DePingus
12-01-2003, 01:31 AM
Let me begin by telling you where I'm coming from. I'm a new user that has been playing with the animate4 demo (plus docs and videos) for only a few days. I am in no way new to 3D nor am I an industry pro. (I've worked with Maya and lately Wings extensively and have some experience in XSI, Silo, and other apps). With that said I thought I would give the pmG team my initial impressions of messiah.
First off, I gotta request it: Give the user the ability to customize the view controls! They seem to have been setup with a two button mouse in mind. Most 3D apps (including messiah) require a 3 buttom mouse, use them wisely! The view controls are setup in an illogical manner (who uses bank?) Messiah is complex enough, I don't need to be fighting with the view controls as well. Need a better reason? Messiah is used as a plugin to other apps (Maya, LW, C4D, etc). The transition between messiah and its host app would be infinately smoother if animators/riggers didn't have to re-adjust to the new controls everytime they flip-flopped.
Moving on. Perhaps I missed a setting somewhere or I can't see the rational behind it, but in the demo the Z axis (as it is commonly used in 3D apps) is backwards. For instance, assuming (x,y,z) coordinate system and default camera view; putting an object at (2,0,2) should put the object in Quadrant IV (bottom right) of the ground plane (at least thats what happens in every 3D app I've used). Messiah puts the object in Quadrant II (top right, which I think might be mathematically correct). Why is this important? Well, the aforementioned issue of continuity between apps for one. 2nd, the AutoRig armatures come in facing the messiah's +Z axis. Imported characters (though created facing the host app's +Z) comes in facing messiah's -Z. This means I have to spin my geometry around 180 degrees in the H. While not a big deal for people who know it, for a newbie trying to follow the AutoRig video it was quite the nightmare.
Another thing about AutoRig, in the video once he finishes Setup and goes into Animate he has a nice clean armature interface to animate with. I end up with tons of handles and nulls getting the way of the armature controls. Shouldn't those be hidden along with the bones automatically like it in the video?
Overall, messiah has something very powerful under its hood; but the hood iteself can use some work. I'm sure as I play some more with the demo I'll learn new and great things about messiah and I'll find other things that drive me nuts. I know working with messiah day in and day out its sometimes hard to look at it from the eyes of a new user. So, as a new user, I thought I might give you guys some feedback. You're doing great work! Keep it up! :thumbsup:
PM me if you're interested in more feedback. I'll do what I can to help. (What...that wasn't enough?)
First off, I gotta request it: Give the user the ability to customize the view controls! They seem to have been setup with a two button mouse in mind. Most 3D apps (including messiah) require a 3 buttom mouse, use them wisely! The view controls are setup in an illogical manner (who uses bank?) Messiah is complex enough, I don't need to be fighting with the view controls as well. Need a better reason? Messiah is used as a plugin to other apps (Maya, LW, C4D, etc). The transition between messiah and its host app would be infinately smoother if animators/riggers didn't have to re-adjust to the new controls everytime they flip-flopped.
Moving on. Perhaps I missed a setting somewhere or I can't see the rational behind it, but in the demo the Z axis (as it is commonly used in 3D apps) is backwards. For instance, assuming (x,y,z) coordinate system and default camera view; putting an object at (2,0,2) should put the object in Quadrant IV (bottom right) of the ground plane (at least thats what happens in every 3D app I've used). Messiah puts the object in Quadrant II (top right, which I think might be mathematically correct). Why is this important? Well, the aforementioned issue of continuity between apps for one. 2nd, the AutoRig armatures come in facing the messiah's +Z axis. Imported characters (though created facing the host app's +Z) comes in facing messiah's -Z. This means I have to spin my geometry around 180 degrees in the H. While not a big deal for people who know it, for a newbie trying to follow the AutoRig video it was quite the nightmare.
Another thing about AutoRig, in the video once he finishes Setup and goes into Animate he has a nice clean armature interface to animate with. I end up with tons of handles and nulls getting the way of the armature controls. Shouldn't those be hidden along with the bones automatically like it in the video?
Overall, messiah has something very powerful under its hood; but the hood iteself can use some work. I'm sure as I play some more with the demo I'll learn new and great things about messiah and I'll find other things that drive me nuts. I know working with messiah day in and day out its sometimes hard to look at it from the eyes of a new user. So, as a new user, I thought I might give you guys some feedback. You're doing great work! Keep it up! :thumbsup:
PM me if you're interested in more feedback. I'll do what I can to help. (What...that wasn't enough?)