Hi. I thought I'd try out Gmax (the free game-editing version of 3DS MAX), but now it's asking me to register at Turbosquid to get a registration number. Before I set up yet another user account that I'd rather not have, can anyone tell me if Gmax can do anything that would be useful for Poser users, such as save in standard 3D formats (OBJ, DXF, etc.), morph figures, etc, or is it strictly for game modeling and editing? Thanks very much, take care. SnowS

Attached Link: http://www.davidhsmith.net/Essential_Tools.htm

Strictly game editing, unless you plan on a large work around. Search essential gmax page and there you will find links to other free programs that can make the gmax a little more versitile, 3dexplorer is available to convert game formats to usable formats in other softwares, you will also need the tempest game pack to add quake .map exports.

Nope. There is some conversion necessary. GMAX saves out to formats for games that have packs for it. It can be done though, there are scripts and things and its a cheap way to learn some of the MAX toolset.

Attached Link: http://www.3dsaracreations.com

....nielp at 3dsara creations has wrote a script for this program so it will export to a poser format.. we are currently using this item for our summerschool modeling class.. we have tuts there too. netta

I think that you need to be a member at 3dsaracreations to go to the forums.

Thank you for replying, that helps. I was just curious, I've tried nearly every other 3D modeler out there and just can't seem to find one that I can get the hang of. I should probably just try putting my own seam guides to some use and give texturing a try instead. ;) Thanks again, take care. SnowS

I too like you am trying to find THE modeler that does it for me as well. Looked at Lightwave. Eh. Tried Max/GMax. Got along with it, but the process is a bit much. Too many buttons, extensions and plugins. Blender. Did exactly that to my brain cells. Maya. Next! I actually got along famously with Truespace and lost something when Poser hit. Hexagon looks interesting (have to try the demo) as does Silo and Modo. (Funny thing about Modo because its related to Lightwave, but something groks about Modo.) I also have to play more with Wings3D and perhaps Anim8or. Perhaps I am not meant to model. (But I WANT TO so bad!)

Attached Link: http://www.eclecticacademy.com/newclasses.htm#3Dmodeling

Tried the demos, tried the free apps, they all kicked my ass. "Introduction to 3D modeling", an online course instructed by Randy Rives. Cost - $20, includes a registered copy of Cinema4D 6CE. 6 week semesters, the next one begins July 10th, signups end July 6th. Trust Uncle Ben, go sign up. Thank me later.

I'd like to add a few points, Randy is a great instructor and quick to help. The course is downloaded in pdf format weekly, print it and put it in a binder. Each week you upload your homework (meshes you've worked on) to a forum and everybody shares comments, tips, etc. It was really a fun learning experience, this was definitely worth the cost.

Thanks for the info Ben, I might take a look at that. I'm not really that serious about modeling, but that is quite affordable. I see we've tried a lot of the same programs Dlfurman. :) So far, I've tried Silo (maybe the best of the demos I've tried), Hexagon (seemed decent, I didn't spend too much time with it), Anim8tor, ZBrush, Blender (man, WHAT is with that interface?!), Amapi, Rhino (an old version) and Cinema 4D CE (which I got free from 3D World magazine). I've looked for a Lightwave demo, but I hear you can only get it by mail. I haven't tried Truespace yet either because I get the impression that it's even older than my C4D. Never heard of Modo, I'll probably go search for that now. Thanks, SnowS

I've been down the "can't find the right modeler highway" too (as has anyone learning to model in 3d on their own). Part of the problem was I didn't know much about 3d modeling (still don't), so almost all applications seemed very difficult. The other part of the problem was finding a modeler that fit the way I think. I got C4D XL6, and it just felt right.

A couple of months later I needed to make an achitectural model at work, which gave me a focus with a needed product, to learn C4D. I was able to complete the model, and learned ALOT in the process. But if I didn't have a well defined goal, with strict time limits, it would have taken a lot longer to learn C4D.

The moral to this story? If you don't have a defined project that you have to complete, you could spend a lot of time looking for a "good" modeler, and never find the right one. If C4D seemed to fit, then takes Ben's advice and register for the class. Taking a class gives you the needed direction, focus, and timelines to learn the software. For $20 it a great deal!

If you don't feel comfortable with C4D at the end of the course, you'll have enough knowledge about 3d modeling to pick the right application, for you.

I still love C4D, and have been drooling over C4D Version 9x for some of it's new modeling tools, but haven't been able to justify the upgrade cost. I recently purchased Hexagon (I also use CS4 - so the crossgrade to Hex was a real good deal), and I love it. It is fast, and easy to learn/use, and has a great work flow (for me). But had I not gotten my feet wet with C4D, Hex would be seem a little difficult too.

Good luck on your quest!

ps: C4D 6 (ce) may be old - but it's still a fantastic piece of software. If your not real serious about modeling, it will serve you well for years to come for the occasional modification or new design.

On the other hand, you might want to get a TurboSquid account because, if you sort models by $0-$0, you'll find hundreds of free models in various formats. Some are crap, but there are a lot of very good models available for free.