Getting Started in 3D
Getting started in 3D and making your own 3d models is not as expensive or as hard as you would think. There are many free resources available for you to experiment with 3d content and animation to see if it's an field that you would enjoy.
DAZ Studio
At this point (when this page was created), DAZ Studio Pro 4.10 is available for free from DAZ 3D. DAZ Studio offers menu of the same setup, posing and rendering features available in high end 3D software like Maya and 3DS Max. Once installed, DAZ Studio has a content folder in "Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library" on a Mac, and "My Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library" on a PC. It's is this folder where you would install additional content.
Poser
Poser is also a low cost alternative to some of the mainstream 3D packages like Maya and 3DS Max. It is available for purchase from Smith Micro. Although DAZ Studio can load most Poser content, Poser can only load DAZ Studio only content by using the DSON Importer from DAZ Studio. For the DSON Importer to work, the DAZ Studio content has to be in DAZ Studio 4.5 format.
You can also download some of our free content. Our free content comes in .zip format and is easy to install. Simply extract the downloaded .zip file.
Installing Store Content
At this stage, our store content is in installer format. Simply running the installer will ensure that the files are all installed to the correct places.
Installing Zipped Content
If the content is Poser compatible, it will have a "Runtime" folder - this folder should be merged with the "Runtime" folder found in the "My Library" mentioned above. In DAZ Studio, the content will be found in the "Content Library" tab under "Poser Content".
If the content is DAZ Studio only, it will have a "My Library" folder - this folder should be merged with the "My Library" folder mentioned above. In DAZ Studio, the content will be found in the "Content Library" tab under "DAZ Studio Content".
Online Communities
The are many online communities that you can join with helpful members eager to share their knowledge and artwork. Most communities have their own flavor, so look around for one where you fit in.