3D-Pangel

I am actually going to start with the free version and see how it goes. It does not feel as intimidating as I originally feared. It actually feels like a fully matured, more powerful and better implemented version of R25 capsules. I love how you can model in real time (just like any other 3D application) and the node tree is created as you work giving you a 100% non-destructive workflow. Procedural modeling aside, the interface is cleaner than Blender's which is also a welcome surprise. So while I have been learning Blender, there is a part of me that says: "Why go through that transition when - with a little more effort to grasp the procedural nature of things - I could be learning an amazing program that leads the industry?". The risk is the same (both free with Apprentice) and even should I become more comfortable, the cash outlay of $270/year is really minimal compared to the alternatives (hey -- X-Particles alone costs just as much). I don't know...I never saw myself leaning into Houdini...ever. But until Igor started posting his tutorials, I never really knew Houdini. I just dismissed it as a high-end powerful package for seasoned professionals only. For me to use it would be (to coin James Cameron) punching above my weight class. Lots to consider here. I blame you Igor.🙂 No. Just kidding. Thank you for taking that first step for me!!! Dave

I am seriously interested and I could not think of a better teacher. -Dave

Sign me up! Not to steal from Igor's training --- but Udemy has this 13 hour Houdini bootcamp for beginners on sale now: https://www.udemy.com/course/houdini-create-full-cg-chocolate-commercial-in-houdini/ ADDENDUM: I just caught the previous post. Not a problem! As Houdini also supports Redshift, I would be considering the Indie version. Yes....I know it is a subscription but something about paying $270/year rather than $720 a year (a $450 difference) for a fully featured best-in-breed industry standard just makes it...OK. Funny how that works. Dave ADDENDUM 2: Found this FREE course on procedural modeling for beginners in Houdini 16.5 (10.5 hours of training).

Igor, Hmmmm....unrestrained capability in all areas at Indie prices? ...now why would you be attracted to that? 🙂 The more videos I see of the interface, the less intimidating it becomes. Dave

Welcome to Core4D! Looking forward to that friendly exchange as much as you are! Dave

Excellent Igor. I think you are definitely going to have an impact in the Houdini community --- especially if you focus on demystifying the belief for many that Houdini is unapproachable due to its complexity. Simplifying Houdini as you have done with your first tutorial is a huge untapped market (IMHO). Keep going! Dave

Agreed....with Cerbera leading the list. Some YouTube sites to visit (if you had not visited them already): First up, the Core4D Youtube channel. Many playlists, but here is the one on modeling Next, some very good channels by Core4D regulars: Digital Meat Wolf 4D 3D Fluff And rounding out the list: Polygon Pen Other more well known C4D channels that cover a bit of everything: Rocket Lasso School of Motion Noseman (or Anthanasios Pozantzis) In no way a complete list and I definitely missed some really great tutorials put out by C4D legends as I put this list together pretty quickly, but this should get you started. Dave

Welcome Hamad. Glad to have you. What areas do you think you struggle with the most? Dave

+1 for the courses here. Hrvoje's courses are well explained and logically presented and he just released a full set of training for R25. Dave

Doctor Strange?

+1 for showing the key strokes +1 for dropping the side bar video window after the intro +1 for adjusting the mic to pick up more of your voice than the background (and maybe make it appear like it is not the size of a watermelon 🙂) Who is the target audience for this tutorial. Complete newbies starting from ground zero or newbies who understand the rudimentary basics of the interface? I ask because there were a couple of times you pulled up windows without explaining how you got there. If the automatic keystroke software covers that gap, then it may be covered. But always consider that the viewers eyes are going to be on the mouse -- it is human nature for the eye to naturally follow the only moving thing on the screen. With that said, the key stroke commands are going to appear on the bottom and only be there until you hit another key. Therefore, the viewers eye's may not catch it or catch it for the next command rather than the one they missed. So talking them through it at all times (or at least the first couple of times) prevents that confusion. Also consider that even with a 4K image on a 25 inch high def monitor (2566x1440), the text below the Houdini icons on the top row are not quickly identifiable --- at least for a complete newbie like myself who is trying to absorb everything. So if you don't mention the command when you click on the icon, then I have stopped following your lesson and reading the menu. By the time I do figure it out, you are two more commands down the road. I guess my point is this: teach at a pace and with enough verbal explanation so that the viewer does NOT have to hit the pause button and rewind. If the newbie student has to hit pause and rewind more than twice in a minute of lecture, attention fatigue will set in. Review your videos with that goal in mind. Look for those points where there was an action without and explanation. Now, I think you are a great teacher and I am amazed how far you have come with the toughest package on the market in such a short time. But we are not all like you. Me personally, I am an idiot and I need to be carried gently from ground zero. So please do not take these comments personally....I am just speaking for idiots everywhere! 🙂 Dave

