Which is better for modelling? Carrara or Hexagon?
KnightTek
Posts: 62
I have owned Hexagon for a while and still have problems creating models. But since Carrara has been updated, I'm thinking of using it for modelling rather than Hexagon because Hex tends to crash a lot and hasn't been updated. Which do you prefer? Thanks!!
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Comments
I use Hexagon daily to build my models. I find it reliable. Has a pretty good UVunwrap function. Rarely crashes for me, though I have heard some user run into problems.
I have Carrara 8 Pro, but I would not model with it. but it's has good render functions.
Your content models on DAZ are amazing! I have bought several of them and used them in my renders. One day if I have the patience I can at least model a hat. LOL
Most of the modelling tools in Carrara are based off the same code as the tools in Hexagon. Some people love Hexagon, some people hate it. For the price you pay you do get a lot of tools. As First Bastion mentioned, Hex can be unstable for people. On the flip side Carrara just received an update and is really stable.
Personally I prefer to model in Carrara, but that is because that is application that I learned how to model in. I'm sure if I learned in Lightwave, or mudbox, or modo, or max or maya then I would prefer that. In fact I prefer lightwave for UV mapping because that is the application I learned how to do it. My convoluted workflow is 1. Model in Carrara. 2. UV map in lightwave, 3. Rig in DAZ Studio. As far as price point is concerned you really can't beat the $20.00 we are asking for Hexagon (I think that is the current price), however Carrara is also a steal with the pro version currently on sale at $285 and the potential for 40% off if you are a platinum club member.
Thank you for your input, jared!! I think I am going to give Carrara another try and see what happens. Plus, the price is great right now. (smile)
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hexagon would be a first class modelling program if its features were modernized and it was made to run with stability. There is certainly a market for an inexpensive, stand along modelling program. All-in-one programs are resource hogs or have horrible UIs (I'm looking at YOU, Blender).
Hexagon has a beautifully elegant UI. There's logic to its menu lay outs, icons do a good job of representing the functions they perform, it gives you the information you need without bombarding you with stuff you don't. Every function has a way to access it through menu and mouse so you don't need to memorize or look up functions that can only be accessed by hot keys.
Give it some retopo tools, beef up the sculpting a bit and add dynamic retessellation, improve the UV maping and paint tools, add some simulation abilities and you'd have a program that could run circles around most modelling software.
Sadly Daz lacks the interest and more importantly people with the programming skills necessary to make Hexagon 3. Our only hope is some day they might sell the program to another developer who carry it further or less likely make it open source.
It's pretty much a dead and abandoned piece of software. If you can get it to run on your machine then you're in luck.
I've found a way to eek out a cease-fire of sorts with the software but there are many, many times I'm just about ready to cry havok and let slip the dogs of war on it.
SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN!!! When you finish with one tool always save your work before switching to another tool because I find that's when it always crashes.
...I hear you on Hexagon. I bought it as a much higher price years ago before all the "free offers". The UI is nice and clean but it lacks updated tools and of course better stability. I've been able to get a bit more stability by making it "large address aware", but (like Bryce) it really needs to join the 64 bit world. That alone could solve some of the memory conflicts it has which cause it to crash.
I tried using the Daz - Hex bridge to make some modifications to an existing model recently but it was all for naught. For one when I sent the model back to Daz Studio all I had was an untextured, unmapped, and unrigged .obj that was totally useless. Second, instead of sending it back to the Daz Studio which I already had running, it opened a second copy. I ended up using the Polygon Editor in Daz Studio to accomplish the same task (in less time) while preserving the original UV map and shaders.
I recently upgraded to Carrara 8.5 (64) and am going to test it's modelling waters. Hopefully, with all the functions self contained, such a task as I tried with the Daz - Hex bridge will actually work.
I gotta do it now. BLENDER! BLENDER! BLENDER! Blender shall rule the 3D world (insert maniacal laugh here)!
Sorry, but I can't get on with Hexagon at all. I do all my modelling in Silo. I know, it's not being updated etc any more, but I like it!
I really doesn't matter what app you use as long as it works for you.
Hexagon is just a modeler. Everyone has a different experiace with it as listed above but it does what its meant to do. Carrara is more an all in one solution much like Blender and 3D Studio Max are.
Like Wilmap, I use Silo to build my models cause like Hex, it a modeler and Silo does what it does well.
...wish I could have taken advantage of the recent sale on Silo. Just too broke being out of work.