I’m new to 3D modelling and have been picking up the basics of several free programs over the past few weeks. So far I’ve been most successful in Wings 3D, but was put off it when I found that its models, when imported into programs displaying each vertex and edge (like Blender does), often divided surfaces into many more triangles than was necesary. I’ve also tried Anim8or, and a few others.
I would like to find a free or cheap (since I’m only just learning) program that allows you to place and move vertices to exact locations (by typing in coordinates), and then join them into faces. I find that programs which only allow you to extrude, subdivide, etc. primitives are restrictive. Being able to fine tune individual vertices or add new ones would be helpful. Can Blender do this? If not, is there a program which can?
Texture mapping and exporting in all the usual file formats (.obj, .3ds, .lwo) would also be nice, but not necessary since Blender can do these.
I have not done much with Wings lately but last time I played with it I was able to add new vertices onto a face and it makes the necessary edges for the new vertice. I dont know about it adding more edges when importing… I didn’t have that problem last I tried. If you want a list of other programs I found that this site : http://www.zoo-logique.org/3D.Blender/index.php3?zoo=res : has a good list of a lot of things. Hopefully that will help.
The problem is more that I’d like to be able to add a vertex into empty space and move it to a precise (x,y,z) coordinate, then connect it to others. I know Wings can’t do that, I was wondering if Blender (or others) could. All wings can do is add a vertex into an existing edge or extrude new ones from existing ones.
As for the unnecessarry edges I have attached some screenshots.
This is a Wings model imported into Blender. I have Highlighted areas which should only be one or two triangles, but appear as several.
You can see how messy the mesh is, even though the shaded model looks fine.
For the triangles, the “object–>scripts–>Triangles to Quads” script may help you!
Just click the “object” button right below the 3d view and to the left a bit. Right by the View and Select buttons. Make sure your in edit mode with all the tris you want to fix selected
That’s definately helping. I can’t wait to get something up to render standard. I’ve just been looking at the amazing stuff that’s in the “Post your best Renders” thread.