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...are these "widgets" like Camera Cube in Daz (which I find is actually very handy)?
I changed my controls so that right mouse rotates the camera, middle scrolls (pans? whatever) it and mousewheel zooms. Which from memory I think I did because that was how MD operated when I was using the trial. No keyboarding needed.
...I have MD but a much older version (got too expensive for me). I was thinking more along the line of how one can move around the Hexagon workspace as I use a trackball.
I've been using Blender for years, and merging and splitting windows can still be an entertaining exercise. But it is a seriously powerful and versatile tool.
As many others have said prevously in the thread, every keyboard shortcut has a corresponding menu item, just like everything else. The only keyboard touching you MUST do to my knowledge thus far is to hold down shift while pressing the scroll button to pan around the 3D View. Other than that...
Laurie
At least until I quick visit to user settings gets rid of the shift requirement~
One thing it reminded me of that I read here or somewhere is one insanely useful keyboard thing - if you hold alt while rotating the camera it will snap to the ortho views as it gets near them (and 45 degree variants.) As someone who was slowly and annoyed-ingly learning the keys for specific cameras because going to the menus took forever, having one button that snaps me to the right views is super handy.
lx:
Good point regarding what newbies need in that respect. However, your statement "What a beginner really needs to know is how to rearrange the windows (making fewer, making more) and that they can assign them to anything they want." is exactly what I, as a beginner, learned many years ago to create the custom layouts. I agree that it should be easier, or at least presented easier for beginners.
Knittingmommy:
Nothing special, just Hexagon visual emulation. I don't have the time to implement scripting variations. I am dedicating my scripting time to my custom build. The MD emulation will be more environmental with the cloth simulation module combined with cloth pattern creation, and tessellation. There is still more cloth sim work that needs to be implemented, and currently someone is trying to add to what is available. But, there are a few needed parameters that need to make it into trunk before this can even be realized. I am mostly working on the pattern development side of it right now. You can view my Hexagon emulation images below...
AllenArt:
I agree, knowing how to model coming into Blender gives you a leg up for the modeling aspect of it. I was playing in Blender for many years, but never really did anything with it. We never clicked. I was a devout Wings3D modeler since it's inception, and was waiting patiently for Blender to catch up to the modeling tools, and better mesh technology (Bmesh implentation). Blender has now far surpassed W3D (in my opinion) for my work in modeling, and morph target work, but I still outsource some tasks to W3D through Blender bridging systems (quick in and out).
kyoto kid:
I know you are the stubbornest of holdouts, but we will eventually turn you to the dark side of Blender. Hopefully, easier UI, and control implementations are around the corner. Someday... You will join us....
"...but, can you move around the workspace like in Hexagon with just a pointing device and no keyboarding?"
Why yes I can...
I created a one-click mouse use only toggle solution for each of the three movements with two locations in the UI. One in the Navigation Tab, and one on the main bottom header (similar to how it's located in Hexagon). I have even offered this to everyone here in the past in one of these Blender threads. You can see it in the images below.
Click for full size:
Wait, wait - pattern creation in Blender? So you can create clothing the same way you do in MD? Where where how where gimme
Thanks for the screenshots. Those help. It looks interesting and familiar as Hexagon is the program I started modeling, although, still not well. I'm getting there though. Pattern creation in Blender like it is in MD would be nice. I did see a tutorial on YouTube of someone making an outfit using a pattern template in Blender. I haven't watched it all the way through. It is in my Blender playlist for me to work through later when my skills are a little better. I don't have MD, but have seen videos of their pattern room. MD is one of those programs I'd love to have, but can't see having as I'm not a content creator and it is way too expensive. Being able to do something similar in Blender would definitely be nice.
I did find the video that Gedd linked to on customizing layouts in Blender so I might play around with that a little. Thanks @Gedd.
@DaremoK3: WOW! Those look really useful. I'll have to go back and look for them. Thanks! :). I'm a hard headed Wings3D user myself. It's hard NOT to use Wings3D cause it's just become so darn comfy, but limited ;).
