#H/ware required for 3ds?
3 messages in this thread
What do I need to use 3d studio? (What's the recommended spec PC system – Hard
disk, graphix adapter etc). What do you guys suggest for a digital
camera/scanner/color hardcopy device? I'll be using it to create kid's book
illustrations.
Josh:
3DS can run on 8mb RAM on a 386 but the faster the better. I'd suggest the
fastest machine you could find with at least 16mb of RAM. 32mb RAM seems to be
about an average for moderately complex scenes with shadows and maps. As the
next version of 3DS will be for NT you may want to set yourself up for a smooth
transition so get a ton of RAM. I like the HP Scanjet for scanning. For
hardcopy you've got the affordable Epson Stylus or maybe the Fargo Primera. If
you need large format you could check out the Novajet.
-Bob Ritger
Configuration depends on type of work you're trying to accomplish. Minimum
configuration for most of our clients 120 Mhz Pentium, 32 Mb RAM, 1+ Gb HD,
display card w/2 Mb RAM, capable of 800x600x24 bit resolution. 17" monitor will
ease the eye strain from the hours and hours that you can't tear yourself away
from the system.
Top end – start looking at dual Pentium or dual Alpha systems, plus all the RAM
and hard drive space you can afford. When Studio Max (3dS r5) comes out in
October (running under Win NT), this will be a screaming configuration.
Regarding quality scanner input, there are many product choices available,
between flatbed scanners (generally retailing for $1000 & up), and slide
scanners (pricier, but many publishing houses deal with slides as opposed to
print media).
Hardcopy – depends on the quality of output that you require. For comps, the
Fargo Primera Pro is an affordable solution. If you require camera ready
output, a film recorder would probably be desirable.