I am a retired/failed rock and roller and have recently began to play around with Bryce and Vue.  Modelling is my immediate weakness.  Can anyone recommend any programs which would be good for a beginner - or any tutorials on the same.  I am interested in organic as well as geometric types of modelling. 

Most on here would recommend Wings3D because of its user-friendliness and what can be done with it. Have a look at the Antonia - Opinions thread to see just how good it really is.

A lot depends on how much you are willing to spend - Wings3D is free - and how involved you wish to get in modeling. I use Blender3D - they're in Alpha atm with a much-needed facelift version - and really love that, but most find it a bit overwhelming. However, it too is free and there isn't much you can't do with it.

For pay? You can have a look at Hexagon or Silo or (getting pricier) modo or 3DSMax or Cinema4D or what the big studios use: Maya. But I'd start with inexpensive unless you're well-heeled... that frees your choices up considerably.

I'd second all of that... Wings has spoiled me for other modelers because it's so easy to use. It doesn't do spline modeling though, and it has a couple of non-intuitive features (like not being able to have a face that's not connected on all sides to other faces).

I like Silo, and I'd say its UV mapping is more robust than Wings. I've used Blender before, and found it hard to get the hang of, but I've heard the new interface is significantly improved. I've got Hexagon, don't use it much. I also have Carrara, which does modeling as well as everything else that Blender does.

Mostly I model in Wings, and use Cinema 4D for spline modeling and refine vertex meshes for rendering. Recently got ZBrush, too, which is more of a sculpting tool, although you can create models from scratch in it, and it's great for organic work.

I'd recommend that you spend a little time with each modeler. The free ones don't usually have good documentation, so find a good forum to chat with people about it (there's a good Wings forum here at Renderosity, for example). For the pricier ones, download a demo and really devote some time to playing with it before you make a commitment; don't just drool over the great models that experienced artists have done (I've wasted a lot of money that way), but really learn if the software is comfortable for you personally.

Whatever you make, be sure and post pictures... lots of encouraging folk around here and many very experienced modelers who'd be happy to share what they know if you're looking for suggestions.

Quote - ... The free ones don't usually have good documentation...

...except, I'm sure you were going to say, for Blender3D, which has not only excellent documentation but also several forums and help sites and just tons and tons of support (or I would have given up ages ago).... :biggrin:

No intention of slighting any software, I assure you.

Blender is undergoing almost constant and rigorous program development, so it's incredibly robust and powerful. Because of that, the documentation can get out of date more quickly than some other programs. It is an excellent tool, and an amazing success story in the world of open source software.

And of course, as mentioned, the best resources (for all software, really) are support forums and web sites where you can talk with other users of the tools.

Anim8or is good for getting your feet wet in modeling and animating the stuff you created.

I would't recomend Blender unless you really know what you are doing. Wings or metasequoia- both free.
Download them and if you don't get on with them take them off. As has been said before here, many times, there is no 'best modeller' there is only one that is best for you. Finally there are experts on this site for all the apps mentioned here so if you need any help just speak up.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions here - I will try a couple of the freebies first before I shell out for anything.  Thanks again.

        I would also recomend wings too it is a quick intuitive modeler. Silo is a excellent low cost option that has a lto of features that can get yrou feet wet with different techniques like it does  sculpting and face by face modeling. if you know wings then open up silo it will be somewhat familiar and you can get started.

Modeling is up to how you want to approach a problem how to approach how to make a shape. Some people are more inclined to spline type modeling others like to go the Z spheres/metaball approach others like box modeling.

Box modeling is taking a simple shape and adding cuts and extrusions until you get the shape you want. Wings is a good example of a box modeler

Spline modeling is more like cad type of work you make curves and trims etc. to get the shape you want.

Face by face modeling is a bit slower in sme respects but often needs less rework you make one face at a time. Silo and Metasequoia can do this

Zsphere and metaball modeling is done by taking primitives and they flow together at close range. Z brush does this also a lot of full featured programs have this feature.

Sculpting is done by different brushes and virtually sculpting the form to make a high poly mesh some allow you to make a low poly version adn then apply normal maps. Z brush and Mudbox are examples of this.

Now there are a lot of choices and there are some programs that do it all but do some things well and others not so much . My advice is learn a bit on the free ones then try out a few demos of regular modelers to see what you like before you put down the cash. Spending 10,000 dollars on programs does not make you a better spending time with the programs you have and learning them makes you good.

Personally I started with Strata 3D then went to Amapi then to Metasequoia now i use wings might get silo once I can scrape up enough cash.

