Animation:Master v16

Value:  Setup:  Features:  Quality:  Support:  Overall:  Great, if you save often Animation: Master is very inexpensive, easy to use, and can produce animation that rivals the quality of that found in professional big-screen films. Unfortunately, it can only produce these results if you save every minute or two. AM quits almost constantly. Sometimes, these quits are completely random, but sometimes they have a formula to them. All the ones with formulas can be solved, but the random ones can take a toll on your mind and speed hair loss. Get used to saving often. Get used to saving multiple backup files. And most importantly: Don't expect "undo" to work! Besides its bugginess, it is a pretty good program. Especially considering how inexpensive it is. Reviewed on January 1, 2008 by a customer.

Value:  Setup:  Features:  Quality:  Support:  Overall:  Professional product. Beginner's price. I've been wanting to learn 3D animation for years, but there was no way I could afford to spend thousands of dollars on the big spotlight animation programs for something that would just be a fun hobby, especially if it turned out I wasn't very good at it or didn't like it after getting into it. Animation:Master is a great compromise. It is full featured - enough to get you to the point of producing professional quality 3D animation for TV commercials, music videos, cartoons, or print. But it's cheap enough to be safe to abandon if 3D animation doesn't suit you. It's easy to learn and easy to use, and doesn't require a ten thousand dollar computer system to run. The interface looks the same to me as every 3D animaition program I've seen or tried, and the learning curve is pretty small. I posted my first animated short to impress my friends within two hours of opening the box. (It was really just one of the training walkthroughs from the A:M manual, but I didn't feel the need tell anyone that.) The instruction manual that comes witih A:M is a bit on the thin side, but there is huge community support and plenty of free training on the Internet. I found a deal at Safe Harbor when I bought my copy of A:M. It came bundled with a training CD from Studio 45 at less than the full price of A:M on the Hash website. The training CD was so good I bought another and still came out even. A lot of people post about A:M crashing a lot, though in three weeks of heavy usage, it's only crashed once on me. But I wouldn't expect a program that tries to run on any average computer to not have an occasional glitch. That's the difference between a $300 program that'll run on my generic Dell and a $5,000 program that requires a $10,000 graphic workstation. So in short, if you're interested in 3D animation, start here. If you're happy with everything you can do with A:M, great. If want to run with the big dogs, A:M is a good and cheap training step on the way up to the expensive programs. If you decide you don't want to do 3D animation after all, you haven't blown a lot of money. Reviewed on September 6, 2005 by James Jefferies (jjefferies@...).

Value:  Setup:  Features:  Quality:  Support:  Overall:  Sorry to be a dissenting voice, but... I've been working with Animation Master for about a year now. It has incredible potential - indeed, some people have produced truly astonishing work with it, comparible to the eye-popping effects you see in big budget movies - but I'm afraid it's probably the buggiest piece of software I've used in many years. After a while you start to get the feeling that if you even look at this program funny, it will crash. It just exits, without so much as an error message. Save your work every 5 or 10 minutes (there's no autosave) or you're doomed. The company are clearly aware of the instability issue. On the plus side, they issue very frequent patched versions (free), but they're clearly very touchy on the whole 'it crashes' issue. In fact, they can react quite sharply to anything less than glowing praise.. Hang around their official forum for a while, and you'll notice that it's strictly moderated and that certain issues are pretty much taboo. When newbies appear and mention frequent crashes, mention that they hate the copy protection, or even ask any questions that might show the software in a bad light, the official reaction can be very negative. The posts may even vanish. True, the Hash site has a long, impressive list of glowing user testimonials - forum members are invited to add their own raves to this (so long as they heed the warning that *only* 100% enthusiastic reviews are welcome, and that they mustn't even hint at anything negative...) My second major annoyance is that the software *does* have really horrible copy protection - you have to insert the CD every single time you want to use it. There IS a way around this. You can buy a hardware USB dongle for an extra $50. I did just that, and was seriously annoyed to find that I'm expected to pay another $50 every time I upgrade the software, in addition to the normal upgrade price. My third and final gripe is the appallingly inadequate documentation. The manual isn't a manual - it's a lightweight introduction with a few tutorials, leaving the vast majority of the program's features and abilities totally unexplained. In fact, totally *unmentioned*! This economical approach to information is one of the most annoying things about this company. The 'manual' is a prime example, but it seems to pervade almost everything about Hash.com. As another example, when I purchased my hardware dongle, it came sticky- taped to a sheet of plain white paper. Not a word of instruction. I plugged it in. It didn't work. I emailed Hash, and *eventually* got a terse reply explaining that I needed to download a special version of the software or the dongle wouldn't work. Presumably I was supposed to work this out using some sort of psychic ability. I could give similar examples, but I think I've made the point. Over and over, the same very elementary questions appear in the Hash forum with depressing regularity. Now I have to say that in terms of helpfulness and friendliness (so long as you avoid the taboos), this is one of the most outstanding forums I've ever belonged to, but occasionally even the most patient of the old-timers there blows a gasket and rants about the same basic questions appearing over and over. Which to my mind, only underlines the point that the company just doesn't take enough time or effort to communicate even the absolute essentials to their customers. This seriously undermines the software, making an already steep learning curve even steeper. Sorry if this sounds like a hatchet job. The software is astonishingly good, for the price. It would be astonishingly good for twice the price. And if you're in any doubt about its power, visit the A:M movies site (there's a link from the main Hash website), and prepare to be blown away. If it was a little more stable and came with a decent manual, I would be absolutly raving about how wonderful it is. My bottom line is that it's a tragic case of great unfulfilled potential. I've given up on the software now (too many of those crashes), but I'll be keeping an eye on it from time to time, and if they get some of these issues sorted out, I'll be first in the queue. Reviewed on January 1, 2005 by Eoin Rua (madra-rua@...).

Value:  Setup:  Features:  Quality:  Support:  Overall:  Outstanding results and quality performance. For someone new to animation, this program has a steep learning curve. The manual that is included, explains some of the history and technics behind animation, but could give a bit more step by step instruction. The excercises provided depend a lot on the pre-formated characters and movements, but does little to help you develope new ones. The supplementary quick start cd that I ordered with the program, does a good job of filling in the gaps that the manual misses. Still, this is an excellent program, and with a little time, gives even the beginner, outstanding , professional results. Reviewed on May 11, 2004 by Leonard Robinson (cdbdeyes@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  3D Beast With Undiscovered Potential And Competitive Price By the industry standard, a price of the product well justifies its value. In this particular case, the Animation Master is far away from this rationalization. This one of a kind 3D animation software is capable of not only surprising you of its dangerous potential against its competitors, but also to provide you with its structurally addictive environment. Another words 3D designing at its best. The only setback of the software is rather frequent and annoying program crashing. The HASH Company now should invest significant amount of time to improve the stability of this great piece of software. Reviewed on April 10, 2003 by a customer from Long Beach, CA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  the best deal ever Dan Taylor here. You can spend up to $30,000 on a 3d animation program but you can spend $300 on Hash animation master. They can do the same things also. The reason you would buy hash is if you love 3D animation like me but can't afford a really expensive one. Even ifyou are rich don't think you're getting jipped. Hash is just as good as any other 3d animation program. i suggest you buy this program over any other. Reviewed on November 4, 2002 by dantaylor_123@... from Park City, Utah.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Hash Animation...! I have only had a few weeks to really play with this program. But I must say so far with what I have seen, this program rocks! It's ease and ability to play with meshes is amazing. It's totally what I expected in other 3D app's I have purchased in the past but never recieved. If I ever move on to a higher end program (not sure if I will find one) I will definitely hand this one down to my son.....:) Awesome program at an awesome price......! Reviewed on October 2, 2002 by Thomas Moon (tmoon@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  This is definitely the master. Pros: I have reviewed many 3d software packages including high end Max, Maya and so forth....Animation Master Manages to satisfy every and any artist's vision. From nothing to magic you can create any fantasy or story while having fun doing it. This software is my so longed dreamed for 3d package. Cons: Do I have any cons? Nope. Reviewed on January 18, 2002 by Anthony Sanabria (tony_sanabria@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  it works great its great whit half-life modeling if you are a modmaker or just want to make you own models YOU defently need Animation Master 2001and i know i have used it for every model i have made i would 1000000% sure recomend it to you for every 3d project you want to make Reviewed on December 12, 2001 by a customer from assen.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  I never knew I could learn so fast!!!! I just recieved my Animation Master software a few days ago, already I have created 2 models, I have done several renderings that even blew me away. To make a long story short, if there is a six star rating, then someone better find the other star. Because this software deserves it!. The cost, quality, reliabiity, and all of the modeling rendering and animation features all wraped up in this software are outstanding!!. Howard Stinson, Reviewed on July 19, 2001 by matrix@... from Iaeger West Virginia.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  AM is a superb character animation tool! Even if you only use it for storyboards, it'll pay for itself in one job. The IK, FK, nonlinear reusable actions, smart skinning and pose sliders are the best controls for doing character work that I've seen. The constraint features allow you to setup center of gravity rigs, have objects interact with one another, and follow paths. Put simply, if you want to do character work and don't have the 8K to spend on Maya, this is the package for you. Tell your story with Animation Master! Reviewed on May 1, 2001 by Erik Elvgren (ece3k@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  The best animation program value without doubt. I have tried several animation programs ranging from $300 to $900 and I find Animation Master to be the easiest to use and most feature-packed for the money you will find. With this package, I was able to produce an animation in only one week of learning. Something I was unable to do in several months with two other packages. A wonderful product! Reviewed on April 28, 2001 by Christopher Burr (strikeoutsandwich@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Character Animation Made Possible (Affordable & Easy) This program is the only show in town if you want to do high-end character animation and hardcore, complex, non-linear animation of any sort. Routinely the very expensive competing packages like Maya come out with features A:M has had for years and make a huge splash with them. But A:M still has features like Smartskin that those copycats lack; and they add more on a regular basis. Considering those other programs can cost up to twenty grand, and don't even run on your medium-end computer... Is there an alternative? Well at first it seems so (some other programs like Cinema 4D XL have admirable strengths), until you try A:M's spline patch modeling method; there is no better way to quickly and accurately create your complex shapes. And the skeletal systems you can build in A:M are second to nobody's. Want muscles that flex automatically as your character's properly constrained torso appears to turn a steering wheel (even though all you have to do if you set it up right is turn the wheel itself)? I don't think you can do that very convincingly in other programs.... Factor in a vast community of pros and talented amateurs willing to advise and tutor newbies... You just can't get a better deal from any software, 3D or not. Reviewed on April 9, 2001 by josephhowell@... from NYC, NY USA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Stop wondering about Animation:Master and buy it! An excellent 3D modelling and animation package. Easy to learn if you read the manual & do the tutorials, and lots of users online to help you out when you don't know how to do something. Check out www.hash.com to see what others are doing with it. It's amazing! Worth every penny! Reviewed on January 22, 2001 by a customer from Salem, OR.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Great Modeling, Great Modeling, Great Package I am a beginner animator, and believe that A:M is a great animation, modeling, and rendering package. I would like to be a 3d animator some day, so I believe this was the best way to start. I gave it a 4 in Reliability, because It likes to crash every once in a while. This could be the OS that I'm using or my specific config. Over all a very good package, I hope to see some plug-ins to be developed too. Reviewed on November 18, 2000 by boliver44@... from Eustace, TX.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  animation master is the best 3D app! all i can say is that this is the best 3D software i have used... I have expierience with Lightwave andit can't compare at all with the sheer enjoyment i have when i use A:M. Itcomes with plenty of documentatio, not to mention the endless supply of tutorials online. my only quarel is a few small stability issues which are very unpredictable....but it is not that bad. Reviewed on November 12, 2000 by pogo575@... from Burlington VT.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Superb 3D-Animation software with a symbolic price! I just bought Animation Master 2000 (PC), and this is the best 3D-animation pack I`ve ever tried. This is an good choice if you want to make 3D-Animations, the quality is Fantastic ( the lower score at quality & reliability is because is a bit unstable under Win 98SE, but I`ve heard that the MAC Version is ok.) The modeling system is spline based, witch is easy, and it`s great for organic modeling. -RECOMMENDED- Reviewed on July 17, 2000 by a customer from Norway.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Animation Master: A complete 3d solution for $300!!! Animation: Master 2000, from Hash software, is an awesome 3d modeling, texturing, arranging, animating, and rendering solution. with a list of features rivaling that of it's big name, big price tag competitors, A:M is well worth the money. I am a farely novice 3d artist, and I have no formal training. I have taught myself everything I know by reading tutorials on the net. when I picked up A:M for the first time, I was modeling complex charectures in less then half an hour. A:M combines a first class interface, powerfull rendering engine, and a beutifully simple splines modeler that can become VERY complex, depending on how far you want to take it. Animation: master is the best peice of software I have purchased for 3d animation and modeling. GO GET IT! Reviewed on May 28, 2000 by crazyphreak@... from koloa, hawaii.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  The Best Animation Bang for your Buck. Period. Want access to the kinds of features you only hear about in those 'Making of Star Wars, Part 10' documentaries? Features you see in the new product announcements from those high-end, studio softwares they use for big-budget movies? Users of Hash's Animation:Master have enjoyed such features for years, at really low, student-friendly prices: Organic modeling; soft-body and rigid-body physics simulation; cloth, flocks and herds; the ability to reuse animations, and blend and layer them; radiosity.... All of this comes with A:M, without costly plugins and without needing expensive hardware. I know, I use the stuff. I've saved oodles of money, that I would otherwise spend on extra RAM and a more expensive computer, plus the enormous cost of other 3D software packages. The money I saved allowed me to get other software to help me with my animation projects, such as image editing and video compression software. The interface is clear and very smooth and fast, even on slower machines. A:M is cross-platform [no, really! A:M has *feature parity* on Mac and PC!], demands less RAM and video hardware than most others, and generates economic file sizes. It even imports motion capture data from a few different mocap systems. You just don't need a mainframe to own good animation software. Constraints and blending that even the big boys don't offer; I couldn't believe it until I'd tried it myself. I've heard from Maya and SoftImage animators who even prefer to use A:M on their own projects instead of the grand, expensive software they use at work. In my own experience, I turned down a free license to 3DS MAX r3 because I've discovered how much more I can do with A:M, for less. Less money, less hardware, less time spent learning, and less time spent wrestling with the interface. Have you seen the web video of that green, one-eyed spaceman, singing "I Will Survive?" That was made by Victor Navone in A:M. The expressive control that A:M offers animators like Navone is what convinced me years ago to drop trueSpace and 3DS MAX for A:M. I highly recommend this product to *anyone* who wants to animate on the computer, but particularly to students who want to prepare for a career in computer animation. You'll find more of the character rigging features we associate with high-end software in A:M than in any other package you could have for twice the price. James Poulakos Reviewed on May 17, 2000 by a customer from Atlanta, Georgia.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  No Doubt, the best modeller! Let me set you on the right track here - I know your confused what 3D program to get,and your thinking about what everyone else is using! well forget Maya, Forget Softimage, forget Max and Lightwave because this baby beats them hands down! I've had to use Maya and Soft in production and found the Nurbs way of modelling so backward so unpractical. Advertising is what makes Maya and Soft , MAX etc.. if it wasn't for the advertising Animation Master would shine through. I suggest you give this program a go, its only $199, what do you have to lose. Really its worth every penny and even if you don't like it, you haven't lost anything have you....... And if your thinking what ILM and Pixar are looking for in a show reel these days! I know straight from the Animation Leads that they are looking out for reels that demonstrate Animation Master work, PDI are looking for reels with Animation Master too, Digital Domain also. I've talked to them and know this because basically they are looking for reels from the next generation Artists, artists that can't afford the big programs but the equally as good cheaper programs. I tell you this whole industry is going to get a shake up soon, if you are noticing, programs features aern't getting much better, they are all copying each other - every program is getting the same and what will seperate programs is their price and performance ratio! HASH have already seen this trend and acted on it! YOu get ANimation Master and you a getting a product that will be mainstream and the champion leader very soon. Reviewed on November 2, 1999 by a customer from Australia.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  A-M is the best character animator on the market today. Animation Master is one of the greatest animation programs available on the market now. It has powerful features still not capable in other EXPENSIVE programs, and includes for free many items that would cost an arm and a leg. I have kept current with AM for the last couple of years and have only recently purchased it. If i had known what i know now i would have purchased it years ago. I have been training in 3D Studio Max, and AM puts it to shame, cost and ease of use. For $179-199 there is no other software that compares period. Reviewed on October 22, 1999 by Paul Metoyer (plmetoyer@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Now here is a real animation program! After purchasing this great product I have found several tutorials included on the cd. Want to get your feet wet? You learn by doing. I have found the web site for this product to be quite informative also. There is a mail listing where you can have others look at your work and give suggestions. There are downloadable FAQ's. There is a book written by Jeff Paries and although it is written for version 6.1 The current version can be cross referenced by tutorials on the Animation Master cd and the Handbook cd. The Price is right. There is an import/export file for the 3d genesis game engine. I think the renderers are great and fast. Do buy it you won't be sorry. Reviewed on July 23, 1999 by a customer from Virginia.