In max, you can select from about 3 kinds of ico/geospheres; they smooth out very differently. They use different maths to add more triangles and get smoother. In blender we are stuck with the one option, and its not necessarily the most low-poly option.
Subdividing a cube enough times so that it resembles a sphere is far too high-poly. That's fine if you are going to sculpt it, but I'm talking about low poly work.
Regarding the cube subdivided...
It shouldnt be too high poly, especially if you are working your sub divisions well or do some clean up.
I generally tend to make a folder full of meshes I use often. Maybe you could just save out the icospheres you prefer or grab them from the net and just load them into Blender. I agree blender needs more improvements but its hard for me to understand how icospheres are important enough to be important for low poly modeling, then again I have never had to use them for my work.
You know what I'd love? If Blender had a shelf system like Maya. Should be possible right? It's just collecting a bunch of python into a button you can click. Might clutter up the interface some but would be a decent trade off if it was just one click for things like 'merge in centre'. Would this be possible through an add-on?
You know what I'd love? If Blender had a shelf system like Maya. Should be possible right? It's just collecting a bunch of python into a button you can click. Might clutter up the interface some but would be a decent trade off if it was just one click for things like 'merge in centre'. Would this be possible through an add-on?
That's the reason Blender went the route of using AddOns (not sure you can add stuff like to the main GUI though, i.e. having an option/tool/function appear as a menu item). The custom properties and buttons are also reasonably adaptive but I don't know how easy/well they can be linked through to .py scripts.
That's the reason Blender went the route of using AddOns (not sure you can add stuff like to the main GUI though, i.e. having an option/tool/function appear as a menu item). The custom properties and buttons are also reasonably adaptive but I don't know how easy/well they can be linked through to .py scripts.
I think that blender has that feature.Basically when you install an add that is used for editing meshes it should appear as a button in mesh tools toolbar.
when you script for pyhton, you can add your buttons to existing menus, like the mesh section of the self, create a new shelf, or even make a whole section in the tab of your choice in the sidebar on the right.
I would love someone to make a toolshelf that dock at the top. The sidebar is a pain in the ass for me most of the time, and it gets cluttered really fast. It would be nice to be able to have tool shelf icons ala Maya.
I would love someone to make a toolshelf that dock at the top. The sidebar is a pain in the ass for me most of the time, and it gets cluttered really fast. It would be nice to be able to have tool shelf icons ala Maya.
I use shortcuts and the spacebar menu 90% of the time. I almost never use the tool menu.
I use shortcuts and the spacebar menu 90% of the time. I almost never use the tool menu.
Yea, you can do that, and I do use shortcuts for most things, but I really don't like using the search menu to activate addons as it's always slower than hitting a button, which you have to do if the addon isn't in a menu.
A top tool shelf would help clean up the interface (along with floating window for tool properties that could be positioned by the user...basically a pinable version of the current f6 menu)
I don't know about that. I can access the most often used tools with keyboard shortcuts and I can access context specific tools through the specials menu, elements menu (edge, vertex, face), and so on. I also use the space bar super menu plugin that restores the menu that 2.49 had (that should be enable by default IMO). However, an F6 menu that appears as a dialog that you have to actively dismiss (or pin) after adjusting the parameters to your liking would be great. Maybe it could be given it's own drop-down dialog in place of the tools menu since you can access all of the tools through the context and super menus?
The rest sounds like you just want the existing tools menu oriented horizontally and given icons. I have no problem with that, so long as I can have it my way too.
I don't know about that. I can access the most often used tools with keyboard shortcuts and I can access context specific tools through the specials menu, elements menu (edge, vertex, face), and so on.
Yea, I agree that it's easy to access the most often used tools with shortcuts, but the interface doesn't become cluttered because of the default set of tools. It's when you install addons that it becomes a problem as the majority of unofficial addons dont have shortcuts assigned to them, so the only way in which you can access them is via the side menus or the space bar search.
Also these issues become compounded because most addons have their controls always showing (though they can be minimised) and when activated there is often a ton of options packed into a space of a few inches in their properties at the bottom of the tool shelf. Of course this is ok for simple addons, but the default size is inadequate for anything other than a simple addon with a few lines and you have to scroll constantly and resize the tool shelf for the others to fit in.
IMHO, if you use unofficial addons it's impossible to work in Blender without having the toolshelf open, or constantly hitting f6, and given the current (slowly improving) state of Blender modelling tools, unofficial addons are essential for Blender.
Basically, I only want unofficial addons and their options to show when I need to use them and in that respect I think the old 2.4x scripts window was in many ways better than the current implementation, which is implemented pretty badly and is super buggy too. :P
However, an F6 menu that appears as a dialog that you have to actively dismiss (or pin) after adjusting the parameters to your liking would be great. Maybe it could be given it's own drop-down dialog in place of the tools menu since you can access all of the tools through the context and super menus?
