new to carrara
jonathanokelley81
Posts: 60
I am new to carrara was wondering if any one had any suggestions, resources or starting points. I am use to using Maya and a little 3Dmax. Daz to, well 4.5 and .6 of course, is there a way to use the Genesis 2 characters in carrara. I have Victoria 6 and of course v4 and 5. I am really just like I said looking for a good starting resource. any help would be greatly appreciated thanks for reading.
Comments
My recommendations
Dartanbeck's users guide
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/15970/
free Cripeman's youtube tutorials
http://www.youtube.com/user/cripeman
Carrara Cafe has tutorials
http://carraracafe.com/
for sale tutorials by PhilW (Infinite Skills) and Mark Bremmer (VTC)
PhilW's infinite skills tutorials are here http://www.daz3d.com/learning-carrara-8-5-tutorial-videos-new-features-instant-digital-download
Note - I've actually been putting together a pdf tutorial of the "just opened it up and want to get started" variety but not sure how much interest there would be. I'm about 2/3 done. Maybe I'll finish one day. Until then, start with searching for Cripeman's Carrara tutorials on youtube (free), and if you can afford it, get PhilW. He has two from infinite skills, and both are available here at Daz.
Hi! Welcome to Carrara!
It might help to know what it is that interested you in Carrara? Animation? Environments? Modeling? Etc. We may be able to direct you to more specific topics of interest that way.
Diomede64 certainly hit the major starting points. You already know 3D concepts already from past experience. So, Evil is right...what do you want to do?
Speaking personally, I'd check out the terrain modeler. I still don't have LightWave producing terrains as quickly and beautifully as Carrara can. Why the higher-end packages don't have something like this is beyond me.
Garstar,
You are right about terrain modeler and just making environments alone in Carrara is such a quick thing. I always felt a missed opportunity by DAZ. If they would have focused just a little bit more on Carrara's terrains and atmospheres they could have taking a really nice chunk of the business going towards vue stuff. Its really fast and intuitive to make environments but .....in the end they really do not compete vs the Vue stuff in renders. That said ----you still can create some impressive environments with Carrara so not trying to smack on it----its one of my favorite things to use here.
rich
Just cause you mentioned terrain modeling. ;-)
Actually this is a hybrid with a terrain and vertex rock outcrops. I think Carrara's strong suit is that it has the terrain tools, but also the rest of the stuff you need for a complete environment, such as the replicators, the terrain shaders, atmospheres, etc. I don't use the big guy apps, so I don't know what they have as standard and what you have to buy additionally, but I love Carrara's integration of all the pieces in one package.
Evilproducer,
Nice indeed. And yes --so right about having all the tools right here to make what you want. I saw this project in another thread and like how you modeled the rocks.....cool.
The thing --the beauty, actually of Carrara, is that there are more than a few ways to get done what you want and sometimes its using tools in unique ways. It really is a swiss knife tool kit.
rich
Hey Evil, did you sprain your shoulder patting yourself on the back there? :lol:
I've said it enough, but I do love how your scene is coming together. Even if the terrain primitive itself isn't used, the terrain shaders are and they are wickedly helpful (once you get your head around them).
I've never used Vue or Bryce. I think Bryce is held back by being stuck in the 32-bit world. Vue is referenced frequently in the trade publications that I read...but Carrara...it may as well not exist for all the coverage it gets. DAZ definitely dropped the marketing ball here.