Transition to Blender: some tips

[bardo]

Someone in the 3dsmax scetion fo the forum asked about the layer system.

Blender has layers but limited to 20.

Obviously for the most of archviz jobs you'll need more of them. The workaround is to use groups and Outliner (with the "group" visibility option ON) as layer manager where you can choose which Group/Layer can be selectable, renderable and visibile in the viewport.

And groups have a different use from 3dsmax. In my experience they are only the equivalent of 3dsmax layer.

[andybot_cg]

You can link other blend files into your main blend file. It may feasible to work out a 2 step system where you keep a linked blend file with the 2D data. Import the updated dxf into that linked file.

Does Blender have something similar to max's link files? We mostly work with dwg's and then just need to update the link in max. Similar to xrefs.

No, in my knowledge... not... and Blender doesn't read natively DWG file format.

You have to use DXF and you have to import it everytime you make changes..or at least the changed portion of the drawing.

Thnx, shame. That is a great feature in max imo. Saves so much time with design revisions.

[Alex_M]

it depends how you are used to model in 3dsmax.

In general, one big difference is that Blender doesn't have Edit Poly/Mesh/Patch modifier.
Blender has modifiers and it works in the same way (stacking modelling).

If you could be more precise in your modelling approach I think t'll be more easier to make comparison.

Take in consideration that there several addons for specific modelling (for windows, roof, walls).

99% of the time i just use standard poly modeling with modifiers on top (Shell, Symmetry, FFD etc) and of course splines with Sweep modifier for cornices, baseboards etc.

Yes, I know that in Blender you can't stack edit poly/edit spline modifiers to make iterations of the model so you have to be a bit wary about your modeling but you still have modifier as in Max which is very nice and you can always save your models at different stages of the process so you can go back a few steps if you mess things up. Am I right?

I don't use any addons for walls, and windows at all. I just model the walls with splines/polygons and for the windows, roof, doors etc. I've got a library of ready-made objects and I just place them in the scene. So I guess I'll be fine with the same approach in Blender?

Also, I know that Blender has integrated sculpting tools. Are they any good for modeling organic stuff like sofas, chairs, beds etc?

[Alex_M]

Someone in the 3dsmax scetion fo the forum asked about the layer system.

Blender has layers but limited to 20.

Obviously for the most of archviz jobs you'll need more of them. The workaround is to use groups and Outliner (with the "group" visibility option ON) as layer manager where you can choose which Group/Layer can be selectable, renderable and visibile in the viewport.

And groups have a different use from 3dsmax. In my experience they are only the equivalent of 3dsmax layer.

As far as I know, Blender 3.0 will have proper layering system with unlimited layers and layer nesting. Have I heard right?

[bardo]

You can link other blend files into your main blend file. It may feasible to work out a 2 step system where you keep a linked blend file with the 2D data. Import the updated dxf into that linked file.

Ok...I've thinked about the same solution but it needed a manual re-import in the "2D" blend file.

I haven't used the xref link for DWG but what dean_dmoo says is an automatic method...and I think that in 3dsmax you can have it.

About Xref for 3d models or any other objects in scene (included lights, materials, animations, ecc) you can use the "Link" option in the file menu and it works more or less like 3dsmax.

[jstrob]

YEAH! Nice Thread!

I know it's for the long run. In a pipeline there's always that little feature you depend. But when all the features will be in blender I want to be ready. It could be in 2, 3, 5 years, but that day will happen for sure.

About the sculpting tools in Blender, they seem very powerful. one lack compare to zbrush is the remeshing (retopology) process. But I just foudn out a free app called "instant meshes" that seems to do just that externally. someone should write a bridge between blender and Instant Meshes like someone just did for 3ds max.

[jstrob]

Also check on Youtube for video about the sculpting tools in blender. There are a few very nice ones.

