Just curious what 3D software you used before moving to Vue 5 Infinite? No flame war please. Also, what software do you now use with Vue 5 Infinite?

I used mainly 3ds max previously. I downloaded the online Vue5 Pro trial and have been testing it importing PZ3's from Poser 6.1 and it works great except that the trial's animation length limitation is 5 seconds - just barely enough to check out a walk cycle. But I am so blown away by Vue so far and will be downloading the infinite trial as soon as its released to try out the ecosystems.

Let's see...I started about 7 years ago with Bryce 3, went to Bryce 4 and then 5, but was very disappointed with 5. Heard about Vue from a friend, so got Vue 4, which I found very easy to use and intuitive. Sidegraded to Vue 4 Pro, which I really loved, and now use Infinite, although I still have 4 and 4 Pro installed on other machines. I use mostly Poser with Infinite. I use Poser 4 primarily, even though I have Poser 5, as it's easy to set up stuff for import to Vue. So far I do stills only, but may start playing with animation.

First encountered Vue 4 as a demo on a magazine CD. Was immediately hooked and bought it. Subsequently bought V5, then V5I. I use Poser 4 occasionally to create content for V5I. I have also played around using Terragen, MojoWorld and World Machine to create terrains to use in V5I - not always successfully!

My history is much the same as Djeser's. Became interested in 3d with Terragen. Then bought Bryce which I thought was ok, but struggled with the interface. Thought it was very unintuitive. Then tried Vue4 and couldn't believe the difference in ease of use. vue4Pro followed and now Vue5Infinite. (I still keep the older versions on my other machines). I have Poser, but haven't done much with it - some day when I have more time. I still use Terragen for terrains, sometimes.

Bryce user for long time :) Plus Poser. Got fed up with Bryce not progressing, tried Demo of Vue, loved it..bought Vue5 pro then infinite, bar the current bugs, cough, love Vue. Have Poser5 but almost never used it ugh, the bugs, so stuck with version 4! Have 6 now. Use Rhino v2 for modelling, it's awesome. Bought Hexagon, but not had time to learn it, it looks an ideal all round modeller. Have Maxwell render pre-order as that looks to be a BIG improvement on current render engines. Terragen is awesome, btu so limited, same with Mojoworld v2. Won't pay ridiculous upgrade price for Mojoworld, kind of peeved about that :(

Attached Link: http://www.paroge.com/inshape/first.htm

I started with raytracing in the early '90s, working as a programmer. i worked on version 2 of InShape, a famous piece of software in the ATARI community. For those who are interested, you can visit my first website dedicated to InShape here ... but don't laugh too loud.... it was 15 years ago ... try to remember the power of computers in this 'jurassic era of personnal raytracing :-) For the modeling now, I use AMAPI 7.... UVMapper and The Gimp (and even Paint) for texturing... Some attempt with Terragen which is a beautiful soft ...

Message edited on: 06/27/2005 09:42

I started with POVray when I was in college in the mid-90s. We had SUN and SGI workstations to play with at that time. Soon after that, I got my first PC (a splendid Pentium 75MHz :) ) and it wasn't very long before I got hooked by Bryce. I got increasingly frustrated with Bryce's cryptic material editor and lack of 4 views display, so I looked for alternatives and found Vue. I fell in love with it and rarely opened Bryce since. Around that time, I stumbled on Renderosity and discovered Poser, a perfect solution to add characters to Vue. Since then, I tried to improve my postwork skills with Painter and Photoshop on one hand, and my modeling skills with Amapi and now Hexagon (another soft I literally fell in love with). I occasionally use Carrara as an all-in-one package to go with Hexagon and Amapi. I recently got Zbrush but never really clicked with it though. And I have a copy of Rhino 3 I am considering to sell by the way - I won it in a contest and never really used it as well. Since I can't afford one of the big 4s (Maya, 3DS, Lightwave or XSI), my logical choice when I grow out of Vue and Carrara will be Cinema 4D... although from the look of it, it will take a long time before I start feeling tight with what I have so far.

I started in 2d with PSP7(I am a late starter with all this)...Got the plugin KPT Scenebuilder which was 3d more or less & said wow, I need a program that does this for everything. From there, I moved on to Vue4 & PPP. In between I tried several others Terregen(never clicked with me), Bryce5(hated the interface), Mojoworld2(couldn't even grasp - too much math). I do have Shade7 Standard & slowly and I do mean slowly am attempting to learn that. So far I like that.

Agiel XSI Foundation = 499 dollars, IIRC...! Rhino 3...cry, still have my educational V2, no way was I gonna pay 700+ dollars to upgrade beyond that, Vue etc was bad enough on the wallet.. doesn't want to have to go back to college just so he can afford Rhino :>

Unfortunately, if you want XSI to cover most of the functionalities of Cinema4D (which would justify getting it in my case), you end up with $2000 without the advanced Cloth module (and $7000 with the Cloth module).... which, to me, still puts XSI in the big 4s. Cinema4D modular pricing model is still more attractive than XSI steeper prices (although the idea of having Mental Ray and particules in XSI Foundation is mightly interesting).

