Caligari trueSpace

Just made the plunge to buy trueSpace and I can highly recommend it as a modeller. For many years though I've been played around with the various demos but have always been totally lost because trueSpace is an icon driven environment and yet the help file that comes with the demo has no pictures! I was always without a clue, but kept coming back to try because I loved the results.

So what finally sold it for me? Well I had been using a free version of Cinema, but couldn't export animations for games so I bought 3D Canvas Pro, which turned out to be a waste of money due to bugs and other problems. Left without a modeller and thinking the only things left were in the several thousand pounds bracket I decided to give trueSpace one more go and was able to get around it a bit easier than before (I also had some tutorials in a copy of 3D World), I was also eligable for a special offer which included some tutorial videos - so I bought it.

All I can say is that after watching the 'Spirit of the Interface' videos is "Why the hell doesn't Caligari give this video away for free?" It opened my eyes to how easy and uncluttered the whole interface is, had I seen this video I would have bought trueSpace ages ago. The demo, as far as I was concerned, did more harm than good as the help simply wasn't good enough on it's own.

So basically, give it a chance. The interface is different and I can understand some people do hate it (I was one once), but it can be customised and it is actually pretty powerful once you know your way around it. And if any one from Caligari is reading this, please take note.

Hey Ken,

I too took the plunge and bought TS 5.2. I bought it during a summer special which offered TS 5.2 and 8 video tutorials for $299.

Funny thing is that I also bought 3D Canvas Pro and experience bugs and crashes just as you did.

I'm currently working on a 3D Butterfly Screensaver which will include several species of butterflies (modeled in TS of course) that will fly in a very nice 3D environment.

Anyway, have fun modeling with TS!

some people just love Caligari's interface, other people have to work hard to learn it and others just like text and don't like the interface.

i am a hater :) i just prefer something that says extrude rather than an icon i have to root for that as a strange picture.

... especially if that icon is hidden a few levels beneath another icon group, and is accessible via a right click only :)

strangely though, TrueSpace is the only 3D package that i could come to grips with and be able to be productive with without having to open the manual every time i need to do something...

... but i've resisted upgrading, mainly because of the fear that the interface would change, and i'd be lost again...

... yeah, i am a wimp w.i.m.p. user.

maybe the deal witht he video will help me get a lil more hair on my chest and spring for the latest version.

thanks Ken for the insight and info...

--Mike

truespace users!

I'm trying gamespace light right now. Hard to use, but hey it's my first 3d software. Why they can't use tooltips I don't know. it really kills to have to look away from the icon to the bottom to figure out what it is.

Anyway, my question is: i'm using gamespace light, so it saves in .x format. Should I be able to read the names of the objects? (it doesn't save in b3d format)

entityname$(loadedobject) returns nothing, even though I've set the name.

I am pretty limited in testing this thing if I cannot read the object names.

Also, if you know - I tried storing an entire scene as a .x file, and can't read anything in it at all inside blitz. should i not be able to?

thanks for any info!

ps: you got a deal because gamespace is $299.

the light version has a limit on the number of polys you can have in a mesh

hey Ryan... did you take a look at the latest version of Milkshape... as a possible alternative, seeing as it's your first 3D modeling software and all...

... Milkshape imports and exports to many formats (the Blitz3D export works flawlessly so far, even with boned animated meshes), and it's a decent low cost, low poly modeller...

the demo will let you work for a while and get used to it...

--Mike

pertubatio: i know about the limit on the light version, but that's not the problem i'm having right now. i have a very simple mesh, i'm just trying to read the .x file's components.

milkshape - it seems ok. it's easier to do basic things, but i like in gamespace that you can edit in the 3d window. it's taking a lot of work to figure it out, but i think it'll be worth it.

All I want to know is if I'm not going to have an issue reading the b3d export from truespace/gamespace (I'm assuming they are going to work the same). Ken?

To my knowledge, the X. format doesn't store the names of parts of the model.

Ryan,

Try using LoadAnimMesh...

and

EntityName$(GetChild('Your Object's Handle',1))

Even if you only have one object, Truespace makes that object a child of the scene.

It works, and use it all the time.

Regards,
Eric

Lo and behold, Caligari are giving away the Spirit of the Interface course for free as part of their 10th aniversary.

http://forms.caligari.com/scripts/spiritcourse.asp