Hexagon + all DAZ software for FREE

http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d/free-3d-software-overview

I tried them out, except Daz Studio these tools are - in my eyes - useless for game design. But thanks for the hint!

Useless? Seriously? Hexagon is a very good polygonal modeler that has some intuitive tools, UV mapping and 3D painting. How could you NOT use something like that for creating game content?

DAZ has especially great use for 2Dish game design or oddball genres like visual novels.

EDIT: And, yes I'm still here.

marketing of DAZ is really funny for me. they are selling their products for a not too low price, but later everything becomes free... so I don't know who buys them at all...

...but now I make a trial with Hexagon, it seems to offer something like Sculptris, what is a simple but fine tool.

Hexagon is not that bad especially when its free. It has a lot of inbuilt tools / features. It can be a good alternative for people who dont want to spend money for professional tools.

thank you for the link

as I yesterday got confused about Blenders texture paint tool ....was slow as hell and crashed down often, I'm very glad to see hexagon serves this feature too .

Hope its more stable.

gri

I am downloading it !
That's strange , it's only Mac version ? even if i choose PC on the list ??

---------------

For Mac users :
what are the terms of use ? Is there any trap or hidden policy in terms of use ?

It is said , free for some limited time, what does it means ?
I think passed some time we will be required to pay ot have a new activation key ?
I'll chekc tonight if it asks internet connection at each use or if it runs some clock verifier for the limited time ?


A better alternative i think is Silo, with similar price and seems lot more advanced and more intuitive.
If i can get the PC version of Hexagon, I'll make a test tonigh and post some compare with advantages/inconvenients between the two products !

I could get the pc version and works fine. Select pc only downloads at downloadable items list. As I understand, it is downloadable for free only for a time period, and will not be free forever, but no one knows...

What is really cool is the "decimate" utility, i.e. decreasing poly count! It enables this tool perfect for game related usage. It works nicely for a human character I tried, but of course skinning should be done again...

got the first crash in hex while selecting some faces and scroll the mousewheel.

But painting works nicely

It's fast , smooth , i like it alot !
No bug until now, i like the extrude tool where you can scale
the extrusion, usefull for low poly modeling characters !

I find it more smooth than Silo, and easy to use to make complex modeling.

A great solid modeling tool , and lot more easy for people that would like icons and don't like Blender

anyone try the sculpting yet? im pretty happy with blender, but scuptris can be a pain workflow wise, since you cant reimport normalmaps

For sculpting, i find Sculptris very easy and fast, it's very precise and allow anything with tesselation and reduce tool.

I think i'll stick with Hexagon for low poly sculpting from now, but still UV's , animating on Blender.

hmmm,

as I played around with hex I realize this is not the holy grail.
I never thought that I would say this one day....but Blender is much easier

Because the slow development of hex in the last time I'm afraid that DAZ simply cancel further developments of hexagon. Thats why they released it for free.

Its not usefull to dig in an possible abandon software.
So the focus still remains on Blender.

or maybe they have a new version. daz studio also becomes free periodically...

Hexagon is not the best piece of 3D software, but there are somethings that it does very well (and, in fact, better than most). You certainly cannot beat the current price.



It's not like Hexagon is a totally non-functional, bug ridden piece of software. For modeling, it does what it needs to do (and then some). Abandoned or not, it is a useful tool to have. And if someone cannot afford to pay for a modeler, then it is one of the better alternatives (in my opinion).

Even some software like Milkshape that have not evolved from long years are still usefull for some people.
Silo has not evolved in solid modeling since v2, caus it has already all tools.
But these tools remain usefull for some people.

By re testing, i agree with Blender it's fast once you have defined main shortcuts for main tools :
-extrude
-loop select
-loop cut

Hexagon is great also for people wanting minimal and more visual interface for solid modeling !

After Re using it ; for solid modeling , not very very hight polygons, Silo is eay , fast , intuitive !

I would say if Hexagon is free go for it !
Blender is free, powerfull if you learn it , specially last version is lot more friendly
(You can try Silo , and perhaps spend some 100$ for that
great solid fast modeler)

Hiya.

Just a recommendation from me to pick up and get a good feel for Hexagon. I bought it back when it was owned by Eovia. It's probably my most favorite modeling program (Softimage XSI is my next fave, with Lightwave after that). I have had rather good success using Bryce for sky-envio-maps for game engines (A6/7 and Torque), but DAZ Studio I have no use for. The key thing to remember about DAZ3D is that they don't give a rats patootie about you or their own programs, really. Their one primary concern is selling "add-on crap" for Pozer. Which is really, *really* too bad, as I think they have two seriously high-potential program...Hexagon and Carrara. If I was a millionair, I'd toss them an offer to take both off their hands

Hmmm...I wonder if I can still by lotto tickets at this time of the night...

I understand that way of selling products.
We've also seen that with some 3D engines, where companie or authors goal was just money without real care about users and community.

For DAZ3D , their main goal is selling characters and stuff, i think they have lot lot of market from family, adults interested in easy 3D character making etc ... etc ...
I think they know how big their sales are for this product and know how little the others products are in terms of benefits.

So indeed they won't spend money in maintaining other tools and just concentrate in the essential ones.
That's pure enterprise strategy like any enterprise where you invest money on the good products, and abandon the products that couldn't do enought income : why spending some more money for supporting them ?

I've seen that also with a Database langage system made by a big company and by big Banks, they said they will abandon it end 2010 , and they done it, caus it was somewhat outdated even if used, and they prefer to support some more modern solution they have done.

So i find that selling strategy very natural like any big company, even if they won't make happy some very little part of their users using the other products !