Star Wars Attack of The Clones Documenteries and Extras

[diorio]

Has anyone seen the extras on the Star Wars Attack of the Clones DVD? I thought they were excellent. I was particularly interested in the showing of how they made yoda digitally animated, and would be interested in learning more on careers in that field. Any digital animators or graphic designers out there? I'd be interested in seeing what you have to say about Star Wars and your career in general.

[Mr. Anderson]

I play at 3D animation, not an animator yet, my job has many things other than animation that I need to do, unfortunately. Teabgs and jelloshotsrule are in training (school) but I think agreenster actually is doing it for a living.

But I have been active in 3D animation since 1990 and I've seen a lot of development in the training available to students who want to get into the game. You should PM those other 3 to find out more if they don't find this thread and add a comment or two.

And I haven't seen the Clones DVD yet, but I look forward to it.

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet
I play at 3D animation, not an animator yet, my job has many things other than animation that I need to do, unfortunately. Teabgs and jelloshotsrule are in training (school) but I think agreenster actually is doing it for a living.

But I have been active in 3D animation since 1990 and I've seen a lot of development in the training available to students who want to get into the game. You should PM those other 3 to find out more if they don't find this thread and add a comment or two.

And I haven't seen the Clones DVD yet, but I look forward to it.

D

Okay, maybe I'll PM those 3 to find out more, thanks Duke.

[Mr. Anderson]

Oh, there is another very cool site to check out that has info and forums if you're interested in that sort of thing.

www.cgtalk.com

very cool site....

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet
Oh, there is another very cool site to check out that has info and forums if you're interested in that sort of thing.

www.cgtalk.com

very cool site....

D

Cool, thanks a lot! I'll probably register and see whats going on, looks like a very happening place.

[jelloshotsrule]

what exactly do you want to know?

i might rent that dvd to see that stuff... couldn't buy it.... too bad of a movie.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio


Cool, thanks a lot! I'll probably register and see whats going on, looks like a very happening place.

This link might be a good place to start....

http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=31351

good luck.

D

[gbojim]

you might want to check out this link. www.sheridanc.on.ca/programs03_04/index2.html#saad (http://)

If you're interested in working for ILM or Disney it's a great place to go.

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
what exactly do you want to know?

i might rent that dvd to see that stuff... couldn't buy it.... too bad of a movie.

What kind of classes in high school would help? What specifically are you studying? Is there any specific programming language that would help in this field? What do you generally do in a career involving 3D/Digital Animation?

The first documentary is very interesting, and the extras in general were worth the money. I thought the movie was good, but I'm one of those who would like almost anything George Lucas comes out with involving Star Wars.

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by diorio
What kind of classes in high school would help? What specifically are you studying? Is there any specific programming language that would help in this field? What do you generally do in a career involving 3D/Digital Animation?


take whatever art classes you can. drawing. graphic design. film. whatever you can... other than that, high school can only do so much. i didn't have any art classes in high school. went to a catholic school with very very few of those types of electives.

my major (and teabgs') is in film/tv. however, we are concentrating our studies in animation. i am doing mostly all computer animation. i've taken classes in which i've drawn animations. frame by frame. several of those classes. heck, i'll just run down briefly all my animation related classes.

intro to animation- learn the basics, and various forms. stop motion (mostly cut out stuff, not puppets/clay as much), hand drawn on film and on video, some photoshop/fcp stuff...

action analysis 1 and 2- study movement. learn how to animate characters actions and poses. learn the basics of good animation. squash/stretch, anticipation, etc. this is all hand drawn, unless you already have a 3D character ready to animate... though you could do it in flash or after effects if you so desired i guess.

intro to 3D- learn the basics of modeling and simple camera motion and dynamics... model 2 real objects, then a location, then make a short animation (10 seconds) with pretty much just camera movement.

intermediate 3D- model and rig a character... tough as crap. i did a humanoid, though not everyone does. mine came out terribly. ahh. sucky deformation.

