what program to buy?
by Rick Sebeck
on
May 6, 2005 at 9:51:42 pm
I am a very basic 3D user, and am looking for a simple 3D application. I am not doing any advanced modeling or character animation, so I am looking for something very basic. Basically I need to model VHS boxes, image map the artwork onto them, light them, and keyframe camera moves.
I downloaded the Cinema 4D demo and I picked it up pretty quickly... seems to be a good solution to what I need.
My question is, is there any reason why I should stick to more conventional programs like Lightwave or Maya? if I'm not going to be using them to their full extent?
Is there an even more basic (cheaper) program that will do what I need?
Re: what program to buy? by Adam Trachtenberg on May 7, 2005 at 1:46:45 am
First off, while Maya and LW may be popular (conventional), it's a mistake to assume that they're more powerful than Cinema. Well, Maya is a very deep program for sure, but it's mainly geared toward studios. LW certainly has nothing on Cinema in terms of raw power, and IMO Cinema has the edge in that regard.
I think Cinema's base package would be an excellent choice for your needs, and provides a very good upgrade path should you get hooked on 3D (warning--there's a good chance you'll get hooked on 3d :)). trueSpace is a cheaper alternative, but I wouldn't recommend it: very funky interface and very crashy.
Re: what program to buy? by Rick Sebeck on May 7, 2005 at 1:59:56 am
I just found Cheetah 3D which lets me map images to boxes, add lights, and keyframe camera positions. Renders look pretty good - good enough for what I need - an i haven't really tweaked the settings since it is a demo.
Cheetah sells for $60
seems too good to be true... what do you all think
Re: what program to buy? by vitaminman on May 7, 2005 at 9:18:23 pm
Hey,
The version is called CE+, which is to my understanding a repackaged version of Cinema 4D XL v.6. I just got mine about a month ago for $100 and have been very happy with it. You can't find any information about it on their website (the link I used to purchase it seems to be dead now), but I'm sure a quick email or phone call to Maxon.net will sort you out.
