Maxwell demo help please.

[innerdream]

Hello,

 

I just downloaded the demo and I can't seem to get things going. I see there are two interfaces one that just renders. Is there a quick start or a demo scene somewhere that I'm missing? I really would just like to import a .3ds model I've got already and check out the render engine. Any help appreciated...I think I'm just burnt out learning 3D programs at the moment.

[AJLynn]

Look at the sections in the manual on using Maxwell Studio (AKA MXST) - it can import a 3ds file, then you can do materials and lighting and render it. The other part - MXCL - will be launched when you do a full render from Studio. Alternatively, if you're using a 3d app that has a Maxwell plugin (unless it's Cinema4D - that plugin's got issues) you can set up for Maxwell in your app, launch the render and bypass Studio entirely.

[innerdream]

Look at the sections in the manual on using Maxwell Studio (AKA MXST) - it can import a 3ds file, then you can do materials and lighting and render it. The other part - MXCL - will be launched when you do a full render from Studio. Alternatively, if you're using a 3d app that has a Maxwell plugin (unless it's Cinema4D - that plugin's got issues) you can set up for Maxwell in your app, launch the render and bypass Studio entirely.

 

It appears in the demo the render mode is off in the studio. So I exported into MXCL. The problem is I opened a car in .3ds into the Maxwell studio, so far so good but I can't seem to find where to set the camera view because when I exported it into MXCL I get a blank render. The demo manual seems to be lacking quite a bit of info unless I'm reading the wrong pdf?

 

Edit:

 

I'm on a Macbook and the manual seems to only be written for PC users because I can't even get the key commands to work. I don't think I'm dumb but this is by far the hardest program I've tried to get started on and I have used 3DS, C4D and Cheetah. Is there any Mac users that can help?

[AJLynn]

I'm using it on Mac and PC and they're working pretty much the same for me, though I haven't used the demo, and I haven't been using Studio enough to start using keystrokes.

[innerdream]

Hmm. Well you're suppose to be able to make a camera using either alt C or ctrl C can't remember right now and it doesn't work. Can you at least tell me how to make a frikin camera. I'm not going to buy a program where it takes 3 hours to figure out something that should be really intuitive. There is no menu that I can see that says new camera.

 

It's Crtl + C - now as far as I know that means hold down the Cntrl key and hit C...right?

 

Are you on an Intel Mac?

 

Edit: It's Command C Mac to make a camera of course in one part of the manual it doesn't say that...I had to look at all the listings for camera to find what should be right in front of my nose.

 

I need some sleep...

[AJLynn]

There's also right-clicking in the camera list area and choosing New Camera. A menu option would be nice. Odd that they wouldn't put it in there. Wait a minute, are you doing this because you're evaluating whether or no to buy Maxwell?

[innerdream]

Is there a way to right click on a Macbook without a mouse?

 

After reading this forum a lot chances of me buying it now are slim. I wanted to see for myself though what it's all about. Fryrender looks interesting and I own Cheetah which is getting some huge updates in the next release as far as lighting and render quality. It won't be to Maxwell or even Vray level but I need a little better images than what I'm getting.

[AJLynn]

Right-click on a Macbook Pro (I assume it's the same on a Macbook) is Control-click, or if you look in your System Preferences panel under Mouse/Tablet there's an option where if you tap the pad with 2 fingers it's a right click.

 

Fry looks very interesting - it's already got some features that Maxwell doesn't - but no OSX version yet.

[innerdream]

 

Fry looks very interesting - it's already got some features that Maxwell doesn't - but no OSX version yet.

For the price you can buy a PC to go with it. I'll bet there will be better renderers down the road very shortly.

 

Edit:

 

I just tossed the Maxwell demo in the trash. It crashes when trying to export out of the studio to the renderer almost everytime. They need to get it together if they expect to see my money.

[AJLynn]

Yeah, it's unfortunate - it's still got more than its fair share of issues. Were you using the 1.1 or the 1.5 version? 1.5 is a fair bit better than 1.1 on OSX, but since I have the option I'd run it in Bootcamp over OSX.

 

Fry's going to have a demo soon, and I'm going to have a new job, so if they want me to do any rendering there maybe I'll put in for a soon-to-be-cheap quad-core and Fry.

[innerdream]

I was using 1.5. I can't spend the time to deal with it though. Maybe when they're on 3.0 or so I'll give it another look...maybe.