Your orgins of animation software?
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I also started on the Amiga myself.
I first started animating sprites in Amos and short animations in a program called "Spectracolor Jr" that came on a magazine coverdisk on my A500.
Later, I bought a second-hand A1200 that came with a ton of software, including DPaint IV AGA. From there I eventually upgraded to DPaint V and also purchased ImageFX, PPaint, Cinema4D (from another coverdisk), and MainActor.
After switching to the world of Windoze, I moved onto programs such as Ulead's Gif Animator, Poser, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Toonboom Studio Express (from a coverdisk), Cinema4D (again from a coverdisk), Daz Studio, Project Dogwaffle Professional (for which I also wrote my own animation plugins), Anime Studio Pro, and ZBrush.
Even though ZBrush isn't really geared for animation right now, it can be pretty fun to do a little stop motion sculpting action. Using the "Turntable Plus" plugin and sculpting layers can yield some interesting animated effects as well.
-Paul
I first started animating sprites in Amos and short animations in a program called "Spectracolor Jr" that came on a magazine coverdisk on my A500.
Later, I bought a second-hand A1200 that came with a ton of software, including DPaint IV AGA. From there I eventually upgraded to DPaint V and also purchased ImageFX, PPaint, Cinema4D (from another coverdisk), and MainActor.
After switching to the world of Windoze, I moved onto programs such as Ulead's Gif Animator, Poser, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Toonboom Studio Express (from a coverdisk), Cinema4D (again from a coverdisk), Daz Studio, Project Dogwaffle Professional (for which I also wrote my own animation plugins), Anime Studio Pro, and ZBrush.
Even though ZBrush isn't really geared for animation right now, it can be pretty fun to do a little stop motion sculpting action. Using the "Turntable Plus" plugin and sculpting layers can yield some interesting animated effects as well.
-Paul
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Whoooo, lets see here...
I believe the first animation program i ever used was calle "The complete animator" very simple and couldnt make good animation with it but it was fun.
After that i used a program called Maromiedia Flash MX, really was a pretty good animation program but limited as well.
After that i got into a 3D program(i thought was freaking AWESOME)Animation Master. Dont get me wrong i really like it, but i just couldnt find any good tutorials so i was always so confused. It started out really nice.....then i learned about rigging and how much of a pain it is!
Im now using Anime Studio, so far i think it is really nice! I like how the rigging system works, and while i still am no good at rigging(i really hope i can get better) i think ill try and stick this one out and see how good i get.
I think i remember seeing you on the Animation Master forums before Heyvern. Small World.
I believe the first animation program i ever used was calle "The complete animator" very simple and couldnt make good animation with it but it was fun.
After that i used a program called Maromiedia Flash MX, really was a pretty good animation program but limited as well.
After that i got into a 3D program(i thought was freaking AWESOME)Animation Master. Dont get me wrong i really like it, but i just couldnt find any good tutorials so i was always so confused. It started out really nice.....then i learned about rigging and how much of a pain it is!
Im now using Anime Studio, so far i think it is really nice! I like how the rigging system works, and while i still am no good at rigging(i really hope i can get better) i think ill try and stick this one out and see how good i get.
I think i remember seeing you on the Animation Master forums before Heyvern. Small World.
As a composer, he has no future...
-Beethoven's Music Instructor
-Beethoven's Music Instructor
I think I remember seeing a tute by Vern back in the Ray dream days as well as the AM tutes.
Kinda spooky......
Me , I started on amiga, deluxe paint , digi paint and a 3d one that I can't remember,... to render a 120 polygon flythrough of 5 seconds I'd leave it all weekend to come back to a crash, ahhhh those were the days.
Kinda spooky......
Me , I started on amiga, deluxe paint , digi paint and a 3d one that I can't remember,... to render a 120 polygon flythrough of 5 seconds I'd leave it all weekend to come back to a crash, ahhhh those were the days.
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Oh man Vern!!!heyvern wrote:1) Old Tarzan Paperback books - Not exactly "software" but there was no software at the time... there weren't computers actually. I would draw flip book cartoons in the margins of books around the house when I was a kid. Tarzan had the best ones I did.
2) Bleached 16mm film and a pen - I loved that. Bleach old film stock, draw on each frame with a pen. Load up the projector.
3) Hypercard - Old Apple product. It may still be around not sure. This program had limited drawing tools. It only really supported black and white bitmap artwork but could be used quite effectively to do cell animations. It was mainly designed for creating interactive projects with it's simple programming language. It was the "Flash" of its day. (The original block buster selling game "Myst" was created using Hypercard. True. Look it up).
