NEW SOFTWARES FOR ANIMATION

3D Animation Software

With 3D computer-generated imaging now a staple of the film, television, print and web industries, selecting the right app for your needs demands more than a bottomless wallet and Ferrari-specced hardware…

Choosing the right 3D animation package is never easy – particularly when so many of them seem to offer a similar set of features. 3D programs can usually be divided into four areas – modelling, texturing, animation and rendering – and each program will tackle these sections differently. For example, all the applications on test here offer some kind of polygon modelling, although some also provide mathematical representations of 3D geometry, or NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines), and/or Bézier patches. Likewise, each app provides keyframe animation, although the related tools and interfaces vary considerably.

Specifications matter when buying any kind of product, but they should not be the determining factor. Far more important is how well the application integrates various features and, of course, how well it works. For example, HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image) support is catered for in all the applications featured in our Group Test, but the level of support and the ease with which you can use HDRI files in the program differs considerably.

We’ve judged all of these programs not just on features, but on the usability of the feature-set in real production terms. After all, there’s not much point having the latest buzzword feature if it’s painfully slow or difficult to use. So read on, and see which one of these five industry-standard packages would best suit you…

Maya 6.0

No 3D Group Test would be complete without Maya. It’s become the standard package in the high-end visual effects and post-production markets and the yardstick by which to compare other 3D apps. So you might wonder why this mighty program hasn‘t taken the top slot in our Group Test? Well, while it’s pretty much top dog for effects and character animation work, it has some mighty flaws.

Modelling, however, is very good, with both NURBS and polygon modelling well catered for. You’ll also find hierarchical Subdivision Surfaces and the more regular kind, labelled by Alias as the Polygon proxy mode. Animation is excellent, too. There’s a very good keyframing, f-curve and set-driven key interface, which – coupled with deeper tools such as Expressions and MEL (Maya Embedded Language) scripting – offer a solution to just about every animation problem. Other versatile technologies include Trax (nonlinear animation), IPR, Paint FX and Dynamics systems.

Helpfully, rendering has integrated support for the excellent Mental Ray 3.3 renderer, plus Maya’s own software and hardware rendering, as well as a RavX Flash output tool for web-based 3D work. The material/shader system is less satisfactory, though, and could benefit from a simpler and more user-friendly interface.

But there’s one main problem. Maya requires a huge amount of dedication, and despite attempts by Alias to make it more accessible to new users, the program is much less artist-centric than the other 3D apps on test here. To get the most out of it, you’ll need to make your way into the guts of the program, whether you want to or not.

If you’re looking for a more casual 3D system, you may find Maya just a little too uncompromising.

VERDICT: 4/5

A great 3D app for the die-hard character animator or effects artist, but a lack of flexibility lets the software down. Maya features some phenomenal technology, but is less inviting for digital content creation and general-purpose 3D work.

Softimage XSI 4.5Softimage XSI 4.5

Of the high-end 3D programs on test here, XSI 4.5 is arguably the most balanced, offering a rich, even-handed toolset for modelling, animation and rendering. Rendering is a strong point, mainly because XSI was designed to work seamlessly with Mental Ray from the outset.

Interactive preview rendering can be accomplished in any viewport at any time, although it’s not quite the same as true interactive systems that only update parts of the image that change, as in Maya’s IPR (Interactive Photorealistic Rendering). Nevertheless, the graphical shader-building system is well designed and relatively easy to use, and automatic insertion of data conversion nodes makes connecting shaders with disparate data types much easier for newbies.

NURBS are catered for, but the system isn’t as complete as Maya’s. However, XSI makes up for this shortfall with an excellent polygon modelling toolset that is a joy to use. Subdivision smoothing is available as property of all polygonal objects and makes flipping between low and high-res modes really easy.

Animation is also excellent, with features comparable to Maya combined with a smooth workflow. However the organisation of animatable parameters can be confusing, which leads to a more complicated selection and general set-up process than we think is necessary. That said, XSI has fine tools for managing high-level animation, and does a great job of applying existing animation data to different character rigs.

XSI Essentials costs $1,995 (approx. £1,082) and includes cloth, soft body dynamics, particles, a six-node rendering licence and some superb general-purpose tools. It’s a great system, and boasts one of the best implementations of modelling history we’ve seen.

VERDICT: 4.5/5

A great all-round system, with superb rendering and a solid character toolset. Not as easy to use as some other apps – and only available for the PC – but workflow is consistent. Advanced scripting is also available.

3ds max 73ds max 7

3ds max is the one package featured here that hasn’t yet succumbed to a drastic price-cut. At £2,695, it’s an expensive package and, unlike the modular Cinema 4D, must be swallowed in a single chunk. But despite the high price, it remains one of the most popular choices for 3D artists.

The toolset is broad and diverse enough to cater for almost all 3D situations, including character animation, an area in which 3ds max has become much more suited thanks to a Character Studio plug-in. The biggest bonus? 3ds max 7 now includes Character Studio 4.0 at no extra cost. This is a wise move by Discreet, because max has been losing mind-share to Maya and XSI in this area for a while now.

One great feature – particularly for game designers – is Normal Mapping. This enables you to “imprint” the normals of a high resolution model onto a low-res model in a similar way to bump-mapping (except that the details are referenced from actual geometry). Another is Skin Morph, similar to Maya’s Wrap Deformer, which enables you to deform a high-res mesh using a much simpler proxy that’s also easier to rig and weight.

3ds max is a good all-round system, despite its bias towards games development, but there are drawbacks. The core of the program is dated compared to Maya and XSI, which both offer deeper access to features and better integration with different aspects of the 3D pipeline (such as modelling and animation).

