Mahlon
06-26-2002, 03:24 PM
http://www.discreet.com/products/3dsmax5/
Mahlon:beer:
Mahlon:beer:
View Full Version : So it looks like Max 5 is announced....
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Ibanezhead
06-26-2002, 04:23 PM
Cant wait! :bounce:
cmc
06-26-2002, 06:49 PM
I have been to a demo of Max 5. I am not impress. Max 5 is basically playing catching up with other 3D software. I feel that only the improved UVW Unwarp is above the competition. However this is my initial impression. It might change once I have some hands on with it.
But hey, if you are stuck with 3D Max then Max 5 is a godsend. It got lots and lots of improvements. It also means lots and lots of parameters to learn.
But hey, if you are stuck with 3D Max then Max 5 is a godsend. It got lots and lots of improvements. It also means lots and lots of parameters to learn.
yog
06-26-2002, 07:03 PM
I guess someone's glass is half empty.:shrug:
Personally MAX isn't currently my first tool of choice (I'm still plugging away tho), but some of the new features look very exciting.
If the radiosity solution is based on the Lightscape model as has been said, and that if texture baking the result doesn't produce much of a noticable render hit then I will be a very happy bunny.
The ability to pick and choose individual layers from a Photoshop file also sounds very cool.:buttrock:
Personally MAX isn't currently my first tool of choice (I'm still plugging away tho), but some of the new features look very exciting.
If the radiosity solution is based on the Lightscape model as has been said, and that if texture baking the result doesn't produce much of a noticable render hit then I will be a very happy bunny.
The ability to pick and choose individual layers from a Photoshop file also sounds very cool.:buttrock:
yog
06-26-2002, 07:21 PM
Oops, double post :shrug:
Fnkymnky
06-26-2002, 08:47 PM
"Playing catch-up with the competition"
What, you would rather they continue to leave out features everyone else has? I'm happy they're starting to put these things in.
"If you're stuck with 3ds max..."
What?! 'Stuck' with max? Why are you even here if you hate it so much?
In the end, I'm happy to see these new features/tools being implemented. I finally get to have the capability of the so-called 'big-boys', without having to deal with a horribly unintuitive, poorly layed out interface (i.e. Lightwave).
I've said it before: call me crazy, but I'm happy to pay more than double the price if I get an intuitive, easy to use, no-bullshit, standard Windows interface with my software.
Finally, the glass is not simply 'half-empty' or 'half-full': it's BOTH!!! If one half is empty, what must the other half be? That's right! Full!
How hard is that to understand? :p
What, you would rather they continue to leave out features everyone else has? I'm happy they're starting to put these things in.
"If you're stuck with 3ds max..."
What?! 'Stuck' with max? Why are you even here if you hate it so much?
In the end, I'm happy to see these new features/tools being implemented. I finally get to have the capability of the so-called 'big-boys', without having to deal with a horribly unintuitive, poorly layed out interface (i.e. Lightwave).
I've said it before: call me crazy, but I'm happy to pay more than double the price if I get an intuitive, easy to use, no-bullshit, standard Windows interface with my software.
Finally, the glass is not simply 'half-empty' or 'half-full': it's BOTH!!! If one half is empty, what must the other half be? That's right! Full!
How hard is that to understand? :p
cmc
06-26-2002, 09:32 PM
Hey, don't get me wrong. What I meant by "stuck" is that people who only have and use 3D Max. My english is not very good, I can't think of a better word. I also like 3D Max. So much that last year I bought Max 4, Character Studio and Reactor as a home user. But now reactor is build in in Max 5. It seem like a waste to buy reactor.
About catching up with the competition. Well I feel that it is good thing but it more like honey to attract people. Some you can do without it some you can do better if you get 3rd party. They still do leave out lot of features that everyone have, btw. Namely NLA. Max 5 seem to be half NLA. Maybe Max 6 will be fully NLA. I simply don't inderstand why Max don't have it yet? All they need to do is just improve the block controller thing.
About catching up with the competition. Well I feel that it is good thing but it more like honey to attract people. Some you can do without it some you can do better if you get 3rd party. They still do leave out lot of features that everyone have, btw. Namely NLA. Max 5 seem to be half NLA. Maybe Max 6 will be fully NLA. I simply don't inderstand why Max don't have it yet? All they need to do is just improve the block controller thing.
Fnkymnky
06-26-2002, 10:02 PM
Oh, okay, sorry; I didn't notice what country you're from.
But as for "honey to attract people", well, regardless of what company someone feels makes the best software, you can't let marketing hype get to you.
The "hey, look how cool we are" attitude presented by those marketing types is not necessarily representative of the developers.
But as for "honey to attract people", well, regardless of what company someone feels makes the best software, you can't let marketing hype get to you.
The "hey, look how cool we are" attitude presented by those marketing types is not necessarily representative of the developers.
pluMmet
06-26-2002, 10:17 PM
Where exactly does it say thet Reactor is included???:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Chris
06-26-2002, 10:25 PM
Its is marketing-speak, so you have to translate it to english:
"and new Interactive Physics brings realism to your animations"
Babblefish translation:
"Yep, we've stucked that reactor thingie in there too"
& under features & benefits
"Discreet's reactor™ software is now included in 3ds max. Refer to the reactor tech spec and Features & Benefits guide for more information."
Babblefish translation:
"The software discreet of the reactor hour is included in the maximum 3ds. Refers to spec. of technology of the reactor and to the guide of the benefits & the characteristics for the more information "
"and new Interactive Physics brings realism to your animations"
Babblefish translation:
"Yep, we've stucked that reactor thingie in there too"
& under features & benefits
"Discreet's reactor™ software is now included in 3ds max. Refer to the reactor tech spec and Features & Benefits guide for more information."
Babblefish translation:
"The software discreet of the reactor hour is included in the maximum 3ds. Refers to spec. of technology of the reactor and to the guide of the benefits & the characteristics for the more information "
pluMmet
06-26-2002, 11:12 PM
COOL!
swampthing
06-26-2002, 11:46 PM
The only 2 features that would have gotten me interested aren't there.
1) Drastically improved performance. 3dsmax has got to be one of the most bloated and doggy performing 3d app i've used.
2) 10x improved stability. Max in my experience is a crashfest.
1) Drastically improved performance. 3dsmax has got to be one of the most bloated and doggy performing 3d app i've used.
