Hi Chipp!

This is an intriguing theme.

I think we could spend tons of words and almost all could be right.

All in all, is think that this sentence from Michael could recap the whole situation :

"As far as I know there isn't any one single tool that spans everything."

This is the brutal truth :)

Rather, I think that the biggest and, for the moment, UNRESOLVED problem is this :

HOW, WHEN AND AT WHAT COSTS ALL THESE DIFFERENT MODELLING TOOLS/TECHNOLOGIES CAN BE INTEGRATED SEAMLESSLY INTO THE SAME "PIPELINE".

I think that this is the crux of the matter.

For example, let's say you have to model something.
You can do it using any of the current modelling tools (subd, poly, nurbs, voxels, 2.5D) based on the kind of the thing you want to do.
OK. This is not a problem at all.
After doing this, let's say you now need to render the model, for example.
Ok. You will get almost no problem with this task. Simply export the model to a software capable to create and manage UV and 3D painting.
Export to a renderer and the deed is done.

Now let's say that you created your model using a 3D Nurbs tools, like Moi or others, and now you want to simply add a new fillet or change a blended area.
Ok. Simple...right ? ... it's not that simple :(
You have to go back to the 3D Nurbs tools, modify the original model, export back to the UV and 3D painting software and this,
most of the time, implies that you have to redo the UVs and the 3D painting.

But this is not still a real big issue.

Let's say now that finally you have the 3D model painted and ready for rendering, and 5 minutes before doing that,
your customer ask you to add some "organic" details to the model or your have simply to do some other "boolean" operation into the 3D Nurbs side.

What a nightmare! Many times you have to start all over again!
Export to UV, redo UV, redo 3DPainting.

And this is only a very simple use case.

Very often, doing a very little modification to the original model, implies that you have to do a not a so "little" modification in all the rest of your "pipeline".

And if, on the same model, you have to apply different techniques then everything becomes a NIGHTMARE!!

And if you have complex scenes with many models each using a different approach the thing becomes very very complex...

I think that the main problem is still how different tools can be used together into the same "pipeline" without wasting time and money!



What do you think ?

Thanks for sharing.

Ciao!