Thanks Modulok, I'll check them out in my travels. ScottA

Sweet!

Scott, Hi and how are you. I've just recently started lurking the modeling forum in hopes to pick up a tip or two. I'm a trueSpace user. Who laughed? Hey, I also have Lightwave. But I enjoy tS more. But that is not the point of this discussion is it. "If I create a simple ball prop. I should be able to render it so it looks like a real Ball without any textures applied to it. " There is no program that lets you hit a button to render a simple sphere photo-real. As been stated textures and lighting are key here. If you know your way around 3d and getting all these calls because of your talent then you should be fully aware of this. "I have tried every thing from Maya to 3dwings. And everything in between." I checked out your gallery and since May of 2000 you have posted one Bryce image and the rest are Poser. Don't bother checking my gallery for it would stink it up. I'm just pointing that out. I actually like the one with the pups alot. I'm not saying you haven't tried the other programs either. "Who said it's secret software? Not me. I said "Special". I was just asking what the studios use" In the begining you posted..... "Who is hiding the secret to creating a truly realistic rendering engine?" You don't seem to care for anyone's answer as to what the studios use. I believe if you research the company websites they'll have employment opportunities listed and what software is used. That should answer everything for you. "I know It exists. I've seen the results in lower budget work such as "Walking with Dinosaurs"." If they are on a budget I doubt they are using a expensive secret. Probably Lightwave or Max. Again, researching the company that did the animation will answer this as well. Now comes my uneducated and very novice thoughts. From my reading of 3d it is stated that in order of importance for any 3d image/animation is 1)Lighting 2)textures 3)modeling That vase image by agentsmith is proof to that. An amazing image. From what little I understand of Maya is that the Mental Ray render is programmable. If I'm wrong about this, please, someone inform me. If that is so then perhaps that is where the secret lies. A smart programmer. I doubt that anything I've written will convince you or anyone else for that matter. I wish I could understand your resistance. I hope your travels are succesful but do be more open minded. I do understand where you are coming from. On the Shrek DVD they state that they used only 10% off the shelf programs and the rest they programmed. Also, Messiah was a in house only animation tool for awhile. I'm sure that there are alot of in house tools to help ILM animatior/texture artist/etc. jobs easier than yours or mine. But with effort and a good 3d program, anything can be acomplished. And don't take offense to anything I've posted here. It is not to be that way. I hope I've been of some help. Vincent

"If that is so then perhaps that is where the secret lies. A smart programmer." Actually, come to think of it, there's a good bit of truth to this. The best renderer I know made his own tools, as have many companies I can think of. I think the advantage is that they're highly specialized for what they wanna do (like SPIRIT), and thus are naturally better at what they're good at than an all-purpose prog (like MAX or LightWave, or much of anything else). Also, they generally aren't what you'd call user-friendly, from what I surmise, since the only people using them are the ones who already know 'em literally from the inside out, but hey. However, there are just as many companies and individuals that use MAX, etc. as make their own software, and they're about as good. Maybe can't do quite as fancy stuff (particles on some of the custom jobs are unreal in particular), but then again, they don't have to program either.

Ok this was a good topic! Thanks for posting it scott ! many good opinions were posted and side topics arouse unfortanetly Im going to lock it down before it heads south any further! feed back on a thread like this at any fourm is a great thing, so i hope you did find something in it of use to you as the poster and to those who offered help thanks ! "I'll never make the mistake of posting in this forum again. So please just let me leave already." As to not posting in the forum anymore scott your input and post are as welcome as anyones I hope that you reconsider Im sure you have alot of positive input to add and there are many in the post that had good intentions! i think irratation sometimes can occur in situations like these anyway thanks to scott and all who contributed to this thread unrelated but i read this just a moment before posting its a great inspiration thought id share ! [IF] If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master, If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son! --Rudyard Kipling