SirCoffee Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Hi everyone, I'm currently running Animation:Master on a Mac G5 with 3 GB of Ram. OS version: 10.4.11. The computer's about 5 years old. I can still edit with Final Cut Pro just fine, but A:M doesn't seem to like it very much. A:M will crash once in a while, rendering is a crapshoot, and some tutorials like putting fur on Chewbacca was difficult for the computer to handle. I'm anxious to learn and use A:M for all sorts of projects, so I figure I should get a new computer. The PC I currently have is pushing 10 years old, so I was going to buy a new PC, but alot's changed in 10 years!! Can anyone recommend a good PC to buy? I was hoping to get one under $1,000- all the pre-made computers push me toward the "Ultimate Gaming Machines" which easily soar over $2000, but I didn't think I needed all the bells and whistles. In addition to using A:M for animation and special effects, I'm also interested in exporting 3D models to be used in a video game level designer- specifically, the Elder Scrolls Construction Set. I know that computer to run that level editor well should have at least 2GB of RAM, but the game came out over a year ago, so the processor doesn't necessarily have to be cutting edge. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenH Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Have you tested an AM model in the Elder Scrolls Construction Set? Is it compatible? I don't know if you'd get a great computer for under a grand, but it would certainly be better than what you have. CPU and RAM are probably most important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzawacki Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I would personally build mine, but a quick "custom" build at Dell.com came up with a Inspiron 530, Core 2 Duo 2.33Ghz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HD for only $609.. Pick a higher base model and you can look at upgrading the CPU. Or, you can get a generic AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ (3.2Ghz), 4GB RAM, 250GB HD, GeForce 7200GS for $670. People have chimed in that A:M performs better on AMD processors. I personally don't know. If you haven't read the other threads regarding cores, A:M doesn't multi-thread well, so doing more that 2 cores is useless. Even if A:M isn't using the second core (some tests have shown multi-thread may even perform worse than single) it will keep it available to let you use the computer while it is rendering on one core. RAM is a huge factor depending on the size of the projects you plan on doing. TWO requires at least 2GB of ram to render the scenes. It is also a huge factor in how many applications you plan on having open at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeSlice Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 In addition, AM seems to play better with ATI cards than with NVidia. I was using AM on someone else's machine a couple weeks ago and they had an NVidia card and the "Black CPs" problem was really irritating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCoffee Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 Thanks for your help! I'm getting frustrated with all these pre-built computers, so I'm going to follow your lead and build it myself. I have a question about some of this crazy graphics stuff. SLI and Crossfire- do these features help A:M at all or is it most useful for high end gaming? Right now, I'm looking at an ASUS MSN-SLI Motherboard bundle from tiger direct: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=2430 I guess a better question is to address the "power users" of A:M and ask them what their personal systems are. If there's a pre-existing thread, please send me a link and I'll check it out! Thanks again for the help- Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCoffee Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 Have you tested an AM model in the Elder Scrolls Construction Set? Is it compatible? I don't know if you'd get a great computer for under a grand, but it would certainly be better than what you have. CPU and RAM are probably most important. Hi Ken, I'm pretty sure I can export the compatible files from A:M to work in the game level editor. I played the game on Xbox360 since I didn't have a computer strong enough to play it on PC, so I have no idea what the editor can actually do. I've only read FAQ about it and read forum posts about level design. The video game level design is just an additional interest that would be nice to take a crack at, but my main focus is on 3D modelling and animation to be used in movie making. I'd love to make a "Clash of the Titans"-esque short or maybe pay homage to B movies from the 80s- I don't know- too many ideas- I just really need to focus on one thing at a time, but creating special effects are top interest. I've got SHAKE too- the digital compositing software to use with Final Cut Pro- I'm pretty sure A:M will work with that too... as you can see- everything hinges on me learning A:M to start exporting and using 3D models, props, sets, etc. What kind of films do you make? Have an online portfolio for me to check out? -Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeSlice Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I can't answer if SLI or Crossfire give better realtime performance in AM, but HASH once said AM uses the CPU more than the video card even for realtime display. I still have an old ATI X800XL video card with a new AMD X2 6400 (3.2GHz) and 4GB RAM and AM handles fine for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNBits Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thanks for your help! I'm getting frustrated with all these pre-built computers, so I'm going to follow your lead and build it myself. I have a question about some of this crazy graphics stuff. SLI and Crossfire- do these features help A:M at all or is it most useful for high end gaming? Right now, I'm looking at an ASUS MSN-SLI Motherboard bundle from tiger direct: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=2430 I guess a better question is to address the "power users" of A:M and ask them what their personal systems are. If there's a pre-existing thread, please send me a link and I'll check it out! Thanks again for the help- Erik I wouldn't go SLI/Crossfire. Not only you add an entire level of troubleshooting in the mix, but also the gain from it usually isn't worth the cost, except if you running games at 1920X1080 and higher. One good graphic card will do fine, and you won't need expensive motherboard and power supply. I'm very pleased with my Q6600. AM won't take advantage of the multicore when working in the program, but you can launch multiple instance and render multiple frames (up to three, you won't see any performance hit). Intel just released a new line of CPU, the Q9XXX, which would be a better choice if you'd buy it today. A faster dual core E8400 wolfdale would also be a very good choice, depending on how you use AM and if you have any program that can take advantage of a Quad. For the motherboard, I can recommand the GA-P35-DS3L from Gigabyte as a solid inexpensive choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCoffee Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thank you! All of your responses are helping me make a list of the best computer for me to build. I'm happy to say that we were in Circuit City yesterday and I almost bought a computer, but decided to wait to hear what the A:M forums would come back with. Keep your suggestions coming! I really appreciate it! -Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenH Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I thought you might have already exported to the Elder Scrolls Construction Set. Most likely they use poly models. AM uses patches. They're not the same thing. You might want to check it first before building a computer around AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCoffee Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hey Ken- I've done some more digging and there could be a problem im/exporting A:M models into the construction set. It'll be interesting to see how the level editor imports the files A:M can export. I saw all the export options that A:M provides: 3DS, DXF, OBJ, AV2, and PLY. I think the game programmers used 3D Studio Max and many people building mods are also using Maya and Blender. The worse thing that can happen is that I'll learn more than one modeling software. I still think A:M is my best bet for creating and animating for the purpose of movie special effects. Thanks for the heads up with the difference between patches and poly models. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again for everyone's help! Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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