[Masaccio]

hey man weve talked before on one of my other posts i think
well if ya dont remember me im 13 art is really cool yada yada yada
i would love to get into animation and modelin
anywayz i was wondering how did u learn and what program did u start off with i dunno where to start
ta- maz

[synj]

hey - sorry hehe i didn't see this thread earlier.

i started off using lightwave 5.5, and i still use the same thing about a year and a half later. personally, i think it handles animation better overall than any other program. surely people can contest this but, my opinion wont change

i would suggest trying 3ds max and lightwave, see which one you take to easier and start there.

-synj www.synj.net

[AliasMoze]

Masaccio,
I'm a pro animator, so I thought I'd chime in. I'm a 2D guy, so I don't know much about 3D, but...

Character animation is not about software. It sounds cliche, but you really need to get that idea into your head. The computer does nothing for you. Some packages are better, if you already know what you're doing, but you have to do things manually in character work. Break out (if you already haven't) of the idea that the CG animation is "computer generated." It isn't. It's generated by a human animator. For example, the big 3D animation houses hire animators, not computer people. They look for those (usually traditional cel animators) who simply know how to bring things to life.

Study motion. Even if you plan on doing only 3D, do life drawings. Specifically, do quick (20 secs max) sketches of people in motion. This can be done anywhere people are -- parks, zoos, etc. Having to render people this way will teach you more about how they move than you can imagine.

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AliasMoze
:) :) :) :)
"That activates my hilarity unit."

[synj]

hmm. yeah, alias is correct. but still, there's usually a package that everyone seems to cling to very quickly out there after trying a few. some interfaces just click.

but yeah, 2D animation DEFINATELY carries over to 3D. i didn't get 3d books when i was learning lightwave, i dug up my 2d ones.


-synj www.synj.net

[Mr Weasel]

Hey Synj, speaking of Lightwave, have you tried LW 6 ? A friend of mine has one and i tried it on his computer. I really got to tell you, LW 6 is an awesome thing. Everything just got so interactive like MAX. It almost changed my mind about what i thought about LW.

[tsunami124]

hey i use lightwave 6. i got it mostly because its cheaper than others and i like the feel of it more than max. when i was trying stuff in school with max it took me much longer than with lightwave.

synj, you should try out 6 if you can. instead of having to go to the display tab and zooming in and out and pan etc, each view port has those options. thats just one thing that speeds things up.

tsunami

[synj]

i've used 6.. after using 5.5 for a year or so its a very confusing switch since its a similar interface with the buttons all switched around.. imagine a new version of PS with every single option in another area. very slow production

-synj www.synj.net

[tsunami124]

yeah that happend to me but i got used to it after a while. i couldn't figure out how to just check the smooth surface box because there was a whole surface properties in the modeler.

tsunami

[Worthy]

You guys have mentioned Max and Lightwave, but has anyone here played with Nichimen's Mirai besides me? It has THEE best skeletal animation and 3d modeling software on the market. Trust me, after modeling anything ande everything for Viewpoint, and using Maya, Max, Lightwave, Mirai, TrueSpace, Form-Z, Nendo..all I say is..go Nichimen! It is being used on the Lord of the Rings for ALL of the character modeling and facial morph targets. Plus, many video games (FF7 and 8, Gran Turismo, PaRappa and more) were made with Nichimen.
No, I do not work for them. But check out www.nichimen.com !

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3D Sculptor
Viewpoint Digital

[Trance-R]

I like Lightwave too.
Especially the shortcut keys... you know?
. and , for zooming, b for bevel, q for surface... and alot more. I find the shortcut keys speed up modeling ALOT! That's something I don't see in 3DsMax. You gotta click on all these tabs and dig deep into the menu.
Starting out in 3D modeling and animation, I would definitely go with Lightwave, the interface is less frustrating and more straightforward. 3DsMax utilize too much graphical buttons that a beginner wouldn't know what it does. =) For that... I am a beginner, that's why I use lightwave.

I have tried Nichimen, mebe I should give it a shot. Since Worthy spoke so highly of it.

Lightwave 6 doesn't work properly in Win98, but much better in Win2k. Lw 5.6 is speedier than 6 at rendering, but 5.6 lacks all the radiosity and caustics stuff.
Oh and did you guys look at all the presets in steamer?!!! It's even got pretty good looking phaser rays and lightning effect! I like!

[Worthy]

Hey Trance et all
Well, I would download Nendo for starters..its FREE! modeling and 3d painting..You just cant import/export unless you buy...but its only $99! If you like it..maybe move on As for Mirai..much pricier..I am sure you could find hacks for it online, though I do own an official copy. If you need any help with it, Id be glad to help..and there are several online forums for Mirai and Nendo. Id also suggest going to www.spiraloid.com, which is by a guy named Bay Raitt. He is an older friend, who I worked with once, and now works at WETA, as the head of 3d character design on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He has some good tutorials and some decent older work on his pages as well (he doesnt update much).
Hope that gets you rollin...


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3D Sculptor
Viewpoint Digital

[Joachim]

masaccio,

wanna go into animation?
go to synj's page or straight to the forum http://cgi.3dmecca.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=trueand
It's a forum for animation only. Can help....programs are just tools, they will never do the job for you


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Joachim
web: http://home.sol.no/~jbarrum/

[This message has been edited by Joachim (edited June 26, 2000).]