2) 10x improved stability. Max in my experience is a crashfest.
xynaria
06-27-2002, 02:07 AM
I love the page where they explain the huge improvements in Nurbs and Particles, including the new hyperfast volumetric shaders. The long awaited full soft body collision detection looks sweet too . New node base material editing, and a revamp of the car crash they used to call an interface got to make is a must have. It also gets my vote of confidence that it has finally addressed it's stability issues... boy that glass is positively overflowing. :p :)
markdc
06-27-2002, 03:35 AM
Looks great to me. I'm excited about it. :thumbsup:
I wish I could go to siggraph, but there's another show in LA at the end of July that Discreet will also be at--so I'll see it there.
I wish I could go to siggraph, but there's another show in LA at the end of July that Discreet will also be at--so I'll see it there.
Anton Andriesh
06-27-2002, 07:26 AM
For the first time I see so many useful improovements in max! :buttrock:
Using max4 I was searching a method to render a surface for texture to reduce rendering time or for real-time 3D. For example you can render a surface with soft shadows if your shadow is not animated. Now we have RENDER TO TEXTURE tool in max5! :buttrock:
Own GUI system! Would it be better then finalRender's?
Toon Shading? No Illustrate!?
Layers!
PSD support!
Progressive Morphing!
:buttrock: :airguitar
Using max4 I was searching a method to render a surface for texture to reduce rendering time or for real-time 3D. For example you can render a surface with soft shadows if your shadow is not animated. Now we have RENDER TO TEXTURE tool in max5! :buttrock:
Own GUI system! Would it be better then finalRender's?
Toon Shading? No Illustrate!?
Layers!
PSD support!
Progressive Morphing!
:buttrock: :airguitar
Genesis
06-27-2002, 08:02 AM
Does anyone have any more detailed information on the toon shader?
xynaria
06-27-2002, 03:27 PM
From what I heard about it it's pretty good in that it has usable mapping channels that work like any other material and is reputedly pretty nippy. Not heard anyhting anywhere about possibility of.swf export though.. has anyone??? :)
Reality3D
06-27-2002, 03:38 PM
As far as I know, the toon shader is near the same Blur Did in max 3 (for free of course 8) )
j3st3r
06-28-2002, 07:18 AM
Judging an interface is very subjective. In my judgment, LW has the best, the most intuitive interface, after that XSI/Softimage, after that MAX, and Maya
MAX needs these tools, sure. But MAX is famous of it`s instability, slowness, etc. Anyway, I`m glad to see MAX improved, because I was MAX use for 5 long years. And occasionally, when my freelancing work rquires it, I use it also currently. The only problem is the price...
Jester
MAX needs these tools, sure. But MAX is famous of it`s instability, slowness, etc. Anyway, I`m glad to see MAX improved, because I was MAX use for 5 long years. And occasionally, when my freelancing work rquires it, I use it also currently. The only problem is the price...
Jester
darkmonth
06-28-2002, 08:44 AM
I dont think Max5 has Non Linear Animation does it? I am a character animator. Modelling tools are fantastic and things are looking good for Max 5. Especialliy the Radiosity stuff. But if they only had Non Linear editing for the animation sequences. Anyone know if the next version of Character Studio will include something like this?
Dave :buttrock:
Dave :buttrock:
darkmonth
06-28-2002, 08:47 AM
Will the DirectX 9 support finally allow us Hardware shaders etc. So could we use GeForce 3 and 4 and 5 cards to their DX8/9 abilities. Such as realtime lighting, hardware accelelrated in all viewports. And pixel shaders for materials. This would dramatically increase our game development time as we could see in a a DX environment approximately what things will be like. It pisses me off that Max4's DirectX viewers are shit. They pused it like it was some kind of special feature for Max4 and its not. Its almost as naff as V3's one!
Dave:wip:
Dave:wip:
TylerHunter
06-29-2002, 10:46 PM
Ive have now been running the 3D program gaunlet for some time. My first program was 3DS max, which I learned to fall in love with polies with. I love max's material editor, poly tools, renderer, plugins, physique is great for rigging, a million and one GI renderers, but I couldnt stand the lack of a descent cloth solution (reactor is horrible), bad animation tools (mainly no character sets, no spline IK, and HORRID rotation solvers), bad UVW unwrapping system, and its a little on the slow side in the view ports. So I went to the supposed holy grail, Maya. Note I couldnt model in maya so I had to model in max and send my stuff over to maya. The animation in maya is great though, animation was easy and fast. But there was a big problem, maya's renderer is for people who like to try and kill themselves, Mental ray is too slow for animation, and renderman is awsome but I cant handle all those 500 meg perframe rib files. Ive used light wave which I really dont like. So my final solution is to try Softimage XSI which I hear supper cool things about. But now max 5 seems to have all I need. Good animation tools (the fixed the rotators supposedly), fixed UVW tools, and lotsa other good stuff. But there is a problem Hair and cloth. Shag hair is good for hair but it renders slow. Reactors hair is as I said before a disaster. Im not a particle man, but nothing touches afterburner for volumetrics in my opinion. So if I can find a good cloth solution and shave and a cut gets a max port. Max might rule the earth. Oh yeah it needs descent nurbs tools (I dont use), and an NLA (the only use I have for it is wing flaps).
There is my 2 cents
Tyler Hunter
There is my 2 cents
Tyler Hunter
Aearon
06-29-2002, 11:16 PM
uhm, everyones talking about it, and i don't know what it is...
what exactly is NLA ? :shrug:
what exactly is NLA ? :shrug:
rohit
06-30-2002, 04:43 AM
Flash Renderer is included in Max 5 or not.... or we have to use plasma for that.
TylerHunter
06-30-2002, 06:04 AM
NLA = Non Linear Animation
Making motion clips of a character set (which sorta is a group of bones keyed as 1). Then you take a bunch of these motion clips and place any way you want over time. Thats a bad explaination.
Making motion clips of a character set (which sorta is a group of bones keyed as 1). Then you take a bunch of these motion clips and place any way you want over time. Thats a bad explaination.
skunk184
06-30-2002, 02:35 PM
I was looking forward too some NLA and its not there:eek:
a couple of useful improvements but on the whole just looks like theyve added some already available max 4 plugs and free scripts.....I was excited and now im not:thumbsdow
a couple of useful improvements but on the whole just looks like theyve added some already available max 4 plugs and free scripts.....I was excited and now im not:thumbsdow
pluMmet
06-30-2002, 02:58 PM
I think you guys need to look a little closer at the Video on Demand @ the Disreet site... The interview with that white haired Europiean. NLA of some sort is in Max5 and by what that guy says it seems well enough to make a difference in that department. Of course well have to see exactly how it's implemented. Not to mention the talk of CS4 having an even more advanced NLA then Max5 standard.
