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Old 20th May 2007, 12:02 AM   #1
meoblast001
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Default Timeline

I've only used the trial version of this program, and it is very good. While using the trial, I never saw something I am looking for in 3D software. This thing is a timeline. If there is one but I missed it, please tell me. I would really like to buy this program, but for my need, a timeline would be required. For those who may not know, a timeline allows the graphic to move over time.
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Old 20th May 2007, 06:29 AM   #2
little_penguin
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Default Re: Timeline

ac3d is not considered to be an animation software, sry dude.
have a look at blender
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Old 20th May 2007, 06:37 AM   #3
Tartarooga
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Default Re: Timeline

Hi most use ac3d or other program to make the models and use another program such as bryce 5.5 to animate using timeline, built in to the program.
Hope this helps. you cant do much better than AC3D to create your models for animating. You would have to pay a couple of thousand pounds to do both in the same quality as you would with these two programs which would cost only £150 approx for the both.
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Old 21st May 2007, 08:27 PM   #4
lisa
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Default Re: Timeline

I use AC3D in combination with Poser. AC3D will export OBJ files which can be rigged and animated in Poser quite nicely. Poser, like AC3D, is very inexpensive and very easy to use, yet you can still do professional-looking work with it. Whereas AC3D is strictly a modeller, Poser is strictly animation software, so they make a very good combination.

Here's a pic of Poser with a character I built in AC3D, so you can see what it looks like:

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Old 13th June 2007, 03:52 PM   #5
meoblast001
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Default Re: Timeline

Well, I really like the modeling in AC3D, but with out animation, it's useless to me. If the development team ever does decide to add a timeline, I'll buy AC3D, but otherwise, I'm gonna try out blender (thanks Little_Penguin).
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Old 14th June 2007, 03:17 AM   #6
Hamdon
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Default Re: Timeline

Just out of curiosity, what animation software does everyone here use? I just joined the forum tonight, and I have been dabbling in modeling and animation using the trial version of Maya. I must confess, I REALLY don't like Maya for anything. I have been using AC3D since v4 and I love it. Is there a program out there that makes animating as simple as AC3D makes modelling? I have heard about Bryce and Blender, Poser and Carrera... what do you folks think? What's a cheap simple animator?
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Old 14th June 2007, 12:51 PM   #7
lisa
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Default Re: Timeline

For cheap and easy, I really like Poser. It's very quick to learn, but still has enough meat and potatoes to it to do decent looking stuff. It's got basic IK, a walk designer and a nice-looking albeit slow renderer. There are several different lip-synch tools available for it, and a lot of add-on content. Dennis has written some plug-ins so you can even use AC3D to make morph targets for your Poser characters.

In a far distant second, I like Milkshape. Milkshape is also very easy to learn, but it is very barebones and it has a *lot* of bugs. There's no IK or anything of the like, so it is much more difficult to get acceptable results out of Milkshape unless you are already excellent at hand-drawn animation, and even then it is time consuming. It also has a lot of limitations as far as skinning, so blend weights don't always work as they should either. However, it is cheap, and it supports a lot of file formats including many popular game file formats which is great if you're into making mods.

Another Poser pics showing the kind of quality your can get out of the renderer if you know what you are doing. It's a re-skin of Jessi I've been working on:


The eyes still need work, but I'm happy with the direction it's headed.
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Old 14th June 2007, 01:08 PM   #8
Hamdon
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Default Re: Timeline

Thanks for the input, lisa. I really like what you've done with Jessi. Very realistic. I know this is a neutral pose, but I like that his mouth is open slightly. It gives him character even before he speaks or moves.

Edit: I also really like your little executioner/axeman character. He's funny.

Last edited by Hamdon; 14th June 2007 at 01:11 PM.
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