Computer Animation

[wannabealoser125]

I know the forum is closing and all but I am just going to ask hoping I get an answer befor it gets shut down.

 

What exactly do you need (skill wise and degree wise) to become the person who does the animation for a game? You know, turns the artist 2D drawing 3D. I know I really like computers and I really want to do animation kind of stuff. Im only 15 and not exactly sure how the game development works so sorry if my question is vauge.

 

EDIT: Scrach the part about the forum closure

[Skynet]

3ds Max? I dunno.

[wannabealoser125]

3ds Max?  I dunno.

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....uhhh... 3ds max??.... ... what is that exactly :">

Is it a program for turing things 3d?

[Diamond]

3ds Max?  I dunno.

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....uhhh... 3ds max??.... ... what is that exactly :">

Is it a program for turing things 3d?

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It is a package for 3D-modelling and animation. The latest version contains a lot of powerful tools to handle character animation and physics. However it costs a lot, so you might consider buying a book on 3DSmax with learning edition included if there is any (which I'm not sure about).

[Tsel]

Take a look at this link.

There are lot's of links here that can give you the answers you seek.

Game Design

 

Tsel

[Feargus Urquhart]

There are a number of schools that offer computer animation and some of them focus on its application to games. If you are looking for one of the schools, I am pretty sure that Digipen, Full Sail, Ringling(?) and Cal Arts offer animation programs. Plus, I bet many community and state colleges are starting to more general purpose computer animation classes.

 

The two software packages that get used in the industry the most are Maya and MAX. We happen to use 3D Studio MAX for most of our games and have done so for five or six years.

 

When it comes to using MAX, there are two other pieces of software that can be used within MAX to help with character animation. The first is Character Studio, which we have used in the past and the other is C.A.T. which is what we are using now on NWN2.

 

You can probably find a number of books at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com on character animation in either MAX or Maya.

[wannabealoser125]

There are a number of schools that offer computer animation and some of them focus on its application to games.  If you are looking for one of the schools, I am pretty sure that Digipen, Full Sail, Ringling(?) and Cal Arts offer animation programs.  Plus, I bet many community and state colleges are starting to more general purpose computer animation classes.

 

The two software packages that get used in the industry the most are Maya and MAX.  We happen to use 3D Studio MAX for most of our games and have done so for five or six years.

 

When it comes to using MAX, there are two other pieces of software that can be used within MAX to help with character animation.  The first is Character Studio, which we have used in the past and the other is C.A.T. which is what we are using now on NWN2.

 

You can probably find a number of books at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com on character animation in either MAX or Maya.

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Thanks for the help Feargus :D Its awsome that you guys take time out of your day to post on here.. It makes this comunity even better

[nightmaresofsorrow]

Just to let anyone know, there is a free 30 day trial of 3D Studio max 7 (which is the latest version available) on their website at3D Studio Max 7 if anyone wants to check it out.

[Oerwinde]

There are a number of schools that offer computer animation and some of them focus on its application to games.  If you are looking for one of the schools, I am pretty sure that Digipen, Full Sail, Ringling(?) and Cal Arts offer animation programs.  Plus, I bet many community and state colleges are starting to more general purpose computer animation classes.

 

The two software packages that get used in the industry the most are Maya and MAX.  We happen to use 3D Studio MAX for most of our games and have done so for five or six years.

 

When it comes to using MAX, there are two other pieces of software that can be used within MAX to help with character animation.  The first is Character Studio, which we have used in the past and the other is C.A.T. which is what we are using now on NWN2.

 

You can probably find a number of books at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com on character animation in either MAX or Maya.

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Hey Feargus, do you have any idea how common Softimage XSI is in the games industry? I went to Vancouver Film School and this is the package they teach, I've tried going back to MAX(Though to be honest the version I tried was 5, 6 had just came out at the time and I don't know what improvements they've added), which was the one I used in High School, but the modeling tools just don't compare to XSI. I have a couple friends at EA who say you can use whatever you want there, but from the various reports and such of employee abuse it doesn't look like thats the kind of place I really want to work.

[Skynet]

wannabealoser125, does your high school offer Computer Animation classes? If it does, that would be a great place to start.

[wannabealoser125]

wannabealoser125, does your high school offer Computer Animation classes?  If it does, that would be a great place to start.

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Sadly, no. I live in Bakersfield, CA and many of the people who live on my side of town are low income and/or farmers (surprisingly I am niether). My high school mostly focuses on FFA (Future Farmers of America) and Agiculture (?) clases. Its EXTREAMLY sad that there arent really any real computer classes to take except Computer Into (learning how to type) and a few levels of Com Apps. (but that itself is just teaching you how to use things like Microsoft Word, Power Point, etc.).

 

I did get expelled from school though because me and my friends arent excaclty the smartest people when it comes to common sence (but thats another story). Now the school I go to will have a class once a week to do things with photographs on the computer - not exactly sure what though. It hasnt started yet but when it does it only 2 hour classes once a week (the school is pretty much an "independent suties" kinda school) for 6-8 weeks. I know its not going to be the best stuff but it will give me a start.

 

*sigh* On the side of town I live on there is no high school with the clases I want to take thats why I was asking so that I could try to take some courses outside of school. I dont exactly feel like driving 30 min every day (when im 16 anyway which isnt very far away ) or spending 2 hours on the bus just to get to school everyday. This town sucks , Im starting to think that I wont be able to get a start with it untill college and I really want to learn some things now since I only go to school once (maybe twice) a week now.... I need something to occupy my mind before it turns into mush

[Oerwinde]

wannabealoser125, does your high school offer Computer Animation classes?  If it does, that would be a great place to start.

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Sadly, no. I live in Bakersfield, CA and many of the people who live on my side of town are low income and/or farmers (surprisingly I am niether). My high school mostly focuses on FFA (Future Farmers of America) and Agiculture (?) clases. Its EXTREAMLY sad that there arent really any real computer classes to take except Computer Into (learning how to type) and a few levels of Com Apps. (but that itself is just teaching you how to use things like Microsoft Word, Power Point, etc.).

 

I did get expelled from school though because me and my friends arent excaclty the smartest people when it comes to common sence (but thats another story). Now the school I go to will have a class once a week to do things with photographs on the computer - not exactly sure what though. It hasnt started yet but when it does it only 2 hour classes once a week (the school is pretty much an "independent suties" kinda school) for 6-8 weeks. I know its not going to be the best stuff but it will give me a start.

 

*sigh* On the side of town I live on there is no high school with the clases I want to take thats why I was asking so that I could try to take some courses outside of school. I dont exactly feel like driving 30 min every day (when im 16 anyway which isnt very far away ) or spending 2 hours on the bus just to get to school everyday. This town sucks , Im starting to think that I wont be able to get a start with it untill college and I really want to learn some things now since I only go to school once (maybe twice) a week now.... I need something to occupy my mind before it turns into mush

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If you want to get started now, just check out the free versions of the programs that various companies give out, like gmax, or avid's free version of XSI. Then look up some tutorials. To be honest, thats about as much of an education you'd get if you took the classes in high school. At least thats what I got. It was pretty sad really. I learned more in the first 2 weeks at VFS than during my 10 or so months I took in high school.

[Tsel]

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