I recently needed to design some 3D models; I found both Blender and a special architectural program too much hassle to use. The user interface of Sketchup was so easy, though, that I managed to put together the model very quickly, and the UI was intuitive enough that I didn't even have to look at a manual. Sketchup is now being used by a lot of architecture departments, and that kind of quick 3D design might be a better target "market" for Blender than trying to compete with 3D Studio Max or Maya.
My conclusion was that with a carefully designed UI, 3D applications don't have to be hard to use. The Blender developers would do well to have a look at the Sketchup UI and implement some of the good ideas found there. On the other hand, even the Sketchup UI has some annoyances, so Blender could actually do better.
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I recently needed to design some 3D models; I found both Blender and a special architectural program too much hassle to use. The user interface of Sketchup was so easy, though, that I managed to put together the model very quickly, and the UI was intuitive enough that I didn't even have to look at a manual. Sketchup is now being used by a lot of architecture departments, and that kind of quick 3D design might be a better target "market" for Blender than trying to compete with 3D Studio Max or Maya.
My conclusion was that with a carefully designed UI, 3D applications don't have to be hard to use. The Blender developers would do well to have a look at the Sketchup UI and implement some of the good ideas found there. On the other hand, even the Sketchup UI has some annoyances, so Blender could actually do better.