[jstrob]

I just found out this amazing project done in Blender (but he still had to go to zbrush for a more responsive interaction for the high details). But you can also see how good blender si at painting in 2D as well as 3D.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/t...1-f7312d69558c

[jstrob]

An look what the same guy (Max Puliero) did also in Blender but modeling hard surfaces this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h87QAVqgD9g

[Alex_M]

This guy is a beast! Apparently Blender is pretty solid for this type of jobs. I'm interested to know about the arch-vis though. Can you still do the same stuff like Max in (approximately) the same amount of time if you learn the tools in Blender?

[bardo]

About modelling, you have to rethink some methods because the tools are not the same.

For example, if you use in 3dsmax a lot of loft, sweep modifier, and splines in general, you have to adapt your workflow to the Blender splines tools that are quite different and sometimes have less feature.
Speaking about spline management and modelling, you don't have the CAD tools like extend or trim...just for example (there is a special build made by a user but it's not in the stable (master) build and probably it'll never goes into the master...

I'll try to explain more differences in the next posts...

[bardo]

99% of the time i just use standard poly modeling with modifiers on top (Shell, Symmetry, FFD etc) and of course splines with Sweep modifier for cornices, baseboards etc.

About polymodelling, Blender is quite powerful and you can do more or less the same what you do in 3dsmax.
About modifiers this are the equivalent:
- Shell -> Solidify
- Symmetry -> Mirror
- FFD -> Lattice (but here I'm not sure)

About Sweep, in Blender you can use curve and bevel profile to loft a section through a path. I have to admit that Sweep modifier is more convenient because you have more control about the pivot point for the section and more controls. In Blender you have to play a bit more with the pivot point to have the right modelling but the way of modelling that kinf of objects it's the same.

Yes, I know that in Blender you can't stack edit poly/edit spline modifiers to make iterations of the model so you have to be a bit wary about your modeling but you still have modifier as in Max which is very nice and you can always save your models at different stages of the process so you can go back a few steps if you mess things up. Am I right?

Yes. You're right! It's the same workflow...and in addition, you can decide to enable or disable the modifiers both in viewport and rendering.

I don't use any addons for walls, and windows at all. I just model the walls with splines/polygons and for the windows, roof, doors etc. I've got a library of ready-made objects and I just place them in the scene. So I guess I'll be fine with the same approach in Blender?

Here you have different solution.
In 3dsmax I use the imported DWG as a base and I create a new spline and add vertices snapping to the base spline.
In Blender I do more or less the same. I import the DXF file, I convert it in a mesh and put him in a group unselectable. I create a plane, I delete the face keeping the edge, I select one vertices and I extrude it snapping to the DXF. Again it's more or less the same as 3dsmax.

If, in 3dsmax, you use directly the imported DWG splines to extrude the walls, you can do the same in Blender. You have to convert the curves into a mesh, then select the edges and extrude them

Also, I know that Blender has integrated sculpting tools. Are they any good for modeling organic stuff like sofas, chairs, beds etc?

I've never used it ina professional way...but just because I've neved had the request to use it.
So, for this I can't report my results.

[bardo]

I think that we have to introduce also the addon feature...because the devs Blender often can't develop a tools too much deeply...so some Blender users create addons that expand core functionalities and create a more comfortable workflow, something that we have in 3dsmax.

Again, a good resources for the addons is the "programming" forum section on BlenderArtists.org

[bardo]

As far as I know, Blender 3.0 will have proper layering system with unlimited layers and layer nesting. Have I heard right?

Where did you read this? Because here I can't see any reference to that.

In any case I'll hope that we will have something like you wrote.

There are some addons that tries to simulate a layer management but I prefer the "groups" as we have now. It's a core feature and I'll sure that it'll work in the future...at least near future untile Blender 3.0.

[jstrob]

Where did you read this? Because here I can't see any reference to that.

In any case I'll hope that we will have something like you wrote.

There are some addons that tries to simulate a layer management but I prefer the "groups" as we have now. It's a core feature and I'll sure that it'll work in the future...at least near future untile Blender 3.0.

I found this addon:
https://blenderartists.org/forum/sho...ic-Layers-quot

And it seems someone is actively working on this:
https://developer.blender.org/T38384