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Basic Functions and Features


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  • Admin

All,

This is something of a 'pardon our dust' post.

We are about to enter Phase II in the effort to bring more documentation on Animation:Master to users everywhere.

 

First, many thanks to all those that have contributed tutorials already! Some great information is being presented and it is most appreciated. I know I've learned a lot.

 

As soon as the Extra CD project gets finished I hope to focus on putting together some basic tutorials on the functions and features in A:M. These would be of the variety of answering those "How do I...?" questions that everyone runs into sooner or later; "How do I Embed All?", "How do I model ?", "How do I render with an transparent background/alpha channel?"... and other basic functions many take for granted.

 

As such I want to solicit your help with these tutorials.

The software of choice for this mission (should you choose to accept it) will be Wink. With Wink we have the capability of creating SWF (Flash), HTML and PDF tutorials all from the same basic information.

 

One need not know how to screen capture with Wink as the plan is to work together and refine Wink project files that are available for anyone to edit.

 

For those that would only like to screen capture mouse clicks once the project file is made avialable to others it can be edited and posted for all to enjoy.

 

So, everyone who clicks a mouse in Animation:Master can play a part.

 

Advanced tutorials are always welcome but there is a compeling need to get some of the basic functions and features of Animation:Master documented and available online for new users. Old users benefit too as they'll have catalogued resources they can point others to that will help to solve reoccuring problems.

 

If you are interested in contributing to this project please let us know.

Thanks in advance!

Rodney

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Don't forget "Step by Step". I realise have have not been active in its development lately. But it is still on my list of priorities. I have the character made for the series. I just need to rig him, than start collecting the information to make the tutes. I was also hoping to wait until Version 12 in January, so that the tutes would be with the latest version on AM.

Start writing down all the info you would like to see covered in part one which will cover the interface, and post it here, or email me.

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Tri,

I haven't forgotten Step-by-Step.

I imagine that project will be pretty slick when it finally gets going.

For now though it seems to be on the backburner.

 

Not to worry though, we can hone our skills as we prepare other tutorials. :)

 

Rodney

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Hmmm.... according to www.sharbor.com these might be the basic functions and features. We'll have to study and compare this list with Hash Inc's own and see what we can see. :)

 

Animation:Master 2005

Professional Power Even an Artist Can Afford — Digital Character Animation Made Easy — Model, Render, & Animate in One Powerful Package!

 

Now anyone can create 3D pictures and animation at home or in the studio with Animation:Master. This remarkable program includes everything you need to create fabulous computer graphics; including complete sculpting features, powerful animation tools, superb rendering, and all this is compatible with the most popular computers.

 

You have cross platform compatibility with:

 

Power Macintosh

Windows 95/98/00/ NT 4.0/ME/XP

"Animation:Master" gives both beginning and advanced animators the ability to tell their stories. Remarkably, wrapped into one interface are advanced features like inverse kinematics, ray-tracing, image mapping, and modeling of complex organic and mechanical objects. The revolutionary patch-based technology makes it easy to create natural, fluid-moving characters, scenery, and props.

 

"Animation:Master", the 3D motion picture studio is the most powerful and affordable spline based modeling and animation program available. Specifically designed for classic character animation, the drag and drop, customizable interface and powerful motion tools give you the control that is required to tell your story.

 

Since A:M is geared toward character animation, it gives you the ability to build libraries of actions and characters that can be reused over and over. Its cross platform compatibility makes A:M an excellent choice for studios with multiple types of systems.

 

Make a movie, Design any character you can imagine, Enhance business presentations, Create 3D story boards, Build your own virtual reality!

 

The incredible list of Animation Master Features:

 

Interface:

 

Integrated, User Friendly interface, with easy turning, zooming, and navigation features

D3D or OpenGL accelerated for a smooth tactile feel in all areas of the interface

MFC based interface allows for completely customizable options including color schemes, tool bar placement and customizable keyboard shortcuts

Drag and drop interface technology fully implemented for easy object manipulation

Create scenes with as many characters, lights, cameras, and props on the stage as you like

Modeling , creation of Actions and choreography can all be done in the same window from any view

Proportional Zoom; finer zoom control in choreography

Centered Turn; turn about the local coordinate system

Global Axis Translates; option to move control points in world space instead of screen space

Multiple, re sizable Windows; have two action windows, or set up three modeling windows in a traditional tri- view layout

Drag able, dock able panels; put the panels anywhere you want on the screen or hide them completely

Simplified Operation; tools operate in a more "standard" fashion

Save Interface State; projects maintain their window's layout for next use

Interrupt drawing to increase drawing speed

Specify automatic reload of last project at startup

Limit memory usage

User controllable rotate snap angle

Object Instancing

Intuitive Object Manipulators; uniform for lights, cameras, characters, props, etc

Markers/Rulers

Fully editable Timeline Window

Customizable Folders in the Project Workspace

Multi-Select in the Project Workspace

Previews of most files in file dialog

Interactive tutorials using MS agent technology

A:M Community chat window

Modeling:

 

No more inefficient polygons! Model with flexible Hash patches

Start from a Library of example characters

Curved lines move easily to allow for quick manipulation

Complete selection of real-time tools combined with point-and-click sculpting makes object creation easy

Model over a Rotoscope image

As many Rotoscopes as you like can be loaded into any view

Seamlessly integrates "bones" into low-density, unibody models Characters (or objects) are built as a single model, then bones are inserted any way you like to for the "skeletal" IK basis for your character

Un attach; disconnect "attached" points while modeling

Insert Control Points; automatically adds control points to those hard to get to splines

Perspective Modeling; option to model while viewing the object in perspective

Nested Hide; hide more points when some already hidden

"Lasso" or free form group tool included with standard group tool for easy selection of multiple control points

D3D or OpenGL shaded real-time mode when modeling instead of wire frame

Patch Hooks to reduce resolution and eliminate creasing

Bias Handles for easy control of spline curvature

Optimized Polygon export

Unique object manipulators for translating scaling and rotating

Specific grid sizing for use in creating precise scale objects

Grid can also be toggled on and off

variable lathe cross sections

User definable Undo and Redo

Uniform Normal Face Control for Polygonal output

Paste and Extrude offsets

Cut, copy and Paste

Flip or Mirror a selected group of points around any axis

True Type Font and AI Import

Locked Control Points

Copy/Flip/Attach

Polygon Import

Lock Control Points

"Distortion Mode" Deformation Tool

Animation:

 

Patch-based animation allows smooth, flexible movement

Complex movements are simplified; unique bones motion offers lifelike bouncing and twisting

Complete skeletal and muscle control features

Inverse Kinematics (IK) for creating skeletal based motion

Character animation with lip-synch made easier

Stride length to prevent a character's feet or tires from slipping as they move

Action Overloading; applying layers of Actions to a character so that it can "walk", "talk", and "clench" its fists simultaneously

Action Range; choose only a range of frames, Hold, or Wait from an Action

Rotoscope facial movement in Muscle with sequenced backgrounds

Poses

Lock Bones

Sophisticated Key frame controls

Many different kinds of real-time constraints for perfect anchoring, picking up objects, and animated paths; Including: Aim At, Kinematic, Path, Translate To, Orient like, Aim Roll At, Spherical Limits, Surface, Scale Like and Scale to Reach

Flocks, Crowds and Swarms

Powerful Channel Based motion control

Scrub Bar

Action Undo

Action Objects;for animating props, even other characters seamlessly within an action

Force Objects;apply dynamic forces any way you like

Rotoscoping

Action Blending

Copy/Paste Mirrored Action

Pose Sliders (frame ranges can be saved in a pose)

Kinematic Rotational Stiffness

"Continuous Play" Scrubbing

Animated Camera Rotoscopes

Onion Skinning

Kuper camera motion data import

Hard and Soft Body Dyanmics; including cloth, springs, masses and collision detection between objects

Automatic assignment of geometry to bones

Smartskin for perfect joints

Relationships for creating smart characters

Weighted CP blending

Animated distortion boxes

Rendering:

 

Ray tracing of transparency, reflections and shadows for visually realistic results

D3D or OpenGL real-time previews can be saved as output

Super fast, High quality hybrid renderer

Selectable Specular Color

Mirrors with adjustable settings

Alpha buffer rendering for combining computer animation with live action

Antialiasing

32-bit, variable, unlimited resolution rendering

AVI animation playback within the software

Bound Rendering; Quick Render or Ray Trace only a portion of the screen

TV Safe and Title Safe indication

Transparency Averaging

Antialiased Image Maps

Shadow Maps

Gamma Correction

Show or hide render in progress

User selectable reflection limit

Motion Blur

Extensive render status meters

NTSC safe color

Photon Mapping

Soft Shadows

Film Grain

Bloom

Soften

Dither

Dynamic Range (gamma correction)

Field Rendering

Line Geometry

No "anti-alias" option (Game Sprites)

Film Tint; presets like "black and white" or "sepia tones"

Stereo Rendering

Shadow Buffers and "Shadow Only" Buffers

Exportable lighting maps, vertex colors for game engines

Selectable Soft Shadow Color

Fully Customizable Toon or Anime Style Shader/Render

Materials and Object Attributes:

 

Ability to apply custom textures, images and object Attributes to individual patches

Image Maps Locked to the surface through use of UV coordinate system

UV Editor for interactively adjusting how a map lies on geometry

Glass with Refraction and Caustics

Image types include color, bump, transparency, reflectivity, diffuse, specular, ambiance, mirror, gradient and cookie-cut maps

Textures you define, modify, save and reuse

Integrated Algorithmic Perlin Materials Editor

Flatten; unroll a segment before applying Decals

System Color Dialog uses your platform's standard 24-bit color dialog to choose and change colors

Displacement and Fractal Maps

Edge Transparency

Environment Maps

Gamma correction can be applied to Image Maps

Supports 32 bit Image Maps

Frame Control of Animated Maps; so that image maps can cycle, skip frames, hold, wait, or "ping pong"

Unique Decal (image map) manipulator allows you to scale, reverse and position an image in real-time

See through Decaling

Maps automatically cached for interactive map editing though use of any third party paint program

Tile able Image Maps

Spherical, Cylindrical and Planar Projection Mapping

Animatable Material Attributes

Material Effector Objects

ATX class 3rd party Material plugin support

JPEG and TIFF support

Trasparent Density

Translucency

Reflection Falloff

Material "Bump" attribute"

FX:

 

Volumetric Lights

"Dust" objects for animatable smoke, fog and steam

Glows

Lens Flares

Depth of Field

Turbulence

Light Projection Gels

Hair

Particles; streaks and blobbies

Particle "Sprites" for stunning special effects

Object Weathering

Misc:

 

Motion capture input from a number of different sources

Controllable, targetable, colored lights with colored shadows

Multiple Cameras

Non-perspective camera for scrolling game screens

You can perform most functions, such as modeling, animating, and texturing from the camera's point of view

Audio load/save for synching

Complete Game and Export SDK including real-time model and map export, action export, viewer and source code

Multiplane style layer compositing and cameras

Lipsync Dopesheet and Phoneme creation tools

Image Formats Supported:

 

Load: TARGA, JPEG, TIFF, PICT(mac only), AVI(pc only), Quicktime

Save: TARGA, PICT(mac only), AVI(pc only), Quicktime

Requirements:

 

Any PC (WIN98SE, WIN2K or XP) or Powermac (OS9, OSX) with:

450MHZ or faster processor

128 MB ram

Local CD-Rom Drive

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well I guess I'll Start writing. I was hoping to wait till i get the latest release to start the tut so that till its finished it wont be too far behind in technology. Although I guess if it's made in pieces, we could continually, just make changes to the updated parts.

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