4) Macromedia Director - Used that for years. Loved it. Loved programming with it. So much fun. Did all kinds of scripted animations, interactive projects for work. At the time it was like Hypercard on steroids. I could actually use full color with alpha channels! Woohoo! It might have had a different name when I first started using it.
5) Strata Studio - the BIG expensive one. This was years ago when it first came out and there was only one version. That was my go to 3D tool for a while. It could do anything. I only dabbled with animation in it. I used it mostly for commercial print work... like putting back packs made of Cordura on the Statue of Liberty and the Easter Island heads.
6) Adobe Dimensions - Remember that? It was a vector based 3D tool. Very nice, easy to use. Created Adobe Illustrator files. Came free with a copy of Illustrator some years back. And yes. A buddy and myself actually used it to produce animations. Nothing exciting, it was hard work exporting frames. I still have version 1 on my old computer.
7) RayDream Studio - 3D software. Now called Carrara which replaced Raydream and Infini-D. Used RDS for AGES. Loved it. Had such cool effects tricks using image masks. I miss it sometimes . Did a lot of print work and hobby animations with it for quite a while. At the time I was on a tight budget working from home as a freelancer. RDS was only $300 compared to $1200 for Srata.
8 ) Macromedia Flash - I remember when it had a different name from a different company (before Macromedia and Adobe even). We got one of the first versions where I worked. It was similar to MM Director (limited scripting. That came in later versions) but the web was just starting to catch on and Flash produced VERY SMALL FILES. It was cool.
9) Animation:Master - The LAST 3D application I will ever buy or use. That's it. No more. Raydream got sold... twice. They lost my registration and I couldn't upgrade for less than full price so I told them to go... uh... I said bad thngs. I tried Pixels 3D for about a week. They pulled a "bait and switch". Sold the "low end" version promising features that cost extra. I told them to go... uh... I said bad things. Then I found Animation:Master and never went back. Cheap, easy to use, Mac/Win on the same disk. Loved it.
10) Flash - it's here twice. I used it at work years ago but not much. I then bought Flash MX 2004 pro. That is my current version. I don't use it much these days.
11) Moho - The LAST 2D tool I will ever buy or use. Really cool cheap 2D program I bought about 3+ years ago. This thing was AMAZING and then it got a name change, became Anime Studio and... uh... er... wait... that's what started this story isn't it? I lost my train of thought.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
-vern
You just took be back memory lane.
Thank you.
Something tells me we might be around the same age.
Gustavo
I like these types of "polls" or topics that force you to look back and document "your life" so to speak. They are always fun and very interesting when you finish and read over it.
I am 44... uh... 45? Close enough. I actually got my age wrong at my last birthday. I thought I was 45 but was informed I am only 44... or it might have been 46 and 45... I am not going to check and will stick with 44 for now.
p.s. Genete knows how bad I am at math.
-vern
I am 44... uh... 45? Close enough. I actually got my age wrong at my last birthday. I thought I was 45 but was informed I am only 44... or it might have been 46 and 45... I am not going to check and will stick with 44 for now.
p.s. Genete knows how bad I am at math.
-vern
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I knew it!heyvern wrote:I like these types of "polls" or topics that force you to look back and document "your life" so to speak. They are always fun and very interesting when you finish and read over it.
I am 44... uh... 45? Close enough. I actually got my age wrong at my last birthday. I thought I was 45 but was informed I am only 44... or it might have been 46 and 45... I am not going to check and will stick with 44 for now.
p.s. Genete knows how bad I am at math.
-vern
I'm 47 bro.
Oh wait, I need to have a drink,
Bartender, Bartender, I'll have a bottle of "Geritol with a Malox chaser"!
Man do I feel old these days.
Gustavo.
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Does anyone remember painter 3d?
You can paint dirextly on to 3d models just like in newer apps like maxxons bodypaint, zbrush and the like.
Of course it wasn't as advanced, but it had that beaut painter interface that is soo great.
I've been in contact with the dev team at corel they inform me that with enough interest they might bring it back.
If you want to see that happen put a vote in at the painter forum..
http://painterfactory.com/forums/t/259.aspx
Painter will also be released with PNG support next version too, at last.
If you have an old copy of p3d that didn't work on XP even in compatibilty mode, well guess what? I got it to work again with vista, using combatibility with 98/me. woohoo!
this is it working on my tablet pc, that's a program that was free last century, working right now with new hardware....p3d rocks.
BTW Vern, RDS will also work on vista properly now as far as I can see, useful for converting model formats if nothing else.
You can paint dirextly on to 3d models just like in newer apps like maxxons bodypaint, zbrush and the like.
Of course it wasn't as advanced, but it had that beaut painter interface that is soo great.
