Quote - hey Arien what do you really think of C4D, can I use it like Maya. I would like to take Poser import it into C4D but I would also like to remodel my stuff. I see that C4D r10 is cheaper than Maya.

Tell me the truth about it or you can PM me.

I've started using it not that long ago, very infrequently during the first few months of the year because I had no time at all to devote to it, but a bit more often in these past few months. It suits my needs perfectly: I clicked with the interface, I like the material shading quality, and the lighting system makes a lot more sense to me (and has better results) than Poser. I do love the modelling tools, and with close to zero modelling experience I managed to put together a dress for Aiko (check out my gallery, under "The Summoning"). It wasn't the best piece of modelling in the world, but the fact that it was probably my fourth model EVER, and that I put it together in about four hours of trial and error, says a lot I think for the easyness of use. Renders very fast for me and is rock solid, even with big size renders that I've tried. And the hair module is very easy, and very good!

Having said that, if you come from Poser, it can be daunting. There's a LOT more you can do, but to do it you will need to relearn some things and get used to a different workflow.
The other thing to keep in mind is that if you want to use C4D for renders, you'll need to get Advance Renderer to get the most out of it. To my shame, I have to say that I do prefer Poser's nodes to the fusion "layers" in C4D shading -although I prefer C4D's results- and of course if you want for instance an effect like you'd get with face-off's shaders, you will need to spend quite some time to get it right, and possibly get a third party solution.

In this transition, kuroyume's plug-in has been invaluable, and as I get more comfortable with the program, I expect I'll start using it more, both for modelling and rendering, which is exactly why I bought it. On the other hand, some issues like exporting a model with groups or UVmapping have proved nearly impossible, probably because I haven't found much documentation and I'm still pretty much playing by ear. Then again, I haven't really tried that much either, and I've been focusing on getting to grips with the lighting, shading and rendering, as it is what will bring home the bacon quickest at the end of the day.

But again, I am probably not the better person to answer this, as I'm relatively new and still going through the honeymoon period with the software. I am certainly very happy with my purchase, but I know that with 3D programs it depends a lot on what you're thinking of using the program for, your budget, and what your subjective perception of the program itself is.

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