# 3D Modeling



## Quentin (May 14, 2014)

Hi,

As a writer I love to create new universes, new cities, etc. Very often I like to have a visual idea of some buildings, statues, landmarks I imagined for my universes and 3D modelling allows me to do just that. It is so exhilarating (IMO) to see something that only existed in your mind come into existence on your computer's screen.

Do some of you also do 3D modelling? What software do you use? (I use Blender)


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## Morkonan (Oct 3, 2014)

I do some 3D modeling and have used several apps in my workflow. I refuse "Blender" though... When the UI is finally designed by human beings and not spastic nine-armed monkeys, I might try it out.  (I have used some of its scripts and procedures to get certain things done quickly, though. But, while I acknowledge its power and usefulness, and the fact that it's free, I can't stand the software, the UI or it's ridiculous presentation and over-complexity. It's a program designed by committee and it reflects that, without question.)

My next purchase is likely going to be Modo. I'm just waiting until I put together a new desktop box with all the latest doo-dads and hardware.

One thing about having 3D Modeling as a hobby - You notice shapes with much more clarity than before. Everywhere I go, when I'm on a modeling binge, I see interesting objects and think to myself "How can I model that?"  It's very likely you know exactly the sort of feeling I'm talking about.

I'm a good modeler and pay attention to technical details and good modeling practices. But, I'm not so good when it comes down to texturing. One reason is that, while I know Photoshop, I don't really know how to integrate all its functions to produce the textures I want. Also - I lack certain tools, like programs that easily allow you to bake on procedural shaders and the like. Blender will do that, I understand, and programs like Carrara support such features with external scripts, but I'm looking for something more robust. 3DCoat and ZBrush will do that, too, with certain constraints. I'll be picking those up, as well, fairly soon.

The easiest to use program with the most power for the buck that I have ever used is "Hexagon." It's a sub-D modeler with powerful features. But, there are no rendering options, little materials support, some 3D painting support, interesting UV mapping, but horribly buggy, and development is decades behind as it has practically been abandoned by the current owner. (DAZ3D) However, it is, by far, a package that combines the easiest to use tools with the most power that I have ever used. And, I've used most everything.

Most of my existing models are on my dead desktop's drive. I saved it, but haven't transferred those models to better storage, yet. It's several gigs worth of crap.  I don't call what I do "3D Art" as I am not concerned with any artistic impressions - I'm simply modeling objects for the joy of creating them. And, like you, I love "imagining" the stories that make these models come to life for me. 

(Got a neat sci-fi YA story that was birthed from the creation of one of my models. Maybe I'll finish both, one day.  )


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## Pluralized (Oct 6, 2014)

> I refuse "Blender" though



Are you working on a Mac? I thought Blender was pretty cool, but I had to watch a few too many tutorials. Being used to 2D AutoCAD, it wasn't exactly intuitive. 

I draw for a living, mostly on AutoCAD 2013LT Mac and it's fantastic as a production drafting software. Did some 3D stuff a few years ago on AutoCAD 2004, and it was pretty cumbersome. I have been wanting to find a software that will model a helix, as I work with curved stairs and it would often be useful to have them modeled.

Have you checked out RhinoCad? It's a really powerful modeling tool -- http://www.rhino3d.com/ (the 30-day trial is great - you can use it unlimited, but lose your ability to save after a month). Worked with a guy in Boston a few years back that was modeling some millwork stuff and the work they did with the CNC and Rhino blew my mind. Really intense GUI though, and heavy on the rendering/light source/wireframe and not so much with lines and presentation for plotting (at least not as drafting-centric as AutoCAD and that's probably just my preference/habit). Anim8or is cool, as is Sketchup. My problem is, I can't seem to plant my feet on the ground and keep locations figured out so I continually get lost. I like having a UCS.

I'mma go check out Hexagon. Back when I was working with steel, there were a couple of interesting programs called Tekla X-steel and SDS2. Both were insanely complicated to input data but could do some amazing stuff with connections and bolts/clips/parts/pieces. Always wanted to check out Revit, too. They're all so damn expensive and the free ones seem to be really weak.


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## Morkonan (Oct 6, 2014)

Pluralized said:


> Are you working on a Mac? I thought Blender was pretty cool, but I had to watch a few too many tutorials. Being used to 2D AutoCAD, it wasn't exactly intuitive.



No, strictly Windows/IBM machines, here. I've used old versions of AutoCAD, waaaaay back in the day.

I've seen Rhino, haven't used it directly. I've used Anim8or and it's fine for freeware. I haven't used Sketchup.



> I'mma go check out Hexagon. Back when I was working with steel, there were a couple of interesting programs called Tekla X-steel and SDS2. Both were insanely complicated to input data but could do some amazing stuff with connections and bolts/clips/parts/pieces. Always wanted to check out Revit, too. They're all so damn expensive and the free ones seem to be really weak.



