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Runtime DNA merges with DAZ 3D
- Thread starter 3WC
- Start date
I use hex in win7 ultimate 64 bit and I have no problems what-so-ever with it...I start my mapping in Hex...then go to uvmapper pro...then to roadkill and then back to uvmapper...
But Hexagon I have no problems with...and I use the incremental saving constantly!
But Hexagon I have no problems with...and I use the incremental saving constantly!
Lianam
Eager
I know some of Blenders tools, etc already. I have been working on trying to fix up one of my sketchup models in it so it can be uvmapped. I have hexagon but have not actually done anything in it yet. I like the newer versions of Blender way better than anything prior to 4.6. Those version were definitely not user friendly. More curious if importing some of my models into hexagon might be better. I first have to change them to dae and possibly obj. I have not looked at hexagon's import files possibilities.
If you think the UI is frustrating Pen, you should've seen it prior to version 2.52, which is when this UI first came out. The old 2.4x UI was horrific, but I persevered until I got a handle on it. Then I had to relearn it when this UI came out, and this one doesn't bother me at all now.
What I like most of all about Blender is that almost everything, except selecting things, can be done with keyboard controls, and that makes things easier for me.
What I like most of all about Blender is that almost everything, except selecting things, can be done with keyboard controls, and that makes things easier for me.
Glitterati3D
Dances with Bees
Hexagon is truly flaky for some people and fairly solid for others. I don't think anyone has ever figured out why.
One thing is the memory limitation in any 32 bit program and with a model that can climb fast, it seems to get flakier by the polygon/smoothing operation.
It was always solid for me when I used it, but I just happened to be one of the lucky ones.
One thing that always frustrated me though was if you make an error (like a manifold poly) Hexagon doesn't warn - it just crashes to the desktop. And, hidden "secrets" that aren't documented - like escaping from an extrude operation requires 2 "undos" or you end up with a bad model and crash.
One thing is the memory limitation in any 32 bit program and with a model that can climb fast, it seems to get flakier by the polygon/smoothing operation.
It was always solid for me when I used it, but I just happened to be one of the lucky ones.
One thing that always frustrated me though was if you make an error (like a manifold poly) Hexagon doesn't warn - it just crashes to the desktop. And, hidden "secrets" that aren't documented - like escaping from an extrude operation requires 2 "undos" or you end up with a bad model and crash.
Hexagon is very unpredictable. For some folks it works steady as a rock, and for others - like me - it's utterly useless because of the constant crashes. I gave up on it due to constant crash issues. I don't have the patience to fight with a program that's going to do nothing but crash, but I know lots of folks in 3D who swear by it and have had very good experiences with it.
@Lianam Blender is very hotkey oriented - aka the keyboard shortcut method. While you're learning it, you do spend a LOT of time referencing lists of what the keyboard shortcuts are and which one does what function. After a while you get used to it, though. Personally I find it very intuitive, but for me that's partly due to my ADD. I get frustrated quickly with click-only interfaces because I just can't move a mouse around an interface as quickly as my brain is moving. With the hotkey/keyboard shortcut method that Blender uses, the program pretty much works at the same speed as my brain. Yay!
But Pendraia is very much correct. Blender doesn't seem to have any "middle ground" like most other programs. You either absolutely love it - or you absolutely hate it. All I can tell you, is try it out again with the current interface... and expect to NEED tutorials. You CANNOT learn it just by clicking around blindly. Fortunately, there are TONS of free tutorial resources out there for it. But expect to need tutorials, do NOT expect to be able to figure it out by just clicking and poking at the interface.
And expect that you might be keeping a browser tab open in the background with a list of the keyboard shortcut commands for a while until you get things memorized. That's how I work with it at the moment; I keep one tab open in my browser, and when I'm trying to do a task but can't recall what the command was, I reference the hotkey list.
But yeah. I absolutely love Blender; it's extremely powerful, darn near as powerful as some high cost professional modeling softwares. But I'll be one of the first ones to TOTALLY agree with Pendraia on it... you will either LOVE it, or absolutely HATE it... and there never seems to be any in between with Blender. It's always one or the other, it seems. LOL
@Lianam Blender is very hotkey oriented - aka the keyboard shortcut method. While you're learning it, you do spend a LOT of time referencing lists of what the keyboard shortcuts are and which one does what function. After a while you get used to it, though. Personally I find it very intuitive, but for me that's partly due to my ADD. I get frustrated quickly with click-only interfaces because I just can't move a mouse around an interface as quickly as my brain is moving. With the hotkey/keyboard shortcut method that Blender uses, the program pretty much works at the same speed as my brain. Yay!
