Silo 2?
Phantom Studios
Posts: 203
Does anyone use Silo 2?
I just picked it up...someone suggested it to me for making clothing and props.
I notice the lack of tutorials though?
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Fugazi over at Renderosity uses Silo in his Digital Tailor tutorials. You might want to take a look at those.
I use it for all my modeling.
Here are some video links to look into and some other stuff...
Glen's Silo Fundamentals - Part 1 of 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TBLZRmXanI
3D creature Modelling - part 1(basic tools in Silo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoxZuNQPcQs
Silo 3D Modeling Tutorial Part 2 - Common Tools and How They Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s59fsiG2Xw
Polygon Modeling in Silo - Issue1-EP01
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ1_AcZiWdk&list=PL408hLQAKh3J0wYmDFNRzq99YEcdj5M0P
Getting Started with Silo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHIqB4t_nHM&list=PLDB53B34BCA817568
See here for a UV Mapping Tutorial by Antony Ward - http://ant-online.co.uk/2011/12/15/free-stuff-12-book-downloads/
Here is his UV Map - http://ant-online.co.uk/2011/03/02/free-model-10-–-checker-map/ - I suggest making that into a larger map 2x2 will do.
I use it to make all my free clothing.
Do you know how to select just a whole row of faces on a model? I know you use paint mode but I want to know if there is a shortcut / keyboard shortcut that let's you select a whole row of faces ( polygons )?
I highly recommend you just watch the vids
I forgot to include the link to the online manual that has a PDF download as well - http://silo3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Silo_Manual
I learned watching tutorials on you tube. But I believe the answer to your question is hold the shift button down, click on one face (keep holding the shift button) then double click on the face right next to the first. This will highlight whole row/loop.
Cool, I will try that out! Thanks!
And you can do the same with the edges.
I use it on everything I've made
I've used it (not as much as I would like) - I really like it. Wonderfully simple interface compared to other programs.
I'm dabbling with it. But one bugbear I have is when I zoom in and the screen grey's out. Then even if I zoom back out again the viewport stays grey. Nothing I can do but save regularly and reload when it happens.
I tried the 30-day trial a couple of months ago, and even got a couple of Fugazi's tutorials. Even though I've been using Blender for a number of years, I liked Silo and it's ease of use.
Only reason I didn't buy after the 30-day trial ended was it hasn't been updated in 5 years, and there doesn't seem to be any interest by Never Center to do so, or I would've grabbed it when it was on sale of $109 back when I was playing in it.
If you have steam it is currently £15 on the UK steam, so I assume there is a similar sale on the US site.
Current USD price is 50% off - http://store.steampowered.com/app/100400
Only downside of the steam version is that you have to have steam installed and running in the background in order to use it. I should know, thats how I bought mine last year. But for the $30, its worth it.
i got it free quite a while back, can't remember what version, but it came with early buy on CD with content when i bought Poser 6, trying to locate CD in the debris of my existence here
I bought it a couple of months ago via Steam, then put off trying to do anything with it, till I saw this thread the first time. I'm by no means a modeler...yet. But Silo 2 is the first program I've tried where I've made anything at all recognizable. I use Daz Studio and I'm in Second Life, so over the past 7 years have tried all sorts of lower priced modeling programs. I have Hexagon, had Carrara, tried Blender, Wings and Sculptris. When it comes to modeling, I have the patience of a flea, but Silo 2 has given me results soon enough that I keep going back and trying more.
OK, then I have a question for you Ameesa. I was directed to Steam to get it for half the price NeverCenter was offering it for a couple of months ago (though I understand it's even cheaper now), but I didn't because I was under the impression that you needed to download the Steam software, and need to run it in order to use their version of Silo 2.0, which is not the same as the current version of Silo 2.2 being offered at NeverCenter's site.
Do you need to download, install and use Steam in order to use their version of Silo? Call me very curious.
...that just got me to check my copy of P6, I got (E Frontier boxed version) but it only contains the main application disc and an expired offer for Shade.
Would have been nice.
Not doing the Steam thing as I don't go online while working to save memory resources (FF takes up about a quarter to a third of a GB plus a fair percent of CPU resources).
Unfortunately the sale at Nevercentre is over and it is back to 159$.
