Overview and features of Animation:Master

[snickrep]

Most software companies give an overview of the product they are selling listing features and such. However, I'm not able to find this on the Hash website. I have no idea what Animation: Master is like and would like to know more about it and what it can do. Can anyone lead me to some articles, reviews, etc?

[robcat2075]

Most software companies give an overview of the product they are selling listing features and such. However, I'm not able to find this on the Hash website. I have no idea what Animation: Master is like and would like to know more about it and what it can do. Can anyone lead me to some articles, reviews, etc?

 

 

It's a powerful program that defies brief coverage but the Animation:Master Demonstration on their support page would be a good intro. (broadband required)

 

the other videos on that page show a person working thru individual tutorials regarding specific features.

 

 

the full manuals are available online also:

 

http://www.hash.com/2007web/reference.htm

[snickrep]

thank you so much!

[Fuchur]

Depending on you knowledge you can find different reviews and articles about A:M.

I wrote one which is aimed at absolute beginners: Softwarefocus: Animation Master

This one is for beginners too:

http://library.creativecow.net/articles/ha...im_mast_rev.php

 

A little bit older one:

http://creativemac.digitalmedianet.com/art....jsp?id=32109-1

 

For experienced users there are some reviews of the 3dWorldMagazine, but they are not available online...

I have some of them, so if you need one, let me know and I will scan them for you.

 

There is not a full "all features in a table"-thing, but you can review the new features of the last few years:

 

New in v14

New in v13

New in v12

New in v11

New in v10.5

New in v10

New in v9

 

Till now there is no such page for v15, but the new features are:

- New Fluid-Particles (to simulate liquids)

- Surface-Baking (to combine all surfaceattributes in a texture)

- Integrated NLE (to edit in A:M directly)

 

A great thing to watch is this one:

A:M Demonstration in a few minutes

 

*Fuchur*

[snickrep]

Thanks for that. It helped a bit.

 

I'm still learning how to work with poly's and Animation:Master uses patch modeling, which I've never dabbled with before. I did some research and downloaded jpatch to see if I would like this type of modeling. The thing is I can't find a good tutorial. I tried finding a head tutorial, but could only find tutorials that were maya based.

 

$300 is kind of above my budget, but I've heard good things about Animation:Master, yet I've also heard bad things. I'm kind of hesitant to purchase the software because of this. If I'm spending that kind of money on software, I'd want robust features, stable performance, a easy learning curve, and something I won't give up on.

 

I need some input here.

[robcat2075]

Well you're not wanting much are you?

 

If I'm spending that kind of money on software,

you can also buy a 1 year license for $50. It is locked to one computer unlike the CD version that you can travel with.

 

I'd want robust features,

Martin says A:M can render anything in Pixar's first 5 movies. And a lot of stuff in the other ones.

A:M has just about all the tools that one needs in a modern 3D app. The workflow is sometimes different for a particular5 goalthan it might be in another app. (For example: "beveled" edges are not something you add as a final step in A:M, you incorporate them in your model as you build it.)

 

 

stable performance,

A:M's stability is dramatically improved since when people said bad things about it.

 

 

a easy learning curve,

3D is for people who like to really concentrate on a project. The only "easy" 3D apps are the ones that dont' do much.

 

That said, A:M is about as accessible as a full-featured 3D app is going to be.

 

 

and something I won't give up on.

Do all the TAoA:M tuts and pose specific questions here on the forum and someone will usually help you out.

[Rodney]

I did some research and downloaded jpatch

 

Not to make little of the author of Jpatch or his work here... its a really amazing program... he programs it in his spare time... and its almost all programmed by one guy.

 

But... in my estimation Jpatch is less than 5% of what A:M is with all features and functions factored in.

Its really that significant a difference. There really is very little to compare between the two apps besides the common elements that inspired each of the apps creators.

 

Jpatch has a few things that A:M doesn't too of course but that is to be expected... the programs aren't the same.

Years ago I wanted to recommend JPatch as a good 'demo' of the technology and workflow of A:M at its core but I find it rather hard to do.

 

The primary comparison might be in pricing.

