Easy to learn and powerful 3D anim. software

exclusive · Post by **exclusive** » Wed May 18, 2005 11:07 pm

Hi everybody.

I need a little suggestion. I didn't use any 3D software before and now I decide to buy a good 3D software and even spent money to learn it.

Here is my question: Which one do you prefer?
(according to these criterias: Easy to learn - Easy to use - fast & STRONG)

3D max or MAYA or LightWave. (Or maybe another one)

I am asking this question almost everyone because I am at the begining of the road and I don't want to change my way later

Nolan Scott · Post by **Nolan Scott** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:37 am

Try Cinema 4D (Demo available, just save disabled)
http://www.maxon.net/index_e.html

Cheers
Nolan

Rai López · Post by **Rai López** » Thu May 19, 2005 6:16 am

What's about this software, is really SO easy in compared with that others, I've visited the site but I'd like that you explain us the reason of your choice, I'd be VERY gratefull, because I need too learn a powerfull 3D program in no much time and seems that Maya is not the best choice for that... THANK YOU (in advance) and CIAO!

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:48 am

Hi Ramon,

Have you looked at Animation Master http://www.hash.com
In some ways it resembles Moho, and it's quite powerful and (relatively) cheap. If you can get hold of "The Animation Master Handbook, second Edition" by Jeff Paries, it even has an installation disk with no restrictions. It's an old version, but may be good enough for you to try out and see if you want to commit to the most recent version.

HTH

J

Rai López · Post by **Rai López** » Thu May 19, 2005 10:15 am

Thank you very much jahnocli, I tried Hash Animation in the past, seems easy and interesant, but I dislike the way that the objects are builded in it, based in splines only, if I'm not wrong (I don't know if this have change now) ...but this limited so much the construction of the objects (I'm very interested in planes or 2D meshes over all) anyway it always have been as a "probable" program for me, and I don't rule out a possibilitie...

MathiasMS · Post by **MathiasMS** » Fri May 20, 2005 7:37 pm

Hi!

There is alot of 3D software, like Lightwave, 3Ds Max, Maya and Blender.
But i will prefer Cinema 4D or the free program 3D Blender. You can get 3D Blender on www.blender.org

exclusive · Post by **exclusive** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:55 am

I visited the official site of blender3d. This program is really a freeware but I think it won't so easy to learn it because they're selling the users guide...
I prefer to spent money for the program, not for the guide

Nichod · Post by **Nichod** » Tue May 31, 2005 1:56 am

No program is easy to learn. Blender is very powerful, everything from soft body dynamics, to crowd simulation, to powerful scripting capabilities. And considering the entire manual is available online. I'm not sure what you are complaining about.

Brian

Rai López · Post by **Rai López** » Tue May 31, 2005 2:06 am

I'm now with Hash Animation Master and guy, WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM!!! (for now) I tried it in the past but I thought that I must work with another "standard" program like 3D Studio or Maya... Finally I found Moho and $bought$ it because I was SURE that it be the program of my life... Well, I'm VERY sorry but seems that I was in a BIG mistake

...Finaly I've understand that I need a more profesionality/funcionality/advanced program, yes... I'll try to do in this 3D program all that 2D things that I've can NOT do in Moho for several reasons that I've manifest in most Feature Request topics... Well, maybe some day Moho be the program of my dreams but I can't wait more time... I've spend too much time with this, I've learn a lot of things certainly (never the time is totally lost) and I've meet interesting/lovely/amiable people here, I'm very GRATEFULL and surely I'll continue visit the forum to see how the things are, for now: CIAOOOOOOOOOOoo...

(sniff)

Nichod · Post by **Nichod** » Tue May 31, 2005 6:08 am

I'm now with Hash Animation Master and guy, WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM!!! (for now) I tried it in the past but I thought that I must work with another "standard" program like 3D Studio or Maya... Finally I found Moho and $bought$ it because I was SURE that it be the program of my life... Well, I'm VERY sorry but seems that I was in a BIG mistake ...Finaly I've understand that I need a more profesionality/funcionality/advanced program, yes... I'll try to do in this 3D program all that 2D things that I've can NOT do in Moho for several reasons that I've manifest in most Feature Request topics... Well, maybe some day Moho be the program of my dreams but I can't wait more time... I've spend too much time with this, I've learn a lot of things certainly (never the time is totally lost) and I've meet interesting/lovely/amiable people here, I'm very GRATEFULL and surely I'll continue visit the forum to see how the things are, for now: CIAOOOOOOOOOOoo... (sniff)

