CompuServe Messages

Arlene: Well, you should buy a good book like 'Using Animtor', instead of the trash you got <Grin>… This isn't a simple subject, mind you, and just about anything that anyone will tell you will be out of date in a week <grin>. Basically, you have to have a graphics card in your machine that will >output< a video signal (a video signal is not what your montior uses…). You can play an animator fli 'live' on your computer and the graphics card will put the animation on tape. Once you go beyond something as simple as this, things start getting really hairy, and I would recommend that, for professional results, you plan on taking your computer animation to a service bureau and learn from the process… prices vary considerably, primarily based upon how much diddling the service bureau has to do with your animation, and how much time your animation takes to get to tape. If you want professional animations, then you need a frame controller and a higher resolution animation package than Animator (such as Animator Pro or 3D Studio…). That isn't to say that you shouldn't start out with Animator… it's a GREAT place to get started. The frame controller allows one frame of animation to be placed on the tape at a time, and controls the accuracy of the placement of the frame (it rewinds the tape and plays it to the next frame…). Of course, this also requires a tape deck that has frame by frame accuracy… which start at somewhere around $5k, if you find a good deal… Also important is the quality of the signal coming from your computer and the quality of the tape that you are putting the signal on… this is something that dramatically affects the cost of your animation and the type of tape that each post production house uses can vary widely… and the price that you pay for a graphics card to provide the output varies accordingly, too… There are many vidiots on here who can inundate you with details… C#