3D Constraints

 3D Constraints.

Even though 3D development software is amazing to use and has given everyone new experiences the limitations still need to be taken into account. 3D software has been ground breaking and a major advantage to many industries as 3D modelling is used in most things now such as film, architecture, animation, gaming, toy bulding and much more. There are also many disadvantages that come with the advantages.

The first problem that I would like to stress is that even thought the software is fun to use and can create many advantages for people in many businesses, the software that is available is very expensive. Therefore this means not many people can buy this as most software is a ridiculous price for example it can be around £3000 for 3DS Max alone. 

This is a very expensive thing to buy, not many will be able to afford this. Meaning that it may be only major businesses and companys making films etc that can use this, whereas a normal working person will not be able to afford £3000 for one program. 




All though Autodesk offer supporting packages such as the support for students that it is free for two years. This is one of the disadvantages of 3D software. You can also get free trials for around 30 days but this will just be a taster to see what the program is like. However there are also free programs that you can download such as Daz 3D but these will not give you the same effect and experience as the more expensive programs.

The final limitation is that the user is restricted to what the program can do, meaning that the user's creativity is then restricted.



One of the biggest disadvantages of  3D software is that the rendering time plays a huge part in delaying the production of any 3D production. For major productions such as the work of Pixar who use 3D software they use rendering farms. These and huge warehouses filled with servers and extra support to help render their scenes. It took Pixar 3 years to render Finding Nemo. This then costs companies a lot of their budget as it costs in energy bills but also if the scene is not to the animators expectations then it must be re-done and that is then a waste of months. Also a person who is wanting to render something thereself as big will not have the facilities or equipment to do this therefore taking even longer to render.


Another major problem is how time consuming it can be to create a good high quality model as it takes a while to get used to all the different tools and settings as there is so many, therefore you need good knowledge about the program. This is why when learning about how to use a new software it will take a while to get used to and get your head around everything. However there are many tutorials available and forums to help you.

The final limitation of development software is that certain PC specs are needed to be able to use the application. This means spending a lot more money on more materials in order to work the apps. 

3D Development Software

Review the existing 3D development software: software, eg 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave, AutoCAD, Cinema 4D, Mudbox, Zbrush, Softimage|XSI. Also explain the  file formats associated with each application, eg 3ds, .mb, .lwo, .C4d, .dxf, .obj;

3DS Max
3DS Max is a popular 3D program used to develop video games, animation etc. Some companies use 3DS Max in film and television therefore the use of 3DS Max being wide. It provides a workable modeling, animation and rendering solutions.Max was the first program to get plug-ins to render 3D scenes directly into Flash animations. There are even several add-on rendering systems that give Max more powerful raytracing and global illumination capabilities, although the cost of adding high-end rendering capabilities to Max can make it as expensive as a more powerful animation package such as SoftimageXSI. 

MayaMaya is used in the TV industry for shows like Lost, motion films like Avatar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and in the gaming industry for games like Medal of Honor and Resistance. Autodesk Maya is a 3D animation and modeling software that is used for effects, rendering  and much more. Using this software can help you create and edit 3D models in various formats. You can animate your models as there is many animation tools. At the end of a 3D model you can also render what you have created as well as rendering a scene to go with it, this is used to create a more realistic look. Maya is a software for 3D digital animation and visual effects.

Lightwave
This software is a very popular choice that is used for mostly television and video production. It is also popular as it is an easy software. However the down side is that the modeling lacks associativity, which makes some types of revisions much slower and does not allow many undo steps, which can result in poorer quality work and may take longer to do. It does perform well, is simple to learn, and experienced users can get high-quality work done with it. Also the animation still has a lot of catching up to do with Maya or Softimage. Lightwave's renderer is a well regarded raytracer, which also includes Image Based Lighting and global illumination support. Lightwave's renderer has been used for many commercials and TV programs. Very few of the leading film studios use Lightwave, but it is often used by smaller companies contributing opening title sequences, monitor screen graphics, and other smaller parts of a film's CGI. 

AutoCADAutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting. The software supports both 2D and 3Dformats. The software is developed and sold by Autodesk. The first release of CAD only used primitive entities, these are things such as: polygons, cirlces, lines, arcs and text. This was used to construct complex objects. However the modern version of the software includes a full set of tools for solid modeling which is easy to use and 3D in which the software’s steep price tag and learning curve is likely to intimidate beginners. AutoCAD LT is the light CAD design software which offers computer 2D drafting and detailing.

Cinema 4DCinema 4D  is the latest release 3D motion graphics, visual effects, painting, and rendering software application from MAXON. It is the most popular software among professional 3D animators and motion graphics artists. It has been used for films such as 2012, Iron Man 2, District 9, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It has also been used in the MTV Music Awards as well as in many other areas such as architectural modeling, graphic design, science, and engineering.

MudboxAutodesk Mudbox is digital sculpting and digital painting software for artists, modellers and texture artists in games, film, television and design. Autodesk mudbox is an all around sculptor or modeler. This means its main purpose is to create monsters, characters, creatures, ect. And use a process called 'painting' to give them colour. It was first used to produce the 2005 Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. With a very simplified interface. Mudbox's primary application is high-resolution digital sculpting, texture painting, and displacement.

Its best feature is the interface however as the software has developed the interface has been slow. 
Features that Mudbox has:
1. Movable cameras that can be bookmarked.
2. Models created within the program typically start as a simple polygon mesh that can be manipulated with a variety of different tools.
3. A model can be subdivided to increase its resolution and the number of polygons available to sculpt with.
4. 3D layers allow the user to store different detail passes, blending them with multiplier sliders and layer masks. Using layers the user is able to sculpt and mould their 3D model without making permanent changes.

ZBrushZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting This software offers tools and new features such as GoZ, ShadowBox, Spotlight, PolyPainting Layers, Timeline, and ZSketch. These new tools are useful for sculpting 3D modelers such as gaming, animation, toy design etc. Zbrush is a virtual sculpting tool. Artists use it to create very detailed sculpted organic objects, like character heads.

File Formats3ds Max General file (.3ds)3ds Max Character (.chr)Skin Envelopes (.env, .envASCII)UVW coordinates (.uvw)Blender (.blend)Cinema 4D (.c4d)Lightwave Object (.lwo)Lightwave Scene (.lws)Luxology Modo (software) file (.lxo)Autodesk Maya ASCII File (.ma)Autodesk Maya Binary File (.mb)AutoCAD general file (.dxf)Organized machine code file (.obj)Material Library (.mat)