d and google sketchup! I hope that helped!

  
  If experience in AutoCAD will help me with 3ds Max then I think ill try a trial of that first (that is, when I get a good PC of course). Ill try some the others too.
  

  spudmonkey wrote: »

  Most 3d apps have trial versions and as Pulse says there are lots of free ones. The best thing to do is to try different products and see which one you like, assuming it fits in with your price range of course!

  Is the trial period long enough to get a good feel of the programs in your opinion??
  
  Any other opinions out there??
• spudmonkey0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #5

  Most trials are 30 days, so it's probably best to try a couple of free ones first to get to grips with how 3d apps work so that when you try a trial version you can get more out of it
• Silverblade-T-E0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #6

  There is no such thing as a "best" app, only what YOU enjoy using; what you can AFFORD; what can actually make what YOU want.
  
  did a tutorial on this while ago, digital art in general, rather than modelling specific:
  Tutorials: Starting Into Digital Art
  
  There are tons of modelling apps to try!
  Silo; Lightwave (kind of expensive); Maya (VERY expensive); 3DMAX (very expensive); Moment of Inspiration; Rhino (expensive unless get educational version); XSI (somewhat to very expensive); Zbrush (organics and texturing); Mudbox (organics); 3DCoat (organics and texturing); WIngs3D (free polygonal modeller); Curvy (very odd but interesting NURBs modeller that lets you build from sketching on your PC)
  
  etc etc!! there's tons of such apps.
  
  What you need ot understand is there's 3 basic ways to model: polygonal extrusion; NURBS and "sculpting".
  You need ot understand, and get ot grips with the basics of them, before you should spend a lot of money and time on an app.
  
  Polygonal modelling, you take an object, like a cube, add more facets (faces) where you wish to pull bits out into mor shapes etc etc , and you cna smooth the resulting object, that's a common modelling style.
  
  NURBS uses curves to describe things, now that's how I think about modelling, from blueprints. You extrude or loft curves ot build objects, like an aircraft fuselage.
  
  Sculpting, used mostly for organic modleling, you use brushes and tools to sculpt like clay, they often do texture painting as well, like Zbrush. Can do awesome work in such areas.
• Schimpfy396 Posts: 1,632Member

  March 2009 #7

  

  I went from AutoCAD to Max and I'll tell you that, personally, the switch was easy compared to what I had to deal with with other programs. I tried Maya, C4D, Wings3D, Blender, etc. The learning curve is much easier with Max, though.
• Jayru1466 UKPosts: 771Member

  March 2009 #8

  

  I started out with Milkshape 3D and then jumped into using Max. I found that Max was the easier of the two products to use, although Milkshape is still pretty handy for bashing up something low poly. I also found it gave me a pretty good start in the ways and whys of creating stuff in 3D. But, as has been pointed out: 3D Max is expensive :-/

  The watcher in the tower... Waiting, hour by hour...
  - Mike Oldfield
• L2K0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #9

  3D Max is expensive
  
  yes and no...
  
  max commercial license is about 3000€
  but, if you dont actually SELL things you have done with it, feel free to use an educational version. i think theyre about 150€
  
  education versions are not just for schools but for everyone who just want to play
  
  maya personal learning edition is good too. its free, and its basicly an old version of the soft with some advanced features removed.
• [Deleted User]2 Posts: 3Member

  March 2009 #10

  Thanks for all the advice. As soon as I get my hands on a decent PC, Ill start trying out some of your suggestions.
• Ywander0 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #11

  One more thing you should check out is Google's Sketchup. It's ridiculously easy to create easy to medium-difficulty models and there is much support over at Google's website. You can even make simple animations and they now have a Sketchy Physics that allow you to make interactive 3D models.
  
  Drawbacks are rendering that approaches a kind of cellshading look at best(but there are good plugins available) and high-detailed models can make the program unstable and/or slow.
  
  Best of all, it's totally free! (although you'll need the paid version to export high res images/animations)
• Melak332 Posts: 0Member

  March 2009 #12

  

  3ds is a good app, as is LightWave, Softimage, Blender, Sketchup...
  As you're 17 you can probably get the "Edu" versions of the apps, which will make them a LOT cheaper no matter which one you choose, of course there are also free ones.
  
  So try a couple of them, maybe try to apply a couple tutorials for each program and see what works for you.
• [Deleted User]2 Posts: 3Member

  March 2009 #13

  I have actually been looking at some 'edu' versions of 3ds specifically. I'll make it a point to look into others. The main reason I'm inclined to 3ds is becasue I know AutoCad, and since they're simlar, I just think it has the most potential for me. I also love the work it produces!! Other free apps are an option though, especially since cash is tight....