@mav.archi - what version? depends on who you ask. Dedicated arch-viz guys will tell you they do everything (model, texture, lighting, render) in max without modeling in other programs.
As an architecture student, I think max doesn't "feel" like an architectural modeler like Form-Z or rhino... but max is definitely the shiznit for texturing and rendering!
for me, If Form-Z had a better renderer (like FinalRender or VRay built in) that would win, hands down, the "best 3d application ever?" crown
@cowgill 3ds max 8-9 .i m a student and till now worked only with 3ds max, archicad and tektwn a greek prog.haven't tried rhino and formz yet neither microstation do you think i should try ?
only if it will help your work. I modeled effectively in Autocad until I found FormZ but everyone works differently and you may not need to learn another program. The learning curve for Z is supposed to be fairly steep so don't expect to (although you can learn the basics) sit down over a weekend and come out of the oven monday with both barrels bazing...
as a software "type", Z is not a BIM program which means you have to build things piece by piece which is what I personally like about it... that control. Compared to Archicad which is marketed as a swiss-army-knife type of program that does everything from modeling to lighting to rendering to construction docs... Z is rather old-school.
My digital workflow usually starts with Z for massing and diagramming/schematics > leapfrogs back to Autocad for detail drawings > re-import into Z for modeling (the autocad/Z shuffle usually happens several times). Then I export to 3ds Max8 + FinalRender for renderings. This is a rather spartan way of working digitally, knowing and not wanting one software to do everything, but that's the way I prefer since I still control my own process. When I get a job, I'll have to submit my ways to whatever that specific firm has available... which probably will be an all-inclusive BIM modeler like revit or archicad... foey!
i just got wind of a new plug-in for Rhinoceros code named 'Athens' for BIM modeling in Rhinoceros, also Paracloud for parametrics in Rhino from before as well as the History that comes default. Not that i am that big of a BIM fan even though I know most of them, but it is good news either way even that we can use our own intelligence.
yeah, trust me, I've been trying to convince myself that I don't want maxwell but I'm going to have to splurge and treat myself to it soon. when you buy it you actually get the option to install both the free-standing maxwell studio app and/or install it as a plugin for several different 3d apps...
For now though, I can get consistently good results with FinalRender in much less time than what Maxwell allows... once I defend and have a normal 40+hr work week, I'll start dabbling :)
im definetly going to have to agree with this...
especially once you get good at the fantastic mapping techniques like displacement and opacity mapping you can model anything anyway you want, and quickly. The modeling in 3dstudio might not be as accurate as other programs but its virtually unlimited texture and mapping options make it by far the best program for modeling in my oppinion
I agree that the material editor/browser with Max (after learning it) is wicked-effective but a good texturing interface does not make it a good modeling program... it makes it a good texturing program and perhaps a decent all-around 3d modeler [as texturing is more akin to rendering than modeling]. Just about any software can do what any-other software can do... it just comes down to how you like to work and how the interface feels in your hands.
slightly OT: but has anyone used the 3dsMax - Maxwell plugin yet? Do you loose material mapping applied in 3dsMax?
Lesten , it is not about what program ; it's like AutoCAD is handled this rigid way and 3Ds then suddenly made everything much different, a pain when you want to give keyboard input but a great tool when you first get the touch of it, and when other programs then develob the same way then it is sort of standard way of handeling it , there I find Max the "best" program as it changed rigid AutoCAD into something much more smooth so when you say "best" ..... then I guess the best program is the one that set standards and "explained" how to handle the difficult task to add variable after variable and work in an object oriented way plus offer a language to write applications with.
Right there is no 'best' nor 'worst' that is absolute thinking, in defiance of relativity, complexity and that subjective to the individual stuff.
there is different.
since we are talking about render engines now, Vray is not to be forgotten
As far as texture mapping goes I just loaded a cool 3d painting photoshop plug-in http://www.electriciris.com/
Enzo compatible with .3dm format as well as the new Mapping stuff in Rhino4 I believe takes it up to and probably beyond what Max has as far as interoperability across the widening array of render engines that are available now. (as you can tell I don't want to be constrained to the choices 1 monopoly gives me when I feel there are better ones from my experience)
Apr 9, 07 4:59 pm ·
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3ds max best 3d application ever?
.............
Yes.
even for architectural work??the tools are completely <<un-architectural>>.i can achieve few modest renderings quite faster by using archicad.
yes.
@mav.archi - what version? depends on who you ask. Dedicated arch-viz guys will tell you they do everything (model, texture, lighting, render) in max without modeling in other programs.
