Hi everyone,

I just downloaded the learning edition and feel totally lost!  OK so, is Vue an application like Poser, or Daz, where you likely need to buy more content?  Can you create your own land shapes and or tree shapes?  Is 3ds Max or one of the other more powerful 3d applications necessary for this to work at it's full potential?

I guess ideally I downloaded it to try to create unique backgrounds for my Poser/Daz characters...

Any and all help/info is greatly appreciated!  And sorry for the newbie questions that have probably been asked before!

TIA!

Check out geekatplay.com for some tutorials for begginners, and youll get a better idea of what you can do in Vue.

You dont NEED to have 3ds or something like that, but I think it improves the experience, depending on what you want to do with it..   If you want to make models, then vue is not for you (unless you want to play with metablobs!)

You can make your own landscapes and the such yes with the landscape editor, but i advise you to have a play on GaP and then come back with some more direct questions for us :)

Hope this helps, 

Rich.

Wow, so much there I'm not even sure where to start!

One question I thought of was, should I have choosen the Infinite version or the Xstream version... I couldn't really find out what the difference was, but I went with Infinite.

I think I would start here:

http://www.geekatplay.com/vue9/

These tutorials start pretty much from the beginning and are so recent that most of the features apply to Vue 10 as well.

If you want to get into creating landscapes quickly, you might want to have a look at these tutorials (they are made with version 8 so some minor adjustments have to be made):

http://www.geekatplay.com/epiclandscape2/

This might be a bit simplified but if you want integration with other software, you would chose Vue Xstream.  If you are new to Vue, the Infinite version is more than adequate.

The difference between XStream and infinite is that XStream integrates into other mainstream CG apps like 3DS Max, Maya etc. and Infinite doesn't

The best way to learn the program is start with the tutorials that come with it. And use the help file when you get stumped. Alsi this forum is on of many where you can get help.

Have fun with Vue because it is very powerful for a low end program. Especially if you buy the infinite version. You do not need max or Maya or cinema 45D as they are pretty pricley unless you are going to do graphic work for a living.

Tom

Oh awesome thanks everyone.  

Mari-anne - that's exactly the type of tutorials I was looking for, thanks!

FrankT - Perfect, then I've installed the right one since I don't have those more powerful 3d applications!  Yet..... one step at a time!  :)

Tom - OH!  I didn't even see that there was a tutorial there!  That should also prove to be quite helpful!! 

New question... When I go to render, it has the "e-on" logo all over it and I can't see the render well at all.  What am I doing wrong?

You can not avoid it until you buy a version of the program.

Stinks, but makes sense.  :)

Unless you plan on carrying this to the highest level, when you buy you may find you only need the "Complete" version. They have a feature to compare versions on the E-on website that lists all features.

Go to Cornucopia3d.com to see the best gallery from users. Some are very nice and there are some very talented people there. Vue is capable of remarkable renders, but like all programs of that nature the learning curve is high. However the user interface in Vue is better than most and very user freindly.

Plan on at least 200 hours just to crack the surface. You get out of it, what you put into it.

As to the other software for content creation, it is very expensive and the learning curve is such you have to spend the money for quality tutorials.

First you have to decide if this is a hobby or you want to master the software's. You have likely seen renders used in movies and what not far beyond what you see in the forums. Vue will do that.

Vue is also limited by your computer. Vue will only do what your computer is capable of handling. The first mistake is usually people getting angry because their computers are not powerful enough to do what they want to do. That is not Vue's fault. To get the most out of any of this software requires very expensive Workstations with high end graphics cards. Gaming computers are better than nothing, but not designed for programs like Vue. At the least you really need one of the best GeForce GPU's and if you can afford it a professional card designed for it. All the processors you can afford, 64 bit and all the RAM you can cram in there. If you have it, Vue will use it all.

Or you can buy one of the least expensive versions they offer on the site and just have fun learning it. Just make sure you are aware that the less expensive versions have less features.

It can be a hard decision so take your time with the trial copy and see what feature you will realy use.

Tom

You will have more fun with the PLE version of Infinite than if you bought Complete or something cheaper.  So just stick with the PLE version and learn everything you can from it and then decide if you want to buy it.  But do not race and buy Frontier, hoping to do anything near what you've been learning.

So how does Vue compare to Bryce?  Similar programs right, but what is the main difference?  I see that Bryce is significantly cheaper so I'm just curious how they compare since I'm not exceedingly rich.  I'm a stay at home mom learning this in my spare time, it's all a hobby now, that I'd like to do more with when my son is older and off to school.  So I have learning time, since he's only one now, but not the finances for tons of expensive programs.

Oh and another question... so if you get the "Xstream" version, there is no stand alone program?  You MUST have 3ds Max (or other) installed?  Does it work with Blender (I couldn't find anywhere that it said it did)?

Thanks for putting up with me guys.  :)

you don't have to have Max etc.  If you don't have the host program then it's effectively a very expensive version of Infinite.

I don't believe XStream will integrate into Blender

Attached Link: Here is E-On Software's product page

It would be pointless for you to buy the Extreme version, as you are just starting out. One software package is plenty of work for you to start with, other wise you will get overwhelmed in a big hurry. Start simple and build on what you know already.

Hope these comments are helping you sort it out in your head. :-)

Tom

It does help... but at the same time I feel overwhelmed and just want to make sure that after working with the PLE that I do get the right thing for me.  There is just so much to learn!

If you can stand the water mark for renders I would wait several months if not a year before buying a full version, because after that much time you will see what you will need and what you won't.

Patience is the key. remember you can't learn it all in a month.

You can do it! :-)

Tom

Thanks Tom.  :)

I was looking around thier site at the various smaller packages (like the $49 ones) and wondered if maybe those would be a better option for me?  The only thing it has a small finished image size and it sounds as if you have to buy a lot of the content.  But some of the final images around supposedly using that package are pretty stunning.  Oh and ideally I'd like to be able to import my poser/daz figures which apparently you can't do with that either.

Just like you, Duckee, when I was first introduced to Vue, I felt totally overwhelmed.  The tutorials at Geek at Play were literal life savers.

I had been dabbling in Bryce for a while, but when I started with Vue, I never looked back.  That is just my personal preference - nothing wrong with Bryce at all.

I briefly considered a lesser version, but when I took the plunge, I went with Vue Infinite.  You might qualify for Vue Infinite educational version  (the same as the full version) if you sign up for some Vue classes. That results in quite a price reduction.  Peggy Walters teaches Vue classes over at lvsonline.com (that's how I qualifed at that time for the educational version).

I am strictly a hobbyist and don't have an artistic bone in my body, but I figured something that gives me so much joy is worth the "little" extra expense. That's how I justify the cost of Vue now that I no longer qualify for the educational license.

With Vue Infinite, you get plenty of content, and I wouldn't even give a thought to purchasing additional content until you have gone through the GaP tutorials and get a feel for what you might lack.

I absolutely love this program, want to encourage you as much as I can - don't feel overwhelmed/take it in baby steps - and I can almost guarantee you will not regret the purchase once you get started.

Finally, for someone like me lacking artistic talent, the availability of tons and tons of online tutorials in Vue (notably gaP) is invaluable.