Carrara + Hexagon + Amapi Pro?

[Naes3d]

Now that I have decided that Hexagon is a product I should add to my tools, is there anyone who thinks that Amapi Pro's Nurbs tools will be beneficial in that environment?

Can Amapi fit naturally into the Hex/Carr workflow or is it too specific and/or redundant?

[AlainK]

I suggest that you specify your objectives so that it will make it easy for users of those programs to answer your question. Thanks.

[Naes3d]

Well, yeah that might help. Although I would have apreciated anything general too.

Basically, Hex2 and Carrara make for a powerful pair when doing character work. Pin up scenes and the like. My original opinion was that Hexagon was unnecessary because one could model what they needed in the VM. Hex just had more options that would eventually be added to the VM anyway. The new Zbrush like features changed that. Complex character design and (for now) texturing are going to be better accomplished with Hex2. What type of things are better accomplished in Amapi Pro (as it relates to building full scenes)?

One scenario I thought of involved a character modelled in hex holding a sword modelled in Amapi Pro. Would nurbs be better for modelling swords or other objects? One advantage I can see is that you can import the Amapi object into your scene, then return to Amapi and edit it, then update it in Carrara. It'd be nice if you could do the same with Hex models.

So I guess the question might also be, what are the advantages of building with nurbs as opposed to polys?

[AlainK]

I was hoping that some Amapi users could throw a few cents here as I never actually went in depth with the Amapi Demo I once downloaded... Someone in this forum mentioned that Hexagon has made Amapi irrelevant. Don't really know what he meant and to what extent it became so... Here are links you might want to devour before moving on.

http://www.newtek.com/forums/showpos...9&postcount=12

http://www.answers.com/topic/subdivision-surface

[Thomas]

For what you descirbe, Hexagon+Carrara is a lot enough, you don't need Amapi Pro at all.

[Jerzy]

Originally Posted by Thomas

For what you descirbe, Hexagon+Carrara is a lot enough, you don't need Amapi Pro at all.

Thomas is right you don´t need Amapi Pro. Amapi Pro is both both poligonal and nurbs modeler but rather focused on precise CAD design
(at least seems this is intention of Eovia).

Now, we should see if Eovia will drive Amapi in the same direction like Hex
I mean similar workflow and similar easiness of use. Thomas said times ago when Hex was released that Amapi will benefit from Hex development, personally I wish that was true.
By now Eovia show which priority they have and this is Carrara + Hex tandem. I understand that since Amapi has rather narower group of users.
Hope that next Amapi release will be soon now when Carrara is here and Hex2 will be released in Abril. Amapi could be great soft for CAD design
but I think that it need some major rebuild to adecuate it´s workflow to todays standards. Seeing big step Eovia did with Amapi 6 to Amapi Pro
I could expect similar progress.

[Naes3d]

Yeah, I kind of thought it might be redundant to have all 3, since I was wrong about Hex, I figured it would only be fair to extend my hand to Amapi.

Thanks for sharing.

[Bertmg]

Amapi should be taken out of teh market. Its great features implemented in Carrara and Hex. We could have a Two-Tool kit to do it all: Carrara pro + Hex!!! yehhhh!!!

[dunsterville]

Thomas, you're probably correct when it comes to what YOU are doing, but for me Amapi is much better than many industrial apps:

I use Amapi to build and export my designs to prototypers and other specialist engineers.

Amapi stands being tested against SolidWorks, Rhino, Cobalt !
This is quite something when you compare the prices, features such as Amapi's excellent dimensioning tool, and its customisability.

Now:
I own Carrara 3 and 4 pro — I CAN'T BEAR USING THEM!! the interface really gets in my bloody way, its 'innovative' alright, I'll give it that.

Although rendering is excellent for what it is, and having said that, I'm very impressed with what others have done, especially animation — but that's not a reason to damn Amapi:

For CAD work I use VectorWorks which loves stuff I've made in Amapi as it supports NURBS (unlike AutoCAD, Ha!).

And renders, despite the fact I own carrara, are done in Maxon Cinema: fast and stable and so many options.

So:
Leave us Amapi fans to get on with our thing, I've been using it since v4 and there's still nothing like it.

I just wish Eovia could prove to me that they are as committed to Amapi as I am.

[Naes3d]

Dunsterville, did I miss something?

I didn't think Thomas was saying that Amapi was no good. I think he was just saying that for what I described, I don't need it. The Pro version anyway. I have Amapi Designer 7 because it came with my Carrara 4 Pro. I am still trying to come to terms with it, although I may give up when I get my copy of Hex 2.

I think you may be preaching to the choir in regards to your praise of Amapi when speaking to Thomas.

[Grendel]

I just purchased Amapi Pro more for work related modeling than anything else. Nurbs are great for modeling complex surfaces and volumes but for just about anything else I still use Hexagon. Hexagon is very capable of doing inorganics and even though the displacement tools are stealing the show right now it is still an amazing modeler in my opinion. Attached is a shot of a work related model of a high pressure subsea connector I did in Hexagon and will be reworking in Amapi Pro.
I also am hoping that the interface will be completely revamped to follow along more closely with Hexagon. I have thought already come very close to replacing all the icons with the associated icons in Hex just for standardization.

[Nate Owens]

I haven't used Amapi.
I use Rhino (because I am accustomed to it).
I hear that Amapi has both poly and nurbs modeling.
Would it be possible for Hexagon to have both poly and nurbs?
Wouldn't that be awesome!! - Talk about a killer app!



Modeled in Rhino, rendered in Carrara

[AlainK]

Originally Posted by Nate Owens

Would it be possible for Hexagon to have both poly and nurbs?

It's possible, but I don't think that's where Eovia wants Hexagon to go. Reason why Hex has LINE tools is to sort of emulate what NURBS could do. Btw, Nate, this image of yours can be done just as well in Hex. The THICKNESS tool, for example, can also be applied to the line tools to produce pipes, cables, cylinders that could snake all over the place...

[Olivier]

Hi,
I use both Amapi and Hexagon.
I sometimes have industrial objects to model, with tons of booleans operations. When a piece is full of holes, it is difficult to do with polygons, I prefer nurbs.
I hope Amapi will have the poly tools of Hexagon in the future. Using nurbs and poly int the same software, with the same tools and same interface is very productive.

[Bertmg]

Originally Posted by Bertmg

Amapi should be taken out of teh market. Its great features implemented in Carrara and Hex. We could have a Two-Tool kit to do it all: Carrara pro + Hex!!! yehhhh!!!

I apologize, I really did not much about Amapi and therefore I never saw it as a CAD app. From the commets is sounds like it still needs a big upgrade to reach this level. Now I can see why Amapi is a tool that need to be out there and diferentiated from Hex which is used for Organics.

Still, I stronly feel that Carrara should seemlesly integrate (not fully true yet) with these two tools and as a stand alone, Carrara should have enough of both Amapi and Hex features to make it a strong stand alone app solution as it has been, but still even better. To give better meaning to the "PRO" version, "Carrara Pro" Version should come with Amapi and Hex integrated (Like two more rooms or something) whouln't you guys like that!!!. It may affect the price a bit but "Pro" would really mean something!

Furthermore, Eovia could create a separate app that specializes in animation which unlike most Carrara features is not necessarily as used by everyone.... ok that is another story.. he.. he.. he!!

Keep the great work Eovia.. I can wait to see you better your killer apps which are still budget reacheable!

[Bertmg]

Does anyone knows of a comparison chart for Carrara, Hexagon and Amapi, like the one there is for the different versions of Carrara at http://www.eovia.com/products/carrar...ro_vs_std.asp?

This would be extremely usefull to have one and may answer most questions about this different products once and for all!!!

[sculptn]

I'm an Amapi Pro and Hex user and to be honest they are really two different types of programs. If you are going to do character development and organic modelling, Hex is a natural fit. If you are focused on more "hard line" ID type models Amapi works better. It's not that either program can't do what the other does, but try taking a polygonal model and reverse forming it to Nurbs to have a modelshop make it into a real 3d object. Now that really sucks. Since Amapi works in Nurbs already you can output to Surfcam or to SLA to have models made pretty easily, that's why this is a great ID tool. It really all has to do with what type of modelling you want to focus on. Good luck. And btw, if you go to Eovia, you'll notice that Amapi has disappeared from the products that they sell, so maybe, they have answered your question for you.
-jeff

[dunsterville]

God, you're right!
What the hell is going on?
Can anyone tell us what's happening to Amapi?

— Guy