Rendering is supplied by a Mental Ray plug-in, but it’s not quite up to Softimage XSI standard. The material system is fairly good, but it can be difficult to keep track of complex set-ups because of the weak interface. 3ds max is a good program in terms of features, but the core is already showing signs of age.

VERDICT: 4/5

A feature-rich system that’s been built on a less-than-ideal foundation and workflow, but it’s capable of good results nonetheless. Unlike competitors such as XSI and Maya, 3ds max 7 is expensive, but still remains a popular choice.

LightWave 8.0LightWave 8.0

In essence , LightWave 3D hasn’t changed that much since it was launched way back in 1995. Yet it’s managed to keep up with its peers and even maintain a lead in some key areas. It’s a system that breaks with 3D convention, yet remains simple enough to beguile even the most techno-illiterate of artists.

LightWave doesn’t offer the complexities of true NURBS surfaces, for instance, but it was one of the first to integrate subdivision surface modelling (then called MetaNURBS, now dubbed Subpatch modelling) and developed a strong toolset around the concept. It’s a strong polygon modeller, too, but could benefit from some form of modelling history.

Unlike the other programs featured here, LightWave is also a dual app, with separate programs for modelling/surfacing and animation/ rendering. This approach actually works well in production, and makes it easy to refine a model even if it’s already been rigged and animated.

Rendering is one of LightWave’s strong points, with the best native rendering of any of the apps on test. The program offers all the usual niceties, such as Radiosity, Caustics and HDRI support, plus VIPER interactive rendering and soft shadow caching (new in 8.0).

In this latest iteration, NewTek has also tried to address one of LightWave’s weakest features: character animation. The app is fine for occasional work, but we wouldn’t recommend it for dedicated animation, since Maya, XSI, and Cinema 4D, have more fluid and refined workflows in this area.

There’s also a good particle system, soft and rigid body dynamics and even basic hair and fur. Standout features include morph maps, which store multiple morph targets in a single object file, and decent unlimited rendering as standard.

VERDICT: 4/5

LightWave 8.0 is a great all-rounder with a relatively easy learning curve and excellent rendering quality. But a lack of modelling history can be a pain and the character tools are still a little weak.

Cinema 4D R9Cinema 4D R9

Cinema 4D R9 is unique in that it enables you to custom-build its feature-set with the help of modules. Unlike plug-ins, these programs give access to totally integrated feature sets in areas such as character animation, 3D painting and UV editing, rendering and dynamics.

The core application, Cinema 4D R9, costs a modest £499 and includes a full set of modelling and keyframing tools, as well as good basic rendering. The Studio Bundle on test here features all eight extra modules (Advanced Render R2, MOCCA R2, Thinking Particles, NET Render, Dynamics, BodyPaint 3D R2, PyroCluster R2, Sketch and Toon). The best thing about this modular system is that you can expand the program as and when budget allows, which is much more cost-effective.

In use, Cinema 4D feels halfway between a full-on, uncompromising 3D app such as Maya, and a more user-friendly low-end package. But this isn’t a criticism; it has the added benefit of combining a comfort zone for new users with the depth or access required by pros, without compromising either.

There are weaknesses, though, such as rendering, which we think lacks a certain something, as well as the flexibility of advanced raytracers such as Mental Ray. However, the default 16x geometry anti-aliasing delivers perfect edge results every time. There’s a lack of refinement and access to advanced rendering features, but the program has a very good multi-pass rendering solution that outputs layered Photoshop files, a highly straightforward rendering option.

The MOCCA character module broadens Cinema 4D’s scope. You could argue that Maya and XSI are better in absolute terms, but Cinema 4D does a better job of simplifying the process. Indeed, the usual horrors associated with bones and IK have largely been eradicated.

R9 introduces a new cloth engine, ClothHilde, which makes this task relatively easy and solves most problems, including collision and penetration. Results look good, too.

The built-in Xpresso system combines the power of expressions with the ease of use of a GUI, which gives access to this most useful of 3D tools to even the most non-program-savvy artist. It’s this feature that keeps Cinema 4D 9 one step ahead of the game.

Maxon has spent a lot of time making advanced 3D tools easy to use, and creating a consistent user-interface and workflow for both casual and advanced 3D artists. Features are one thing, but implementation is everything, and, as such, Cinema 4D R9 is the most accessible and usable of all the 3D packages on test here.

VERDICT: 4.5/5

An excellent all-purpose 3D system that can tackle most 3D scenarios without making you jump through hoops. The program is well designed, stable and has growing support from third-party developers. Consistently strong across the board, too.

CONCLUSION

Cinema 4D R9 wins this Group Test because it has the most to offer for the widest range of 3D work. It’s as capable an architectural visualiser (offering some useful camera perspective tools) as a character animation tool, and the interface is easy on the eye, fast and eminently customisable. The default layouts are excellent, too.

Modelling and its associated workflow is particularly well configured. In addition to an excellent polygon modelling toolset, Cinema 4D also offers spline drawing tools, from which you can derive surfaces in the usual fashion (extrude, lathe, etc). These polygonal surfaces are generated “live”, affording a much greater degree of modelling history. With the Object Manager, you can also group so-called generators that produce geometry with deformers, such as Bend, FFD or Bones.

While not offering as deep a history scheme as Maya or Softimage XSI, the tight integration of all features means that you rarely run into conflicts when animating such hierarchical set-ups. In fact just about all parameters can be keyed, including those used to generate geometry in the first place. This offers a great deal of consistency throughout the program, regardless of the task you’re performing, providing a level playing field for newbies learning the app and pros finding a solution to a production problem.

With Cinema 4D R9, you can have multiple scenes open at once – a feature currently unavailable in any of the other apps on test. It’s a simple feature, but one that gives you lots of extra virtual working space. You can Cut and Paste between open files to modify an object in an empty scene file instead of in its main scene, which is extremely helpful if you’re working on complex jobs.