Re: simple 3d modeler

[Gregor Mückl <GregorMueckl@xxxxxx>]

On Thursday 14 April 2005 16:20, Steve Baker wrote:
> Jorrit Tyberghein wrote:
> > Francesco Orsenigo wrote:
> >> What's the simplest 3d modeler available for Linux?
> >> I need to create and export in a very simple format static models made
> >> of textured triangles.
> >> What's the best and easier tool to do this?
> >
> > Best = Blender IMHO
> > Easiest = not Blender :-)
>
> Agreed!
>
> The modeller I've been using is a closed source product called 'AC3D'.
> it costs $60 - but it is REALLY easy to use.
>

It's a shame that there's no free modeller that can be called "easy to use" 
yet. My own work on a modelling tool hasn't come to any usable results yet, 
either. Hey, I'd *really* love to put a plug here, but not being able to do 
so after more than two years is quite frustrating :-/. Oh well, I'm working 
on it ;-)

> Blender is an odd program.  Whilst it's undoubtedly very capable - and
> OpenSourced, it has the weirdest user interface you'll ever see.  It's
> quite hard to learn - but there ARE a ton of books, online tutorials,
> README's and a complete downloadable narrated video course.
>
> But blender is one of those things that you either "get" or you don't
> get.  People who 'get' it completely fall in love with it and will
> swear up and down that the blender interface is in fact very clever
> and ergonomic.   People who "don't get it" find the darned thing
> exceedingly hard to use - impossible to remember and just generally
> awkward.
>
> I'm one of the latter group. :-(
>
> I'd really like to love blender - and I fully acknowledge that it's
> a great tool (for those who 'get it').  However, I've watched all the
> videos, done all of the tutorials, bought (and read) two different
> books and contributed $100 to the fund that bought the source code
> and released it as OpenSource ... and STILL I couldn't tell you how
> to build anything with it...and I'm a 3D graphics professional - I
> know half a dozen other 3D modelling tools.
>
> <sigh>
>
> If you are one of the people who are genetically predisposed to
> hating blender, give up.  If you are one of the lucky ones who
> gets it - then use it and love it because it *is* a good tool
> for you.
>

Yes, I think I know how you feel. Although I have gotten a grip on blender by 
now (well, mostly at least) there's a share of programs I haven't mastered 
yet, either. But it wouldn't be fair to not mention that blender has had a 
couple of face liftings in recent years which help a lot with getting into 
Blender, although the UI is sometimes still obscure or even non-existent. 
Some features that are clearly there still are only accessible through 
(sometimes obscure) key combos.

Even worse, a good portion of the blender community is very reluctant to 
change. As it is the UI provides a very streamlined workflow to those who 
truely have mastered this program and with every change to the interface 
these masters show a fear that their productivity could be hurt - and they do 
so quite loudly in my oppinion. And I haven't yet talked about how the UI 
structure directly provides the program structure for the internals...

Anyway, blender *is* the most powerful 3D tool there is at the moment.

Regards,
Gregor

PS: remind me to get usability right on Moonlight, once I can get to that part 
- in a decade or so ;-)