Laurie
OMG...just goes to show how subjective experience is. Of all the software I've ever tried, I don't think I hated any as much as I hated Wings...lol. I didn't find it easy at all. I had to have a restraining order against hammers when I was trying out Wings. (Of course, Blender 2.49 was a close second, but wouldn't have been if I'd started with 2.5. :) )
lx:
That's the idea, but don't get too excited. As I mentioned in the Blender Rendo forum last year, this is a personal project I am creating for myself. I have no desire to maintain code through Blender's constant moving target. But, rest assured, there are those out there working towards this as well, and in fact, my work is dependant on their implementations.
kyoto kid:
Logitech Trackball mouse myself for the last fifteen years or so. I'm on my third one. I don't have arthritis, but I was developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my right wrist, so I had to get the trackball, and switch to being a lefty. Don't know how ergonomic it is, but I can switch between both hands with no issues, and no carpal tunnel.
I know the learning curves suck, but stick with it, and you will get there. Time is the master of the skills, and I was in your shoes nearly two decades ago.
How is Hexagon treating you? I love Hex, but every time I open it up for even the smallest amount of work... crash... and I end up sending the work to Blender, which never fails me.
Knittingmommy:
I have MD2 (one of the original adopters), but have no plans to ever purchase that software again (still soured regarding ownership of MD2 without a proper serial for reinstallations). Love the software, but despise the company, and yeah, their pricing is outrageous. Yes, you can rent, but if I can't own it perpetually like I started with in purchasing Poser3 and RayDream3D, I don't want it. I don't subscribe to the whole subscription model that seems to be the future of paid software.
The outfit in my screencaps above was created in MD2, and the hat was created in Wings3D years ago for Poser4 Dork. I brought it into Blender for a Genesis upgrade for an NPR image I am working on.
Yeah, there are a lot of good cloth sim tuts out there illustrating the desire for MD emulation in Blender, and that little by little we are working towards it. Check out this video by Max Puliero. He has the same sentiments towards CLO3D as I do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEwlwlLabaY
I don't really know anything about the company (only that they seem to be Korean) but when I trialled MD5 i was very impressed with it. Being able to make clothing as patterns and then interactively adjust it as it was fitting in realtime was amazingly intuitive. While I've seen some great things with Blender's current cloth sim, I've never experienced anything like how effective that was. Watching the cloth sim mod talk for last year's Blender conference gave me good hope that better functionality will trickle its way down eventually though - if I can do things entirely in Blender, I'd rather learn how to in Blender.
On a semi related note to both that ideal and subscriptions, I really like the look of Substance's current subscription method - you pay start/stop monthly as you like, then once enough for a licence is paid, you can choose to buy with that credit. It's so refreshing in a sea of "hey pay monthly and save all the moneys!" While I'm aware that you can paint in Blender, I haven't explored it much (and the whole node thing is just terrifying.) Would it be recommended to dive into texture/material creation with the current version of Blender, or use alternate software for it?
I know, right! Anton built Apollo Maximus in Wings!
Wish there had been more support for Apollo
I feel better knowing I'm not the only one.
and pre 2.49 with the "classic" interface is what I gave up on twice. It took 2.5 and the reassurance of some very passionate people to get me even consider taking the 3rd swing. Now it's just very liberating to be able to model something simple and use it in my scene in a few minutes. Nothing worth doing starts off easy.
Hmm, I said that, how come it says Kyoto?
Anyway, likewise pre-2.5, I struggled repeatedly with Blender; even now, knowing Blender like I do, I can't really get to grips with 2.49. Fortuneately the addon I wanted to use (which I've forgotten why now), is longer an issue.
I tried 2.49. I think I ran away screaming ;). 2.77 isn't the screamfest that Blender once was. LOL. As for Wings, it was the easiest thing for me to learn on. Not a huge amount of shorcuts or over the top features. Except now I'd be glad for some over the top features ;). I can't get anything done just straight box modeling anymore. And Wings penchant for having to have a closed mesh at all times gets annoying. LOL.