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
:beer:
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
:beer:
Rain3danimator
06-30-2002, 09:19 PM
the NLA wich is comming in MAX 5 is the pose2pose version sa, so its like morphing thru your animation poses.
xynaria
07-01-2002, 01:06 AM
EEK!!!!! that sounds bad.. er.... by morphing. Now everything I've heard about morphing and why it is so problematic except for some things, is that it tends to move in a straight line.. vertex to vertex.....which most animation shouldn't.. very little animation doesn't move in an arc..hence when using morphing on the classic angle poise you have to create sooooooo many targets.
Oh well, Im sure Discreet are actually leading the pack on this one. :)
Oh well, Im sure Discreet are actually leading the pack on this one. :)
Chris
07-01-2002, 02:22 AM
I wouldnt worry about that too much. I imagine the pose to pose animation works much like Michael Comet's script, You set up your basic poses over time, then go back & tweak the curves in trackview as per normal.
xzevlin
07-01-2002, 06:22 AM
Originally posted by pluMmet
Not to mention the talk of CS4 having an even more advanced NLA then Max5 standard.
Hmmm, I hate the thought that they'd force people to buy Character Studio to do real NLA and have a crippled sorta-NLA in Max 5. With Max 4 it was finally possible to do decent character animation without CS, so they added the crowd sim to get people to buy it. If they withhold real NLA from Max 5 just to squeeze $1500 out of people, it'll be a real shame.
I really can't justify the upgrade cost when I look at the price of other programs, unless I see a Max 5 demo that really blows me away, I think I'm going to switch to something that gives you everything in one package.
I'm sure they wont miss my money much, but this feature list really isn't all that impressive. I really though there'd be an extra surprise, instead of just the rumour list that's been floating around for weeks.
If the still-rumoured reworked particles allowed hair simulation though, I might reconsider. Odd how Shave and a Haircut is out on almost every platform but Max now, when Max was the second one it was announced for.
Not to mention the talk of CS4 having an even more advanced NLA then Max5 standard.
Hmmm, I hate the thought that they'd force people to buy Character Studio to do real NLA and have a crippled sorta-NLA in Max 5. With Max 4 it was finally possible to do decent character animation without CS, so they added the crowd sim to get people to buy it. If they withhold real NLA from Max 5 just to squeeze $1500 out of people, it'll be a real shame.
I really can't justify the upgrade cost when I look at the price of other programs, unless I see a Max 5 demo that really blows me away, I think I'm going to switch to something that gives you everything in one package.
I'm sure they wont miss my money much, but this feature list really isn't all that impressive. I really though there'd be an extra surprise, instead of just the rumour list that's been floating around for weeks.
If the still-rumoured reworked particles allowed hair simulation though, I might reconsider. Odd how Shave and a Haircut is out on almost every platform but Max now, when Max was the second one it was announced for.
Flynn
07-01-2002, 02:31 PM
I have the beta 5 (luna)...so if anyone has an questions about whats in it I can try and look for you.
somethings I noticed...totally new animation editor....feels kinda like Maya's
there is a built in GI system, under "advanced lighting" but I have not rendered with it as of yet. But just from poking around I can tell they added a crap load to the lighting system in max.
I do not see any kind of tools like "meshTools" or mirai has..but I could have to look deeper. This is a big let down for me.....hope they include these tolls in the final.
the interface seems identical to other versions of max...which is great because its my favorite interface of any 3d app.
they did move the snap tools from the bottom to the top bar. I guess they wanted to reserve that space for nothing but animation tools....which makes sense
I think the IK system is reworked as well but I have yet to mess with that .
they are also pushing this new hot key system which seems very cool.
track editor is now referred to as function curves and has been modified...how much is beyond just cosmetic I'm not sure. they have also added a dope sheet which looks pretty much the same as the function curves dialog.
the controllers are totally different and are very much the same as maya. have to say they work great.
also they added some weird e-mail notification in the render dialog...guess thats cool.
anyway I have only had ot for a short time and I'm sure I have only tapped the surface...If I find anything else really cool I will post
-Flynn
somethings I noticed...totally new animation editor....feels kinda like Maya's
there is a built in GI system, under "advanced lighting" but I have not rendered with it as of yet. But just from poking around I can tell they added a crap load to the lighting system in max.
I do not see any kind of tools like "meshTools" or mirai has..but I could have to look deeper. This is a big let down for me.....hope they include these tolls in the final.
the interface seems identical to other versions of max...which is great because its my favorite interface of any 3d app.
they did move the snap tools from the bottom to the top bar. I guess they wanted to reserve that space for nothing but animation tools....which makes sense
I think the IK system is reworked as well but I have yet to mess with that .
they are also pushing this new hot key system which seems very cool.
track editor is now referred to as function curves and has been modified...how much is beyond just cosmetic I'm not sure. they have also added a dope sheet which looks pretty much the same as the function curves dialog.
the controllers are totally different and are very much the same as maya. have to say they work great.
also they added some weird e-mail notification in the render dialog...guess thats cool.
anyway I have only had ot for a short time and I'm sure I have only tapped the surface...If I find anything else really cool I will post
-Flynn
pluMmet
07-01-2002, 03:47 PM
Flynn- hey if you understand NLA, their are quite a few posts concerning it on this and other forums. If your qualified it would be great if you could shed light on the subject concerning R5.
If your not sure if your quilified then don't worry about it, you would just add confusion to the matter.
thx
If your not sure if your quilified then don't worry about it, you would just add confusion to the matter.
thx
Flynn
07-01-2002, 04:23 PM
dont know much about non-linear animation however I took a screen shot and this insert character option seems to be some sort of NLA...If I am wrong sorry
http://www.morethanless.tzo.com:81/flynnCap.gif
http://www.morethanless.tzo.com:81/flynnCap.gif
pluMmet
07-01-2002, 05:00 PM
I'm not sure either but thank you Flynn-
I don't know much about NLA exept people with it like it very much...that alone makes me want it!
:beer:
I don't know much about NLA exept people with it like it very much...that alone makes me want it!
:beer:
Equinoxx
07-01-2002, 05:01 PM
Flyne,
meshtools is definately in, check under customise --> customise ui
find polytools in the keyboardtab under the category dropdown . . . it's ALL there baby :bounce:
meshtools is definately in, check under customise --> customise ui
find polytools in the keyboardtab under the category dropdown . . . it's ALL there baby :bounce:
LFShade
07-01-2002, 05:33 PM
The new character system has nothing to do with NLA. Like Maya's character system, it simply provides a more tidy interface for all controls that are used to animate a character rig.
