nemric's Animation Alley

Jul 02, 2006 at 12:00 am by Store Staff


Animation Alley is a regular featured column with Renderosity Staff Columnist Sergio Rosa [nemirc]. Sergio discusses on computer graphics software, animation techniques, and technology. He also hosts interviews with professionals in the animation and cinematography fields.
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iClone, You Clone: iClone Reborn
Last month Reallusion released iClone 2.0, the latest version of their acclaimed real-time animation software. iClone is a real-time 3D animation tool that lets you quickly make your own short movies, music videos, and even teaching videos.

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To Animate, or Not to Animate
Probably your story is similar to that of many animators around the globe. Not everyone can afford an education at the big schools, and sometimes there isn't even a small school where you live. You may guess that you are on your own since there's no other way to learn. This article is meant to give some input about getting started in animation, from the basics to the software.

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More Boom With Toon Boom...Studio!I take off my 3D animation hat one more time to talk a little about Toon Boom Studio, a 2D animation package created by Toon Boom Animation. Toon Boom Studio comes in two flavors: the Express version (aimed for beginners) and the full version. For this review I will be focusing on the second one.

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Toon Boom Storyboard
Preproduction is one, if not the most important aspects of production. However, sometimes it's overlooked. A part of preproduction is storyboarding, where artists put on paper all the picture frames to visually tell the story...This is where programs such as Toon Boom Storybard come in.
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist
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Enter Mudbox
A few years ago, Pixologic released a tool that changed the way some people approached modeling: ZBrush. ZBrush could be considered one of a kind because of its ability to manipulate objects with a very high level of detail. That has now changed...
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist
Lead Line Photo Anime Studio Pro review
2D animation is often associated with traditional hand-made animation. These last years Flash animations have also invaded the 2D animation realm. This visual style has gained so much momentum that even 3D apps such as Maya, LW, MAX and even Poser have incorporated cell-shading and flash export capabilities...Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist

Real-time Filmmaking with iClone 1.5
"Earlier this year I wrote an article about a real-time animation software that promised to revolutionize the way animation was made. The
name of that software was iClone. See what has developed and what's to come...

  By Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist

  

Working with Geometry Cache in Maya 8
"In my Maya 8 review, I mentioned that one of the new features in this release is the capability to create Geometry Caches for your animated models. What the Geometry Cache does is bake all the deformers and animation onto a cache. The animation is then read from the hard disk instead of being calculated for each frame."
(Contains artistic nudity)
By Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist
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CrazyTalk 4.5 Review
A few months ago Reallusion released version 4.5 of CrazyTalk. If you attended SIGGRAPH you may have had the chance to play with it, but if you didn't and you are a CrazyTalk fan, this article might interest you. If you don't know what CrazyTalk is, you may also read on so you know more about it.
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 7 opinions posted
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Create Breathtaking 3D With Maya 8
"Autodesk finished the acquisition of Alias in January 2006. Since then, there had been questioning on whether or not Autodesk would continue developing Maya. This SIGGRAPH, Autodesk answered that question by unveiling Maya 8 3D software. Maya 8 comes packed with some nice new features, and a special gift for 64 bit PC users."
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 7 opinions posted
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iCloneâ„¢, You Clone
Want to create your own digital identity? Find out what Reallusion's iCloneâ„¢ can do for you! Read on as Sergio shows just how easily you too can create and animate your own digital identity.
review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 9 opinions posted
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Animation Alley:
Camera tracking with Moujou

