This topic has come many times before, but I could not find a specific answer to my problem, so I thought I could ask more specific things. I'd like to make some models to make clothes and props in Poser. I'd like to do some "organic" style of machinery, with lots of curves and "pseudo-biological shape". Obviously, I'll need it to export in obj format. I haven't got much time to model, being just a hobbyist, so I'd need something easy to learn at first, with a user-friendly interface (and I know full well that I won't ever reach the summits we regularly see here, so "top of the art" features are not a priority). Simple, basic, tutorials with a step-by-step procedure for the first few things would be great. Here are the programs that I have downloaded or found free in some art magazines : Cinema 4D 6 CE, MAYA PLE 5 (but I don't think it can export obj with the PLE limitations), Lightwave 7 (whose interface seems very obscure to me), Truespace v5 (whose interface is really strange and who cannot seem to export in obj format), ZBrush v 1.23 (who looks to me totally alien : I couldn't even figure how to export a 3ds or obj format), Animator, Wings 3D (whose interface looks spartan to me). So, given all this , which app from the above would you advise me to delve in ? Thanks in advance for your opinion.

If it helps any Truespace can export in OBJ with the free LUUV plugin. Go to the Renderosity Truespace forum and click the link in the forum header.

Where'd you find Lightwave for free? Is that a close-to-demo version like Maya PLE? Cinema 4D is in my opinion rather easy to learn and handles basic poly modeling very well. I keep hearing very good things about Wings3D but haven't used it myself yet.

Wings3d (free) is what alot of professionals and regular folk alike are switching to. It is expecially recommended for beginners looking to learn with some nifty tools. Wings strength is it is one of the best polygon modelers with a choice of settings. Lightwave is great if your favorite thing is learning hotkeys and installing plugins. hehe Lightwave is a great program for reworking previous projects while preserving things like UV Mapping or morphs. Zbrush is great for organics and morphs but the putty thing only goes so far without insane resolution. I really like the deformers and ability to scult your base into a truely refined finished project. All you need to really make anything is Wings3D UV Mapper Paint program I also use Lightwave too but use no one program exclusively.

I'm with Phoenixrising here. . .Wings is perfectly fine, and while I've never made much with ZBrush, those who are good at it do amazing things. I'd cast a vote for Rhino, especially if Nurbs are your thing. . .its very smart and well designed, and much more robust than most Windoze programs (I work in 3D Studio a lot, because I know it and it works for me . . .but it crashes fairly regularly, while Rhino is significantly more stable)

Okay this is interesting to me also, I have so far only made one model, a set of wings (that stunk I might add lol) I used Bryce 5. There are tons of easy to follow tutorials for it, but I haven't had the time or patience as of yet to retry my wings. I haven't seen the wings3d one, but think I will look into it if it's easier....

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?Form.ShowMessage=1514794

I was in the same boat as you but for a different reason. P5 drove me to start looking elsewhere. I did my research and I'd have to say Lightwave (or Modo from luxology.net.. when it is released. Modo has an interface that can be made to look like any of the major packages + They are the original guys that worked on lightwave). Don't let the LW interface scare you (heh It scared all of us but its actually really easy and you can completely change it if you want. Lightwave gives you eveything - volumetrics,cloth,particles,hypervoxles,fur,skies, polygon modling, spline modling, subd (nurbs).... its huge. If poser is your focus, keep in mind that DAZ uses lightwave as it modeler. Post a message over on the LW forum and get more opinions. Moebius (our moderator for LW) is really good and has many contacts with people that use all the highend stuff. I haven't been using LW that long and I am already making props for poser....

Check this out... I am working on this for tonymouse

well, I like Wings, and the price is right. Cinema 4d seems to have some similarities with Bryce, haven't even begun to explore that one. Lightwave looks pretty good, though the version I have is a 30-day demo..400 point limit, not sure if it had save or export (2 things that I'd rather not do without..;)
I'd say go through the galleries 1 by 1, and see what you like. Sorting them that way, you get an idea of what works for you (that's how I got started on Bryce in the first place).
I understand Xfrog is sort of a organic modeller, might be worth a look.