The NLA-like feature being touted in Max5 is actually just saving and loading keyframe sequences. In case anyone missed this, it was a feature already included with Max4 in the form of a script ("MergeAnim", in a subfolder of the "scripts" dir when you install the bonus scripts). All they've done is alter it a bit and port it from script to plugin so it works (theoretically) faster and better. Sadly, this is not the same caliber of NLA that can be found in XSI, Mirai, or even Maya's somewhat flawed Trax editor. Robust, functional NLA should be modular and non-destructive, which Max5's will not be. Allow me to explain:
Good NLA: Create a clip of a character walking. Then create a clip of the character doing a kick. Place the clips in separate channels on a timeline, first the walk, then the kick. Blend between the clips so that the motion flows nicely between them. Now, let's say you want to change the walk -- just go into that clip and edit it's curves, add/delete keyframes, etc. The changes automatically update through the whole animation. Now suppose you decide to have the character kick first. Easy! just drag the clips into the new order on the timeline! Change your blending parameters until it looks right again, and you're set! Add more channels or throw in more clips as necessary to acheive whatever goal you're after, with total creative freedom to re-order your clips and edit them anytime without destroying the whole animation.
The Max Way: Animate a bunch of clips. Save the clips out. Start a new file, and load the clips in some order. All the keyframes from each clip are imported to the new file. You can't go back and edit the clips; the best you could do is keep them in separate .max files, edit those, and re-save the clips. Then you'd have to merge them back in to your target file, but this has a host of technical problems and you'll still have to do a bunch of keyframe editing in the final file. No channels, no blending, and no re-ordering without a whole mess of work. Is it NLA? Yes. But is it powerful, easy, creatively flexible NLA? Absolutely not!
And as for Character Studio -- well, it's not bad. But wouldn't you rather be able to use it's features on ANY character rig, not just Biped bones? How do Character Studio's NLA features help you when you need to animate that fantastic sixteen-legged alien bug you've just finished creating a custom rig for?
Discreet needs to wake up and smell the future: adding those wonderful non-destructive nonlinear animation features certainly wouldn't hurt the market share, would it? Heck, at least they could make it available as a plugin so that it would be possible in Max rather than completely untouchable.
I do love Max for what it is, though:buttrock:
Have a nice day.
The NLA-like feature being touted in Max5 is actually just saving and loading keyframe sequences. In case anyone missed this, it was a feature already included with Max4 in the form of a script ("MergeAnim", in a subfolder of the "scripts" dir when you install the bonus scripts). All they've done is alter it a bit and port it from script to plugin so it works (theoretically) faster and better. Sadly, this is not the same caliber of NLA that can be found in XSI, Mirai, or even Maya's somewhat flawed Trax editor. Robust, functional NLA should be modular and non-destructive, which Max5's will not be. Allow me to explain:
Good NLA: Create a clip of a character walking. Then create a clip of the character doing a kick. Place the clips in separate channels on a timeline, first the walk, then the kick. Blend between the clips so that the motion flows nicely between them. Now, let's say you want to change the walk -- just go into that clip and edit it's curves, add/delete keyframes, etc. The changes automatically update through the whole animation. Now suppose you decide to have the character kick first. Easy! just drag the clips into the new order on the timeline! Change your blending parameters until it looks right again, and you're set! Add more channels or throw in more clips as necessary to acheive whatever goal you're after, with total creative freedom to re-order your clips and edit them anytime without destroying the whole animation.
The Max Way: Animate a bunch of clips. Save the clips out. Start a new file, and load the clips in some order. All the keyframes from each clip are imported to the new file. You can't go back and edit the clips; the best you could do is keep them in separate .max files, edit those, and re-save the clips. Then you'd have to merge them back in to your target file, but this has a host of technical problems and you'll still have to do a bunch of keyframe editing in the final file. No channels, no blending, and no re-ordering without a whole mess of work. Is it NLA? Yes. But is it powerful, easy, creatively flexible NLA? Absolutely not!
And as for Character Studio -- well, it's not bad. But wouldn't you rather be able to use it's features on ANY character rig, not just Biped bones? How do Character Studio's NLA features help you when you need to animate that fantastic sixteen-legged alien bug you've just finished creating a custom rig for?
Discreet needs to wake up and smell the future: adding those wonderful non-destructive nonlinear animation features certainly wouldn't hurt the market share, would it? Heck, at least they could make it available as a plugin so that it would be possible in Max rather than completely untouchable.
I do love Max for what it is, though:buttrock:
Have a nice day.
pluMmet
07-01-2002, 06:12 PM
LFShade- I finally understand...THANK YOU!
thedaemon
07-01-2002, 09:32 PM
Flynn, for the "mirai" type tools u have to apply an editpoly to the mesh. :bounce: My teacher has the beta and he let me mess with it a little. Much better, now max imho ranks supreme at modeling.:thumbsup:
Flynn
07-01-2002, 09:37 PM
sweet I will mess around tonight and see if I can find them...
Mahlon
07-01-2002, 11:15 PM
And as for Character Studio -- well, it's not bad. But wouldn't you rather be able to use it's features on ANY character rig, not just Biped bones? How do Character Studio's NLA features help you when you need to animate that fantastic sixteen-legged alien bug you've just finished creating a custom rig for?
Agreed 100%. This is something I was hoping for in Max 5. Maybe it will still be there in the end, because we haven't heard anything about CS 4 yet --if it's scheduled for a release.
I can't imagine that discreet is ignoring this aspect of workflow (NLA)..... hope not. But the description of the character 'set-up' tools and pose loading is not NLA, for sure.
Mahlon
Agreed 100%. This is something I was hoping for in Max 5. Maybe it will still be there in the end, because we haven't heard anything about CS 4 yet --if it's scheduled for a release.
I can't imagine that discreet is ignoring this aspect of workflow (NLA)..... hope not. But the description of the character 'set-up' tools and pose loading is not NLA, for sure.
Mahlon
thedaemon
07-02-2002, 04:22 AM
ok, I got a question about nla, one person posted that it is possible if u make a walk animation and export it and make a kick animation and import the walk into and blend them somehow.. well, then he said (i am not quoting just remembering) that to edit the walk animation u would have to open the other scene and reexport etc... well, that sounds silly, why not make both animations in the same scene and just move it to the side/hide it....:shrug: I have not yet taken animation at school yet (this coming quarter) so I am not for sure what nla is still yet, no real easy definition defined. But I do get the jist.
(what i think so far that nla is: blending animations and being able to edit either one seperatly and reblend them with curves) am I right?:shrug:
(what i think so far that nla is: blending animations and being able to edit either one seperatly and reblend them with curves) am I right?:shrug:
Julez4001
07-02-2002, 05:32 AM
Lightwave 7.5 MotionMixer 2.0 is gotten way much better and will allow you to do what was mention a few post earlier about taking walk cycles and kicks and blending together.
