I am thinking of getting a 3D package, one of which is Hash's Animation Master. Unfortunately they don't do a demo version anymore. Reading reviews of the software on the net leaves me somewhat confused. They fall into 2 camps. Those that think it's great piece of software for the functionality and price, and those that think it is a load of rubbish.
What are the views of anyone on the AS Forum?
Animation Master
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Shanty Baba
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Víctor Paredes
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Animation Master has a new web subscription plan that makes it less risky to try. It is only $50 to use for a year. That is real bargain. It is tied to one machine but they are very helpful if you need to move it for some reason.
A:M is one of those programs that does tend to make people love it or hate it. It requires some getting use to. In the same way that Anime Studio is different from other programs in the same category.
If you have to work with game engines or polygon formats A:M might not be the best choice. It doesn't work well with polygons. It has its own spline/patch method that is not easily transfered. Much the same way that Anime Studio doesn't work well with EPS or Adobe Illustrator format.
I have used A:M for ages and ages. At least 10 years. I don't plan to switch 3D software as long as it's around.
One thing you have to look at are the features that come with it standard. these features aren't "extra" that cost more like other packages. It is one price and everyone gets all the same features.
Hair
Cloth
Physics/collision detection
Particles/image particles (smoke and fire)
Built in compositor
HDRI image support (this is huge for those HD fans)
There is a new liquid simulator available in the beta version.
For $50 for a year... it's worth checking out.
It does take some getting use to if you are switching from a polygon program. it is NOTHING like a polygon program at all. They should still have a 30 day money back guarantee.
-vern
A:M is one of those programs that does tend to make people love it or hate it. It requires some getting use to. In the same way that Anime Studio is different from other programs in the same category.
If you have to work with game engines or polygon formats A:M might not be the best choice. It doesn't work well with polygons. It has its own spline/patch method that is not easily transfered. Much the same way that Anime Studio doesn't work well with EPS or Adobe Illustrator format.
I have used A:M for ages and ages. At least 10 years. I don't plan to switch 3D software as long as it's around.
One thing you have to look at are the features that come with it standard. these features aren't "extra" that cost more like other packages. It is one price and everyone gets all the same features.
Hair
Cloth
Physics/collision detection
Particles/image particles (smoke and fire)
Built in compositor
HDRI image support (this is huge for those HD fans)
There is a new liquid simulator available in the beta version.
For $50 for a year... it's worth checking out.
It does take some getting use to if you are switching from a polygon program. it is NOTHING like a polygon program at all. They should still have a 30 day money back guarantee.
-vern
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Víctor Paredes
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5814
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:18 am
- Location: Barcelona/Chile
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Vern, I have been thinking seriously about buying A:M. but I'm not sure yet. Here (in Chile) the standard is Maya -I suppose it's the same anywhere- and in all the companies I have worked, they work with maya, and I have seen some wonderful and some horrible stuff.
I really love moho, and i would like to start with something similar in 3d. seems to be that A:M is the best choice. I don't know what is happening with A:M, but since i discovered Moho, in all companies loved the stuff they can quickly create with and decided to switch to moho (generally from flash).
But A:M is absolutely unknown here, I just know it from what I have seen here in the forum.
what do you think, knowing my AS background, should I do?
thanks.
I really love moho, and i would like to start with something similar in 3d. seems to be that A:M is the best choice. I don't know what is happening with A:M, but since i discovered Moho, in all companies loved the stuff they can quickly create with and decided to switch to moho (generally from flash).
But A:M is absolutely unknown here, I just know it from what I have seen here in the forum.
what do you think, knowing my AS background, should I do?
thanks.
Hard to say really.
It all depends on why you are using a 3D application. If you want to do your own stuff and don't need to be part of some larger 3D community A:M has every feature and the complete work flow from start to finish. Martin Hash created it specifically for artists, one artist one computer creating animations all at a very affordable price. That was his goal. To make 3D animation available to the starving artist.
If you want to learn a program so you can go get hired at a 3D studio than maybe Maya is the way to go. Even then you still need to be a good animator.
Keep in mind learning animation is universal. Animation skills by themselves are not limited to software. Many people have used A:M to become great animators and have moved on to big studios like ILM or Pixar.
One guy many of us know about over on the Hash forum works for Pixar now. He created a famous short viral animation in Animation Master some years ago (I will survive, with an alien getting hit by a disco mirror ball) that helped him get the job at Pixar. Now we see his name in the credits of our favorite Pixar films.
It all depends on what you plan to do with A:M. I chose A:M because it was inexpensive and had all the features I wanted. I didn't care about it not being compatible with other programs because I only needed it for my own stuff.
For $50 a year it isn't a bad deal. Considering that price compared to Maya. Plus Maya only offers a lot of the cool features as extra "plugins" or modules. A:M has all the features for the same price.
No one has heard of A:M. Only those who use it really know about it. Some reviewers might have heard of it because they had to write about it.
