If you are looking to get started using a publishing / creation application, Affinity Publisher is the one to go for. With a quick learning curve on all the basic functions, you'll be flying in no time. And then there is a whole heap of great features to get into as you become more comfortable with the software. The only down side is if clients are using Adobe programs, there are sometimes problems working with imported layers, but this is minor compared to the ease of use and features.
KeyShot can do some really amazing things as far as product renderings. You can turn simple 3D models into realistic images in a very short amount of time. I wish there were a way to manipulate the geometry once imported into KeyShot. The software allows this user to move geometry but not change its shape or form.
Keyshot has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for quick renderings.
Through Keyshot's viewport, you can see real-time changes when replacing or adding textures to a 3D model.
The new Keyshot 8 comes with volumetric features such as fog that can add depth to your image making process without having to manually do it later in another program.
Our team typically uses other online resources instead of contacting developers/manufacturers for support. That being said, there is a forum and a growing, vibrant community of users available to answer questions and "make the switch." A simple "whatever function we used to use in Adobe InDesign," followed by "Affinity," usually gets us on the right track to an answer. YouTube and their forums are our team's go-to sources for help.
Honestly, I've only needed customer support a couple of times. One time was a question about licensing which their customer service explained very well and offered just the help I was looking for
Affinity Publisher is a more cost effective way to achieve the same goals as InDesign and Quark. I'm sure there are various differences that Affinity may lack, however we have yet to run into one that our business has needed, or even recognized. It has completely replaced any desktop publishing for our organization without issue.
Keyshot is simpler and more intuitive compared to Octane. That being said, Octane is far less expensive and can take advantage of a GPU making it more versatile.
