Personal preference for rendering engines

Blender's Cycles is a fairly universal rendering and suitable for various scenes. But the render is not quite ready.
1. Rendering results are very noisy. Increasing the number of samples and caustic dramatically increase rendering time.
2. Cycles is GPU render. Needed expensive video card with CUDA support.
3. Complicated rendering settings.
4. Very difficult material editor.
5. Inconvenient HDRI lighting.

Renders are usually expensive software. Although there are no bad exceptions. For example: Toolbag, Arion, Thea Render, Indigo.

I have GPU nVidia Quadro graphics card but for CAD models I prefer simple and fast CPU renders: KeyShot(expensive) and more cost-effective variant SimLab Composer(very good for architecture, interiors, mechanical products etc...).
For different scenes and tasks I use different renders.

Okay, I'm going to re-title this thread! :)

digitalphaser? Opinions on Arnold, RenderMan, other really expensive rendering engines?

-g

I have not tested these renders. Although it seems to me that they are more suitable for video production, animation, FX etc... So probably complex.
It is not my world. :)
By the way, Arnold is cheaper than KeyShot. Rendermann is proprietary commercial software(free for non commercial use).
I like Maxwell Render too.

Maxwell rocks, but modo's rendering engine is pretty nice, too. I used it for many animation sequences when I used to do tutorials on Xara xone.

Fast, excels at rendering photorealistic glass, easy to use.

-g

Yes. I would like to try all software. But unfortunately very limited in time.
To understand the benefits of the software needed days, sometimes weeks. Therefore, I try it sometimes, between this and then. :)
By the way, I recently found a new renderer ViasualDesigner 3D (GPU and CPU). I downloaded the trial. But so far I have not found the time to test it. Interesting!

I only know what I use, I have the Keyshot bridge for Zbrush 4, Modo 902 and Vue 9, I get good results from them all, Keyshot and Modo are the fastest, Vue 9 is slow but I like it a lot. I also like the rendering engines in Poser (Firefly) and Bryce . Bryce is another one that can take a long time to render a scene.

How about someone creates simple scene and put it available, so we can use different renderers and post pictures here to see which one is the best in real life test?

This thread contains a discussion that began as a commentary I'd made on the quality of Carrera.

Now, we're talking rendering engines.


-g

Carrara was one of those apps whereby, yup, if ya used to use RayDream, ya just carried along for the ride... Texturing, "Rendering" and scene, is all I ever used Carrara for... modeled with Wings 3D .... Attachment 125263Attachment 125264

I remember playing around with C4D back in the day, and it was nice as well... and for quick, not quite as realistic renders, but to give one a good quick glimpse, or a quick web design pic, there was always the good ole true space 3.2... ah, this all brings back fond memories :) Pretty much retired now, so some renders might be in order... haha... still play around some with Wings 3D so stay tuned... have to drag out of the cob webs these fine tools of yesteryear ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gidgit

I remember playing around with C4D back in the day, and it was nice as well... and for quick, not quite as realistic renders, but to give one a good quick glimpse, or a quick web design pic, there was always the good ole true space 3.2... ah, this all brings back fond memories :) Pretty much retired now, so some renders might be in order... haha... still play around some with Wings 3D so stay tuned... have to drag out of the cob webs these fine tools of yesteryear ;)

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Hi gidget!

C4D went into subscription; I stopped at version 19 as a result! It's a very, very robust modeling and animation tool, but it's rendering engine has never been photorealistic. The remedy is to buy a video card-intensive rendering engine such as Arnold or Octane, both a financial kick in the pants.

If you're rendering stills and not animations, you can use FBX as an export format and then import to something like Maxwell Render. I use an older version of modo solely as a rendering engine.

I've never tried Blender, but I still use Carerra for rendering speed of an interior background I'm going to blur later anyhow—don't care about the p0hotorealism.


It's pretty stupid for trueSpace to be sold to Microsoft years ago, because they are notorious for ruining a program and then either giving it away, or deep-sixing it.Altamira Composer, Impressionist, Expressions, dead all dead in development.


I still use version 3 once in a while because it's very easy to pull a fast, decent animation.

FWIW,

Attachment 125268


Gary

I started with Raydream as my first 3D program, and upgraded it along with it's buyout by different companies. I did eventually get Cararra, but didn't like it, so didn't use it much at all. I got Poser by then. I got the student license to Cinema 4D, and while very poserful, it was cumbersome to use. Then I kind of stopped using 3D for a while, then recently got back into it. I'm a professional freelance cartgraphic illustrator, so I spend most of my time making maps - using Xara and other software. Now I'm a small publisher supporting the tabletop roleplaying game industry. Though I started by making map products, I've recently been releasing adventure material and works by other authors, which is forcing me to buy or create my own art for those projecdts. So I got back into 3D with Wings 3D and Vue. Though I want to start dabbling with Blender 2.8, since it seems a lot more user friendly than it's previous iterations.

