Hello all! :D

I am sure there are a lot of you Vue folks I haven't met yet on Renderosity since I have done most of my renderings in Bryce for the past...forever... :) So anyway, I am looking forward to meeting/talking with you all very much. I am interested in trying Vue..I have looked at the e-on site and they have so many different versions of Vue, I am confused as to which version would do everything I want to do, but not be too much for my budget....I wold love the professional versions of course, but I do not have $1000+ to spend on this so....

I basically just want to continue to create the same sort of art I have been with Bryce, but of course have the added benefits of real Vue power, like eco-systems and granular control of atmosphere, terrains, textures, etc and I want to be able to import my own models or course. I would like to use a lot of effects and create really rich scenes without having to purchase a lot of addons or plugins. I prefer to use little or no postwork in my stuff. Which version sounds best for me? FYI I am trying Pioneer right now, but it seems sort of limited...

Thanks in advance :)

Go for Esprit. Then if you feel limited after a while of using it, you can buy  the modules you think you need. But Esprit will let you import your models, and use "ready made" ecosystems, either the ones that ship with Vue or those you can buy at Cornucopia. Editing will be strictly limited, but hey, that's a great start.

 Thanks for the reply :)

Can you create your own ecosystems in Esprit?

No, this is one of the limitations, you can only use ready made ones. But maybe you could get to grips with esprit, and when you feel too limited, buy the Ecosystem and/or Ecopainter modules. Vue has a modular approach for its Artists line. Bear in mind, though that there is no upgrade path from a product from the Artists line to the Pro line. Once you are using Complete (when you have all the modules), you're stuck with it. Can't go Infinite. (Well, you can by arrangment with e-on, but it's pricey)

 Thanks again :)

I wonder which package is most used by the most prominent Vue users here at Renderosity? What do you think about that? is it all over the board or are most people using Complete? or Infinate or? Do we have a bunch of rich hobbyists that can spend $1000+ on software? or? how many pro people really post in our gallerys?

 I just went through all of the available addon modules for Vue Pioneer, and it appears I wold want all of them, so it looks like complete is the way to go for me...$600 ...uhhhg....

If Complete is too much for one go, get Esprit, and add modules to it at your own (bank account) pace. It's not cheaper this way, but if money's tight, it's a good way to get Complete.

Vue is one of the very few programs I have ever used that i can honestly say is worth the money.

Actually it is worth whatever they wanna charge these days it seems :D

 Thanks for the input :) Do you guys use Windows 7 as well? I am using it on my main PC and am hoping I do not need to revert back to...anything..lol..Getting some odd behaivior out of it this morning with memory handling.. I have plenty but seems Vue is adding objects for me that I didnt tell it too, etc.. really strange.

Well, no wonder it works fine on this monster machine!

yeah, but for some odd reason when i am using Vue my temp goes up past 140, sometimes 150... that cant be good  :(

It looks like it is measured in F on your computer, in C's that comes to about 65, which is not a problem at all for a processor under load.

Start worrying when it hits 95c or 203F :)

Jon

 I don't have a glitzy computer made strictly for graphics, but Vue 8 Complete works fairly nicely for me.  I have been using Vue since version 2, and until a few weeks ago, Vue 4 was what I had.  So I bought the complete with all the modules and I am having such a blast catching up!  I feel like I am home again, here.  

In any case, whatever version you decide on, this forum and those that are here is the place to be.  Quite helpful folks are here to make sure you have fun and learn in the process.

Teque

I agree with tsquare, this is a great and fun place to be.

A great bunch of guys and gals here to  learn and help out.

Heyas! :)
think I've seen you on the DAZ3D forums?

as folk say, if you want to go heavy into it, get Complete.
I use Infinite, but I've been upgrading since v5 so that's been cheaper (per year, as it were) than shelling out for it all in one big load.
I'm definately NOT rich, but art and games are all I have (bar my dog), so what the hell! :p

Vue works great on my rig, but I know some folk do have serious issues, mostly MAC users, and lesser extent ATI video cards have more issues than Nvidia ones.