Yea, this is basically what I want, but as I posted above, you can't always access tools through dedicated shortcuts.
The rest sounds like you just want the existing tools menu oriented horizontally and given icons. I have no problem with that, so long as I can have it my way too.
Not exactly. I want a custom shelf at the top that I can add tools too and the ability to hide ones in the Tools menu if I wanted (so adding UDK export to the top shelf would hide the same addon in the tools menu etc.)
@metalliandy it isnt too hard to code custom menus, i would have to do a little reaserch into it but i could prolly even make a menu that automatically populates it''s self, with commands from add-ons, also could prolly make it context sensitive based on the selection type etc.
Yea, I agree that it's easy to access the most often used tools with shortcuts, but the interface doesn't become cluttered because of the default set of tools. It's when you install addons that it becomes a problem as the majority of unofficial addons dont have shortcuts assigned to them, so the only way in which you can access them is via the side menus or the space bar search.
Also these issues become compounded because most addons have their controls always showing (though they can be minimised) and when activated there is often a ton of options packed into a space of a few inches in their properties at the bottom of the tool shelf. Of course this is ok for simple addons, but the default size is inadequate for anything other than a simple addon with a few lines and you have to scroll constantly and resize the tool shelf for the others to fit in.
IMHO, if you use unofficial addons it's impossible to work in Blender without having the toolshelf open, or constantly hitting f6, and given the current (slowly improving) state of Blender modelling tools, unofficial addons are essential for Blender.
Basically, I only want unofficial addons and their options to show when I need to use them and in that respect I think the old 2.4x scripts window was in many ways better than the current implementation, which is implemented pretty badly and is super buggy too. :P
Are you referring to the Dynamic Spacebar addon? If so, yea I agree...it should be default.
Yea, this is basically what I want, but as I posted above, you can't always access tools through dedicated shortcuts.
Not exactly. I want a custom shelf at the top that I can add tools too and the ability to hide ones in the Tools menu if I wanted (so adding UDK export to the top shelf would hide the same addon in the tools menu etc.)
Well, it seems that the problem is on both sides. First, Blender doesn't provide a tool shelf that you can add plugins to and plugins don't seem to adhere to a standardized way of accessing them. I know Loop Tools integrates itself into the specials menu, which I like because I go there often.
I think I understand what you're looking for. I think you want an option to "tear off" tools from the tool menu and drop them into a tool shelf so that they only take up screen space when you use them. Am I close?
@metalliandy it isnt too hard to code custom menus, i would have to do a little reaserch into it but i could prolly even make a menu that automatically populates it''s self, with commands from add-ons, also could prolly make it context sensitive based on the selection type etc.
Well, it seems that the problem is on both sides. First, Blender doesn't provide a tool shelf that you can add plugins to and plugins don't seem to adhere to a standardized way of accessing them. I know Loop Tools integrates itself into the specials menu, which I like because I go there often.
I think I understand what you're looking for. I think you want an option to "tear off" tools from the tool menu and drop them into a tool shelf so that they only take up screen space when you use them. Am I close?
I'm pretty much locked into blender. To cut a long story short, I work from home due to my health, making content for second life. So you can imagine that Blender is very well supported within the SL community as it's free, and lets face it, most people are not going to shell out nearly 4k for a 3D application if they are amateurs. Blender gave me my first in roads into 3D, and I used it when it was the awful 2.4 interface. I've grown with it, and seen many changes. The sculpt tools are awesome, unwrapping is cool, texture painting is nice, the new cycles render engine is good...the list goes on. It's very much moved from an awful convoluted piece of software to a real rival to many established applications, and lets not forget it combines elements of mudbox, max, zbrush etc into one interface. People always bitch about it, and this bitching mainly comes from people with little or no experience with it, or people who saw it in its earlier guise. I really feel it's worth learning and I'm of the opinion that as far as solo freelance work goes, blender possesses the ability to produce a professional output.
My first application... remember the struggle with 3dsm trial and after this the simplicity of Gus tutorial (modelling, animation and rendering in a our). I move far from blender when discovered Silo and his fast modelling tools (very fast, love roll over mouse action and sticky key) especially the ultrafast cut tool in it (blender, without negons support cannot beat the great Silo (R.I.P.), then addicted to ngons pass on modo (but have not particular love for it) and then to softimage.
Now I'm tired to pay AD subscription, with the last release they sold me a crow simulator (nice... but who need?) , a ugly preview viewport, an improved modelling workflow (they mean for "improved modelling workflow" the navigation mode ala 3dsm...) and butch of new, never seen before, bugs...
So I take again my hands on blender and I like what I see
Only viewport seems too weak for me, but the rest is great. Unfortunately viewport FX seems have not some attention and fast development like GUI improvement or smoke simulation, a big mistake if this project will not released. After Viewport FX I think they must concentrate all on cycles and his CPU development.
