Blender as Alternative to 3DS Max

SKINZSKINZ Join Date: 2008-11-11 Member: 65422Members
in Modding
Has anyone used Blender as an alternative to 3DS Max for modeling and animation? I'd like to know if content created in Blender is compatible with the Spark engine. I want to try creating some new models, but don't have $3,500 laying around to buy 3DS Max.

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.
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  • InsaneInsane Anomaly Join Date: 2002-05-13 Member: 605Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
    I believe it's an option, if you install the COLLADA plugin for Blender.

    Essentially, you can use any software you like, provided it is capable of exporting to COLLADA format.
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  • GaidinTSGaidinTS Join Date: 2003-08-10 Member: 19319Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    You should be aware that COLLADA support in blender can be a bit sketchy, although they've made some big strides lately.

    I have no idea how compatible with the Spark engine it is though, and as I understand it, certain things in collada can be implemented in different ways, so you may find some things missing.
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  • BiglinesBiglines Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24094Members, Constellation
    Actually the problem with the COLLADA support in blender is that they switched to the official C or C++ library incorporated in the application instead of the old python plugin, and the official libraries are actually not compatible with a lot of other implementations (which are all slightly different, which results in incompatibilities). (this would also explain why max had to code his own exporter for 3dsmax I think).

    I even read somewhere that blender is one of the only applications that correctly implements the COLLADA standard, and the reason it's incompatible is that other applications use "fixes" that aren't officially approved. This last part however is not from the blender institute though, so no idea how true this is.

    As for whether or not blender is good for creating content, yes it is. I've used 3dsmax, cinema 4d and xsi at my university, and blender is better than every single one of them, especially in the actual modelling, animating, uv mapping and texturing (rendering and integration with other commercial software is not super).

    There are hundreds of studios that are trying to switch to blender because the workflow is much better than other applications, but the problem is that there used to be no commercial support for blender, which meant that when companies had problems, they had to get involved in a community instead of just paying for gold support. It is however the most used 3d modelling application (many more users than 3dsmax and maya, just less representative in the commercial scene).
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  • SKINZSKINZ Join Date: 2008-11-11 Member: 65422Members
    Thanks everyone for your replies. I started using Blender this last weekend, and it is really slick. Especially for someone who has never used a 3D modeling program before.
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