No Max/Maya? Just smile...

Blenders new texture baking:
http://www.blender.org/cms/Render_Baking.827.0.html

Blender build:
http://www.blenderbuilds.com/2006/11/22/windows-november-22th-2006-cvs-optimized-build

I downloaded "no opt" build and it worked so far.

People say 2.43 will come Jan. 2007

[edit]

Wrong thread, sorry! :)

There is no way that I'd even consider using Blender until the developers replace the user interface. It's absolutely atrocious.

For those of you who have never used Blender or are considering using it, check out the following three part report on the "wonderful" Blender experience that you can expect:

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/1614
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/1615
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/1616

I agree with Just Luke that the interface for blender is atrocious. However for free it really can't be beat.

I'm interested in seeing what the new ogre game dev version will be like since that uses ogre3D in viewports with WYSIWYG level creation.

The interface isnt atrocious, its just not the same as you are used to.

Exactly. It's very fluid and productive once you put a little time into learning it.

I have tried and retried Blender over the years, but the GUI just does not do it for me :(

I can't spend anymore time on it now as I am getting on in years :)

Kudo's to those of yoo that have cracked it though, but I do wish for a more standard GUI.

Just my thoughts nothing really important.

Cheers

Garion

I made a cube in blender once. It took me nearly 2 hours to work it out, then it crashed. Piece of crap.

I suggest people try blender for themselves. IMO its pretty good. And to make a cube you press space and choose Add>Mesh>Cube. What's difficult about that?

Good news about the texture baking.

hahahahahahahahahahaha@GFK
I do prefer Gmax, but didnt find that Blender was loads harder to use that it. Ifound Maplet harder to get into

@JustLuke, while I accept that blender's interface is a bit intimidating/unconventional, the descriptions you linked to above are a little unfair to say the least. Firstly, most people will be running blender on Windows not Linux which means the stuff about not being able to close the window won't apply. Secondly, the author admits that she couldn't be bothered to read the tutorial! I think that's where the problem lies. A bit of patience and its fine.

I'm sorry, but that's just not fair.

The only people who have good things to say about blender are blender diehards, and they usually resort to implying that people who don't like the interface are just too impatient or plain stupid to understand it. Just because it is possible to overcome the steep learning curve, learn the seemingly endless list of keyboard shortcuts, get used to the bizarre inconsistencies and memorise the obscurely named options and submenus, does not mean that the interface is good. Look, given time and practice I could probably learn to type an email by standing on my head, sticking a pencil up my nose and using the tip to prod the keys on my keyboard, but that wouldn't make it a good idea.

We're getting into a circular argument here...

Some people like blender while others clearly don't. Those of us that do like it know that its necessary to give it some time to appreciate it properly and it frustrates us to see people slamming it before they've given it a proper chance, that's all. A lot of people are missing out that way.

If you give it a proper try and still don't like it then fair enough.

I've tried blender, the interface is a pain in the neck.

I then tried every other 3D design program I could get my hands on, and they were pains in the neck as well. You ask me they all stink.

That's about right.

XSI is 3d lovliness. Just cant get anything but a static mesh out of it.

From what I understand, Blender was originally designed as an in-house tool for NaN (the original developers) and for what it was used for, it was quite good. Now it's something quite different, the interface is quite quirky. Most of the issue is that as the program has been developed, certain tools have been put in bad places... making the program unnecessarily difficult to figure out. Also, most of the time when the community talk about tools, they refer to those which can only be accessed through overly complex and badly designed keyboard shortcuts.

Years back I gave up on it, but now I have a fair amount of experience under my belt with 3D in general, I don't find it too hard to use. Providing you don't expect it to be an intuitive learning experience, it's best to learn the interface like you would find your way to a destination... except that (since Blender's documentation is a disaster) you're learning your way to each destination without the roadmap :) After a little while, you learn where everything is, via trial and error. Some of the interface makes sense, and other parts don't.

If however you're having issues with the interface because you're too thick to work out how to make a cube, try and take your learning seriously. The problem isn't with Blender- it's with you. As far as serious 3D apps go, Blender's quite simple to figure out. I agree that if the Blender developers want to target 3D users who are just getting started, they need to redesign the interface from scratch... but considering the stubbornness of some of the Blender users I've spoken to... I'm not holding my breath for that one.

Side note: Love XSI, but not really for the beginner.

I just find the whole blender experience awkward and annoying from the non standard load/Save dialogues that are a pain to use, through viewport manipulation and just about everything.

Fortunately I can always use 3dsmax which has the most extensive support for modeling and level building in game engines.

I also have no problems with using maya or XSI but their support from third parties isn't as good. No B3d pipeline or Ofusion (Ogre3D) type support.

LOL, That reminds me of my parents when they are using MS Word.