What is the best linux version to use as graphic designer?

[Le_Marquis]

Hello linux freaks,

Ok i'm willing to give it a shot to try out linux for the first time, i've read some articles about linux and their different versions. But what i'm looking for is the best for a graphic designer. I use photoshop and 3d studio a lot in windows. ( I guess this is a curse here?), and i want to have something similar to this on my linux oS as well! So which one do you recommend? And what programms are similar to 3d studio and photoshop in linux?

Le Marquis

[Darl]

Last time I checked photoshop 7 works good under wine, just be sure to take a look here: http://frankscorner.org/modules.php?...rtid=94&page=1.
With regards to 3d studios -I don't know. Blender is pretty good, but I don't know how it is compared to 3dStud....
Anyways, http://www.blender3d.org/

edit: Whoops, as to the main question, I don't think the different distros would make a big difference, maybe something like gentoo for it's optimization. But I think any distro would handle the workload as good, or better, as a win computer with the similair hardware.

[logan5]

I can't really recomend a specific distro. Most if not all of the distro's (try these guys for info on all the different one's http://www.distrowatch.com/ ) will support all the good opensource software that you will need.

But as for a good replacement for Photoshop on Linux, look at "The Gimp" http://www.gimp.org/ . And it comes on the cd's with a lot of distros

Here's a recent article http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=7295 on Panoramic Images.

Sorry on the other program, I really don't do too much about it.

[Hellmasker]

never used it but im todl maya works well on linux and can do 3d models etc

[Bertlef]

Linux was used in Lord Of The Rings, I think it was done on Vue d'esprit (but i'm not really sure)

Here are some comments about it:

http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/.../01156783.html
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/succ...t&Site=default

And regarding the substitutes here you will find information:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2528

http://www.tiemdesign.com/linux/

[drunksniper]

no vue de espirit.. that is a low end tool.. sorry

They used Softimage XSI along with Alias Maya/ and ALOT Of proprietary software.

as for a distrobution.. Red Hat linux is the Most Recomended one as far as support.

Softimage.com has only officially supported Redhat and Redhat has seemed to be the popular choice for 3d animators moving away from windows.

I personally use SUSE 9.0, and have had problems getting Softimage and Houdini to install and then to run after i installed them, but then again, i'm a newbie.
So if your planning on switching, Shoot for Redhat, since you'll have better luck finding help there.

Also, i used to be a hardcore maxer, used versions 4-6 and the best way to run that app is VMWare not Wine, wine will have issues with the licencing...
so download a demo of vmware once you got linux. (VMware lets you run a windows environment in a Window [lol the irony of things] and it will not have issues with the CDilla crap.. as for photoshop, wine works good, so that isnt a big deal. (GIMP is a really good alternative to Photoshop 7)
also you should check out Softimage XSI 3 EXP (personal learning versoin) it has no limitations it is the equivelent of the commercial versiion of the real software except for the proprietary .exp format save, and a small watermark.
Houdini Apprentice edition is also. if your aiming for doing commercial work with 3d software and dont actually own any, try Blender With the POVray renderer

Softimage XSI - www.softimage.com
Houdini AP - www.sidefx.com
Blender - www.blender3d.org
Povray- .. ? i forgot.. just search it on google.

um.. i last thing i'll say is if you got an Nvidia, GET THE NVIDIA driver... it makes a hell of a difference in performance.. my openGL screensavers lagged before i got it, and now my Gforce FX owns... they go so fast, my head hurts
good luck, it will take time to get use to it, but its not that hard.