3D Modelling freeware Options

[hotmale]

Blender 2.35a (freeware)
Blender, the open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X under the GNU Public License.

More info: http://www.blender3d.org/

[Jonny_S]

I tired this the other day, its ok, just like any other 3D Modelling software though... takes time to get the hang of Great program though.

[coathanger007]

Nice Do you guys know how this compares to gmax?
http://www4.discreet.com/gmax/

gmax® is a free 3D modeling and animation tool based on Discreet's award-winning 3ds max® software. Built for gamers to create their own in-game content for gmax ready games, a gamer can produce everything from characters and vehicles to landscapes and props. Not only do you get to customize your games, you also learn 3D design within a professional-level tool.

[K-Man]

Hi all, K-Man here...

I noticed the reference to "Blender" here. Well, here's another great piece of 3D modelling freeware....

It's called "Anim8or". Here's the URL to the site:

http://www.anim8or.com/

Here's an example of the sort of thing you can create with Anim8or:



Took me about an hour to build this model... and I'm just a beginner!

Anim8or also supports several import/export formats, so it works well with other apps like "Blender".

Give it a try! You may be surprised at what you can do with this gem!

[coathanger007]

Thanks for that K-Man
Do you know how this compares to Blender?
http://decentdownloads.x-istence.com/Forum...php?showtopic=2

You do great work ! Maybe you'd like to post some of your other masterpieces

[K-Man]

Well, Blender is certainly more in-depth! I have Blender myself, but the learning curve is mighty steep! Blender has like a bazillion buttons and menus, and is pretty overwhelming for a beginning modeller like myself.

Anim8or though... it's just so easy! The little "skycar" I made above was only about my 6th model!

Yeah... all 3D modellers have some new ways of thinking to learn, but I definitely rank Anim8or as the easiest to learn of all.

Best thing is: even if you decide to move on to a more complex application like blender, you can still use Anim8or models, by simply exporting them in the right format.

Plus; you can download a complete manual for Anim8or in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format... and there are some great tutorials for various skill levels on the site too!

[K-Man]

K-Man here...

Here's a nice little freeware program for those of you using "Anim8or".

It's called "Terranim8or", and it's for generating terrain models in Anim8or compatible format. Like Anim8or, it is also very easy to use!

Here's the URL:

http://www.biederman.net/leslie/terranim8or/terranim8or.htm

I'll post a sample image as soon as I get it uploaded.

[magicangel]

Blender is the first, and only, fully integrated 3D graphics creation suite allowing modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, realtime interactive 3D and game creation and playback with cross-platform compatibility - all in one tidy, downloadable package. Source code is available as a separate download.

http://www.blender3d.com/cms/Features.155.0.html

[magicangel]

The Persistence of Vision Raytracer is a high-quality, totally free tool for creating stunning three-dimensional graphics. It is available in official versions for Windows, Mac OS/Mac OS X and i86 Linux. The source code is available for those wanting to do their own ports.

http://www.povray.org/

[veronica]

Quote from author"Anim8or is a 3D modeling and character animation program that I have written over the past couple of years, not as a commercial endeavor, but because I love 3D graphics, animation, and programming. While it is far from a complete professional level application like 3DStudio MAX or Lightwave, I believe that it has enough capability to be of use to others."

http://www.anim8or.com/

This post has been edited by coathanger007: May 5 2005, 08:40 PM

[veronica]

Blender is the first and only fully integrated 3D graphics creation suite allowing modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, realtime interactive 3D and game creation and playback with cross-platform compatibility - all in one tidy, easily and free downloadable package!Blender is being released with source codes under the GNU Public License. Blender therefore is fully free to use and distribute within any educational, professional or commercial environment.

http://www.blender3d.org/

This post has been edited by coathanger007: May 5 2005, 08:42 PM

[veronica]

gmax is a free 3D modeling and animation tool based on Discreet's award-winning 3ds max™. Built for gamers to create their own in-game content for gmax ready games, a gamer can produce everything from characters and vehicles to landscapes and props. Not only do you get to customize your games with gmax, you also learn 3D design within a professional-level tool. gmax - build the worlds you want to see, in the games you love to play!

http://www.discreet.com/products/gmax/

This post has been edited by coathanger007: May 5 2005, 08:45 PM

[veronica]

Maya Personal Learning Edition is a special version of Maya®, which provides free access to Maya for non- commercial use. Maya Personal Learning Edition will give 3D graphics and animation students, industry professionals, and those interested in breaking into the world of computer graphics (CG) an opportunity to explore all aspects of the award winning Maya Complete™ software in a non-commercial capacity.

http://www.alias.com/eng/products-services...ple/index.shtml

This post has been edited by coathanger007: May 5 2005, 08:52 PM

[veronica]

The Persistence of Vision Raytracer is a high-quality, totally free tool for creating stunning three-dimensional graphics. It is available in official versions for Windows, Mac OS/Mac OS X and i86 Linux. The source code is available for those wanting to do their own ports.

http://www.povray.org/

This post has been edited by coathanger007: May 5 2005, 08:55 PM

[coathanger007]

Nice Do you guys know how this compares to gmax?
http://www4.discreet.com/gmax/

gmax® is a free 3D modeling and animation tool based on Discreet's award-winning 3ds max® software. Built for gamers to create their own in-game content for gmax ready games, a gamer can produce everything from characters and vehicles to landscapes and props. Not only do you get to customize your games, you also learn 3D design within a professional-level tool.

Another one bites the dust

As of October 6, 2005, Autodesk will no longer offer Gmax® software as a stand-alone product. If you are interested in other 3D animation, modeling, and rendering applications from Autodesk please check out Autodesk® 3ds Max® software. You can download a free 30-day trial, view product demonstrations, read customer success stories, and get more information about this powerful, versatile product.

I've uploaded the last freeware version here:
http://www.freedecentdownloads.com/software/Gmax.zip

[K-Man]

Hello again!

Wow... it has been ages since I was able to post here.

Anyway... I've been playing with a new modelling program. This one actually has a free version, though it also has a "Pro" version which is far from free. Still... even the free version has its merit.

This one actually comes from Google. It's called "Sketchup". It doesn't have fancy rendering capabilities, but it works quickly and easily enough. It seems pretty good for visualizing things which might be difficult to portray with more conventional drafting methods.

I'm really still learning the program myself, but perhaps I'll post an image or two soon. Right now, my models are pretty primitive. lol

p.s. It's good to be back!

K-Man

[coathanger007]

Good to have you back K-Man. Do we get a peek at your works in progress/works of art?

btw, you forgot the link:
http://www.sketchup.com/
Looks good

[veronica]

[bet5hel]

Ok here goes-It took me three tries to get this to post. My browser kept freezing when I did a preview post.

Thanks K-man and Coathanger 007 for your suggestions. I will be trying both programs out. I had Blender but it was to difficult to follow.

[K-Man]

K-Man again...

Okay... you asked for a sample of "Sketchup" work, so here are a couple of images:

This one was the first model I built with it...



... and this one I made just for this forum... it took about 5 minutes...



There are a few tasks which are a little confusing at first, like how to make a sphere, cone, or lathed object, but there are good tutorials online at Google. I'll post links to them later.

K-Man

Here's a link to tutorials about some of those more confusing concepts I mentioned...

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=8789

K-Man