From Newtek Discussion Most people are not impressed with the Max 5 as they didn't add anything that LW didn't have and if it did then they said Messiah:Animate. But Max people have that same access now....
Oh yeah I preasch the Messiah:Animate gospel.
Just seem cheaper going LW 7 route with lots of features and fast and great looking renderer out the box.
No lack of tools u want buying LW/Messiah still cheaper than Max and 1 standard plugin.
From Newtek Discussion Most people are not impressed with the Max 5 as they didn't add anything that LW didn't have and if it did then they said Messiah:Animate. But Max people have that same access now....
Oh yeah I preasch the Messiah:Animate gospel.
Just seem cheaper going LW 7 route with lots of features and fast and great looking renderer out the box.
No lack of tools u want buying LW/Messiah still cheaper than Max and 1 standard plugin.
moshe z.
07-02-2002, 08:07 AM
I think that max 5 is a collection of allot of plugins and script that where written for max 4 but now they just added it in.
did someone c something that wasn't an option to do some how
in max 4 ?
I am very disappointed.
did someone c something that wasn't an option to do some how
in max 4 ?
I am very disappointed.
DominikSusmel
07-03-2002, 01:28 AM
OK, here's my quarter.
From what I can say most of my wishes came true. I wanted Maya's Dope sheet and Track Editor in MAX for quite some time and it looks like they have exact copy in MAX now. Pretty cool. What I hope for is breakdown keys included with it.
That character grouping stuff is for exactly what it is for in Maya. In order to do NLA animation in Trax (what's the name of Trax in MAX now?) you have to make a subset of all animatable parameters within one character object. I got used to that heavily in Maya, and I really like forward seing this in MAX.
Note on rendering system. While pretty much all of us are on other rendering systems by know (FR here), it's nice to know they've done some work in that area too. One feature is intriguing me the most in MAX5 render system, it's ability to save and export light maps.
People call me crazy, but I wanted a hybrid in which MAX could get all Maya's fine capibilities. heh... Not the other way around ;)
Since I've used Maya for quite some time, here's the list of things I'd like to see in MAX that I don't think are covered yet, and which are not directly tied to Maya alone. So if any of you out with beta copy knows which of these are in MAX5 let me know.
Breakdown keys -- Absolutely necessary
New and improved Material Editor -- Not the workflow itself, but much more improvements on the base of current methodology
Dynamic objects set -- Featuring excellent Havoc rigid based set (I hope directly in MAX viewports) and hopefully a real soft body dynamics this time (die flex, die!) based on particle deformers.
Dynamic particle propagation -- Don't have to say much about this, NEW particle system with NEW forces (look to Maya again). and possibly a separate tool for particle collision beahviour (like Maya again).
Lights -- New and improved lights (Maya...)
Animation -- Dope sheet and Trax are covered. Still to code in is MC (Multi Chain) solver, for squid like things and possibly rework a little IK workflow. Also, one thing that bugs me in MAX is this. When you have two separate bone chains and you want to link them, when you do so it doesn't draw a link inbetween. that should be fixed too.
New UV stuff -- Or atleast include Texporter ;)
Camera -- Lots of stuff to be done here
Hair, Fur, PaintFX -- Although there are solutions out there for Hari and Fur (not PaintFx in MAX yet) it would be nice to have one seamless integrated tool that could react to new GI/FG rendering types. Who can wait for Splutterfish to port JoeAlter's S&H. We'd all get grey ones waiting for that.
From what I can say most of my wishes came true. I wanted Maya's Dope sheet and Track Editor in MAX for quite some time and it looks like they have exact copy in MAX now. Pretty cool. What I hope for is breakdown keys included with it.
That character grouping stuff is for exactly what it is for in Maya. In order to do NLA animation in Trax (what's the name of Trax in MAX now?) you have to make a subset of all animatable parameters within one character object. I got used to that heavily in Maya, and I really like forward seing this in MAX.
Note on rendering system. While pretty much all of us are on other rendering systems by know (FR here), it's nice to know they've done some work in that area too. One feature is intriguing me the most in MAX5 render system, it's ability to save and export light maps.
People call me crazy, but I wanted a hybrid in which MAX could get all Maya's fine capibilities. heh... Not the other way around ;)
Since I've used Maya for quite some time, here's the list of things I'd like to see in MAX that I don't think are covered yet, and which are not directly tied to Maya alone. So if any of you out with beta copy knows which of these are in MAX5 let me know.
Breakdown keys -- Absolutely necessary
New and improved Material Editor -- Not the workflow itself, but much more improvements on the base of current methodology
Dynamic objects set -- Featuring excellent Havoc rigid based set (I hope directly in MAX viewports) and hopefully a real soft body dynamics this time (die flex, die!) based on particle deformers.
Dynamic particle propagation -- Don't have to say much about this, NEW particle system with NEW forces (look to Maya again). and possibly a separate tool for particle collision beahviour (like Maya again).
Lights -- New and improved lights (Maya...)
Animation -- Dope sheet and Trax are covered. Still to code in is MC (Multi Chain) solver, for squid like things and possibly rework a little IK workflow. Also, one thing that bugs me in MAX is this. When you have two separate bone chains and you want to link them, when you do so it doesn't draw a link inbetween. that should be fixed too.
New UV stuff -- Or atleast include Texporter ;)
Camera -- Lots of stuff to be done here
Hair, Fur, PaintFX -- Although there are solutions out there for Hari and Fur (not PaintFx in MAX yet) it would be nice to have one seamless integrated tool that could react to new GI/FG rendering types. Who can wait for Splutterfish to port JoeAlter's S&H. We'd all get grey ones waiting for that.
Mahlon
07-03-2002, 02:33 AM
Animation -- Dope sheet and Trax are covered.
Dominik Susmel,
Not being familiar with Maya, could you explain a little about the workflow for TRAX. That's their NLA, right. I'm curious about how it works.
I think UVW Unwrap seems to be quite a bit improved in max 5. Someone posted this link to some PDF's which explain a lot more about some of the new features; it looks like it might be information sent out to beta or dealers, but this was info I hadn't seen before today.
http://www.studiopc.com/ click on Support; scroll down and the PDF's are at the bottom.
Mahlon
Dominik Susmel,
Not being familiar with Maya, could you explain a little about the workflow for TRAX. That's their NLA, right. I'm curious about how it works.
I think UVW Unwrap seems to be quite a bit improved in max 5. Someone posted this link to some PDF's which explain a lot more about some of the new features; it looks like it might be information sent out to beta or dealers, but this was info I hadn't seen before today.
http://www.studiopc.com/ click on Support; scroll down and the PDF's are at the bottom.