Also I like and hate the big blender community. they are supportive, and if you have a issue they try to resolve as soon as possible, but the blender fan... for the blender fan blender is perfect, and don't need nothing... for this fan blender would remain with the all outdated 2.49 gui, no need GI, no need bmesh, they talk with other software users and say how great is blender (and how stupid are others buying commercial software)
For the debate Gizmo vs no gizmo, I like either solution, crtl+spacebar activate/deactivate handles manipulator so can activate when I need (I don't like select the axis from keyboard, prefer press MMB and constraint to one axis the problem is when I want constraint to two axis) , what I don't like is when you want work with gizmo and must activate the relative manipulator from GUI (if you have activated move Gizmo, press Scale shourtcut and you have not gizmo, and must activate from GUI... existing nothing to resolve this and have Gizmo relate to action you doing?
Jholen: You can constrain to two axis by pressing shift plus the letter for the err.. axis you don't want. Sounds confusing, but works well in practice, and works with mmb as well!
So that's shift-z for the x/y-axis.
Hopefully that helps!
Still really liking blender, i got the fried chicken branch recently and I like the new smoke simulator features, as well as the pre-set installed themes! using the maya one now.
I still find it really powerful for VFX shots, however the smoke simulator is definitely one of the more fiddly ones to sculpt the forms.
Just droping by to say that I'm trying this amazing piece of software too, and loving it. Much more flexible and elegant for modeling than Maya.
I´d like to thank all the guys that answered questions and posted useful links on this thread. Really apreciated! You could post more. Things showing non obvious stuff. like that Matcap style material.
I've been using Blender since 2006. I have to say it has a steep learning curve, but if you have previous experience in 3D it's easier to pick up. I simply adore the modeling tools and wouldn't have them any other way, especially with Bmesh. I've tried different suites, but they almost always force you to use gizmos or type in values for transforming objects and verts. Blender allows you to hit a key, hit the axis, and then move your mouse or type in a value to get exactly what you want.
Some of the gripes other 3D artists have with it usually are:
- Nurb/curve based modeling is limited
- Not as many modifiers (more permanent changes than they're used to)
- Peculiar UI
- FX is still primitive for the most part
- Rendering is ok, but not as good out of the box as 3DS Max/Maya (have to do a lot of work to perfect it)
- Sculpting tools aren't as advanced as Mudbox & Zbrush (I prefer using Zbrush always)
- Hotkey based transforms (which I love now, makes the process faster with one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard)
- Don't like the cursor (though it proves invaluable when lining up things, creating circular objects, and re-positioning object centers)
- Keys are different (most of them are based on the first letter of their function, whereas other suites use grouped layouts, such as Q W E R for transforms)
- Animation tools are weird
And note that some artists/companies haven't even tried it since pre-2.4 days so they think it's still the ugly program it was back then.
Basically my consensus, after using it for so long, has been that it's a good Jack-of-all-trades program and it's free! Generally it's a better workflow if you can do an entire project in one application. The modeling feels very down and dirty, raw, and less complicated than other suites. The simplicity makes me feels like I'm in complete control of my mesh and forces me to think of new, creative ways to make things.
I wish this was around when I was a kid, I would save up every dollar I could to buy 3d software off of shareware catalogs, it was usually shitty VRML software and stuff like POV-RAY which had modeling via command line.
Exactly. Go with Blender and keep your cash, kids; get fancy/respectable/whatever later (when you're pulling six figures, heh). :thumbup:
Replies
Regarding the cube subdivided...
It shouldnt be too high poly, especially if you are working your sub divisions well or do some clean up.
I generally tend to make a folder full of meshes I use often. Maybe you could just save out the icospheres you prefer or grab them from the net and just load them into Blender. I agree blender needs more improvements but its hard for me to understand how icospheres are important enough to be important for low poly modeling, then again I have never had to use them for my work.
Well done on the new vid Andy!
The thumbnail has been fixed too, thanks for the heads up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gTxd_gZI4QY
WTF LOL!
I think that blender has that feature.Basically when you install an add that is used for editing meshes it should appear as a button in mesh tools toolbar.
I use shortcuts and the spacebar menu 90% of the time. I almost never use the tool menu.
A top tool shelf would help clean up the interface (along with floating window for tool properties that could be positioned by the user...basically a pinable version of the current f6 menu)
The rest sounds like you just want the existing tools menu oriented horizontally and given icons. I have no problem with that, so long as I can have it my way too.
Also these issues become compounded because most addons have their controls always showing (though they can be minimised) and when activated there is often a ton of options packed into a space of a few inches in their properties at the bottom of the tool shelf. Of course this is ok for simple addons, but the default size is inadequate for anything other than a simple addon with a few lines and you have to scroll constantly and resize the tool shelf for the others to fit in.
