I've been asked many times by poser users that are new modelers how to make props for poser and what software to use. I use Carrara Studio 3 and poser 6. So I am looking at starting some turorials here in the forums as simple "How to" for new model makers. Carrara has a great little program called Carrara Basic, a choped down version of the regular version of Carrara, the Demo is fully usable including saving and exporting with limited formats. So I am looking for intrest level for tutorials on making things in Carrara (Full and Basic) for export to be used in poser. I would make tuts for basic as Carrara 101 and for the Full version as Carrara 102 these would be posted in the Carrara Forum. The how to work with them and finish them in poser would be posted here in the poser forum. And tutorials on how to make stuff using just poser and UV Mapper. I am willing to do how to's for both the novice and more advanced users. If you have any intrest please respond here or IM me :-)

One "yes" vote from me. I'm interested.

Interested. I'm debating between whether to go with Carrara or with Shade.......

Shade 7 LE came free with Poser 6, don't know if it still does. Carrar Basic is free for the full working demo. Which can export as 3DS format which poser can take. The basic is the Actual Carrara Program with the advanced features left out. Worth looking at just to get a better look at it.

OH the full working demo can be downloaded for OSX or Windows at http//www.eovia.com/ Products - All Products - Carrara 3D Basic 2 The basic is full function with limited import and export, for the registered version it is $99 which is subtracted from the full studio cost if you decided to upgrade to the full studio. Sorry if this sounds kind of like an add. I was talking to them on the phone about this tutorual idea here and they were very helpful. The truth is this whole basic tutoral can be tried for free, no purchase required. That is what has me so excited. Plus the fact that they have been helpful and supportive earns them a few kind words.

mapps,
I think this is a good idea. So many people seem to want to get started in modeling, and I think Carrara is a good way. Everyone has their own opinions about modelers, but I think Carrara is a good choice. It has a lot of features but is not super-expensive, and its interface is a relatively easy transition for Poser users. It also does morphs of Poser models without many hitches.

Like you, I use Carrara 3 and Poser 6. So maybe I could learn a thing or two!

I was just about to put Carrara 2 & 3 on ebay... I couldn't get a handle on it at all. I may change my mind as I know you model great buildings! And I've purchased your models. BilyGoat

I do recomend Carrara to anyone that uses Poser, the 2 were originaly desicned as 2 parts of the same program. Then called RayDream 1.0 it and Poser 1.0 and Bryce 1.0 were all intended to be 3 parts of the same program from Fractle . Although the 3 softwares now have different owners they have still made an effort to keep the 3 close to each other in interface and style making it easier to use the other 2 if you already know one of them. The idea of doing it in the forum is to allow imput from people as to what they want to make and to get it out of my IM's...lol Just kidding people should still feel free to IM me any time with how to questions, I enjoy them. This just makes it posable to help several people at one time instead of 1 at a time like I do with the Renderosity IM's.

I'd be interested in seeing tutorials too, especially since I happen to own Carrara. I've managed to fumble around and do a few neat things within Carrara but I haven't had a whole lot of luck actually exporting my stuff into Poser.

Ya the export part can be tricky and cause problems, I think I have found a sneaky (easy) way around most of them and will cover these tricks here aswell. You can also feel free to ask "how to" stuff that has nothing to do with the tut and the answer will get included here.

Count me in on the tutorials! That would be fantastic. Stuff I'd like to see tutorials on "How to create articulate props" and "conforming clothing/props" for poser. I have C4Pro and would like to jump into it a lot more than I have.