Mahlon
DominikSusmel
07-03-2002, 04:37 AM
sure.
In order to make your object "trax-able" it need to be a part of character. Simply put, it need to be a character by itself, or as a part of larger collective. Characters are made as a group, but with some extra control features. It makes working with objects easier, especially if you have large sets of them with complicated controls.
You can add custom controls to the character itself (like to the Head object in MAX5) or to any part of Character (but then that param. is not traxable).
When you open up trax, any Character can have it's animation clip or pose inserted in it. You can for example take a frame status of the object and make it a pose in Trax, or you can take the frame range or the whole frame range and make it a chracter clip. See, taking clips and poses is easy.
When you have your set of clips and poses (you can manage them through Visor browser) you insert them in Trax.
Working with clips in Trax is dead easy. Trax overrides whatever animation (if you had any) character has that wasnt part of Trax, which is pretty understanable, but you can also disable trax for a moment to ie. adjust the clip or something. You can operate on a clip or pose whenever you wish (to adjust it, change it, or whatever the reason).
In trax you have video editing style approach. Every clip is represented by a bar and has a start and duration. You can here scale the clip, cut it and do other wonderfull stuff with it like reversing it, cycling it through various loop modes etc.
There's also a feature that lets you blend between the clips or poses with other clips or poses. This is pretty much easy and works just like the very same feature in Character Studio 3.2, but in NLA mode ;)
Next, you can also layer animation clips on top of each other. So you can have for example a clip of body movement, while the other clip has only hands animated. So, one can animate hands, while other animates the rest of the body. :buttrock: If you have for example hands animated in both clips you can set one layer to override the other one or you can blend between the two.
This is just a basic overview of Trax. It's really easy to use, but can get some time to setup. setting up will take time no matter what MAX5 comes up with because it's not about application itself, it's rather like Rigging a character, but not with bones, Rigging it for NLA.
I hope MAX5 comes close or is even better than Trax :D
In order to make your object "trax-able" it need to be a part of character. Simply put, it need to be a character by itself, or as a part of larger collective. Characters are made as a group, but with some extra control features. It makes working with objects easier, especially if you have large sets of them with complicated controls.
You can add custom controls to the character itself (like to the Head object in MAX5) or to any part of Character (but then that param. is not traxable).
When you open up trax, any Character can have it's animation clip or pose inserted in it. You can for example take a frame status of the object and make it a pose in Trax, or you can take the frame range or the whole frame range and make it a chracter clip. See, taking clips and poses is easy.
When you have your set of clips and poses (you can manage them through Visor browser) you insert them in Trax.
Working with clips in Trax is dead easy. Trax overrides whatever animation (if you had any) character has that wasnt part of Trax, which is pretty understanable, but you can also disable trax for a moment to ie. adjust the clip or something. You can operate on a clip or pose whenever you wish (to adjust it, change it, or whatever the reason).
In trax you have video editing style approach. Every clip is represented by a bar and has a start and duration. You can here scale the clip, cut it and do other wonderfull stuff with it like reversing it, cycling it through various loop modes etc.
There's also a feature that lets you blend between the clips or poses with other clips or poses. This is pretty much easy and works just like the very same feature in Character Studio 3.2, but in NLA mode ;)
Next, you can also layer animation clips on top of each other. So you can have for example a clip of body movement, while the other clip has only hands animated. So, one can animate hands, while other animates the rest of the body. :buttrock: If you have for example hands animated in both clips you can set one layer to override the other one or you can blend between the two.
This is just a basic overview of Trax. It's really easy to use, but can get some time to setup. setting up will take time no matter what MAX5 comes up with because it's not about application itself, it's rather like Rigging a character, but not with bones, Rigging it for NLA.
I hope MAX5 comes close or is even better than Trax :D
Mahlon
07-03-2002, 05:53 AM
Thanks for the answer. I guess what I'm doing is trying to do is second guess and see what possible NLA path discreet could evolve based on the current info for it's animation merging implenentation in max 5. Did you go to the site I mentioned above? The PDF's explain a lot better what discreet has in this version, anyway. I wonder if they will evolve what's there and write new features around it --like blending and a visual editor interface, etc.
Any XSI users want to put forth the workflow for XSI's NLA? I'd be interested to hear.:beer:
Thanks again,
Mahlon
Any XSI users want to put forth the workflow for XSI's NLA? I'd be interested to hear.:beer:
Thanks again,
Mahlon
luigi
07-03-2002, 09:42 AM
good link Mahlon
very good information for understand better was max5 is going to have.
do you now why this guys write the pdfs?
the are a not official info , its grate taht the spen this time in do it.
very good information for understand better was max5 is going to have.
do you now why this guys write the pdfs?
the are a not official info , its grate taht the spen this time in do it.
Mahlon
07-03-2002, 05:31 PM
do you now why this guys write the pdfs?
Not sure, but it looks like material that could have gone out to beta testers or dealers.
Mahlon
Not sure, but it looks like material that could have gone out to beta testers or dealers.
Mahlon
toonman
07-04-2002, 12:19 AM
Originally posted by Dominik Susmel
OK, here's my quarter.
Breakdown keys -- Absolutely necessary
Could you explain what these are? I'm not familiar with Maya, so a little bit of explaining would help...
New and improved Material Editor -- Not the workflow itself, but much more improvements on the base of current methodology
Again, could you be more specific? Which improvements would you like to see?
Dynamic objects set -- Featuring excellent Havoc rigid based set (I hope directly in MAX viewports) and hopefully a real soft body dynamics this time (die flex, die!) based on particle deformers.
Reactor is now included with max. You'll get hard body, soft body, cloth, rope and water dynamics.
Dynamic particle propagation -- Don't have to say much about this, NEW particle system with NEW forces (look to Maya again). and possibly a separate tool for particle collision beahviour (like Maya again).
Hmmm... ok
Lights -- New and improved lights (Maya...)
Again... what would you like to see here? Please try to be more specific. R5 has a new photmetric lighting system, with new light types. Do you have in mind any specific new features you'd like to see?
Animation -- Dope sheet and Trax are covered. Still to code in is MC (Multi Chain) solver, for squid like things and possibly rework a little IK workflow. Also, one thing that bugs me in MAX is this. When you have two separate bone chains and you want to link them, when you do so it doesn't draw a link inbetween. that should be fixed too.
Hmmm... ok
New UV stuff -- Or atleast include Texporter ;)
There IS new UVW editing stuff... the Unwrap UVW modifier has been completely revamped.