IMHO, if you use unofficial addons it's impossible to work in Blender without having the toolshelf open, or constantly hitting f6, and given the current (slowly improving) state of Blender modelling tools, unofficial addons are essential for Blender.
Basically, I only want unofficial addons and their options to show when I need to use them and in that respect I think the old 2.4x scripts window was in many ways better than the current implementation, which is implemented pretty badly and is super buggy too. :P
Are you referring to the Dynamic Spacebar addon? If so, yea I agree...it should be default.
Yea, this is basically what I want, but as I posted above, you can't always access tools through dedicated shortcuts.
Not exactly. I want a custom shelf at the top that I can add tools too and the ability to hide ones in the Tools menu if I wanted (so adding UDK export to the top shelf would hide the same addon in the tools menu etc.)
Well, it seems that the problem is on both sides. First, Blender doesn't provide a tool shelf that you can add plugins to and plugins don't seem to adhere to a standardized way of accessing them. I know Loop Tools integrates itself into the specials menu, which I like because I go there often.
I think I understand what you're looking for. I think you want an option to "tear off" tools from the tool menu and drop them into a tool shelf so that they only take up screen space when you use them. Am I close?
That would be awesome, mate!
Yea, pretty much
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fletcher/practical-python-learn-programming-for-the-real-wo?ref=category
Now I'm tired to pay AD subscription, with the last release they sold me a crow simulator (nice... but who need?) , a ugly preview viewport, an improved modelling workflow (they mean for "improved modelling workflow" the navigation mode ala 3dsm...) and butch of new, never seen before, bugs...
So I take again my hands on blender and I like what I see
Only viewport seems too weak for me, but the rest is great. Unfortunately viewport FX seems have not some attention and fast development like GUI improvement or smoke simulation, a big mistake if this project will not released. After Viewport FX I think they must concentrate all on cycles and his CPU development.
Also I like and hate the big blender community. they are supportive, and if you have a issue they try to resolve as soon as possible, but the blender fan... for the blender fan blender is perfect, and don't need nothing... for this fan blender would remain with the all outdated 2.49 gui, no need GI, no need bmesh, they talk with other software users and say how great is blender (and how stupid are others buying commercial software)
For the debate Gizmo vs no gizmo, I like either solution, crtl+spacebar activate/deactivate handles manipulator so can activate when I need (I don't like select the axis from keyboard, prefer press MMB and constraint to one axis the problem is when I want constraint to two axis) , what I don't like is when you want work with gizmo and must activate the relative manipulator from GUI (if you have activated move Gizmo, press Scale shourtcut and you have not gizmo, and must activate from GUI... existing nothing to resolve this and have Gizmo relate to action you doing?
So that's shift-z for the x/y-axis.
Hopefully that helps!
if you want to do it with the widget shift + drag the axis you dont want. just like how using control key with the widget in maya works.
http://cgcookie.com/blender/2012/09/12/compositing-in-blender-production-complete-and-pre-orders-ending/
This looks great. Cheap as chips too.
I still find it really powerful for VFX shots, however the smoke simulator is definitely one of the more fiddly ones to sculpt the forms.
I´d like to thank all the guys that answered questions and posted useful links on this thread. Really apreciated! You could post more. Things showing non obvious stuff. like that Matcap style material.
Some of the gripes other 3D artists have with it usually are:
- Nurb/curve based modeling is limited
- Not as many modifiers (more permanent changes than they're used to)
- Peculiar UI
- FX is still primitive for the most part
- Rendering is ok, but not as good out of the box as 3DS Max/Maya (have to do a lot of work to perfect it)
- Sculpting tools aren't as advanced as Mudbox & Zbrush (I prefer using Zbrush always)
- Hotkey based transforms (which I love now, makes the process faster with one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard)
- Don't like the cursor (though it proves invaluable when lining up things, creating circular objects, and re-positioning object centers)
- Keys are different (most of them are based on the first letter of their function, whereas other suites use grouped layouts, such as Q W E R for transforms)
- Animation tools are weird
And note that some artists/companies haven't even tried it since pre-2.4 days so they think it's still the ugly program it was back then.
Basically my consensus, after using it for so long, has been that it's a good Jack-of-all-trades program and it's free! Generally it's a better workflow if you can do an entire project in one application. The modeling feels very down and dirty, raw, and less complicated than other suites. The simplicity makes me feels like I'm in complete control of my mesh and forces me to think of new, creative ways to make things.
It can spit out decent renders too after a bit of post-processing. Here's some of my work in Blender: http://fusobotic.carbonmade.com/projects/4411705
Exactly. Go with Blender and keep your cash, kids; get fancy/respectable/whatever later (when you're pulling six figures, heh). :thumbup: