Great Pre-Vis 3D Software
By: Andrew Seltz
I’ve used a bunch of 3D software packages over the years. I started out with Imagine on my Amiga 2000 system and have Blender 3D (a great open source software package) and Animation:Master today for my occasional 3D needs. I’ve played around with a number of other packages, including some of those 3D Home Design packages, in an effort to create some quick models for design visualization and shot planning. Today I found my dream 3D software!
SketchUp is an amazing 3D package whose claim to fame is exactly what you’d imagine – sketching in 3D. I downloaded their free version today to test it out. (In partnership with Google they have a free version for personal use.)
It’s as close to sketching with a pencil on paper as I’ve ever found!
Within seconds of loading it up, I was happily building a 3d set. Not only was it easy to push and pull the shapes around, but the measuring tools ensure precision when it comes to capturing details. I wish I’d had this a few weeks back when I was drafting a floorplan for the theater set I built for Angels Fall. I used Visio and it took me a long time to make what I wanted and with no ability to visualize in 3D!
I was attracted to the software because of it’s reputation for designing sets for movies and creating storyboards. You have to pay up for the full Professional version to get all the tools for choosing camera lenses and animating storyboards, but it would be money well spent. It’s so easy and fast to use that I could imagine previsualizing the entire movie before beginning production. This would save a ton of time on set (and time is money) and free you up to experiment with lots of different approaches to a scene. In the mean time, you can create sets and experiment with the free version and go Pro when you get your funding together. You can save all your files in the Sketch format with the free version – just no exporting of models.
As the name implies, the output from this program looks like a sketch. It doesn’t try to make photo realistic images. This is a good thing when you’re experimenting as it keeps you from falling in love with the pictures and losing perspective on the process. But, you can export the models you make (Pro version only) to all of the major 3D programs for refinement and rendering (I see the beginnings of the next Sin City).
I’ve wish I’d had this on my first movie. I could have worked out a lot of problems ahead of time. I’m already looking forward to using it on my next project.
