#2D Animation Package?
26 messages in this thread
We're looking for an animation package of a different flavor. How
about that imports photos (tiff, jpeg, whatever) as a two-dim frame.
From this, one can manipulate the movement of the 2D car, say,
beginning at one point, and then keyframing it to another point. Then
the smart little computer comes along and fills in the middle frames
(with user control and direction, of course).
What do you think? Anything remotely like it? I'd like to try
something where one doesn't have to create a 3D object before
animation – it's along the lines of cell animation, only using RL
photos…
James:
You could do this easily with Animator Pro!
Greg Pyros
Tell me how! I've never actually seen the program but if it's an easy
technique… Maybe I'll buy. BTW – Say hi to the nice assistant you
have that took my order for your 3DS book. She's gone out of her way
to make sure I get it – really cool. But then again, she says she
never sees you. What is it you do there all day? <g>!
James:
This is a basic concept with 2D animation packages, usually called 'cells' or
'sprites' – Ani Pro has both.
It's a good way of creating tests and storyboards quickly, in addition to
animated texture maps to use within 3DS.
>> BTW – Say hi to the nice assistant you have that took my order for your 3DS
>> book. She's gone out of her way to make sure I get it – really cool.
Could have been Andrea, Kristine, or Joanna. I'll pass it along! Thanks!
Greg Pyros
Hey Greg –
Did you notice – you're posting was number 66666 – wooo weee wooo…
Sorry. Anyway, how much does Ani Pro run at? I've thought of checking it out
but kinda though 3DS covered all the territory.
And, it was Andrea.
Thanks JAmes
James,
You can do your 2-D in a number of ways, only a few that are
listed here: 1) Use a rectangle in 3D Studio, with the picture as a
self-illuminated decal material (to key out a background for
irregular shapes). 2) Use Lumena form Time Arts. 3) Use AT&T's
RIO Animator (currently 1 version back @ 5.0, but a 6.0 update is now
promised. 4) Look in the Truevision Software Catalog for other 2-D
packages. 5) Play around with 3DS's Video Post, offsets &
rotations.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
1) Using a rectangle with self illumination – Would the keyframer fill in the
extra frames of a bitmap? I think it would change keyframes, but there wouldn't
be a progression, one spot to the other… I don't think…
2) I don't know Lumena form Time Arts…
3) … or AT&T's RIO Animator – sounds interesting – PC based?
4) I will check Truevision.
5) I'll check the Video Post – one thing I know nothing about is animating
bitmaps – how the keyframer looks at them. I was always under the assumption
that the keyframer would only animate mesh objects.
Thanks!
James
How about COSA after effects. It's very impressive, kinda like a mega
3ds video post module for animated compositions. Problem is, it only
runs on Macs <booh, hooh>
<<How about COSA after effects. >>
Now, is this a all in one title, as in "COSA after effects" Inc. or is it a
procedure and software that I would use after effects. <g>
In any case, I'm not sure of COSA. Could you describe further. We do have
access to the Mac, so maybe…
Thanks! James
James,
the company's called "COSA" and the product "After Effects". It's a
keyframable, multi-layering composition package, think 3ds video post, but with
many more times the capability. Very impressive.
Maybe someone else can elaborate more, cause I'm going to be off the net for a
couple of weeks now. Byeeee!
Thanks for the info Martin. And if you're gone and now back again, WELCOME
BACK!
James
James,
In 3D Studio, you can map a texture (such as a .TGA file or .IFL
sequence) to a rectangle with the appropriate aspect ratio & # of pixels of the
source image. Make it self-illuminated, and move the rectangle in the
Keyframer. Your image will move around as specified. You can scale, rotate,
move & z-move, tilt, etc. The content of your bitmap does not change, but you
can affect its position and how the camera sees it. For instance, bring in a
path & move it on that, and adjust as desired.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
<<The content of your bitmap does not change,>>
Ah ha! This actually was the question. I want to import a photo of, say, a car
on a road with houses in the background. Without creating a 3D representation
of this picture – no polygons, no shapes, nothing – I want to define the group
of pixels that makes up the car, and then "tell" that group to go forward
whatever amount of distance. Later I will redefine the tires, so they roll
properly, etc. It's crude and I understand 3DS can do a million more things,
but this technique may be effective for certain small effects.
Actually, it's all just theory <g>.
James
James,
I hope its clear that my technique will still operate as you have
described – no 3D geometry of the car is required, for instance, except a
bounding rectangle. Hopefully the car will be on a solid background color that
can be keyed out using Decal (uses the upper-leftmost pixel color).
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Thanks Kevin. I'm going to give this a try. There's something I'm missing with
the keyframer – although most of my experience so far with 3D Studio has been
in the other modules – still working on getting something worth animating. But
I will try it.
Thanks for the instruction!
James
James – The kind of thing you're describing is exactly what Animator Pro is
good at.
FWIW
David Taffet
I just got a letter in the mail from a company in Woodland Hills that puts out
a 3D package called Renderize Live. It runs on PC, Sun, Indigo platforms,
costs $395 for the next 30 days, and comes free with something called Visual
Image which "has the ability to twist a 2D image in 3D space so you can take a
photograph of a driveway and stretch and twist it so that it will lay in
perfect perspective in a 2D image.
I don't know if any of these packages are worth their salt, but…
Their number is 800 669-7318, discount code SA01.
Regards,
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
John,
Renderize only allows you to animate the camera – nothing else moves.
Kevin KrYl – Computer Support Associates
Yeah, I called them and found that out. Sounds good for some things, but not
what I had in mind. They're coming out with a polygon and spline-patch modeller
in January, but it won't export geometry – useless!
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Thanks for the info John. I'm calling them now. Oh, the 800-number doesn't work
in Canada. Do you have another number for Renderize Live?
James
I'm sorry, James, I don't have another number handy.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
James,
Last # I have for Visual Software (mfgrs. of Renderize) is 213/856-0415.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Thanks for the number, Kevin… But it's out of service. I wonder if that's a
sign <g>…
OK, James, I found out they moved. Here's the new # for Visual Software:
818/592-0900.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Kevin:
The number went "out of service" when ITAL closed their doors. DougR kept
Visual Software open to continue development and sales.
Greg Pyros
Ital closed their doors? This is a new one on me. Could you give a
brief history of what happened, and what Visual Software is?
Just curious. I was involved in a joint Autodesk/Ital multimedia
presentation thing at Universal Studios in Hollywood a few years
ago. They were one of my first clients — they hired me to do an
Ital logo in Animator back in my 320×200-realtime-to-video days.
Michele