I can't be the only one! My proggie of choice is Moray- solid models, MDL format. However, all the questions here are poly this and poly that, so I thought I'd start a thread for those who think poly is something you give crackers. ;] -or just a discussion, whynot? Solid vs poly? Pros and cons? Tips and tricks? Anything- go for it! I'm here to learn, like all of us!

hey micheleh, i dont know much about moray-solid models... ive seen the pages works here at renderosity and they are great! but thats all i saw from moray.. could u give us a brief explanation of its method and maybe some screenshots and models??? loggie

im in the same boat as logan dont know what they are

Um. Well... okay! Mind you, I've been learning cg for 7 months now,so expert I am not, but here goes. One of the reasons I love Moray is because it's the easiest to use interface I've ever seen. It's so logical. The screen shot above is my second gallery image "in production". All 4 views are active, and usable. Solid modeling, to me, is like playing with blocks on a computer. If you can "think" 3d, it's easy!

Never heard of Moray either. So, I take it that "Solids" are like modeling with primitives (cubes, sheres, etc.)?

This is the materials editor. I have trouble understanding, for instance, poser type maps, because with solids textures the texture goes all through- it's like the difference between chrome paint and actual chrome. Makes glass and transparency a breeze, too.

"So, I take it that "Solids" are like modeling with primitives (cubes, sheres, etc.)?" TTBOMK, yep. :] One reason this has been good for me is the price- the renderer, POV, is free, and the GIU, Moray, is free to try (fully functional, no restrictions) and only $60 to register. I'm rendering a wineset I'm working on, to show some of the cool glass effeects I've gotten. I'll post it when it's done. (It's fast, too- the file I'm doing has medium-high antialiasing, and will probably take about 30 minutes tops. While I'm online at the same time!)

well lets start the discussion:) i guess its great for non organic modelling right? what about bumps and wrinkles in an old mans face? what are the tools available in the modeller? pov ray is a great renderer.. ive seen some outstanding images from it!

Sorry about the wait- got hungry. ;] I haven't done people yet, but there are several approaches. Right now most non-"cubic",objects are done thru trans, taper, and rotational sweeps, (just learned that) and bezier patches. You can generate blobs and raw files, or import UDO's. Imports include 3ds, obj, and dxf. There are also many good plugins, like trees, grass, smoke, galaxies, bsplines and mesh objects. I'm working on a project right now which involves re-assigning and reboning Mike so I can export him in manipulable pieces, and re-assemble and texture in Moray. So far I've done it on a crude scale, and it's worked.

oh thats great!! it has bezier patches!!!! well i guess u have a great tool in ur hands micheleh, and for US$60!!! does it has animation tools aswell?

Yeah,there is. I haven't learned it yet, but it uses inverse kinematics. Here're some links: Moray- http://www.stmuc.com/moray/ POV- http://www.povray.org/ Poseray- (Converts poser scenes to pov or moray)- http://user.txcyber.com/~sgalls/

If I can generate enough interest in these, I'll write up a nice basic tutorial.