While I have Cinema4D R8,and Rhino3,I just like to build in Wings and take that lite mesh into ZBrush for detailing and shapeing. Wings is simple,but VERY good. I tried the demo of a program,I've heard very little about called Silo (only cost $99.00 if you decide to buy). It is very much like Wings,but with more features..like bolean operations,poly by poly type work,and handeled large meshes without a wimper(something Wings doesn't do). It seemed like a great modeler,but like I said,I never hear it mentioned by anyone...so maybe I missed something about it before the trial ended. Happy extrudeing,SWAMP

Silo's very new and trying to break into the market - while I haven't tried it myself, the price is very good. I use Cinema 4d now, which works really well for me. I used to use Wings3d and still keep my version up-to-date. Wings is very easy to use and many of the pros (I'm definitely not one!) use it.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Amapi. I'm learning version 7 and liking it. You can also get version 4 or 5 for free.

Silo is actually pretty good. It still lacks some features found in Wings3D but the reverse is also true. It's worth considering that Wings3D is a couple of years old now but Silo is only a couple of months or so. In that short time there have been at least 2 upgrades adding features and stability with more on the way. The two programs work well together.

Here's a sample cartoon elephant I did in Silo. It won't win any awards but it's not too shabby considering that it only took about 20 minutes and I'm still a pathetic modeler.

• Jack

Attached Link: http://www.electricimage.com

Organic? best organic modeler is Amorphium. You can get it on ebay or the new amorphium 3 at www.electricimage.com

Attached Link: http://www21.ocn.ne.jp/~mizno/main_e.html

also, metasequoia has a great metaball toolset. The freeware used to export in obj and I see he has a new version up so I hope that is the same. You can always convert to obj with Crossroads no matter what app you use. http://home.europa.com/~keithr/Crossroads/index.html Also, if you convert, you will want to attach a uvmap to the obj. www.uvmapper.com will do that for you. (so will metasequoia and I think Amorphium)

Well you said hobbiest so that points in some direction. MayaPLE and Lightwave discovery are both limited versions of the full blown applications so becareful. limits to modeling points render sizes watermarks etc. They are really geared to let you use the tools learn and then purchase ultimately the full applications which lightwave is about $1200 and Maya around $1800. One of the recent 3d magazines had Carrara on the CD full application. while Carrara version on the CD is the buggy one, it's interface is similar to bryce and poser and might get you started quicker just playing around. Wing3D is a very robust modeler and quite impressive for a FREE application, I know a lot of lightwave, max and posers users that do their modeling in that application. Remember as you are playing with all these demos and trying them out that there is a price tag and that particular program that you fall in love with may very well be over $1000. Nothing like loving a Mercedes, but can you really afford one haha.

i have Carrara 2.1 and AMAPI 3D....but i really havent used them to any extent cause modelling is very time consuming.... the only reason i bought Carrara is because of its render engines....and plus it came with a modeller...

Wow ! That's a good deal of expert opinions ! Thanks folks. After reading this, it appears that LightWave and Maya are out of the question for financial reasons, just as Rhino. I'll have a try at Wings 3D and Cinema 4D. What I would like is something to make some kind of scultpure : you take a sphere, shape it into a helmet, then carve a cylinder in it to make a plug socket, etc... I could do it in Bryce, with booleans, but it would not export as an obj. I also just read good review of Blender, a free 3D, open source, modeller. Has anyone got any experience with it ? Thanks for your help everyone.

Attached Link: WeirdJuice: Drops

Or, if your're using Poser4ProPack or Poser 5 on Windows how about Drops, which is free and not only allows you to model with metaballs in Poser, but also animate them as fluid motion too. Cheryl

I am shocked that no one has yet mentioned Anim8tor...not only is this free but it's also very easy to learn. Give it a go, you won't be disapointed...then after you've mastered it try something else, I found it a hell of a lot easier to understand Cinema 4D after leaning Anim8tor. Laters

I've got anim8tor, hadn't thought about the connection with C4d. Anim8tor's got a lot of primitives, haven't got the hang of it yet, but it's a single file, and even fits on a 1.44, which could be handy..;)

Attached Link: http://mr2k.3dvf.com/tutorials/max/tutorials_joan.htm

If you go with Anim8or ( and maybe even if you don't ) the link is to one of the best subdivision modelling tutorials I've ever seen. ( not that I've seen them all or anything :D ), moreso now that Anim8or has a knife tool.

It's in French but if you Google on "Joan of Arc tutorial" you can get a translation. It was initially written for 3DS Max but adapts well to Anim8or until you get to the head, where it's only a little less convenient, since Anim8or doesn't support edge extrusion. You'll need to get acquainted with the 'edge-at-a-time' face building technques. Beyond that you can probably get more help in the modellers forum as you get started.

Thanks Batronyx. Since I'm french, it will be perfect.