[MrHHH]

So, everyone knows about Poser and it's limitations. I was wondering what else is out there.

What I'm trying to figure out is, what would be the best software for making a 3-d animation. Complete with growth and jiggle.

I've heard of Lightwave, 3-d studio used to be popular, but now I can't even find it on Autodesk's site!

"Tripping the Rift" was a nice bit of animation, and that was done 3 years ago! Surely some better software packages have come out since then.

We should compile a review or list or something.  

[Byz]

Oh, there are!

3D Studio MAX 4.1 is best all around. For character work, though, MAYA rules. MAX is much more cost-effective and you can import Poser models, give them a biped skeleton in MAX, and then animate them to your liking. The flex modifier works wonders for breasts. It doesn't take as long to "rig" (get a character model ready for animation) in MAYA, but you pay the price. 3D Cafe offers many free tutorials and models.

Hope this helps!

Byz  

[The Warlock]

If you're looking for cheap, go for Animation Master.  It's only three hundred or so, and it has a lot of good things right out of the box, like cloth simulation, that 3DS MAX doesn't.  Vitamin C was using it for his 3D work, and he liked it a lot.

I use 3DS MAX 4, personally, but that's because I'm an animator by education.  MAX will run you around five grand (with some plugins you'll need) and Maya has an annual (yes, annual) licsence fee of something like eighteen grand.  I wouldn't bother with Maya unless you have too much money to use.

The Warlock  

[MrHHH]

Um, I just downloaded 3-D studio Max 4.2

Did I mention I have a cable modem?  

[prinz]

5 grand for Max Gasp, choke ,gag ..It is a neat program. Ol Prinz shakes his head and goes back to building HMS Victory in 1/100 scale. I like playing around with poser and Vue and would love to get a great rendering engine but gee's cheers PE  

[The_Rocketeer]

Short of investing in Maya, I'd say wait for Poser 5.    There is a discussion thred about it at Renderosity.com. From what I've seen, it looks amazing; hair/fur generators, cloth simulation, automated texture mapping…
It looks amazing.

[MrHHH]

Woah, I just checked out the "Skirt.avi" it looks amazing.
And they're doing real hair!

If they get rid of the arm fold, I'll be very happy. But they don't have a date for when this will out. :/  

[Vermillion]

Hopefully Curious Labs will offer an upgrade package for poser 4 users to upgrade to Poser 5 like they have in the past for owners of previous versions.

[MrHHH]

I've been reading up on Poser 5. It's a complete rewrite from scratch, so the odds of having a patch to upgrade from 4 to 5 are very very small.

Does anyone know if Poser supports multiproccessors?  

[Zasha]

MrHHH - Are you using a Mac?  If so, Maya and/or Bryce seem to be the best.

BEFORE YOU SCREAM ABOUT PRICE, an Ed. Ver. of Maya is available for free download.  I understand that it's fully functional, but leaves a watermark (no problem, though - there's an easy hack if you're using OS X).

If you're one of the poor, lost souls that has succumbed to the Dark Side of Winblows, I pray that there is something you can use that doesn't take a year to render...Hee hee!

Zasha

[prinz]

Just started following the threads on  poser 5 in the Renderosity forum.. looks like quite a leap forward over Poser4... They say all our chareters and props will still work.. Im upgrading to a P4 at 1.8 ghz  and a 128 meg video card this fall..and windows xp.. looks like Im gonna need it. I will wait and let the dust settle on Poser 5 let them shake some of the bugs out then buy!! We owners of poser 4.03 should get a break in price on 5. Looks really shit hot!! cheers PE  

[Vermillion]

I agree with you PE about Curious Labs needs to at least give some sort of discout on Poser 5 since apparently we won't be able to just buy an upgrade for Poser 4 but i'll get it none-the-less even if they don't.

 

[Zasha]

You guys are really cool!

I re-read my post, and realized that some of what I said, though in jest, may have been construed as "trolling."  In the MacAddict Forums, pc'ers are jumped on all over for saying something like that.  Y'all must have realized that my comment was in jest, or you just ignored me.  

Either way, thank you for not jumping all over me.

Zasha

[Vermillion]

Or maybe we just realize the truth? I certainly didn't take offense at anything you said Zasha.  



 

[prinz]

I thought Id cut you some slack. My P4 1.4ghz and 640meg of RD ram does'nt take forever to render.. No doubt the mac is a better ops sys.. But Bill Gates will finnish buying you guys out someday and we will both end up on the same platform after he finnishs buying up the internet.   cheers PE