OT: Cool 3D Studio - Arrggh Not so Cool!

jsteehl wrote on 9/17/2004, 2:55 PM

I've had this on the shelf for a while but now I have a need (for a vegas piece I'm working on).

So over the last 5 hours I've been learning. The doc is almost worthless.

Mastered most things so far except for creating complext objects. For instance I create a Top part of a pillar using the Lathe tool (pretty cool) and then created another object which was the pillar part (also lathe tool). The problem is I can't move one or the other such that they are aligned correctly.

There is an alignment fuction under the Object menu but is only gets me so far. The real problem is when I move things around the x and y both change. MAN this thing is fustrating.

So, either someone out there can advise what I'm doing wrong (maybe I just don't get 3D) or suggest a program for 3D that is just as simple but more intuitive.

Thanks!

-Jason

Comments

DGrob wrote on 9/17/2004, 3:42 PM

I know the feeling. Go to the VASST site and register, then login and go here:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/help/kb/kb_projects.asp?s=2

Many Cool 3D sample projects to load up and study. Much more productive for me than the docs. Darryl

JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/17/2004, 5:44 PM

Jason,

I know you don’t want to hear this but if you want to create complex objects, Cool 3D Studio is not the best application to use. As you’ve seen, it only has one perspective view and without at least simultaneous front, top, and side views; lining things up can be very frustrating indeed. Still it’s a very powerful little app in its own right.

Try this: select View > Toolbar Manager > Camera View Panel to turn on small panel that will give you a cube with a set of radio buttons to quickly change the view in the perspective window. This way you can easily check alignment as you move things.

I would also use Rearrange Layout > Advanced from the toolbar to create a layout that gives you the Object Manager and Camera View panels by default. You’ll be using these a lot.

~jr