Looking for good 3D Animation Software

[Atomic Rooster]

My son is wanting to get into animation and was wondering what a good program would be to use. Initially, he wants use wire frame characters, then build up from there as he learns.

[tony_j15]

3D Canvas is a nice freeware starting point. If he's interested in the game side of modeling, then move up to 3dsmax. If rendered sequences/movies is the way to go, then the end game product will be Maya or Lightwave.
Another option is to pick up a good computer game like UT2004, which comes standard with a full dev kit to create maps and characters. Valve also has an SDK available along with tons of community tools.

[ShyguyXPC]

Also Maya has the Personal Learning Edition, a Free basic version of its full Software...

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...112&id=7639525

If I remember right, the 3D software app that was included with UT2003 or 2004 Special DVD Edition was an older version of Maya PLE (newer back then)

Right now I play around (well used to) Carrara 3D Basics 2, but recently purchased Carrara 6 Standard on sale...

Bryce is a nice easy to use one for creating landscapes & enivironments, animating them & doing a bunch more stuff, I have versions 5, 5.5 & 6.1.

Here's a quick link to look at some products AR: http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/0/-/?

thats where I've bought a bunch of my programs I use & play with, all the ones above (except Maya PLE, thats free), as well as Hexagon 2.0 & 2.2.

some other types are Poser, currently Poser 7 is the latest, available from eFrontier http://www.e-frontier.com/ which also takes care of one called Shade (have heard a lot about it, but have never checked it out myself)...


I've always been interested in 3D graphics & stuff, but never had a chance to go to school for it & what not. so for now I have to wing it & figure out some of the stuff on my own when I have time. so I'm more like a amateur newb, rather than a regular newb LOL...

but have figured out some basic things. working on something in the last couple days, since I got C6 standard, able to finally import Lightwave objects & models into my one project now with out problems, with 3D basics 2 I wasn't able to do that, plus max resolution was limited to no higher than 1280x1024, now I can go much higher.

I'll have to send you a link or list of them, of free apps I've found over the years, open source or freeware ones. their older programs, but they are good for starters learning the stuff.

might even be able to hook you up with a one or two programs I no longer use, older ones, but they don't get used, as I've moved on to newer better, easier to understand ones LOL.

[Atomic Rooster]

Thanks guys, it's highly appreciated. I'll pass along the info.

[ShyguyXPC]

You mentioned in your reply in the PM I sent, your son is getting interested in Animation & even some of the Anime stuff. in that case, also look into some other animation apps like Anime Studio & Manga Studio. there are several different grades/versions of those too.

http://graphics.smithmicro.com/artic...1/793?sbss=793

http://graphics.smithmicro.com/go/products/mangastudio

most of the higher end 3D apps also have add ons or plugins or whatever to render & animate 3D scenes & what not in a 3D cell shading type look as well.

[Keymaker]

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/stickfigure.html





They all have been mentioned.

Vue infinite is cool, but not for animation.

[uethello]

Anim8or. Very cool with lots of tutorials on site. Very easy to work with.

www.anim8or.com

[dragondreamer]

I am seriously... seriously surprised that nobody mentioned Blender 3D! www.blender3d.org

Made under the GNU license, and as I can tell, a very capable little program Still up and going strong it seems to me. There is also a whole wikibook dedicated to it as well for the learner.

[ShyguyXPC]

forgot to add it to my posts, as I was going to send him a PM with a list of ones & sites I've found with content over the years too, Blender was going to be in it. LOL, by the time I find all my bookmarks, will only have to send him the sites to download content & add-ons

its too bad Discreets GMax software wasn't still around, otherwise that would of been one I would of recommended.

[OuTpaTienT]

I am seriously... seriously surprised that nobody mentioned Blender 3D! www.blender3d.org

As I am seriously... seriously surprised that no one mentioned POV-Ray the original free 3D rendering app. (Ok, ok! Honestly, I'm not surprised in the least bit. Actually I'd be more surprised if anyone has even heard of POV-Ray.)

But, even today, POV-Ray's rendering capabilities are still so awesome that it can hold it's own against the best of them. POV-Ray has had stunning realism, with realistic light refraction/reflections since the days of 386 computers. Does anyone even know what a 386 computer is? **** I'm old!

[ShyguyXPC]

a 386 would be Intels CPU they came out with after the 286 but before the 486

no seriously though, I've heard of that app as well, but remember it from many many moons ago, before I even had my first real PC, and just figured it was an older, outdated app, haven't heard anything about it in a loooooong time, but after you mentioned it, yeah, I have heard of it too.

another older one, I remember being one of the first I ever tried was MetaSequoia

http://www.metaseq.net/english/index.html

but haven't used or tried any of the newer versions in a long time...

[ShyguyXPC]

AR, don't know if you saw over at XPC, or your son, has, some of the stuff I've been learning to use & images I've been making with the different products?

http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forum...ad.php?t=27310

my latest one, has turned out rather well. None of the models are mine, all free ones I've downloaded recently & years ago. but just learned some basic steps in applying textures/shaders in Carrara 6 with the most recent image, last one posted in that link.

[Atomic Rooster]

Good stuff guys. My son has been checking out this thread. His comp is down right now, but when we get it going, he's sure to try a few of these.