OT Agiel, the price crash on XSI, or sort, of, re designing to attract the lower cash user base..shows a point many folk have complained bitterly about in regards ot digital art for years: being ripped off by price gouging companies. -Companiesd need cash return from creating an expensive product. -Companies sellign digital product have tiny over heads, bar creation and support costs. THe most expensive part of the actual PRODUCT a consumer gets is the manual! Now that many products are going downloadable, the cost ratios are brilliant. Development and support are sitll the big bugbears, -Low PRICE and full function demos are absolute wonders for advertising. Can't beat it. Note hwo companies using them have been increasing importance, and how now, the "big boys" do the same. -Companies selling such software MUST at some point get into their thick skulls that business and private users, in the sense of a studio versus a single person/hobbyist, has a huge impact on the cost you can ASK A CONSUMER TO PAY. -Without getting into, ahem, questionable territory, any adult with half a brain knows this has been a serious issue for ages. Most consumers are willing to pay cash for a good product, and support and most folk love manuals. The obviosu answer, which soem companies pciked up on, is to offer different SUPPORT packages, and manuals though the post, plus render farm limitations. -It's in a coompany's best interest to have a smany happy users as possible, look at when XSI went for $5000...shot themself in the foot because it reduced the amount of users becuase they simply couldn't afford it. The end resolt is good for both sides, like it or not "The bloat ware" greedy companies and outlook has had ot change :)

Lightwave. Still trying to warm up to Infinite, but it just doesn't seem to click with me the way LW does. BTW, I've seen crossgrade offers of $595 at the Newtek website so they've really demolished the price issue considering how complete it is. I'm not good at LW, just understand how it works much more clearly than V5I.

True 3d software? POV-Ray. Version 1.0. A lot of work and lot of render times, some fantastic results. Not a professional, though so never invested the time to really do great works with it. Years passed, got Vue 4. Played with it, again, a hobbyist (my "real" art was still oils) and never invested the time to really learn it. Now, due to circumstances outside my control, I don't have room for a "proper" studio. Got Vue5i for a gift... I don't know that I'll pick up a brush again. I'm also learning the new DAZ Studio software. Great tool to bring simple Poser type characters into Vue without the cost of Poser. I'm hoping once it's in full release that E-on will support their file format. Then I know I'll never look back to 2d media except for occasional nostalgia moments.

I tried Bryce 5.0 but the interface drove me nuts. After I played around with it for a month or two I fianlly just gave up on it. Vue has a much easier to use interface.

I started out in web immersive 3D as a beta tester for Adobe Atmosphere and learned (or tried to) Zbrush to model for conversion to Atmosphere via Viewpoint. Learned a lot about UV mapping, conversions and such that way. When Adobe killed Atmosphere 1 year after release, i got Vue 4 Pro, then Vue 5i. Still use Photoshop, now model in Silo 3d (fantastic box/poly subD modeler for $109. beate Hexagon IMO). Also use UV Mapper Pro and Ultimate Unwrap UV and some other minor stuff. Now alpha testing a developing immersive web 3D app we hope will replace and go far beyond Adobe Atmosphere, based on the Ogre open source render engine. It's called "Blink 3D" and you can check out the early progress at PelicanCrossing.com.

Bryce since V3 and up to 5.1 -I just started with Vue (V5 Inf) and haven't touched Bryce since. I also use Poser 4/PP and P5 and I am on the upward curve of learning to model in Maya 6.5 Vue is not as stable as Bryce, as some have mentioned, but Vue is far superior and capable program IMHO.

Began with Ray Dream Studio 5 in '97 and followed with Poser 3 in '98; used Bryce from version 3 but frustrated by lack of animation support for Poser. Bought Animetek Wiorld Builder Pro and discovered Vue d'Esprit shortly after. Preferred Vue's ease of use (especially for creating terrains). Stuck with Vue through 5 Infinite and thoroughly satisfied; tried Lightwave and Maya demos but ultimately chose 3DS Max for object creation. Trying to create the perfect integration between the three: Poser 6, 3ds Max v7 (mental ray renderer rocks) and Vue 5 Infinite.

Message edited on: 06/28/2005 06:01

Started a about 2 months ago with Vue5 D'esprit. Obviously I have some catching up to do.

first try with SCULPT 3D on amiga syestem in 1986 ! after IMAGINE for Amiga, and in 1993 3d studio 3 for dos on my 486 dx33 8 megabytes of RAM !!! stopping with render in 97-2003 and discover of Vue ! falling in love desperatly... ;)