New to animation

[Dpendleton77]

I don't know if you are suppose to make new threads for this but I have a question. I am thinking of getting this program and I want to know how hard is it for new users? I have dabbled in 3Dsmax but I can't afford the full version of that monster. I have been itching to do my own animating for years and I wonder if this program can help me. Thanks for your answers in advance.

[robcat2075]

Welcome to A:M! OF course we recommend it!

 

I will say that new users vary in their ability to master any program. The goal of Animation:Master is make the 3D production pipeline as accessible as possible for the artist who wants to create original things.

 

To judge for yourself if it's something you might be able to do you could watch some of the new user training videos.

 

I have made a video tutorial for people who are starting from zero to introduce them to A:M you can download here:

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=358113

 

 

 

Hash Inc., has posted screen capture videos of all most all the tutorials in the new user manual:

 

http://www.hash.com/index.php?pcode=video_tutorials

 

In particular, #4 "It's a Pitch" shows some basic animation process and #10 "FW-190 Fighter" demonstrates modeling a simple airplane. Those are simple projects. Of course, A:M is capable for very complex projects also.

 

You might spend an evening watching those three videos and ask yourself "Could I do that too?"

 

There are many things about CG animation that are complicated and involved even in A:M but I don't think any program that's full-featured like A:M has succeeded in making it easier than A:M does.

 

 

If you have more questions...ask!

[Xtaz]

Welcome ... A:M have all tools needed to produce great animations, its learning curve is extremely fast with an intuitive way to do what you want to do.

 

One of the best examples here in the forum is Gene ( The Spleen )... follow this link http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41481

[Dpendleton77]

Welcome ... A:M have all tools needed to produce great animations, its learning curve is extremely fast with an intuitive way to do what you want to do.

 

One of the best examples here in the forum is Gene ( The Spleen )... follow this link http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41481

Thanks for the replies and I will look through some tutorials.

[Wildsided]

Speaking from personal experience A:M is a godsend. When I was deciding what 3D software to use for Epic Gamin' I tried working with 3DSMAX, Maya and Blender (Now there's a steep learning curve).

 

A:M is a different beast and has a feel all of it's own. If you're the kind of person who just wants to 'do' then I recommend A:M. Modelling, Rigging, Lighting, rendering It does it all and most importantly it does it all in an intuitive and logical way.

 

For what you pay for it you get an amazing piece of high quality software that's constantly evolving and access to a community of ladies and gents who have no problem with taking time out of their busy days to help out with any issues you might be having.

 

My bottom line answer is that unless you have your heart set on something free then A:M is definitely a piece of software you'll be happy you got on board with.

[Walter Baker]

I highly recommend AM. If you keep in touch with these great people on the forum they are so very helpful, and there is a wealth of info here.

[Dpendleton77]

Well I am going to pick this up. I will make sure that I bug you guys for tips the whole time. I looked into some of the tutorials and like what the program can do. I just hope I can get over the hump of the learning curve which does not seem so hard.

[robcat2075]

Well I am going to pick this up. I will make sure that I bug you guys for tips the whole time. I looked into some of the tutorials and like what the program can do. I just hope I can get over the hump of the learning curve which does not seem so hard.

 

For $79 you can't go wrong!

[Dpendleton77]

Well I am going to pick this up. I will make sure that I bug you guys for tips the whole time. I looked into some of the tutorials and like what the program can do. I just hope I can get over the hump of the learning curve which does not seem so hard.

 

For $79 you can't go wrong!

 

I am just going to go all out and get the 299.99 program or does the 79.99 have the same things as the 299 version?

[largento]

As Robcat says, the investment is small for a full-featured animation software. And A:M is remarkably easy to learn.

 

That said, remember creating 3D animated films is a complex process. There are a LOT of parts to the whole and learning all of them takes time and effort.

 

I highly recommend Barry Zundel's series A:M Training videos, that you can purchase here. They were an enormous help to me in the beginning and the key to my understanding the basics of A:M. I literally went from being completely in the dark to having a good foundational understanding of A:M. Especially in modeling.

 

And no, I don't get a cut of the sales. :-)

[robcat2075]

I am just going to go all out and get the 299.99 program or does the 79.99 have the same things as the 299 version?

 

The program features are the same.

 

The $79 version (Subscription) will run for one year on your computer and you can run any new update or version (even betas) that comes out during that year. It is locked to the computer you install it on. After one year... subscribe again for $79!

 

 

 

Like the subscription, the $299 version is locked to the computer you install it on.

 

Like the subscription, it lets you run anything that comes out in the year after you activate.