What was that line in Ready Player One? "We estimate we can sell up to 80% of a players visual field of view with ads before seizures occur" Gee...I wonder how the C4D UI would look in this world. Dave

100% agree. But that is not my real fear. My real fear is when Apple or Microsoft go 100% subscription. Imagine a future where you cannot even purchase new hardware without signing onto a monthly license fee for the OS. Dave

What I find interesting is that Insydium no longer makes public what is the latest version of Cycles. I thought Cycles 550 was the latest version as that is what is available for download via your current maintenance program. I have yet to switch to Fused and searched for the latest version number but could not find it. Only via this thread did I learn it was 557. Not sure when that that was released or how it is different than 550. Not sure why they are making things difficult. Lack of transparency during a shift in their licensing policy is never a good strategy but it just seems to be part of the process with companies these days. Whether that is intentional or just a symptom of all the complexities with that transition remains to be seen. Dave

Maybe we should end the thread on that note as it is essentially true (no one knows the future) and reminds us to be thankful for today. Just a thought. Dave

The most powerful combination in software development is when a user is the developer. Only with that combination will you get the tools that are both needed and work the way you need them to work. As companies grow, that pairing of abilities can be lost. If you read the job descriptions, you find more of a focus on a candidates proficiency in the core language (C++, python, etc) and who capable of transforming technical papers into code. Rarely do you see the requirement of being a 3D artist in the job description. Some companies like Insydium, overcome that gap by hiring a "resident artist" such as Mario Tran Phuc who pushes the platform to ever greater and greater capabilities. That works! Not sure if Maxon has a "resident artist" on the payroll. The closest I have seen that happen was probably in R24 as most of its new features were tailored the needs of artists like Beeple (eg, the ability to grab stuff from a library pretty efficiently and scatter them all over your work in kitbash fashion). But I am not sure if Beeple is on the Maxon payroll (nor does he need to be). Going back to Matches post, he has hit the nose square on the head: How is Maxon competing? Is it even competing? I loved this example he provided on Blenders sculpting tools vs. Z-Brushes: So when was the last time you saw Maxon quickly compete with a competitor on a new feature? Maybe with Maya on the addition of dynamic MoGraph modifier in R22 when Maya was adding fluids to their motion graphics suite of tools. Unfortunately Maxon was only able to implement particles effects while Maya was doing fluids. So points to Maya on this round. I know we all think the new "core" will bring a vast treasure trove of riches to C4D once "fully" implemented...but that transition is now looking like a 10 year journey and that is just too long in this world. Sorry, but better bevel capability should not be the only benefit we should be seeing from this new core at this point. I know there are some viewport improvements, but it seems that you need to be using Scene Nodes to appreciate that benefit. If Scene nodes is the ONLY way we will see the full manifestation of the new core, then that is a HUGE problem because it totally changes the one thing that keep users tied to C4D: the way we interact with the program. Right, wrong or indifferent, Scene nodes changes that interaction. Capsules restore a good deal of that "ease of use", but I am not seeing the increase in viewport performance -- especially with the greeble modifier. Increase the polygon count on the source object and watch C4D slow to a crawl. That is not how I thought the new core would behave. Honestly, the fastest growing development at Maxon is the license server (IMHO). Certainly more changes there than on C4D's ability to catch-up on features to the competition. Not including Redshift as the default renderer for C4D but cancelling its perpetual licensing is a one example of what is a priority to Maxon: growing revenue via subscriptions with their existing user base rather than growing the user base with new features to the software. This priority does indicate that Maxon is not even trying to compete on features. This should not be surprise to anyone as it has been the #1 complaint from the user community. Don't even try to defend it because the weight of evidence is against you (and this thread is long enough). Dave Wasn't that Per Anders? And didn't he leave? Dave

