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Alternative Rendering Software


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While cinema4d and artlantis are more closely related, I would still say that these programs all have their inherent strengths and weaknesses based upon what your needs are. Take a close look at each programs websites. You will see that they all have galleries of work done by users. Decide which rendering style you are striving for, which aspects of the programs best suit your needs.

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Cinema 4D is very powerful, including such things as render farm capabilities, but it has a steep learning.

Artlantis is easy to learn, very fast and creates very good renders (it's what I mainly use):

http://www.artlantis.com/community/galerie/index.php?cla=note

Another option you might like to look at for very high-end realistic renders is Maxwell Renderer:

http://www.maxwell.com/

SketchUp is a great modelling and presentation tool for the conceptual stage of design.

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Another option you might like to look at for very high-end realistic renders is Maxwell Renderer:

http://www.maxwell.com/

Have you ever tried Maxwell? It produces great results, but it's even slower than Radiosity in RenderWorks.

Artlantis R produces great results and has a very good interface, but it has the same limitations as before: once you want to get rid of the render artefacts, you're stuck.

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I wouldn't go near Next Limit's Maxwell - check out what has gone on during the release over the last year:

http://www.dugge.de/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=196135246b7fb4e2615eab5a0963ba9c

Don't go by the official Maxwell forum - those who complained have been banned. Plus the render times for anything acceptable are in days or weeks unless you have a render farm.

As far as I know there is no refund policy.

George

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Maxwell has great potential but its a shining example of how not to launch a program onto the market.

If you are in the mood to look at alternative programs here is one for any Mac based readers to take a look at. Cheetah3D.

http://www.cheetah3d.com/about.php

If you do a search or look at the gallery you'll see some good representative images of what can be achieved, but as with any program its down to the skill of the user to extract the best results possible from the tools provided.

I hope and believe it has a great future. When you see what it can do then look at the price.

Because of my Apple and Windows working environment I have not tried the demo but if I go all Apple I'll certainly look seriously at replacing my Cinema 4D program with this.

Another one to evaluate is Piranesi, if you want to create the style of illustration used pre computer photorealistic with its more illustrative style of render.

http://www.informatix.co.uk/piranesi/product_information.shtml

regards

Alan

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Hi George

Yes I agree, the render times are just way too long for the timeframe most of us work in, I'm sure.

If they can get this down to at least the equivalent of others it would be something, but for many early adopters and how they were treated the damage has been done and are looking elsewhere.

Ease of applying materials, finishes, lighting etc, speed of render, and ease of use gets me going back to Artlantis every time. Need to persuade my boss to upgrade to R or Studio.

Alan

P.S. They won't let you look at images without registering by the way.

Edited by alanmac
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I checked out the Arlantis web site and could not find any prices. Anyone know how much Sketchup and Arlantis Studio or R cost?

Hello Jim:

(In the US)

RW 12 is $450,

(physically-accurate light brightness and color, advanced light objects, volumetric lighting, HDRI and HDRI export, IES light support, Quicktime export, QTVR and VRML export, Piranesi export, radiosity, Artistic RW, 100s of pre-made textures, pre-made image props, integration with VW features, etc etc etc)

Artlantis R is $645

Artlantis Studio is $1000

C4D + Advanced Render is $1420

Add texture content, RPCs, objects $$$

Edited by Dave_Donley_At_Home
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