 

Unlike the subscription, it doesn't expire after one year, you can continue to run whatever versions you got during the year. It won't run versions that come out after that year. This version is probably intended for people who need to know they will be able to run the A:M version they've been working with even if Hash were to disappear from the Earth and not able to offer a new subscription.

 

I believe you also get printed manuals (instead of PDFs) and a hard copy of the Extras DVD. Anyone know if I'm correct on that?

[TheSpleen]

Best Dadblammit Program out there!

worth every penny.

And WELCOME!

[Dpendleton77]

I am just going to go all out and get the 299.99 program or does the 79.99 have the same things as the 299 version?

 

The program features are the same.

 

The $79 version (Subscription) will run for one year on your computer and you can run any new update or version (even betas) that comes out during that year. It is locked to the computer you install it on. After one year... subscribe again for $79!

 

 

 

Like the subscription, the $299 version is locked to the computer you install it on.

 

Like the subscription, it lets you run anything that comes out in the year after you activate.

 

Unlike the subscription, it doesn't expire after one year, you can continue to run whatever versions you got during the year. It won't run versions that come out after that year. This version is probably intended for people who need to know they will be able to run the A:M version they've been working with even if Hash were to disappear from the Earth and not able to offer a new subscription.

 

I believe you also get printed manuals (instead of PDFs) and a hard copy of the Extras DVD. Anyone know if I'm correct on that?

 

I will get the 299 deal I like that better than renewing all the time.

[Dpendleton77]

As Robcat says, the investment is small for a full-featured animation software. And A:M is remarkably easy to learn.

 

That said, remember creating 3D animated films is a complex process. There are a LOT of parts to the whole and learning all of them takes time and effort.

 

I highly recommend Barry Zundel's series A:M Training videos, that you can purchase here. They were an enormous help to me in the beginning and the key to my understanding the basics of A:M. I literally went from being completely in the dark to having a good foundational understanding of A:M. Especially in modeling.

 

And no, I don't get a cut of the sales. :-)

 

I will definitely look into the videos you have linked. Yeah I know that doing a film will be a complex process but I will start small then work my way up. Oh come on how much of a cut do you get? I know that I will concentrate on modeling first for sure. I want to get that down before I start my movie.

[kwhitaker]

Welcome aboard.

[NETech2470]

Well I am going to pick this up. I will make sure that I bug you guys for tips the whole time. I looked into some of the tutorials and like what the program can do. I just hope I can get over the hump of the learning curve which does not seem so hard.

Im some what new to using AM myself and I find it easier to learn then the others. However as with all animation software things can get complicated and puzzling at times. It takes determination, alot of practice, patients. The Key is to accept and learn from the mistakes you will make, Dont let them discourage you. Understanding how each tool functions and behaves goes along way in learning how to put everything together. once you get a grip on that the learning becomes alot easier.

 

Start off making small objects and slowly work up from there. I did the opposite,( created a entire bar room) which was to much to do for a 1st project lol

Was not a waste of time because i did learn alot but i would still recommend starting small like a can or bottle then fine tuning the edges, details etc so it looks perfect. If/when you get to a point that your stumped or frustrated just take 10 min to regain your thoughts and try again and if all eles fails you got these Great Very Smart Vets in this forum.

Make Sure to to watch there videos! Very Good Stuff.

[NETech2470]

I am just going to go all out and get the 299.99 program or does the 79.99 have the same things as the 299 version?

 

The program features are the same.

 

The $79 version (Subscription) will run for one year on your computer and you can run any new update or version (even betas) that comes out during that year. It is locked to the computer you install it on. After one year... subscribe again for $79!

 

 

 

Like the subscription, the $299 version is locked to the computer you install it on.

 

Like the subscription, it lets you run anything that comes out in the year after you activate.

 

Unlike the subscription, it doesn't expire after one year, you can continue to run whatever versions you got during the year. It won't run versions that come out after that year. This version is probably intended for people who need to know they will be able to run the A:M version they've been working with even if Hash were to disappear from the Earth and not able to offer a new subscription.

 

I believe you also get printed manuals (instead of PDFs) and a hard copy of the Extras DVD. Anyone know if I'm correct on that?

 

I will get the 299 deal I like that better than renewing all the time.

I bought mine back in 2004 , it came in a box with a 184 page manual. it did allow me to update for 1 year and keep that last version. meaning my disc is v 10.5 2004 and i was allowed to go as high as v11.1 2005

 

I can see how the Subscription price is a good deal also. Basically for a little less then the price as buying 1 version forever, you could be using/renting the latest version for the next 3 years. Which has it good points as you will also have access to new features/effects and most likely a more user friendly system. But after the subscription is up you will need to re-subscribe to continue using.

