The physics engine in TS alone is worth it, IMO. Very user friendly and fast. Radiosity, so-so. Interface is weird. But still amazing that it's free.

Quote - 2-3 years ago, it would probably have been more cost effective to purchase a mocap system and do it myself; anyone know if thats still the case?

Still is, I think. Simi has one for about 10 grand that uses digital dv cameras. But then again, if you have 10 grand you could probably book a mocap studio and get all you need (depending on where you live). With all the games begin produced, mocap studios are pretty prevalent.

Would love to see some actual animation. stills look pretty good. Why the red tint and what do the colored bars mean? And what is it about poser pro that makes you rave?

Yeah, the problem is Carrara sorta promotes itself as an all-in-one tool. No such thing in 3D. Everyone has to use a lot of different apps to get images/animations finished. And IMO loading all those features into one program means almost every feature gets short shrift. It's a nice idea if you're Maya, but for a 500. app they ought to focus on doing one thing well.

Having dabbled in both Carrara and Vue, I think Vue is a much better value for about the same price. Though you'll instantly find a compatible GUI in Carrara (trackball, etc.), the render engine is dreadful and slow. And forget adding more than a few figures without a major slowdown or even crash. I was working with c5 or 6 I believe.

Vue's viewport setup is a bit wanky but makes better pictures and has an easier IBL system, more user-friendly texture mapping system and seems to handle Poser import with more stability.

All of this is just opinion, mind you...:)

*Sussed.  You must disable and reenable the Leg IKs before the hip will work.  But that is all it should take.

*And that, good sir, is exactly what it needed. Thanks!

Actually, I was trying to get her to sit. When I translate the hip downward on V4 or any other DAZ model, the figure moves into a sitting pose. Not so with Aiko.

And above all, visit the forum often. It's amazing how many answers I find to questions I never knew I had by surfing renderosity.

Probably 2-300. However, I made 3-4 times that by selling artwork. 

Good God, I could never do this as a hobby...too expensive! :)

I just downloaded Makehuman. Interested to see what kinds of non-poser-looking people it can make.

I'd forgotten all about those. Though I already have several of the items, what a nice xmas surprise.

Quote - > Quote -

And yet, and yet, and yet....  he makes some very valid points, just the same.  If someone is cranking out 100% canned image day after day, **are they really on the same plane as Michelangelo? ** Plainly, no.

 

SAY WHAT??? And who the fuck at Newtek is Michelangelo???? I hate that BS comparison. We're all making 3d toys essentially. This whole "art vs non-art" debate is such pretentious nonsense!

Quote - Well I think you guys are all wrong.

First, games?  Ok**.........that's a side issue**. 

No it isn't. Without the life-like---repeat, life-like---animations in the videogame films (not the game itself, the movie before the game), it would be hard for players to get emotionally involved in the game. Emotional involvement, example 1.

And needing it to be a scientific truth? Please. This is a cultural artisitic meta-paradigm for a highly intangible phenomenon. 

Uhm, it was presented with charts and diagrams, kinda like, well, a scientific analysis. Which it isn't. They set it up that way. I agree with the implication that it's fraud science and not really relevant. So what's your point? 

Name me one CG character in the school of realism that people identify with and love. 

I can go through this website and find any number of images that strike deep chords of emotion within me. You can't tell me that it's a huge leap for animation to do the same. It's the same models!!

The Uncanny Valley is a highly controversial "theory" and the basis for it is not scientific at all. There are just as many examples of people identifying with life-like characters/creatures as there are those who don't. 

Heck, the explosion of 3D games offers about as much proof  that people relate to 3D and aren't "creeped out" by it at all, especially in the non-game film intros that most games have. I forsee studios moving away from stylized characters. It's a gradual change, but Shrek mocap, Pirates mocap, Superman mocap and others are just the tip of the iceberg IMHO.

Bottom line: it comes down to the story and the artistry of the storyteller.

I think it needs to be magnetized and not sure that feature works in DS.