Anyone want a forum for Electric Image Universe, or the intro package 3dToolKit from DVGarage that is a previous version of Universe / Animator? If so, post your interest below. You can see the software at www.universe3d.com or www.dvgarage.com and the intro package comes with version 2.9 modeler / animator / amorphium pro 1.2 / 3 gigs of video training and all for about $200. The upgrade to the current version 4 is about $500 and outright its around a grand. I wrote to the admin about starting up a forum and here's the reply so if you want a forum here, pipe up. ************************************ hello there! thanks for your support of our community! glad you are getting good stuff out of it. the way we gage interest for new forums is by responses to threads for such in the community ideas forum... so my advice is start a thread there and get everyone to post to it. if enough folks ask for something, we definitely respond! thanks! audre editor, renderosity magazine

I think it is a good idea, I am thinking of buying the learning kit myself. If I do I would be very interested in coresponding in the EIU forum for sure! Alex

Hi Eric, thanks for your help in the modelling forum! Count me in I'm only playing with a demo at the moment but it looks promising! EI is waaaaay out of my price range but 3D toolkit looks like superb value! Baz

Yes, I'm intrested in a U4 forum. My only concern is that most of the 3rd party plugins are slow to migrate to PC. --Ashley3D

what r differences between Ei and 3d toolkit wexactly ? Does that mean EI wroks with dvGarage for a low-price verions of EIU ? I also got demo from 3D World mag UK

Count me in for an EIU forum.

To answer poserpro's question, the EIU demo and toolkit versions won't accept plugins. Check out the EI website for links to 3rd party plugins, there are some great ones.

Tim

thanks for the info.:)

Poserpro, the differences between EI 4 and the tool kit is that the kit is a previous version of EI. Its version 2.9, which means some of the plugins designed for version 4 probably won't work on 2.9. I've been reading the forums at the site and aside from greater funtionality in the current version (as to be expected), the 2.9 version does not render as fast (also to be expected). The features are not all that different between the toolkit and current version and the differences appear to be for the very proficient who want that extra edge. I'd highly recommend you get the demos and play. The kit has excellant training videos so if you like the interface, away you go. (interface is similar to lightwave). Any models you make in the kit save in .fac format. There are third party disks out there with TONS of .fac models to play with. The old Play version of Amorphium 1.0 and the new EI Amorphium Pro 1.2 will open a .fac and let you export as .obj or whatever. The kewl thing is that the $119 amorphium pro comes free with this. splines, curves, beizer, nurbs, uber nurbs, bevels, birail, blend, boolean, knife, spline, extrude, knots, layers, mirror, vertex .... tons of tools to use in the modeler and the animator seems to have an array of its own quality tools.

Count me in. I use EI and find it very discouraging that there is not more on the web in regards to support for this platform.

Yea I use Universe 4, was wondering if an EI forum was ever going to start here.

You know the drill. I'm hoping that we get enough response for a forum. I'm delighted at using the 3dtoolkit. After a year or two of trying to figure out what the difference between nurbs, ubernurbs, and beizer splines is, this kit has me doing rotations in all three in just a couple of days. Booleans are easier in universe than I thought and much cleaner than Bryce. Can't wait to show something. So far, I successfully created the shell of a glass cup that I have using nurbs and the rotation tool. Now I need to boolean an octagon inside, make the handle, and texture. Hope to share it next weekend.