Also keep in mind that if you were to buy the software you will also get discounts on upgrades to future versions.

In the end it all balances out .

 

Welcome to AM!

[Dpendleton77]

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I have one more question how good is the cell shading in AM? I want a big cartoon feel in my future work.

[Fuchur]

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I have one more question how good is the cell shading in AM? I want a big cartoon feel in my future work.

 

Comic-Shaders are some of the best available.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Dpendleton77]

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I have one more question how good is the cell shading in AM? I want a big cartoon feel in my future work.

 

Comic-Shaders are some of the best available.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

 

Do you have any links to them?

[robcat2075]

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I have one more question how good is the cell shading in AM? I want a big cartoon feel in my future work.

 

I was trying to find you a link to some great anime things A:M users have done but the vintagefilms.hash.com site isn't up at the moment.

 

A:M's "toon" shading doesn't have as many options as some more elaborate apps but a lot of good work has been with it.

 

 

Here's a recent one that has some good "toon" look.

 

http://amfilms.hash.com/video/282/HATUNE-MIKU

 

(The title frame is a hand drawing but the rest of it seems to be A:M)

[Dpendleton77]

Wow that animation was crazy and it looked really good.

[Fuchur]

Have a look at this Project. It may help.

The project shows some of the possibilities.

Use the Renderpreset to see what it can do.

 

It is really easy to setup and quite powerful. Play a little with the settings and you see what is possible.

(Be sure to render with the blue renderbutton or render to file, not the green one. Otherwise you won't see the effect.)

 

See you

*Fuchur*

toon.pre

toon.prj

[Dpendleton77]

Thanks I will mess around with that.

[mouseman]

Not exactly the same as the typical anime toon look, but a similar concept ...

Be sure to see

, which was made in A:M by Anzovin Studios.

[Dpendleton77]

That is excellent. Was it done in AM if so I want a tutorials on that. Love it man.

[Alvee]

HI! I'm VERY new to hash Animation Master and I haven't got one yet. I really want to know more about it. When I was looking through the tutorials I couldn't find on where they MADE a charatcter. (I heard people made characters and backgrounds for movies with A:M) I'm wondering- Can you make characters? (If so) How detailed can they be? Can you make scenes and make mini or full length movies? (Last Question) If the answer is yes to all of those, what skills does it take to make them/what should I be good at?

 

Please help me out!!!

Thanks,

Alvee

[Dpendleton77]

Not exactly the same as the typical anime toon look, but a similar concept ...

Be sure to see

, which was made in A:M by Anzovin Studios.

Oops I see that it was made in AM. Consider me sold.

[robcat2075]

Welcome!

 

HI! I'm VERY new to hash Animation Master and I haven't got one yet. I really want to know more about it. When I was looking through the tutorials I couldn't find on where they MADE a charatcter. (I heard people made characters and backgrounds for movies with A:M) I'm wondering- Can you make characters?

Yes. Many A:M users make characters with A:M. There probably isn't one tutorial on "making a character" because everyone has a different idea in their head. If you learn the essential modeling skills then modeling the shape you want for your character is a logical extension of that,

 

The Cooper tutorials on modeling body parts have been around for a while. Personally I think they may be a bit over-complex for a beginner, but if you look thru them that you'll see some basic concepts that tend to be similar for many human characters. You should have basic modeling skills well-established before you begin making a character such as is in those tuts.

 

 

(If so) How detailed can they be?

Anything that your skill and patience can stand.

 

Can you make scenes and make mini or full length movies?

We have even done such projects on the forum here. I'll warn you that "a movie" is a huge task that requires many people to work together.

 

(Last Question) If the answer is yes to all of those, what skills does it take to make them/what should I be good at?

 

I think an essential skill for anyone doing 3D modeling is to have an "eye" for shape. Be able to recognize the difference between the shape you've made and the shape you want. This comes with practice and observation.

[Ilidrake]

Its a great program!!! I highly recommend. Welcome aboard!!!

[Alvee]

Hi!!! I'm new and have lots of questions, probably more after this too! Here is my list:

 

1) I heard there is a $79 version and $299 version, is that true? (If so) What is the difference?

2) Is Animation Master a harddrive, or softdrive, and is it like a CD or something????

3) Where do I get it? (order it and it comes in mail, pay and download online, or get it at a store???)

4) Does Animation Master upgrade and have new versions?

5) How much memory does A:M have (how many characters/places/ect can it store)?

6) Does it ever expire or something (stop working)?

7) Does A:M have any glitches or mess-ups?