I have nothing but the fondest memories of working with Rafi Barbos to get my new license with each update. Remember, this goes way back to the days when you actually got a box shipped to your house. Back around 2005, when Maxon had a heart for its hobbyists, I was only using Prime. Well, after a short call with Rafi trying to navigate the path from Prime to Studio with the next release, she understood that I was a hobbyist and gave me the upgrade to Studio for that new release for over 50% off. Per her request, I kept that deal a secret all these years. As she no longer works with Maxon (she left in 2007), I feel that our deep dark secret can finally be revealed after 16 years. Do you think a Direct Sales Manager with her level of empathy would fit in with today's Maxon? Sorry to say...I think those days are long gone. But should any Maxon employee feel differently and wish to refute that position, I am always open to saving on my next perpetual license so please feel free to PM me. Rest assured, I can keep a secret until it is no longer worth keeping no matter how long it takes. Dave

Wow....I thought the hammer was cool but this is just damn impressive. Dave

Is your friend Andrew Price (aka Blender Guru). His donut tutorial is a very famous beginners tutorial for Blender newbies. Right up there with 3D Kiwi's little blue airplane tutorial (okay...as it has been some time and we have many new members, is there anyone out there who has never heard of the Little Blue airplane tutorial?). Very cool Igor. I can see why once you have successfully made that transition, you can see the whole new world that Houdini opens up to you. Dave

So is the "different way of thinking" that makes Houdini click the same "different way of thinking" that you need to make C4D nodes click? My biggest struggle with nodes is remembering the nodes and their capabilities. I can conceptualize the order of operations and I can remember/visualize from the training what is possible from the nodes --- I just can't remember the damn name of the node. Does Houdini have a context sensitive help feature? Click on a port and based on its data type a list of possible nodes appear for you to select from (or better yet hover over the node name in the list and a description appears). If there was ever an application for machine learning, it would be here where the AI reads the node list and from that has some idea of what you want to do (eg. "ahh...some polygons have been selected and their local axis has been shifted to their extent position value in the Y-axis. He/she must want to do a rotation, or twist, or bend. I will now show all those nodes"). Hey....after 30 years, they should be working on that! 🙂 I mean what was the breakthrough "aha" moment that knocked down the Houdini learning barrier and could that same lesson learned be applied to C4D nodes? Dave

Has anyone played with the greeble capsule? I would love to see what people can do with that. Also, what do professional modelers think of capsules? When you strive for perfection in your edge loops, topological flow, no complex poles and nothing but quads, then do the capsules create geometry that is up to your standards or do they require such heavy editing that you forego the non-destructive workflow and just start from the beginning. I saw Chris Schmidt run through capsules and it was impressive but it was creating some geometry that I think would make a perfectionist cringe (particularly when you are selectively and/or randomly performing inner extrudes and edge flow gets a little disturbed). That is why I wonder if the greeble modifier is a useful tool to those that strive for perfect meshes. Dave

I have two questions: 1) Considering that perpetual license holders only get three months of technical support, my hope is that missing icons are viewed differently and that no matter how long it takes them to get everything with the UI in order, Maxon releases a patch that brings everyone's R25 UI up to snuff. I would not want to upgrade to R25 and the icon patch comes out 4 months after my purchase date leaving me to wait until R27 to get my missing icons. 2) From anyone's past experience, how long does a person have to update from R23 to R25? Does the standard yearly perpetual upgrade cost of around $950 hold true until R27 is announced or does it increase to the two year price (eg. the cost to upgrade from R23 to R27) once S26 in announced? I could call Maxon, but just thought some perpetual license holders out there may have actual experience with upgrading after the SXX version was announced? Personally, I would want to wait and see what is in S26 before I consider staying current or not. There. Hopefully we can now get back to a more meaningful discussion. Dave

