*Yawn* Alternatives to SketchUp
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MicroGDS has many Sketchup like features. It is a full blown CAD app with fully integrated 3D, but some of the tools are very similar.
For example, MicroGDS had an equivalent to PushPull long before Sketchup was even just an idea. It goes by the less catchy name of Face>Move. Entities are structures much like groups and components too, called objects, instances and assemblies in MicroGDS. MicroGDS handles much more complex models and has photo-realistic rendering built-in (using the Lightworks engine.)
It is by the same people responsible for Piranesi.
Check out http://www.informatix.co.uk
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@linea said:
These are free open source apps but both have sketchup-like simplicity. Still under development, but Advocado is quite similar. (Tim Sorry if this is off topic as you probably want to only compare commercial apps).
Linea -- not at all, both look interesting (although their unavailability would disqualify them
)Surprised no-one picked up on my reference to upFRONT -- nearly fifteen years ago it was doing inferencing and could do things that SketchUp still can't do --- components cutting walls with thickness, translucent shadows, really cool built-in camera-path tool...
I've still got two boxed copies that I refuse to throw out -- that's how software should be packaged.
Edit: Cheers, john -- I'll check it out.
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Wow, it is from € 1,130 to € 3,980!
But yes, this is about alternatives...
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As much as I hate the current slow development of Sketchup, it still rules.
I have a love-hate relationship with the software. There is no competition in how easy and fast it is, but it can be such a pain when doing large models.
If I was to pick an alternative I would say Cinema 4D, but it will be frustrating as the modeling part of C4D is not as intuitive as Sketchups....but it has the extra features and high poly control Sketchup misses.
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These are probably related things, Kwist. We gain on the modeling side (inferencing for instance) with SU but it puts a big workload on the CPU (i.e. keeping all possible inferencing options in mind constantly while you are modeling/orbiting).
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Has anyone managed to d/l and run AvoCADo? It just doesn't work on my Mac.
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BTW, what counts as a 'high-poly' model? How many faces?
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@unknownuser said:
Has anyone managed to d/l and run AvoCADo? It just doesn't work on my Mac
It runs ok on pc. The features are slowly being added so it isn't really a useable product yet but the similarities to Sketchup are apparent. The Gui is nice too.
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Tim,
When talking "High Poly" I would like to say anything more than Sketchup can handle (only because I am still a bit pissed Sketchup 7 can not handle anymore polys that V6) but I would say "high poly" would be something like millions of poly's. Not millions of poly's all wrapped up in a few components repeated 1000's of times but millions of unique poly's.
I think Sketchup is a niche product and that is why it is hard to find a alternative. We are just not going to find it. That is not to say Sketchup is perfect (we all can find faults...I am not going to re-harsh the V7 bashing thread...yes I was a part of that too!), but Sketchup is a great tool for roughing out a model and even adding some real detailed stuff (see SilverShadows stuff) but it will never be (for example) Modo, C4D, MAX or any of the other great modeler/renderers. The way I look at Sketchup is, it is really good at a handful of things but not everything. Personally the best all around program is Modo...hands down. When we get into larger modeling packages they cost more (some not much) and offer a wider range of capabilities. I think as time has gone on and Sketchup's development has (somewhat) stalled we have all looked to other packages to make up the difference in our workflow. Sketchup will never become MAX or any of the other big ones but that was never the intention or direction of Sketchup. For myself the closest comparisons would be Modo, Silo, and Hexagon. I tried to pick very capable programs under $1000. Granted they are not the same and work a bit different but I think it is established already nothing is Sketchup but I think that argument can be made for anything. Good luck and I look forward to reading your article.
Scott
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@tim danaher said:
Because that's what the commission calls for. This is for 3DWorld magazine.
Oooooohhh! Keep us posted! I buy it every month since introduced a few months back.
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No to hijack the thread but another good magazine I found recently is "HDRI". Not as detailed as 3D world but also not loaded down with advertisements either.
Scott
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Cheers, all --
I CANNOT get AvoCADo to run... I have the latest Java installed, but it keeps saying "invalid or corrupt .jar file". Anyone got it running on a Mac?
I've only tried it in XP under Parallels, but no joy there...it crashes after the splashscreen.
Juju -- it should be in the January issue. Did you see my Turning Torso Tutorial in issue 99? It's on their website somewhere.
Edit: Scott -- a million! Wow. My most complex only has 133 000... I feel like a novice.
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Hi Tim,
A good friend of mine uses Turbocad. I've watched him use it and tried it myself but didn't get to involved in it. If given more time, i would think it looks fairly easy to learn and the price seems fair. Have you checked it out before? The same friend also uses Google Sketchup but he hasn't lately. Old habits I guess...Good luck with the findings...
Jeff
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I think it's hard to compare anything with sketchup, but for me the ones that can come close to it are Caligari truespace, lusology modo, and silo
Caligari Truespace - it's free (microsoft bought it to compete to skethcup so that people could also do buildings for virtual earth), it can do much more than sketchup (high poly, animation, physics, rigging, internal render and a reaaly cool real time render like the ones used in game) but hsi interface it's really not user frindly and can't really compare with sketchup easy to use
Lusology Modo - it cost much more but this is really a professional program and was built from the ground up by some of the references and brains in the 3d world. Very advanced modeling tools and one of the most promissing render out there
Nevercenter Silo - this is the one that comes close t skethcup but and the core is the same of sketchup : easy 3d modeling and colaboration with other 3d packages, but more for high poly organic modeling. It's more used ofr high poly modeling, advance uv tools and a lot of import export formats, but lack doesn't work so good has skethcup alone wihtout the help of other softwares.
keep us posted about your work
David
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Actually Modo is not that much more than Sketchup. For all you get it is hard to not at least point it out.
Sketchup $495 (new license)
Modo $695 (new License)Scott
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Modo is $895. The $695 price is a special offer.
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Have you forgotten about Z brush? Have a copy on my computer running..
Although the interfaces are different I can definitely see a similarity between the 2.
Zbrush is recommended for Organic modeling and SU hard surface. Although it is possible for both modelingtypes in both of the programs.
Its the same push and pull strategies with finess tools.
I must say SU is THE most userfriendly program I ever haver used. So quick too
learn. Very logical approach. Z brush is a bit intimidating at first but also quite logical when one get used too it. I must confess I talking about Z.brush ver 2.5. Havent used ver3 so much yet. Have SU now
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Yes a special offer, and one I would suggest anyone looking for a modeler capable of doing just about anything MAX/C4D can do for less than 25% of MAX's cost should jump on this offer. Not to mention that Modo 401 will have HAIR, Volumetric lighting, and better animation controls (rumor has it). Even $895 is still one of the best deals out there for a modeler/render/UV editor/Sculptor....and the list goes on.
Scott
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I have not found any good alternative to sketchup, but I use wings 3d, the free modeler, http://www.wings3d.com/ when I need some features that sketchup doesn't have:
1| the ability to handle a high number of polygons
2| it's a subdivision modeler: subdivide and smooth on steroids
3| the selection tool is powerful
4| it can export to 3ds, obj and lwoI usually start a model in sketchup and when I need to add more definition to it I switch to wings 3d. You need to have sketchup pro, since it doesn't import skp models, so you must convert your model to 3ds before you can edit it in wings 3d.
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I think these two applications are closest to the Sketchup paradigm at the current time and worth watching to see how they develop:
http://www.3dvia.com/software/3dvia-shape/tour/
http://www.bonzai3d.com/
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