Hi Michael,

> I don't really know anything about it, sorry.

Thanks a lot for your frankness :)

Evidently in McNeel they want to be very careful with experimental commands...

Nice day,

- Marco (mkdm)

Hi everyone,

I'm using and testing latest version of NVIL and...i'm really impressed.
It's totally focused on Poly/SDS modelling and Uving (but I haven't tried yet this feature...I much prefer to use 3DCoat for this),
and it has tons of very, very powerful features.

Furthermore, its tools for Reverse SubDiv and NGon optimization are perfect for Max's SubDiv scripts.

Using it, I realize that's maybe the only modeler comparable to Moi regarding the workflow, versatility and power of its tools.

And all for less then 80 USD !!

If you are searching a very good Poly/SDS modeler I can recommend NVIL, without doubts.

Nice day!

- Marco (mkdm)

Still no Mac version of NVIL, though?

I check the site every once in a while, but it is so disorganized I can never be sure...

Hi Mark,

> I check the site every once in a while, but it is so disorganized I can never be sure...

I agree with you!
NVIL's web site does not do justice to the quality of that software that IMHO is awesone,
although its Forum is much better, even if it's not comparable with Moi's forum.

Above all is the poor attendance of Istonia (NVIL software developer) that it hurts a little..

Anyway, in NVIL's forum there are plenty of materials and some power users seem to be very active.

Nice day,

- Marco (mkdm)

Nvil is still solid and easy to learn, but you need to understand the concept of subd modeling first...otherwise the workflow wont make much sense. The workflow is meant to be fast and you can get most of your tools mapped to 3-4 keys and and then the different modifiers on the mouse buttons really make it quick.

The most powerful feature is the help feature, because you type or query any command and it will list the results...which can then be click to activate.

Its quirky, but a great app for some serious poly modeling.

Combine it with Moi and its really nice. I have just been to busy modelling to even look at the forums the last few months. Just finished a 50m polygon asset entirely modeled in Moi. The 64bit version cannot come soon enough, as I am creating quite huge assets.

Hi 2byts,

> The workflow is meant to be fast and you can get most of your tools mapped to 3-4 keys and
> and then the different modifiers on the mouse buttons really make it quick.
> The most powerful feature is the help feature...

I totally agree with you.

I think that, excluding high-end software which must fulfill the Gfx/Vfx industry standards,
IMHO currently there are only very few products that can be really compared to Moi, regarding the streamlined workflow.

One of those is certainly NVIL.
If only it had better viewport/rendering performances...

Another product very very smart is 3DCoat.

Anyway, in my very personal opinion, as I said in some previous posts,
it's almost impossible to get a complete software pipeline, better than Moi + 3DCoat + NVIL + Thea Render,
that allows anyone to dig into 3d world, for fun or for job.

And all for less than 1100USD !!

3DCoat $379 + Moi 295$ + Thea Render 295$ + NVIL 72$

Ciao!

- Marco (mkdm)

for less than 1$ ;)

Hi Pilou,

Yes...it's free and a very good package but....

streamlined ?
Easy to use ?
Fast ?
Totally focused on modelling ?
Totally focused on Sculpting and retopo and 3dPainting ?
Has super-realistic and ultra fast renderer ?

Mmhhhh.....I don't think so.

Ciao!

- Marco (mkdm)

.abc support !!! :O)

Hi PaQ,

:) LOL!!

- Marco (mkdm)

<< streamlined ?
Easy to use ?
Fast ?
Totally focused on modelling ?
Totally focused on Sculpting and retopo and 3dPainting ?
Has super-realistic and ultra fast renderer ?>>
Yes except the first two ones! ;)

Well, it's free but not for nothing since you have to trade in your soul to be able to understand how to work with that monster of shortcuts and UI inconsistencies. ;-P

Hey I was not kidding, I'm really surprised by the .abc format !
I was pretty sure it would never happend, but I didn't knew it was allready support in Unreal too ... so thanks to Unreal guy :)

I hope openvdb will follow next for the volumetric/voxel transfer.

Hi Pilou,

I don't mean to sound boring or insist on the same topic,
because it's not my intention and I always respect the different opinions, but...
how can you really say "Yes except the first two ones! ;)" ?

