3D Anime / Manga Art Hobby
3D Anime / Manga Art Hobby
Anyone into 3D or interested in getting into it for anime / manga art hobby? 2D still number one, and 3D is hard and technical, but I found this program after using Maya and Max for while, and for the artist types I simply like it the best. The creators are German based, and the interface is similar to Maya, but the controls are better in my opinion, easier to see and do stuff. Also 3D programs are really expensive, yeah, like 4k, yikes! (and cheapie ones suck) but, Cinema 4D has an entry level option for the person starting out so you don’t have to sell the car to find out if you have what it takes, then you can always upgrade. In fact all I have used is the base version up until now, which cost about $800, and you can still get it, in fact latest for $745, and there is a ton to learn and do. I like it a lot better than Maya which starts at $3,500, ouch! Because overall control is better, easier workflow, and the renderer is way better, and faster! A lot of people don’t know about it because Maya and Max are the American industry leaders, and there is a much wider base of users for multiple reasons not necessarily because it is better, but, like Windows compared to Apple you have a much wider range of programmers and extra add-ons and stuff. That said if you like something that is really fun and nice to use, download a demo from Maxon-dot-net and check it out (Mac and PC).
Anywho, whatever program you use the principals are the same, and so if anyone is interested in sharing stuff, tutorials, or maybe having a section if that hot chick is cool with it, or stuff drop me a line... - animerick at fb...
You can get blender for free, though it have to most NOT newbie-friendly among all 3D software. If you don't mind with old software (if 2008 is old enough for you), Anim8or is also a decent choice.
I'm quite proficient with 3DSMAX and MAYA (at least several years ago), but now I'm rusty since I don't have enough money to buy nor I have PC with enough spec to run either of them.
Last edited by LVUER; 04-14-2011 at 02:44 AM.
Blender is good and free, but the interface can get some getting used to. Although to make up for it, it has sculpting features.
Anim8or is nice for the complete newbies, but the interface is kinda slow to get around. I used it for a while when I first started modeling.
Wings3D is also free, and although you have to customize some things to your liking, it's a really nice thing to begin with. Or if you're immediate.
Sculptris is free, and it's a sculpting program. I've used it a few times, but only for sculpting, because it works with tris...and I hate tris. Although it gives really nice results, and the default materials are nicer than Zbrush's. I just can't use it seriously because I like to use things with other programs, and since this happens to work in all tris, I just can't do it. But it's very nice for a beginner to sculpting, or for the usual experienced guy to mess around.
Now my thoughts on the ones you gotta pay for or get a trial of.
Maya. Never used it.
XSI. Never used it.
C4D. Never used it.
Max. I use nothing but this now. It's a great program with a great interface and used in the game industry a lot. If that's what you want to go into, it'll be worth it to get familiar with either Max or Maya.
Google Sketchup is just a dream for making really quick models. Especially ones you want to detail really quickly. Although once exported, the geomtry will get all messed up unless you work in quads to begin with. My advice from experience when using this: keep what's made in Sketchup inside Sketchup, unless you're ready for a world of butthurt.
Zbrush is freak awesome all around. Especially this newer version Zbrush4. Now it's incorporating hard surface modeling through sculpting a lot more. Although I prefer importing from Max and only sculpting in fine details. Zbrush is my main choice for organic modeling. Fking Zspheres all the way. Just get the 30-day trial and fiddle around, tell me it isn't god-like....ok so maybe Sculptris has the interface beat.
3D Coat is another sculpting program. I think it attempts to be a lot like Zbrush, but users will tell you quickly that it isn't. I still don't like it.
I use a bunch of sites for tutorials. But the best I've found have been
3dtotal.com (The Joan of Arc tut is probably the best on the site. It works with Max)
and
Polygon Blog (has a very nice UVW tut that I learned a lot from)
3d-palace.com (Olblue has some hour long modeling tutorials uploaded. I'm checking those out now. They're fking great.)
Assuming some peeps don't know this stuff lol...just felt like dropping this by xD.
Last edited by GunZet; 04-13-2011 at 11:50 PM.
Goggle Sketchup have two version, light and professional. Light is completely free but is not a trial. So you could use it without a time limit and for commercial purpose too.
And the most important feature for me, that perhaps is not important for most other people, is spec-requirements. I don't know much about other software, but Maya, 3DSMAX, and ZBrush are all resource hogger. They don't care about you and eat RAM and HDD like there's no tomorrow.
Sketchup 8 (the latest version) is surprisingly far more stable and demand less resource than Sketchup 7. And Sketchup 7 already needs low spec to run (but it has 2GB cap). Unfortunately Sketchup have minimum feature (not software to make movies or alike), no internal render too...