Yes, I would love Carrara tutorials. I have Carrara 4 and Hexagon, which I love. I am especially interested in using Carrara more effictively for Poser morphs, texture baking, and all sorts of stuff. Roll the tutorials PLEASEEEEEEEEEE! -The Starkdog

Me three! Tutorials would be great, Mapps! =D I bought Carrara before version 2 came out. I wanted to make models inside the program and also from imported illustrator .ai files. Plus I thought it would be easy to make morph targets in Carrara. I was wrong on all counts and it may just be because i can't figure out how to make the darn program work! My first project was a room recreation. I started with a floor lamp half "outline" shape in illustrator ai format. I thought it would be easy to just import, spin and make it an object. But it turned out boxing and clunky looking, instead of a smooth round surface. I eventually gave up on making objects because I couldn't make them smooth. :( Next, I tried to make morph targets for clothes and faces, but I couldn't figure out how to get my object into the right "room" I needed to be in to edit the vertices! LOL! A tutorial would be very very helpful for me. Areas I'm most interested in are: 1) Importing Illustrator ai files and making objects with them 2) Creating morph targets for Poser figures 3) Modelling clothing and props for poser figures (just the modeling part within carrara, not the poserifcation process) 4) How to import a poser scene for a Killer render inside Carrara / How to edit textures for a Carrara render. Okay. Thats all. Thanks so much Mapps! =) bB

Well the first TUT is half finished and has 56 screen captures that cover the basic tools of Carrara, how to export to Poser, mapping it in UV Mapper and finishing it off as a Poser Prop. And all ya need is the Basics 2 Demo, which is what I made it in. Or any of the full versions of Carrara. It is just a very simple Crate but the aim is to show how to make the software do most of the work using the powerful tools of Carrara. The basic steps covered are useful in creating any model. If I have done this right anyone, even a never opened a 3D program in my lefe user should have little or no problem. The 56 screen captures show each and every last step. So it is a little like a picture book. I am palanning on doing as many tutorials as people want, and do feel free to request projects. Conforming Clothing is the realy advanced stuff and Requires Carrara Studio or Pro. The Basic can't do "free forms" (Vertex Modeling) Hexagon can, but I don't have a version of it so I'm not sure how different it is in the tool setup. It seems that most of you are already using a more advanced version than I am. I'm using Carrara Studio 3. I will be upgrading to 4 Standard, since I don't need the advaced functions of Pro for what I am doing. This is good because the more advanced tutorials will require atleast the studio verson, including the How to make cloths.

Well I started with Carrara verson Minus 5 or RayDream 1.0 which after RayDream 5.0 Became Carrara 1.0, so I have been using it for awhile. About 15 years to be more exact (not sure of the exact year that RD1 came out). Does it work well with Adobe Illustrator, yes but you must save as AI 5.0. The morph targets well I haven't realy used it for that, I do most of my morphing in Poser, unless it is created in Carrara than I do the variations in Carrara too. The lamp you want to start with a circle (very small) on the drawing plane, then chose envelope symetrical. Clic on one of the envelope lines and import the AI line. The Line will follow the circle around and creat a sweep that matches the AI line. So a round very smooth lamp. When making a sweep it is 100% required that it have a shape to follow put a star on the drawing plane and you will get the same lamp but it will be star shaped. See Screen Capture. "Carrara Sample 1" Most of this will be aimed at going Carrara to Poser but I will see what I can do about the other way around.

FYI -
Just a little bit of friendly advice ... ;=] ... if I may.
Don't get rid of Carrara ... you'll be sorry.
Learn how it works and you'll love it.

For instance ... The camera trackball in Carrara works the same as in Poser and is excellent for viewing a model from any angle as well as being able to view the smallest detail of a model.

I would do some tuts on Carrara if I had the time ... but I don't ... right now so ...

mapps ........... GO FOR IT ! ;=]

cheers,
dr geep
;=]

OK, I'm sold. Let the tuts begin. Thanks geep!

;=]

Count me in too, please. If all this can be learned with the demo version then it will more than likely be a purchase for Carrara. Mr Mapps makes some good stuff. TIA

runs in...huggs the stuffins outta Mapps, then does the happy happy dance cause 2 of the most awesomely talented and helpful people (aka Mapps & Geep) are BOTH here...runs out

The demo is full function for 30 days. After that the "Basic" version is $99. But you should be able to do the first 2-3 tuts using just the demo. I thought it lasted longer, the old demo ran for 90 days. but still $99 for the basic package is a good deal it comes with a ton of stuff. And you can make Plants, terrain, props, low res characters etc with the basic. the realy fancystuff does require the full studio but the Basic is deducted from the price. Hey Geep :-) Too true on Carrara, it is a natural companion to poser. feel free to throw in extras, that would take less of your time. Feel free to correct me too if you know a better way to do something.