Camera -- Lots of stuff to be done here
Again, could you explain what you need?
Hair, Fur, PaintFX -- Although there are solutions out there for Hari and Fur (not PaintFx in MAX yet) it would be nice to have one seamless integrated tool that could react to new GI/FG rendering types. Who can wait for Splutterfish to port JoeAlter's S&H. We'd all get grey ones waiting for that.
Hmmm... ok.
OK, here's my quarter.
Breakdown keys -- Absolutely necessary
Could you explain what these are? I'm not familiar with Maya, so a little bit of explaining would help...
New and improved Material Editor -- Not the workflow itself, but much more improvements on the base of current methodology
Again, could you be more specific? Which improvements would you like to see?
Dynamic objects set -- Featuring excellent Havoc rigid based set (I hope directly in MAX viewports) and hopefully a real soft body dynamics this time (die flex, die!) based on particle deformers.
Reactor is now included with max. You'll get hard body, soft body, cloth, rope and water dynamics.
Dynamic particle propagation -- Don't have to say much about this, NEW particle system with NEW forces (look to Maya again). and possibly a separate tool for particle collision beahviour (like Maya again).
Hmmm... ok
Lights -- New and improved lights (Maya...)
Again... what would you like to see here? Please try to be more specific. R5 has a new photmetric lighting system, with new light types. Do you have in mind any specific new features you'd like to see?
Animation -- Dope sheet and Trax are covered. Still to code in is MC (Multi Chain) solver, for squid like things and possibly rework a little IK workflow. Also, one thing that bugs me in MAX is this. When you have two separate bone chains and you want to link them, when you do so it doesn't draw a link inbetween. that should be fixed too.
Hmmm... ok
New UV stuff -- Or atleast include Texporter ;)
There IS new UVW editing stuff... the Unwrap UVW modifier has been completely revamped.
Camera -- Lots of stuff to be done here
Again, could you explain what you need?
Hair, Fur, PaintFX -- Although there are solutions out there for Hari and Fur (not PaintFx in MAX yet) it would be nice to have one seamless integrated tool that could react to new GI/FG rendering types. Who can wait for Splutterfish to port JoeAlter's S&H. We'd all get grey ones waiting for that.
Hmmm... ok.
DominikSusmel
07-04-2002, 12:45 AM
Breakdown keys -- Let's say you have 3 keyframes. 1st at 0 frame, 2nd at 5th frame and 3rd at 10th frame. Then, you change the 2nd keyframe (middle one) from regular keyframe to breakdown key. Now, when you pull 3rd keyframe either left or right on the timeline that breakdown key changes it's position relative to the 1st and 3rd key. So it's rather like scaling keys but with much more intuitive process.
New and improved Material Editor -- Lots of new control stuff I'd like to see. For example voluminose material approach, so for example you can create a glitter particles within a rubber ball. Or you can gear highlights torward cameras direction and stuff like that (usefull for snow...).
Dynamic objects set -- Yes, I am fully aware of reaktor. BUT, I'd like to see it integrated into MAX. I had one scene that had about 3000 pokeballs (yea, stupid commercial work) which were pouring down the screen like a waterfall. I had to switch back to reaktor and back constantly. Also, I don't like reaktors approach to soft body dynamics. In Mya for instance, in order to create a soft body you get a sort of control cage over your object (something very simillar to FFD but with objects simplified topology) which has particle assigned to each vertex. So, whatever you can do to particles in Maya you can do to soft body. Let's say you have a softbody, and you add a plane and a gravity. When particles reacto to gravity, they pull object down, and when they colide with plane and start to bounce they also start to deform object they control. Also, you can make them stiff (it is soft body, but it doesn't deform) and do lots of other things to it.
For example, you can have soft body bounce of a plane, and when particles bounce off the plane they can emmit new particles, so you can simulate sparks like that.
Lights -- I'd like to see first is to call things by their name properly. Penumbra is penumbra, there's no other name for it. Then I'd like to see Barndoors, ofcourse you can do it with texture, but why? It's much easier to do with barndoor controls. Further improvement over decay regions wouldn't hurt either. More control over blurrines of shadow. More fullproof shadow bias. Glow effects that are based on haze propagation through volume. Look at Mental Rays renderings of volume lights and you'll know what I'm talking about. Or atleast something like OptiF/X from Maya. That thing for optical effects included in MAX isn't enough.
Camera -- Direct control over DOF via F-Stop parameter and viewport gizmos that can show me exactly what radius I get with it. Revamped safe frame, this is aesthetical problem, but look at Lightwave's, or even better, Messiah's safeframe display. it's so Much better. Control over lens/filmback aspect, so you can fine tune resolution.
These are just out of my head. There are lots more that I have in mind, but I forget things. even as I wrote this I wanted to write more (Camera and Light for example), but I forgot what I wanted to write, heh.
New and improved Material Editor -- Lots of new control stuff I'd like to see. For example voluminose material approach, so for example you can create a glitter particles within a rubber ball. Or you can gear highlights torward cameras direction and stuff like that (usefull for snow...).
Dynamic objects set -- Yes, I am fully aware of reaktor. BUT, I'd like to see it integrated into MAX. I had one scene that had about 3000 pokeballs (yea, stupid commercial work) which were pouring down the screen like a waterfall. I had to switch back to reaktor and back constantly. Also, I don't like reaktors approach to soft body dynamics. In Mya for instance, in order to create a soft body you get a sort of control cage over your object (something very simillar to FFD but with objects simplified topology) which has particle assigned to each vertex. So, whatever you can do to particles in Maya you can do to soft body. Let's say you have a softbody, and you add a plane and a gravity. When particles reacto to gravity, they pull object down, and when they colide with plane and start to bounce they also start to deform object they control. Also, you can make them stiff (it is soft body, but it doesn't deform) and do lots of other things to it.
For example, you can have soft body bounce of a plane, and when particles bounce off the plane they can emmit new particles, so you can simulate sparks like that.
Lights -- I'd like to see first is to call things by their name properly. Penumbra is penumbra, there's no other name for it. Then I'd like to see Barndoors, ofcourse you can do it with texture, but why? It's much easier to do with barndoor controls. Further improvement over decay regions wouldn't hurt either. More control over blurrines of shadow. More fullproof shadow bias. Glow effects that are based on haze propagation through volume. Look at Mental Rays renderings of volume lights and you'll know what I'm talking about. Or atleast something like OptiF/X from Maya. That thing for optical effects included in MAX isn't enough.
Camera -- Direct control over DOF via F-Stop parameter and viewport gizmos that can show me exactly what radius I get with it. Revamped safe frame, this is aesthetical problem, but look at Lightwave's, or even better, Messiah's safeframe display. it's so Much better. Control over lens/filmback aspect, so you can fine tune resolution.