To think I actually paid for Hexagon (and not at the current price of 12$ either). I guess five+ years is a little past the 30 day refund limit.
I need a "real" income again.
OK, then I have a question for you Ameesa. I was directed to Steam to get it for half the price NeverCenter was offering it for a couple of months ago (though I understand it's even cheaper now), but I didn't because I was under the impression that you needed to download the Steam software, and need to run it in order to use their version of Silo 2.0, which is not the same as the current version of Silo 2.2 being offered at NeverCenter's site.
Do you need to download, install and use Steam in order to use their version of Silo? Call me very curious.
As near as I can tell, yes you do need Steam running in the background to use it. It usually just gives me one pop-up ad in the back that I usually don't see till I lower my screen. However, I had already had Steam because of some games I play.
Forgot about the other part of your question. I checked my version number for Silo 2 and I am running Silo 2.2 Professional.
Thanks for the answers Ameesa. I had a suspicion you did need Steam to run their version of Silo. I also think the version info I had was from old Steam forum posts, and back then that may have been the version they were offering. Now it's obviously Silo 2.2. I just don't like the idea of having to have other software running, as well as having to be online, in order to use it.
Unless it's a specific requirement of Silo, you do not need to be online in order to run steam- there's an offline mode that lets you access all of your stuff just fine.
...I first head of Steam in relation to Silo as I don't do gaming (which apparently is their main focus).
Even if it has an offline mode that means it is still an extra process that needs to be running at the same time.
Another concern I have is support for for the application itself, including updates, fixes, and future upgrades. Purchasing it through Nevercentre, I have access to all of that through their site.
I'm not sure about the future, but I've read many places that NeverCenter hasn't done much to the program in about 5 years. For me, there really is no offline mod, I currently have unlimited cable internet. But in the (hopefully far distant) future that may become a concern, so I might have to look into using it offline.
I don't do online gaming either, and I agree with you that the Steam software uses up processing power I'd rather save for Silo.
Also, as far as future upgrades from NeverCenter, they haven't upgraded Silo for almost 5 years, and from what I've been able to find at their site, they're spending all their resources on newer products. I've heard they're a small outfit, so probably don't have enough coders to keep all their software up-to-date, and I suspect as long as there aren't any major problems with the current iteration of Silo, they're not spending any time even thinking about updating it. To me that's another negative.
...well checking some forums, it pretty much has been declared as "abandonware". Sad as it is so hard these days to find a nice stable dedicated modelling application that doesn't have a bunch of other bells that are and whistles redundant with other software I already have. I just need a good polygon modeller that focuses solely on that particular task. Hexagon would be perfect if Daz would clean it up by fixing the instability issues (including it's UV mapping) and add both Sculpting as well as 64 bit support to give it access to more memory.
Instead, they support an expensive Pro grade app like ZBrush with the GoZ bridge plugin. I just wonder how much development work that took compared to fixing the ills in Hexagon and making it a first class dedicated modelling application.
I'm a firm believer in the old "Jack of all Trades" adage with regards to Carrara. It's a good progamme, but modelling is not its primary focus. The same has occurred with Blender, which makes this seemingly incomprehensible programme all that more cumbersome and difficult to learn.
Meanwhile two potentially nice, elegant, and affordable modelling applications, Silo and Hexagon, are being left to rot on the vine by their respective parent companies.
It's a total shame.
...and why I keep getting discouraged when it comes to learning modelling. Seems no point investing in and spending the time to learn softwares that are pretty much destined to become obsolete dead ends.
Personally I dont care if people say Sil is abondonware. Its still stalbe and very good at what it does.
All the models I have built and have for sale here at DAZ3D were built in Silo 2.2 including both cars.
There is nothing wrong with the software and is no less perfect then anything else. If all you need is a no non-sense modeler, then this is your software.
I do my modeling, UV mapping and set up all my surfaces in silo.
I agree. It was well worth the money. I've made every pack that I have in the store with it
I agree. It was well worth the money. I've made every pack that I have in the store with it
I agree as well, though nowhere near the level of modeler you two are. Part of my problems with other software was just understanding what things did. Silo 2 is a no-nonsense, everything makes sense to me modeling program. The problem I have with Hexagon is crashing. Silo does crash, but not near a often for me.