Blender and Anim8or needs an amazingly low spec. Even my old laptop, without any dedicated Video card (let alone 3D card) and a bare 512MB RAM coud run it easily. That's why I use both of them (and really love them). But of course, to use all advanced feature of Blender, you need high spec PC.
Last edited by LVUER; 04-14-2011 at 02:50 AM.
http://www.models-resource.com/
3-D models ripped from various games. good for looking at how professional games tend to make their models, and how to maximize each polygon when on a budget (depending on what system the game in question is for obviously) not as prolific a selection as it's sister site (Spriter's Resource) but decent enough.
http://www.creativecrash.com/tutoria...-tutorial#tabs
a decent tutorial covering sub division character modeling (it says real time but i honestly don't know) in Maya, even discusses model/turnaround sheets sheets and such
I have no problem with you spanking me. However, I have a huge problem with you not spanking me...
Actually, Vray for Google Sketchup came out a while ago and gives some pretty nice results. But it has a p. steep learning curve. I suggest you try it if you haven't though.Originally Posted by LVUER
Not to dis Blender or some other programs if you like them, but Blender for instance, yeesh! No undo? Well I would say, there is a reason they might be free. Let's see: For the same thing: Free, or big $$? Why pay big $$ if same thing? Not same thing!
A ray tracing program might still ray trace, but especially for the artist types who might tend to be less the techno-programing-math types, and who also don't like a hassle, and who want tech support and a good support base for the many, many questions that will need to be answered, I suggest pony up for real deal. That said, all power to you if you like freebie programs and can make them work, but if you go to real pro sites CGSociety or check out 3DMagazine and see what the artists who really make cool stuff are using, very few use Blender or other free or cheap programs. Just for you aspiring artists, that are not ultra techno savvy... or like a pain in the butt interface
I don't touch Blender anymore just cause I hate the interface lol.
I forget to write "FREE internal render", sorry. If it's just external commercial render, yeah, there's a bunch out there (and they are GOOD!). My friend just bought a render that could render a comic/hand-drawn render looks, cool ^_^
There is a free render for Sketchup (I only manage to find one), but not only it's an external one, you also need another software (it's free though, don't worry) to import the skp from Sketchup, and then render.
No Undo? I haven't use Blender very deep, but there is Undo feature (and you can set how much undo level it keeps track off).Not to dis Blender or some other programs if you like them, but Blender for instance, yeesh! No undo? Well I would say, there is a reason they might be free. Let's see: For the same thing: Free, or big $$? Why pay big $$ if same thing? Not same thing!
A ray tracing program might still ray trace, but especially for the artist types who might tend to be less the techno-programing-math types, and who also don't like a hassle, and who want tech support and a good support base for the many, many questions that will need to be answered, I suggest pony up for real deal. That said, all power to you if you like freebie programs and can make them work, but if you go to real pro sites CGSociety or check out 3DMagazine and see what the artists who really make cool stuff are using, very few use Blender or other free or cheap programs. Just for you aspiring artists, that are not ultra techno savvy... or like a pain in the butt interface
I must agree there isn't much professional people who use Blender (or other free stuff, and then again, I think Blender is the best free stuff out there and yet not many people use it). Most people/company I know use either MAYA or 3DSMAX. It seems both software have become "standard" for 3D industry...
But still, you can make beautiful stuff with Blender. In some cases, Blender is even better than MAYA and 3DSMAX... oh, and I'm talking about out-of-box software, not those with additional plug-ins or custom script.
Interface? I couldn't be even more agree. And that is a general knowledge for 3D'ers that Blender interface is sucks... except for those Blender fanatics. But hey, it's free... beggars can't be choosers.
I've escaped from Blender to Anim8or because I was frightened with Blender interface... at least until I'm getting used to 3D modeling and animation. Anim8or have better interface. I want to use different software, heck, if I have MAYA or 3DSMAX, I could use them easily. But they are very expensive and need high spec PC to run. Blender and Anim8or on the other hand, is a poor 3D artist best friend ^_^
Indeed the industry standard programs are really REALLY expensive. Which is why you take full advantage of the internet if you want to up your knowledge. I'm implying something there, open to interpretation heh.
But really a program is only as good as your skill. But the features do help.
On this team I'm in, we have a modeler who makes excellent models using Blender. Texturing, perfect UV's, great modeling...all that, in Blender.
And apparently some commercial things have used Blender so it's not all that bad. It's just the interface that scares people off.
Blender or Anim8or is a nice place to start off though. Wings3D is a step up from both imo, even though it's p. basic.
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