#Animation Master (Day 1)
11 messages in this thread
I just got a new copy of Animation Master yesterday and thought I'd
post my first impressions of it. I've been using Playmation off and
on for about a year and a half. I've used it to create sprites and
backgrounds for some video games.
First the good news. Inverse Kinematics and skinning is incredible! If
you want to reposition an arm. Just grab it by the hand and move it
to the new position. Depending on the flexibility of the various
joints, the hand moves to the new location if it is valid spot,
otherwise it moves to the closest valid position. The sculpture
program hasn't changed much, it is still easy to use.
Bad news: The learning curve is even steeper than before. The program
has gotten more powerful but it is now even harder to figure out than
before. In creating a character, you have to be very careful and very
specific if you want to use skinning and inverse kinematics. A spider
that re-did a second time because I didn't create it right so that I
could use skeletal movements, I now have to re-create a third time
for use with inverse kinematics and skinning. The program still
makes you keep track of millions of little files. No on screen help.
No F1 key help.
It doesn't really have a network renderer as advertised. But you do
get a license to make as many copies of the rendering application as
you need. So network rendering is included but manually implemented.
It now has a materials editor that is better than before (you can
actually name the materials) but 3DS's material editor is about 10
times better. Working with materials is now more confusing because
there are four different places that materials come from; The decal
program, materials in the character program, image maps in the
character program and the materials editor.
DXF import/export : I tried importing a DXF file that either came with
or was generated from the release 3 office mesh and A:M failed. Next
I tried exporting a DXF file from a A:M object and then re-importing
that same DXF file and it failed again. But the DXF file did import
into 3DS.
It now uses a dongle.
David,
<< the AM report at 6:25 am..>>
AM doesn't sound like an intuitive stable production/productivity
tool..
jonas[adesk]
Does anyone know why there is a continuing thread on the Asoft forum,
regarding such a bizarre piece of code as A:M ? The program is
virtually useless ! We looked at it along with over 10 other programs
and I have to say that it is undoubtedly the worst constructed 3D
program out there.
Features? Instead of trying to fill up their feature list with lots
of half-butt code implementations, they should have tried to design a
program that was at least coherently thought out, and usable.
As for the reference to it being yet another production tool, it's
more like one of those $1.99 Swiss Army Knife knock offs. It has
thousands of uses but none quite so well implemented as it's ability
to set on the shelf with all of the other useless things.
Don't hold anything back Paul…Tell us what you think <g>. Murph'
Well Paul, In all fairness, and even though I would consider 3DSr3
the quintessential first animation package if one can only afford
one, 3DSr1 had many of those $2995 Swiss Army Knife knock off
attributes that you relegate to A:M.
I might also add, that if I didn't know so much about the 3DSr3
product I wouldn't have considered purchasing it from the two pitiful
demos I have seen. I saw one with R2 about nine months ago and one
from a local dealer in my area on R3. I knew more about the product
than my local area dealer. He looked pretty chunky stubbling through
it, but I knew I won't have any problems since I have dealt with all
kinds of interfaces. My hats off to the Yost Group with r3. You have
a mature product that is tough to beat.
Because "a clean, well-thought-out interface" doesn't guarantee that a
program will be successful in the market. I, too, wish it mattered
more, but it doesn't. Amiga-heads had a similar dream, that everyone
would dump their PCs because a multitasking, multiprocessing machine
was clearly superior (and by extension, Amiga-heads would be
recognized as "noted futurists.")
There's always going to people who buy and use software that's
ill-designed. I've known Martin Hash for years, and he's always had
a quirky interface in his programs. But he does "see farther" than
many people in many areas: making computer animation scripting more
like the tried-and-true methods of traditional cel animation,
understanding where the computer can enhance the old methods, such as
separable and reusable motions, skeletons, body parts. In a market
where one glitzy feature is enough to convince some people to buy,
he's got several.
I'm sure we can all think of companies who've survived for years with
lousy products, consistently awful manuals, buggy software. And why?
