http://www.blender.org/community/blender-conference/blender-conference-2006/conference-movies/

Is that the one? If not then any chance of a link please?

maya is not robust at all, I had it crash on me two times today.

>"In Blender you draw a rail and a profile and let the profile flow along the rail. What is difficult about that? You can create solid pipes so easily"

Claas, do you know where I could find a tutorial on how to do this? And do you need to work with NURBS to do it? I have never used NURBS and only build with mesh geometry. I make pipes with mesh geometry by extruding circles and rotating several of them individually to create bends which is not a very quick or easy process.

>"the Button menu looks good but wasts visual screen space - a lot."

It took me a while to find that in the Panels menu there is a Zoom Out option which can reduce the amount of space the Buttons use.

It is true that C4D provides you with already created spirals, helix etc. But I would not count those very high.
They are not modeling tools, just primitives the packages comes with. There are plenty of python scripts for Blender to create those as well. So I cannot agree that Max or C4D has a major advantage here Blender could not have.

"Lofting, Lathing or just trimming Nurbs in Blender is really good for you ? for me it's a nightmare, So it's your point of view and mine, I writed thsi article with my knowledge, I do'nt pretend I know all, but I know a bit and it's not so bad…"

You cannot trim in NURSB. You can only trim planar curves. Nor can C4D really trim NURBS at all as well.

Blenders NURBS tools are very easy to use with Lathe, Loft, Sweep Rail1, Extrude. I would say they are quite good for what you need in animation and I do not see a straight difference to difficulty in how they are used in C4D.

In Blender you draw a rail and a profile and let the profile flow along the rail. What is difficult about that?

You can create solid pipes so easily - not just skinned pipes. All you need are two circles in one 3D container flowing along one extrusion rail. Damn easy. You even have filled faces and you can bevel the edges.

The interface is different - yes, but that does not make one program more capable or less.
The work flow in Blender is fast - because it also has less functions like Maya. In case Blender would have the same tool set it would also be so much more complicated.

The only thing I wish Blender would have is a more consistent menu structure.
My students get to often confused.

And the Button menu looks good but wasts visual screen space - a lot.

A selection responsive dial menu in edit/object mode would be a very great solution.

Maya?
Robust versus Excellent? You visually also emphasis Excellent and not robust.
With robust you also associate crude. Ne careful with the words you select.
When robust means the best for you I would not put it next to excellent. Excellent will overpower it.

I'm not afraid with you comments but do you realise that's peoples who read this a day can think Opensource is like closed users group ?

So opensource is for Open…Open Mind, Open creativities…

Here I read (sory to hurt) some peoples are really closed into their vision of Blender just because it's not commercial products and marginalised one…don't put blender into a closed and underground vision from new users…

I sometimes regret Open source users a so close in mind than commercials products company.

Knick Knack ^o^ regards to ALL !

Why Am I doing this 800$ package comparison to other that's cost 5.000$ ? to show that's the price not always bring the best tools!

XSI or LW for a fraction of 3ds max prices offert similar and in soem case better tools, so user can compare what's buy with his needing…

Why buying 3ds max if Lightwave can be enough ? this article is writed also to show to readers what's tools can offer for his budget.

XSI Fnd for 500 usd is near to 3ds max without some advanced features, I think that's important to show this.

In the bottom of article I suggest some package suitable for somes task and adjust prices for each. (do your ead article to the bottom?)

XSI fnd doesn't really have upgrade path, there is just a time special upgrade path from 5 to 6. usually fnd don't have upgrade and you must buy the next release, so for the prices it's just half than others subscription.

About Autodesk they never changed their prices, they always stay in this range of price. XSI change often prices and changed last weeks again with increase of Essentials prices to 1.000$ more, the goal I think it's to go in 3ds max or maya market prices range. No xsi essential is near than max prices.

So a day Autodesk maybe try to buy XSI :-) I hope not !! competition is great to give users softwares evolving.

About Blender, why put it into this article ? first because I'm use it and like it. After to show ignorant that's others and free softwares exist with sames features in some case.

The thing I don't understand is why Blender community feedback to all this bells on interface? If all Blender users liek it, I normally get feedback like : "shut up Ben, Blender interface is great for all users" So if there so much reactions…there is not smoke without fire !

I'm happy to do this "Bordelo" ther is good and bad to take from all of this feedback, I hope BLender dev read it and take the good.

My 2 cents reply,

Best regards,
Ben

Do you really found Blender Nurbs powerfull ? not me, or with Vector file import…just try to draw a circle, stars or basic shape is a nightmare…no handle no possibilities to start drawing shape but you get a pseudo pre made 4 points curves..

C4D or 3ds max or Xsi have all primitives shapes for 2D sections, can start draw curve from scratch, xsi and max can sketch it from zero… using E key to extrude à curves in Blender is a bit strange you don't think ?

Lofting, Lathing or just trimming Nurbs in Blender is really good for you ? for me it's a nightmare, So it's your point of view and mine, I writed thsi article with my knowledge, I do'nt pretend I know all, but I know a bit and it's not so bad…

So C4D is really easy to use opposed to Blender in this case of work, and you get more results with than Blender.

I also specified that's is Hypernurbs to be clear.

For Maya I agree Nurbs are the best, so near the best…Rhino beat'em. I writed Robust ! Robust is strong near than excellent. XSI is also really good in Nurbs and my two favourites are Moi3D and Amapi3D for design works.

Here is my point of view, thanks for feedback and I hope that's help others :-)