You've just updated your 3D modeling software. How do you choose the best new tools to enhance your process?
With a recent update to your 3D modeling software, it's vital to cherry-pick the best tools for your projects. To make an informed choice:
- Assess project needs by listing features that could improve your efficiency and outcome.
- Experiment with new features on small test projects to gauge their impact without risking major work.
- Read community forums and reviews for insider insights on the most impactful tools.
Which strategies do you find most effective when integrating new tools into your workflow?
You've just updated your 3D modeling software. How do you choose the best new tools to enhance your process?
With a recent update to your 3D modeling software, it's vital to cherry-pick the best tools for your projects. To make an informed choice:
- Assess project needs by listing features that could improve your efficiency and outcome.
- Experiment with new features on small test projects to gauge their impact without risking major work.
- Read community forums and reviews for insider insights on the most impactful tools.
Which strategies do you find most effective when integrating new tools into your workflow?
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This actually just happened with Clo3D. I love looking at the update list and picking out what might be most advantageous to my workflow. So as an intimate apparel designer I'm very excited to test out the new bust shaping feature, but less excited about the new 'light' mode. Once you are proficient in a program its great to keep up to speed with new updates to know what the program is capable of.
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When choosing new tools in updated 3D modeling software, focus on features that address your biggest workflow pain points, such as tools that improve rendering speed, automate repetitive tasks, or enhance realism. Experiment with a few key features in real projects, prioritize tools that save time or add significant value, and seek feedback from peers or community forums to ensure they integrate well into your process.
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I also like to look through their "What's New" area, whether that be directly in the software or on their blogs. When it comes to software like Photoshop or Illustrator, this is a particularly important thing to do because those programs aren't really made for fashion. So a lot of the time, I'm checking out the new features to see if they even relevant and how they can be used by a fashion designer. For other tools like CLO3D that are specific to fashion, it's looking thru the new tools to see what's most relevant for the categories I design for or teach or just in general. For example, CLO released some cool AI features a few months ago, and they're fun, but not necessarily that relevant for what I'm teaching designers to do everyday.
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Katherine Schildmeyer(edited)
The process is very different for each use case of design and application of design. A life science need will be very different than a animation or commercial need. Independent and design companies often find themselves using 1-3 applications to achieve a desired result. Some aspects in consider include… 1. Ability to create stable code modules and apply a fairly large portion of controls. 2. Ability to manage and change mesh 3. Mathematical calculations 4. Vast range of materials 5. Rendering output quality and speed. 6. save and manage files for stability. I tend to need dea, usd, abc, and fbx file types over the gltf/glb models. Export of text files and charts. 7. The overall workflow ease of interoperability.
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To choose the best new tools, I prioritize features that align with my goals, test them through trials or demos, and check reviews from trusted sources to ensure they enhance efficiency and quality.
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Simple. Have a toolset! Between my own experience in drafting, and learning (by observation) from my teachers, and some others, having a personal, professional toolset of ways to apply one’s craft makes a huge difference across the board. It keeps your professional worth up to snuff, helps you extract the real worth of the software purchased (whether by you or your company), and translates into acumen when reviewing the effect of updates. Sometimes, with changes in the way software acts, one might have to learn a new way. Often the new way is efficient and thus, worth learning. I personally feel it is a point of professionalism to keep oneself up-to-date on what tools one uses to ply one’s craft.
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