3D modeling

Sabre21 · #1 February 2nd, 2001, 04:22 PM

I know this was probably already covered a few hundred times, but what programs are out there that would be good to create 3D modeled shipsets and where can I get them?

Noble713 · #2 February 2nd, 2001, 10:47 PM

Free: POVray, Truespace (is this free?)

Not free: 3d Studio Max (3d Max 4 just released, I think), Lightwave 6, maybe Rhino and Bryce

REALLY not free: Maya 3.01, SoftImage

I really don't much about the free stuff, as I don't use them. Now that you know what's out there, a search through Yahoo's directories should yield some more useful information.

raynor · #3 February 3rd, 2001, 12:33 AM

TrueSpace 5 by Caligari is a commercial product.

I had never heard of POVray. Thanks for the tip. A free 3D renderer is an amazing thing when consider that at $795, TrueSpace is likely the least expensive of the programs mentioned.

ColdSteel · #4 February 3rd, 2001, 12:56 AM

You can get Moray, which works as a frontend for POV-Ray. Its shareware so you can download it and try it out and see how you like it. It's not very expensive compared to a lot of the others out there. I've been learning how to use it and I like it pretty well. I haven't tried any of the others so I have nothing to compare that to though. Quite a few of the current shipset designers use Moray.

There is going to be a freeware Version of 3D StudioMax 4 released by the company soon. it will be called GMax and is intended for game mod makers (like us). May they release it soon.

pathfinder · #5 February 3rd, 2001, 01:00 AM

What ColdSteel said (he beat me too it, can't post from work).

The url for Moray is : http://www.stmuc.com/moray/

I just bought it for about DM 150 or $85 US or somefink like that

Lastime I priced Lightwave it ran about $1200-1500 US, soooooo

I haven't figgered it out yet but when I do, my Brachyura will have their own custom shipset.

[This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 02 February 2001).]

Instar · #6 February 3rd, 2001, 02:08 AM

You forgot something with the Moray: www.stmuc.com/moray
For Moray 3.3 (rocks so much, it has OpenGL preview now)
and you need POV-Ray to use Moray www.povray.org

Darwin · #7 February 3rd, 2001, 07:41 AM

3dStudio MaX R4 is $4999US

It would say it's in the REALLY not free catagory. And even as fancy and as powerful as it is. I'm still making my Shipset in Moray/Pov-Ray. The textures are better and I can't find a way to bring in what I've already done

------------------
Lord Darwin,
Space Empires Fan since
Space Empires 2 in 1995

Markavian · #8 February 4th, 2001, 09:12 PM

All the shipsets that I've created on Universal Shipyards been rendered using Moray/Pov-ray.

With the exception of a few ships which had Rhino 3D complex shapes exported to Moray format.

I think you'll find that both are these are fully working share ware programs.
www.rhino3d.com

On a completely different matter, it seems that 95% of all fully working share ware programs available on the internet also have about, on average, 5 cracks, or sreial hacks, or code generators for them.

What is this world coming to! When will the programmer ever be protected!

[cough] My Larengistis is improving, I think. . .

Blue Lord · #9 February 5th, 2001, 07:42 PM

While were on the topic of 3D modelling, I've got a question about the Rhino demo. I've tried it, and decided that I wanted to make my little dots first. And I do alot of moving and making of single dots and, very proud of myself, I decid to put the imagenary lines in my head between the dots. And I spent 30 minutes just trying to find it. I didn't. Anyone using Rhino that can help???

Markavian · #10 February 6th, 2001, 10:07 AM

I tihnk you'll find you need to use the draw line tool. . . draw using that first, then press F10 to switch point editing on. (F11 to switch off).

Also, to get anything to look like rendering you need to put a surface on them. Try the 'planar surface from edge curves' command. I think.

I've not Rhino on this computer, since its at school.

Hope thats some herlp, e-mail me if you need more. markis.brachel@ntlworld.com