Hello, there,

I have a question more for the experienced 3D artists here....

I am completely new to 3D software, though I am a competent traditional artist, and know Photoshop & Illustrator pretty well. About a year ago, I bought both Carrara 5 and Swift 3D but have yet to make the sojorn to even open the programs, though I have them both installed.

One of the major roadblocks to doing anything with those programs was just the complexity of both the software AND the process/concepts of 3D itself. After I found out about MOI through another forum, however, it seems like a good, easy-to-use but powerful enought tool to, dare I say, finally do some art in and get some work done with, too!

However...being completely new to the 3D world, after looking at some of the gallery pics here (especially by Grendel), I am a little (okay, a lot) confused about the various functions between programs. I obviously get that MOI is a "modeler" which then Grendel, for instance, took into Carrara for rendering. Since I haven't actually USED Carrara yet, I can't help wondering how much extra work needs to be done once imported? Forget background scenery, etc, just to get a "colored, rendered model"?

I know this isn't a Carrara forum, but after visiting another forum for a $900 piece of software that both models and renders, you could imagine my dismay at thinking I wasted money on Carrara and Swift3D!. Seeing the work done here and modeled with Carrara made me smile more than just a little knowing that I wouldn't have to spend any more or aquire any more tools.

Honestly, though, why use MOI over Carrara itself to model? I know for me MOI is just easy and dare I say "fun," too. Are there major limitations, though? To tell the total truth, what turned me off from that other software was the two handed thing with one always being on the keyboard. (Not that it's a big deal - just for a beginner to software yet experienced to art it's a little awkward.)

Anyway, this is getting too long...so any thoughts, guidance, input would be more than greatly appreciated!

Have a super weekend, everyone!

-A