Using other apps with Blender

[Corbin_Steel]

I was using Art of Illusion which I thought was great until I found Blender. I'm also playing around with Wings3D, I like its modelling.
But I've noticed that some people will use Wings3D then Blender.
How many others do too?
Or what other programs do you use to model before finishing in Blender?
David

[Nichod]

People generally favor Wings3d over Blender because its a bit more geared towards box modeling than Blender is. Also, perhaps its what they are used to modeling in and they work faster within it.

I know people who model exclusively in Blender. Or that Model in Hexagon and tweak/shade/render in Blender. Or use Silo. Etc. Its an endless list you are asking for.

[polydude]

Hi just purchased hexagon 2.1 for $2.00 on DAZ site anyone know if this is easier to learn than silo? I want a good modeler that does not have a steep learning curve.

[ttelos]

Originally Posted by polydude

Hi! Just purchased hexagon 2.1 for $2.00 on DAZ site; anyone know if this is easier to learn than silo? I want a good modeler that does not have a steep learning curve.

Hexagon is excellent, imo, except that 2.1 is still quite buggy. (Yes, I got it for two dollars, too.) A few of us, impatient, are toying with Blender. These days, if I'm starting a new model, I'll start it in Blender, not Hexagon. The beginner's challenge with Blender is to download enough documentation so that you have the equivalent of a full manual on hand. Do not attempt to guess your way around: that will be endless frustration.

But once you internalize enough keystrokes and mouse gestures that you can actually start modeling, you'll see that it's extremely fast (workflow fast), stable, and gentle on computer resources. The "Beauty" subdivision is a beauty; UV mapping is much more streamlined and dependable than in Hexagon 2.1; et cetera.

Come time to render --ah!-- that's something that the pros do (see Elephant's Dream, for example) but a lot of amateurs leave to other programs. I export geometry from Blender into Carrara or DAZ Studio, and take it from there.

Importing ".obj" or ".3ds" files into Blender can be another exercise in frustration, at least on Mac OS X, Blender 2.43, Python 2.5. If somebody out there can figure out how to export the attached Hexagon file to a format that Blender will accept, I will celebrate with gratitude and congratulations!