Windows7, 64 bit works fine for me :)

Have a read on my site (link is in my signature) and GeekAtPlay.com for tutorials.
~AsileFX (but they are commerical)
~Dax Phandi (AKA, Nukenation on Deviantart.com) has commercial tutorials (damn good ones on atmopsheres and rocks/landscapes)

I always do postwork now, can  improve things os much in various ways.
but i you don't wish to, getting lighting irght is of course, essential (hence my tuts on that)
and Vue has "post process" render abilities (well, at least in Infinite) so you cna tweak saturation, Gamma, exposure etc.

Have fun Vue-ing! :)

 Thanks all for the replys!  :) I am stoked about getting into Vue :)

I use 8  Complete also. It's  awesome. I would prefer infinite just for save to layers.
But can't do the extra bucks.

Be aware that there is no normal upgrade path from complete to infinite.
So you are at the mercy of e-on to keep making new complete versions available at mortal prices. I can sort of handle the yearly $200.00 upgrade. of complete, but if they crank that to $300.00 or $400.00 a crack I can't keep up with that. Like with the non maintenance infinite I would have say bye bye.

Is there an obligation to upgrade each year?/Maintenance fee/subscription fee?

 No-one is obligated to upgrade software.  Yet.  Perhaps down the line our government will require that we all pay up to Microslut for our yearly bread and butter.  Since companies are now people too, I could see that in the future.  

Until then, it is up to Eon to dangle a very juicy carrot in front of us all in exchange for our coin.  Whether or not you think the carrot is worth the coin, will be up to you.  I could wait another 4 versions before I have winkled all the goodness out of 8.4. :) 

*Edited to correct typos

Quote - Is there an obligation to upgrade each year?/Maintenance fee/subscription fee?

No obligation, but if a person would like to upgrade, it would be nice to it have only cost an arm rather than an arm and a leg:

I have Complete 8. I expect (guess) that version 9 will be about $200.00 USD to upgrade from 8 come this November. Like 7 complete was to 8 complete.

I can see that learning VC8 will take me plenty long. With the economy the way it is. I'll probably be waiting till version 10 to upgrade.

 I think they put too much pressure on themselves with yearly upgrades. Not every version they come out with will be worth the price of admission. For example, I would gladly wait two years to get an upgrade as huge as the jump from Vue 5 to Vue 6 was. That was amazing. The jump to Vue 7 just didn't do it for me.

I noticed that when big houses started using Vue the prices started creeping up, this is what it is kinda leaving us small timers in the dust (;

 Yeah. It is also when big houses started using it they decided to follow suit with Maya and 3DS Max and do yearly upgrades and maintenance. 

In the days of Vue 5, I could call down there and actually sit on the phone with someone. It sounded like they all worked out of one room. Bet that won't happen today.

 Well, thank you all for the replies :)

I think I will make a small purchase first then upgrade with modules as I can. :)

I came back to vue after a long hiatus(since V4) this January w/Esprit. I picked up the Ecosystem/Ecopainter module almost immediately.  After that it took only a few weeks before I did the $199 upgrade from Esprit e/Ecosystem/Ecopainter to Vue complete, but doing it this way spread out the cost a bit.  Now I am trying to get a few quick projects done so I can spend my $495 (the cost to jump from complete to infinite - well worth it just for the cornucopia content alone btw even w/o the extra functionality) - though I may suck it up for another 6 months and do the upgrade right as they announce pre-release deals on Vue 9 (that way my infinte u/g to 8.5 will net me an auto u/g to 9 & 9,5).  Either way I can't wait - as was said earlier - Vue is worth every penny!

 Yea, I am more and more inspired the more I look and read and play with Pioneer :)..... I may ebay some junk I have sitting around just to get V8C.....hmmm...lol....until then, Pioneer has me entranced...

 Why not push the version you have to its limits, creating great images, before you make the jump to the next larger package?