Afordable, simple 3D modeling Software?

[Razvan-Sedekiah]

Hey!

I'm wondering if there is a affordable, simple 3D modeling software out there?

I'm a 2D person here, but I want to do a bit of 3D.

I've worked with SoftImage and Maya in the past, but they are expensive and complex. (the complex thing IS good, but I want to spend more time on my 2D endeavors. My 3D is so rusty and I was never very fast.)

[cookepuss]

Well Blender (http://www.blender.org) is 100% free and quite powerful (http://www.vimeo.com/1084537), but the GUI is not for the faint of heart. The upcoming 2.50 is supposed to bring some much needed UI changes (http://www.blender.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=uploads%2Fpics%2FTwoFifty.png&width=800m&height=600m&bodyTag=%3Cbody%20style%3D%22margin%3A0%3B%20background%3A%23fff%3B%22%3E&wrap=%3Ca%20href%3D%22javascript%3Aclose()%3B%22%3E%20|%20%3C%2Fa%3E&md5=ca56f5c26f0278def73eb27a5c9c7044), but that's still a couple of months off.

You could try Wings3D (http://www.wings3d.com/) and combine it with Roadkill UV (http://www.pullin-shapes.co.uk/page8.htm) if all you're interested is basic box modeling, but the level of functionality is not as high.

I guess you can troll around the magazine aisle at your local book store too. The recent #1 issue of 3D Artist Magazine just had a full version of Eovia's Carrara Studio 6.1 Pro on CD. Granted, it'll cost you ~$15 to get the magazine, which is good btw, but you'd get the software. The real question is if you can still find the mag.

Alternatively, you can spend $129 on Silo 2.1 Professional (http://nevercenter.com/about/features/). For that money, you get a good quality poly modeler that allows you to do box modeling, edge modeling, poly-by-poly, & mid-range sculpting (~2.5mil polys on most systems.) The app has received some criticisms lately, though, for a relative lack of updates in regards to fixing some bugs. It is rumored that a new update will appear around August, in time for SIGGRAPH, but nobody knows for sure. You should try the demo (http://nevercenter.com/download/) before purchasing, to see if it works well on your system.

Caligari is now out of business, thanks to MS putting them out of their misery, but their trueSpace 7.61 is still currently available for the time being. 100% for free. (http://www.caligari.com/downloads.html) It has always been a bit of an icon heavy sort of program and the app does have some quirks/bugs, but it is actually a full featured mid-level power app. (http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts75/Brochure/sds.asp?Cate=BModeling_sds) It has features for modeling, character animation, rendering, UV, hair, physics, etc.. Again, it's 100% free and comes with PDF manuals and video tutorials.

After that, you're really left with the sub-$1000 programs like high quality $900 Modo or the more mediocre $149 Hexagon.

[Styx]

i use blender by my self, but i must say its not really simple.
the simplest i know is milkshape. (30$ i think or 30 days trail)
it has no raytracer or something, but its a nice little tool to start.
and if you want to start with a "bigger" tool, milkshape is the best fileconverter i know. ^^

[Guedin]

Here's a comparison (http://wiki.cgsociety.org/index.php/Comparison_of_3d_tools) of several 3DTools, I hope it'll help you to know cons and the pros of each software.

I'd like to add 3DCoat (http://www.3d-coat.com/) in the list which is a young software, still in Beta, but really promising. Like ZBrush, it allows you to sculpt object. But it strength is it works with voxel, and not pixol like ZBrush. That allows you to no worry about topology at all, volume will be added or removed as you keep sculpting. Moreover it has great tool for retopology or painting directly on the model.
and its price is cheap, something like 150$.

[cookepuss]

Here's a comparison (http://wiki.cgsociety.org/index.php/Comparison_of_3d_tools) of several 3DTools, I hope it'll help you to know cons and the pros of each software.
That list isn't exactly a 100% spot on. As a Cinema4D Studio user, I can tell you that they made the following mistakes:

- Cinema4D Studio is actually $3,600 not $3,000
- C4D has 2 types of scripting systems: COFFEE (code based) & XPRESSO (noded like XSI's ICE)
- C4D's NURBS functionality is a barely there sort of deal. No trims, fillet, chamfers, & so forth. Just basic extrude, rail, & loft sort of functionality.
- Cinema 4D actually DOES have LCSM and ABF style pelt mapping.
- Linux is supported and available, but only upon request and usually only for their larger studio clients like Sony Pictures.
- Smoke and flame creation are built-in and have been for many years thanks to the standard node-based Thinking Particles & Pyrocluster pyroclastics systems.

Basically, take whatever you read from that list with a grain of salt. Some of that information hasn't been updated in years.