I've been in contact with the dev team at corel they inform me that with enough interest they might bring it back.
If you want to see that happen put a vote in at the painter forum..
http://painterfactory.com/forums/t/259.aspx
Painter will also be released with PNG support next version too, at last.
If you have an old copy of p3d that didn't work on XP even in compatibilty mode, well guess what? I got it to work again with vista, using combatibility with 98/me. woohoo!
this is it working on my tablet pc, that's a program that was free last century, working right now with new hardware....p3d rocks.
BTW Vern, RDS will also work on vista properly now as far as I can see, useful for converting model formats if nothing else.
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- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:45 am
Dude!chucky wrote:Does anyone remember painter 3d?
You can paint dirextly on to 3d models just like in newer apps like maxxons bodypaint, zbrush and the like.
Of course it wasn't as advanced, but it had that beaut painter interface that is soo great.
I've been in contact with the dev team at corel they inform me that with enough interest they might bring it back.
If you want to see that happen put a vote in at the painter forum..
http://painterfactory.com/forums/t/259.aspx
Painter will also be released with PNG support next version too, at last.
If you have an old copy of p3d that didn't work on XP even in compatibilty mode, well guess what? I got it to work again with vista, using combatibility with 98/me. woohoo!
this is it working on my tablet pc, that's a program that was free last century, working right now with new hardware....p3d rocks.
BTW Vern, RDS will also work on vista properly now as far as I can see, useful for converting model formats if nothing else.
Is it still free?
Do you know where I can get a copy (if it is still free that is)?
Gustavo Pabon
I have Painter 3D!
It is on my ancient Mac, an 8500 AV. I was poking around on my shelves and found the manual for Painter 3D... hmm... I still have Classic running on my current mac... I bet I could fire up Painter 3D on it.
I think it was ahead of its time. Deep paint is the program that seems to have replaced it. It's kind of pricey though... when they don't list the price on the web site... I can't afford it.
-vern
It is on my ancient Mac, an 8500 AV. I was poking around on my shelves and found the manual for Painter 3D... hmm... I still have Classic running on my current mac... I bet I could fire up Painter 3D on it.
I think it was ahead of its time. Deep paint is the program that seems to have replaced it. It's kind of pricey though... when they don't list the price on the web site... I can't afford it.
-vern
What about Maxxon body paint ?It comes built in to cinema 4d.
I think c4d has taken up where p3d left off, and I do believe it IS good for character animation and is priced OK for around $800.00 (too rich for me at the mo' though).
I have had it with animation master, it is way to clunky and slow and it crashes like a smash em' up derby.I bought the 3d painter that plugs in to AM but it bites hard. Also with Am, if you have a job that needs to be out quickly or you need props or sets , there are no resources on the net and you have to build every insignificant detail from scratch.
It is a fun toy with powerful ideas, but it just doesn't cut it.
Sorry AM , it's over, but my dear hashy, if it makes it easier I'll say this: "It's not you, it's me".
I think c4d has taken up where p3d left off, and I do believe it IS good for character animation and is priced OK for around $800.00 (too rich for me at the mo' though).
I have had it with animation master, it is way to clunky and slow and it crashes like a smash em' up derby.I bought the 3d painter that plugs in to AM but it bites hard. Also with Am, if you have a job that needs to be out quickly or you need props or sets , there are no resources on the net and you have to build every insignificant detail from scratch.
It is a fun toy with powerful ideas, but it just doesn't cut it.
Sorry AM , it's over, but my dear hashy, if it makes it easier I'll say this: "It's not you, it's me".
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I hear ya bro.chucky wrote:What about Maxxon body paint ?It comes built in to cinema 4d.
I think c4d has taken up where p3d left off, and I do believe it IS good for character animation and is priced OK for around $800.00 (too rich for me at the mo' though).
I have had it with animation master, it is way to clunky and slow and it crashes like a smash em' up derby.I bought the 3d painter that plugs in to AM but it bites hard. Also with Am, if you have a job that needs to be out quickly or you need props or sets , there are no resources on the net and you have to build every insignificant detail from scratch.
It is a fun toy with powerful ideas, but it just doesn't cut it.
Sorry AM , it's over, but my dear hashy, if it makes it easier I'll say this: "It's not you, it's me".
These days I'm fooling around with blender for 3d.
The learning curve is a bit heavy, but, its free.
I'm currently on a tight budget so "free is for me".
I also like Inkscape for vector drawing and GIMP for image editing and painting.
I still use the Adobe suite of programs when working with others in my profession, but I am also experimenting with the aforementioned because it's good to have a back-up.
My only problem is that Anime Studio Pro is so good that there is no back-up.
Gustavo
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