Excellent post. If I may through a couple of additional thoughts out there as well. We tend to consider the CEO of any company whose policies we disagree with as the architect of those changes and the person to be held accountable. That may very well be true for Maxon, but consider this: Subscriptions are part of the growing business trend known as "SaaS" - or software as a service. SaaS was making its way into major platforms long before McGavran joined Maxon. Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco (all the top software companies in the world) were adopting SaaS platforms. Now, I have always been skeptical of the story that the three Maxon founders all decided to retire at the exact same time in 2018. Sorry...but rarely do three people all agree on anything as significant as when to retire. Remember, their identities and personal relevance were wrapped up in Maxon. It defined them. Leaving a company you founded would be a huge decision for any one person to voluntarily make - let alone three people to deciding to give it up all at the same time. Therefore, I suspect that it was not their decision to retire. Everyone has a boss and their boss was someone at Nemetshek. So I propose this is what actually happened: Their boss wanted to implement SaaS with Maxon and the three founders rejected it. Therefore, they were replaced. McGavran was the perfect choice to bring into Maxon to fulfill this Nemetschek objective - that is what he was hired to do. Therefore we blame McGavran but in reality it may not actually have been his idea -- it may have been someone at Nemetschek. Now, could MacGavran have done it differently? Could he have had more empathy for the users and not tried to force his customers to subscription by taking away services from perpetual license holders and charging them far more? Could he have adopted a more equitable rent-to-own model to keep everyone happy? Absolutely! So that level of condemnation is on him. But I am pretty sure subscriptions were not his idea -- but how he implemented them was his decision. If he had empathy, then he would realize that no one likes to be forced. For some, being forced brings out a strong desire to fight back. That is what you are seeing on the forums. They are not "crazy"! They are not "on something". They do not "need medication". Rather, they are standing up for themselves as best as they can and not willing to go down without a fight. That is the beauty of living in a free society and I applaud the Core4D moderators for allowing everyone (mad, happy, Blender, Houdini, or C4D) that freedom. Now, as I said, everyone has a boss. MacGavran is not immune to his decisions. His bosses at Nemetsheck will see to that. This is where I think we are with the whole move to subscriptions. I recall a business article on Adobe's move to subscriptions where they said that it took up to 5 years to show more profitability with subscriptions than what they enjoyed before subscriptions were introduced. In fact, that article pointed out that there was a two year decline in business after subscriptions were introduced. As to be expected, they lost customers who did not like that model. But the turn-around started around the 2 year mark. Now the size of the Adobe business is vastly bigger than Maxon's but lets say that (all things being equal) you loose business in the first two years after subscriptions have been introduced. After all, customer reaction is the same everywhere and has nothing to do with the size of the business so that two year decline could still apply to Maxon. But hopefully, business picks up from that low point to greater profitability. That two year low point for Maxon is now as they introduced subscriptions in September, 2019. And what happens at that two year low point that is supposed to be the start of a turn-around? They release R25. The most criticized release in all of Maxon history. No matter what the truly faithful Maxon acolyte's have to say, R25 was controversial for all the wrong reasons. Not a good way to start a turn around and therefore something that probably has Nemetsheck's attention as it represents risk to the turn around to greater profitability. As I said, everyone has a boss. Dave

Actually it is more basic than that. True there are those advantages, but they would not warrant the investments made in the server architecture. The real reason is this (and again I point to hundreds of other companies as examples and am NOT just saying this applies to Maxon): Companies love the recurring revenue that subscriptions provide because their investors love it. It boosts their stock price and makes everyone's bonuses (especially the exec's) nice an fat. To do anything else (like a rent-to-own model) makes it easier for people to opt out of a subscription model. That is a threat they don't want and why they push subscriptions so hard. If you don't believe me, read this Now, as we all believe that Maxon is different than these big corporations, then maybe they will be immune from the seductive lure of larger profits, have confidence in the loyalty of their customers (because their product are such a joy to use) and offer a rent-to-own model - if for no other reason because they care! Only time will tell. Dave

You are right of course and someone did ask why are subscriptions being pushed so hard. I also explained that as well and showed how companies like Adobe use subscriptions to their advantage. Will Maxon behave the same way? Jury is still out on that. Maybe in time, I will see that Maxon will not become an Adobe -- Comments from Rick help with that assessment. Now, in order for me to properly frame your suggestion to "just move on", I need to understand where you sit in all this....especially as your forum avatar shows that you are still using R13. If true, you haven't moved on to anything else for quite some time. "Moving on" after 14 years of investment is not an easy thing to do -- especially as a hobbyist. Being forced to "move on" is in even worse....kind of a big stick in your eye (the cleanest analogy I could think of) after 14 years of being a loyal customer. Ideally, I want to keep using C4D for the next 14 years. In my perfect world there would be a rent-to-own option. Everybody wins in that model. Dave