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Old 22nd November 2006, 01:12 PM   #1
Knowhow
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Question Animating

One Time I read, that AC3D can be use for games. But a game need animations. So how I can animate with AC3D???
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Old 22nd November 2006, 02:18 PM   #2
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Default Re: Animating

AC3D does not support animations. But that doesn't mean the game you're designing for doesn't have tools for creating it.

Case in point: I use AC3D to design aircraft models for a flight sim. But, I have to animate all the moving parts withing the game system, not within AC3D.

Would be nice, though...
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Old 22nd November 2006, 02:21 PM   #3
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Default Re: Animating

Animation is not one of the things you'll be able to implement using AC3D. It's not an end-to-end solution for game assets, but rather a great modeler for creating core game assets.

The AC3D object format is very easy for game developers to leverage, it's great for making maps, characters, and other objects, and the ability to tag objects with a custom data field is priceless for game developers.

It would be nice if AC3D supported animation, it just isn't there at this time.
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Old 29th November 2006, 06:20 PM   #4
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Default Re: Animating

correct me if I am wrong. if ac3d did support an animation feature. I am thinking that the price of the program would jump significantly from where its at right now.
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Old 29th November 2006, 07:57 PM   #5
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Default Re: Animating

Naturally.

If the price were two, three or more times higher than what it is now, I'd expect some rudimentary animation. It's this feature, plus advanced rendering, that are main differences between AC3D and something like Maya, or 3DMax.
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Old 30th November 2006, 05:54 PM   #6
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Default Re: Animating

I disagree. Ac3D is an excellent modeller for its price, and it replicates a lot of the simplicity and features of 3DS v2-4 that I like. However it could really do with being extended to support some form of animation - this is the next logical place to go. Adding animation features will not change what Ac3D is and who it is aimed at (ie: increasing the price to that of Max or maya will not work for obvious reasons) but I it would help to keep Ac3D moving in the right direction and offer bigger reasons to upgrade and draw in many new users.
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Old 30th November 2006, 07:22 PM   #7
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Default Re: Animating

I couldn't imagine a better way to be shown to be in error than for AC3D to expand with animation features without a significant increase in price!

But, we do agree that it is an excellent modeling software for the money, with or without animation support.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we'll see something along that front in the next year or so!
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Old 30th November 2006, 08:39 PM   #8
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Default Re: Animating

Animation is not a premium, and we'll have to disagree that by adding this it would change the place that Ac3D sits in.

It is a basic feature that is sorely lacking IMHO. How many people have wanted to animate their Ac3D models in the environment? ... even in a simple way?

Worst still how many people have looked at Ac3D and moved on because it is just a modeller? Not my place to say this must be done, but just another opinion of a customer.

In my case I found Ac3D in 2002 at version 3. At that time it was a relief to find something that approach to modelling was something that I found familiar and friendly. I still love it today, but fear I may be out growing it because I want to do a little more than just modelling. It seems like just mentioning animation is a dirty word around here?

I had a long think about whether it was worth upgrading to v6, which I did in the end. Mostly because I wanted to continue to support the author in some small way as there weren't many new features which I was excited about. Not that the new features weren't an improvement, but not a great deal of things that that v5 didn't allow me to do already.

This release with the much improved boolean operations, is justifcation alone and something I do want to use. I'm wondering however, what V7 might have to tempt me..? More modelling tools? I don't know, maybe. Improvements to existing features? Great. Allow me to bring my creations to life, definately. We all look for different things I guess, I'll keep my fingers crossed we'll see some form of animation keyframing one day.
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Last edited by AndyH; 30th November 2006 at 08:53 PM. Reason: update
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Old 30th November 2006, 10:19 PM   #9
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Default Re: Animating

Ahhh yes animation would be great!!! I've been wishing for sometime now. Our game was made entirely using ac3d as the modeller. For the animation we just did most of it in the game engine itself. I would think ac3d will have animation added to it sooner than later. The ease of use with this program make it just way too good to pass up, so I can only imagine how great it would be if there were animation. Maybe they are working on it as we speak!



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Old 30th November 2006, 10:52 PM   #10
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Default Re: Animating

well in my honest opinion I will say this. animation is tedious work trust me. I like ac3d the way it is. See what I have been looking at from other programs animation is a long process that would be rather time consuming a person would have to know what they were doing. although animation is nice I would say that if you dont know how to animate I would not try it unless your watching training dvds. those come in HANDY trust me.
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