8) Has A:M been used in any movies? (like Incredebles, Despicable Me, ect...)??

9) (I know it varies a lot, but...) About how long does it take to create something on A:M, like a character???

10) Does Animation Master allow you to make backgrounds/places??

 

If you know the answers please reply! Thanks!!!

 

-Alvee

[Wildsided]

1) $79 version is subscription based and expires after 1 year. $299 version isn't subscription based and never expires. Both deals allow updates, however the $299 version will only allow you to download updates released in the year that you bought the software. Both versions are also locked to the machine you first install it on.

 

2) It's a Download that's saved to your hard disk and as mentioned before it's locked to that machine once installed.

 

3) Order online and download, you'll get sent an e-mail with an activation code. The manuals can be ordered as physical copies I believe but at also available in .pdf format.

 

4) Yes A:M does Upgrade and have new versions v17 is currently in beta

 

5) Pass, but I think it's down to what your machine can process.

 

6) If you get the 1 year 79 dollar version then yes it will expire, the $299 doesn't expire but after 1 year you won't be able to update it further without paying.

 

7) Yes it does, but no software is perfect.

 

8) The A:M community has made 2 feature length productions namely the Tin Woodsman of Oz and the Scarecrow of Oz. It was also used for all the models in the video games Tak and the power of juju. (2003 for PS2 and Gamecube)

 

9) Once you've learned the basics it simply a matter of time and how much effort you want to put in. You can make a quick model and rig it in 5minutes if you want or it could take days if you're going for something really detailed.

 

10) A:M is a total animation solution, the model making aspect of the software allows you to make all the aspects of your production from characters, props, 3D sets, lighting. It does it all.

 

I think that's all pretty accurate but i'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[robcat2075]

Hi Alvee!

 

Hi!!! I'm new and have lots of questions, probably more after this too! Here is my list:

 

1) I heard there is a $79 version and $299 version, is that true? (If so) What is the difference?

 

read here for explanation

 

2) Is Animation Master a harddrive, or softdrive, and is it like a CD or something????

3) Where do I get it? (order it and it comes in mail, pay and download online, or get it at a store???)

you download the installer off the Hash site. The license you pay for is what makes it work.

 

4) Does Animation Master upgrade and have new versions?

it's going to v17 soon. Yes it does get upgraded.

 

5) How much memory does A:M have (how many characters/places/ect can it store)?

 

That's one of those "It depends" kind of things. When we made our "Tin Woodsman of Oz" some of those scenes with complicated sets were beginning to push the 3GB limit of old 32-bit windows, but you got to have a lot of stuff going on to get even past 1GB

6) Does it ever expire or something (stop working)?

 

see above for the explanation of how the two licenses differ that way

 

 

7) Does A:M have any glitches or mess-ups?

Of course it does! It's software made by humans that runs on computers When did that ever not cause trouble? But A:M is really quite stable and if you can descirbe how to make a bug happen it gets fixed fast.

 

8) Has A:M been used in any movies? (like Incredebles, Despicable Me, ect...)??

It turns out that places like Pixar use software they made themselves and for the most part you can't buy. The goal of A:M is not to replicate what Pixar has because one person would never be able to master all the parts of the pipeline. A:M's goal is to present you with similar powers but make it accessible for the individual user. Much fine television advertising and game work has been done with it.

 

And we have made two animated features here on the forum as independent movie-making experiments

 

 

9) (I know it varies a lot, but...) About how long does it take to create something on A:M, like a character???

There are people on this forum who can whip up a great looking character in a day. But that's not something a new user should expect. There are many skills involved.

 

10) Does Animation Master allow you to make backgrounds/places??

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

[Xtaz]

Hi Alvee in this post you can see some images all done just using A:M. Come to yellow side of 3D.

[Fuchur]

Hi Alvee in this post you can see some images all done just using A:M. Come to yellow side of 3D.

 

...and here:

My favourite images

 

This is a more complete list, but still not very c omplete .

A:M Stills

 

About your backgrounds-question:

A:M is not limited to just creating characters (however this is what it can do better than any other software I know) or something like that. You are free to create anything you want.

Anyway: It is not a landscape-generator or something like that so it has a basic one included.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Dpendleton77]

How much do upgrades cost after a year if you buy the full setup instead of the subscription? Thank you. Also I will be picking this up Friday. Woot!!!!

[robcat2075]

How much do upgrades cost after a year if you buy the full setup instead of the subscription? Thank you. Also I will be picking this up Friday. Woot!!!!

