CompuServe Messages

>>AME->3DS, NEVER!… One humble objection to that sweeping remark. Perhaps it relates specifically to architectural modeling or to your realm of experience, but there may be another side to the story relative to other types of modeling. I've used AME many times to create complex mechanical objects that would have been very difficult to create effectively with 3DS. I refer largely to the ability to do many (I mean 10 or 20) booleans on a single object to create complex beveling, cutouts, tapers, fillets, etc. Try more than about three booleans with 3DS any you generally have big problems. In addition, the superior drawing tools and aids in AutoCAD make precision modeling easier in some instances. (Note: the 3DS interface wins the 3D visualization and editing contest hands down, in my book!) I sometimes use AME to build mechanical things from precision specifications, and use the 3DS lofter to build more organic curved surfaces. A good example might be building a precision gun model: use the 3DS lofter to build the gunstock and use AME to build the internal mechanisms. In addition, I've gotten AME generated DXF files from several of the engineering groups from our corporation. These people have access to whatever they need and use what is appropriate. They sometimes use AME. Just for the record, it is cumbersome and makes huge files. The export to 3DS thru DXF/entities/binary is relatively painless. Large intermediate files are created but can be deleted right away. I found AME difficult to learn but not difficult to use. Of course, I spent some time learning and customizing and experimenting. Like most things in life, perhaps you get out of it what you put into it. JKJ (trying never to say NEVER)