need a 3d modeling program

Post Reply New Topic

I have tried Blender and i am shore i would fit my needs very well but i just can't get past the god offal user interface . I tried TrueSpace and liked it very much but it is no longer receiving support/updates . And i have used Google sketchup for quite some time but it just dose not have the functionality/versatility that i need. So basically what i need is a free (don't really care if it open source) 3d modeling program with graphics that are as good or better than TrueSapce, and won't take half a year to learn to use. And if it can't be free that as close to that as possible. ty for any suggestions.

Blender is good, just complicated. I was in drafting classes for 3 years, so I have experience with several different programs. None are free. Most of what I used were Autodesk programs, many of which are available to students for free trials. There is doga, which was used to make ships for a game I play, but simple and rather annoying, and also the page its on is in Japanese. I do remember seeing free/cheap programs here and there, but it's hard to tell how good they are.

Keep in mind that there is more than one kind of 3d modeling software - some are meant for high-quality animations, like Autodesk Maya, and some are for various drafting purposes, ie mechanical, architectural, electrical... and some can do more than one type, if necessary.

This is from Doga.

These are from Autodesk Inventor, which I pushed to the limits: 1 2 3

Inventor is complicated to use as well as I did, but it is remarkably intuitive; primarily designed for mechanical drafting.

i don't need it for anything specific i just wont too be able to make a spaceship or a car or something that looks like what i wont it too (not a munch of sharp undetailed angles (sketchup))

"3D Studio Max 2010"

Blender is probably the best out there that's free. Suffice to say, there are plenty of ways of 'aquiring' 3ds Max

I very often consume, and only rarely promote, tutorial books.

http://www.amazon.com/Blender-Foundatio ... 0240814304

The Blender Foundations Essential Guide was a painless way for me (a noob to 3d modeling) to use Blender in a couple of weeks.

Buy it, you wont regret it.

(PS: the version on the cover of the book is for 2.6 - it was written as 2.6 was being made, but it had its name changed to 2.5something. It is very recent though, and covers the recent overhaul to the UI)

The community driven noob to pro guide is pretty good, definitely should be on your list of resources, but there are places where it is incomplete (IIRC). If saving money is a principle concern (Im guessing thats a big yes) then yes, try the noob to pro guide - hey, it is free, and what do you have to loose? Just your time.

Personally, I prefer having a physical book on hand when working with something on the computer.. something about it helps my brain process it differently(better) than if the same material was an ALT TAB away.

(If you happen to need Blender for just renders/animations of Landscapes, try Terragen2)

When it comes to learning things that have to do with computers i prefer too read digital documents. But when when i am learning something that involves the physical world i prefer a physical document.

How about Moray?

http://www.povray.org/download/

Its a free 3d modeler used in conjunction with Pov-Ray, which is a free ray-tracing program.

It might not be up to the standards of some of the Autodesk products etc., and is really more useful for rendering still images as opposed to animation, but.... ITS FREE!! !!

I like wings3D and its free.