3D rendering help

[Ultimate Altron Da'Ooh]

How do you make a 3D item?

[Brian]

Well, there are a few routes.

1) You could attempt to draw, getting a 3D perspective. I'm sure this isn't the answer you want.

2) You acquire some sort of 3D rendering software and learn how to use it. There are some really expensive ones like Maya, Lightwave, and 3DS Max that are used by professionals and amateurs everywhere. While I personally like Lightwave a lot, there also happens to be a free one called Blender. However, all of these applications have a fairly steep learning curve. There are lots of tutorials for the pay versions, but not as much for Blender. I still recommend Blender cause it's free and once you put a lot of time into it, you can get some good stuff out.

However, it's certainly not a fast path, no matter how you do it.

[Quelkron]

It really depends on what you want to do.

If you are looking into modding games then you would want to look into 3DS Max, or GMax (a free, if reduced, version of 3DSX for game editing purposes).

If you just want to model for the sake of modeling, then I would suggest first getting a free program to fiddle with (such as Maya Personal Learning Addition or Blender) and decided if you are willing to spend money moving on to a professional modeler (which can get expensive).

For a full retail modeler I would suggest Animation Master or a cheaper version of 3DSX, both are good for their cost ($300-$500).

[Ultimate Altron Da'Ooh]

thanks!

[Accer]

If you don't want to shell out for classes and books, I recommend 3D Buzz. More tutorials than you can shake a stick at.

[Brian]

Where can we find this 3D Buzz? I've yet to hear about it.

[Quelkron]

3D Buzz is one of the best things to happen in the 3D community. I have been using it for tutorial resources for about a year now. It is also a very good place to post any of your work for some constructive criticism, or to get textures, models, plugins, and nearly anything else you might need.