A:M was the FIRST consumer 3D application. It started on the Amiga platform. It has been around LONGER than any other 3D application... and yet no one knows about it. The biggest complaint is the price. If A:M cost 10 times more it might be more well known.
Creating and animating with bones in A:M is very similar to Anime Studio.
-vern
It all depends on why you are using a 3D application. If you want to do your own stuff and don't need to be part of some larger 3D community A:M has every feature and the complete work flow from start to finish. Martin Hash created it specifically for artists, one artist one computer creating animations all at a very affordable price. That was his goal. To make 3D animation available to the starving artist.
If you want to learn a program so you can go get hired at a 3D studio than maybe Maya is the way to go. Even then you still need to be a good animator.
Keep in mind learning animation is universal. Animation skills by themselves are not limited to software. Many people have used A:M to become great animators and have moved on to big studios like ILM or Pixar.
One guy many of us know about over on the Hash forum works for Pixar now. He created a famous short viral animation in Animation Master some years ago (I will survive, with an alien getting hit by a disco mirror ball) that helped him get the job at Pixar. Now we see his name in the credits of our favorite Pixar films.
It all depends on what you plan to do with A:M. I chose A:M because it was inexpensive and had all the features I wanted. I didn't care about it not being compatible with other programs because I only needed it for my own stuff.
For $50 a year it isn't a bad deal. Considering that price compared to Maya. Plus Maya only offers a lot of the cool features as extra "plugins" or modules. A:M has all the features for the same price.
No one has heard of A:M. Only those who use it really know about it. Some reviewers might have heard of it because they had to write about it.
A:M was the FIRST consumer 3D application. It started on the Amiga platform. It has been around LONGER than any other 3D application... and yet no one knows about it. The biggest complaint is the price. If A:M cost 10 times more it might be more well known.
Creating and animating with bones in A:M is very similar to Anime Studio.
-vern
The A:M community and forum is fantastic! It is a larger, more active group than here... maybe because it's been around longer and has a larger customer base... I don't know. Just guessing.
I have said in the past I use to be over on the A:M forum all the time... then I switched to 2D and Moho and started hanging out here more.
-vern
I have said in the past I use to be over on the A:M forum all the time... then I switched to 2D and Moho and started hanging out here more.
-vern
I used AM quite a lot this year for previsualisation for special effects sequences produced by atmosphere in Canada for a proposed live action series.I have also used it for character animation, it's great for that.
It certainly has many good points and just as many bad ones.
I really like its hash patch system , actions and toon render.
The patches are great for minimal vertex building and smooth natural movement.The time line and key frames are a dream, in fact I think anime could use some of its functionality there.
Support is rubbish, I have nothing good to say about that.
Especially as the software- and this is the downside is SO unstable.
The forums here are better.
If you want to use volumetrics or anything other than basic rendering forget it. rendering is SLOOOOOOW.
I can't tell you how many frustrations I had with object that didn't render or lights that didn't.
Many of it's features aren't properly documented like the tree builder , whatever that was called.
It does however come with a great manual for its basic functions and all the free models and actions are fantastic especially as you can apply actions across skeletons.
It is also very easy to rig characters.
I find the updates are lacklustre you will find yourself paying for no real improvements and resources from turbo squid and the like are non existent,
If you have to build environments or vehicles you will find yourself building from scratch.The Am painter plugin is a waste of money you will still have to mess around with groups and whatnot.
What more can I say, other than my experience was like a doomed love affair. I like Maya LW SLI and others but for solo projects which need that hands on all aspects quickly AM is wham bam thankyou mam but maybe Cinema 4D ,might produce a more lasting one on one relationship.
I still just 'stalking' C4D at the moment but I'm hoping to get to know her better in the future.
It certainly has many good points and just as many bad ones.
I really like its hash patch system , actions and toon render.
The patches are great for minimal vertex building and smooth natural movement.The time line and key frames are a dream, in fact I think anime could use some of its functionality there.
Support is rubbish, I have nothing good to say about that.
Especially as the software- and this is the downside is SO unstable.
The forums here are better.
If you want to use volumetrics or anything other than basic rendering forget it. rendering is SLOOOOOOW.
I can't tell you how many frustrations I had with object that didn't render or lights that didn't.
Many of it's features aren't properly documented like the tree builder , whatever that was called.
It does however come with a great manual for its basic functions and all the free models and actions are fantastic especially as you can apply actions across skeletons.
It is also very easy to rig characters.
I find the updates are lacklustre you will find yourself paying for no real improvements and resources from turbo squid and the like are non existent,
If you have to build environments or vehicles you will find yourself building from scratch.The Am painter plugin is a waste of money you will still have to mess around with groups and whatnot.
What more can I say, other than my experience was like a doomed love affair. I like Maya LW SLI and others but for solo projects which need that hands on all aspects quickly AM is wham bam thankyou mam but maybe Cinema 4D ,might produce a more lasting one on one relationship.
I still just 'stalking' C4D at the moment but I'm hoping to get to know her better in the future.