We had two additional artists who created versions of this scene in Vue. As each shows something different about Vue’s capabilities, we have included a link to these for you to see.
Check out Seth Rutledge’s Scenes
Check out Bruno Memain’s Scenes
Pros:
Very intuitive interface; very versatile, from the natural scenes it was created for, to more traditional architectural renders; arguably the most powerful plant, cloud, and nature rendering engine on the market; the ability to paint Eco-Systems makes short work of complex scenes; a well created function editor; the ability to import Poser files and .3DS files.
Cons:
Stability issues; the new radiosity engine still needs some improvement; while there have been new clouds in the form of Spectral Clouds, the cloud engine still needs additional control and option improvements; lacks a liquid dynamics engine for waterfalls and rushing rivers; lacks the ability to populate Eco-Systems on vertical or upside-down surfaces (like cliff faces or cavern ceilings); lacks .FBX and Collada import/export abilities.
Conclusion:
An extremely easy-to-learn 3D package, Vue 6 Infinite makes it comparatively painless to make breathtaking landscapes, gorgeous spacescapes, and beautiful ocean views. Its simple presets get beginners involved readily, while its customizability let more experienced users finesse the results they want to get out of it. Its improvements on indoor renders make Vue 6 Infinite able to handle indoor scenes well.
(To read my full review on this package, just click here.)
Lightwave 9.3
3D Artist: Toby Gaines
MSRP: $895
Download Demo: http://www.newtek.com
Pros:
Very powerful; includes more elements in a sub-$1000 package than any other package on the market; two-stage modeling and rendering is similar to the filmmaking paradigm; Shake-like Node Editor allows powerful effects to be created without scripting
Cons:
Extremely high learning curve; plugins are pricey; not nearly as large an artistic sharing community as some of the less expensive packages.
Conclusion:
Missing only a 3D paint program like Maxon’s BodyPaint 3D, Lightwave 9.3 is perhaps one of the most complete 3D programs in existence, with new upgrades that help make your rendering much more photoreal than ever before. For less than $900, this may be the most microfilmmaker-friendly total 3D application on the market
(To read my full review on this package, just click here.)