In Hexagon, you can make "spirals" of any sort using the "Line" functions and choosing "Helix." The Line tool is one of Hexagon's strengths. Just remember that they are only "lines", 2D objects. But, with them, you can then use a variety of functions in order to turn the lines into 3D objects. ("Thicken" will turn the lines into shapes with xx geometry, you input the number of faces, etc.. Very easy to use.)

Hexagon is the easiest and most powerful package for its cost that I have ever used. BUT, it is old software and the community is really the only place you'll get decent support for it. It has no render function, either, so you'll have to export objects for rendering. Hexagon supports import/export of the following formats: Amapi (.a3d), Wavefront Object (.obj), Second Life Sculpties (.tga), 3d Studio (.3ds but has trouble with smoothing groups), DWG (.dwg), DXF (.dxf) and Adobe Illustrator (.ai). I primarily use .obj files as they're common to just about all 3D packages. (Nothing besides object and material information in a .obj file.) Hexagon has it's instability issues, though. But, that's primarily with certain issues with OpenGL. When I use it, I drop down to using my simple IBM chipset on a dual chipset machine. It isn't stable when I switch to my Radeon chipset.

An example of the "Helix" tool: http://i.imgur.com/KNmRqM2.jpg

It's a great little program. But, I'll be working with Modo shortly. I'll still keep a copy of Hexagon for quick modeling, since it's so easy to use.


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## Pluralized (Oct 16, 2014)

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## Pluralized (Oct 22, 2014)

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## MzSnowleopard (Oct 22, 2014)

Wow, thoughts to ponder on program options.  I'll only used 1d programs to map out the floor plans of structures. I usually end up with a gap or empty space I don't see in my imagination.


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## TheYellowMustang (Dec 11, 2014)

Quentin said:


> It is so exhilarating (IMO) to see something that only existed in your mind come into existence on your computer's screen.


This is the reason I love writing and drawing too. 

I've always been fascinated with 3D modeling, so I've been lurking in this thread for a while, but now I actually have something to post! A month ago I switched from Graphic Design to 3D and Animation (I was a brat and told them I'd drop out if they didn't let me, even though we were at the end of the semester). I'd had very little meshing experience, but some with adding textures to 3D objects and a bit of knowledge from reading about it so much. It's been exhausting trying to learn one semester's worth of stuff in 4 weeks, but soooo much fun. Anyways I handed in my project/exam today, this bedroom:


 

The autumn-themed one is mine, the purple is the one we were told to create a 3D copy of (we got to choose different colors). 

It's created in Cinema 4D, a program I really like. I've also played around with Blender a tiny bit, and we just had introduction to Zbrush. The latter is pretty amazing, but really hard to learn. In Cinema, everything kinda makes sense to me. Zbrush is fun, but I feel like if I just press one wrong button (which happens 90% of the time when I press a button) the whole thing just.. explodes.


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## JustRob (Jan 29, 2015)

I use POV-Ray for the odd tasks that I need to do.  It's old but so am I and I like pure geometry, so working with a script rather than WYSIWYG is okay. The image of clocks in my avatar was designed as part of the cover of my first novel using it, but the hourglass floating amongst stars for the cover of the potential second novel was a more interesting challenge. I still can't get the stars right though. I also used POV-Ray to create pictures of a real vintage computer that may now be extinct for my website http://www.honeypi.org.uk The picture of the computer control panel on the home page banner took over fifty hours of continuous running using three of the processors in my quad processor machine going flat out. That's because I opted for very high quality antialiasing and accurate fuzzy shadows. The script file for the run contains all the precise dimensions of the components of the panel as I may have to build a real one from scratch if I can't find an original anywhere. Also the image is dynamic in that the brilliance of each light and the position of each button, in or out, are all parameters so that I can depict the computer in any working state correctly. It would be nice to programme a real time visually accurate emulator for the computer, but I doubt that even any graphics drivers on modern computers could handle that. I did wonder whether DirectFB on a Linux machine would cope, but it's not high on my list of priorities even to try.

By the way, having drawn your attention to my _real _hobby, writing being just a mental aberration, I ought to mention that the precognitive messages that I found in my novel related to the experiences that I would later have with the HoneyPi Project. Strangely those events would never have happened had I not taken a two year break from the project to write my novel. In other words cause and effect were looped around, that writing the novel caused the events that would inspire the story in the novel already written. At least, that is my present best explanation for the inspiration for the story. You couldn't make it up. could you?


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## LordDarconis (Mar 20, 2015)

I like to draw out stuff for my writings, helps me figure out how things fit together. I use Autodesk Inventor. It's meant for engineering, but it's useful for building and spaceship design.


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