But Pendraia is very much correct. Blender doesn't seem to have any "middle ground" like most other programs. You either absolutely love it - or you absolutely hate it. All I can tell you, is try it out again with the current interface... and expect to NEED tutorials. You CANNOT learn it just by clicking around blindly. Fortunately, there are TONS of free tutorial resources out there for it. But expect to need tutorials, do NOT expect to be able to figure it out by just clicking and poking at the interface.
And expect that you might be keeping a browser tab open in the background with a list of the keyboard shortcut commands for a while until you get things memorized. That's how I work with it at the moment; I keep one tab open in my browser, and when I'm trying to do a task but can't recall what the command was, I reference the hotkey list.
But yeah. I absolutely love Blender; it's extremely powerful, darn near as powerful as some high cost professional modeling softwares. But I'll be one of the first ones to TOTALLY agree with Pendraia on it... you will either LOVE it, or absolutely HATE it... and there never seems to be any in between with Blender. It's always one or the other, it seems. LOL
I actually tried it from before that version and haven't been able to use it for much at all. I just cannot come to terms with the UI...every so often I give it another try to see if it's gotten better. I managed to do some things with the last version but it still feels very difficult to use for me.
eclark1894
Visionary
In Blender's defense, it's great software, and if you stick with it and ignore the interface, you can create almost anything. If you're following my house project everything you see except Dawn and her hair has been created in Blender.
I think I took to it after a long learning period, mostly because I hadn't used any other modeling app before my first try of Blender. I would've liked Hexagon to work for me, but it didn't. I do have Silo, which is the modeling app I used to successfully create my first piece of clothing. I also have ZBrush, but so far only used it to create a Sword, though weapons are the type of props I like to model in Blender too. 
I also have MD3 but, since I just got into dynamics recently, I haven't done anything with the few outfits I made for V4 with it. I'll have to get back to it at some point.
Having a variety of apps to do different things is the way I work, but Blender is my "go-to" software most of the time.
I also have MD3 but, since I just got into dynamics recently, I haven't done anything with the few outfits I made for V4 with it. I'll have to get back to it at some point.
Having a variety of apps to do different things is the way I work, but Blender is my "go-to" software most of the time.
eclark1894
Visionary
My first modeler was Wings3d, a box type modeler. For the life of me though I couldn't figure out how to make clothes with it though.
I think I used Wings3d long enough to follow a tutorial to create a dog house, and it actually came out pretty good.
My problem with Wings3d is it's mouse oriented, and I have to use my Wacom because of acute CTS, and trying to do most things in Wings3d meant clicking the Tab key to popup a dialog box to add the parameters in manually. I couldn't just click and drag, as it would always wind up off the screen/out of the workspace. Other than that, it was an easy app to work with.
I don't think you can use a box modeler for clothing, but I could be wrong on that as I was just starting out, and clothes were the last thing I was wanting to model at that point.
My problem with Wings3d is it's mouse oriented, and I have to use my Wacom because of acute CTS, and trying to do most things in Wings3d meant clicking the Tab key to popup a dialog box to add the parameters in manually. I couldn't just click and drag, as it would always wind up off the screen/out of the workspace. Other than that, it was an easy app to work with.
I don't think you can use a box modeler for clothing, but I could be wrong on that as I was just starting out, and clothes were the last thing I was wanting to model at that point.
eclark1894
Visionary
Yeah, I did that doghouse tute, too.
TesseractSpace
Member
I made the IOArmor in Wings3d teaching myself how to use it along the way... (why the heck can't I get an IT job when I can teach myself almost any software in days if not hours? Oh yeah, no paperwork to back it up. Sigh...)
It was quite an interesting experience. Rigging it with the tools available then was a bit of a nightmare, but it worked.
It was quite an interesting experience. Rigging it with the tools available then was a bit of a nightmare, but it worked.
