Blender VS. other 3D modeling.

[shywonton]

Not really looking for help or anything so wasn't sure as to where to post this.

So I've recently taken to making my own weapons and I was wondering what program people preferred? I've taken to google sketchup because of the simplicity of the program and I can do what I'd like modeling wise, then using Blender for textures(which Im terrible at) and exporting into nif.
Does anyone know any downside to sketchup?

 

[Wucas]

There are a ton of downsides to Sketchup; in all honesty Sketchup creation is for viewing inside the program and that is it. You will not see any amateur dev groups, let alone companies using Sketchup as a program of choice, and as such, you should probably migrate to another program.

For game creation Autodesk pretty much has a monopoly over the best software, holding the rights to 3DS Max, AutoCAD, and Maya, all professional tools that have an extremely fluid work space and an amazing community of designers as well. Plugins will increase speed, accuracy, and allow you to do things previously impossible with other software. Although not open source like blender, the API and MAXScript is extremely open. Another downside the cost, but with a student license free software is available for any non-profit usage.

Blender is a decent program (especially the newer versions), and probably the best free (and open source) 3D program available. Although it is lacking in some of the render aspects, it has a very fluid work space, and usage of hot keys actually allows me to work faster in some designs than say in 3DS. Although there are very few professional pieces made using blender, for modding and amateur work it is a fairly solid choice.

Overall I would say ditch SketchUp and switch to 3DS Max, or at the very least use Blender completely. SketchUp simply is not designed for this type of work, and although the program is quite simple, that is one of its greatest flaws. Is the learning curve for programs by Autodesk steep? Of course they are, but they allow you to push your concepts further, making a better product in the end. Don't limit yourself by the program; let your imagination be as free as it can be.

 

[shywonton]

Overall I would say ditch SketchUp and switch to 3DS Max, or at the very least use Blender completely. SketchUp simply is not designed for this type of work, and although the program is quite simple, that is one of its greatest flaws. Is the learning curve for programs by Autodesk steep? Of course they are, but they allow you to push your concepts further, making a better product in the end. Don't limit yourself by the program; let your imagination be as free as it can be.

Thanks, I just run into so many issues with blender and Autodesk stuff, I don't have a lot of free time to really sit down and work on learning the things I know I should be. Any recommendations when it comes to texturing? I lack artistic skills when it comes to drawing/painting so I'm not great at it at all...

 

[Wucas]

Thanks, I just run into so many issues with blender and Autodesk stuff, I don't have a lot of free time to really sit down and work on learning the things I know I should be. Any recommendations when it comes to texturing? I lack artistic skills when it comes to drawing/painting so I'm not great at it at all...

Texturing just takes practice. Although some people can successfully outsource images and use them correctly in a model, it is not suggested for many reasons (from copyright infringement to incorrect perspective and lighting). To honestly sit down in photoshop and play around is the best way to learn how to texture; don't get my wrong, tutorials have their place, but as soon as you understand how the tools function they have done their job.

Another thing you want to focus on before even stepping into Photoshop is correct UV Unwrapping. Unwrapping a model can be annoying, yes, but a few extra minutes setting up your seams and reorganizing your UVs to fit correctly (and efficiently) can save you hours of time actually texturing.

Lastly there are rules of sorts when making textures so they are loaded into the engine correctly with the least amount of loss possible. FIrst thing you want to note is pixel size and depth. The size should always be in powers of 2 (2, 4, 16, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048....), and in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. So a 128x256px texture is fine, but a 100x100px or 128x1024px would be a nono. Also pixel depth is also important, using the least amount of colors possible will lower the size of your assets. 24 bits per pixel is usually a good choice, using only 32 bits per pixel when transparency is needed. The other thing you need to know is image types. Using DDS, TGA, or in some cases TIF/ BMP is highly suggested. These file types are actually considered textures and are compressed accordingly. Images like GIF, PNG, and JPG are made to be used in web and photography usage, and are a big nono in 3D design.

Overall just watch other people paint/ model and goof around until you feel you are confident and then move on. The best way to learn is through experience.

 

[Ezekiel]

i consider blender a decent software to model, seems pretty easy to play around with and getting to know it. Unlike Maya and 3dsmax, which are great and have nice features too but pricey unless you have student license. As for texturing its like wuccas mention it takes some time to practice painting and uving and unwrapping model. There are some great tutorials out there and videos that show the process which you can pick up a few tips and tricks .