EDIT>>> Also, take the time to so some research regarding the specific feature sets for each app. That chart should only be a guideline and starting point. A program like Art of Illusion may claim to have character animation functionality, but that may be very basic and limited to simple bones. Compared to apps like Maya or C4D, which have film quality character animation and rigging systems, Art of Illusion might as well be a pencil drawn flipbook. By the same token, just because an app costs more doesn't mean that you always get more. Just because C4D cost me ~$4k doesn't mean that the modeling features are 4x better than the $1k Modo or 40x better than the $100 Silo. All of them have poly modeling that's more or less comparable, functionally. Researching the features you need is essential.

[sinz]

I have heard some good things about sktechup from concept artists.
sketchup.google (http://sketchup.google.com/)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMkNJILCc9k

Almost the same price as Zbrush, zbrush is $100 more give or take but Zbrush does a lot more.

There was a more indepth video about G.S. but I can't seem to locate it.

[Maph]

Softimage ModTool is completely free and has all the modelling tools on board that the full version of XSI has.
The only -and MAJOR - downside is, you can't export to obj...

Depending on your budget, there's Silo as before mentioned, but if you want a more advanced toolset and have a lot more money to spend, there's also Modo.
I think it's affordable, especially for what Modo actually offers you. But it's a fairly big investment none the less.

Silo and modo are both very linear in their approach, so what you see is what you get. You don't have to worry about per object history, stacks, etc..., which removes one level of complexity, but also a certain level of control. :)

[3D Skillet]

Honestly, before a hundred more app names get spewed at you. What do you want out of your 3d app. Do you want a complete 3d app that can make game assets from finish to start ?

Or something to aid your illustrations ?

The reason I ask is , if is the latter , I would go with something like ZBrush. As a painter you will feel right at home. If you where to do landscapes with it however, it gets a bit more complicated, and you may want something with a camera.



what do you envision yourself doing with it ?

[Razvan-Sedekiah]

OH!!! So much great information! Still going through it all!

Thank you all very much!

*ponder ponder*

I'm very interested in trying out the Softimage ModTool ! YAY free! And I was a big fan of SoftImage!

3D Skillet:
"Honestly, before a hundred more app names get spewed at you. What do you want out of your 3d app. Do you want a complete 3d app that can make game assets from finish to start ?"
I'd like to be able to know how to make game assets so that I could be more useful to a team.

"Or something to aid your illustrations ?"
Both


"what do you envision yourself doing with it ?"
Partly, giving 3D another chance. I guess I just want to get accustom to it again. It's been nearly 7 years since I studied it seriously. I took a Maya class about 3 years ago, it was enjoyable, but I had so many other obligations at the time that I couldn't get into it as much as I had wanted...
Hmmmm...
I want to freshen up my skills.
I want to create characters and environments.
Making stuff to help with my 2D would be very neat too!
I'd like to animate (although, I'm not too into rigging... -_-)

[Ace-Angel]

ModTool would be the top of my list for you (but seems you already are using it) with a second best of 3DCoat due to it's Voxel sculpting which I'm sure many 2D-3D artists will appreciate.

3rd choice would be Blender in terms of free. In terms of cash, either XSI or Max, with the first for it's simplicity and the second for it's novelty (although both cost alot of money).

[Maph]

ModTool would be the top of my list for you (but seems you already are using it) with a second best of 3DCoat due to it's Voxel sculpting which I'm sure many 2D-3D artists will appreciate.

3rd choice would be Blender in terms of free. In terms of cash, either XSI or Max, with the first for it's simplicity and the second for it's novelty (although both cost alot of money).

The latter choices you mentioned really depend on what you want to do with the app imho. XSI is a very versatile application but it's main field is still vfx and animation.
If Razvan-Sedekiah wants to build static assets from the ground up, cheaper software might be the more feasable choice to make. Shelling out a couple of grand for a piece of software is smart if you plan to make full use of it (ie. 90% of the pipeline in that given app).

I won't disagree with you on the subject of ModTool though. It's a brilliant piece of free software to get you started (and keep using) that goes a long way for most personal work. :)

[Ace-Angel]

Yeah, I know the last choices weren't exactly what they asked for but I thought of throwing them in just incase...someone else asked...

This reminds me, are there any sculpting programs out there for free? The only cheap one is 3DC which I know of...

[Maph]

Blender? :)

[Ace-Angel]

Meh, not a great fan of the GUI system in Blender...oh well, better than nothing I guess.

[Kalango]

There's truespace, it was $ but now its free...
www.caligari.com
I like it, its good for game modelling, specialy the animation controls(wich i realy liked, simple yet effective).