[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Everyone

Just thought I would update you all on the software I decided to purchase.

I bought Zaxwerks ProAnimator in the end and I have to say it is brilliant. I decided to buy this software mainly because of the easy interface which is very intuitive to use. It is also amazingly fast at rendering 3D and being able to bring Adobe Illustrator files into the interface and convert them into 3D objects very easily is another reason for my decision.

It was really making my mind up between Invigorator or ProAnimator which was really hard as they are both really good. I decided to take the plunge with ProAnimator after using the trial versions as the animating and speed seemed so good and easy to use. Using poses instead of keyframes wasn’t too bad and it is just a matter of getting used to it. Having said that I would not mind buying Invigorator as well in the future because I like the way that you can animate within the AE timeline and you have a lot of control with keyframes – depends what you are doing.

For my particular project I am trying to use 3D animated objects within ProAnimator with a animated 2D character in AE so I have not found that easy – to get the character to interact with the objects is quite hard but I have done some research and found expressions with nulls but it is limited. The customer support from Zaxwerks has been brilliant and so I am sure there is a way around it which I will post. I have spent quite a long time initially getting my files ready in Illustrator and mapping Photoshop images onto the 3D objects which is really easy to do after a little practise.

I think Zaxwerks software is really good and wouldn’t mind buying the 3D flag as well as some of their other products. Their software is so intuitive and for people who aren’t experienced in 3D or technical it is a great way to get introduced to the amazing 3D world of animation. They often offer discounts on their products which is brilliant.

I will post more comments as I use the software, had a break due to other commitments but so far I think it is really good and enjoying learning this software.

Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Ed

Have been corresponding with you by email which is great. Still working through tutorials. Yes this thread has taken off and I did not expect that so thanks to everyone for your help.

Thanks for the info about the shattering glass as that is something I need to create and it is good to know you can do that effect in ProAnimator. I just concentrated on the frame to start with but I have created all the individual coloured layers in photoshop but I will probably have to redo them in illustrator. Thanks for offering to help me that is kind of you and will contact you when I get round to do this.

That is good to know about the background and not working blind as that is something I was worried about as you have to see the rest of your scene. I am looking forward to trying ProAnimator so will post what I have found about both programs. Been somewhat delayed with stop motion puppets so will get back to the tutorials this week and continue.

Are there any tutorials on the Cycling object feature you are talking about? The characters I am going to animate will be created in Photoshop with layers. I intend then using Duik tools to animate the Character which is an amazing piece of software for character animation. Or I will try some of the plug-ins I bought from aescripts and aeplugins – iExpressions, which is very easy to use and similar. I then intend using Freeform Pro for the head and features using scripting in AE. Well that is the plan anyway. I am not sure that I would need the ProAnimator to animate the character.

Will be in touch and thanks for all your help.
Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Brent

Sorry for delay in getting back to you. Wow, I looked at your website link and your work is amazing, you are clearly very talented and it is good to see what software can do. I hope one day I can do motion graphics like this.

I think you should do some tutorials as I think a lot of people would be interested in how you create your work. I think tutorials are an excellent way to learn.

Thanks for the info about Animator Pro. I am still ploughing through tutorials but had to stop for a while as been so busy. Ed also sent me the tutorial guide which is really good to start with. I really like the interface as it is so intuitive. Not tried AnimatorPro yet but will do. When I have done all the tutorials I will post what I have decided to buy and why.

Thanks again for all your help and support. This really is a great forum and people are so helpful and I have learnt so much.

Will be in touch.

Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Brent

Thanks for you message and useful information.

I think Zaxwerks is great for someone like me who has never done 3D before and just starting out. As I said before it has opened up a whole new exciting world for me.

I started using the CS6 extrude feature and was amazed but it is quite slow and then I could not find a way of mapping a texture onto my object and I found it limiting. It is Ok for simple shapes and text but then I am not an expert. I then decided to look at plug-ins so I was quite pleased to discover so many plugins out there, thank goodness there are people who make this software. I have also bought several plug-ins from aescripts and aeplugins which is great and they are quite cheap as well.

At the same time I discovered Freeform Pro as I am following quite a big tutorial by Dan Giles on how to create a 2.5D character using scripting in AE and the puppet tool and Freeform Pro . I have mainly be concentrating on the face and I am soon to try the Freeform Pro part of the tutorial so will post what I have found. I have never done scripting and although it is hard even I have managed to get it to work, well sort of. Dan Giles makes it look so simple. I have never done scripting either in AE.

It is also good to know that these plug-ins work well together but unfortunately I can’t afford to buy them all but who knows in the future if I get into it I may well do.

