Sooo...What's this?
- Thread starter HaroldL
- Start date
bigseb
Alibre Super User
Not sure how worthwhile this would be for someone like me that's in the industrial engineering sector.
Also, as much as I like AD expanding it's capabilities I would prefer it if 1) they were native to AD and 2) other issues were ironed out first. Not trying to be the forum Eeyore... I get the excitement some might have for this, it's just not a priority for me.
Also, as much as I like AD expanding it's capabilities I would prefer it if 1) they were native to AD and 2) other issues were ironed out first. Not trying to be the forum Eeyore... I get the excitement some might have for this, it's just not a priority for me.
I have a CNC Router so I love it. As you say it's not engineering based. It's more artistic and allows someone like me with no art skills to produce some very nice stuff. I'll stick my neck out here and say "There is currently no other software to match it" And for the price it's a bargain. Also the aftersales help is superb.
Abhijit
Member
Took a quick look at the website and it seems to me that it can be a handy tool for a lot of makers who are not experienced with 3d DCC Softwares.
However, I think an experienced operator can achieve far better results.
Usually, I'd manually model/sculpt the design in Blender/Zbrush.
Can use 3dsMax, Blender/GeoNodes, Houdini to procedurally build these models.
ZBrush Noise Maker to add details or add details via another height map and remesh.
One can also use Marmoset Toolbag or Substance Painter on a low poly to extract a height map by baking.
Add more details in Height Channel in Substance Painter, export, displace, remesh.
UDIMs for a very high res workflow.
One can use Substance Designer to procedurally and non destructively generate a height map and then a mesh.
Theres no limit to how in-depth and "attention to detail" one can go with these approaches.
But then, I know a Luthier in Goa who builds guitars with these beautiful Indian intricately detailed patterns on his tops all by hand.
He almost gave up trying to learn CAD to add a CNC in his pipeline ahaha.
For him and people like him, this is amazing, specially considering it's a $200 perpetual license
It'd cost him $200/day probably to hire a specialist/3d artist, which is ok if he/his customers want something really custom.
This one automates and foolproofs many steps which would take atleast 2 years and a lot of experience to master.
For that reason, I agree with @JimCad and I think this tool goes intoS Tier A Tier for it's target audience.
However, I think an experienced operator can achieve far better results.
Usually, I'd manually model/sculpt the design in Blender/Zbrush.
Can use 3dsMax, Blender/GeoNodes, Houdini to procedurally build these models.
ZBrush Noise Maker to add details or add details via another height map and remesh.
One can also use Marmoset Toolbag or Substance Painter on a low poly to extract a height map by baking.
Add more details in Height Channel in Substance Painter, export, displace, remesh.
UDIMs for a very high res workflow.
One can use Substance Designer to procedurally and non destructively generate a height map and then a mesh.
Theres no limit to how in-depth and "attention to detail" one can go with these approaches.
But then, I know a Luthier in Goa who builds guitars with these beautiful Indian intricately detailed patterns on his tops all by hand.
He almost gave up trying to learn CAD to add a CNC in his pipeline ahaha.
For him and people like him, this is amazing, specially considering it's a $200 perpetual license
It'd cost him $200/day probably to hire a specialist/3d artist, which is ok if he/his customers want something really custom.
This one automates and foolproofs many steps which would take atleast 2 years and a lot of experience to master.
For that reason, I agree with @JimCad and I think this tool goes into
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
I want to build a Relief Maker component.
To generate this:
A 3D relief is a 3D version of Make2D in Rhino. Not exactly, but I don't think this is far off in Grasshopper, Dynamo, or Houdini 20.5 with the new 2D and 3D GPU-based image framework. Don't forget Blender.
docs.mcneel.com
Make2D example:
To be clear, ReliefMaker as a product is not my focus. I'm thinking about revisiting 3D printing and CNC, so this may change, but for now making 3D reliefs and learning techniques is what I'm interested in.
To generate this:
A 3D relief is a 3D version of Make2D in Rhino. Not exactly, but I don't think this is far off in Grasshopper, Dynamo, or Houdini 20.5 with the new 2D and 3D GPU-based image framework. Don't forget Blender.
Make2D | Rhino 3-D modeling
The Make2D command draws object edges and outlines in one or four views as flat curves on the World Top plane.
Make2D example:
To be clear, ReliefMaker as a product is not my focus. I'm thinking about revisiting 3D printing and CNC, so this may change, but for now making 3D reliefs and learning techniques is what I'm interested in.
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
macOS beta? 
Ok, so Qt is used so Relief Maker can be cross-platform, as I suspected.
www.reliefmaker.com
Ok, so Qt is used so Relief Maker can be cross-platform, as I suspected.Relief Maker Releases - www.reliefmaker.com
www.reliefmaker.com
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
I don't think so. Relief Maker might be a Money Maker.
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
That was a joke all in fun. I do see opportunities in RM. Lately, Alibre has made smart decisions and changes to their business. Adding a macOS supported product to the lineup is a big deal. Is Linux next?
You have precisely hit the nail on the head!
You can make really excellent reliefs manually by a) knowing how to sculpt b) being good at sculpting c) spending the time to sculpt and d) knowing how to use many downstream products. You have just eliminated 99.5% of the population.
Now, take your lion head sculpt and create another relief from it rotated by 90 degrees - from side profile to front profile. You can't - have to start over. Start sculpting again, etc. You can make 10 reliefs of that lion at many angles in 1 minute, with Relief Maker. Is it perfect? No. Does it beat a hand-crafted relief that someone spent 10 hours on? Occasionally. Is it really freaking fast with a superb quality? Definitely
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
It doesn't have to be one or the other. You can use any app with RM, roundtripping all day. That's where the real power is!
stepalibre
Alibre Super User
Mike Fleury2
New Member
I checked it out around the same time and wondered a lot about how Alibre would interact with meshes. I 3d print a lot of flat art converted through 'ItsLitho' into reliefs. I love the discussion of using meshes with Alibre, but as it's an all or nothing deal, I realize Rhino will be just fine as it always has been for mesh work. I'm happy to have Alibre continue working on its solid modeling manipulations. But I always seem to be saying to myself, "now, if I could just twist this whole thing". If that gives you something to think about. Like thinkdesign used to be able to do, many years ago.