Computer modelling/sculpting

[gem20]

Not sure if this thread is in the right category...if anyone thinks it would be better placed elsewhere, please let me know and I'll move it

Ok, so...I am a graduate modelmaker, and have been working for mostly props companies recently. I'm keen to develop my computer modelling/drawing skills and was wondering if any model makers on here could suggest the most popular programmes used in the industry today?

I can use graphics programmes like Photoshop, illustrator, CorelDraw...and I intend to learn more AutoCAD, Rhino and zbrush. But just thought I'd ask on here, just in case anyone else had any other recommendations for useful programmes to learn?

Thanks everyone

 

[TylerHam]

If you want to get into Film VFX - Autodesk Maya

For games - Autodesk 3DS (3D Studio Max) generally

If you just want to sculpt - Zbrush

Very general but pretty accurate... If you dont care about Film / games and JUST want to sculpt - Go with Zbrush... Trying to learn zbrush and Maya at the same time is difficult due to their total opposite interface design

 

[skiffy]

Zbrush's interface is like nothing else known to Man - but it can be mastered.

For animation, Maya is king.

Look at cinema4d too - it's integrated into Adobe's pipeline and can interact seamlessly with After Effects, Premiere etc.

Personally, I use Blender and Silo. I'm trained in Maya, Max, SoftImage XSI, and others, but as a lone-freelancer I cannot afford to hold licenses for them all. I have a friend who is 'locked' into using Maya for everything he does, because he holds a full license, and as an individual, that's a lot of outlay to recoup.

Low-cost alternatives like Maya LT could help you decide which path to take, and therefore which software choice to ultimately make. Are you strictly a hard-surface (vehicles/environments) organic (human, animal) modeller? Or can you handle both?

 

[Pippspriller]

I'm a Rhino fan, but I know guys who will switch between programs when working on a single file. I don't think any software is really "best" for everything. Just make sure you can import/export between programs and play

 

[gem20]

Awesome! Thanks everyone for your responses

 

[gem20]

Zbrush's interface is like nothing else known to Man - but it can be mastered.

For animation, Maya is king.

Look at cinema4d too - it's integrated into Adobe's pipeline and can interact seamlessly with After Effects, Premiere etc.

Personally, I use Blender and Silo. I'm trained in Maya, Max, SoftImage XSI, and others, but as a lone-freelancer I cannot afford to hold licenses for them all. I have a friend who is 'locked' into using Maya for everything he does, because he holds a full license, and as an individual, that's a lot of outlay to recoup.

Low-cost alternatives like Maya LT could help you decide which path to take, and therefore which software choice to ultimately make. Are you strictly a hard-surface (vehicles/environments) organic (human, animal) modeller? Or can you handle both?

Thanks Well, as a model maker, I sculpt organic things and I do hard edged architectural models, product models, props etc...but I'm aware that lasercutting and 3D printing are becoming huge in the model making industry, and that I'm more employable with a load of computer based skills, and I guess those skills could then lead me from being a model maker and into design work eventually....who knows. But I quite enjoy it, so I'm just trying to learn more about that part of the creative industry A professional model maker who is director of a special effects company (just to clear that up, so there are no misunderstandings: That's physical effects, ie, models, miniatures, props, pyrotechnics.....etc) mentioned zbrush to me the other day, but I'm trying to work out where that is used in his company and within the SFX industry on the whole. Might have to contact him again and ask

 

[skiffy]

Cool. Zbrush is an industry standard now, right across film/tv/games but you're going to need a drawing tablet (Wacom are the standard) to get the best out of it. I was part of the group critting Rick Baker's first forays into Zbrush (before he revealed to us who he actually was - he called himself MonsterMaker if I remember). Anyway, lasercutting is a definite real-world practical use of computer skills as demonstrated by practical model-makers like Adam Savage. I teach at my local college and more and more trad modellers are getting into 3d printing, using zbrush to sculpt with first, and lasercutting using autocad, rhino and others (including Blender).

The language of computer modelling is uiniversal, so whichever software you choose, there's no losing scenario. Just jump in and enjoy it!

 

[laserpistol76]

I think it's what program fits your preferences. Each one has its pluses and minuses.

