I've been working with Pro/e professionally for about 6 years now, but have been using it for about 10. However, I've never really done any rendering, but I want to.

Just curious if anyone here is into this. Are there good programs to look into? Is Pro/e a good modeling program for this? Are there inexpensive modeling and rendering programs that I can use at home. I hope to buy a new PC when the house is done (almost there), and I want to get something with plenty of guts for this type of thing...

So, any suggestions on websites or programs to look into are greatly appreciated...

Also, I only have access to Pro/e through work. and no I haven't pirated it for home use, and don't intend to... but do have some free time occasionally here at work to mess around with it...

 

3d max. rhino formZ errr, sorry, none of them are cheap.

 

What kind of 3D rendering are you doing? I do mostly architectural but some mechanical things as well. I did a 3D model of my truck a couple summer's ago and used nothing but AutoCAD. Not the best program for that kind of thing but works nicely and very intuitive, especially the newest version.

 

I don't do any rendering now. I model/create shop drawings for the equipment we build. Mostly industrial automation kinda stuff...

I would like to get more into rendering/surface modeling. Mostly as a hobby right now (since I'm sure there is a learning curve involved), but possibly something that lead into work...

I've heard quite a bit about Maya, anyone have any experience?

I used AutoCAD in the past, and found the 3D part to be useless... I started out doing somewhat architectural stuff, and for certain things AC is a great program, but like you seemed to imply 3D (or mechanical IMHO) is not one of those things...

Is anyone aware of any open source rendering programs...

Should I be googling instead?

 

Are these programs you use? and maybe Tical84 was referring to you?
with "What kind of 3D rendering are you doing?"

 

i dont know- i'm in architecture (almost an architect)... so i do full building models (photo-real of course)...

autocad 07,08 have completely overhauled their 3d functions, and are semi-decent now- for simple to moderate 3d i wouldn't have a problem running cad....

 

I agree with this:
and this:
3D modeling in AutoCAD used to be crap but it is much better now. I used '04 to render my truck and it could have been easier but wasn't bad. I'm sure if I was to redo it with '08 it would take me 1/4 of the time.

I've also heard good things about Maya, but haven't tried it. Sorry. See if you can download a demo.

 

I have worked with 3D Studio Viz. But that was almost 7 years ago. I found it pretty easy and the rendering was exceptional. ( but depending on computer can take alllllllooooonnnnggggg time )

 

i use Autodesk 3dsmax 9. Pretty damn expensive.

 

I wish they would buy some rendering software for me to play with here.

I use Pro/E from 8 to 10 hours a day, I don't want to play with it when I get home.

I sent some of my models down to South America to one of our subsidiaries for a presentation a few months ago. Evidently they have some rendering capabilities because when they sent me a copy of the presentation with my stuff in it, all I could do was . I'm still trying to talk our global engineering head into buying some for me.

I've got an older version of Pro/E student edition that an ex coworker gave me. It's a somewhat stripped down version but he got it for free from somewhere. You might want to check into that to load on your home box. Mine doesn't have enough graphics oomph to do a whole lot with it.

Sorry I can't help with a rendering suggestion.

 

LightWave

 

Anyone got any renderings they'd care to post up?

 

I have acess to NX5 Unigraphics at school. Not a bad little program. I am going to have the IT Dept install it on my laptop, so I can get more familar with it. Some of the things I have seen people create made me speechless.

jrbhc8

 

i didnt read into what all your using this for

but i have experience in AutoCAD, AutoDesk Inventor 11, and Building REVIT 8.
as i am on my way to becoming a architect.

i love AutoDesk for 3D Modeling, im not sure if it does rendering or not havent gotten that in depth with it. But for buildings, and homes and stuff, REVIT kicks A$$

 

I haven't messed with rendering just 3D modeling. I also use AutoDesk Inventor at work. AutoDesk has several rendering programs; I think 3D Studio is one

You can get any program you want if you know where to look.

AutoCAD 3D is what I started with. It's not to bad though it has progressed tremendously since say....Release 13