1. Wings3D 2) Cinema4D 3) Anim8or

Rhino3d Wings3d

LightWave 3D

1.Wings 3D 2.Metasequoia Was able to figure out the second without any docs or tutorials so that says something.

Download a few of the freebies and demos and see which one works best for you. Shade and Silo both seem to have possibilities. Lightwave is my current favourite although if you only want modelling capability XSI is in the same cost bracket. 3d Max has a big following. Maya also is widely mentioned but you need deep pockets to go that route.

I bounce back and forth between Lightwave and C4d. Tom

to get things clear BEST being what EXACTLY. bear in mind these are just your own Personal Best user interfaces. if you are just here to slag off other apps please make that clear. ive no time for timewasters. stu

I'd have to go with Wings3D. It was the first modeling app I ever came to terms with, and the simplicity and speed of the interface gave me confidence and have kept me using it.

I'm with Dann-O on Metasequoia. Wings runs too slow for me in Windows, so I never got into it. C4D is pretty good as well.

"Best" is surely the interface that's least in the way of doing the job (Truespace, for example, is a pain because your mouse is worked to death pointing and clicking on fiddly little icons). But I'll leave it at that so as not to waste any more of laughingnome's valuable time :)

m.

Well soemthing to think about is that the best interface does not mean the best program. As much as I like Metasequoia for the interface there is a lot it does not do same with Wings. But both programs have quick and easy workflow and do what they do well. I find a lot of high end stuff ahs a long learning curve because of all the features. That means you have to go through all the menus to find what you need. I am beginning to appreciatethe lightwave approach now with the seperate areas after looking at the cluttered interface of Softimage I think there has to be a better way. I am nto tryign to sep on peoples toes interface and quality of the program is two different things.

Gang....Warning shot here, okay? PLAY NICE. While the thread may not have been exactly the best way to ask the question, it still has some validity. I also ask you all to keep neagtive personal remarks to yourselves or I'll be forced to take steps. Perhaps the better question to ask here would have been: Views on modeling app interfaces pro or con. That would have consolidated your posts to one thread and open the floor for explanation as to why an app may have a more user friendly interface. While I did respond to the thread, questions like this, in any form, are very dependant on personal taste and modeling style and should not be used as a guide to buy software...

my apologies Teyon, im not here to slag off Apps of any description neither am i here to start fights nor would i promote any App over another. as you quite rightly said its all user dependant, this is why i thought it was a stupid post. i should have phrased my response better. my apologies to anyone i may have offended that wasnt my intention btw. stu

@ Dann-o / pearce.....I looked into Metasequoia but found only a limited file save version. Apparently he doesn't sell the version (outside of Japan) that saves out any file I can use. Is that right? It looks like a very useful app for me if for a smallish price. Did you find some way to purchase it? I tried the demo of Silo and like it a lot. With just a little more development in splines I might get that one for ease of modeling. Thank you.

"I looked into Metasequoia but found only a limited file save version."

There are two version -- the LE edition and the full version. The LE edition has full file-saving, but lacks certain useful tools that the full version has. There's some uncertainty regarding using it commercially as well. The full version will only save in the MQO native format, unless you purchase it, and there's no way to do that online (which is a pity as it's very inexpensive -- works out about 25GBP). I suppose you could send the value in Yen in an envelope if you could find Mr Mizno's address, and hope for the best :)

If you have both versions, you can work and save (MQO) in the full version, then load the MQO into the LE version, from where it can be re-saved in one of a number of formats.

Some file-converters are including MQO as an option now, and personally I think having conversion software is essential if you're working across several different modeling programs.

m.

Message edited on: 06/12/2005 10:11

Thanks pearce. Good suggestion, I'll check it out Best, wb

Attached Link: http://files.seriouszone.com/download.php?fileid=198

You can still get Lithunwrap (free), which is mainly for UV mapping, but also loads and saves different 3D formats, and is therefore a good format converter even if you've no use for the mapping. There is a commercial, updated version called Ultimate Unwrap 3D, which has many more features but costs $49.

Lithunwrap is a very cool uv mapper btw as Mick said its also handy for file conversion. seriouszone ,forgot about that and i love "serious sam" lol stu

Thanks for the link I will look into that one.

