3d animation.

What are the best 3d animation programs out there for mac, preferably something very easy to use, nothing too complicated. Something that someone with little to no experience would find usefull.

I think carrara is easy to learn for someone who just wants to fool around. Its made by eovia, and can be complicated it you need it to be, but there are plenty of tools you can use to make something with out knowlage of complex 3d software.

Is there a trial version for that? Could you post a link to it.

Blender is pretty easy and very powerful and best of all it's FREE! Can't beat opensource/freeware.

http://www.blender.org/cms/Home.2.0.html

PLUS there are many free tutorials users offer for this program or you can buy the Blender book/bible.

PowerBookG4 said:

http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=catmain&cat=262

Click to expand...

I'm not sure but, I think I'm blind. I don't see any demo version on there, they all the real programs that you have to purcahse. I want to test it out before I decide on purchasing it.

Can you add a direct link, perhaps ?

nivert said:

I'm not sure but, I think I'm blind. I don't see any demo version on there, they all the real programs that you have to purcahse. I want to test it out before I decide on purchasing it.

Can you add a direct link, perhaps ?

Click to expand...

I found this :headphone

Thank you sursuciofla, I will try out blender as well

EDIT, Thank you pule-8 as well, I guess I was blind

nivert said:

Thank you sursuciofla, I will try out blender as well

EDIT, Thank you pule-8 as well, I guess I was blind

Click to expand...

No you are not blind, this link came from Google.

nivert said:

What are the best 3d animation programs out there for mac, preferably something very easy to use, nothing too complicated. Something that someone with little to no experience would find usefull.

Click to expand...

Im suprized no one mentioned this.. There is, of course, Maya. They have a personal learning edition which is free for educational use.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525

Its a great program, lots of tutorial and very powerful. A few downsides though, the renders have a PLE watermark going across the top, and the new version comming out does not have Universal binaries for the intel macs. (poop).

If you are just starting out and try maya, there are about 8 or 9 introduction tutorials about some basics of the interface, they are quicktime movies. Its good to watch so you don't get fustrated trying to do basic stuff.

Give cinema 4d a try as well. I tried all the ones I could find a few years ago and settled with Cinema 4d. No regrets it's a great program, lots of tutorials to help out beginners and they even updated to intel processors for free.

http://www.maxon.net/pages/dyn_files/dyn_htx/htx/welcome_e.html

I find maya not to be the best place to start... although free, its really hard to learn with out a background of 3d animation in other programs, unless you take a class.

Mr Bobbins said:

Give cinema 4d a try as well. I tried all the ones I could find a few years ago and settled with Cinema 4d. No regrets it's a great program, lots of tutorials to help out beginners and they even updated to intel processors for free.

http://www.maxon.net/pages/dyn_files/dyn_htx/htx/welcome_e.html

Click to expand...

I second C4D - it's come a long way and was designed on a Mac

PowerBookG4 said:

I find maya not to be the best place to start... although free, its really hard to learn with out a background of 3d animation in other programs, unless you take a class.

Click to expand...

Maya isn't too bad. I really would reccommend Maya if you are planning to use this skill in the future as it is one of the premier 3d modeling softwares in the business.

I like maya

jdgaines said:

Maya isn't too bad. I really would reccommend Maya if you are planning to use this skill in the future as it is one of the premier 3d modeling softwares in the business.

I like maya

Click to expand...

heheh, if you happen to have a Swiss bank account, sure Though, you're right. Apps like Maya and Lightwave become the standard of the industry. 3D Studio Max is the other one of the big 3, but not available for mac.

I've used lightwave a fair bit, but only an old version (7.0 on OS 9), which doesn't run in intels, so instead I'm learning Blender. There's some pretty impressive stuff in the galleries on their site. Although Blender's interface is completely baffling at first, I'm finding it very impressive now. It has some great features that really speed up the whole process.

dtownley1 said:

heheh, if you happen to have a Swiss bank account, sure Though, you're right. Apps like Maya and Lightwave become the standard of the industry. 3D Studio Max is the other one of the big 3, but not available for mac.

I've used lightwave a fair bit, but only an old version (7.0 on OS 9), which doesn't run in intels, so instead I'm learning Blender. There's some pretty impressive stuff in the galleries on their site. Although Blender's interface is completely baffling at first, I'm finding it very impressive now. It has some great features that really speed up the whole process.

Click to expand...

you don't "need" a swiss bank account.. it helps though.. LOL but there is the free version that he could download.

I mean honestly, try any demo's you come across. and find what interface makes the most sense for you. When I started to dable in 3d I was working with this program for the PC called TrueSpace. the interface was easy and I began to get the idea of 3d modeling, but overtime I found it was lacking in features and kept trying other apps. My favorite right now is 3d studio max. Im living off the 30 demo's because of the steep price tag. otherwise I use Maya PLE but Im still learning that.

just my 2$ (2cents doesn't have the same value it used to)

sluzniak said:

you don't "need" a swiss bank account.. it helps though.. LOL but there is the free version that he could download.

I mean honestly, try any demo's you come across. and find what interface makes the most sense for you. When I started to dable in 3d I was working with this program for the PC called TrueSpace. the interface was easy and I began to get the idea of 3d modeling, but overtime I found it was lacking in features and kept trying other apps. My favorite right now is 3d studio max. Im living off the 30 demo's because of the steep price tag. otherwise I use Maya PLE but Im still learning that.

just my 2$ (2cents doesn't have the same value it used to)

Click to expand...

true, most people like to stick to one app or another. It's a pity that the Maya version you mentioned plasters a watermark over renders. I'll check it out though. Any experience helps really.

I remember my first 3D app - it was a demo of Zaxworks (Zaxwerks?) and I think it functioned as either an appleworks or photoshop plugin. It could convert selected text into 3D. Very limited but it kick-started my interest in 3D apps.

dtownley1 said:

true, most people like to stick to one app or another. It's a pity that the Maya version you mentioned plasters a watermark over renders. I'll check it out though. Any experience helps really.

I remember my first 3D app - it was a demo of Zaxworks (Zaxwerks?) and I think it functioned as either an appleworks or photoshop plugin. It could convert selected text into 3D. Very limited but it kick-started my interest in 3D apps.

Click to expand...

Well I know Maya is going to be comming out with a brand spankin' new version in a little while for the PLE. They just started to ship the full versions. I can't wait to try it out.. Muhahahahahahahaha

Why dont u try 3d studio Max. Max can be install in Macbook...and pretty fast in rendering too.