3d modeling soft ware

vmem

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Feb 17, 2012
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Get Blender:

http://www.blender.org/

it's based on many expensive 3D render/animation suites, so you know it can do some amazing things. it was developed by a lot of academics and other experts who wanted 3D modeling, but not a huge price-tag :)
 

cbrunnem

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there is a difference between 3d modeling and 3d animation. maya is more of an animation type program not a modeling program. modeling entails in my book building parts and assemblies that can be later produced into a product. on the other hand animation entails making scenes with models for the use of video production.
 

vmem

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professionally, I agree whole heartedly. but when the vector and geometry information can be exported separatly, would it really matter for the home user?

@OP, if someone else has better suggestions. by all means take them. but I feel that for a beginner doing DIY stuff, blender will more than suffice.
 

cbrunnem

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ah i see where you are going now i think. are you refering to like .step and .iges files? wonder if he needs drawings as well.

honestly i think we need more info from the OP.
 

cbrunnem

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so when a customer comes to me and asks for a 3d model of a gear reduction set to turn spin something i should bust out Autodesk Maya and go to town or should i pull a pro/e license and model the part in that. while i agree that cad is what i am talking about you model something in 3d for the purpose of product development and to make drawings for production. then you can make 3d animations to show how it works or to make movies like avatar.

blender is animation
pro/e, catia, nx, solidedge, and solidworks are modeling

at any rate its all personal prefference. im just using the terms how we use it at work and in industry.

in addition OP if the use of any of these free programs to be used in a business setting be very sure that that is legal. i know from what i read that sketchup is a toss in the air regarding legality of using the free version for business use.
 

vmem

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I'm not really in the industry, but my understanding that it depends on the downstream client or manufacturing partner. in a formal partnership with a manufacturer, they'll always want CAD designs for 'modeling' just to have all the necessary information etc.

I think for clients, if you're just showing them something like: this is what the end product will look like, it'll be made from such and such materials, and have screws/gears here, here, and here etc etc. max/maya are usually just fine
 

k1114

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The difference is actually the focus of the software. Cad focuses on the design, hence computer aided design, and preferably uses nurbs. "Modeling" software focuses on the model; the poly count, triangulation, normals, typically uses poly meshes, etc. If you go to any of the cad software sites, the description will say cad software. The other software says modeling/animation/rendering. I'm just confused on how one industry is calling it differently than other 3d software industries and even the software devs themselves.
 

cbrunnem

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the op has yet to come back and say if he is making money off the software and it has yet to be decide positively if using sketchup for profit is legal.