digital animation- learn after effects and how to composite scanned animation drawings or use a puppet (digital puppet that is) to animate. finished product was like a minute and a half digital puppet animation made in after effects. learned animo some too.

i'm currently in animation production and advanced 3D. both of these are working towards a common goal/project in my case. anim. production is just animation in general, and most people do 2D. 3D is obviously all 3D and thus that's where i get technical help and such. 2D help is all about story basically. and shots. and such.

also taking storyboarding. basically self explanatory.

next semester i finish my film, and am taking a rendering/special effects class (in 3D) and a titles/special effects class (in 2D, using after effects).

we use maya at school. it's pretty much the standard, though other software is certainly still widely used and respected. it's all about the result, not the software.

what grade are you in?

i'd recommend doing a few things outside of taking art classes.

1. buy 2 or 3 animation books. i'd recommend richard williams guide to animation or whatever it's called. only cause i've heard it's pretty much the best.... never was one for reading myself... ha. but serioiusly, get exposed to the stuff as soon as you can. can only help.

2. if you can, get some software. maya PLE is free and is a heck of a tool for learning 3D. sure, your output is crapped up by the watermark, but who cares? spend a few months learning it and when you take your first 3D class in college, your work will be good enough to impress some folks. and you'll be ahead from the start.

a couple other things that could help... not sure how much of a drawer you are, but the better you are, the better off you are. i can't draw, and it limits me. sure, you can get a job without it, especially with big studios where everyone does very specialized stuff. but it'll help when you are making your films on your own... at least designs and poses would be a good thing to work on. also, study animations. keep doing what you do with the dvds. watch the extras. look at the storyboards and stuff. can't hurt. usually it's boring and cheesy, but worth a look.


are you looking to do 3D character stuff? or special effects? or what?

i'm torn at this point. started out with special effects in mind, but since i learned character mostly so far, that's caught my interest....

also, as far as colleges... there's 2 approaches. go to a very speciailized trade school... like rhode island school of design, or school of visual arts... where you'll draw a ton, and will learn all that stuff.... or go to a good film school (nyu, usc, etc) and learn it from that perspective...

the better name school you can get into/afford, the better off. cause it's all about connections. and certain schools have certain connections.

alright, hope that helps. feel free to ask more questions.

word
out

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio

What kind of classes in high school would help? What specifically are you studying? Is there any specific programming language that would help in this field? What do you generally do in a career involving 3D/Digital Animation?

Just like Jello said, you need to take some art courses, general drawing. This helps you to visualize what you want to do - even if you're not the best artist, don't worry about it. The idea is that you train yourself to 'see' as an artist, and if you keep at it you'll find that you actually get better.

But its all practice, the more you do the better you get, sort of like anything you do.

Now, if you want to go the programming route, well, any object oriented programming language would work, C++ is good for a start, but you won't get into doing graphics immediately. Once you get going with that you can start doing the 3D graphics using OpenGL - this is generic enough for now, you'll get more than enough exposure to other options in college.

As for a career, well, any type of job using your skills is possible, provided you have a decent portfolio, demo reel or code examples. It will be more difficult to get a job right out of college unless you do the intern thing while in school or in the summers to make some contacts/get exposed to the industry.

The best thing is that you have the time now to start planning.

Personally, I love 3D animation, there is nothing better for me, especially when I create something new and can see it move on the screen.

Good luck,

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule


take whatever art classes you can. drawing. graphic design. film. whatever you can... other than that, high school can only do so much. i didn't have any art classes in high school. went to a catholic school with very very few of those types of electives.


what grade are you in?

i'd recommend doing a few things outside of taking art classes.

1. buy 2 or 3 animation books. i'd recommend richard williams guide to animation or whatever it's called. only cause i've heard it's pretty much the best.... never was one for reading myself... ha. but serioiusly, get exposed to the stuff as soon as you can. can only help.

