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Should I buy Swift? And what good
is it?
If you use Flash for your development or plan to in
the near future, I would fully recommend this program. Its
3d to flash integration is unlike, and unmatched by any
other 3d program out there. If you use Adobe Illustrator or
any other comparable vector program, I would fully recommend
this program. The vector output from Swift makes quick work
of objects that would normally take hours to create in
Illustrator alone. If you use Lightwave or 3d Studio Max, I
would fully recommend this program. Erain has two awesome
plug-ins that take advantage of the enhanced modeling
abilities of Lightwave and 3d Studio Max and allows you to
import those meshes into Swift for the Swift treatment and
vector and video rendering.
While this program is ideally aimed at the 2d artist
looking to add some 3d elements to flash or illustrations,
it is very capable of satisfying the palette of the
traditional 3d artists.
The Cons
One thing that I still find a little cumbersome is
the lighting setup. Positioning the lights and having them
interact with your object and obtain the desired results is
one of the big things that I find myself spending the most
times on. The lighting system is not really a realistic one
in terms of real lighting (3d) so that in itself is an
acquired art in Swift. And the trackball takes a little time
to master and get used to.
Another thing is while Swift is still growing by leaps
and bounds, you will find yourself having to create
work-a-rounds for lots of things which are fairly simple in
traditional 3d programs. But this passes in time. Coming
from a more traditional 3d background I found it really
difficult to predict the results of the lights and their
placement. But once you do get it, the results can rival
that of some major programs and their output. Also I noticed
that soft selection in Advanced Modeler is a little fickle
in how it behaves.
Working with tris (3 sided polygons), I find also is a
bit cumbersome as well. Not only does it mean extra polygons
when rendering but it also means more vertices to move or
pay attention to. Maybe in the future Swift will make the
jump to quads, but I was told don't hold my breathe waiting.
But hey if it is not broke don't fix it right? With a few
work flow adjustments Swift has a place in just about all
production pipelines. In these times where the line between
television, hand held devices and internet are fast becoming
blurred. Swift 4.5 is a necessary tool in anyone's tool box,
from the casual hobbyist to large creative services shops.
There is a little something for everyone in this new release
of Swift.
All in all there is not much missing in terms of
functionality in Swift v4.5. It does exactly what it sets
out to do. As with any program out there, there is a
learning curve associated with it. But the beauty of Swift
is that while you are learning the program you can also find
new ways to take it beyond it's limits (just ask Rainman and
Jfoley from the forum boards).
|
Nathan
aka DDD
deepixel
just when thought it was safe to go back in the
pixel pool |
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