Skip to main content

Silo - 3D Modeling Zen (Apparently)

iClone Custom
ToonMaker 2 Character.
I've been looking around for a 3D modeling application for some time now after slowly making some headway into the world of 3D animation with Reallusion's iClone. iClone is great for 3D animation but much of the time you're a slave to whatever content you can buy from various online market places and libraries - which is pretty darn extensive I must say.

However the one thing I can't buy is my own 2D character designs re-imagined as 3D characters. I can sort of make my own toon characters with Reallusion's ToonMaker and ToonMaker 2 but it's not quite the same. Whilst I'm not in a hurry to start cranking out 3D animation with my own characters it is something I'm interested in tinkering with now and then and I'd rather build my own characters.

Anyone who's signed up to SmithMicro's mailing list (the makers of Anime Studio and Manga Studio) may have come across special deals on Never Center's 3D Modeling Software, Silo, often being sold for half price or less.

Compared to other modeling programs Silo seems to live up to its tagline, '3D Modeling Zen'. The way you build and sculpt models seems very natural, almost like working with digital clay. See the demo video below.



Before making my purchase of Silo I did a quick search of the internet for people's opinions on the software. Most seemed to agree the User Interface and approach was really very good but the program had a tendency to crash on complex models. I'm not planning to make anything much more complex than my ToonMaker2 character above so I hope I'm going to be fine.

There were also some concerns that Silo is no longer receiving updates or development. I don't know if this is true. I just figure if the software works and I can import finished models into iClone through Reallusion's 3DXchange software, that's good enough for me.

I've yet to work with this software extensively but I must say it's very easy to get started and to begin modeling right away. The online video tutorials on Nevercenter's site are all very easy to follow and won't strain your mind with too much complex jargon.

Hopefully over the coming months I'll get to use Silo much more extensively and maybe even show you a few of my models in action. For now, I just wanted to tell you about the latest addition to my animation tool box.

Topics:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 26, 2015 at 9:43:00 AM GMT+9:30

    Why not use blender3d? Pixar use it. Dreamworks use it. It is free and open source and powerful . You can bring in a 2d image and start working straight awsy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TET (David Arandle)May 26, 2015 at 11:43:00 AM GMT+9:30

      I'm a big fan of Blender but it has a much steeper learning curve and more complex UI. Anything that can get me up and running with the basics quickly will always get my attention... which Silo does well.

      Delete
  2. amaya barriosJune 3, 2015 at 6:44:00 AM GMT+9:30

    Silo seems pretty good and sounds awesome. It's just like you say "playing with digital clay". 3D animation is always an excellent way to show creativity and a different side of videos. I love the way they can boost communication and deliver a message. What I've seen in sites like hungryhamster.com is that these animated videos can sale at a good price and the results are incredible.
    I'm going to leave you there information so you can check it out and tell me what you think.
    Facebook: HungryHamsterVideo
    Twitter: hungryhamsterv
    Instagram: hungryhamstervideo

    The most important thing in animation is attention and coolness... Silo seems to do it perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. VelmaMay 7, 2016 at 6:33:00 PM GMT+9:30

    great 3ds max work...

    GameYan Studio

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

This blog is monitored by a real human. Generic or unrelated spam comments with links to sites of dubious relativity may be DELETED.

I welcome, read, and respond to genuine comments relating to each post. If your comment isn't that save me some time by not posting it.

Popular posts from this blog

Inochi2D - Free Open Source 2D VTuber Avatar Rigging and Puppeteering Software (Part 2 - Inochi2D Session)

In part one of my deep dive into the free VTuber software, Inochi2D , I focused mainly on Inochi2D Creator, which is used for rigging your character avatar in the correct file format for use with Inochi2D Session, the puppeteering part of the software. The two sides of the software are still very much in development and the documentation, particularly for Session, is very thin on the ground. To the point where I don't think I could even do a comprehensive tutorial because I'm not sure I'm even doing things right, and the software could change significantly in a single update. As a result, in this part of my Inochi2D deep dive I'm changing tact from presenting my finished Cartoon Animator TET Avatar, and will be summarizing my experience of getting Session up and running using OpenSeeFace as the recommended webcam motion capture software. To do this I will be using  the TET avatar I created in my review of Mannequin , since that can be exported as a full, ready to go r...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Eight 2D Animation Apps For Your Phone or Tablet Mobile Device