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  For the price it CANNOT be beat! I have worked with several animation programs. Animation Master 99 can do the same things as a $6,000 software package from another company. There are minor drawbacks, though. I find that it is a touchy program that likes to crash. No worry because we should all save projects more often anyway. Second, the DXF import did not work the way that I thought it should. DXF is a fairly standard file format. Hash has decided to re-write the format a little to suit his needs and it turns out that not all things can be imported through DXF. No worry there either because there are 3rd party programmers that have made excellent import and export plug-ins. These plug-ins are all free, too! So, all of the down-side can be compensated and the up-side is just enormous. Thank You Hash! Reviewed on July 20, 1999 by Russell Lawler (rlawler@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Eyepopping power at a low price but has a tendency to crash. I became interested in AM99 after purchasing the Animation Master 98 reference guide (with demo disk) I played around with the included demo and HAD to have the full version. When it finally arrived I was not disapointed. So far I have looked through the included models actions and tutorials to create different scenes. The speed of my computer prohibits quick vieiwing of larger projects but it is none the less encouraging to see the power that the tool provides with the included circus tutorial. The person who though to have the spiral bound user manual should be given a medal of honor (I hate folding book spines back when struggling to get through hands on training.) The manual could probably use some updating (including smart skin and a few other small things) but the tutorials and instructions that it gives provide a very good start to building things that will impress others (and hopefully yourself). I have started to create my own models but have been frustrated by the somewhat often crashes after putting in heavy details on a hand or claw. After switching back to the Save-Early-Save-Often approach, you can move quickly around this problem and live with it to continue to get the great effects. The other software I've worked with is Ray Dreams 3D and I prefer AM99's hash spline based approach and find it to be a more versitile tool. Reviewed on May 17, 1999 by a customer from Santa Clara, CA, USA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Great character animation tool This is the poor man's Maya. The inverse and forward kinematics are smooth and responsive. Coming from a polygon modeling background, I found that it's spline modeling provided an uncluttered perspective on animations scenes. For organic shapes, I became MUCH faster. Only thing it lacks as a 3D package are tools for bread-and-butter text. So all you spinning-zooming-exploding logo jocks will have a steep learning curve before you're productive. Reviewed on May 17, 1999 by rdablo@... from Temecula, CA..

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  The best organic modelling and animation package 4 pc & mac Hash AM:99 is the best organic modelling and animation package on the market. The results achieved by some of the best animators and modellers with Hash Animation Master rivals anything done on Alias or SoftImage. The major difference being most people use Hash on a home PC and people using Alias and SoftImage are running their apps for the most part on dedicated PC workstations. If you dont believe me then check their website gallery out at www.Hash.com. If you have any intention at doing organic modelling and animation then you WILL NOT BE SORRY YOU purchased this package. Reviewed on March 2, 1999 by a customer from Baltimore Maryland.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  The best high end creative program around! As an artist and illustrator this program allows me to create content using the same approach when I draw or paint. Rather than supplying tools that perform basic functions like flying 3d logos or modeling non-organic materials, Animation Master allows us to model everything from a simple object to the most complex shapes and forms and best of all, it is spline based not polygon based! The file sizes are small when saving files and because of the splines, the flexibility of modeling allows for the construction of anything imagineable. Many heartfelt thanks to the team at Hash for creating a trues artist tool at an extremely affordable price! I would like to hear from anyone that can find a program with the tool set that AM99 features at the same or cheaper price. I know they won't find it. Reviewed on February 23, 1999 by blacksunproject@... from Selden, New York, USA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  This thing just plain knocks my socks off! I have been using Hash's software for a few years now and I am continually amazed at the growth of the tools. If your needs are low-poly models or high-end cinematic rendering this package can handle it. The price is equally amazing. I started out with this package because of the price years ago and stuck with it because of it's power. If you are new to 3D or a seasoned pro be sure to connect with the thousands of other friendly helpful users on the Hash mailing list. There really is nothing else like it. Reviewed on February 23, 1999 by dave@... from Indianapolis, IN USA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  It does it all, and for dirt cheap Don't be fooled by its price, its inexpensive because they don't advertise it. Despite the obvious lack of sticker shock, A:M is very much a high-end product, and can hold its own against apps that cost fifty-times what Hash charges for it. It has become an irreplacable tool in my artistic arsenal, and I encourage every artist, whether you're a hobbiest or a working professional, to give it a try. You'll never go back to polygons again . . . Reviewed on January 26, 1999 by bprince@... from Viginia City, Nevada.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  It's a Volkswagon with a Porsche engine! This program is a steal at $200. even if you pay for it. The design and flexibility of the window are terrific. The manual must have been designed by someone who hates manuals, because this one is a joy with its large rings that allow the pages to lie flat on your desk while you work your way through the concise tutorials. The text itself is very clear and straightforward as are the illustrations. In no time at all, you are getting a feel for things. And its a powerful little rascal, a Volkswagon with a Porsche engine...I love it! Reviewed on January 9, 1999 by Robert Semans (rsemans@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Redefines productivity and ease of use in 3D applications After about 1 week of exploring this product, I find that I am extremely satisfied with it's features and functionality. Features: I would say this product is on par with just about any other commercial renderer in it's price class. The quality of the renders it produces are crisp and clean - and it does them quickly. In fact, in it's price range, I can't think of a more feature rich package that does what it does "soup to nuts". Functions: So far, the impressive thing is that the user interface metaphore that is employed has been consistent, and usable throughout the entire application. It has a lot of "drag and drop" features that make it a joy to use. Want to use a paticular material on an object? Just select it, drag it, and drop it on the object of your choice in the workspace. Another nice thing is the incredible ease of use that even complex features benefit from. Particle animation is very simple - lens flares, simple too. Key framing is very natural as well. I have experience on a variety of other packages, and for the money, nothing even comes close. Extras: Great tutorials in the manual, and with vast supporting projects on the CD make this application an easy one to get into. They have also included a variety of reusable objects, materials, and actions on the CD to help you out with your own beginning projects. My one quible has been the occasional crash of the application. This may be due to the fact that I'm running it on Windows98, and I haven't upgraded to the latest patch quite yet. Reviewed on November 16, 1998 by Porter Woodward (woodward@...).

