Daz3D, TrueSpace or Wings3D ?

start blender

to split window in two:
click upper edge of scene view lmb with alt hold click 'Split Area'

to choose uv-map for that view:
place mouse pointer in right area hold shift and press F10

to add an image:
click button 'Image' in the lower bar of the area, choose settings f.i. 1024x1024

to load model from MED:
(export as fbx, import into milkshape(middle part of format list), export as obj(middlepart of format list),importing in blender (next to last format in list))
(after exporting a frame as 3ds in MED)

to look around the model:
click view in the lower bar of the area, select 'local view', then press the Num button of the Num keys to activate the num buttons, use them to circle around the model

to select a model to uv-map:
select 'Edit Mode' in lower tool bar, click 'Select' choose 'Select/Deselect All',

to uv-map a model:
with mouse pointer in the scene area click 'u', choose uv-map

to cut the model's skin (make seams):
click edge button in lower bar, click b while mouse pointer in view, right-click at an edge, hold shift and right-click the next edge and so on, click ctrl+e, choose mark seam, select all(means click 'Select' 'Select/Deselect All' two times), uv-map again

to bake a shadow on the image of the map:
click 'Render' on the upper main bar, choose 'Bake Render Meshes', choose 'Ambient Occlusion'

You need Mesh Tools, Modifiers, Multires, Subdivide, Catmull-Clark

Or

Open world panel which is needed to work with approximate Ambient Occlusion

F8 opens World Panel

F9 opens Multires Modifiers etc.

Values that give a good result with pokedino(low res animal):

Correction:0.9 Error: 0.25 Use Falloff Strength: 9.08
Add, Plain, Energy: 1 (Both instead of Add adds the light; good for environment lighting, but you should subdivide befor to get rid of the edges)

after uv-mapping it, switch in object mode; to see the uv-map you need to choose edit mode again


There is a 'view selected' under 'view' to move the camera around the wished position

How to paint on model and on texture image:

near image button choose/open image, if different image: Image -> Reload

Enable drawing on texture:
Image -> check Texture Painting

Enable drawing on model:
Change Object Mode to Texture Paint
Change Draw Type (field at the right of Object Mode etc.) depending your needs: Solid f.i. is better for seeing the shape of the model's surface

move image with alt hold(lower button of stylus of tablet) and left mouse button

move 3d view with alt hold and left mouse button

zoom with mouse wheel

choose colour, if it is already available in texture, with right mouse buttion, draw it with left mouse button

paint on model with small brush to mark certain places on the texture, drawing isn't too reliable in case you don't want a certain unreliable style

best brush to draw on a 1024x1024 Texture:
RGB 173 86 27, opacity:0.13, Size 5, Falloff 0.29, Spacing 10.
enable pressure for tablet of opacity only

I started with gameSpace and trueSpace. The GUI is not the problem. The problems are rigging and animation. Dont do this with trueSpace (or gameSpace). It's the hell.

That was the past. The new bones system is very powerful and easy to handle.

you don't have to remember 400 hotkeys. most of blender's functionality is also accessible per menus and you will learn the hotkeys for the functions you currently need the most automatically.

you are much faster by using the keyboard and the mouse at the same time

if you don't like this way of working it's great that alternatives like truespace exist.

So you say it is stable now? No more crashes during animation? No more crashings when I use chamfer tool or similar?

So just pick up any tool of your choice and start learning. It will take you several years from now and it will never stop wink

Well, that said, for me personally the fastest method is a mix of both.

blender has a gui. it's no command line tool. smile

i use a mix of both too but more like 80% hotkeys and 20% gui buttons.

Mine is more 10% hotkeys and 90% GUI buttons

I can tell you that learning Bodypaint or ZBrush

This is standard if you begin to learn a new tool.

It would be a big show stopper if I had to go into several menus or pressing any buttons.

If you watch some modelling-tutorials then you will realize that most of the professionals never click any button.

What I didn't say in my original post is that I have to actually teach 3D modelling to novice students.

Truespace I dont know much about, but I seriously question why they would all of a sudden give it away for free.

He likes Caligari's UI much more but he needs the import/export-capabilities of Blender. What's his choice?

What i want to say is: The UI is not a important aspect. It's only a question of learning.

I personally think the UI on both applications could be greatly improved.