I'd like to see what kind of ideas us users here can generate. I realized we all work in different ways, and most of us don't try to use Carrara for everything (nor think there is such a thing as a "does all things well" application). I'd also like to avoid asking for the moon and the stars. A full-function NURBs modeller would be cool but I doubt that is plausible for Carrara's next iteration. That said, I'll toss some of mine on the table. I've been working in vertex modeller mostly, so... Keyboard "nudge" (not the present "go over and click the arrow" nudge). Ability to "freeze" or "lock out" part of a mesh to prevent accidental changes (all those who have tried fitting to an imported Poser figure will know what this one is all about). Ability to color-code groups within the modeller. Thoughts?

Another vote for keyboard "nudge". Click on a object name and you go to the objects Ability to customize keyboard shortcuts. Electric pencel shapener The list of wishes should be sent to Eovia.

I thought you COULD click on name to go to an object. I forgot entirely...above and beyond all the others...more options in tesselation than SubD's. I've noticed that subdivision surfaces is the only tesselation option that creates curves across the original facet. All the others make a flat but subdivided facet. Unfortunately, there is only one smoothing algorithm used in subdivision surfaces and it isn't always the right one. Not to mention it creates tris, which can be ugly to work with later.

A smarter metaballs modeler. It would be really nice to be able to type in the coords of the center of a selected metaball (and to see it's current coords). The metaball modeler could be much more powerful if a person could just get their head around the stuff in there a lot tighter. A whole NEW set of tools for atmosphere and landscape generation. The stuff that's in the code now is VERY clumsy and doesn't work at all. This would include a whole new cloud system. Lots of other codes do great clouds. We need better clouds. Smarter and more powerful particle generator (collision detection, more flexible, etc.). More controls available concerning the amount "light" generated by glowing objects when using the GI rendering engine. A translucency channel. Formal, blurry reflections. Motion paths that work. The current motion paths are extremely choppy and temperamental. I would really LOVE better motion paths. This is probably my biggest want of all the wants. PLEASE!!!!!!!!! That's what I can think of off the top of my head. -Kix

same what kixum wants + a diffusion channel in the shader room.more options for animation,a good control of ik and fk blending.something like Carrara Studio Script,it should be easy to use like actionscript(as a example,max has maxscript and maya has mel).cloth dynamics+soft body dynamics+bone dynamics.

Hmm. Me, I'd like to see the glow functions consolidated in one place, as well as the glare. I lose track of how many different windows and sub-menus I have to go into to set up a glow properly. And agree with Kixum that the sky needs a lot of work -- although I've seen some nice stuff done with volumetric clouds. The thing that really annoys me about the metaball modeller is the completely different interface. Not only does it throw me off stride, but that interface doesn't work very well. I'd use Metaballs a lot more often if they were presented in a room like the vertex room.

NURBS! And a feature found in Rhino, when you click in the top left of the viewport it maximaizes it. Double clicking it again will put you back to 4 view mode.. And you can resize the individual viewports and create new ones for custom views. I know many will (strongly) disagree with this suggestion.. Move away from the candy KPT interface.. I know it's beautiful and really cool looking, but it subtracts form functionality for being so candy..Make it more like a standard interface, so you can have more tools at your fingertips, without so much clicking to get there. I know some hate it, but Rhino's interface is the perfect 3D workspace. Once you get used to it, it's much faster and productive.. And it applies to other major packages as well..Just my opinions...

A simple thing that I would like to see is the ability to create a smoothed edge in the vertex modeler in only two dimensions rather than in all three. This would allow a rounded corner in say the x,z plane yet a sharp edge in the x,y plane.

gavotte has a good point. I would like to see the ability to do chamfers and fillets on an edge and set its scale in vertex. Its not a CAD program but real world objects use them. It would save a lot of time over having to model it in the object. I would also truly like to see better effects system to keep me out of after effects. Can I say that? The fire effect hasnt changed from Carrara 0 and is.., wellnot very useful, real enough. I would like to see a better flame. Clouds and fog have always been great but like the flame, need a faster and smother rendering to them. A few more shapes added like a tapered directional cone, cylinder and cube (with controls for taper) would be nice. I would like to see unused shaders and objects removed automatically form a project when saved or an option added to the menu when saving. Transposer!! All the work on moving Poser 5 hair is lost. Please!! <<<<. I would also like to see an auto grouping of the poser objects after importing into Carrara. Mimic works after bringing the animation into premier for timing but can Carrara be trained for audio? Uh oh I said too much. Thank you!! And keep the programs evolving!