Hi Gary! yeah, modo , carrara... tS 3.2... they still do the trick eh.... likened to good wine, or timeless music...
Hey GamePrinter... looking forward to seeing some wings3d models... maybe a contest is in order... not that I am in wings shape these days, but fun is still fun eh lol... I was interested in Mirai back in the day, and nendo was the baby app to such... played around with both for a bit, but at the time I didn't really know squat about modeling.... Just knew it looked fascinating, and that I so wanted to learn....I cut my teeth so to speak, right here at TG... Learned some of the basics from people like Gary B, Mike B, soquiil, emel, and some chap from NZ , Stew he was blasting through modeling with C4D... oh there were many more great people from this community that were all getting into 3D hard at the time... it was wonderful to learn here... now that time has moved on a bit, I reflect back to various things that inspired me in life... emel did it for me for modeling, guy was such a perfectionist, I had to learn to create in similar fashion... had a blast... Then that damn Mike B shows a pic of his guitar and amp... lol... love ya Mike :) I left 3D, and picked up the geet... ha... again, twas a blast... played, recorded, learned equipment... same ole eh... now I am a little old for bouncing around like a madman, so, back to 3D... much more our speed now... phew haha... so sharpen your 3D pencil, cause we are about to have some fun.. :D and a big shout out to TG for allowing me to be absent during my music days... I am so humbled by this. Great to be back. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gamerprinter

I started with Raydream as my first 3D program, and upgraded it along with it's buyout by different companies. I did eventually get Cararra, but didn't like it, so didn't use it much at all. I got Poser by then. I got the student license to Cinema 4D, and while very poserful, it was cumbersome to use. Then I kind of stopped using 3D for a while, then recently got back into it. I'm a professional freelance cartgraphic illustrator, so I spend most of my time making maps - using Xara and other software. Now I'm a small publisher supporting the tabletop roleplaying game industry. Though I started by making map products, I've recently been releasing adventure material and works by other authors, which is forcing me to buy or create my own art for those projecdts. So I got back into 3D with Wings 3D and Vue. Though I want to start dabbling with Blender 2.8, since it seems a lot more user friendly than it's previous iterations.

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I used to be an author. Now I'm retired. :)

With the exception of some FX for very small clients, my interest in digital animation began in about 1972 when PBS ran some edu-tainment on the state of the art computer animation, feature what was Rhythm & Hues, Pacific Data, and a nascent Pixar.

I was using CorelDRAW and Photoshop in 1992, and I said "I GOTTA have some of that!", having been very new to computer graphics and a lifetime of physical illustration. MacroModel was my first program, and not being able to afford the price, I was the Editor of a user group monthly, called them and successfully bartered a full-page ad for a Windows copy.

I love reading about the circuitous route 3D people have taken to get "here".

My Best,

Gary

Attachment 125271

I am still very much in touch with Kiwi (Stu Winders) yes NZ.

He's given me a lot of help using C4D. I consider him a modern master.

MY only saving grace is that I use the program for different things than Stu does. :)

I used to call CorelDRAW the Swiss Army Knife of graphics utilities. True, but the layout is like how I arrange my sock drawer.

I think I can call C4D the Swiss Army Knife of Modeling/rendering/animation programs. I heard also that the paint engine in the thing, which a while ago was sold as a standalone, was used for "Polar Express".

I used to chat with a sales rep in California who told me the biggest perk to learning C4D is that is was built by engineers who were also accomplished artists. Having an artist design layout, code for tools, the UI, and so on really helped me get a handle on what proved to be a hierarchical structure. Many operations are non-destructive...cool!

See you folks around the X,Y, and Z axes!

Attachment 125273

—g

Well, Gare, you mentioned Corel twice, and honestly, I was a fan and user of Micrografx Designer and Picture Publisher back in the day, I'd used Micrografx for 10 years before and the first years operating a graphic design studio. CorelDraw was in direct competition with Micrografx, and Corel having more money bought them out then flushed Designer and Picture Publisher down the drain. I still used Micrografx for 5 years or so using the last version. I finally moved to Xara X1, rather than to ever look at Corel - they did me wrong, so I was not going to look at their software ever... I don't have anything nice to say about Corel.

That's so funny, as Simply 3D was our first experience in 3d... We also used the app suite to initially learn web design... haha... I used PhotoImpact back in the day, until I required easier to manipulate vectors, and that's when I started to explore Xara.... likened to Wings is straight forward.... just slightly different lol. But heck yeah, MG had it going on back in the day.... and for 3d font, Simply 3D was superb, in fact I think they started quite a thing for other apps to start in at such a small price point... opened up the market ... Cheers

I have latest Carrara installed on my computer, but I hate that dark interface and everything is just too small on high resolution displays causing unwanted eye strain.

Realsoft 3D is my personal favourite and is now in version 8, but just for the modelling it is very hard to beat Metasequoia.

Re- the original question... Carrara is no longer a serious player by today's standards of the big 3D apps, to be sure... This said, for the hobby artist, or small business, in the hands of someone who knows how to bring out it's good features, including rendering, imho, it can still stand the test for many tasks. At a price point of but 105 bucks US, for Carrara 8.5 studio, it's kind of hard not to still carry around in the ole toolbox.

Carrara's dark interface and tiny text? That one is easy, just go into Preferences and change such as to how you like things.

Our oldest son just got into 3D design lately, so we went out and got a couple of new desk top computers, and we have been going over the various app options out there, and wow on all the pricing changes... hmmm.

Realsoft 3D, now there's one we have haven't thought about for quite some time now... just revisited their site, and well, at least one still purchase such lol... judging by their gallery, the renderer in Realsoft looks like a viable option to be sure. At 225 US, not such a big hit to the ole pocket book, if it ends up working for you I suppose :)
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