Cel Shader Available in v. 7?

Cel Shader Available in v. 7?

Gentlepeople:

I am only now considering a return to Cheetah 3D as a complete modeling, texturing and animation tool set.

Before I make this decision, however, I'd need to know the following things about version 7:

1) Can textures now be "Painted", live on a 3D model surface, or are we still limited to painting directly on a UV map?

2) What, if any, improvements have been made to skeletal animation rigging and/or manipulation functions?

3) Is there a built-in set of functions that provide a 3D "cel shader" in the new (Falcon?) renderer. (Where can I read more about the functions and characteristics of this renderer?).

4) Are there any equivalents to "PBR" shaders in version 7?

5) In general, what procedures have been "streamlined" - made faster - (fewer mouse clicks and numeric field entries required)?

6) Are Tool functions and their parameters more intuitive - being able to be adjusted in the Viewport, rather than in one "Inspector" or another?

7) (Subjective comparison): Why would a potential user be attracted to Cheetah 3D, version 7 - as opposed to an Open Source application like Blender?

Thanks for considering these things,


Greg Smith
 
1) Yes but it's quite primitive compared to (say) Substance Painter (you can't paint multiple channels at once, the UI is pretty basic, etc.)

2) Since...? I'd say it's good enough for mobile game development and technical illustration, but not for making, say, short films with multiple characters.

3) Falcon is a step in the opposite direction — it's a physically-based renderer. You can tune shaders to have some cel-shader like behavior, but there's little support out of the box.

4) Yes, but sadly not in interchangeable standard formats.

5) You'll need to try it out for yourself. The UI for adding custom keyboard shortcuts is easier than ever.

6) I doubt it.

7) Standard user interface (multiple documents, copy and paste, etc.), renderer has good settings "out of the box", fewer modes. That said, if you're happy with Blender's UI… use Blender.
 
Pod Person (and anyone who cares to reply):

Has anything substantially changed with the skeletal system - comparing version 6 with version 7? Or are there any "minor" improvements that you enjoy?

I don't think there is a person alive who actually "likes" Blender's interface. The closest thing to a "friendly" Blender interface is the "Blender Sensei" format - which streamlines nearly everything - as well as un-cluttering the Workspace:

https://blendersensei.com

Can you elaborate a little on the Texture Painting workflow in Cheetah3D version 7?

Would it be too much to suggest that it would be worthwhile for a person wanting a "friendly", yet powerful 3D modeling, texturing and animation application - for such a person to specifically purchase a Mac in order to have access to Cheetah3D? (Please, anyone reading can answer according to their experience and opinion).

Can you describe the strong points of the Falcon Rendering System?

Other than obtaining the benefits of cleaning up old code and making Cheetah3D more suitable for future upgrades - do you see some good reasons for owners of version 6 to upgrade to version 7?

It has been an incredibly long wait for this upgrade. What are the compelling reasons for anyone to do so?

Forgive me if my pointed questions seem too pointy - but the world is now full of 3D alternatives - and it would be nice for those, just now entering this world of 3D - to have the information needed to choose (or not to choose) Cheetah 3D.

Please, if it is at all possible, don't reply with the standard, "An artist is not defined by his tools - choose what you prefer to use." It's not an informative point of view.


Thanks,

Greg Smith
 
Best way is to wait and see what Vs7 implementations are, than you can compare with the previous release if these are needed in your workflow or projects and make the decision for the purchase/upgrade.

Cheetah is an exceptional 3D tool that allows user to put a foot into the complexity of learning to work with the virtualisation of 3 dimensional space. It is also priced exceptionally well for what a user pays and what the application has to offer. I couldn't think of any other 3D application in the marketplace that offer the price-value ratio as Cheetah 3D offers.

It also allows you to create complex and professional work without the need to undergo hundreds of hours of training to become proficient with the tool. Albeit an education in the fine arts will definitely boost your quality output of the work.
We all are thankful that Blender still is open source, and yes there are many people out there that are happy with the UI, and yes we also still love to work with the original UI inspite the new implementation made in the 2.4 release candidate. Just 2 different paradigms.

The great value of a Mac hardware is that allows you to run both Windows and OSX, and yes it is a good investment even as second hand as the machine have a long life expectancy. Perhaps you might want to consider to have a second machine or upgrade from the existing one and look into a Mac hardware.

If you are entering the world of 3D, Cheetah is definitely a good start and the skills you'll learn are easily transferable to other more complex 3D applications. $59 for an upgrade is a sound investment into the future and support the developer to remain independent and subscription free.
 
That's quite a sales pitch.

However, it answers very few of the questions I've posted, above.


Greg Smith
 
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