Sad to hear that. Keep in mind that its the user that produces and not the program. I've seen many people bounce from program to program and blaming the software for their inability to produce. I for years thought I could produce my visions via various 3D software. AM is one of the one's that I have used. I discovered that 3D while it is a capable medium, if you want to produce a quality story of any length, takes much more time to master, learn, and then finally produce. To me 2D animation has always been just for fun and perhaps simple animatics. But upon discovering software like TAB, Toonboom, and of course Moho, I discovered it can be much more. To me producing via 2D just makes more sense, especially if the workflow is like Moho.

The normal process of development for a film usually always incorporates concept sketching, why not take those concept sketches and vectorize them for animation in Moho? With 3D you'd have to then model those sketches in 3D, texture them, rig them, and then worry about setting up the environment and lighting. 2D is a more direct way in my mind. Especially with Moho.

Anyway, good luck pursuing your goals. Hash is a very capable app for animating.

Brian

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Tue May 31, 2005 8:54 am

Ramon,

Gonna miss your idiosyncratic posts! Good luck...

J

Rai López · Post by **Rai López** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:00 am

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME!!! (hello again

) I LOVE 2D (is all my life) and I only going to change the "tool", I'm going to do in Hash that 2D things that in Moho have been IMPOSSIBLE for me, and you can be sure that I know the program and I know that things it can do and that things it can not, I've clear too that I want (now), and I've tried to do all that things in Moho because I loved (sometimes hated) it SO much that you can imaginate, I'm not guilting Moho of all my errors, but also in 2D I need a powerfull/advanced Morphing features,i.e... (I want that my characters be alive!), a REAL 3D positioning of the elements, interactuation between layers, compatibility between one layers to anothers, some audio features (...), Timeline precision, more automatation (we are in XXI century, caramba) and features that really works fine (that in Moho NOT all features works fine...) I've been made me mad during SO much time because all this issues (and anothers) and I'm tired...

I'm sure that Moho will be a "perfect" program (with all that and much more in the future, yes...) I know too that is a cheap program (too Animation Master is) and I understand all the company circuntancies... But I'm now in a big PROBLEM for all this time dedicated to it and must take a determination, seems that Hash can let me all that things that I can't found in Moho and in some features/interface they seems the "same" and I can still work with 2D forms with much more flexibility/posibilities! I'm now in the right way (hope) and I'm so happy...

AY! (mistake) want to say

...CIAO!!!

Rasheed · Post by **Rasheed** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:15 am

Nichod wrote:Keep in mind that its the user that produces and not the program. I've seen many people bounce from program to program and blaming the software for their inability to produce.

Brian, I couldn't agree more.

Animation is about communicating visually. If you can tell a story with images, then the only thing you'll have to do is to sharpen your skills as an animator.

And it is even not necessary to have character animation to tell a good story, see this (18 Mb zipped) movie, called The warrior's Prayer by Mauro Frau. It contains only stills (cleverly animated) and is very captivating. Of course, the story teller's voice and the sound track are superb.

nobudget · Post by **nobudget** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:38 am

Blender is a very difficult program to get started with. The manual isn't very helpful to the new user. I only learnt it with user written tutorials explaining every single step. It's powerful but not for first time 3D users. Hash Animation Master was promising to me but I've never used such an instable program. Crashed here, there, everywhere and put me off an otherwise powerful program (check the bones feature and compare to Moho!).

Moho is more limited than 3D apps and therefore easier to actually get results. You can not create a Pixar production but if you develop your own style with the Moho functionality in mind you can create high quality productions. For me speed is important, I want quick results. Moho gives me that, 3D apps are not suited for impatient people like myself.

Reindert.
www.nobudgetvideo.com

Nichod · Post by **Nichod** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:29 pm

3D apps are not suited for impatient people like myself.

Well said:)

Blender is a very difficult program to get started with.

True, but any program is difficult to get started with. And other then Moho, I've yet to see a good manual, even Moho lacks a detailed description on certain features like masking.

AM is very crashable, but a lot of it depends upon your hardware configuration. A big issue it had, and still does often is the splines often link incorrectly, creating splits, and artifacts that are software error, not user error.

Brian