For me, it's Blender's easy extruding and facing combined with the mouse3 button camera movement for easy modeling.

Until 2.35 however, when they added the popup menu for the Extrude key, slows me down a bit unless there's a way to disable that [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

My steps on creating a face, which addicts me to using blender:
- Sel a vert
- Hit E to extrude (In 2.35, this does a popup menu in addition which slows me down now)
- Move the mouse to move the new vertex, and left click
- Rightclick select 3 or 4 verts (if there's none, extrude twice/thrice more)
- Hit F
- If backfaced, hit W and click Flipnormals
- WOAHMG A FACE, now do that 1200 times more

So what makes you addicted to your favored modeling software? Say what and share your little steps [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] (this is no "favorite features" thread, by the way)

I hit + to manually add each idivdual point for every quad i make, and thats why i love lightwave.

Cheap, that sounds like the slowest method of modelling in the world... (almost). EQ's sounds a bit better but still clunky surely? Sounds like you'd be wanting to use Max's edge extrusion (shift+click + drag an edge to make a new quad) ... much faster ... IMHO making faces at the vertex level is just outdated these days.

For me it gets addictive when I start modelling male/female heads - I make a box, rough out a shape I like to define character (big jaw/low brow/huge cheekbones or whatever) then just go crazy on cutting new geometry in and moving verts around to make weird expressions and styles.

CTRL-C for connect edge, C for collapse selection, CTRL-E for removing verts/edges... that's all I really need (with some edge loop/ring selecting from time to time).
Never touch a button in the interface after converting a Box primitive to EPoly really, just mouse and keyboard commands. I have found no faster way to model yet.

(Max user).
F for cutting, G for connect, and B for target weld. When I upgraded to Max 7 I lost my macro's and felt lost - until I remapped the keys and was happy again.

You guys should try Wings3d, nothing is more addictive and faster than Wings3d [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Exspecially MoP should try it, since his workflow sounds like a slow version of Wings3d's workflow [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I have tried Wings3d. I didn't like the interface too much, but it was a while back - I might give it another shot soon. Actually, Silo is an even better example of this kind of workflow taken to maximum speed and productivity, especially with the ridiculously fast mesh subdivision.

Modeling is addicting when I get to fly around with a stylus. Maya is built for stylus'. Draw topology in Maya is addicting as well.

I can't use Wings because it doesn't work with a stylus at all.

Start Blender
Enter Edit mode (my userprefs give me a scene with a mirror instance of the cube, a tri-point light setup and a camera constrained to track an empty for better targeting)
A (select all)
del (delete)
LMB (select "delete vertices")
CTRL+RMB (create vertex)
{
E (extrude)
LMB (confirm extrude)
drag
LMB (finish extrude)
} alter selection, repeat

I get most of my faces by extruding edges into quads and using the knife and split loop.

Wings3D

Alt + any MB = easy Maya type navigation
Easy Cleanup button to rescue most 3DS Max exports
Virtual mirroring...is excellent.
New and Quick mapping tools.

Wings3D is great for shaping out a mesh quickly. And that's addictive. Plus, anyone can learn to use it well in a short amount of time. No clutter in the interface. Most people I've converted are addicted after the first day. A downside to Wings is it's not so great for finishing touches. It's lack of extruding faces for an alpha texture is an annoyance.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Ha...egiccommander/

The keyboard is rendered obsolete for all but typing related tasks.

Handy, although its geared towards gaming and now really modelling. But I can see how it'd be usefull. One thing I've started to notice myself doing is looking at something and imagining where its edges would be. Did that on the bus ride htis morning and I was kinda weirded out...

workflow smurkflow


EVERYONE'S got their way of modeling which is super fast, perfect, and everyone else hasn't organized themselves yet. myself included hahaha

we should have a contest. a peice of concept art gets posted and when the gun goes off, everyone models. the first one done (that makes it not shitty looking) wins the responsibility to post a DETAILED AND INTRICATE explanation on their workflow.

really tho, if you're not interested in being the fastest person out there, then it doesn't matter how you model, as long as you feal coordinated enough that your interaction with the program can keep up with your artistic thought.

(perhaps a little bit slower if your a genious, like MoP here [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

I agree with ya (non-contest aspect [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]).
I personally don't use keyboard shortcuts - I find it easier to use my custom quad setup in max for navigation, and I keep my right hand on the keypad, for numerical inputs (vital for level design!) [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Actually I just realised I think I use this setup because I'm a long-time Quake and FPS player... in all programs my left hand rests naturally over the WSAD key area with the right hand on the mouse.
So I guess it was just natural for me to think of keyboard shortcuts in that area, involving CTRL for some, (with pinky finger) and of course ALT with the thumb for Max's viewport navigation. Shift is over there too for viewport undo, and drag-copying.
Then of course the number keys on the top line (I have never used the numpad for anything, not sure why) for absolute type-ins and such.
Works pretty well for me, and makes a vague kind of sense I guess!

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I think I use this setup because I'm a long-time Quake and FPS player...

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strange how that happens eh? for me it goes back to good old quake world team fortress. i swear my pinky is always primed to hit shift, which i had bound to "special" in tf to disguise my self or feign, build sentry turret, etc...