I'll put up for Wings 3d..I've used Strata, Bryce (booleans..sorta modeling..;), Amapi, Carrara, Anim8tor (also free), and even flirted with CD4 and Truespace. There's also Blender, which wants to be all things to all people, but I'm still scratching my head over that (it's free too..;)

Message edited on: 06/12/2005 19:56

HEXAGON. Basically like Wings on speed. All the features of Wings, in the same style interface, but with added bells. Easy to use if you are used to Wings.

i wouldnt say Hexagon had the best UI in fact id say the interface needs some work yet. floating side palettes would be nice, at the moment they are fixed. so far its being compared more to Silo or Modo. i have neither so cant say if that is a fair comparison or not. i dont use Wings so cant say if its on speed or not ;) tis fast though :) stu

Wings has a problem with lag when you are workign models in excess of 15K polygons or so. The end of a project for me in wings is the worst part. This is because it is written in Erlang and not C. I like Silo a lot too. Hexagon from what I know I like but it has the one thing I really dislike in an interface. Icons. Text is best for me. Words like extrude etc.

Just my 2 cents. For me: 1. C4D 2. Hexagon (for a new app, the UI is very well thought out, may need some tweaking, but its fast and easy to use)

max, rhino and maya can't stand the other interfaces

Attached Link: Show us your layout

Naturally it comes down to personal work-flow so one might ask. Which is best out-of-the-box? and Which is most customizable? . After all...once you have customized your work space,you have created "Your Personal Best" interface. I'm not a big fan of Rhino's interface and I don't like Maya insisting I use a middle mouse button (I use a trackball and have for years and I'm not going back to a conventional mouse...lol) I do like Lightwave and Cinema 4D's flexibility when it comes to modifying my interface. In one click I can go from an interface with all of my modeling tolls available to one that I've set up just for bones(Mocca), or I may be done modeling and choose to go to the interface I've set up for texturing(BodyPaint) or animation. I started an interesting thread a while back concerning personal layouts (linked) http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12400&Form.ShowMessage=2272669 It's not like separate rooms like in Carrara or Poser,it's a totally different layout of tools altogether. I will say I had a hard time getting used to Lightwave's separate modeler and layout applications but the HUB does a pretty good job of switching back and forth. I also like the fact that Lightwave doesn't load all of the plug-ins at the start.It loads very fast then I intentionally load only those plug-ins I need. I do wish C4D had the ability to load plug-ins that way because if I've accidentally installed a plug-in that was written for a different version,it stalls the loading of the application and many times,doesn't tell me which file is the culprit. Anyway...This is about interfaces so I'll stop there. 8 ) Tom

The MAX interface has been used for the longest time (it started out as a autocad plug-in, and autocad has been around forever), with lightwave I think coming in 2nd place. You could say that means the Max and Lightwave interfaces would be the most mature. I personally like Max, and hate Lightwave. On the other hand, I'm not an artist.

Amapi 6.
I took to it right away.
Very, as the kids say, "intuitive".
Good tutes from staiger helped a lot.
Oh yeah, and free. Nice thing, that.

Same thing for C4D. Got it at a modelling class online.
Not sure if it's cool to mention where here, but I will pass the info along to any interested parties.

Lemme see, what progs can I bash?

None. They all work for somebody, and lots of those somebodies have provided some very nice freebies here and other places.

Message edited on: 06/21/2005 14:34

Modo from Luxology. Just amazing.

i couldnt say, i havent used every app feel free to buy them all for me so that i could compare them all =)

well i gotta say zbrush, just to be different! lol

I use Truespace 5/6.6. It took a while to get used to but flows very nice once you do.

Marlo, care to expand on Modo? I just downloaded the demo so I'm trying to get my head around it. The head modelling video tutorials look fantastic: I'm using Cinema 4d today and may switch if it proves to be as slick and intuitive as it looks.

Take a look at http://www.luxology.com/modo/about.aspx There are many video tutorials to get you started. You can see for yourself that the way you go about modeling in Modo is a lot more intuitive and satisfying. The Interface is very beautiful and logical to understand. I just feel the whole experience of using modo more artistic then when I used Maya. Luxology who make Modo seem to take a different perspective and approach when creating the tools and functionality of Modo. From what I have seen of their future developments of animation, it looks amazing. using modo is so addictive that I feel at home every time I open it up and play around with it. This is the 3D software I always dreamed about using but now Luxology has made my dream into a reality.