Hmmm... About the floor lamp. I think I did the opposite of what you are saying. I took the imported pathes and applied a circular envelope to them? I may be wrong, it was so long ago. One other issue I had with spinning the paths, is that the paths moved from the center and there was no way to make sure it was exactly centered. Does that make sense? I could post screen caps. Thanks for the reply and your sample picture. Will the lamp shade render smoothly or does it need to be created another way to make it smooth? Thanks! :D bB

Ya the shade should render nice and smooth, if not you can adjust the "Fidelity" will do screen caps for that. And yes screen caps for your center problem would be good :-) You can center the circle thoug and all things sould center with it. Click on the circle and in the drag-downs you will find "Arrange-Center Selection".

Okay, I think I understood that. I'll try to redo the lamp tonight. Thanks so much for the tips! :D bB

Your are welcome BastBlack :-) The basic intro TUT is about 1/2 finished and will consist of a 14 page (approx) printable PDF with loads of pics or you can just read it off the screen using reader (if you want to save ink/toner). Also included are the finished Carrara file, the uvs for UV MApper, the finished prop in poser and the textures. The prop is a simple Crate, but the tools and functions used to create it you will use on basicly every project you do. TUT 2 will see us making a much more complex prop since the basics will have been covered. I'm open to suggestions as to what the second prop should be. And Posable in poser or morphing from Carrara are both options that can be explored. Mind you it will still have to be a fairly simple item. The door mentioned above would be a good examle since it's bone structure is quite simple. It will be finised on the weekend for shure. One of the things I like about Carrara is the functions are color coded (red, green, blue) makes it easy to color code the TUT to match, which is what I am doing. :-) Such as Move it on the X-Axis all X items in Carrara are marked in red so the TUT line is also red. I think this may help since allot of folks are not too familiar with Axis but do understand "use the red one"...lol

LOL! This is great. Can't wait! :D I say, Floor Lamp! Floor Lamp! ;) And then next week we can do the Effiel Tower. Just kidding. ;) bB

How about the ESB? ;=]

OH, I'm sorry geep, I always do all my poser buildings to scale. Just check out my HoSM stuff every last house is to scale :-), so of coure if we do the Effiel Tower it will have to be to scale too...lol

Ok, let's do the ESB ............... FULL SCALE!

;=]

BTW - I tried it ........ once ......... and my 'puter melted down into a small blob. ;=[

I still can't get the mess out of my carpet.

Ya I don't think Spic-n-span makes a "puter-out" stain remover...lol Were you trying to do all the office details too, down to the paper in the garbage cans? if not i think we should shanghi a mainframe and go for it :-)

Yup ........ I think it was the paper clips that did it. ;=]

Ahhh! The evil paper clips. That explains it, you do know they are trying to take over the world...look arround they are everywhere...it's a full scale invasion!

Yeah, they wanted to know wire you doing this?
It really bends me out of shape.
Maybe I'd better clip your wings,no?
;=]

Arrrg, that's realy bad...love it...lol The Punnisher has struck!

I'm working my way through the tutorial. It's given me some ideas. :D For the curious, I dug into my backup hard drive and pulled "The Lamp" from my 2003 work bin. *blush* Attached to this post is my line art that I wanted to take into Carrara and make an object with. I thought it would be simple. This was my first try at Carrara. I separated the line art for each material zone. Most will be "spun" but the lamp stand base will be squared. What I did the first time, was import, in position, each section. Then applied a round envelope for the top of the lamp. I made the base in Poser because I had trouble doing the squared base. This may, or may not, have been the right way to do it. LOL. I do lot of trial-and-error when learning new programs. ;) bB

Your idea is the right direction but there is an easy way to do it that is almost that idea. Will post more when i get home.