Besides animation, one of my biggest interests is filmmaking. Being so passionate about the computer animation field, I am always looking for new things to do and new techniques to explore. These last months I grew very keen to make a movie that would combine live action footage and computer generated elements.
Review by Sergio Rosa [Nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 1 opinion posted
Piratas en el Callao [Pirates in Callao]
Recently Peru released Piratas en el Callao [Pirates in Callao] — adapted from a children's book of the same name — Piratas is considered to be the first Latin-American 3D movie. Sergio took time out from his Animation Alley duties, to review Piratas for you ...
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 3 opinions posted
Alias' Maya 7 - BlendShape Deformer
Last week Sergio gave you the inside scoop on Alias’ Maya 7 and its Full Body IK system. This week he delves into Maya 7 and the updates to Maya’s BlendShape deformer, explaining how this powerful deformer is an impressive way to make new morphs for your characters.
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 1 opinion posted
Animation Alley - Real-Time Spray-Paint Simulation In Maya
Our Animation Alley guru, nemirc [Sergio Rosa], takes you on a fascinating journey through a Real-Time Spray-Paint Simulation in Maya. Join nemirc as he discovers the hidden secrets to the Visual Special Effects (VFX) within the Tom Cruise movie … The Minority Report.
Tutorial by nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Columnist - 3 opinions posted
Animation Alley - Arcs
This week Sergio [nemirc], goes over the fine points of working with Arcs, and how you can apply them to your CG animations! Another can't miss tutorial in Sergio's Animation Alley series.
by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Featured Columnist
Animation Alley - Balance
This week Sergio [nemirc], continues his lessons on Posing, as he explains the importance of balance, and how you can apply it to your CG animations! Be sure not to miss this outstanding tutorial in Sergio's Animation Alley series.
Article by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Featured Columnist - 7 opinions posted
Animation Alley - Shade 7 Professional, Reviewed
Shade 7 Professional is a 3D design tool brought to you by the people of Curious Labs. After spending some time getting hands-on experience with this program, nemirc, gives us his thoughts about the package from the standpoint of a Maya animator and Poser 4 user.
by Sergio Rosa (nemirc) - 7 opinions posted
Animation Alley - The Principles of Animation
Are you a budding CG short film maker? Are you striving to improve your animations? Our Animation Alley guru, Sergio [nemirc], gives you the basics of The Twelve Principles of Animation, and how you can apply them to your CG animations!
Sergio Rosa [nemirc] Featured Columnist - 7 opinions posted
Animation Alley meets AnimationMentor.com
Have you always dreamed of becoming a Professional Animator? Yearned to earn a degree in Animation? Go to classes in your pajamas? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have to read nemirc's interview with Bobby Beck, AnimationMentor.com's CEO/President ...
Interview by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Renderosity Staff Writer - 7 opinions posted
Animation Alley-The Art of Posing
Last week Sergio [nemirc], went over The Twelve Principles of Animation, and how you can apply them to your CG animations! This week he gives you tips and tricks on The Art Of Posing posing your figures, and how to apply them to the Principles of Animation ...
Sergio Rosa [nemirc] Featured Columnist - 10 opinions posted
Animation Alley:
A Codec Moment

Have you ever found yourself wondering which codec to use for your animation?
Check it out, as Sergio takes a closer look at some popular codecs, and provides a few examples.
Are you having a Codec moment?
Article by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 13 opinions posted
Animation Alley:
Maya 7 Render Layers

