CompuServe Thread

Both the Disney and Hanna Barbera animation studios have attached their names to animation programs for the PC and Macintosh. Your interest in semi-realism doesn't preclude these packages since the realism you get is dependent upon the realism you put in and/or draw. For photo-realism, or as close as computers get these days, you'll probably need a a combination of programs centered about a 3D product. In fact, Hash (who runs a technical support forum right here in Animation Vendors A) makes a 3D product which is particularly good and modelling human motion and form. They are located in Section 2 of this forum. Thanks for asking! Jason Support is no Technicality

Al, Is your son's platform Mac or PC? Is your budget $200 or $3000? Is 8 bit color sufficient or is 24 bit necessary? Is the end result to be played back on computer or output to video tape? Animation programs basically break down into 2D and 3D programs. The more realistic you want, the more (in general) you should lean toward a 3D program. But 3D programs are not programs you "draw" in, in the usual sense of the word. Animator Studio (an offspring of Animator Pro & due out soon) will probably set the new low end standard in 2D animation on the PC (by low end, you can probably buy it for 400-500$). A slew of 3D programs have recently come out on the PC market (Truespace, Imagine, Animation Master, and very soon now, Lightwave). These are in the 400-1000 range. 3D Studio is the standard bearer on the PC, outstanding, but pricey at around $2500 (although a full time student can pick it up for $995). All generally require a good paint program as well, since the original images are made here (Photoshop and Painter are two standards). Your son has probably been exposed to several programs at school & should have a pretty good idea of what he wants. Answering the initial questions I posed will at least narrow the field a little. As recently as two years ago the choices were fairly restricted. Not so any more. Andrew