# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > 3D modeling (map elements and height maps) >  A 3D modeler render for $10

## Redrobes

Ok so its a bit of a viral marketing ploy but there is this one I had not heard of which is normally super dear going for $10 only if enough people buy it. Any good to anyone ?

http://projectmessiah.com/x6/shop.html

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## ravells

Thanks RedRobes...I've ordered mine. Very clever marketing on their part to get market penetration!

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## Katto

Yes, thanks Redrobes. Good hint.

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## Jaxilon

Wow, that's awesome. I ordered the Pro version. I've always thought it was an interesting field but way out of my area of expertise and certainly price range. I just hope I can find the time to use it if they reach the goal. I'm sure it'll be another way to burn my free time. Thanks, I think  :Smile:

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## ravells

I got it (er hope to get it if enough people go for it!) for the caustics and the subsurface scattering (which Bryce doesn't have), I wish Vue or Natural Scene Designer would put out an offer like this, I'd snap it up in a second!

I would really love to play with all the rigging stuff, but I think that would be one hobby too far for me!

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## Katto

I downloaded the demo version and the UI doesn't look user friendly. Anyway, I'll give it a try and with the price you can't do anything wrong.
Oh, yes Vue... They halfed the prices for all versions a few weeks ago before the new version came out, but still too expensive.

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## moutarde

Their progress bar is moving really fast now.  I dropped $40 on the pro version yesterday and it was just barely over 50%, now its past 75%.

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## Gidde

I had to think about it until payday to make sure I wasn't succumbing to my normal impulse-buy techniques, but in the end $1100 software for $40 was too good to pass up. I'm in too.

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## Jaxilon

That was part of my thinking as well Gidde. Plus, after watching some of the "Plankton Invasion" stuff I just had to have it.

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## Redrobes

I thought id sling the link out just in case but it seems that its taken up some traction. I wasn't going to buy a copy actually. I am more into the content creation or the object modeling side of things than the renderer or animation. So before this bar whoops up to the finish line. Am I right in thinking this is for character animation more than character creation ? Does it have a modeller in it ? I just dont do bones, hair and deformations etc. Would I ever need this ? But $10... maybe I should just do it anyway ?

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## Jaxilon

I'm not sure how much I can use it either but it seems like it has a lot of things it can do. If I never use it it won't be any more money then I've spent on a game that sucked. I figured if nothing else I'd learn something new.

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## Gidde

Well said, Jax -- I've wasted more money on plenty of games I thought I'd like but didn't  :Frown:

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## waldronate

Worst case it'll be a new addition to my wall of software packages that I desperately hoped would include artistic ability in the box with the rest of the stuff. Maybe this one will even get installed! Assuming that the whole thing goes, of course...

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## Gidde

Lol, sounds like my hopes.

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## ravells

lol and mine!!!!

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## Jaxilon

Anyone know when this deal ends?

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## Midgardsormr

It'll end when they hit the number of licenses they wanted to sell, so there's really no telling. It appears sales might be accelerating, though, so if you want it you probably ought to grab it today.

I did a little hunting for reviews, by the way, and while it's not very widely used, at least a few pros like it to supplement Lightwave. Lightwave itself used to be the premiere application for game modeling; it's still quite good, but it's been largely displaced by 3ds Max. In short, this is likely to be a fairly high quality product.

If you miss out on this offer, though, I recommend taking a look at Houdini by SideFX Software. They've got a hobbyist's version for ~$100. It doesn't have the awesome dynamics stuff (water, smoke, fire, etc) that's in the pro version of Houdini, but it'll do all the modeling and rendering you could ask for. Better than Maya and Max in some instances.

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## Jaxilon

Yeah, I already ordered the Pro-version of this thing so I was just wondering what the chances were of the whole thing making it to the end.

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## Gidde

I honestly think they'll hold it open, jax. They're not going to refund all those people.

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## Midgardsormr

I don't think they'll have any trouble reaching their goal. If I recall correctly, it was at a little more than 50% when I looked at it a couple days ago, and it's now closing in on 90%. Unless they've hit some kind of market saturation point already, I'd give it less than a day before it's done. Just in case, though, I pimped it on Facebook—some of my art school friends may go for it.

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## Katto

Finished! And another software to learn...

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## ravells

Cool, so I've just got a US$1,000 software package for $40....and as Katto says, another software to learn, I hope it plays nice with Silo!

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## Jaxilon

woohooo....I'm going to roll in mine  :Smile:

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## Midgardsormr

Once a few of you have had the chance to play, I'd like to hear how you like it. Reviews are scarce.

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## Redrobes

I'm glad I posted the link now. I almost didn't thinking it was a bit spammy. So to all who got a copy lets see what its all about. I'm guessing its more to do with animation but it looks like it has a decent renderer. I didn't get a copy myself but I would be interested to see what it does.

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## moutarde

They hit their goal yesterday, but they're keeping the offer open until midnight PST tonight, in case anyone had difficulties purchasing it.

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## Jaxilon

and I think they are taking 3 days to get the licensing finalized so things run smoothly. I'm good so long as I can get it eventually, I'm a bit busy atm anyway.

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## ravells

Has anyone got their licenses yet? Still waiting for mine to arrive.

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## moutarde

Not yet.  Their goal was to have emails sent out Saturday, or today if things went really smoothly for them  :Wink:

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## Crayons

Wow. The license server is up - I got my email today and it all installed fine. Really scary GUI !!!   :Cool:

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## ravells

Got mine!!! Just had a play with the dinosaur tutorial....it does seem to be primarily a rigging / animation studio, but the render options seem comprehensive (or at least complicated for a stone age Bryce / Daz User like me!). I can't see when I'll ever come to rigging and and animating Daz 3D models or stuff I build in Silo. Still the renders that I've seen look pretty superb.

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## Redrobes

Pictures, or it didn't happen !!!  :Smile:

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## ravells

Lol....not my renders, the ones in the gallery!!

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## Crayons

Hrm... tutorial huh? The issue I'm getting is the bandwidth I'm getting from their website - I can only seem to drag out stuff at a few kbytes/sec and the tutorials are video files. I'm hoping it's just getting jammed up by all the new users.
I've had a quick play in non-RTFM mode - my usual methodology - and managed to load up some animations. Very nice but I think I concur with Ravs on working on it further for now. It's certainly a very professional looking package (I bought the Pro version) so it's not misrepresenting itself! Some of the myriads of tiny buttons have tooltips but if you don't speak animators' argot you may not be any the wiser. I'd like to see a traditional text based Help menu - but I haven't found it yet. 
Some degree of RTFM is obviously going to be needed.
As for it's use as a plain old renderer, I've seen some examples, it certainly walks amongst the best of them. I'm still more likely to do my stuff in POVray for now tho!

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## Gidde

Yeah, I was kind of disappointed when I found out it was more for animation than 3d rendering. Still, I've got a couple ideas percolating in the back of my head for fly-through maps that may be fun. Did you see the submarine movie on their forum? WOW. I may do up a little virtual aquarium just for fun.

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## Katto

I've got what I paid for  :Smile: 
Wow, the UI is horrible and it seems that even the online manual just scratches the surface, but I think it is a powerful weapon if you know how to use it.
Reading the second tutorial in the online manual I've created this small animation. Set your player to repeat, because it is only two seconds.

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