Software for 3D walk / fly throughs

[CADDmanVA]

ATTENTION MODERATORS: Please move this thread to an appropriate forum. Thanks!

Here's the story. Our firm does a lot of 3D vitalization using SketchUp and Photoshop. It works great for still imagery by the way. However, a new client would like us to do a complete 3D walk-through of a residential development. SketchUp is capable of rendering a walk-through movie, which I could compile the movie into a Flash movie for presentation. The question is: is there a better package to achieve the goal? I know AutoDesk has some pretty powerful 3D software, but I don't know where to look first. I've been using AutoCAD since 96 and the other draftsman/graphic artist in the office has been using graphics programs for about as long. The software has to be reasonably simple to learn on the fly too. Thanks for any opinions in advance!

[Steve_Bennett]

Start with Autodesk VIZ and if needed then move up to MAX.

Check out the DV forums if you have specific questions on the softwares.
http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=299

[cadtag]

Eas of use and quality of results are somewhat incompatible goals, but some of the best work I've seen has been done with Lightwave from NewTek for the animation/rendering, and AutoCAD for the 3d models.

Maya, now owned by Adesk, has a free personal learning edition you can use to get familiar with it, and then buy the full bore commercial version when you are ready for it.

[arshiel88]

This thread reminds me of Autodesk walkthrough. Anyone knows what happened to this software?

[georgef3]

I use Newtek's Lightwave. Works great. I'm doing a fly-through right now for a performing arts center in New Jersey. In fact, I just join the CAD users' group in hopes of finding someone who can help me understand the best method for exporting a 3d CAD file in a form that I can import into Lightwave.

[Comach]

ATTENTION MODERATORS: Please move this thread to an appropriate forum. Thanks!

Here's the story. Our firm does a lot of 3D vitalization using SketchUp and Photoshop. It works great for still imagery by the way. However, a new client would like us to do a complete 3D walk-through of a residential development. SketchUp is capable of rendering a walk-through movie, which I could compile the movie into a Flash movie for presentation. The question is: is there a better package to achieve the goal? I know AutoDesk has some pretty powerful 3D software, but I don't know where to look first. I've been using AutoCAD since 96 and the other draftsman/graphic artist in the office has been using graphics programs for about as long. The software has to be reasonably simple to learn on the fly too. Thanks for any opinions in advance!


Navisworks Jetstream supports Sketchup.

You might also look at a package called 'walkinside'.