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lacking_imagination

Question About Professional 3d Animating I.E. Pixar

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Does anyone know what kind of animating programs comapanies like pixar or dreamworks use? I'm wondering, because I'm kinda looking into professional animations, and need some advice on what program to use... flash works for 2d, but i dont think i can do 3d very well in in.ThanksPeaceaaron

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lacking_imagination: I do not know exactly what software Pixar use, but the closest you will probably get to it is 3D Studio Max (3ds max). I don't think that you will be able to get the exact software which is used by the animation companies. You can download a trial version of the latest version of 3DS Max from discreet.com which is the creator of it.Other software packages would be like Maya, Lightwave, POV Ray. Good luck with whatever you want to do with it.

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most companies use programs like that in fact i think it's more than likley that 3dsmax (with a few modifications) is what they use for thier modelling at least if not the actual animation. all i can say is that none of the programs mentioned come cheap your looking at about £300-400 each (i don't know what that is in dollars) for a home licence. But i think they can be brought cheaper with student discount ect. It's worth looking into them if your serious.

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speakin of 3d animation.. im a mathmatics major at my school.. and i was looking into goin into some kind of computer animation option... if anybody knows, will u please give me some info on this? thanx

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Some people are pretty good in making a 3d feel with flash... I just can't do it... I have a friend who has a book about how to make scripts that can generate 3d animations, for example the rotation of a head, tanks going around with a perspective view (He's made a game for it. Actually, 3.). That's pretty cool too.

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As shown at the end of all Pixar films, they use Renderman. A program the, of course, they developed themselves. Renderman is the absolute ruler over all animation programs. The only way you can use it is to have an animation team like pixars with different people good with each part of the program. Also, many of them know all the math that goes into it and change the program with each movie.I found that now they are actually selling it for around 7Gs...One would pobably have to get a bachelor's in animation to wield that thing (If there is such a degree).

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I think most 3d movie companies that don't have their own proprietary software use Maya, because Maya is especially good for creating scenes in a movie.Game companies use 3ds max mostly.And yes, sadly, they also use Macs.

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I am currently trying to get some 3d animation going for some projects at my work. Renderman is what pixar uses huh? Any idea who makes that?? Or where to get it? Why do you have to have a team? Is that actually a licensing requirement?? If anyone has more information on this topic - it would be great to hear about. I would expect that there are at least some similarities to other more archaic 3d programs so that some experienced with other programs might make an easier transition to Renderman.Happy Designing to All

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I am currently trying to get some 3d animation going for some projects at my work.  Renderman is what pixar uses huh?  Any idea who makes that?? Or where to get it?  Why do you have to have a team?  Is that actually a licensing requirement??  If anyone has more information on this topic - it would be great to hear about.  I would expect that there are at least some similarities to other more archaic 3d programs so that some experienced with other programs might make an easier transition to Renderman.

 

Happy Designing to All

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

check this out and the next time read all in the topic if u are interested in the subject

Yeah, I think 3ds Max and Maya would be the best. The ones Pixar use might be Machintosh ones that they had someone compiled especially for them. I don't know. ;)

 

http://www.3dtotal.com/ , you can see what people can do with their 3d programs. I think it's Pixar-quality, or even better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It would make sense ,if ur a big company like Pixar, you would develope your own soft or at least order it .. so you would be the only one with the resources to make this hq movies. SO i dout you will be able to finde and get the SAME soft that pixar uses.. :) only.. if you have any Pixar related "connections" you can "buy" the soft.. :(

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Back in the good old days (when we wore onions on our belts) I did a practicum for a company that did professional 3D animation for film, video and television. The system they used was called Alias Power Animator and ran on Silicone Graphics Workstations. At the time, the Silicone Graphics Crimson Iris Elan was the cream of the crop and I watched a buddy design animations for Q-Sound (remember that one?) and Taco Time. In fact, Taco Time still uses the animated cactus he designed!!! Strangely enough, if you know the guy that designed it and look carefully at the cactus mascot, you'll notice some hilarious similarities between the two faces!!!Anyhoo, I believe now that Alias isn't around any more, but they did use that exact software for the movie "The Abyss" for designing and animating the "water weinie" as it was known as. Bottom line though... for truly professional throughput, you need to consider dedicated workstations that run Unix and can render frame by frame to a video capture device or HD unit. Otherwise, your animation will a: take forever and b: be substandard to the industry. Remember, Dolby 70mm takes no prisoners... every single detail shows up!!!Cheers,Phoenix :P

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Back in the good old days (when we wore onions on our belts) I did a practicum for a company that did professional 3D animation for film, video and television. The system they used was called Alias Power Animator and ran on Silicone Graphics Workstations. At the time, the Silicone Graphics Crimson Iris Elan was the cream of the crop and I watched a buddy design animations for Q-Sound (remember that one?) and Taco Time. In fact, Taco Time still uses the animated cactus he designed!!! Strangely enough, if you know the guy that designed it and look carefully at the cactus mascot, you'll notice some hilarious similarities between the two faces!!!

 

Anyhoo, I believe now that Alias isn't around any more, but they did use that exact software for the movie "The Abyss" for designing and animating the "water weinie" as it was known as. Bottom line though... for truly professional throughput, you need to consider dedicated workstations that run Unix and can render frame by frame to a video capture device or HD unit. Otherwise, your animation will a: take forever and b: be substandard to the industry. Remember, Dolby 70mm takes no prisoners... every single detail shows up!!!

 

Cheers,

Phoenix :P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>


If you want a free animating program out there, just go look around. There is one at serif programs free website (free programs that they give out) and then there is one called anim8tor and then there is another called wings 3d that i have used. I liked wings the least though. Oh yes, and then there is another by a japaneese guy that made a 3d program in java (and some texturing programs) that you just draw lines and then it makes a 3d image of what it thinks you want. You can do stuff like extruding and the such, but its not as top of the line notch as some of the others.

 

Wings 3d as i've been told was probably a program made to be used as a model maker to a real 3d program. Supposedly anim8tor is a stand alone to be free and hopefully be your answer to your 3d program quest. Serifs free 3d thing isn't as good as others because you can't do things like extrude and stuff, but you can light models and sceans fairly easily. The japaneese guys you can extrude and stuff, but its not as professional looking.

 

If you are willing to spend some money, check out 3d max. I've heard its good.

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If someone can find a Free computer modeling program Or one that lets you download as a trial Could you please post a link to it? :P :P :P thanks.

Notice from moonwitch:
Post editted due to mention of illegal software.

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pixar uses their own animaiton program called marionette. I think Dreamworks uses maya with their own proprietary plugins. I think a good start would be learning maya because most professional visual effects companies uses maya because of its configurability for all kinds of jobs.

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hi..sup man..well im gonna go straight to the point.. try searching for 3ds max..thats a really good application and has a lot of tutorials in the net...and if you buy their dvd tutorials..dude they are awwesome man....lol..they cost a lot of of money though so..well your prolly rich :(

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