2. if you can, get some software. maya PLE is free and is a heck of a tool for learning 3D. sure, your output is crapped up by the watermark, but who cares? spend a few months learning it and when you take your first 3D class in college, your work will be good enough to impress some folks. and you'll be ahead from the start.

a couple other things that could help... not sure how much of a drawer you are, but the better you are, the better off you are. i can't draw, and it limits me. sure, you can get a job without it, especially with big studios where everyone does very specialized stuff. but it'll help when you are making your films on your own... at least designs and poses would be a good thing to work on. also, study animations. keep doing what you do with the dvds. watch the extras. look at the storyboards and stuff. can't hurt. usually it's boring and cheesy, but worth a look.


are you looking to do 3D character stuff? or special effects? or what?

i'm torn at this point. started out with special effects in mind, but since i learned character mostly so far, that's caught my interest....


the better name school you can get into/afford, the better off. cause it's all about connections. and certain schools have certain connections.

alright, hope that helps. feel free to ask more questions.

word
out

First of all, thanks for all the information. I'm a junior in high school. Where do you get maya PLE? I'm not sure what exactly I want do, but I'm leaning towards 3D character stuff. What is a demo reel?

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet


Just like Jello said, you need to take some art courses, general drawing. This helps you to visualize what you want to do - even if you're not the best artist, don't worry about it. The idea is that you train yourself to 'see' as an artist, and if you keep at it you'll find that you actually get better.

But its all practice, the more you do the better you get, sort of like anything you do.

Now, if you want to go the programming route, well, any object oriented programming language would work, C++ is good for a start, but you won't get into doing graphics immediately. Once you get going with that you can start doing the 3D graphics using OpenGL - this is generic enough for now, you'll get more than enough exposure to other options in college.

As for a career, well, any type of job using your skills is possible, provided you have a decent portfolio, demo reel or code examples. It will be more difficult to get a job right out of college unless you do the intern thing while in school or in the summers to make some contacts/get exposed to the industry.

The best thing is that you have the time now to start planning.

Personally, I love 3D animation, there is nothing better for me, especially when I create something new and can see it move on the screen.

Good luck,

D

Will colleges offer intership programs? I appreciate all the info, hopefully I can figure out what I want to do.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio


Will colleges offer intership programs? I appreciate all the info, hopefully I can figure out what I want to do.

It all depends, different schools might be affiliated with certain companies, but talk to jello and teabgs about this one. I think teabgs got an internship in NYC this summer.

D

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio


First of all, thanks for all the information. I'm a junior in high school. Where do you get maya PLE? I'm not sure what exactly I want do, but I'm leaning towards 3D character stuff. What is a demo reel?

http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/products/maya/ple/index.shtml - it might be a little intimidating, but if you look at some of the online tutorials and start to get into it, you might want to purchase a book on learning Maya. Also go check out the forums at cgtalk.com for tutorials and other info about Maya, they have a whole section devoted just to that.

A demo reel is basically a pared down version of your work, you edit it and use it to get people realize they need you. There are all sorts of expamples out there on line, go do a search at google and view some if you can, but don't be discouraged when you see some of the better ones, remember that professionals also have demo reels. :D

D

[jelloshotsrule]

forgot about the programming questions...

yeah, take c++ or whatever you can in high school. and then in college, you can take a few other things. or go balls to the wall and double major in comp sci and animation/film... though, i'd never be able to do that myself.

internships- yes, you can definitely get internships. possibly not in the 3D field right away, but possibly. all depends what school you're at. right in nyc, it's a bit easier. i got one at a general film company that makes commercials. whereas teabgs' have been more animation oriented.

maya ple... you can either download the big ass file online (aliaswavefront.com) or you can give em like 5 bucks and they'll send you the cd....

to me, the cd would be best, unless you have a good high speed connection.

i'd say definitely take some drawing class or something. and get familiar with 3D, as well as the principles of animation. if you're doing special effects stuff, those principles don't apply as much... though still good to know. but character stuff, it's vital.

and yeah, demo reel=examples of your work. edited to about 1-2 mins. that and connections are how you'll get jobs...

good luck

ps. we expect at least one character, rigged and modeled, before christmas.... ;) ;)

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule

ps. we expect at least one character, rigged and modeled, before christmas.... ;) ;)

Hahaha! Where's yours?