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  An amazing product, equal to packages costing thousands more A:M is incredible. A plethora of high-end features (bones, particles, volumetrics, radiosity, spline modeling) for a fraction of the price of other products. An absolute must for organic modeling. Reviewed on November 14, 1998 by jhall19@... from Knoxville, TN.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Animation Master 98 is the best Animation Master 98 is a simple of use program that contains an interesting series of options, as much for the modeling one as for the animation. Its system of modeling is based on splines and patchs. It is the simplest tool for the modeling one 3D that I have found. The render obtains excellent results. Reviewed on October 2, 1998 by nsaf@... from Asuncisn, Paraguay. South America.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  An excellent starter in 3d! Martin Hash's AM:98 is an exellent affordable way to jump into 3d. I find hash splines similar to 2d bezier lines, with a 'node edit', feel, but you get to pull those lines into 3d, wherever you want, like virtual sculpting! With this program you get to play with lots of features like bones, fur, particles, and procedural textures, stuff you drooled over in the "I-can't-afford-that-it-costs-more-than-my-car" programs. Plus it's got a top-notch mail list with lots of nice people to get you started. Reviewed on October 2, 1998 by a customer from Biloxi, MS.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  flexible, powerful, affordable complete 3D package I've used 3DS r4, Max 1.2, TS3.0, Infini-D 3.5 and lightwave 4. Compared to these software packages, Animation Master is cheaper and more powerful. For organic modeling A:M '98 is better than B-spline and lightyears beyond polygon based systems. In addition to the great software, there are numerous tutorial online that help beginners with every aspect of modeling, texturing, and animation. Don't waste thousands on expensive programs like Max and lightwave. Animation Master's interface and spline based system is at the cutting edge of technology. Reviewed on July 27, 1998 by woolfel@... from san diego.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  The best character animation tool for under $10K? AM98! Best money I've spent yet. Combine the streamlined, convenient interface, the features only available in apps 10 times the price, and its active, helpful user community in the Net, and you get Animation:Master 98, the best tool around for students of character animation. I like the power of IK constraints and I *love* the flexibility of the Hash spline modeling format, which resists 'tearing open' when it's flexed and stretched. There are separate keyframeable channels [some call them 'function curves'] for almost everything. Mine also came with a great, timesaving companion app called "Lip Sync"; it helps me by showing a computer version of a dopesheet, alongside the waveform of the sound track I'm using, and it *writes out the dopesheet in an animation file that AM98 can import!* One of Hash's best qualities: it's modularity. It's easy to make and save 'Actions' and 'Poses' that can be re-used. You can reuse all or part of an animation, a skeleton, part or all of a mesh, even just the animation you applied to one arm or nose. 'Poses', which are like individual keyframes you can save with your character, offer all the power of those 'Morph Targets' you've seen in other packages, plus more benefits. AM98 is [I'm glad to say] very stable and usable on an older PC like mine [Pentium 133, 128MB RAM, 4MB Matrox Millennium]. I've used trueSpace, even for character animations, and I tried out MAX, LW, and C4DXL. Nothing I've used yet comes close, and I'm *picky*. Too bad I can't put URLs here, or I'd show you the online modeling class I'm leading, where we build realistic human figures. Check out some *animations* made with Hash, though. That's the strong point here: it is an *animation* tool that squashes, stretches, bends and bubbles without breaking. Reviewed on July 27, 1998 by jkl56@... from USA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  AM98 towers over the competition at a fraction of the cost. As a student at an art college, I have used every 3d software package out there. I have to tell you all; Animation:Master is a student's best choice for creating portfolio quality character animation with a student's budget. Hash's flexible spline patches are far superior to any of the polygonal modelers I have used and the texture maps deform much more realistically over splines during animation, and render faster as well. With Animation:Master you can create seamless charater models with ease and animate them using Bones and IK all in one package. For its cost, you are getting much more than you are paying for. Animation:Master is a great investment. Reviewed on June 9, 1998 by a customer from Silicon Valley, CA.

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Animation Master V6 Review/Getting Started Disclaimer: I do not work for Hash Inc. I am nothing more than a happy user ofthe product. I do not personally know anyone who works at Hash. I was not given a copy of the software (I paid for it, like everyone else) and I was not instructed or asked to write these reviews. I did so because I think the product is the best for character modeling and animation. This review is based on version 6 and 6.1 BETA of the software. Hash’s beta programs are open to current owners of the previous version of the software and allow users to critique the software and help track and kill bugs. It is aimed towards users who are unfamiliar with Animation Master and very new users of the software. Part One: General Overview and Modeling Explored Hash Inc’s Animation Master is a 3D animation and modeling program, with heavy emphasis on character modeling and creation. However, this does not mean that the program is not suited for modeling non-organic models. I’ve seen spaceships, furniture, buildings and such modeled with the program. When you first start Animation Master (AM or AM 98), you are presented with a well designed layout. The bottom half of the screen consists of the project workspace, a properties box and a time-line window. The first step is to create a new project. This is done by going to "project->new". Once this is done, you will see in the project workspace window a hierarchy of folders consisting of image, sounds, material, object, actions and choreographies. The project window with it’s folder design lets you easily keep track of all the files and attributes associated with the project. This is something that I have found to be lacking in many of the inexpensive 3D products. The next step is to create a new model. You do this by right clicking on the object icon in the project workspace and clicking on new. A menu will appear asking you if you want to add a new model, camera, volumetric effect, light, material effect or a motion capture input. For purposes of this mini-review, tutorial, I’ll choose model. Up comes a front view, (which can be changed to top, left, right, bottom,front, back, birds eye, etc). Now, you start adding splines. Did I mention that Hash is a spline based modeler? Well, it is. Splines are much more suited for creating smooth organic shapes and characters. In AM98, you use splines to create patches. When a patch is formed, it renders solid. Every model created in Hash consists of patches. Basically a patch is a connection of three or four spline points. (Note: Animation Master Version 6.1 now in beta also supports 5 point patches as well!) The box in the center would render solid. Where the lines intersect, wouldbe your control points, which you join together. (This seems vague now, butif you use the program, you'd get it, trust me). YOU CANNOT MAKE A PATCH OUTOF JUST ONE SPLINE! ANYTHING MADE OUT OF JUST ONE SPLINE BECOMES A HOLE!In other words, if all your control points are on one spline, it would not render as a solid. As I said, this seems confusing at first, but it really isn’t. I’m not a modeling master by any means, and it took about 3 minutes to grasp this concept. For anyone else, it will probably take them about 30 seconds to grasp this concept. When starting out modeling, I found knowing exactly how many splines to have in my model the most difficult. Too little, and it’s hard to make very detailed changes to the surface since there won’t be anything to push or pull. Too many, and your model becomes overkill. The key is knowing howmany control points you need for detail. You really need to kind of knowthis before hand, because while you can add them later, it's time consumingto do so. Each control point can be manipulated in order to push or pull thesplines in certain directions. The more control points, the finer thecontrol of detail, just like polygonal modeling. All control points mustalso be linked together to form patches for your object to render completely solid. Pushing and pulling control points is not the only way to smooth out models. You can adjust the bias control of the splines (curvature, basically) to smooth out certain areas. I found this very useful when I was modeling a face based on Jeffery Lew’s Skylark Tutorial from Version 4 days. Using the different views, and the group control point functions, it's easyto manipulate points (splines). You'll get used to it. I'm not a greatmodeler by any means, and it didn't take me too long to get the hang of it.My face (not done yet) probably won't look like J.Lew's, but I think that'smore of my lack of artistic ability at this point then the complexity ofAM 98. I don't see why I can't make it perfect with some tweaking,and some more practice on my part. And I don't see this taking me years either.You can also load in a background bitmap and trace around it to help with your modeling endeavors. This is known as rotoscoping in Animation Master. The interface has gone through lots of changes over the last few versions. One of the recurring complaints about older versions of AM was that the interface was cumbersome. I myself have never really had a problem using the interfaces (V3.0 through 6.1), however, I must say the newer interface is much better. It’s very clean and well organized. You will be scrolling through and manipulating the hierarchy of your projects in no time. When certain functions are being used certain options become available via the "lighting up" of icons. For example, while modeling, toggle icons such as key constraints and key muscle actions are dormant. Once you add a new action to your project, these switches turn on. Exit the action mode, and they are dormant again. When working through the interface, there are a number of "hotkeys" for accessing different functions. While cheat sheets for beginners will probably be very helpful, the shortcut keys can be changed. The appearance of the program can be changed (color scheme) as well as what toolbars you want visible. The panels in the workspace can be closed, docked and undocked with the click of a mouse. It’s very easy to work with, and to date, I’ve heard no complaints about the new user interface. I really like the modeler. I come from a polygon modeling school using such programs as TrueSpace2/3, Imagine and a few others, and I must say that I am appalled by the fact that anyone would want to model using polygons. I’m not saying that polygons don’t have their uses, but the only way I’ll go back to them is kicking and screaming. Speaking of polygons, that’s another key with respect to successfully using AM. You must forget your polygon training and learn to think in splines. I found reading the numerous tutorials available on the Hash Inc. web site and the 3D Ark web site and starting out modeling small models to be the best way to learn to undo that polygon mental block. The modeler itself is basic (and it can be, since you are just connecting splines) and easy to use. Points are added with a left click of the mouse and joined to each other by clicking both the right/left mouse buttons at the same time. You can insert points, detach splines, break points, peak or smooth the selected points, extrude points, lathe points, group points and hide selected points. The hide selected points is one of the most valuable features available. It allows you to easily work on selected portions of complicated models with out layers and layers of control points getting in the way. I find myself using this feature every time I model and could not live without it. One thing that has always impressed me about Hash Inc. is their dedication to making the software easier to use, more powerful and keeping it affordable at the same time. AM allows a user to model using Direct3D to shade your model as you add surfaces. By selecting the shaded/wireframe draw mode, you can push, pull, add and delete points and watch your model’s "shaded" surface respond in real time. This is great for adjusting control points to provide smooth contours. In many 3D modeling programs, you have to make a change to your model, and "quick render" it, make a change, "quick render" it, not in AM. Changes are instant. OpenGL is also supported. While many other programs are starting to sport this "real time" feedback, Hash Inc.’s is the quickest to date and allows you to adjust the level of detail provided in the real time feedback. A user does this by changing the number of polygons per patch used for shading. You can select 1, 4, 16 or variable. I’ve found that 4 provides a good balance between speed and detail for complex models. I also like the way you can drag a box around a particular area of thescreen and do a preview rendering or a 'full raytrace' of just an area. This is a very nice touch. The ray-tracing has become increasingly faster since version 4 and is on par with other companies who tout fast raytracing (who know who you are!). Once again, this is very useful when working on adding detail to a particular area. It’s very easy to add decals to a model as well. The decal function in AM allows you to stick a texture anywhere on a model with incredible accuracy. To do so, you just right click on the name of your model in the project window, select new->decal and choose the file for your decal. When the decal appears in the project hierarchy, right click on it, choose position and move it directly over the area of the model you want to apply it to. It will bend and mold to your model automatically. I’ve used this feature to add an iris texture to my face’s eyes. It is just as easy to add materials to your model as well. AM uses procedural textures similar to other 3D programs. Applying a material is straightforward. You chose a group of control points you want to add a material to. Select the color tab in the properties window (located in the bottom half of the screen) and add your color and adjust your settings. Sounds easy? It really is! The materials panel allows a user to adjust Ambiance, Specular Size, Intensity, Roughness, Reflectivity, Transparency and Index of Refraction. You can also type in values as well, which is nice, as I know of at least one program what made you use sliders for setting these values. You can set multiple colors and add them to a custom material library. There is a second way to add materials to models in AM. In the project workspace, there is a material folder. Right click on it to add a new material. Click on the attribute for the newly created material and the properties window presents texture choices to you, consisting of basketball, crumple, dented and others. You can also change the color, the raytrace settings