Talking about standard and robust modelling tools, leaving aside various exotic tools that this or that software can or not provide,
it is undeniable that :

1) In Nurbs modelling, Moi or Rhino comfortably beat Blender 10 to 1!
2) Voxels, Texture Baking, 3DPainting photoshop-centric and Autopo are much more powerful and extremely easy in 3DCoat rather than in Blender,
3) Unbiased engine available in Thea Render are unbeatable regarding the outstanding quality.
And Presto CPU+GPU engine is a lightning bolt!
It is no coincidence that Altair (creators of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve) acquired Solid Iris Technologies...

With that said, I don't want to say that Blender it's not a good product,
but IMHO it's like a supper too full of stuff, with an uncertain flavor.

Ciao and have a nice day.

- Marco (mkdm)

Hi PaQ,

I admit my ignorance.
What's the .abc format ? It's something regarding 3D gfx in general ?
What is it about in specific terms?

Thanks and have a nice day.

- Marco (mkdm)

Hello,

.abc , for alembic, is an interchange format for geometry and particles (point cloud).

For animation data, .abc use point cache, a little bit like .mdd. So there is no rig transfer, only vertex position are stored per frame (or sub-frame).
So it works whatever the kind of transformation you are doing. (like cloth simulation).

Topology, poly count can change from frame to frame, so you can store fluid mesh simulation too.

.abc can also store an infinite (well I don't know if there is a limit) amount of vertex channel data. vertex colors, vectors, uv's ...
Target platform are supposed to have tools to extract this data. An application is, for example, to shade a mesh (vertex shading) based on vertex velocity.
(very handy to create white water shading from fluid simulation).

For more technical information :

http://www.alembic.io/

//Hi Pilou,

//I don't mean to sound boring or insist on the same topic,
//because it's not my intention and I always respect the different opinions, but...
//how can you really say "Yes except the first two ones! ;)" ?

//Talking about standard and robust modelling tools, leaving aside various exotic tools that this or that software can or not provide,
//it is undeniable that :

//1) In Nurbs modelling, Moi or Rhino comfortably beat Blender 10 to 1!
//2) Voxels, Texture Baking, 3DPainting photoshop-centric and Autopo are much more powerful and extremely easy in 3DCoat rather than in Blender,
//3) Unbiased engine available in Thea Render are unbeatable regarding the outstanding quality.
//And Presto CPU+GPU engine is a lightning bolt!
//It is no coincidence that Altair (creators of solidThinking Inspire and Evolve) acquired Solid Iris Technologies...

//With that said, I don't want to say that Blender it's not a good product,
//but IMHO it's like a supper too full of stuff, with an uncertain flavor.

//Ciao and have a nice day.

//- Marco (mkdm)

 

Hi Marco,

This is so subjective, I hate voxel based sculpting (compared to zbrush), I find Nvil outdated with a cumbersome interface, and I'm much more excited with a renderer like Clarisse or Arnold than Thea.
But I really don't see the point trying to convince anyone about my taste. (Well except for Moi, I can speak hours with some co-workers about it :))

I'm a Pilou's fan, he's our 3D reporter around the world ... and in some extend he's right, feature wise Blender can do everything you mention.
Not as good as specialized applications (hopefully for them right), but an all around solution has some advantages too.

In the other thread you express your reasons why you prefer to stay in Rhino that using external plugin/application for you SDS to Nurbs conversion, despite the better quality result you could get.
I suppose it's exactly the same feeling that blender users can have ... why would they use nurbs when they have something like Hard Ops.

Just an other pov, I don't want to hurt any feelings here.

Hi PaQ,

And thank you very much for your reply!

> This is so subjective...
> I suppose it's exactly the same feeling that blender users can have ...

I agree with most part of what you said.

Ultimately, every software is a good software if it does exactly what is expected!

About this, there's no doubt.

> I'm a Pilou's fan...

I always really appreciate all the Pilou's efforts in spreading 3D/Gfx culture!

Nice day!

- Marco (mkdm)

Hi PaQ,

Thank you very much for your explanations about .abc format!

- Marco (mkdm)

:)
At the end the best software is the one with you are the more comfortable even it has not all functions! :)

For young people today it's marvelous to can use with no money such programs like Blender, Unity, Sketchup, Fusion, Fusion 360 etc...

I will want to use Blender but alas I am not genetically modified for that! (50 years ago maybe! ;)

Have fun modeling!