 

There isn't really an "upgrade" price anymore. If you have the $299 version and the one-year window is over you can buy the $79 subscription to get access to any new updated versions that come out. When that $79's year is up then you go back to running whatever the last version was that arrived in your $299 one-year window or... get a new $79!

 

Those are the options now.

[Dpendleton77]

Okay it makes sense to me. Guess I will start out with the 79.99 deal and go from there.

[Dpendleton77]

One more question how often does AM upgrade?

[robcat2075]

One more question how often does AM upgrade?

 

the version number goes up about every year, but updates are posted throughout the year when needed to fix bugs and betas of the next version are put out to test new features.

 

Once a version is in beta (like v17 is now) it probably has it's new features decided on and set. Any new features proposed and implemented would wait for the next version.

 

After the beta period , the version is "released" and there may be a few updates to it after that to fix new-found bugs, but most of the programmer's activity will be on whatever the next version is gong to be.

[Dpendleton77]

One more question how often does AM upgrade?

 

the version number goes up about every year, but updates are posted throughout the year when needed to fix bugs and betas of the next version are put out to test new features.

 

Once a version is in beta (like v17 is now) it probably has it's new features decided on and set. Any new features proposed and implemented would wait for the next version.

 

After the beta period , the version is "released" and there may be a few updates to it after that to fix new-found bugs, but most of the programmer's activity will be on whatever the next version is gong to be.

Thank you for the info.

[Dpendleton77]

http://amfilms.hash.com/video/49/The-Adven...s-of-Briar-Rose Who made this(well I think I know,does this person post here anymore. This short is great. I want to see more of this. The guy nailed this.

[Fuchur]

http://amfilms.hash.com/video/49/The-Adven...s-of-Briar-Rose Who made this(well I think I know,does this person post here anymore. This short is great. I want to see more of this. The guy nailed this.

 

It was made by Stephen Millingen. He is really a talented guy and did this short with much passion and put much time into it.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Dpendleton77]

Yeah the guy has talent for days. I want to see more of this character.

[Maniac]

I tried Maya Got no wear with it.A.M is the best that just my thoughts...

Here is something done by me I stole hands and feet did the rest from a tutorial from by David rogers its not the greatest but this might help you decide and i AM a Rookie at this no very little

[Dpendleton77]

Trust me AM is bought. I went through the gallery and folks was doing killer stuff back in the mid 90s.

[robcat2075]

Welcome to the club! May all your splines be continuous.

[Alvee]

Hi!! (More Questions)

 

I heard that normally animation softwares cost a lot (like in the thousands), and A:M costs 79$ or 299$. What makes it cost less?(than standard animation softwares)

Since it is downloaded from the internet, do you have to pay with a credit card?

When you save the data (characters) does it save to your documents, or the internet? (like if you save then you can log onto the internet to get it, or is it when you open up the program and it has it on it, or does it save to Documents?)

 

 

 

Thanks!!!!!!

-Alvee

[itsjustme]

I heard that normally animation softwares cost a lot (like in the thousands), and A:M costs 79$ or 299$. What makes it cost less?(than standard animation softwares)

 

Well, for one thing, other software spends a lot of money advertising, so their overhead is pretty substantial.

 

Since it is downloaded from the internet, do you have to pay with a credit card?

 

I'm not sure if you have to use a credit card...I did, but there may be other options.

 

When you save the data (characters) does it save to your documents, or the internet? (like if you save then you can log onto the internet to get it, or is it when you open up the program and it has it on it, or does it save to Documents?)

 

The characters, Actions, Choreographies, Projects, etc are all saved where you want without limitations of any kind.

 

Hope that helps.

[robcat2075]

I heard that normally animation softwares cost a lot (like in the thousands), and A:M costs 79$ or 299$. What makes it cost less?(than standard animation softwares)

 

 

I tell ya, it's always been a bit of a mystery what you get for that higher price. Back in the 90's the place I worked at had a $30,000 license for "Alias Power Animator" which required a $50,000 SGI workstation to run on. I certainly gave it a serious look but it wasn't long before i was wondering what it did that I wasn't already doing easier with A:M.

 

There are some greater powers in some of the higher priced programs but they tend to be things that you would need a team of people to make use of. For example, A:M doesn't directly support using Pixar Renderman.

 

But one license of Pixar Renderman costs many times more than A:M itself does, and you will need to be an extremely devoted specialist in rendering minutia to use the extra... whatever... that Renderman offers.

 

Besides that, A:M already has a great rendering engine built in that will do well for 99.99% of 3D CG needs and is still manageable by a typical user.

 

And last I heard, Renderman couldn't do curved motion blur; A:M has been able to do that for quite a while. Sometimes A:M is ahead of the curve.