That is something that I am keen to have – being able to animate everything in the same 3D space but within the AE timeline as I know how to use it which is why I am not sure about ProAnimator but I am still going through the tutorials so will post what I have decided to buy once I have done that. I think poses sound good but not sure how much you can customise them and as I am animating the scene in After Effects including characters etc I am not sure how that will work for me at the moment. I like the idea of creating the 3D object and then being able to bring it into the AE timeline where I have animated the rest of the scene. It is quite a long animation I am doing for the 2D part of the film – around 5mins. If ProAnimator could do both then I would buy it as you have the best of both worlds. You did mention that you can create a null to control it so I will try that as well. It is important to me to be able to control everything so you can animate it exactly how you want it.

Thanks for explaining the poses, it does sound very good so will have a play and let you all know what I think. As long as I can put it back into the AE timeline to incorporate it in the rest of the animation then that would be fine. And that sounds good about fragmentation. I want the glass to separate and break/shatter but not sure how to do that yet just pleased I have managed to do the frame.

I would be interested in seeing some of your work on how you combine Zaxwerks and Element to use the camera and keep everything in the same 3D space. Have you done an online tutorial of this? I have not looked at Zaxwerks flag or serpentine but will do. Just thought do they do add on texture materials you can buy for Invigorator and ProAnimator?

Thanks Brent and will let you know how I get on.
Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Chris

I did not know I could post sample images. Unfortunately I can’t really at the moment as I am working on my animation which will hopefully be finished in 2016 so I can’t show anything online until the film comes out. I am doing a stop motion and 2D animation film so quite a lot of work ahead of me. Thanks Chris will be in touch. Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Chris

Thanks for replying to my post and for all your help and advice as I have also been in contact with you by email. I have to say all of the help and advice I have received from everyone has been excellent, both through this forum and through emails from you and Ed. I also have been in contact with Videocopilot and they have been very helpful as well.

I am very impressed with all the 3D plug-ins and totally agree with you that each of them have strengths and weaknesses. If I could afford it I would buy all of them but I can’t so I made my decision in the end not on price but ease of use for me – that will be different for everyone. Someone else would probably find Shapeshifter very easy to use but I am just starting out so I wanted something which was really intuitive and visual. I managed to create the frame of my 3D window quite quickly which for me is amazing. If you understand Illustrator and closed paths then the process is very simple to use.

I am also as you know intending on buying Freeform Pro as I am following the tutorials on the Tuts Website for Animating and Rigging a character puppet (Daniel Gies). It has taken me quite a while to get through the tutorials but I am getting there. I intend using Freeform Pro to hopefully create my 2D character into a 2.5D and this tutorial shows you how to do it using AE, Freeform Pro and a lot of scripting.

Thanks again for all your help Chris and will let you know how I get on with Freeform Pro.

Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Brent

Thank you for your advice, I do appreciate it. This is the first time I think I have used this Forum to ask a question and it has been so helpful. I read the forums quite a lot for advice and learning.

I agree that Element 3D is an amazing program from what I have seen of its capabilities as indeed all of these plug-ins are. I ruled out Element 3D as there was no trial version of the software and felt I could not take a chance on buying something which I could not try first. I think it is important to try the software or you may not be able to use it and it may not be what you are looking for. As this is the first time I have used 3D I don’t have 3D skills in making models or own any 3D software so I would be unable to use this tool in Element. From what you are saying it is quite hard to do a simple logo and it uses Illustrator masks and not paths.

I just left a reply to Ed and I have decided to buy either Invigorator Pro or ProAnimator as I found it so simple and intuitive to use, amazing software. As you mentioned you can create something very quickly and it automatically extrudes the Illustrator file for you which you can edit. When I managed to do it I was blown away by how quick and easy it was as I have no experience of 3D, so it has opened up a whole new world for me.

I didn’t know it could bring the Colours in as well from Illustrator that is great. I am working through the tutorials now to decide on which software from Zaxwerks to buy. The only thing which I am not sure about with ProAnimator is that you animate within the plug-in with preset behaviours and not on the AE timeline. I am not sure how much you can customise the animating but will have a go at the tutorials.

Thanks again for your help and replying to my post.
Anastacia

[Anastacia Tohill]

Hi Ed

Thanks for your advice and your emails, you have been really helpful. I decided not to buy Element 3D as there was no trial version of the software and without being able to try the software I felt I could not buy it. I decided not to buy Shapeshifter as I tried to use it and felt it was too advanced for me. The software can do amazing things so I think it is just I am not technical enough to use it at this time having never really animated in 3D before. As you know I have decided to buy either Invigorator Pro or ProAnimator mainly because I found the software so intuitive and simple to use and that was from just playing around with the software. It is a very visual interface and I managed to import my Illustrator File and was amazed at how it automatically creates it in 3D which can then be edited. There are a lot of editing features so you can customize the design, as long as you create the shape correctly with paths in Illustrator the 3D part of the process is easy to use. I like how all the textures can be mapped onto the graphic shape and also that you can create your own textures to map onto it which is exactly what I wanted. For me it was ease of use and finding something which would create what I wanted without having to know too much technical 3D knowledge. I am now working through the tutorials to decide between Invigorator Pro and ProAnimator. Thanks again for all your support and help.