Help Choosing 3D Software

[eric_mc]

I work for a promotional products and CPG company that designs, specs, and contract manufactures various mass market consumer products. We currently use Illustrator and Photoshop to "present" ideas to potential new retailers or promotional products customers. The company is small, and there are a handful of people (including myself) that can use Illustrator and Photoshop to put together presentations. Most are self taught - personally, I would say I have a good grasp of both programs, but do not know all there is to know about both.

We would like to invest in 3D program to spice up our presentations - to be able to provide photo realistic renderings, with our desired labeling, logos and/or graphics (retail packaging). We would like something relatively easy to learn, and something that can utilize our Illustrator files that we currently use to create our packaging. We are a small company, and due to time constraints, we don't have too much extra time learning a package that is too intense.

Can anyone suggest a software package that would be good for us?

Thank you!

[SDA]

Hi Eric. It all depends on what do you need to model in such programs. My suggestion is to get MAX. I don't know the price but it is one of the best programs (for 3D) I have ever seen and used. I am still using it, and still learning it. It's really easy to learn and easy to navigate. The GUI is really good, and you can do many operations on number of ways, so there is no restriction like do this and this and you will be ok. I my self have learned this program almost 80%, so its enough for me. I have learned this program over the years using its previous versions. I have been experimenting with the program and that's how I learned it. The program has a huge amount of features and my guess you will need just the basics and some material tutorials, witch can also be found allover the net.

The program imports and exports many many formats witch includes *.ai or illustrator vector drawings. This software comes with this packed in it, unlike other similar programs that needs a plug-ins (to import/export). It goes on 1DVD with a bunch of usable textures (mostly for architects). Also if you need to make an animation, you will need some extra knowledge about the flow of the animation, and maybe cameras and their positions, etc... but you can also find all this on the net.

P.S. I would advise you to buy this, not because I use, but because its Autodesks certified product and has been for a long time. This software is now used to teach people around the globe. Even in my country. And you get the certificate after the course that you can model/animate from Autodesk.

Cheers ;)

[billmikea]

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