# 3D Modelling - characters, races and stuff



## JDP (Jun 19, 2008)

If I wanted to model busts of fantasy characters & races (prefferably in 3d), what application would people recommend? I have no knowledge of any 3d apps and want to spend no money. Is this a fool's errand?

Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, and I've already tried play-dough but I just kept eating it.


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## Joel007 (Jun 19, 2008)

Can you use CAD for that kind of thing? I'll ask my friend when he's back from lunch, he does 3d models.


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## Joel007 (Jun 19, 2008)

DAZ 3D it be. DAZ Productions - 3D Models, 3D Content, and 3D Software


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## JDP (Jun 19, 2008)

That looks pretty much bang on the money - cheers, Joel!


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## Lenny (Jun 19, 2008)

Well I'll be damned - Daz _is_ free. I was about to flag you and everything then, Joel! 

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You could do it in Blender 3D, too, though I don't know if it'd be easier.

I'd imagine your next step, JDP, might be modelling of locations, so I'm going to recommend Google Sketchup right away.


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## JDP (Jun 19, 2008)

Yep, Sketchup looks awesome too. My brother-in-law was using it a while ago and I was quite impressed at the intuitiveness (is that a word?) of it. I reckon I might start with DAZ studio and see how it goes, maybe dabbling in a bit of Blender 3D to do animations (which I don't think DAZ 3D does).

Do any of you guys know whether there's much portability between these products, if I wanted to put a figure I'd made in (say) DAZ Studio into a building in Sketchup? Or output it to Blender for animating? I know, I know, I want the moon on a stick (but, hey, if you don't ask...).


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## Lenny (Jun 19, 2008)

The moon on a stick is actually quite common, you know. I believe you can by them a tenner for a dozen down the local market.

I imagine you can export models from all three programs into file types that the other two can import, but don't quote me on that. I'm testing it with the three now, by the way.


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## BookStop (Jun 21, 2008)

DAZ won't work on my computer but on the laptop works fine. The program opens with the toolbars, but the picture is just a big black screen. I have Vista premium on this comp, but the laptop is vista home. Could that make a difference? Could it be imcompatibility with my video card? IT's just more convenient to play on the desktop than the laptop.


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## Lenny (Jun 21, 2008)

That's a point, I was going to reply with the results of my testing. So...

If you play around with exporting from DAZ into Blender, and then into Sketchup, you can get one model into another, but it's not worth it. It might be better doing it the other way, but I didn't actually check that.

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In reply to Bookstop - it's not Vista. I've had problems with DAZ on three OS's, and on various different computers. It's just a horribly made program - I remember now why I never began teaching myself how to use it.


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