How is the fishy animation going, anyway?

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule



ps. we expect at least one character, rigged and modeled, before christmas.... ;) ;)

Well, we'll see what happens.

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet


http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/products/maya/ple/index.shtml - it might be a little intimidating, but if you look at some of the online tutorials and start to get into it, you might want to purchase a book on learning Maya. Also go check out the forums at cgtalk.com for tutorials and other info about Maya, they have a whole section devoted just to that.

A demo reel is basically a pared down version of your work, you edit it and use it to get people realize they need you. There are all sorts of expamples out there on line, go do a search at google and view some if you can, but don't be discouraged when you see some of the better ones, remember that professionals also have demo reels. :D

D

So, a demo reel is basically a 1-2 minute video of your animated work? Thanks for the aliaswavefront link.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio


Well, we'll see what happens.

he was joking diorio! If you manage to create your own character, rig it and animate a simple walk cycle I will be very impressed. Play with the software and see how it goes, don't be intimidated since its quite overwhelming. Start out small and work your way up - you could jump right into it, but you'd most likely get frustrated. Like I said, find some beginning tutorials online and see where it takes you.

There is so much to learn, you can't learn it all in a few months, its just not possible. I've been doing it for years and I still have tons to learn, but I'm loving every minute of it. :D

D

[jelloshotsrule]

a walk cycle...

i'd be impressed if he did that by next christmas.


animation's going well. will have a pose animatic type version of it for my final classes next week. might post it then. mostly finished modeling (have some set stuff, and another tweak of a character). need to texture lots of the set, and i might retexture the clam. the moer i work with it, the more i hate the texture.

and such

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet


he was joking diorio! If you manage to create your own character, rig it and animate a simple walk cycle I will be very impressed. Play with the software and see how it goes, don't be intimidated since its quite overwhelming. Start out small and work your way up - you could jump right into it, but you'd most likely get frustrated. Like I said, find some beginning tutorials online and see where it takes you.

There is so much to learn, you can't learn it all in a few months, its just not possible. I've been doing it for years and I still have tons to learn, but I'm loving every minute of it. :D

D

I kind of hoped. I don't even own a mac yet, when I get one Durandle7 is going to lend me some basic software. Until then I will try to get the maya demo cd rom, and maybe buy a few books, try out some online tutorials and such. Again, thanks for the links and advice.

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
a walk cycle...

i'd be impressed if he did that by next christmas.


animation's going well. will have a pose animatic type version of it for my final classes next week. might post it then. mostly finished modeling (have some set stuff, and another tweak of a character). need to texture lots of the set, and i might retexture the clam. the moer i work with it, the more i hate the texture.

and such

Don't count on it, maybe by the end of the school year.;) Good luck on all of your finals.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio

I kind of hoped. I don't even own a mac yet, when I get one Durandle7 is going to lend me some basic software.

What type of machine are you planning on getting. 3D animation is very CPU intensive, so the faster the better, and definitely get lots of RAM.

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet


What type of machine are you planning on getting. 3D animation is very CPU intensive, so the faster the better, and definitely get lots of RAM.

D

Well, I'm debating between upper end ibook, or imac. The imac would be more powerful, and I'm leaning towards that one. The ibook would be handy though. What do you recommend?

[Mr. Anderson]

It all depends on what you plan on using it for. I you have need of a laptop, well, you'll need to get the iBook, but the G4 in the iMac will make a big difference when rendering. The first time you make an animation and it takes several days to finish you'll realize why I'm waiting for the new processor. Even the current dual 1.25s aren't fast enough for me.

