Come learn the art of 3D computer generated art and animation. This blog deals with the lessons learned and the art created by Robert G. Male using DazStudio from Daz3D.
Also covered are the ancillary software, tools, techniques, and processes needed both before and after rending in the 3D software.
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I started using aniMate Lite in DazStudio last night--the free version that is built right in. It was fun checking out the free aniBlocks that came with it. I don't know how usable most of them are in tandem, but the walks work together nicely. I made a round cornered rectangle walk with Victoria4.2, placed it in a physical setting with a backdrop, and lighting, including a shadow-mapping spotlight. When you put a block into the timeline and click on it you get options including the ability to speed up or slow down that block. I'm unsure as to the use of the other options. There is a final position marker that can be tweaked to make the loop work a little smoother. It seems like it might move positions between closing the animation and re-opening it, if you place it somewhere other than right at the end of the last block.
I do not know how the timeline works exactly. There are numbers that I cannot determine the meaning of. I dragged the blocks I wanted onto the timeline and pushed them one against the other. For pauses you can leave space between them. You can't overlap them, in the same track at least. Adding tracks is not available in the Lite version. Pity, it would be nice to put in some blinking and such. Perhaps that could be done using Lip Sync or from Mimic. It might be interesting to have elements from animate doing the large gestures and movement, Mimic doing the facial expression and lip moves, and the regular DazStudio animation timeline dealing with the movement of other items--say lights and a bouncing ball for example--all working together.
I have to say it's still exciting, but at the same time a bit of a let down animating like this. It's not a fault in aniMate Lite, but in the static nature of items such as hair, which I find are troublesome in a lot of poses for still images even. There is also the matter of pressure, or lack thereof that I would like to cover next time.
