New to Daz3D and have a few questions
Hi all,
I'm posting here for the first time as someone who's just started to "explore" DAZ products. I've known of DAZ for some time, having seen their various products advertised and such, but I never really looked into them much. Was always fussing with some other program.
I'm on the hunt for a good 3D modeling and animation program that will enable me to create and animate various ideas I've had in my head for some time now. I've checked into other programs and, while each has had its good parts, they've all left me wanting for some basic feature or function that was, for some reason, missing.
So, I've decided to look into DAZ's products and, so far, I am quite impressed! I'm almost ready to purchase Carrara 8 just by watching some of the videos, some tutorials on YT and the intro/tutorial videos. The program just looks extremely sleek, intuitive and fun to use. It doesn't seem like I'll be having to "fight" with the interface just to get anything done.
Here's the thing though, being new to DAZ products, and having also looked at other items in the product line, I'm a bit confused. There seems to be a lot of overlap between different products. For example, Carrara's a 3D modeler, but so is Hexagon. Bryce is a terrain/scenery creator, but Carrara seems capable of doing that as well... And so on...
So I'm wondering, will I be able to create models, rig them, get them in a scene (of which I've also modeled everything) and set up full animations, start to finish? Or will I also need DAZ Studio or some such to fill in some of the blanks in Carrara?
I'm just curious of this so I understand and know what I'm purchasing and what to expect in Carrara 8 by itself.
Thanks for your time and help!
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Comments
Carrara can do it all - nothing else needed !
Gee, bigh, I thought you were going to tell him all about the Carrara beta. Since the other three are free it wouldn't hurt to pick them up.
Welcome to DAZ, miketvogel. The Newcomers area is a good place to start. Poke around and ask lots of questions. We have some people here who just can't stand it if they aren't busy helping someone.
nope he said " I have checked out Daz programs and love them "
so I didn't see any need to :coolsmile:
Hi miketvogel
When just starting in 3D using Daz programs, I would reccomend trying out the "Free" software suite and seeing how the the free apps do mesh together.
THere is Bryce to make you environements, Daz Studio for Character work and manipulation and Hexagon is a full modelling app.
THere is a bridge form DS to Bryce, to help you send you chatacters and props from one app to another, and also a bridge form Hex to DS to do the same with anything you create yourself in Hex.
Yes Carrara does include all these aspects in one program, it is true, but Play around with the software that is currently offered at 100% discount first and see how you get on, before deciding to buy anything else. They are all fully featured and powerfuly applications,
Hi everyone.
Thanks for the replies!
So, is working with Carrara like having Bryce, DS and Hexagon all in one package, then? Sort of like trying each piece separately before getting it all together?
If that's the case, then that's a pretty interesting approach.
I have used Bryce before, back before it was a DAZ product.. I think it's switched hands a few times since it was first created, or am I mistaken here?
Anyway, I'll go ahead and give that a shot. If I have any questions (and I'm sure I will), I'll be sure to ask.
Thanks!
if you are going to make your own models - get Hex for sure
you don't need DS or Bryce if you are going to use Carrara .
if you want to use DS models in Carrara then be sure to get a copy .
Bryce is fun to play in but you don't need it .
Carrara is and is not like working with the 3 apps in the software suite. Some things work differently inCarrara, there are some things that Carrara does that the others don't, but equally there are some things that the other apps do that Carrara doesn't. It is a matter of horses for courses, really. I have been using my work flow with Bryce ever since Bryce 3 (used 2 but didn't get the character add on till I bought Poser 3 at the same time as Br3. Others have been using Carrara since that came out. You will get different feedback as to which is best, depending on who is posting it.
As to Bryce, yes was Owned by Metacreations, who sold it to Corel and then in 1994 it came to Daz3D and has stayed here ever since. So Bryce 5 could have been either Corel or Daz, but from 5.5 onwards it is Daz.
you might want to look at Blender too - link
http://www.blender.org/
Carrara is and is not like working with the 3 apps in the software suite. Some things work differently inCarrara, there are some things that Carrara does that the others don't, but equally there are some things that the other apps do that Carrara doesn't. It is a matter of horses for courses, really. I have been using my work flow with Bryce ever since Bryce 3 (used 2 but didn't get the character add on till I bought Poser 3 at the same time as Br3. Others have been using Carrara since that came out. You will get different feedback as to which is best, depending on who is posting it.
As to Bryce, yes was Owned by Metacreations, who sold it to Corel and then in 1994 it came to Daz3D and has stayed here ever since. So Bryce 5 could have been either Corel or Daz, but from 5.5 onwards it is Daz.
Ahh okay. That makes sense.
I tend to prefer an "all in one" approach to things. I don't like jumping between different applications much, unless it's different kinds.. like from a 2D/painting program to a 3D modeling program.
I'm checking out Hexagon at the moment, but haven't had much time to work with it.. work and all. I did some looking around for some basic tutorials and have found a few. Beyond an introduction to the interface type tutorial, they seem to be more specific to "making something". Like I think I saw 2 or 3 on making a coffee cup.
Are there any good links or references that give a good overview of each major section of Hexagon? Like, something that provides an overview of the poly/vertex modeling, one that goes over surface modeling, etc. etc?
Also it looks like there's an intended or implied workflow with DAZ products, either between the different programs, or within the different "workspaces" of Carrara (I forget the exact term I saw used). Is there anything that kinda gives an overview of that? I have done some looking around, but haven't found anything that gives that kind of an overview of the workflow or "philosophy" behind Carrara or other DAZ products' designs. I find if I can get an understanding of how the programs are set up to be used and the work flow intended with them, that it helps me with learning because I can follow everything in its intended context. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks!
I do have Blender and I enjoy it for polygon modeling. For other things, though, I find it to be a bit unintuitive. They seem to be going with the 3DSMAX approach to interface design where everything's buried in tabs and expanding "folders" nested within scrolling windows. I call it the "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to interface design, where everything for every function is on one screen at the same time. You just have to know which section of which fold out menu of which tab has what you're looking for.
I'm interested in Carrara because from watching the videos on it, it looks like everything's been well compartmentalized and everything's set up contextually in a very "common sense" way. I'm looking for a program that makes my life easier by providing useful tools and arranging them in a way that makes them easy to work with, even if the work done with them isn't easy itself (if that makes sense). From what I've seen, Carrara does this. So far it looks like Hexagon does as well, though it's a little different.
That said, it's a little funny seeing someone recommend a completely different program in response to a question about DAZ products :-p.
Some great tools to help learn Carrara are found in the www.carraracafe.com web site.
Look for the tutorials/video section.
Ah great! Thanks. I'll be sure to check that out. I have the trial for Carrara on my desktop and am finding that it is quite different from Hexagon, even with some similarities. So it's going to be its own learning curve. That site should be helpful!
Thanks again!