I am new to modeling but I want to create Poser content. All of my ideas will be coming from an artist of friend and therefore all I have to begin with are pencil drawings on paper. What is the software to use for newbies with an excess of helpful tutorials.

sigh I'm begining to sound like a broken record. There is NO SUCH THING as a best app. For newbies or otherwise. It all depends on your skill, desire, and financial backing. My suggestion to you is to try the various demos of the modeling apps you're interested in and make your decision based on that. Modeling apps are like shoes, you keep trying them on until you find one that fits in the size and price range you want.Anyone who tells you different really doesn't understand what they're saying.

If you're just starting out and don't have a whole lot of money to throw at something, I'd suggest Wings3D for modeling. For rendering and animation there's Blender (it models too, but for most purposes Wings is easier.) And also it couldn't hurt to try Anim8or. If you've got money to throw at stuff, then I'd try just about anything. Maya, Max, C4D, Rhino, etc. Eventually you'd hit on something that you like working with.

Maybe it's time to put a FAQ section up? I know we all get sick of answering this and similar questions but it is tough when you're just starting out. How do you evaluate software when you don't know the first thing about modelling? I remember starting out and trying all the cheap modelers I could get my hands on, Amapi, Amorphium, Strata etc I couldn't make head or tail of any of them lol! Then I found Wings and it all started to make some sense. Pretty much every modeller is capable of good results but they all have their own ways of doing things which may or may not suit you. I would recommend starting out with Wings3d (stop by the Wings forum here for tips and help learning the app) or if you want to spend a little cash try Silo (demo available at www.nevercenter.com) $109 is which slightly more conventional than Wings but surprisingly similar in use. Both are ideal for beginners but are powerful enough for professional use. - Baz

A FAQ is something I thought of directly after posting. I will write one up once I get back in from work today.

Hey guys... what about modo? I heard that it's still got its free production evaluation. That's a pretty good and powerful start for a modeling application. Cheers! M

Hiya Moe, yeah Modo is a very good modeller from what I've heard but it's cripplingly expensive unless you already own Lightwave. I wouldn't say it was a good choice for a beginner for that reason. - Baz

"Maybe it's time to put a FAQ section up?" Certainly is. I've suggested that in the past. Newcomers need basic info and guidance, and since the same kind of questions come up over and over, then a FAQ is the obvious way to go. One thing to put in it would be to emphasise the difference between 3D modeling software and Poser. Maybe we should harvest some further suggestions before Teyon goes ahead? M ;)

Was a FAQ section with comparative information about different 3D programs ever put up? I'm in the same situation as Kyrothos--I don't know enough about non-Poser 3D to evaluate demos, so the "try the free demos" advice doesn't do me any good. I'm going to be in school this coming semester and will be able to get the amazing student pricing on an application, which means I could afford Maya Unlimited, XSI Advanced, etc., but won't be able to afford 2 such applications. I'd like to focus my efforts on one program. I know that from my playing with the Silo demo, I'll probabably get that (at the cheap full price)--I love the interface, just wish they had better newbie tutorials (or just a manual, rather than help: a very poor way for newbies to learn). Initially, I'll be creating Poser clothes props, but I want the flexibility to move beyond that (towards film/television rather than game work). Which is to say, I'd love to see a list of comparitive strengths and weaknesses of the the available 3D programs. Thanks (and my apologies if this is a repeat question that's been answered elsewhere--haven't seen it, if it has been).

I started putting a FAQ together but I had to stop and then let it slip. I'll try to finish it up this weekend and add to it if there are other things you want to see.

Thanks. That would be really helpful. While any short list of features I'd come up will reflect my lack of knowledge, I would be interested in how well a given app complements DAZ|Studio (I'll eventually get Poser to create morphs, but I much prefer the D|S interface); issues/quirks of the user interfaces (for example, Poser doesn't follow interface conventions); things the program does well or easily, things the program does only via great effort/trickery/plug-ins, etc; how easy it is to migrate to other apps (say you try to get a job, but the studio uses another app, will it be possible to transfer your skills); how responsive it is on a moderately-powered machine (in my case, I'll likely be getting a 2.0 GHz G5 Mac with an X850 card). Again, thanks so much.

