Thank you for your kind words
While I was gone myself for a bigger break, the remaining team definitly put together a huge progress, and we hope that even more will come. We are always open for ideas, and there is plenty of room in the team for new members, no matter which "department" they want to join
Even starters are welcome, they just need to make clear to them self, that this is not only fun, but work. And you need a big enthusiam to keep yourself at it, when the moods drops sometimes, and trust me, this happens. Luckily, I can switch from modelling to other things when i get bored. Currently I switched to the "girls" department, so I'm a bit out of the loop, but will still remain here
As for your question, I think the choice of modelling programms is pretty big, since you can find more or less each converter on the internet nowadays. I'm still using my Truespace 5.1, which is from modern standards, a pile of crap and sometimes a really huge pain in the ass, but I can control this program now after many years working with it, and therefore I do not want to switch. Technically, 3ds Max is the best available from my opinion, but I find the GUI a nightmare (compared to what I'm used, but this was also my first impression about truespace too). It's a bit hard to come by, and very expensive. Certainly there are other ways to obtain it (student versions etc or even more..... others....), but I will let that to yourself.
For Graphics you are pretty free. Photoshop is best, but there are enough free or cheap clones of it on the web.
Regarding modelling, I tell you this.
What you need in order to master a programm, is simply a lot ot time and patience. From my experience, it's not that you need time to master the programm or the GUI, the problem is at a very different place.
Namely in your brain.When you grow the idea of a model in your head, be it a ship, mech or whatever, you see a picture before your inner eye. Then you want to start modelling right away, and you will most likely fail at the beginning. Because the problem is, in your modelling programm, you only find cubes, cylinders, spheres, planes whatever. You can bend edges, resize them whatever. But whatever you create, nothing will fit to the image you have in your head. The first models WILL look like crap. It was so for me, just like for anyone else.
It will take quite some time,
before your brain get's used to the work to split up your glorius idea into all these simple geometry objects, which will then combine finally in what you wanted to create. Volumetric thinking and imagination is a really important aspect in this. Everyone (even if it said that men are better in volumetric thinking) can manage, just prepare yourself, that it will take some time, before your models start looking like the idea in your head. And when you don't get pissed or frustrated in the middle of this process, then you can become a 3d Modeller
Trust me, it was hard for all of us. My first model consisted of a few cubes, and I was very disappointed about it, because it didn't looked like what I wanted to do. But now, SOME time (
) later, i'm getting better and better, and you will too.
I think, this is the biggest part in everyones way of learning how to make 3d Models. So prepare yourself, and be patient, and with the time, it will work from alone. When your brain masters this "splitting and recombining in your imagination" task, then the mastering of the software is easy
Feel free to share your ideas with us, we are open for everything !
Cheers
Starman
