Excellent 2d->3d modeller

http://archipelis.dnsalias.com/~archipel/index.html
or
http://www.thebest3d.com/archipelis/index.html
(requires .net framework)

The interface is a bit 'rough', but the price is amazing ($58). Moreover, I have given the demo a good test and
a) It hasn't crashed once
b) It actually does what it says it does
c) It is REALLY easy

The only downside is that the way things are done can be a little bit counter-intuitive once you get into positioning/mirroring, but I built the rhino 'tutorial' in about 5 minutes without looking at the manual - I'd say that's pretty good.

THAT IS MAD! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!

Strange interface :) Quite fun to play with. It seems quite similar to this: http://www-ui.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~takeo/java/smoothteddy/index.html

Hey now thats friggon sweet!

is this real... no gimmick, now smoke and mirrors... it sounds almost too good to be true (and i have seen Canoma a while back)...

does this look like something a game developer could actually use to skin a model?

--Mike

It looks to me like its something a game developer can use to make and skin the model at the same time.

It did for me. Pretty horribly.

The demo IS impressive, but I can only use that one image, right? How do I know they didn't spend ages finding the one image that happens to work really well with it?

Don't get me wrong... I *want* to believe :)

has anyone bought this? if so, how is it when actually trying to do something sensible with it?

btw; that's got to be one of the most horrible interfaces I've ever seen and used.

I can't see how you'd do anything with any kind of flat surface, just bulgy, blobby things. And there doesn't seem to be much in the way of control if it doesn't bulge in the way you'd like.

This looks a LOT like an experimental modeler a grad student was working on back when I was at CMU, called Teddy. I wonder if this has anything to do with that?

jhocking: would that "Teddy" modeller have anything todo with the link in fredborg's post?

I hear whispers that Google has released a modeller as well... I remain skeptical.

Oh yeah, that's the one!