Question on 3D rendering software

[ultraman36]

Ive been looking at programs like Poser 6 and Cinema 4d. Can onyone suggest programs that i can make 3d renderings of people(i cant draw) ad motion and make my own anime type videos? The simpler the better but suggestions on any level will do. i want to create fight scenes like one guy jumping in the air and kicking another guy thru a brick wall

[yoda313]

I've seen poser and its a very good program for 3d rendering.

[guns1inger]

Poser is OK for producing generic models, but it's animation is rudimentary. To do what you are after requires a package that allows a mixture of forward and reverse kinematics, and a decent physics engine. It will also require a lot of time learning it's complexities. 3D animation, especially of human figures, is not for the faint hearted.

You could start with poser to generate the figures, then pergaps use cinema4d for animation. But if you can't draw, you will probably find modelling in a 3d space quite a difficult concept to grasp for a while. It's not like drawing or modelling with clay. I've been doing 3d for years, and human figures and animating characters is still something I am yet to master.

If you are expecting to get photo-realistic virtual actors fighting within 2 years, you are probably in for a lot of disapointment.

However, if realism isn't required, you might try having a look at this http://www.geocities.com/peter_bone_uk/pivot.html

It's not 3d, or even photorealistic, however you can use it to learn how to animate, how to get motion and weight correct, and to produce some wild fight scenes.

[ultraman36]

Is there a way to take a photograph of someone and use something that will make it into a cartoon or 3d image? Say for instance i had a picture of Hulk Hogan and scanned it as a jpeg. Can i take that Jpeg and inport it into a program and the program will convert it into a 3d like image?

[guns1inger]

No. You might find some software that will (badly) wrap a photograph of a head around a vaguely head shaped object, but it will look like crap.

[mpiper]

The simplest answer: Not without as lot of training and practice.

But, here is a possible solution if you are willing to work and practice:
Use Poser to create and clothe the people. Then use Lightwave 3D or Cinema 4D to do the animation and rendering.

Just keep in mind that people are usually trained and paid by companies thousands of dollars to create these types of videos. The best place to get an idea about this is at CGChannel.com and several other similar websites.

Mike

[J. Baker]

http://www.hash.com/

[Cunhambebe]

Lightwave is one of the best 3D applications ever! The price and the quality of the render is unbeatable. Highly regarded as one of the best 3D applications - the new season of Battlestar Gallactica is totally modeled and animated in Lightwave (some particles in Maya). As far as I know you can import a picture in Lightwave and you can model a 3D object over this picture. It's very, very difficult. I live in Brazil and here as everywhere they are using 3D more than ever in tv commercial movies (ads). In one of them they get a series of still pictures that they managed to transform in 3D like an hologram. I really wonder how they could have done that effect. Maybe After Effects???

[dphirschler]

If you want to experiment in 3D, there is Blender (free). It looks quite good. I learned using RayDream. You could probably pick up a used copy for near free, but Blender looks much better.


Darryl

[ultraman36]

Cool thanks for all the suggestions

[BJ_M]

the big names are
lightwave
maya
3d studio max
softimage


another free one here http://www.anim8or.com/