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08/22/2007
Adventures in Software
A huge post this, but it's been a long adventure, and still not fully over.
Over the last year or so I've been putting together a spec for a new PC, which I now have, for the sole purpose of following my hobby in 3D artwork. If you think of the creation of this artwork as a process, then I'll explain the choices I've made and not made. Now I know there will be a lot of disagreement to my choices, but at least you'll see how I got there.
OK, so I bought the PC and straight away I bought a standalone programme called Groboto: Groboto
It costs $79 but I got $20 off just for downloading a voucher. If you have a 64bit system you'll need a couple of extra bits to get it to work:
First you'll need SP2: SP2
Then a small programme called Net 2.0: Net 2
Install those and it will work fine. It's a crazy little programme that makes geometric patterns with little "bots". There's some video tutorials that I followed and after that it's pretty straightforward. It really is a lovely programme for art, and the geometry can also be exported into other 3D programmes.
OK, now the main starting programme for me is Poser, currently on Version 7: Poser
It's a bit of software that creates and poses people, as well as robots, dinosaurs etc. It's great fun, but I've never really got on with the programme as a complete solution. When asked what it does, I usually come up with the very tacky answer of "it's a bit like dressing up dolls, but in 3D", I know a terrible explanation, and yet not wholly off the mark. The fact you can get some photo realistic images does'nt change that.
For rendering and compositing, until now I've used Bryce: Bryce
Bryce 5.5 is actually free at the moment for download. I'm on 6, but feeling the limitations a bit. Dont get me wrong, Bryce is a wonderful little package and responsible for me getting into this hobby in the first place back in the early 90's. Lately though I've wanted to take my renders to a new level (Brycers will argue that it can handle what I want) but I'm carrying on with my conviction. I've spent a lot of time researching and demo-ing, and just about finished my expedition for a replacement. So the question was now....which package to assemble and render in?
I'll just branch off here (no pun intended), to say I also downloaded the free Ivy generator programme from Thomas Luft: Ivy Generator
All you do is import an object and get ivy to grow on it. The export only saves the ivy, so you need to somehow put the object and ivy back together. I found that to place the Ivy and object together after the ivy creation was best done in the also free Daz studio, and then re-save the combined object: Daz Studio
Right, back on track... When I bought Poser, I managed to get it in a bundle deal with Vue 5: Vue
Now a lot of people do some wonderful images in Vue, but I have to say I found it a bit tricky. It has some fantastic features though, it can generate an eco-system of sorts of plants, cars, anything really. The demo shows a road being populated by cars in seconds, the same can be done with a mountain and trees! I've kept it on my system, but I was'nt comfortable with it being the final word...so I carried on looking.
I then got a lot of favourable comments about Carrara: Carrara
So, I downloaded the demo, it's very impressive, but when I looked at the Carrara gallery at Renderosity I was a bit skeptical: Renderosity
In my opinion it seemed only a few people seemed to be getting really good results from it. This makes me worry it's harder to learn than it looks. What is nice about it is that it has a Bryce type feel to it mixed with a bit of Vue. It's not that difficult to pick up, could probably stand being learned by experimentation, like Bryce, but... I kept looking. I then tried downloading the free Maya PLE: Maya
This now takes me into the realm of the "big boys", which could also be translated as "money, money, money" I followed the built in video tutorials and felt slightly more confident of attempting to learn one of the "higher end" packages. I'd tried Studio Max a few years ago, and did'nt get on with it, even with my "Book for Dummies", it was just so different from what I was used to at the time, so I never really considered this much loved application seriously.
Anyway, I ordered Carrara 5, mainly because I got it second hand for a song (I think most users are anticipating version 6), but felt uneasy almost immidiatley afterwards. I know, talk about being a wimp! Anyway, my wife, who is my greatest supporter, said if I'd spent so much money on my new system I should get the best software to produce it. So, at this moment in time, Carrara is yet to arrive, and I've not gone with Maya, but with Cinema 4D: Cinema 4D
All it took was a glimpse again at the Renderosity gallery for this product to make me think this was the one.
I chose this software also, because I got a little bit further with the demo than I expected, and also because there is some software that can bridge the gap from poser to C4D in much the same way as Vue can handle Poser files. Interposer: Interposer
It costs $150 (not bought it yet) and can create, pose and texture Poser models straight within Cinema 4D. Also, because I'd made a bit of money selling some models, I also bought Maxwell Render: Maxwell Render
I've heard a lot about it, and seen some nice renders with it, and I'm hoping it will be pretty easy to use. (Not arrived yet). I think it will just open up a scene from C4D and render it with it's powers.
Other than that, I'd also read a lot about ZBrush 3 after starting a subscription to 3D World: ZBrush
So I ordered that too. It sounds like a 3D sculpting tool, in much the same way that I sculpt for real with Super Sculpey, so if there's a chance to make my own 3D busts etc I'll give it a go. What a spending spree! It's pretty daunting too, as I have a lot of software to learn and a huge investment to make work.
Last but not least, I've just got Terragen: Terragen
It's a free programme that a $99 registration fee can fully unlock. I looked at both this landscape generator and the well respected GeoControl: GeoControl
But I got on a lot better with Terragen so picked that one. I liked it over geo due to the ability to place the camera anywhere within the scene and, hoping the unlock works, render photo quality images from the software. There's also a list of plug-ins on the site to take it into other programmes, again, including C4D.
And now the final part of the process, post production. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator: Photoshop
Available as part of the CS suite and again on order. This can make corrections to colour channels and curves, add effects and resize artwork. Illustrator can add some lovely vectorisation to your images. I use them at work every day on the Mac and they are indispensible. Adding backgrounds, effects, also, if there's something that you just CAN'T get right in a pose or render, then Photoshop can usually sort it out too with a little trickery.
So when it's all arrived I have the tall order of learning it all and making it work. Some I know allready, some I've never tried in my life (currently no available demo of ZBrush!) I hope to have something good to show for this huge investment (thankyou Standard Life shares!!!), if I can't keep an eye out in the free ads (joke).
Plans for the future? Well, I still have Interposer to buy, but when I'm finally in a state to start spending again I've also been looking at Wacoms range of Graphics tablets: Wacom
And maybe I'll intergrate my own brushstrokes into my work.
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