Visual improvements for beginners

Visual improvements for beginners

Based on the reactions I can comment later in detail if this is interesting for more people than just me.

Been a long time 3D users of many tools so I know the "lingo" but there are MANY ways where I feel that C3D could improve for the "beginner" level (new users) since the tool does much of it "in a unique way".

For people mastering C3D down to the last hex I can understand that new features should constantly be aimed at "keeping up with features that competitors have had for a while" but please do not forget about recruitments of a new and young userbase. They are the future for us all!

Recruitment will as in golf keep the sport going also in the future. And also as with golf many seniors hate change: it has worked for us so why not for you.

Thanks for letting me know if this could provide a better overview also for other people.. I will one day be a ninja of keyboard shortcuts and have vivid polygon dreams in Cheetah 3D but untill then I would like to see that the control center under the hood are brought up in daylight.

A dashboard of the car is missing so to speak!

Ps. One thing I do not mention here is an "alert" where you could have used the top text of the window (where the filename is) to alert people when they do stuff that is not allowed / wont work. This would help again a lot for new users when they drag a modifier in the wrong order etc expecting a text to "be in 3D" but where nothing happens..

Features are great. I hope in v7 that we see also some GUI improvements for the newbies.

Thanks! (Hope I didn´t awake the wrath of the wise ones here now)

Every software has its unique feature, Cheetah3D has its faithful users(include me now).

I will compare C3D, Blender, Maya LT below:

1. C3D is an affordable software for 3d artists and 3d game makers, its FBX importing/exporting has no bugs, this is very important for a 3d game maker.

2. Blender works excellent except that it can not import and export FBX correctly, even the latest version has fatal bugs, and the plugin script is a hacked format, if Autodesk upgrade their FBX SDK, the plugin may refuse to work, which is I will not risk.

3. Maya LT, the Steam version is designed for indie developers, but the subscription fee is $30/month, though is affordable for me, but if I want to slightly modify my models someday in future, I have to pay them at least $30 every time, this is what I can not bear!

So, I turned to C3D.

I agree. I use C3D already closely connected with for example SketchUp for that reason.

You touch my point exactly: "Affordable software for 3D artists".. Well I would love a user survey of C3D to tell us in what position the tool lays between the big brothers out there. For the price tag I would consider this one of the best if not THE best entry point 3D package out there - and I have just started to play with it.. The whole point is that with 1 amazing programmer he will constantly be pushed in a direction of the current user base and their "new feature wishes" while then perhaps opening the door in the future for another tool that welcomes new users in a more broader sense as I have tried to map out in the image above.

A VERY small fix would be for example to just add the fix for the Undo curtain so you can see "what you undo" when you for example do more than 1 undo. As in for example: Undo Cover etc..

The whole experience of C3D up until now is wonderful. I feel at home. HOWEVER I do feel that there are some things that just does not compute in a relative GUI perspective (interaction with the users) when it comes to sharing information. And one of those things are for example how the: Tools > Import children works. It does not say anywhere that "It´s done - task completed". You just have to check if it works.. For the expert users you have it in your fingertips. Beginners don´t and the reason for me making this mockup is that I have fallen in love with a 3D tool and as a user now of 5 different packages of the last 20+ years its an understatement to say that I am happy. HOWEVER it seems that C3D´s worst enemy is that there are only 1 programmer and what happens the day Martin perhaps was on a sick leave for an extended period? If people like me start to rely professionally (now I use C3D as a hobby to learn it) on C3D it would perhaps be wise to broaden the appeal of it to a larger user base, making an even better revenue and perhaps then get something "awesome" even better..

Just my 2 cents worth because I care and because I have spent 20+ years working with software innovation and feel I can contribute with threads like these.. Please keep an open mind and you will see that the new features MUST be sorted into: A. New features for the expert userbase B. New features for recruiting new users to let C3D grow into the future..

C3D can have a totally unique position in the 3D software market as it is purely written in Cocoa and thereby integrating 100% with OSX AND OSX are the OS that scores the highest when its comes to SIMPLICITY so it would seem logical to make Cheetah the no 1 choice for ALL OSX 3D artists.

Thanks guys for letting me speak my mind! Would love an input from Martin himself on this if he has the time..

Cheers!