I agree with Kaom.. I love the software but have never been a fan of the 'cutesy' GUI. Functionality is waaaay more important than form when it comes to the interface.

Koam, Rhino is real nice software but. Carrara needs to improve its interferes for advanced modeling users. I kinda get tired of limitations in it. I rather not to play around with Rhino because I am not up to learn other softwares. ZBrush is awesome just like Rhino but it was pain in the ass to re-learn its own curves. My wish list for Carrara is improve symmeterical and movement coordination with mouse on polygons like Zbrush.

how about a manual that doesn't jump around in circles!!! LOL

they should basicly just ditch thier manual and use the Crrara Studio handbook from De La Flor :)

Metaballs could be MUCH better or just plain replaced by Nurbs?

The interface I find easy.. (though I'm kinda biased because I have used a lot of programs with the Kia/Metacreations candy look) Some people don't realize that you can move just about anything in the interface.. placing it anywhere on your screen(s) I hate interfaces that "Lock" menus/palettes to the top and left of the working image. I use two monitor and being left handed I have things kinda backwards for most people making my work flow faster...for me..... not to many other programs let you do that. But everyone is diff.

I do agree that they could down grade all the cutsies to save processor/video usage.?

Message edited on: 06/14/2004 18:22

Carrara needs MUCH better modeling tools, better metaballs, better atmospheres, better particle effects, better fire, a cleaner more streamlined interface (the cute has gotta go) and industry standard XYZ coordinates.

AMEN! Did you want to add Symmeterical and mirroring mouse pointers coordinates like ZBrush to your wish list? ;) How about 'Carrara Cutie 4' for novices and 'Carrara Pro 4' for professional users? LOL

I'd like to chime in on a couple: Particles. How about some that work?! I mean, REALLY work. Object interaction, SIMPLE editing of shaders... or more complex! But just usable! Better interface. Animation. I like the 'CarraraScript' idea. How about adding graphs? Have you ever checked out Animation:Masters system? You can edit the animation on a graph of ALL features in one interface. Very hip for setting up complex animations, and allowing for automating the animation as well. Motion paths that work... hmmm... good... How about... draw a line, then set as motion path. Simple, PREDICTABLE and elegant. ALSO, the standard for other apps doing motion paths! Metaballs. I have NEVER successfully modelled anything made from metaballs. I'm sure some of that is me... but then... Vertex modeling. Lets have SOME way to do bevels and chamfers and fillets! Having to create in the spline modeler just for bevels? Come on... Locking part of your mesh. I have wanted this since 1.0, but... I'm still waiting. It should be a simple one to impliment to, I would think. Allowing you to HIDE/UNHIDE parts, that are locked! Then the things you don't want to adjust can be out of your way completly. I'm sure there's more... and I'm also sure this forum can come up with a 'Top ten' list that maybe our illustriuos moderator could forward on to Eovia for consideration. For that matter... Charles! are you lurking nearby? Are you listening? We LIKE the product... just want to see it get even better and have MORE people buy it! :)

My Predictions for Carrara 4 -New look interface more inline with Amapi Pro The reason is that the current look is quite old and although Carrara is a pro app is is often dissmissed by people due to looking a bit childish. -Rendering of Nurbs surfaces -Improved UV mapper (please) -Greatly improved SDS toolset in the vertex modeler My Wants for Carrara 4 -More control over specular highlights. The current model is quite basic and limited. A microfacet based specular shader would be great. -More control over texture rotation ie rotation of a texture uv space. -Ability to perform operations of groups of objects like apply shaders, smoothing. -Ability to rotate the GI Skydome -Better support for area lights. Things get messy unless the best render settings are used. -More control over radiosity settings like the number of bounces and finer controls over light quality. -More accessible SDK -Tabbed interface. Having indows on top of each other can get messy. -Easier assignment of bones influence

Amapi sucks!! I hate it. The symbols in it make no sense at all. I barely make any model with it. I would put your head in toilet if you convicted Eovia to put Amapi in Carrara. Spline and Vertex is the most basic modeling but it lacked some small things. Spline Modeling needs xyz coordinate planes with bezier curves on all dimensions on each sections. Vertex Modeling needs better nurbs controls and able to control the curves parameters on each regions on a model. Symmetery mouse pointers like ZBrush or Germni. Other idea for Vertex Modeling is add XYZ breazer curve controls in it like Spline Modeling. Create separate GIs on background and backdrop. Accessible to SDK seems fine to me but it need more definations how to use references.

