3D Digital Nature

I just got Vue E'spirt 7 from Eon Software. It is billed as 3D Digital Nature. It looks very, very promising based on a number of scenes I have downloaded and looked at from other 3D artists. I took a couple of dozen tutorials, bought and read a book and jumped into it over this last week. So, my first impressions are:

1) Very easy to use for someone that has been doing 3D modeling for awhile.

2) Big RAM hog. My very first experiments caused out of memory and other crashes.

3) Because of it's use of RAM you really have to think through your "shots" and just not render whole big scenes like I had been planning on doing.

4) Easy to import models. I have brought in Poser scenes, Lightwave and 3DS models with no problems.

5) A fair amount of free content on the internet (not as much as Poser/DAZ)

6) It will become ADDICTIVE.

I decided to do a project in it along with just playing with it. The first project is to take a version of our house that I have expanded by adding a ballroom and media room and put it into a beach scene. I feel that I will learn the most about how to use the tool by trying a project that will force me into making certain things work to achieve an artistic vision (hence a project). I also though want to do just some one off scenes/renders to try a bunch of different techniques so I get a better feel for the power of the product. You will be seeing both the results from the project, as well as, these one off renders in the near future in my gallery area and over at Renderosity.

The following are the first two renders I have done associated with the project.

	The first one is the house that I built in 3D Home Architect and tweaked in Poser before importing into Vue. The pool I got as a Christmas present from Kate as part of cashing in a gift certificate at DAZ Studios. The second house is a 3DS model I got off the internet that I tweaked in Poser. The waterfall and bridge were freebies of Vue objects that I also downloaded. All the rest (terrain, water, sky, trees) were part of the Vue product and I created using the tool. It was rendered in Vue.
	This second render is looking at the pool from the back deck that is off the ballroom and our kitchen. I got a little more experimental in terms of atmospheres with a sunset one that I tweaked a bit.
	This last render is actually the first render I did, by, just using Vue objects and making a hill with some trees.