I have blender, anim8or... and wings... but personally couldn't make heads or tails of how to us them... i pretty well mainly use hexagon for my work... i found it to be the best for  my style of workflow... though i often use blender to convert things from other formats to ones i can use... and anim8or is usefull when sorting out normals probs and stuff... i found Hexagon to be fairly user-friendly compared to the others... but i'm sure many would disagree with me... lol... hex isn't the best of modellers out there and it's got some probs... but i generally find that it does what i needed it to at the time... over-all i agree with the others.... try first with the freebie programs before dropping coin on something... and when you do decide to drop coin make sure it's the program that will work best for you... ;) good luck

I'm not an experienced modeller by far, but of the apps that I have tried out with I have found Silo to be the easiest to learn. The interface is much easier to get around and get to grips with than something like C4D for example. They have quite a good site with lots of tutorials and a forum.

Best thing to do is to have a look at each of the ones recommended - those that are not free, try the trial version if there is one.  Some of the interfaces can be a bit daunting at first (one reason I like Silo best, it's not cluttered and complicated). Have fun

What I do is watch videos of pros modeling and see if I like the workflow used in their apps.  Some apps are like sculpting (using one window perspective view) and some are like drafting (using four window flat views).  Some apps reley on manually punching in numbers into fields and some apps can get by with just using the mouse wheel.

When I 3D model, I use Hexagon 3D ver 2.5 and Wings3D.... I slightly prefer Hexagon to Wings... I also have 3DCoat which I find amazing and somewhat simple to use but I'm not too keen or interested in it's Voxel toolset...

I also have Curv3D and it's an inexpensive and fun little 3D app.....

Here's a few more free programs to try...

Albatross 3D previously PPmodeler -> http://www.ppmodeler.com/

Sculptris - poor man's ZBrush? -> http://drpetter.se/project_sculpt.html

Art of Illusion -> http://www.artofillusion.org/

Google Sketchup free version -> http://sketchup.google.com/download/index2.html

I've not played much with Albatross ir Art of Illusion but I do use Sketchup... AND I've fallen in love with Sculptris... During idle time at work I've been killing time with this amazing app...

I use Vue Po Studio 8 for rendering and landscape generation but sometimes it's camera and navigation give me fits....

Cheers

Ken

Thank you so much - all of you guys (and girls) are amazing.  Your tips and advice are really appreciated here.  I was a musician for most of my life - but have virtually retired now - and I am really enjoying this world of 3D imaging.  I have been experimenting with wings and thinking of downloading a trial of zbrush to try that approach also.
I am also trying to use metaballs to see what I can come up with there. 
Thank you everyone for the links too - I guess I will try a bit of everything in a sense - and see what fits the best.

sculptris is a gas. also trying out zbrush.  thanks all.

I think there is no program more user friendly thatn ULEAD COOL 3D for modeling, thought it works well in VISTA and W7 both microsoft and Corel say that it is incompatible (for reasons unknown)

Is Ulead Cool 3D still in production?

Hi, kemmo.
I downloaded it from Brother. If you decide on that software it may be cheaper to first buy Cool 3D because the production studio update was included in the price, then get the Production studio. But I DLd it 2 years ago so I cannot say how available it is at this time

From CNET:
Even though it's peppered with hand-holding effects and tools, Cool 3D isn't a tool to be taken lightly. As with all 3D graphics and animation tools, it demands a great deal of PC power to work its magic. The software could use some improvements, such as an interactive tutorial that explains the varied tools and several included examples that show what's possible. A preview function for effects would also help, since waiting for an object to fully render just to see what it looks like is a waste of time. Those caveats aside, Cool 3D delivers surprisingly powerful 3D modeling and text effects in a fairly simple package. If you have a fast machine and a bit of patience, in no time you'll be creating professional 3D graphics you can easily share as bitmaps or as Flash animations.

I wasn't aware you could build a model from scratch in Cool 3D. I thought it was more a rendering tool or for manipulating existing models (like Poser or DAZ Studio)....

Is it a box modeler? Does it do nurbs or splines?

Thanks kindly

Yes you can
 The first model I put on line was built Entierly in In cool 3d production studio (See Apple_UK free stuff elizabethan house). I exported the house as a 3ds model then imported it into poser

All my models are built in the same programme. However, I see other models eg from Touchwood who built a lancaster bomber that was better than the one I built in Cool 3D PS. Really, you get what you pay for. Cool 3D PS = 120 GBP 3D max = 800 GBP

OOPS.sorry, I have no idea which programme Touchwood uses