Is 3ds Max a good choice for this?

[Anonymous]

I'm posting this here so I don't break any rules 😉


We design large RV Resorts and have until now used Sketch-up and Chef Architect for our concept designs and presentations.

We are having problems with creating nice looking smooth fluent fly-over and fly-through movie presentations with these programs.

Our models typically contain landscape with more or less elevation, vegetation, trees, small cottages and models of RVs.

We are looking at 3ds Max for doing this and wonder if someone can give us feedback before we make the investment in time and money.

The important factors are:

1. Be able to create landscape 3-10 acres based on topographic data in dwg formats.
2. Use Google map image to outline the property (get started).
3. Create straight and curvy roads on this terrain that looks good.
4. Create 100-200 RV lots 40x80 with a concrete looking surface
5. Create and place small cottage type structures on some of the lots.
6. Create and place a few Motorhomes 45ft long on lots and roads
7. Place close to realistic looking vegetation like trees, bushes and grass on the landscape.
8. Create ponds, small lakes and rivers.
9. Animate RVs: Driving through the entrance, on the road, and park into a lot.

Can 3dmax do all of the above and create a smooth 1-2 min fly-over movie and convert it to flash for online viewing?

Doing this with Google Sketch-up or Chief A. using screen capture creates a jerky, huge file that does not look very professional.

I very much appreciate your feedback and if anyone has anything remotely similar to show us (fly-over or fly-troughs we would appreciate that too).

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[Anonymous]

The short answer is, yes, max can do all that (except convert the output to a flash movie, you'll need a utility for that - flash for example - but it's a small step).

The longer answer is that if you want to do everything in max, you're looking at a long learning curve. One thing to look at is to continue to create your models in sketchUp (i have friends, designers mostly, who swear by it), and possibly the landscapes too, and then import it into max. This way you're using tools you're already familiar with for the modeling and can use max for the fly through animation which is relatively easy to do.

[dongray]

Are you compressing your movie file after rendering (if that's how it's done in your present work flow) or is there some other reason the output is a jerky, big file?

[Anonymous]

The short answer is, yes, max can do all that (except convert the output to a flash movie, you'll need a utility for that - flash for example - but it's a small step).

The longer answer is that if you want to do everything in max, you're looking at a long learning curve. One thing to look at is to continue to create your models in sketchUp (i have friends, designers mostly, who swear by it), and possibly the landscapes too, and then import it into max. This way you're using tools you're already familiar with for the modeling and can use max for the fly through animation which is relatively easy to do.

Thanks for your input.
Yes, I fully understand the learning curve is much steeper than SU. I do however like to learn and this software seems very intriguing to me, and spending some time learning this, if it can be utilized in my business, would be worth while the time for me.

It is however interesting that I can import my SU models into 3dmax and use them there. Will this be obj files?

It is the smooth movie effect that is important to me.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Are you compressing your movie file after rendering (if that's how it's done in your present work flow) or is there some other reason the output is a jerky, big file?

Thanks for you reply.
So far I have created my project mainly with SketchUp. When the model is done I use 3dconnexion (round mouse thingy) to create fly-over sequences that I capture with either Camtasia or WIldpresenter as avi files. Then I convert them to flash.
Everything appears fine in SU, the moment I start recording the jerkiness appears. I assume a lot of resources are required and my machine is struggling a bit. I have a pretty powerful system.
I can make this less noticeable by tweaking some setting in these programs and also watch my polycount in my models which forces me to leave out a lot of details that I would ideally like to keep there. But still I can never get it completely smooth when recording.

Tom

[dongray]

So the jerkiness is due to using a screen capture utility to create the movie file?
Yeah, this probably won't change doing it like that, though you might get better results with multiple processors set to high priority on the screen capture utility alone and a very efficent and fast video card with lots of memory.
Still if you are using Google Earth for your backdrop you're going to get some pretty unrealistic results.