CompuServe Messages

Will, >>>Basically I like Special FX & Character animations but I also do some freelancing by creating logos for companies. I would love a raytracing program but I understand that the trade off is rendering time. Lightwave seems to offer the same capabilities as 3DS but it seems to me that the add ons are cheaper, I also like the fact that it comes with A lenz flare and Bones if im not mistaken. If I were to sell My 3DS and Bones Pro I would buy Lightwave and Animation Master. <<< Animation Master is the right direction for character animation and spline modeling, but I believe it renders rather slow (maybe ok on an ALPHA though). LW is still rather week in the area of character animation. I haven't seen the bones in 4.0, but in 3.5 they aren't much different than BonesPro, useful for things like swimming fish, bouncey coke cans, but not so good for discreet finger joints. LW and 3DS are about the same for logos, both do respectable scanline rendering (3DS might be a little better on this count), however LW also has built in ray-traced shadows, reflections and refraction, and is more broadcast ready IMO. Add-ons will probably take a little while to get to the PC for LW, and there probably isn't quite the same breadth of procedural animation FX for LW. If you're comfortable with 3DS I don't see that you'd be gaining much by switching to LW. Animation Master has certain unique capabilities I find useful in my work. But both 3DS and LW have 3rd party spline modelers that might be cheaper and better integrated with their packages. >>>May I ask what you currently use?<<< Sure. Animation Master, and Imagine, but my needs and desires are probably different than yours. My focus right now is discreet modeling control and good skeletal deformation. And I'm an old hand at Imagine so its steep learning curve is not a problem. >>>I also see your name on the Microsoft Network Graphics BBS is that you?<<< I'm not familiar with this. >>>Thanks for your input!<<< My pleasure. -Tim