Animation Software (page 2)

Media Accumulation

Mixing your video and animations is not a difficult task. If you've already got media objects (e.g. clip art or sound clips) to use with your animation, just import them into your animation package. Not all programs can import video clips, but some can. If you want your animated objects to interact with some existing video, this is a feature that you'll want to investigate. On the other hand, it's not really necessary if you're just planning to build a freestanding project, such as an animated intro or a background effect. You can composite these into your video project later.

Perhaps you aren't really an artist. All is not lost. Just as you can find 2D clip art for your printed documents and presentations, there are animations and 3D objects that you can buy pre-made online. Complete libraries of animatable 3D objects are also available if you know where to look. Take a look at www.renderosity.com, where you can compare and buy a wide selection of professionally designed elements.

Many packages (particularly the Macromedia titles) can generate interactive productions when viewed on a computer. If part of your production regime involves creating disc-based or Web-based presentations, these capabilities will come in handy. They are not part of every package, however. Delving into the development of interactive content generally involves dealing with some degree of scripting or programming. Most packages rely on their own proprietary scripting languages, such as Lingo (used by Director), as opposed to more standardized high-level languages such as Java or C++. Scripting languages are designed to be powerful yet easy to learn and are heavy in media-centric commands.

The majority of animation programs can export completed projects to formats that most video editing packages can handle, such as QuickTime or Window AVI and you can often specify a codec, such as MPEG or DV. Some, however, output a series of individual frames that you will need to put together in your editing application.

The only limiting factor is your creativity. Take a look at the animation software manufacturer listing for some handy links to animation packages that can work for you. It is an entirely different discipline from making video and we've only touched on the most basic aspects as an introduction to the art. It's up to you (and a different dedicated magazine) to really get you going in this art form. Still, you might be surprised how easy it can be to add animation to your projects.

Charles Fulton is an Associate Editor for Videomaker.

Professional animation software can be extremely expensive. Maya Personal Learning Edition represents a unique approach taken by Alias to introduce users to the world of animation software. A limited edition of the software is available for free, but it will display a watermark on your output. Once you learn enough about the software, you can buy the full version for $1,999 or the unlimited version (which adds Fluid Effects, Fur, Cloth and Live Match Moving modules) for $6,999. This is the same software used by the big boys in Hollywood, as evidenced by some prominent pieces of media that have used Maya, including Blockbuster's "Guinea Pig" TV spots, X2 and the animated feature Ice Age.

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