of the texture and even allow the texture to be toon shaded. Using this second way of adding materials allows you to take advantage of a new feature which is currently in beta, FUR. Yes, the folks at Hash Inc. are making fur affordable to the masses. The fur shader allows you adjust the length, thickness, density and stiffness of the hair. I’ve used it to add hair to a head/face model I’ve been working on. It looks damn good so far, and it’s being tweaked and honed by Hash as you read this. The documentation for AM V6 is well done. The manual is spiral bound allowing you to lay it flat on a table or desk while you work through the tutorials that are provided. Enough documentation is provided to get a new user up and running with little effort. Concepts are clearly explained, and there are plenty of illustrations to elaborate on certain points. After working through the manual and getting the general feel for the program, users will want to turn to several invaluable resources for more information. The first is the Hash Inc. web site at www.hash.com where many user written tutorials can be found as well as tutorials written directly by Hash employees. The second is the Animation Master Mailing List owned and operated by Hash Inc. This is a moderated list where users of the program trade tips, techniques, workarounds and other help related to Animation Master, 3D modeling, and other topics. The list is friendly and helpful. There have been complaints that the list is "too" moderated, but it really does help keep discussions on topic and prevents the nonsense that plagues so many other mailing lists, such as flame wars and petty bickering. People have been booted from the list for various reasons, but not unjustly. Regardless of what you have heard, the list is run fairly. Hash employees Jeff Paries and Steve Sappington are constantly on the list answering questions and providing support. Send either one an email requesting help, and receive an answer usually within minutes, not days. The third source of information is the "Splindicate at www.3dark.com/hashfaqs, where Hash related material is stored and organized. Download the tutorials and read through them. By using each of these sources of information, you should be up to speed in no time. The best part of Animation Master is the price. There are two flavors of Animation Master, a $199 and a $699 version. The $199 version comes with the modeling and animation portion of the program which is being described in this review. The $699 version consists of the modeler/animator, a network renderer, a compositor and a lipsynch program. Most hobbyists and professionals who do not need network rendering are better off springing for the $199 version. I myself, who is a hobbyist, sprung for the $699 version in order to get the compositor and the network rendering. If you spring for the $199 version and later decide to upgrade to the $699, Hash will allow you to do so. At the time, I upgraded to the Network package for $500 (about 6 months ago). Each version is copied protected. The $199 version requires the user to keep the CD-ROM in the drive when he first starts the program. The $699 version requires a dongle which plugs into the parallel port. Myself, being a software developer for years unfortunately understands why this necessary. Regardless of what version you spring for, it’s worth it. Hash Inc. takes great pride in keeping the software affordable, and that's probably why they have such a big following. I'm happy with my purchase, and I think if anyone is looking for a good spline based modeler, with heavy emphasis on character animation, you won't go wrong with Hash 3D. The next two parts of this review will go into more detail about lighting, rendering and some of the other "goodies" Hash Inc. provides for such a low price. Part Two: Lights, Camera, Render! (Creating a still image.) For this part of the overview / review, I’ll start with the basics and then talk about some of the more advanced features separately. When setting up a final render or an action sequence, Animation Master keeps track of all settings under the "choreography" folder in the project workspace. In order to create a new choreography, a user right clicks on the choreographies icon, and then clicks new choreography. Animation Master will then setup a default camera and light and present the user with a top view. (The views can be adjusted in the same manner and mode as when modeling). The next step is to add your model to the choreography. Once again, this is easily done. Just click on your model in the project hierarchy window and drag it down to the choreography you have just created. Instantly, your model will appear. Positioning all of the "objects" in your choreography is a snap. You can click on the objects in the choreography views and drag them to their new positions. Animation Master features three different kinds of lights: Klieg, sun and "bulb". The Klieg and bulb feature a volumetric toggle switch to make the light visible with the click of a mouse. Each type of light can be set to cast shadows, and the raytrace quality of the shadows can be adjusted via the properties panel. Other light attributes may be adjusted via the property panel, such as width, length, falloff or by dragging and scaling each of the desired settings visually in the choreography window. Animation Master allows the lights to be animated with ease. You can have them follow a path, adjust their intensity over time, etc. In fact, every object in Animation Master can be animated. Animation Master allows a user complete control over the camera as well. Again, all these features can be animated or change over a time period. User adjustable parameters include focal length and distance, aperture, fog distance, global ambiance, background color, camera movement, camera scale and the rotation of the camera. Positioning the camera is easily done thanks to the visible cone. For those more experienced at camera work, this visible cone can be toggled on and off. When the user has finished positioning his lights, camera and model and has tweaked the parameters just so, the next step is to render the scene. With the push of an button, the final render to disk window appears. The user is presented with a window consisting of several tabs allowing him (or her) to change parameters dealing with resolution, frame range, depth buffers as well as name the file under the "output" tab, if the render should be final quality, wireframe, flatshaded or wireframe/flatshaded under the "quality" tab, or setting shadows, filters or "toon" rendering under the "final quality options" tab. After all decisions are made, and the start button is clicked, a status window appears showing the current frame being rendered, the time it took for past frames, the estimated time remaining and the average time. This is excellent for deciding if we need to turn the monitor off and get some sleep for the night while your project is rendering, or at least have time to go make a cup of coffee (or guzzle some Mountain Dew and stay up). Animation Master’s rendering engine has gone through some radical changes since version 4. One of the past complaints about the package was that the rendering engine was too slow. This complaint has vanished with the release of versions 5 and 6. Even when using the new fur shading feature, the rendering engine is still "peppy". On a Pentium 133 with 48MB of RAM and 2MB video card, I was able to render a 388 patch face at 320X480 in 16bit color and a full head of dense hair in under three minutes. Not bad for a system which is bottom of the barrel by today’s standards, where everyone but me is using a Pentium II 200Mhz+ system. Part three of this review will focus on some of the animation tools available such as Bones, IK, Poses, Actions and