Simple 3D Program?
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- CanHasQBN
I'm looking for very basic 3D software for Mac. I'm trying to lay out a city landscape. I just need the ability to create simple block shapes, and to quickly replicate those blocks, have them at different sizes and heights, and color them.
I've Googled and tried about five different programs, Sketchup, Blender, etc. Everything is either crappy or is too complex.
- fate0
Blender is pretty easy.
So it SketchUp.
You're gonna have to take the time to actually learn something though.
- pressplay0
illustrator 3d tool? won‘t be exact though and needs some trying around...
- CanHasQBN0
They both seem cumbersome when trying to duplicate or edit things.
Do any of them have a layer feature similar to Illustrator, so that I can select ALL of the objects in that layer with one click? Sketchup doesn't seem to do that.
- ETM0
You need actual layers, or just grouping? As most software should allow you to group.
- CanHasQBN0
Layers preferably. If I group objects, will I have the ability to move just ONE of those objects without moving the others?
- fate0
- Yeah I'll keep trying it out. It'll take me a little bit to get used to it. I just hate waiting.CanHasQBN
- even then, when you duplicate them, they're all over the place along the vertical axis. I need a floor! lolCanHasQBN
- jesus. just dragging one of these boxes around is a pain in the ass. can't even grab it.CanHasQBN
- is that on windows 95????fadein11
- loool0
the thing is : there is not an easy 3d program...some softwares are easier than others, but for a noob everything 3d is complex...the easiest thing is to ask someone to help you with your project, rather than learning new stuff, if you don't plan using it afterwards...
- NONEIS0
If you have access to C4D you should be able to simplify these to basic shapes in illustrator, and then extrude them with extrude nurbs, then break it apart and adjust each height individually - lots of good video tutorials out there for that...
- nthkl0
Found Sketch Up to be the easiest out there. I didn't think Blender's GUI was all that easy to use. But maybe it's evolved in the last 3-4 years.
- CanHasQBN0
Hate sketchup. There's a selection tool AND a move tool. So I have to select something first, THEN click on the move tool just to simply move it. Unless I'm doing something wrong, this is incredibly cumbersome. And when I'm dragging an object around, I have to perform a damn magic trick to get it to release (drop).
- fate0
CanHasQBN, you don't know what you're doing. You need to setup view ports before you can move and position things accurately.
Here's a sample file:
- fate0
Blender Shortcuts:
Right Click = Select Object
Shift + D = Duplicate Object
G = Move Object
G, then after releasing G hold CTRL = Move along axis
S = Scale Object
Tab (when object is selected) = Enter Edit Mode
Right Click (when in Edit Mode) = Select Vertex Point
G (when Vertice is selected) = Move Vertice
E (when Vertice is selected) = Extrude Vertice
- CanHasQBN0
^ Thanks. Do I have to right click an object and then left click an object just to drag and drop it?
- CanHasQBN0
I think it's too complex for what I need. Might not be for you, since you've been using it for a while. But it's just too much. Thanks anyway.
Maybe I need SimCity lol.
- Llyod0
use maya.
- +1Duffer
- downloading now.CanHasQBN
- can't download. "my system is too new". Dumb.....CanHasQBN
- For lion? there is a script you can put into Terminal that will allow it to run, I had the same problemDuffer
- or when at installation options menu not to install the Direct Connect 6.0Duffer
- it's gets easy once you learn the uiLlyod
- albums0
Autodesk Maya
http://usa.autodesk.com/maya/Autodesk 3ds Max
http://usa.autodesk.com/3ds-max/…Autodesk Softimage
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/ser…NewTek LIghtwave
http://www.newtek.com/lightwaveLuxology Modo
http://3d.about.com/od/A-Guide-T…Maxon Cinema4D
http://www.maxon.net/products/ci…Side Effects Houdini
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?…Blender
http://blender.org/solidThinking
http://www.solidthinking.com/st8…Google SketchUp
http://sketchup.google.com/downl…Daz 3D
www.daz3d.comIronCAD
http://www.ironcad.com/SolidWorks
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/pro…
- mikotondria30
I'm totally biased toward Cinema4d.. You should be able to do what you're wanting within a couple of hours - start with the simplest tutorials about basic shapes and how to use the selection tools, etc, then merge/import/open your city layers, familiarize yourself with extrude nurbs and get the right view you want with a camera, etc. By then you'll be hopelessly addicted and spend far more time playing in it than exploring the avenues that would be beneficial to your actual line of work, and find yourself a few years later scrabbling around with responsive designs and html5 wondering where it all came from, and having bypassed major technologies like iphone apping in the process.
Maybe.
- i_was0
Bryce3d
- pizzafire0
browser based 3d app. might be interesting. http://shapesmith.net/