Forgot to add one more to my wish list 'Painter 3D' in Carrara with displacement.

bluetone is right with the graphs,this would be one of the best features.i saw the animation master graph in a tutorial video about animation,nice little feature and very powerful/helpful.it gives you so much control over your animation. carrara has displacement mapping via the anything grooves plugin.amapi is the best modeling tool around on this planet and i think that the symbols are very clear. cool would be a option to use normal maps in carrara studio. i like the interface,cause i really hate grey and ugly standard interfaces.i like to place the buttons where i want them and that is very well done in carrara.okay,the interface should look a bit more pro like but still with the feeling of carrara. carrara 4 (for example) with a interface like max or maya and i would save my money for lightwave and i would never ever upgrade to 4. i never used the metaball stuff in carrara,cause i dont like to model with metaballs and when i want to do something with them then im using organica(last time when i used metaballs was at the beginning of 2003 when i started with 3d).metaballs are ugly! they could delete this metaball modeling thing and add more options for animation like the graph and other needful things,and of course better particles,particles like truespace 6.6 has.i really hate that the particles dont interact with objects like they should. cheers Dominik

i forgot to say that i dont like to make skies and atmospheres in carrara it really looks ugly and not realistic,they should make this better.im making my skies in terragen for use in carrara.

daigoro I am aware about anything groove but it only use polygons which that would eat up alot of memory space while working in modeling room or assembly room. I agree with you about the metaball that it is ugly but it could have been very useful tool if new functions are added to it. The coordination in metaball room are really bad. It need symmeterical too,

I think NURBS are a bit too much to ask but a Rhino-like interface would be awesome. A graphic display of how positions and other values change in animation. I think the current way of selecting and displaying the tweener mode is not informative enough. Also the possibility to copy tweener and data from one object to another could be handy. Rotation sucks. Values swap between XYZ unexpectedly. I once spent hours trying to get one ball to rotate correctly. Carrara has the ability disagree or forget the values I input. This is annoying. For example it has many times forgotten the constraints I've set for a bone. As many have mentioned the metaball-modeller isn't very practical. There should be the possibility to input values from the keyboard. I like the vertex modeller but it could be better: -Extrusion uses inches although the other program uses centimeters. -Duplicate with symmetry mirrors the duplicate always along Z-axis and ALWAYS way farther than I want it to. The same yellow vertex that is used in scaling and rotating could be handy here too. And the possibility to select mirroring axis. -Symmetrical modelling. A manual that contains only information that is true with the present version of the program. What is the button on the left upper corner of the sequencer? Tooltip says: animate. But unpressing it won't help me moving unanimated objects where they should be when the current time is not 0. I can naturally move the object but when I move along timeline it returns to its origin. Adding and removing files from a started batchlist. If an isometric viewport is active and I want to track the perspective view closer or farther of the object, I must first activate the perspective view with whatever tool I have active before I can activate the track-tool. Activating the perspective view with zoom and pan tools distort the perspective view. After inputting values to the properties tray one cannot change the current tool without clicking on some of the viewports. You can only guess how many times I've had to rewrite the values after pressing t, z or some other keyboard shortcut. There is definately more but I cannot remember at this point. -HK

waldo,your right,i think you mean a displacement mapping that zbrush 2 has.that would be great.

OK... came up with another one. An AUDIO track. How many of us want to create silent pictures? How about an audio track to time character animations for lip syncing?

Good one. How about AVI footage in background to be able to put things in proper place in working rooms without using the rendering engine.

I want to add one more - Support for 64 bits processors :D

HK -- in the vertex room, duplicate with symmetry works across whatever is the active drawing plane. I use it all the time, and in multiple directions. Other than that, you have some points. But to re-iterate; I'd like to keep this from being pie-in-the-sky (no way Carrara is going to dump the spline modeller inherited all the way from Ray Dream and put in a full-function NURBs modeller). I'd also like to go a little beyond a bug report; I'd like to look at what would honestly and likely be in a whole-number upgrade. That said, even pie-in-the-sky would not have predicted the GI engine, or the tree generator! Carrara seems quite capable of surprising us. Me, I'd like the next surprise to be dynamic cloth (but next week I might want something different!) In any case. I'm posting today after a session with the new UVmapping tool. It definately has the feel of having been stuffed in at the last minute and has yet to be tacked in place properly. At least on a Mac OS9 environment, version 3.03.057, the following things were still "odd" about the UV mapper; Window had no memory. Each time I opened the window I had to re-size it. No advanced selection tools (aka select by polygon name, material) in the mapper window. External to the window, only materials zones could be used as pre-selected areas to work on. No undo. Control-Z selects the entire mesh. (!!) Entire mapper crawls. It feels like the old meshform modeller in Carrara3d, which crawled so bad it was an exercise in patience to make even a low-poly model. Must emphasize I am not complaining about having the mapper. Indeed, I did the job I set out to do and no other tool in my present kit would do it. But I look forward to seeing it be properly integrated until it has most of the functionality of the other windows in terms of selection and navigation.