As an architecture student, I think max doesn't "feel" like an architectural modeler like Form-Z or rhino... but max is definitely the shiznit for texturing and rendering!
for me, If Form-Z had a better renderer (like FinalRender or VRay built in) that would win, hands down, the "best 3d application ever?" crown
I don't like archicad. The renderer looks especially silly.
@cowgill 3ds max 8-9 .i m a student and till now worked only with 3ds max, archicad and tektwn a greek prog.haven't tried rhino and formz yet neither microstation do you think i should try ?
only if it will help your work. I modeled effectively in Autocad until I found FormZ but everyone works differently and you may not need to learn another program. The learning curve for Z is supposed to be fairly steep so don't expect to (although you can learn the basics) sit down over a weekend and come out of the oven monday with both barrels bazing...
as a software "type", Z is not a BIM program which means you have to build things piece by piece which is what I personally like about it... that control. Compared to Archicad which is marketed as a swiss-army-knife type of program that does everything from modeling to lighting to rendering to construction docs... Z is rather old-school.
My digital workflow usually starts with Z for massing and diagramming/schematics > leapfrogs back to Autocad for detail drawings > re-import into Z for modeling (the autocad/Z shuffle usually happens several times). Then I export to 3ds Max8 + FinalRender for renderings. This is a rather spartan way of working digitally, knowing and not wanting one software to do everything, but that's the way I prefer since I still control my own process. When I get a job, I'll have to submit my ways to whatever that specific firm has available... which probably will be an all-inclusive BIM modeler like revit or archicad... foey!
no
i just got wind of a new plug-in for Rhinoceros code named 'Athens' for BIM modeling in Rhinoceros, also Paracloud for parametrics in Rhino from before as well as the History that comes default. Not that i am that big of a BIM fan even though I know most of them, but it is good news either way even that we can use our own intelligence.
http://news2.mcneel.com/scripts/dnewsweb.exe?cmd=article&group=rhino&item=255805&utag=
(see link for screen shots)
meow.
cowgill
their is a sick ass plugin for Formz....even for Archicad.....
http://www.maxwellrender.com/
My Favorite....Is still
RHINO...
I use Revit...then expot to Rhino.....(but most of the time just model in rhino)
and i Just Purchased Maxwell
yeah, trust me, I've been trying to convince myself that I don't want maxwell but I'm going to have to splurge and treat myself to it soon. when you buy it you actually get the option to install both the free-standing maxwell studio app and/or install it as a plugin for several different 3d apps...
For now though, I can get consistently good results with FinalRender in much less time than what Maxwell allows... once I defend and have a normal 40+hr work week, I'll start dabbling :)
im definetly going to have to agree with this...
especially once you get good at the fantastic mapping techniques like displacement and opacity mapping you can model anything anyway you want, and quickly. The modeling in 3dstudio might not be as accurate as other programs but its virtually unlimited texture and mapping options make it by far the best program for modeling in my oppinion
I agree that the material editor/browser with Max (after learning it) is wicked-effective but a good texturing interface does not make it a good modeling program... it makes it a good texturing program and perhaps a decent all-around 3d modeler [as texturing is more akin to rendering than modeling]. Just about any software can do what any-other software can do... it just comes down to how you like to work and how the interface feels in your hands.
slightly OT: but has anyone used the 3dsMax - Maxwell plugin yet? Do you loose material mapping applied in 3dsMax?
microstation xm for 3d. maybe max is better for rendering, but not by much?
Lesten , it is not about what program ; it's like AutoCAD is handled this rigid way and 3Ds then suddenly made everything much different, a pain when you want to give keyboard input but a great tool when you first get the touch of it, and when other programs then develob the same way then it is sort of standard way of handeling it , there I find Max the "best" program as it changed rigid AutoCAD into something much more smooth so when you say "best" ..... then I guess the best program is the one that set standards and "explained" how to handle the difficult task to add variable after variable and work in an object oriented way plus offer a language to write applications with.
Right there is no 'best' nor 'worst' that is absolute thinking, in defiance of relativity, complexity and that subjective to the individual stuff.
there is different.
since we are talking about render engines now, Vray is not to be forgotten
As far as texture mapping goes I just loaded a cool 3d painting photoshop plug-in http://www.electriciris.com/
Enzo compatible with .3dm format as well as the new Mapping stuff in Rhino4 I believe takes it up to and probably beyond what Max has as far as interoperability across the widening array of render engines that are available now. (as you can tell I don't want to be constrained to the choices 1 monopoly gives me when I feel there are better ones from my experience)
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