Laurie
...I am easily frustrated when the tools I am using do not work the way I do or expect them to do. Again my background is that of a traditional painter/sculptor/modeller so learning the 3D language and tools is enough of a learning curve. Having to on top of this, deal with a UI and setup that has it's own, rather steep curve makes me feel like I am getting nothing accomplished.
Hexagon has been reasonably stable, but still has bug issues. Because it is a 32 bit programme, it tends to choke when using smoothing just because of the maximum memory allocation (Base 2 GB, set to LAA, 3 GB).
...umm...I didn't say that.
..my issue with Wings3D was it's grey on grey UI that had little contrast, and it's "Update of the day" upgrades.
You can easily change the colors of the interface under Preferences/User Interface. I'm not sure what you mean by 'Update of the Day" upgrades. I upgrade my Wings once when the version changes...very infrequently - much less frequently than Blender.
Laurie
...when I was looking into Wings years ago it seemed there was a new update release every few days.
I've been using the same version (1.5.4) for a year. That's still the stable version.
Laurie
Yeah, I always say try it yourself. Obviously your and my mileage really varied...lol. But that's ok. As long as you find what works, that's really all that matters.
Substance Designer is node based, which is more of a direct comparison to Blender's node based system. Blender has a paint system similar to Substance Painter but not as sophisticated. So you don't save anything with going with Substance in general regarding nodes other then if importing into Unity or Unreal Engine as mentioned below.
Blender's node based system is one of the most straightforward imo as the nodes are straight forward and named in a way that makes sense. Other node based systems tend towards more of a 'technical' nomenclature rather then the simpler and more straightforward naming conventions Blender's nodes tend to be. Yes, there are some technical node names like Light Paths, etc... (in Blender) but for the most part, those nodes require a pretty technical undrstanding to use them anyways so it makes sense they would use technical names.
As to learning, because of the naming conventions issues and the overwhelming amount of tutorials and examples, I would highly recommend learning nodes in Blender rather then other render engines. Just realize that whatever nodal system is used, it is specific to the render engine, Blender's being Cycles. If one is moving to a specific render engine, such as Unity's, Unreal Engine 4, IRay, etc.. the whole shader setup will have to be recreated. Since Unreal Engine (and Unity I believe) can use Substance Designer's Substances, those don't have to be recreated in those engines, but Substance Painter's output has to be rewired in any final render engine and IRay still doesn't support Substance Designer Substances afaik. In the end, one might be able to import Substance Paint output directly into final render engines also so any learning there very well may lead to a direct path without having to understand much of the underlying rewiring.
If one wants to get a good understanding of the underlying technology in shaders, Blender is the optimal learning tool imo. We can take what we learn in Blender and better understand other shader networks since the underlying principles are for the most part the same.
One other thing to consider regarding nodal systems is that much of the basis of nodal systems crosses over from shader networks to compositing, both still image and video. So until someone comes up with pre-packaged compositing nodal equivalents to pre-packaged shaders one still will need to have an understanding of the systems used if they plan on doing any indepth compositing. Eventually this also will go the way of one click effects one gets with various software packages for photographs but these always limit us to the effects that were premade and some amount of understanding of the underlying technology helps in tweaking the effects so that the final result doesn't take on the 'canned' look. And of course someone needs to create those pre-packaged nodal effects so it is a potential opportunity for anyone who does learn this.
Hmm okay thank you, that sounds like solid advice. I'll explore Blender's rendering abilities first then - if I ever finish this current mesh >.>
Just a note Substance Designer is currently shown with Iray on its page so I was hoping that meant hope for making shaders in that and bringing them to Studio, but I haven't tried it so can't say anything beyond "Designer seems to be using Iray now."
Well I haven't kept up with the current status of SD and IRay so someone who has can step in and clarify if they see this. I know they were supposed to be working their way in that direction. I'm also curious as to the status of moving painter output directly to shaders in IRay, but not enough to do the research at the moment as I have a lot on my plate as it is.