M obile productivity apps have become so capable that they can be great alternatives to their PC/MAC equivalents or serve as great tools in their own right when you're away from your desk. While some apps simply mimic their desktop counterparts, others offer well thought out, touch-friendly interfaces that are easier and more fun to use. Every so often I check out what's available for 2D animation for Android devices, since that's what I use, that can complement my workflow with Reallusion's Cartoon Animator 5. Some may be available for Apple devices as well. Below I've listed six free (F) apps (with optional paid (P) upgrades) on the Google Play Store that you might want to explore. Some are just fun apps on their own while others may be useful as part of your workflow on bigger animation projects. Not all are exclusively animation apps and could be used on any production. JotterPad (F/P) The name JotterPad makes this sound like a notepad application but it's ...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

KIT Scenarist - Free, Open Source, Screenwriting Software that Helps Research Your Ideas Too

KIT Scenarist Script Writing Software's Mascot, Alexander Cat. While you can write a script in any word processing app, if you're writing stories (screenplays) that feature characters and dialogue, a dedicated script writing app can save a lot of time formatting, letting you focus more on the actual story. Script writing apps are also very useful if you plan to send your screenplays out to production companies, or if you're collaborating with actors and other production people, who are used to scripts being in a particular standard format.  [Note: In case you're wondering there are reasons scripts follow a standard format and are always written in Courier (typewriter) font, including but not limited to; being easy to read by actors, plenty of space for notes, and the general rule that one page of a script (in this format) equals approximately one minute of screen time.] KIT Scenarist , in my opinion, is one of the best script writing apps out there for ease of use, simp...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Inochi2D - Free Open Source 2D VTuber Avatar Rigging and Puppeteering Software (Part 1)

Inochi2D Creator - Free Open Source VTuber Software. If you've been looking for a way to live perform as a 2D cartoon avatar on camera, whether it be for a live stream or for pre-recorded content like educational videos, then VTuber software is a low cost (or even no cost) option worth looking into. In my previous post, How to Become a VTuber - 2D and 3D Software for Creating and Controlling Your Avatar , I took a brief look at the relatively new but completely free and open source Inochi2D  which I thought showed great potential for my own needs of creating a live performance character rig for my own TET Avatar that I use for all my promotional materials. While it is possible to live perform my character using Cartoon Animator itself, Reallusion's MotionLive2D capture system isn't great - with lip sync in particular. More importantly though, I can't exactly teach people how to use Cartoon Animator if I'm using Cartoon Animator to control my Avatar. What is Inochi2D...
1 comment
Continue Reading »

The Ultimate Independent Animator's App and Resource List - Animation and Video Life

Image created with Cartoon Animator 4. Being an independent animator is not like a studio animation job. There's so much more to do that is indirectly related to the actual task of animating. Over the years I've sought out many apps, tools, and services that can help me achieve that one single task, expressing myself through animation. Below is my Ultimate Independent Animator's Resource List for 2024 (last updated Oct 2024). It started out as a list of free or low cost apps that could help you in every stage of producing either 2D or 3D animation, and then just kind of grew from there. You may not have been looking for a Time Management App as much as you needed something to get you started in 3D animation but when those commissioned projects start coming in you'll have a head start on maximizing your time. All the apps and services on this list had to meet two main criteria: They had to be useful and relevant to an Indy Animator/artist. The base app/se...
9 comments
Continue Reading »

Harry Chalk - Secret Agent on GoAnimate

Harry Chalk - Secret Agent is my latest animated short on GoAnimate and, although it looks fairly straight forward to regular GoAnimaters, there's a lot of behind the scenes tricks that newer GoA members might find useful in their own productions. So sit back and settle in. This article is probably going to be a long one! The Premise Mathew is your typical student who finds school boring and passes his time in class with an over active imagination. However sometimes the line between imagination and reality gets a little fuzzy - especially where Secret Agent, Harry Chalk is concerned. Inspiration Believe it or not Harry Chalk started out as a planned GoAnimate tutorial on script writing/story development - hence the classroom setting. Whilst animating chalk stick figures on a blackboard is certainly not a new idea - I'm sure Warner Brother's and Disney have both done something similar at some point in their cartoons - it occurred to me that GoAnimate's stick...
8 comments
Continue Reading »

Wonder Unit Storyboarder - Free Storyboarding Software for People Who Can (or Can't) Draw

Wonder Unit Storyboarder.  As an independent and solo animator I'm always tempted to try and skip storyboarding my animated shorts because they're usually only single scene sketch comedy type jokes. As a result I have many unfinished projects that kind of petered out due to having no clear finishing line. Storyboarding your productions, no matter how small, gives you a step by step guide of every shot that needs to be completed (no planning shots as you animate). It also allows you to create an animatic that gives you a rough preview of the finished production. In short, you shouldn't skip storyboards as they, generally, increase the chance of the project being completed. Disclaimer - I'm Not a Fan of Storyboarder Upfront, Wonder Unit's Storyboarder  is not my preferred storyboarding software. However it's completely free, has a number of very compelling featu...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »