First, done misunderstand me - Pov-Ray is wonderful and amazing (as is
Moray, btw). But for a current project I am undertaking, I need
something that is more general - for on the fly based rendering so I
need a general format for objects (not scenes, but actual objects). I've
been hunting around the povray links page and have yet to find something
that might work for me (aside from sPatch, but I also need more precise
inorganic objects that can be done in sPatch, but not easily :) so I was
hoping someone could direct me somewhere to a freeware, or better but,
no cost modeller that can output in more standard file formats (even a
RAW would work :)

Thanks!

Tim Soderstorm
TigerHawk

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TigerHawk <tig### [at] sticnet> wrote in message
news:396CF0C9.5556CB42@stic.net...
| First, done misunderstand me - Pov-Ray is wonderful and amazing (as is
| Moray, btw). But for a current project I am undertaking, I need
| something that is more general - for on the fly based rendering so I
| need a general format for objects (not scenes, but actual objects). I've
| been hunting around the povray links page and have yet to find something
| that might work for me (aside from sPatch, but I also need more precise
| inorganic objects that can be done in sPatch, but not easily :) so I was
| hoping someone could direct me somewhere to a freeware, or better but,
| no cost modeller that can output in more standard file formats (even a
| RAW would work :)

Have you seen Blender?
http://www.blender.nl/

Here's a page with a big list of mesh generation software:
http://www-users.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~roberts/software.html#public_domain

I wouldn't worry too much about file formats as you could always convert them
later using, for instance, 3DWin:
http://www.stmuc.com/thbaier/

If it's non-organic objects you're after, why not use CSG modeling within
POV-Ray itself?

Bye.

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Is blender really free?

Alan wrote:

> Have you seen Blender?
> http://www.blender.nl/
>
> Here's a page with a big list of mesh generation software:
> http://www-users.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~roberts/software.html#public_domain
>
> I wouldn't worry too much about file formats as you could always convert them
> later using, for instance, 3DWin:
> http://www.stmuc.com/thbaier/
>
> If it's non-organic objects you're after, why not use CSG modeling within
> POV-Ray itself?
>
> Bye.

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"Greg M. Johnson" wrote:
> 
> Is blender really free?

I believe everything but the manual which they charge for. A lot
of people complain about the GUI interface being a bit unorthodox
which requires a long learning curve. Some of the stuff I have
seen come out if though is pretty impressive.

-- 
Ken Tyler - 1400+ POV-Ray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/

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Thanks, I'll check them our for sure. To answer your question, the problem with
Pov-Ray is that without the actual program, it's nothing more than a script-like
file sitting on my HD :) I was looking for something that was easily useable for
on-the-fly animations (ie game style, or better put demo style) without having to
code a bunch of stuff (though now our coder is thikning of making his own type of
modeller, so he's going to be doing a crap load of work anyway, heh :P ).

Thanks for the sites though, I'll be sure to check them out!

Tim Soderstrom
TigerHawk

Alan wrote:

> TigerHawk <tig### [at] sticnet> wrote in message
> news:396CF0C9.5556CB42@stic.net...
> | First, done misunderstand me - Pov-Ray is wonderful and amazing (as is
> | Moray, btw). But for a current project I am undertaking, I need
> | something that is more general - for on the fly based rendering so I
> | need a general format for objects (not scenes, but actual objects). I've
> | been hunting around the povray links page and have yet to find something
> | that might work for me (aside from sPatch, but I also need more precise
> | inorganic objects that can be done in sPatch, but not easily :) so I was
> | hoping someone could direct me somewhere to a freeware, or better but,
> | no cost modeller that can output in more standard file formats (even a
> | RAW would work :)
>
> Have you seen Blender?
> http://www.blender.nl/
>
> Here's a page with a big list of mesh generation software:
> http://www-users.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~roberts/software.html#public_domain
>
> I wouldn't worry too much about file formats as you could always convert them
> later using, for instance, 3DWin:
> http://www.stmuc.com/thbaier/
>
> If it's non-organic objects you're after, why not use CSG modeling within
> POV-Ray itself?
>
> Bye.

Post a reply to this message

> I believe everything but the manual which they charge for. A lot
> of people complain about the GUI interface being a bit unorthodox
> which requires a long learning curve. Some of the stuff I have
> seen come out if though is pretty impressive.

Really? I haven't seem very much in the world of scenes (object maybe) -
I've seen some neat things, but not on the degree of Pov-Ray - have an eye
candyish sites I can look at? :) (Though I swear by Pov when it comes to
raytracing.

Tim Soderstrom
TigerHawk

Post a reply to this message

Blender recently switched from a 'C-Key' system - whereby features became
available in the free version some time after they appeared in the 'commercial'
version - to really free, as in absolutely.  The latest version is v1.8, but
the all-new v2 is due out soon (they drummed up interest as SIGGRAPH) and this
will feature all sorts of bits and doings.

I actually haven't used Blender much.  Without documentation easily to hand
(e.g. POV's excellent help file) it's slightly awkward to learn - for me
anyway.  But, as Ken has said in this thread, it *is* capable of producing some
excellent results.  As with anything, it just takes time.

Now, back to my robot...

Bye.

Greg M. Johnson <gre### [at] my-dejanewscom> wrote in message
news:396DCE60.14839D61@my-dejanews.com...
| Is blender really free?
|

Post a reply to this message

TigerHawk wrote:
> 
> > I believe everything but the manual which they charge for. A lot
> > of people complain about the GUI interface being a bit unorthodox
> > which requires a long learning curve. Some of the stuff I have
> > seen come out if though is pretty impressive.
> 
> Really? I haven't seem very much in the world of scenes (object maybe) -
> I've seen some neat things, but not on the degree of Pov-Ray - have an eye
> candyish sites I can look at? :) (Though I swear by Pov when it comes to
> raytracing.

I don't maintain blender URLs in my links data base for obvious
reasons - it doesn't interest me.

-- 
Ken Tyler - 1400+ POV-Ray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/

Post a reply to this message

> I actually haven't used Blender much.  Without documentation easily to hand
> (e.g. POV's excellent help file) it's slightly awkward to learn - for me
> anyway.  But, as Ken has said in this thread, it *is* capable of producing some
> excellent results.  As with anything, it just takes time.

Blender seems to have great features, but, yes the documentation is weird, and I
don't like the unsizeable window (on my old monitor I could hardly run it). I'm
sure you could make great things with it, I am just saying that I haven't seen
anything great, least not as great as the Pov-Ray IRTC entries (though I think a
few might have actually used Blender....hmmm)

Happy Tracing,
Tim Soderstrom

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Yes, this was my memory. I found the key system so annoying as to be a waste of
time.  Charge me $100 and give me the whole ball or forget it.

Alan wrote:

> Blender recently switched from a 'C-Key' system - whereby features became
> available in the free version some time after they appeared in the 'commercial'
> version - to really free, as in absolutely.  The latest version is v1.8, but
> the all-new v2 is due out soon (they drummed up interest as SIGGRAPH) and this
> will feature all sorts of bits and doings.
>
> I actually haven't used Blender much.  Without documentation easily to hand
> (e.g. POV's excellent help file) it's slightly awkward to learn - for me
> anyway.  But, as Ken has said in this thread, it *is* capable of producing some
> excellent results.  As with anything, it just takes time.
>
> Now, back to my robot...
>
> Bye.
>
> Greg M. Johnson <gre### [at] my-dejanewscom> wrote in message
> news:396DCE60.14839D61@my-dejanews.com...
> | Is blender really free?
> |

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