These are just out of my head. There are lots more that I have in mind, but I forget things. even as I wrote this I wanted to write more (Camera and Light for example), but I forgot what I wanted to write, heh.
pluMmet
07-04-2002, 03:33 PM
this will be of small consilation to your many requests but Max5 is supposed to have soft-select keys for animation which sounds alot like what you were saying about animation keys
Breakdown keys that is.
Breakdown keys that is.
AnimBot
07-04-2002, 07:36 PM
Breakdown keys -- Let's say you have 3 keyframes. 1st at 0 frame, 2nd at 5th frame and 3rd at 10th frame. Then, you change the 2nd keyframe (middle one) from regular keyframe to breakdown key. Now, when you pull 3rd keyframe either left or right on the timeline that breakdown key changes it's position relative to the 1st and 3rd key. So it's rather like scaling keys but with much more intuitive process.
I still don't get what the difference between this and scaling keys is.
I still don't get what the difference between this and scaling keys is.
Mike RB
07-05-2002, 03:41 PM
Okee, here is both the Lightwave and XSI interfaces for NLA, with a kick and run clip in work workarea.
Personally I think LW's interface is much cleaner and easier to get around in, but thats just personal preferance, they both have pretty much the same features:
http://www3.telus.net/paratrooper/kickrun.jpg
Mike
Personally I think LW's interface is much cleaner and easier to get around in, but thats just personal preferance, they both have pretty much the same features:
http://www3.telus.net/paratrooper/kickrun.jpg
Mike
undoz
07-05-2002, 09:49 PM
ok, then how do you call this?
Mike RB
07-06-2002, 03:38 PM
interesting, it kinda looks like nla. Are you able to overlap the clips?
xzevlin
07-06-2002, 04:42 PM
The Block controller has been there since 3.0, but it has never worked. It looks like NLA, but mostly it just causes headaches and mouse throwing. Unless it's actually been fixed in 5, which I really doubt since no mention of it's been made so far. If it's become an interface for the insert and merge animation, then it might finally be worth using. It would be alot easier to use than Motion Flow's interface, which has been in Character Studio since Max 2 (and which Max 5's new insert animation seems to be based on).
Mike RB
07-06-2002, 05:08 PM
ahh i see, can you specify actors or groups of items to be controlled by the 'blocks'?
AnimBot
07-06-2002, 09:36 PM
Yea block controllers are a huge pain to setup they make you want to cry. It's more like a primitive form of NLA. Even when they came out in version 3 it's like they didn't make a big deal about it almost as if they knew it wasn't worth the trouble.
mustique
07-07-2002, 12:36 PM
I can't bear to hear the word "block controllers". They should be thrown out of max altogether with the old dynamics shit and several other mad-driving tools.
There are a cuple of good things in max5.
But I'm very dissapointed with that fake NLA stuff. I read those pdf's and even the look of those merge animation thing makes me sick.
Did you read that: "There is no blend future you got to blend animation manually". Cool! That's the biggest joke a 3D developer ever made to its users. I hope this is just an upgrade to keep the userbase busy while the next big thing comes out within a year.:D
There are a cuple of good things in max5.
But I'm very dissapointed with that fake NLA stuff. I read those pdf's and even the look of those merge animation thing makes me sick.
Did you read that: "There is no blend future you got to blend animation manually". Cool! That's the biggest joke a 3D developer ever made to its users. I hope this is just an upgrade to keep the userbase busy while the next big thing comes out within a year.:D
TylerHunter
07-07-2002, 06:10 PM
I dont get what the big deal is about having NLA or not having NLA. I animate all the time and I never use NLA nor do I see much use for it in producing animation. Ussually ill storyboard and animatic a shot and produce all the animation fresh for each shot. The only thing I ever use an NLA animation system for is making a single clip I can repeat at different scaled ratios.. Wing Flaps, but then I just reuse the same clip again and again.. You can do that in Max5's system.. I would really like some one to give me an example of some professionally produced animation that uses an NLA system. And who needs paint effects, Can we say create art button. Artisan is nice but Im a deeppaint man.
Tyler
:bowdown:
Tyler
:bowdown:
yog
07-07-2002, 06:51 PM
Another thing NLA is good for is replacing morphing. Morphing can be quick and easy, but it is linear. Now MAX5 will have progressive morphing, but all that means is that you get to model more inbetweens and it is still linear. Personally I think the example MAX use for progressive morphs is terrible because you can still see the vertices moving linearly between each morph target.
What NLA allows you to do is quickly and easily use rotating bones tied to sliders instead of morphs for a more realistic motion. Here's a LW tutorial by Mike_RB
http://www.3dluvr.com/blackbourn/web/tuts/pmtut/pmtut.html
He probably would have mentioned it himself, but I hear he's quite shy :wavey:
I know this can already be done in MAX with expressions, but this is far easier, no maths, all you do is pose your figure and save it as a motion for later use.
What NLA allows you to do is quickly and easily use rotating bones tied to sliders instead of morphs for a more realistic motion. Here's a LW tutorial by Mike_RB
http://www.3dluvr.com/blackbourn/web/tuts/pmtut/pmtut.html
He probably would have mentioned it himself, but I hear he's quite shy :wavey:
I know this can already be done in MAX with expressions, but this is far easier, no maths, all you do is pose your figure and save it as a motion for later use.
TylerHunter
07-08-2002, 04:44 AM
That sounds like Set Driven keys to me..
I dont use sliders for hands.. I key each pose. Hands are extremely dynamic, for example knucks can hyper extend while the digits are bent as well. I use morphs for Facial animation.. but stepped morphs would help there a little for large mount movements and whatnot..
I dont use sliders for hands.. I key each pose. Hands are extremely dynamic, for example knucks can hyper extend while the digits are bent as well. I use morphs for Facial animation.. but stepped morphs would help there a little for large mount movements and whatnot..
Mike RB
07-08-2002, 05:51 AM
the NLA in lw can work like a set driven, but its more flexible becasue you can have multiple set drivens on one set of stuff and overlap them with a curve for blending over time. Thats pretty much how nla works. Useful for a lot of stuff, background characters most importantly, as you can use the motion clips between different characters as long as the actor mapping is the same. Dressing up a crowd with different animation loops is really easy with this...
Mike
Mike
rAd
07-15-2002, 03:27 PM
Does anyone know if Reactor will be any different to what it is now? I learnt some aspects of it already so I'm wondering if I will have to learn a new program or would it remain the same?
rAd
rAd
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