Because they can offer some glitzy feature X that you can't buy
anywhere else. (Usually because someone has decided they can win
more jobs if they had X, when that's rarely the case.)
As for the DXF import, for example, they're not only attempting to
read the abominable format, but to auto-convert it to spline patches,
too. Another example of biting off more than they could chew, I'm
sure. I guess I should join in with everyone else and harass you
about Softimage: But how much is the Softimage DXF converter? 🙂
I'm not sure what this is all about. I simply gave an opinion of a
program. I'm glad Mr. Hash is a friend of yours and I certainly hope
you buy and use his product to produce great animation.
If you actaully take the time to flip through the thread, I'm sure you
will see that no-where did I mention his screwed up interface. I
guess you've heard that from so many people that you just felt that
it needed to be defended. I probably should have mentioned it, but I
felt everyone already knew how bizarre it was.
I also don't recall mentioning his screwed up DXF import. That was
brought up by someone else. I would never try to move stuff around
with a bizarre DXF imterpreter. Once again I should've mentioned how
messy it was but I left that to others.
As to harassing me about SoftImage, I haven't had anyone even bring
up my use of the product. We are utilizing it as a rendering tool at
the moment. We primarily use Wavefront on the SGI platform. As to the
DXF converter, I wouldn't know. We are utilizing an in-house
conversion utility to go from SI to Wavefront to 3DS, so we avoid DXF
altogether. I had originally hoped to use your converters but it
seems that the release date has been pushed back. At SigGraph '93 I
was told that the release was "any day now".
And finally I really have no idea where all of this came from, did you wake up
on the wrong side of the bed? I entered one out of around 15 messages in this
thread and gave an opinion of the product. My opinion wasn't even very harsh
considering how "disfunctional" the program is generally considered.
Next comment?
Paul
Maybe I replied to the wrong person… No, I don't think his program
"needs defending." I'm not about to defend it. I thought I went to
great lengths to confirm it had a wacky interface. I did not mean to
offend you, I'm sorry you interpreted my message that way.
Thanks for your impression, even though you may feel shot down for
your intentions of helping others who didn't buy it themselves. I
doubt it would have been so if you told them it was SoftImage for the
PC.. [blast the messenger's thread shall we?<ng>]
It sounds like the Hash guys need to refine things still. I think
that they need to slow down on the features list, and make this a
program for the masses. It sounds like this program still takes a
bit of patience to master. Undoubtedly, it's not for everyone. It
does sound neat though, and I'm sure those who learn it will be able
to do things that others won't, or at a lesser cost.
A couple of comments:
>network rendering.
Right now, it's still manual, but they are working on a more
sophisticated implementation. Definately not like 3DS' though, and
probably won't be for a while. It's good that you can (legally)
render on multiple machines though. I guess that's the important
part. Still dissapointing, I'm sure. (I don't have a net yet)
>DXF import
that's too bad it doesn't really work right. I don't see much point
in it, but I guess some would rely on it for buildings/etc. (I'd
rather model in splines.) If they did import, they would be soo big,
that it would probably slow down rendering even more. I'd rather use
3DS for the building stuff, and comp the A:M characters over it. It
would be much faster rendering, and using A:M's shadow buffers, and
VP, it should be pretty easy.
>> I just got a new copy of Animation Master…
I just got some literature from the North American reps of Realsoft
Int. Inc. (a Finnish co. makers of Real 3D). Have you heard about
Real 3D V2 Windows? It is available as a prerelease (a.k.a. beta?)
for $500 and the features look good. It started as an Amiga thing, as
I understand it. They also mention an upcoming Real 3D V2 Windows NT
for the Alpha AXP PC.
If anyone has any comments, I would be interested. Especially about
the interface being better or worse than either Animation Master or
3D Studio. Also the modeling capabilities. Thanks in advance, I
hope.
If you don't have the literature and want it, call:
519.436.0988 Voice
519.436.2429 FAX
519.436.0140 BBS