Daz recently sent out an email regarding Carrara 7.  I've looked over what they wrote on their webpage:
http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=99387&trid=91917438&flatnum=1

but I can't see if it would be anything that would be useful for Vue users.  I'm always interested in
other software that can enhance what Vue or Poser can do.

Does anyone have any experience of feedback about Carrara and if it is a beneficial tool for those who use Vue and Poser?

What interests me the mos is the 3d Paint function:
"Carrara 7.0 includes a new 3D Paint Tool that enables textures to be selected, edited and "painted" directly onto an object. "

Any comments out there?

Attached Link: http://www.blacksmith3d.com/downloads.htm

I have Carrara 5 & 6, I have used them both but Vue has far surpassed Carrara IMO.  If you want to model then Carrara might be useful, that said there are standalone modelers that work better & are more enhanced.

I don't use C anymore - but you should try it yourself :)  They have a public beta going on now of C7...go to Daz in the C forum & you should be able to get it there.

Thanks for pointing this out m.behr! Carrara 7 indeed has some sweet, new features!

I must say, as a Vue & Poser user, (and a Carrara 6 Pro owner) I personally won't be getting Carrara 7 because everything I need is already covered by Vue, or other software I own. (Photoshop CS4 Extended also has a 3D Paint ability (FINALLY!!) . YUSss!!!

Truth be told, though, it's down to preference and familiarity.
I have seen some GORGEOUS Carrara renders... But I realized my Carrara purchase was a waste because:

1. I'm more comfortable with Vue, and I'm extremely partial to it;
2. I don't have the time to learn yet another 3D app anyway;
3. I haven't come close to tapping the possibilities of the 3D apps I already own. :p

One more thing: I have at least 3 awesome modelling apps that I haven't had the time to learn. :(
So I could not even be able to justify getting Carrara 7 even for its modelling capabilities. I would instead go back to the ones I already own and make sense of all the dollars I spent to acquire them! :p

I too have discontinued using Carrara (I had Carrara 6) because I find Vue so much easier to use and also I find the manual and tutorials far superior.

corysea

C7 is no more than a few bug fixes for C6.  I won't upgrade until they really add something of substance.

I'm amazed looking at their feature list there is nothing new at all in the landscape department. 3D paint is indeed interesting, something I'd like to do in Vue' s terrain editor some day, but that's pretty much it, the rest seems bug fixes, and multipass renders have been in Vue since 5 Inf, or was it 4Pro?.
Looking at Carrara galleries here and there I see nothing  but Poser/daz figure renders, except for ther brilliant environments by Howie Farkes, and the occasional model visualisation.

Quote - 3D paint is indeed interesting, something I'd like to do in Vue' s terrain editor some day

Lots of people write great things about 3D Coat. I have not tried it (modeling programs budget exhausted for this year) but apparently is very intesting. The version in beta should enable people to sculp organic forms out of  "thin air" and this might be useful to create, e.g., terrain with arches and caves.

Bye!!!

I bought Carrera and then have never used it. If you want to get into 3D deeper to a professional level, I'd say that Lightwave 9.5 is the cheapest way in for something that works with Vue XStream and has full modeling capabilities. Expect to spend lots of hours learning. The new render engine mixed with the new fibers has put Lightwave back into the game I think. Combined with Vue7 XStream it would be a killer combo.

If your rich enough, Maya.

If you just want to do your own models Silo is a cheap option and there are some very good free ones.

If your into the art end of things and not into animation at all, look at ZBrush. To see it in its glory go to ZBrushCentral.com. The best 3D artists in the world are there and the gallery is worth the trip.

Now that I've added to the confusion, my job is done.

Quote - Daz recently sent out an email regarding Carrara 7.

but I can't see if it would be anything that would be useful for Vue users.  I'm always interested in other software that can enhance what Vue or Poser can do.

Does anyone have any experience of feedback about Carrara and if it is a beneficial tool for those who use Vue and Poser?

What interests me the mos is the 3d Paint function:
"Carrara 7.0 includes a new 3D Paint Tool that enables textures to be selected, edited and "painted" directly onto an object. "

Any comments out there?

There are better programs (and cheaper) out there that can do object painting.  And if you have a modeler already, then you don't need Carrara at all.  Vue is way much better for rendering outdoor nature (and now interior) scenes.

What do you all think about Enzo?

http://www.enzo3d.com/

Expensive but I like that it works with Photoshop.

Anybody use it?

I doubt I'll "upgrade" to Carrara 7 (I have the beta, and am not impressed -- yawn). When DAZ purchased Eovia, I was concerned that DAZ would suck the life out of Eovia after they purchased them. I think I was right, as now, the competitive and creative juices seem to have flowed out of Carrara and into the area of DAZ content (though their content seems, on average, a bit cheezy to me).

If one works hard, they can produce fairly stunning localized scenes with Carrara, but Vue has really jumped far ahead of Carrara in pure landscaping capability. At one time Carrara could give Vue a run for the money, especially when Carrara's fairly capable modeling tools were added to fairly capable landscape tools, it represented a very viable "Swiss Knife" approach to 3D modeling and scene creation. Now, however, it's development has stagnated, and the version 7 has little in the way of compelling new features.

If one went back 2.5 years, I would say it might be a close call between Carrara and Vue. Now I would say, buy Vue, and purchase a separate 3D modeling application -- specializing in 3D modeling. The specialized landscape application (VUE) along with the specialized modeling application (?), make for a powerful toolbox. And you can always purchase lots of 3D content for Vue, if you don't want to do the modeling.

We all lose, as the loss of a competitor in this software arena reduces competition, creates complacency, and higher prices for less software attributes.

Just look at the Vue and Carrara galleries on E-On's and DAZ's web sites and see which does better renders of scenes.

Hint:
One of the apps is used by film studios.

SIGH!
I still have the latest version of Carrara pro on disk somewhere as well as a host of others I havnt got to yet.
I am never gonna get the time for new stuff anymore, heck I dont have time for the stuff I am familiar with.
DOH!