I have Max, Maya, and C4d at the moment, after 6 months of onwership, Maya still baffles me, but that may be a) because I've spent nowhere near enough time using it or b) because I've been using Max for five years +. C4D I found hard work at first but once I RTFM and spent some time with it I actually rather like it - I may even side grade to 9.5 from my current version of Max (3.1) as my max has fallen off the 'upgrade spectrum'. Cost would be about 400 for C4D 9.5 or 3000 for Max 8, I'm leaning towards C4D at the moment, but I want to spend some time with XSI too before I decide.

Rhino.

I loved max, but my favorite is trueSpace, I love lots of buttons Couldnt get my head around amapi but I love Hexagon once I get over the not so many buttons :)

I've been trying out a lot of different demos, but haven't committed to buying. My impression so far is that C4D has the most intuitive UI--I was able to start having fun right away. However, now that I've put some time into Maya, there's a lot I like about the interface: being able to hit the spacebar and have all of my menu options sitting under my mouse is a huge win.

Look at AC3D...So easy..

blender is the best modeler if you can get your mind set to it. then wings then bryce.

wings3d
maya
3dsmax

trueSpace was ok, but the modeling tools seemed to always get in the way.. n I don't know how many times I lost the little dot when it was accidently minimized.

I tried Blender n found the interface wasn't the only problem I had. It may be great for other types of modeling but I tried the box modeling method to create a head and gave up on it. It's the only 3d app I tried that'll add geometry by itself and it won't let you terminate an edge as a n-gon.. it doesn't support 5-sided polys. The knife bit is a bit tedius.. having to select edges, draw yer new edges and then hit enter? I'm used to selecting edges n clicking a button or pressing a shortcut key.

ROTFL @ ysvry, Bryce??? :) yeah I know it can be model, I've seen Bam Bam's work, but it's short a fair number of modelling tools even if the UI is pretty!

Probably not the prettiest thing to look at, but it does the job. :) Polygons usually aren't too bad lag-wise unless I get overzealous with smooth. Most models behave fine if they can be made of multiple parts; anything not being worked on can be hidden, which makes Wings3D more responsive.

Modo from Luxology. You can have a fully working trial for 30 days and extend it if you wish. Oh and by "fully working trial" they mean FULLY WORKING trial. The only way to fully test a software IMHO. Customizable GUI and tools (can be customised to make your own tools), macros, scripts, Pelt mapping, etc, etc...I'll finish there before it sounds like an advert. I moved from C4D XL to Modo + Messiah for my pipeline and haven't looked back. C4D. Customizable GUI although it does always seem to me, to be a step behind in incorporating modelling tools. Try to purchase the "full" packages (XL or Studio) and not go the base package + module approach, else you will get stung when it comes to upgrades. Ohh and the Mocca animation module is a pain and clunky...I ended up getting Messiah for animation. Some features that are extra purchase modules should really be incorporated into the XL package when you compare the prices of the competition. Without BodyPaint, C4D's UV editing is appalling. Things like that shouldn't really be strengthened by the use of extra (limited) plugins even if some can be had for free. Moebius87...are you sure about Lightwave? - if ever a GUI could be called a "Plugin Graveyard" or "Plugin Maze" it would be up there with 3DSMax ;) Cheers (Here endeth my very late reply to a post)

NENDO!!!!!! hahahahaha

Cheers - I just purchased Modo, and I am looking at Messiah for rendering and animation. How long have you used this combo, and do you have any renders you can share. Thanks!

I like the Max interface, but the Shade 8 UI is quite nice - now all I got to do is get used to the program :P

My favorites are Rhino and 3dsmax, but I'm just getting around to learning Shade.

Just spotted this post as I need a good modeller for my needs. I mainly work with Mojoworld for planet wide tearrins & have been frustrated with the need for decent models to be rigged with MojoTree. Heres my finds: 1> Modo - Good allround app steep price :( 2> Maya - Excellent app steep price - high learning curve :( 3> 3DSMax - Excellent app steep price over complex interface :( 4> Rhino - More like a CAD app to my tastes :( 5> Silo - Excellent UI easy to se but lousy object controls:( 6> Lightwave - Excellent but much like 3DSM & Maya 7> Wings3D - Nice easy to use but perhaps too basic 8> Hexagon - Excellent UI, easy to use price not too bad but limited user base. .....Im percevering with Hex at the mo :)) Its all about what you want to be able to do & what the app does for you & at what cost :))) Wz