This was posted in the Poser forum. Thought you guys might want a look. The link is: http://www.n-sided.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=3〈=en From the link above: "Plug-in QUIDAM to Carrara * Lets users of Carrara import directly the exported file from QUIDAM (via the QDM format). * Recover the model, texture (UV), the animation skeleton with its bones and influence/skinning * Compatible Carrara 3 or above"

Thanks for the heads up

Attached Link: http://www.thebest3d.com/nsided

Stay tuned for more samples and info here too: http://www.thebest3d.com/nsided and if you're looking for a forum there's an unofficial forum at Yahoogroups. http://www.yahoogroups.com/groups/nsided although I'm sure this is one of those soon-to-be-a-must-have-applications that will find its forum here at rosity too. Anyone planning on moderating a Quidam forum here?

Attached Link: Pierre Bretagnolle's prior personal portfolio (lot's of Amapi)

By-the-0way, for Amapi users here: The CEO of n-sided is none other than Pierre Bretagnolle. I call him the grandmaster of Amapi. Quidam is not necessarily an alternative to Poser - in some ways it is, because it has tools for posing and articulating/rigging with bones wheh you export, complete with textures, normal maps etc... But it really has much more emphasis on the modeling. You can start from existing free models that you download from their site or elsewhere or you can start from scratch and make new models. Some will say that it's what could have become of Amapi if it had gotten a touch of posing and rigging. others will find new ideas of the user interface not found in either. What's for sure IMHO is that having Pierre drive this will make it a tool for the artists by the artist.

...man, Amapi just makes me grit my teeth. I sure hope this app is more polished...

Attached Link: http://thebest3d.com/amapi

wait, you're having trouble with Amapi? Which version? you're aware of the good ole' tutorials I have right? http://www.thebest3d.com/amapi But they're mostly on versions 4, 5 and 6. If you have version 7 look for BT's tutorials on Amapi Designer . One rule of thumb: use both hands. Keep one hand on the arrow keys at all times and the other on the mouse. You want to develop the sense of holding the object in the left hand while modeling and cutting away with tools you grab with the right hand. I'm in San Diego, I do offer private training or seminars for small groups.

Thanks, but I've read every page of the docs, plus the tut sold here at Rendo, I forget the author. I can use the app (Designer 7) just fine, but there's a lot I don't like about it that I don't want to rehash here. It would just be redundant to old posts ;) The history of Amapi (several versions) is a good example of why not to release software prematurely. I hope they don't do the same thing with the above mentioned app.

Amapi Pro 7.51 is very good. It may be a bit pricey for some though.

Amapi...was not my cup-o-tea. Like Hex much better.However, I think trying a demo is definitely in order for Quidam. I don't by SW sight unseen.

demo version of Quidam is coming soon.

To expand on some of the things that Philip posted. Pierre B. the CEO of N-sided is a professional artist and a master at using Amapi. Quidam is more of a character modeler something that Poser cannot do. Quidam with the carrara plugins is about 1 dollar less than if you had to do a full purchase of Poser6. Quidam will sure aid in creating characters to be use in Carrara or any other application. I'm getting my very soon.

I saw it said a demo was coming. It does look interesting. There is a definite need for more efficient tools in this area.Having a carrara plugin is nice. This time around there seem to be a bit more support for carrara, which is nice to see.

Attached Link: Cybersign's Dogwaffle doodles

the predecessor to Carrara, RayDream, had easily 300,000 or 400,000 official users and 1 million cracks during its height of RayDream Stdui 5 and 5.5. Infini-D had about 60 - 80 thousand. It seems logical that eventually a great number of these will flock to the successor of both, and with the fantastic new features of Carrara 5 there are also new professionals turning heads and coming to join the community of Carrara users. Take an example: Martin Duerr at www.cybersign.de - he's a consultant for Maya and resells Cinema too and Animanum and alias sketch (and Dogwaffle ;-) - he told me he LOVES Carrara. Hearing that from someone who has learned the big guns and makes a living on it is, to me, monumental. Then again, he also told me that of all the 2D paint tools he's tried, and he 's tried them all, he prefers Dogwaffle ;-) by-the-way, Did you guys see the review in 3D Worlds magazine #74 ?