If we could round *free* up to $1 for JPatch we would find A:M to be really really REALLY cheap when comparitively pricing.

 

I do keep my eye on Jpatch from time to time.

I'd like to see more programs strive to be as compatible with A:M as Jpatch has been.

Unfortunately Jpatch's author has been taking it farther and farther away from A:M over the years.

For instance, the new development branch is no longer patch based.

[Fuchur]

I have to say that Rodney is absolutely right here.

JPatch and SPatch (both Spline-Based Modelling-Software) are nice and very fine programms but not compareable to A:M in workflow or features.

Splines are of course the thing which is equal, but the "flow" of the programms is not at all.

 

If you want to have a look at SPatch, see this:

SPatch-Link

 

The same for HamaPatch:

Hama-Patch-Link

 

*Fuchur*

[apprentice]

http://www.hash.com/products/am.asp

 

I don't think it's updated to the recent version.

I think AM is the most robust software for $299.

[snickrep]

Where are the tutorials for Animation:Master? I can only find older tutorials and no character tutorials.

[robcat2075]

Where are the tutorials for Animation:Master? I can only find older tutorials and no character tutorials.

 

TAoA:M: Dont skip it just because it's old, you still want to know it:

 

ftp://ftp.hash.com/pub/docs/TAOAM.pdf

 

 

Colin Freeman's character tuts http://www.colins-loft.net/tutorials.html

 

 

the classic "Skylark" tut is ten years old and A:M has added some modeling conveniences like 5-point patches since then but still worth a read.

http://www.hash.com/users/jsherwood/tutes/SkyLark.pdf

[snickrep]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

Sorry to bombard everyone with another question, but what is the spline/patch modeling like in A:M? I know the animation is good (so I hear), but my main concern is the modeling aspects of the program. All I really want to do is create 3d stills. I'm not really big on animation (seems to complicated), though I am interested in posing characters and placing them in scenes. Can I create 3d objects in A:M other than characters?

[Fuchur]

Of course you can. A:M offers everything you need to make a 3d-movie and only characters will not give you a full scene.

For example, have a look at this movie: Everything was modelled, textured and animated in Animation:Master :

Briar Rose

 

You can do architectual objects: Image-Link / Image-Link

Any kind of mechanical objects may it be flying: Image-Link

On the road: Image-Link / Image-Link / Image-Link

Crashing: Image-Link

Swimming: Image-Link

Landscapes: Image-Link

Or just stil-life: Image-Link / Image-Link

 

And of course characters: Image - Link

 

So as you can see, quite everything is possible. Of course you have to be a good modeller to get such images, but that is logical.

*Fuchur*

[Caroline]

You could check out the A:M Stills link at the top of the page, and search for the kind of model you want to make, like "car", or search for "stian" - his models are photo-realistic, and just amazing, like this battleship.

 

Mechanical modelling with tutorials here:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/rodger.reynolds/index.htm.

[thefreshestever]

about the easy learning curve you were talking about: i´ve tried some other 3d-apps before i found a:m, and for me a:m was the most easy to learn. i´ve tried strata studio (wich was pretty easy too, but isn´t that specialised for character-animation), carrara, cinema4d, max and maya, wich i always had to close kinda depressed after a few hours of trying stuff... what i like about the spline-modeling is that you´re totally flexible with only one modeling-tool: drawing splines! this made it pretty easy for me, because i am a 2-d designer and very familiar with drawing and tweaking bezier-curves in adobe illustrator. a:m is no different, except you have a third dimension...

so my opinion is that a:m is very easy to learn compared to other 3d-apps with a bunch of different modeling tools...

some shapes might be difficult at first to get them smooth, but that problem does exist in any other 3d-program too...

the manual is incredible helpful, after you´ve done all the tuts in it (wich only takes a couple of days) you will be able to do a lot of cool stuff, there are a bunch of advanced video- and text-tutorials available for free and this community is the best thing that can happen to a 3-d-nerd

and the price is really unbeatable: 49 bucks for a one-year-subscription is as good as nothing for such a powerful 3d-applicationl!!!