CompuServe Thread

#Animator Demo?

5 messages in this thread
#36335From: CHristopher ChanMar 2, 1993 4:13 PM
I work at an entertainment company that needs to generate a lot of animation data for an upcoming product. Someone suggested Animator/Pro to me, so I'm wondering if there are any demo versions available so I can see whether it meets out needs. Any info on this is appreciated… -Chris
#36393From: Yost GroupMar 3, 1993 10:09 AM
Sorry, there's no demo version of Animator Pro available. There are several animations (flics) that you can download and view in DL2. (FLC files are resolution-independant, usually 640×480, while the earlier FLI files are limited to 320×200.) There are several flic players available. If you've got Windows, you can try NEWPLA.ZIP in DL2, or for DOS, you might try PLAY80.ZIP in DL10 (shareware). For a demonstration of the program, you should contact a multimedia dealer. Call 800/879-4233 for the number of a multimedia dealer nearest you. They're the only ones who can carry the product. If you want a taste of Animator Pro at a much lower price, you could buy Multimedia Explorer from any retail dealer. It contains the earlier Autodesk Animator program that is limited to 320×200. It doesn't contain as many features, but you'll get an idea of the general interface design and concept. – Jack
#36406From: Nik Grant [adesk]Mar 3, 1993 12:38 PM
No, there aren't any demo versions available of Animator Pro. However, there is a video tape of 3D Studio which contains a lot of AAPro effects. Perhaps one way to get a feel for it is to get a copy of Animator (not Animator Pro) which I have seen advertised occasionally in the back of PC Magazine, sold by a company with a name like Software Surplus, for around $60. This is essentially the same product, but with the resolution confined to 320x200x256. Also, to buy AAPro, you should get hold of a dealer in your area (call 800/879-4233). They should be able to help you make a decision about the product. By the way, what is the "animation data" you're referring to? Nik
#36471From: CHristopher ChanMar 4, 1993 8:02 AM
<what is the "animation data" you're referring to?> Basically, we have a group of artists who will be generating many animations which fall into two categories: (1) static frame…anims that have a constant location and simply play back the frames on top of each other (I thought the .FLC format would suit this well) (2) moving frame…anims that move around the screen. To accomodate the way the artists work, we need a tool that can capture "hotspots" of the anim as the image moves (we can't just move the whole thing a constant amount each time) We are already familiar with the AMIGA ADpro package, but before we go an buy 5-7 new amigas for our artists I thought I'd look into any available PC solutions.
#36576From: Nik Grant [adesk]Mar 5, 1993 11:43 AM
Thanks for the "animation data" description. Sounds like an interesting setup. I hope you enjoy all this!! Best, Nik