Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12445

Ah well it depends what you want do and since you're new to 3d you probably don't have a clear idea yourself ? LOL!

Poser is pretty good at what it does and you can produce impressive results with it. It's also very cheap now!
Bryce ( from www.daz3d.com) is another huge bargain now, it's a landscape programme and has a better renderer than Poser4 (though it's very slow) Both these apps are pretty old now, which is why they're so cheap! With Poser you're pretty much stuck with existing models (though you can change their appearance using morphs, different textures etc.) Bryce will allow you to create landscapes from scratch.

If you want create models yourself you'll need a modeller, there are dozens ranging in price from free to thousands of dollars!Even a cheap commercial modeller will cost you a hundred so I'd recommend starting with a free one, at least until you know a little about 3d and can make a semi informed choice!

My favourite modeller is Wings3d (available for FREE from www.wings3d.com)it's as good at what it does as any commercial app and better than most!

Silo (www.nevercenter.com) costs $109 (which really cheap for a good modeller)and is also very good.It will also allow you to try a wider variety of modelling methods than Wings. Both of these apps are first class modellers and I'd say were easily as good at what they do as the major packages that cost a fortune (Maya, Max, XSI)Neither has a renderer though so you'll need something like Bryce to show off your models. There are also excellent free renderers but they tend to be more difficult to use and I wouldn't recommend them to a total beginner.

Also look out for freebies on magazine cover CDs. Apps like old versions od Cinema, Truespace, Amapi are given away or sold for very low prices quite regularly. Hope that helps and hasn't confused you even more! :o)

If you try Wings drop by the forum here (see link), we're a friendly and helpful bunch! - Baz

Message edited on: 07/16/2004 03:51

Message edited on: 07/16/2004 03:52