Well I doubt that FAQ will answer any of those questions because they rely on opinions. Firstly any polygon based modeler that imports and exports .obj files, and that's pretty much all of them, will work well with DAZ studio and Poser. Secondly Poser magnets are very limited for creating morphs, if Poser morphs are your main interest then ZBrush might be a good choice but any poly modeller that can handle high poly counts will do the job. I have to say that Wings isn't a good choice on this point even though it's my favorite modeler. As far as features go you mostly get what you pay for. Maya, XSI and Max are probably the most fully featured 3d apps and are the ones used most by the big studios. They are also the most expensive. Cinema probably comes next and is a little cheaper (unless you buy the production bundle which is a scary price!) Lightwave has fallen a bit behind in the last couple of years but looks to be catching up fast. It's much cheaper than the others and has a strong history in TV and film. Have you seen Serenity? All the modeling and most of the SFX were done in Lightwave. Those are the big names but there are plenty of others and honestly they're all pretty good these days. Choose the one you like the most unless you're looking for employment in which case Maya or XSI for film, Max for games and probably Lightwave for Television would be good choices. - Baz PS Autodesk, the company that owns Max has just bought Alias who make Maya. This has made Maya users a little nervous about the future of their chosen app.

I know that a lot of what distinguishes the programs is better or worse depending on personal preferences, rather than an objective standard. However, I'm interested in any differences which can help me decide which app to work with, as I suspect many people are. Since I assume most people on this forum come from a Poser or DAZ|Studio background, the ease in which Poser content can be imported and used is an important thing. I'd assume that any of the programs can import .obj files well, but how easy is it to bring in a texture map you've made (or bought) for your Poser .obj? I've been playing with Cinema and found it surprisingly easy to get started in. Ironically, I can't afford it, as their student pricing is significantly higher than Maya, Lightwave, or XSI (at least for C4D Studio, which brings it to feature parity). However, despite BodyPaint3D, I can't figure out how to get my pre-existing maps in--and I, as a Photoshop pro, have created a lot of them. This may be something fairly easy to do, but it will take time to learn the program well enough to get those things worked out. If another program makes using maps easier, than that's less I have to relearn. Trying to learn how to do that fairly basic thing for all of the contenders (Maya, Lightwave, XSI, Max) could take a months. I'd rather decide on an app, get the demo, and stick with it unless it proves to not work for me.

Bare in mind none of these apps are designed to work with Poser so unless there is a plugin to import Poser models ready textured your going to have to apply maps manually. That process is pretty much the same in all the apps I've used. Cinema does have some plugs available to import Poser models. Interposer is reputedly very good

I'm in a similar position: I'm new to 3d modelling, I've tried Daz Studio 'cos the price is right (free). But it's sluggish and the QT gui is clunky. I tied the Poser demo, but it's so crippled I can't relly tell if I like it or not. The Poser gui looks appalling -- a dreadful use of screen real estate. Vue 5 looks interesting, but it's beyond my current financial means. Do I have any other choice but Poser in the self-financing price range? I don't think so.

It depends on what you want to do. If you want a Poser type app there's just Poser and Daz Studio, If you want a landscape creation app Vue and Bryce are probably the most popular but there are a number of otheres from free to very expensive. The same goes for modellers and general 3d apps. You really need to decide what you want from the application that will narrow your choice down. - Baz

I'm building scenes using Daz & Poser content like Victoria 3, clothing, hair etc. Are there other choices for that?

The only other low priced app I can think of is Vue, some if not all version load Poser PZ3 files I think but you won't be able to pose in Vue as far as I know. Poser and Daz Studio are your only real choices I think unless you want to spend a LOT of money!

I'm looking to expand what I can do, although not into animation (well, not yet). So I need a robust modeller and renderer. Things like cloth handling are important too.