Next software
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V-Ray isn't a modelling tool.
I'd go for Bonzai or Rhino. Seeing how Rhino is more mature and Bonzai is in beta I'd go for Rhino. But I'd keep an eye on Bonzai.
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It all depends on what you aim to model.
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I'd probably go for modo and moi. Would provide you with a very powerful set of poly modelling tools.
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hmmm, the new upcoming Modo 401 looks like a real winner.
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Yes, I'm aware that Vray isn't a modeling program. I should have asked separate questions for rendering and modeling. I just wanted to get a sense of what people on this forum are interested in as a 'next buy'. I would trust the opinions on this forum over any other source of information.
I'm going to download a trial of Modo next week although I'd like to know when 401 is coming out because that version does seem to be something like a possible game changer. It might be wise to wait and do a trial after 401 is released.
For some reason I thought Rhino was one of the $3500 programs. So I learned something useful by asking this question. I'll take a look at it.
I'm a stair builder so my modeling needs are rather simple but I'm spending some time modeling more imaginative stairs than usual and enjoying it quite a bit so I want to use this economic down time to take on some extra skills.
Thanks for the input.
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@unknownuser said:
Would provide you with a very powerful set of poly modelling tools.
Nurbs + Poly
Idem choice : Moi + Modo
- Su
PS New beta of Moi 12 April 2009 is released
- Su
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In that case. V-Ray was my most recent purchase.
And I'm eyeballing Vue. -
- Modo.
- ZBrush.
- Mudbox.
- Cinema4D.
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Modo 401. And Podium V2. And then there's a couple I am NOT going to get.
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@unknownuser said:
@unknownuser said:
Would provide you with a very powerful set of poly modelling tools.
Nurbs + Poly
Idem choice : Moi + Modo- Su
"poly modelling workflow" probably would have been a better way of putting it. I was thinking of using moi as a handy little tool for doing stuff in NURBS that would otherwise be tricky then converting it to polys and importing it in to modo/sketchup.
- Su
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I rather think in software combo's, so you have the whole range of features you need. Sketchup is in all the combos for basic quick low poly modeling.
- Sketchup + Cinema 4D + VrayforC4D : for advanced rendering and animation. (3dsMax would suit as well but way too expensive)
- Sketchup + Rhino + VrayforRhino : for advanced architectural modeling
- Sketchup + Modo: for non architectural stuff.
I would include Vray in the first two combos.
VrayforC4D is the most advanced. The other Vray versions (Rhino and sketchup) are a bit incomplete but acceptable for basic Viz stuff. -
Now I have a lot to think about.
Maybe I'll download a trial of Rhino to my laptop and take it with me for the weekend.
I really wish all these companies would take SketchUp's lead and offer 8 hr trials. I downloaded the trial to Bonzai and have been too busy to open the program since. The trial will probably expire and I'll have used it for one or two hours at the most - not nearly enough to get a good sense of it.
My gut instincts have suggested Modo and Vray as next purchases when (and if) I have the money. This thread more or less confirms that but Rhino is a new idea.
I ran into the website of a French woman who makes stairs out of rough planks and tree trunks. http://www.lozere.net/escaliers-bois Quite interesting. It made me want to go outside the purely architectural structures I'm used to.
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@unknownuser said:
I really wish all these companies would take SketchUp's lead and offer 8 hr trials.
I seem to remember that the Rhino trial does at least let you save and export your work, unlike a lot of those crippled demos. I managed to draw all the tubular steel shelf supports I needed for a shop-fit with that Rhino trial. Liked it, but never used it since.
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@arail1 said:
Now I have a lot to think about.
Maybe I'll download a trial of Rhino to my laptop and take it with me for the weekend.
I really wish all these companies would take SketchUp's lead and offer 8 hr trials. I downloaded the trial to Bonzai and have been too busy to open the program since. The trial will probably expire and I'll have used it for one or two hours at the most - not nearly enough to get a good sense of it.
My gut instincts have suggested Modo and Vray as next purchases when (and if) I have the money. This thread more or less confirms that but Rhino is a new idea.
I ran into the website of a French woman who makes stairs out of rough planks and tree trunks. http://www.lozere.net/escaliers-bois Quite interesting. It made me want to go outside the purely architectural structures I'm used to.
Rhino will work fully functional, but with a limited number of saves. I used Rhino 2/3 when I did my studies. I've go the Rhino4 Trial installed now. It's nice for small little play around just to see what it can do. If I run out of saves it's an indication that I need to get it.
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A little confused - bear with me, I'm just learning about the difference between nurbs and polys and all the rest of it. One suggestion was MOI + Modo + Sketchup. What would you get with MOI that you wouldn't get with Modo? Or is it just that MOI is a fast and agile little program and at $200 bucks it might be the 1st choice to model something organic very quickly?
Maybe what I want is MOI + SketchUp + Vray.
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If by "organic" you mean human anatomy and such, MoI isn't the right tool. A polygonal modeler is much better suited for that sort of stuff. May I suggest Silo? Cheap, and quite able. However, if you simply mean "curvy stuff" like, say, phone horns, MoI might come in handy.
Are you considering modeling with MoI and rendering with Vray for SU? Possibly not the best of workflows: a moderately complex MoI model will drag SU to it's knees. Vray for Rhino may be the better choice.
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@arail1 said:
A little confused - bear with me, I'm just learning about the difference between nurbs and polys and all the rest of it. One suggestion was MOI + Modo + Sketchup. What would you get with MOI that you wouldn't get with Modo? Or is it just that MOI is a fast and agile little program and at $200 bucks it might be the 1st choice to model something organic very quickly?
Maybe what I want is MOI + SketchUp + Vray.
I mentioned MoI not for it's organic modelling capabilities (modo would be better for that) but for the fact that it uses NURBS. This can be very useful if you need to model something like an aeroplane or a kettle as NURBS are generally a better option for curvy things like this.
MoI is also very good at converting NURBS in to polygons, so you could model your aeroplane in MoI, convert it in to a polygon model and import it in to modo.
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Well, i own rhino, modo, moi and sketchup - they all have different strengths, but as a team they are a great combination.
Most of my work is done in rhino, and i am using modo only for rendering (i doubt i would ever want to model anything in it).
Moi is coded by the same guy who originally created rhino, so they have a number of similarities (for example, you can cut and paste models between them) - I just think of moi as a rhino plug-in.
Moi (the V2 beta which you can download free if you purchase V1) has a fantastic sketchup exporter, models come in so clean and smooth.
As a group these four programs are a real bargain if you are making a living drawing / designing stuff with a computer...and the companies / support behind them are, strangely enough, also amazing.cheers
rabbit -
@arail1 said:
... on a new modeling program ... what would be your first choice...
if you need exact, feature-based NURBS volume and surface modeling incl. history and support of all common cad interfaces, the only capable choice below 1,000 bucks is Shark LT, nothing else... SU import and OSX version too.
check the vids and get a 14 day trial.. and drop the rest 
Norbert
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rabbit -
Could you expand a bit on your comment about not wanting to ever model in Modo?
Thanks
Alex
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