According to the 2006 Roncarelli report, which has been documenting the software used in related to 3D since 1984, shows the following ranking for 3D apps

1. Blender
2. Flash
3. 3DS MAX
4. Truespace
5. Strata 3D
6. Lightwave
7. Cinema 4D
8. Hash Animation Master
9. Carrara
10. Maya
11. SketchUP
12. Softimage XSI
13. Electric Image (EIAS)
14. Realsoft 3D
15. Retas!Pro
16. Toon Boom Studio
17. Houdini
18. Animo


I know that Blender has a goofy interface, but it handles the MOI models great and has a very flexible render engine. You don't get that "click here to make awesome render" button. You have to put in some work, but there are tons of resources that people have developed to show the power of the nodes system to create NPR renders beyond the examples for Blender in this post. Remember, all the power in Blender can be had for free. It costs you nothing but ~10 MB of hard drive space and some time to try a few tutorials.

Blender runs great from a USB memory stick. Along with MOI on your stick, add Blender and you have a very powerful 3D studio to take to any other computer.

I'm surprised to see Hash above Carrara (perhaps cause it has been around longer) and I would have expected Maya to be way above where its at?

But I will admit if you can master Hash Splines, it's one of the BEST character animation packages you could hope for! I get tempted myself to upgrade to the latest version every now and then...


-Will

Hi Phil,

>>>Blender ................ and has a very flexible render engine

I would be very interested if you could post any non-photorealistic renders from blender.

After the initial post on this subject, I am finding much interest.

- Steve

Hi Pilou,

Thanks, but I am looking for render directly from blender, the link (gallery) can/could show render from blender with post process with external image process.

I would like to see "direct" output from blender for non-photo_realistic render.

-Steve

Sorry this is more related subject :)
http://www.blendernation.com/2007/02/22/toonsketch-rendering-with-nodes/
2 tutorials : but this is endless !

Thank you,

>>but this is endless

I can understand that, and thank you for your time.

I will look and (try) to learn,.. my old brain is slow these days, "learn an old dog new tricks" does come to mind with me at the moment.

I will look more at Blender, and do applicate the info / replies.

Regards,

- Steve

The picture that I posted in the second post is a direct output from Blender. I directly followed the tutorial that Frenchy Pilou posted on my ship that I created in MOI. I exported it as an LWO and imported with the MOI import script that is posted on the wiki.

Google Sketchup has ton of Sketches style! :)
But for now these one can't be rendering in Podium or Kerkythea! Only on the original screen of Google Sketchup!
it is not so bad for real time rendering ;)



(else here a classic toon maker : Plastic Animation Paper (a free version available)
http://www.plasticanimationpaper.dk/index.asp?locale= )

Hi Pilou and Steve (manz)

The Blender option shook some of the cobwebs from my memory and I rememered when playing with Linux years ago
I loaded up Blender and there was this tute about toon rendering, this is the look I'm after.
I'll have to revisit blender again, but as I recall I think the Blender interface hurt my brain back then.
I think I'll give it another go, seeing it's the free option.

http://download.blender.org/documentation/oldsite/oldsite.blender3d.org/80_Blender%20tutorial%20Toon%20Shading.html

I have lost count of the times I have downloaded Blender. (And millions of tutes!)
"The interface hurt my brain" Haaaaa!-- AND my pocket because I had to BUY an app that suited my brain!

>>>I'll have to revisit blender again, but as I recall I think the Blender interface hurt my brain back then. I think I'll give it another go, seeing it's the free option.

I was of the same opinion. I have been playing with Blender again, but this time just on the rendering which is quite easy to use.

I would of liked to see more control of the edge lines, as currently it is control on where the lines are to be placed (lower number less places) rather than (as I would like to see) the ability to control the thickness of line (unless I have missed some settings?)

- Steve

Looks Great Steve, as I was reading the tute from the link, that I posted earlier, the line thickness control was in step 4.
I haven't started any rendering yet I'm still researching rendering options and testing MoI.

Cheers
Danny

Hi Danny,

The "step 4" is only giving example of what I mentioned. It allows some control of where the lines (edges) are produced, not the thickness. I still see this as a good option for what you want, just a need to play with the settings.

My example is quite bad, as it is only one color(on object) with 2 lights. But could easily be made better.

Please do post any results you get from your import/render. I am certainly interested. (maybe post your model for render tests/ comparison?)


- Steve

Yeh, I plan to post some results but it won't be right now, I'm still testing MoI for my needs, I'm 90% sure that this is the 3d app I'm going to purchase.
It's just that juggling, Family, work and hobby is a bit of a challenge but be sure I will have something in the near future.
I'll keep you posted.

Cheers
Danny

I know this isn't the optimal way to do it, and Blender does need better control over the edge settings, but if you scale the render size up, the lines get thinner. You then just resize the final output down to more appropriate size.

Hope that helps.

I found this to be pretty neat. http://freestyle.sourceforge.net/

You can export from MOI as a 3ds and import right into Freestyle. I quickly created this. While not particularly great, it has neat style.

That is kind of entertaining having an early stage concept sketch generated from the finished model!

Thanks for posting the link & example Phil. I've been looking at Non-Photorealistic Rendering packages lately, and I think you just saved me some money :)

What settings did you use in your Freestyle example?

Ed

I cannot remember exactly. I think it was polygon, Q01, and an edge one.