Sketchup VS Blender VS __________

[Brokenbuyer]

I'm new to modeling and 3D design in general. I'm looking to make guns. What would be the recommended program for a easier learning curve and detail needed on guns?

Blender
Sketchup
Carrara (if I were to spend money)
Etc

Don't want to spend money for programs as I'm new to this.

[Chirp Chirp]

Keep in mind that you are asking this question in the SketchUp Forums. :)

I've used most of the major molding packages and I am in and around them everyday in game development. IMO nothing compares to how easy SketchUp is to pick up and learn for basic modeling. Just download sketchup and start. In the time you posted to this forum you probably could have modeled your first weapon :P

[Brokenbuyer]

Keep in mind that you are asking this question in the SketchUp Forums. :)

I've used most of the major molding packages and I am in and around them everyday in game development. IMO nothing compares to how easy SketchUp is to pick up and learn for basic modeling. Just download sketchup and start. In the time you posted to this forum you probably could have modeled your first weapon :P

Do you have any links or help? To learn sketchup? Or maybe even something like making a gun in it? Haha

Anywhere else I can ask this question on te forums?

[Chirp Chirp]

Start here http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/training/videos.html and begin modeling asap. They also have some tutorials built into the program where you build and model as you learn.

Not sure you will ever find a step by step on how to make a gun but even if you did there are 1000 ways of approaching the problem from both a building standpoint as well as design. I believe this is something best figured out for yourself.

[Brokenbuyer]

Thank you for your help.
Do you by any chance have blender tips or links as well?

I think I'll learn both.

[k2mountain]

Thank you for your help.
Do you by any chance have blender tips or links as well?

I think I'll learn both.

I spent two days for testing Blender features. I found a step-by-step tutorial called "Yellow Submarine", drawing a 3D submarine for Blender 2.5x. Well, it's about 150 pages and I was at 100 pages.

There are some tutorials for Blender on the net. The Blender manual has over 800 pages in PDF file. Official Blender is 2.4x, and beta version is 2.5x. The UI was changed on 2.5x. Choose which version you will use for learning first then study the tutorials.

Google Sketchup is a lot easier than Blender IMHO. After watching tutorials about 10 minutes, I messed around it for few hours and built a building. Only downside is the free version has locked features.

[Brokenbuyer]

kk thanks.
please keep posting if you guys have things that come to mind.

[orgelf]

Hi Brokenbuyer

I use Sketchup and Blender .

Sketchup is faster to learns but Blender has really more possibilities

modelisation (hard modeling , soft, curves etc)

unwrapping uvs

texturing (vertex painting, projection)

particles, soft bodies, cloth, fluids,smoke, hair etc etc

lights , indirect lightening

shaders/textures

rendering

animation

it is a very powerfull open source software but it is hard to learn .

If I were you , I will begin with Sketchup and then learn Blender :wink:

[Kfeeras]

blendercookie.com is great!