"Rendering in layers can bring you many benefits that sometimes are overlooked..."
Join Sergio, as he explains how you can use Maya's render layers to full effect, making for easier work, and possibly even cutting your render time!
article by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 3 opinions posted
cgMuscle System
Check it out as Sergio gives you a closer look at this exciting new Maya plug-in. See if it is just what you need to put the 'muscle' in your work!
review by Staff Columnist - Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - 5 opinions posted
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
Sergio reviews the sequel to the widely acclaimed Final Fantasy VII game — the biggest event in the CG Industry for 2005 — Final Fantasy VII Advent Children the movie. Read on to see what sets this CG adventure apart from the others...
Movie Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - staff columnist - 19 opinions posted
Get Your "Body In Motion" with Maya 7
Recently released, Alias’ Maya 7, is considered by many to be one of the most remarkable releases to date, with exciting updates to the existing tools and improvements to its functionality. Find out why Sergio feels that the most important additions to the software is the ability to use MotionBuilder's Full Body IK system.
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 2 opinions posted
Gnomon Workshop - Visual Storytelling DVD
Animation Alley's nemeric [Sergio Rosa], reviews volume-one of the Gnomon Workshop's instructional DVD Visual Storytelling with Iain McCaig: Anatomy of a Story .
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] Featured Columnist - 2 opinions posted
Luminetik's Akiko Ashley Captures Animation!
Sergio explores the world of award-winning Akiko Ashley. In a video game industry world dominated by males, Akiko’s creative talent shines brightly, as one of the Partners, and Executive Producer, of Luminetik Animation Studios.
Interview by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - staff columnist - 8 opinions posted
Modeling With T-Splines
This week, join Sergio, as he reviews T-Splines, a plug-in for Maya. T-Splines is a brand new modeling system that tries to marry the best of the Polygons and NURBS worlds to create a very versatile system that promises to make the modeler's life easier.
Review by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 3 opinions posted
Star Wars - Episode III - A Computer Graphic View
Animation Alley's nemirc [Segio Rosa] brings you his professional opinions of Star Wars Episode - III - Revenge of the Sith from a Computer Graphic Artist's viewpoint! Great input and fantastic screen grabs provided by the good people from LucasFilm.
by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Featured Columnist - 25 opinions posted
Street Artists - New Series
Sergio takes time off from his Animation Alley column to conduct the first article in our new series – Street Artists … featuring street artists from around the world — Those unconventional artists who make a living creating art on the streets of our cities. A special thanks to Shelamay for her creative input.
nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Writer - 8 opinions posted
The Chronicles of Studio C [part one]
Bringing a monumental adventure like The Chronicles of Narnia to the big screen is no easy thing. It requires a lot of work, not only on the directing side but also on the visual effects. This is part one of a two-part interview, where Sergio gets an inside look at the work of Studio C, a VFX studio located in Guatemala.
interview by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 5 opinions posted
The Chronicles of Studio C [part two]
Continuing from last week...Sergio presents more of the story of Studio C, a VFX studio located in Guatemala, which recently worked on The Chronicles of Narnia. Read more about the keys to their success.
interview by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 1 opinion posted
The Five-Minute Ghost Pumpkin!
Just in time for your spooky Halloween renderings … Sergio, brings you a short and sweet five-minute tutorial on creating a pumpkin from scratch, and then, with a little magic, he shows you how to zap it into a ghost. Join our very own Harry Potter, as he shows you how to create a head for your headless horseman!
Tutorial by Sergio Rosa - Staff Columnist - 4 opinions posted
The Reality of Ian Hubert's Ideality
Teen filmmaker phenom, Ian Hubert [Mrdodobird], asks “What happens when you wake up … before you stop dreaming?” Sergio seeks the reality from Ian, in an in-depth interview, that reveals the behind the scene secrets of Ian’s newest fantasy sci-fi adventure film … Ideality.
Interview by Sergio Rosa [nemirc] - Staff Columnist - 7 opinions posted
  • Star Wars - Episode III - A Computer Graphic View Animation Alley's nemirc [Segio Rosa] brings you his professional opinions of Star Wars Episode - III - Revenge of the Sith from a Computer Graphic Artist's viewpoint! Great input and fantastic screen grabs provided by the good people from LucasFilm. by nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Writer May 30, 2005
  • Animation Alley-The Art of Posing Last week Sergio [nemirc], went over The Twelve Principles of Animation, and how you can apply them to your CG animations! This week he gives you tips and tricks on The Art Of Posing posing your figures, and how to apply them to the Principles of Animation ... by nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Writer May 23, 2005
  • Animation Alley - The Principles of Animation Are you a budding CG short film maker? Are you striving to improve your animations? Our Animation Alley guru, Sergio [nemirc], gives you the basics of The Twelve Principles of Animation, and how you can apply them to your CG animations! by nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Writer May 16, 2005
  • Street Artists - New Series Sergio takes time off from his Animation Alley column to conduct the first article in our new series – Street Artists … featuring street artists from around the world — Those unconventional artists who make a living creating art on the streets of our cities. A special thanks to Shelamay for her creative input. interview by nemirc (Sergio Rosa) - Staff Writer April 4, 2005
  • Shade 7 Professional, Reviewed Shade 7 Professional is a 3D design tool brought to you by the people of Curious Labs. After spending some time getting hands-on experience with this program, nemirc, gives us his thoughts about the package from the standpoint of a Maya animator and Poser 4 user. product review by Sergio Rosa (nemirc) March 1, 2005 Renderosity website

 

  • Discreet 3ds max 7 (SIGGRAPH coverage)
  • Alias Maya 6 Magazine Articles
  • Real-time spray-paint simulation in Maya (Renderosity Magazine, Issue 6)
  • Lighting in Maya: ‘From Vision to Reality (The RIM, Volume 3 issue 1)
  • Do it yourself: Poser to Maya - Part 1 (The RIM, Volume 3 issue 2)
  • Master in our midst: Meats Meier (The RIM, Volume 3 issue 2)
  • Do it yourself: Poser to Maya – Part 2 (The RIM, Volume 3 issue 3) SIGGRAPH 2004 articles (The RIM, Volume 3 issue 3):
  • CGI for everyone". SIGGRAPH virtual tour
  • Spirits in an Animated World". Computer Animation Festival article
  • Holographic views with Perspectra Spatial 3D". Article about Perspectra Spatial 3D
  • Do you want to study in Mexico?". Westbrige Film School article. Animation Alley featured on The RIM's website: articles
  • Digital filmmaking " The Rodrigez Way"... (Jan 2005)
  • There can still be only one... (Nov 2004)
  • The power of Arcs (Oct 2004)
  • Particle Madness (Aug 2004)
  • The Art of Posing (May 2004)
  • The Principles of Animation (April 2004) interviews
  • Krishnamurti Martins Costa (Oct 2004)
  • Careers in Computer Graphics Entertainment - SIGGRAPH 2004 Panel (Aug 2004)
  • Sebastian Marquez (June 2004)
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