 

[rgriesbeck]

If you goto students dot autodesk dot com you can get free full function (3yr license) versions of maya, 3ds, autocad, mudbox (like zbrush). They have different conditions as to who can qualify, but most can. All my students use this, it's very cool of autodesk to do.

We use 3ds and mudbox alot,as said, maya is very popular for film and tv.
Good luck

 

[holtt]

I would definitely try as many as you can, just so you're familiar with them. A good modeler is not "only good with tool X", a good modeler is good (no matter what the tool). You can have your preferences (I like 3ds Max over Maya, but just my preference), but you can't ever say "X is better than Y" (IMO).

 

[jamesmcintoshjr]

Max is probably easier to learn, but Maya's interface the last few iteration has become a lot more intuitive. I'm an interactive designer using max for illustration/motion graphics work and it's plenty capable, plus the community using it and tutorials available it tends to cover quite a bit. It can ladder up with mudbox and zbrush just fine by exporting your rough models into those applications for final sculpting.

 

[gem20]

Cool. Zbrush is an industry standard now, right across film/tv/games but you're going to need a drawing tablet (Wacom are the standard) to get the best out of it. I was part of the group critting Rick Baker's first forays into Zbrush (before he revealed to us who he actually was - he called himself MonsterMaker if I remember). Anyway, lasercutting is a definite real-world practical use of computer skills as demonstrated by practical model-makers like Adam Savage. I teach at my local college and more and more trad modellers are getting into 3d printing, using zbrush to sculpt with first, and lasercutting using autocad, rhino and others (including Blender).

The language of computer modelling is uiniversal, so whichever software you choose, there's no losing scenario. Just jump in and enjoy it!

I already have a tablet because I have been teaching myself digital painting I am a traditional model maker like Adam Savage, but as far as I'm concerned, its all transferrable skills and one part of the creative industry leads straight into another Hence why I want to learn this Your advice there is particularly helpful, so thank you very much!! I'm looking forward to this haha!

So my next question, with a program like zbrush, is there anything you would recommend starting with? Or is it just a case of have a play around and draw anything? Thanks!

 

[gem20]

If you goto students dot autodesk dot com you can get free full function (3yr license) versions of maya, 3ds, autocad, mudbox (like zbrush). They have different conditions as to who can qualify, but most can. All my students use this, it's very cool of autodesk to do.

We use 3ds and mudbox alot,as said, maya is very popular for film and tv.
Good luck

Thank you! I think I'm more interested in Rhino, autocad and zbrush at the moment, because I am a traditional model maker and can use those for lasercutting/3D printing...I'm right in saying Maya is an animation programme? So possibly not useful to me right now, would love to learn it in the not so distant future though! Thanks a lot for your help, it's greatly appreciated

 

[skiffy]

You can start with Sculptris which you can download and try for free from pixologic(dot)com/sculptris/. It's by Pixologic, who make Zbrush, so it will give you a taste of what you can achieve without having to put down any payment. Then if you like what you can do, buy zbrush and some training courses - or watch/follow some youtube tutorials.

Maya is not just for animation. It's a full-featured suite of 3d tools that will produce fantastic results, but it's known to have one of the best animation systems around.

 

[OldSkoolEffects]

If you're looking to do less organic 3D designs, and need the ability to design parts that would fall under different disciplines (sheetmetal with flat patterns, wiring runs, composites), I use CATIA. It's less used outside aerospace and vehicle manufacturing, but is the big brother to Solidworks. Its surfacing programs aren't very intuitive (you can't really just grab vertices and move them (it's sketch-based)). It does have a kinematics simulator though, if you're making moving linkages and such. It's probably way more program than a prop designer needs, but it can be found for free and is pretty easy to learn.

 

[gem20]

You can start with Sculptris which you can download and try for free from pixologic(dot)com/sculptris/. It's by Pixologic, who make Zbrush, so it will give you a taste of what you can achieve without having to put down any payment. Then if you like what you can do, buy zbrush and some training courses - or watch/follow some youtube tutorials.

Maya is not just for animation. It's a full-featured suite of 3d tools that will produce fantastic results, but it's known to have one of the best animation systems around.

Ok, brilliant! Will look into both of those, thanks