Channels. Part Three: Animation Features (or "Enough small talk, let’s have some action!") One thing that has always annoyed me to no end is the lack of animation tools in other products, or if the tool was there, the functionality was horrible. I’ve always stayed away from animating any of my models because the past programs I worked with made animating complex and tedious. I’ve found setting up bones in Imagine complicated at best. TrueSpace2 didn’t have bones, and to the best of knowledge TrueSpace3 doesn’t either. This tends to limit aspiring 3D artists to simple flyby’s and logos. Trust me when I say that this gets old and boring very quickly. Hash Inc. to the rescue! Animation Master has, hands down, the best implementation of bones ever seen regardless of what 3D program you are using. It’s straight forward use and multiple constraining options rival the more expensive packages. In order to create bone, a user needs to click on the "bones mode" icon. Once accomplished, the user clicks on the add bone tool, and clicks and drags his bone to the desired size. To add an adjoining bone, one clicks the bone he just created, clicks the add bone icon, clicks the end of the previous bone and drags another bone onto the screen. You then have two connected bones. Yes, it’s that easy. To assign points to a bone, one just picks the bone, selects the group tool, and picks the points you want affected by the bone. Setting up a joint takes less than 30 seconds. No make big group, make small group nonsense here. Once you have the bones set up, you create a new pose. In "pose mode" you can manipulate the bones to adjust your characters position anyway you like and save it. I’ve used this to simulate a "waving" action by have a start pose, middle pose and end pose and letting Animation Master create the in-between frames. Like any decent animation program these days, Animation Master features Inverse Kinematics. Pleasantly, Animation Master allows a user to constrain the bones using certain limitations. Animation Master provides 10 different types of constraints (in 6.1 Beta 8) and each allows for the user to adjust certain parameters. Examples of the constraints include orient like, aim at, translate to and spherical limits. Animation Master allows fine tuning of certain properties through the use of it’s channel system. Channels allow a user to make fine adjustments to certain parameters over time. The best way for me to explain this is to provide an example of another of Animation Master’s features, particles. The Particle system in Animation Master currently sports two types, streaks and blobbies. Blobbies are circular particles, whereas streaks are (anyone want to guess?) streaks. In order to use the particle system, you first must make a particle emitter. Usually, this is a series of small patches hidden within a model in which the particles spray out of. The user creates the emitter using the modeling tools mentioned above. Then, you select the points which make up this emitter. Add a material to it, change the material type to particles, and choose either blobbies or streaks. Once again, it is as easy as it sounds. The reason I decided to use blobbies to describe the workings of channels is because that was how I was first exposed to the tool. I wanted to make a soda can shake side to side, pop it’s top and spray it’s foam all over the place. The trick here was that I wanted to particles to stop emitting and then begin falling at frame 60. Channels allowed me to do that. Channels are accessed by creating an action within your project. Once again, simple is the magic word here. Right click on the action folder and select new. Once this is completed, you drag the "blobby emitter" to the action you just set up. Under "Action1" you will see Material1-Blobby Emitter with a mini-channel icon next to it. Click on it, the property window will display the available channel attributes. By clicking on each or any of these and toggling a checkmark, you can tell the program which parameters you wish to display in the channel window and work with. Now, double click on the mini-channel icon to open up the channel window. When the window opens, you’ll see the name of the object you are using channels on with the attributes you just selected under it. Click on one of these and you can now graphically adjust individual parameters by adding points or keying in values. Using this feature, I’ve done effects such as particles rising, falling and dissipating and hair growing. Any thing that can be animated in AM can have channels associated with it. It’s a feature that once you use, you’ll wonder how you got along without it. Other features that Animation Master sports include volumetric effects such as smoke and dust, the ability to apply forces to affect certain objects and support for motion capture devices. There are many other tools as well which are useful for animation, such as stride length to prevent the dreaded "feet slipping" evident in many character walking animations. If I had to find a complaint about Animation Master, I’d have to sit and think for quite a while. In fact, even though I’ve been around the software for some time now, I know I haven’t tapped into half of the power or functionality of the software. There are some things I’d like to see added into the software within a release or two, and I’m sure Hash Inc. will get to these features on their own when they are ready. Development never stops of this fine product, and in fact, there has been a new release of 6.1 beta almost weekly. The Hash programming team must not sleep much as bugs are stomped out quickly via patches available for download via Hash Inc.’s web site. I do want to take time out to address a commonly asked question, "Is there a demo"? The answer is maybe. The only demo currently available comes with Jeff Paries’ book entitled "The Animation Master Handbook" published by Charles River Media. The book is basically a bible of tips, tricks, techniques and tutorials with respect to Animation Master and is geared towards both the novice and advanced user. The book comes with a CD which contains Animation Master V5.25 and is fully functional but lacks final rendering and the ability to save renders to disk. (The book alone is worth the price, especially Jeff’s 20 minute man tutorial and I consider the demo a bonus.) To sum, Animation Master is an excellent program for character modeling and animation. It’s $199 price tag should not fool people into thinking it lacks the power, grace and sophistication of other more expensive packages. The only thing lacking here is the thousands of dollars 3D artists have to shell out to get the same powerful features in other products. -Spomo- Reprinted with permission from Hash Enterprises. Reviewed on June 9, 1998 by spomo@....

Value:  Features:  Quality:  Overall:  Character animation for everyone!!!!! Forget everything you ever learned or thought you knew about character animation, MH3d is finally ready for prime time. MH3d is made for the story teller. Whereas most 3d programs are more focused on amazing effects or realism, MH3d is streamlined for characters and in this respect, its real competitor is SoftImage. One "feature" of this software is that it is just as easy to learn this software if you are a seasoned polygonal animator or an absolute beginner. The reason for this is Hash's unique use of splines for model building and manipulation (most other packages convert to polygons for rendering.) While they are extremely powerful, they take some time to get used to. If the next space epic or architectural rendering is your wish, there are many other packages that would suit you better. If the CG version of Wallace & Gromit is more your style, MH3d is just for you. Reviewed on December 22, 1997 by barton@... from Los Angeles.