I really think that Spline and Vertex is going to work the same if you have X, Y, and Z beazer curve control on every points. And Spline would be a start before any beazer control can establish for unique shaping. Symmeterical pointers would be nice to have in it. If it is all worked out then the rooms wouldnt be needed.

Well, yeah...if you add Bezier control points on any arbitrary plane in the spline room, and Bezier curves to what is right now a simple sub-division system in the vertex room, you essentially end up with one room.....a NURBS modeller. But at that point, if it is supposed to look like Lightwave, and quack like Lightwave, why not get Lightwave instead? (And don't answer "because Carrara is cheaper." Add all the functionality of Lightwave and see if you can keep the price point down!)

I can afford any high end softwares. But I am just not up to learn their complex interferes. Poser was a best software than LifeForm. I just like all the stuff in it except the render and light coordination. Somehow it led me to Carrara and I still like it. Same reason when people like Mac. I will get Mac or SGI when I am retired. I exprimented 3D Studio Max and Lightwave. I looked at time spend with these 3D applications it was not worth it. It need alot of people to make a scene. One thing I hate most about 3D Studio Max is that it only sell core 3D application and sell plug ins individually. I can finish more tasks in Carrara than any of these 3D applications alone.

Hear hear. And that's what I fight to keep about Carrara. Carrara is a unique application; uniquely powerful for it's price point and ease of use. Part of the nature and price of this uniqueness is a sometimes unusual way of doing things; the Kai Krause interface, the spline modeller. What I'd like to see is for Carrara to continue to capitalize on its strengths (the price, the professional output that is possible, the ease of learning it for the first time and the ease of using it in general that makes even Max and LW users reach for it when they just want to run off some Christmas ornaments or a toy train), while growing ever more functionality that will be available to the experienced user. Poser5 made a terrible mistake. They took an application used mostly by amatuers and added far too many functions -- many of which had startlingly different interfaces and many of which shipped in an inexcusably shoddy beta. They turned off their real market (first-time 3D users who wanted to try their hand at NViTWS), but they never had a real chance of interesting the professional 3D people. I do not want to see Carrara turn unfriendly (through either a completely new interface or addition of too many new functions) and similarly lose its position in the market for the learners and hobbiests.

yaa what he said... would like to see nurbs.. or at least Metaballs have some kinda functinal control.. Presonally I like the spline modeller,.. very easy and fast I am far from a pro.. and find those "pro grade" modellers well'' how to put it... basiclly i just plan don't have the time to learn them... carrara you can just jump in and get going... Like I said earlier I believe... A good manual!!! a good manual.... oh, and could we please have a GOOD MANUAL!!! LOL

I am fighting with you nomuse too!! I want to clarify that the price encouraged for me to try it even though that something is missing. What trapped me into Carrara is the ease of interferes. I want to see that it get into advanced modelling that unleash to any shape possible in short time. I have strong good feeling about Carrara's future and its investment with Eovia because they already have all the complex modeling algorithms and they are professional modelling/developer. They made Amapi, it is a professional modeling application. The reason why they bought Carrara is to get RD customers and they liked the interfers. New implementations will be added in Carrara with advanced modeling tools. Eovia have been listening to Carrara customers very well and hopefully they will check this thread too especially the prior post that I suggested about Beazer coordination with spline/vertex. Very soon in future with no doubt, Carrara will be in advanced 3D core application like any others.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=106&Form.ShowMessage=1826494

Other new wishlist 6. Able to get Poser 5 and Amapi window in Carrara with new tabs next to the names I listed. This is to reduce use of file import/export function and able to do tasks faster. And may be an open source for any developer to implement their core software in Carrara Studio such as ZBrush, Deep Paint 3D, or CAD softwares.