And you'll need the speed when you make movies as well....

D

[jelloshotsrule]

while what duke says is true, don't think that you won't be able to get anything done.

your animations will take a good deal longer to render, but set that ****e up overnight and work it a bit at a time, it's not so bad.

ahh, i wish my animation were just a "final"... nay, it's my senior "thesis" film really. which means it's just that much more important. ie, needs to get my ass a job.

hopefully the guy from blue sky in my class tonight will remember my name when my reel is on his desk. ha!

[diorio]

I don't really need a laptop, it would just come in handy. My school has pretty good access to computers, so I'm set there. I'm leaning towards the imac, because at relatively the same price, it offers more than the ibook (except versatility).

ahh, i wish my animation were just a "final"... nay, it's my senior "thesis" film really. which means it's just that much more important. ie, needs to get my ass a job.

The true test of whether your education was worth it, when you're looking for a job. Good luck on your search.

[jelloshotsrule]

ehh, worst case scenario, i sleep my way to the top

or. threaten to sleep with em. and get to the top that way.

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
ehh, worst case scenario, i sleep my way to the top

or. threaten to sleep with em. and get to the top that way.

Hey, whatever gets you there. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.:D

[Durandal7]

Get the G4 iMac diorio. If you want to run Maya PLE you're going to want a G4.

[diorio]

Originally posted by Durandal7
Get the G4 iMac diorio. If you want to run Maya PLE you're going to want a G4.

I'm leaning that way.

[Mr. Anderson]

Do you have access to a Apple store or someplace that would have both machines up and running? You should go test drive them and see what the difference is - download xbench and run it on the machines you're interested in.

When do you think you're going to buy one?

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet
Do you have access to a Apple store or someplace that would have both machines up and running? You should go test drive them and see what the difference is - download xbench and run it on the machines you're interested in.

When do you think you're going to buy one?

D

There is a comp USA by my house that has the ibook and imac for demos. I have test driven the ibook once, but not the imac. I will probably be getting one in mid January or sooner.

[agreenster]

Hey everyone--good advice thus far, I couldnt have said it better myself, except I would recommend getting a PC..........but I know how you guys hate that....

We use dual Xeons w/ Quadro4 Nvidia Graphics Card at work for workstations, and they are just great. Fast, efficient, and (believe it or not) stable. (And also great for gaming over lunch, yes, I love my job)

Most 3D Studios use PC's or SGI. Hardly anyone uses Apple for 3D production. They just arent fast enough. Editing is another story however, but thats usually coupled with a preprietary video card. Anyway, I use my powerbook (Maya Complete) for some stuff when my PC is rendering or playblasting or something, but mostly I use my laptop for personal stuff like iPhoto and the like. I also use Cinema4D and like it somewhat. Nothing compares to Maya though.

Anyway, Im not going to tout myself as some bigshot animator either. I work for a company in the city I went to college in, who is a start-up 3D animation company who are producing a pilot for an animated series. Its shaky, but very challenging and fun. We also do local stuff for ad agencies and TV commercials just to keep the revenue pouring in. At some point, I hope to make my way to California and give Pixar or Dreamworks or ILM or Disney a call, but that will only happen when my demo reel is strong enough.

[diorio]

Hmm, PC? I've also been thinking about that. However, I've never owned a mac, and I figure now is as good a time as any to try one out. I figure if I don't like it or it's not fast enough or whatever, I can always get a new PC for college. Maya complete is a fair amount of money isn't it? I heard it was something like $9000. I think I'll go for maya PLE.

At some point, I hope to make my way to California and give Pixar or Dreamworks or ILM or Disney a call, but that will only happen when my demo reel is strong enough

Good luck on that.

[agreenster]

Maya Unlimited used to be up in the 9000.00 range, but Alias has recently dropped prices. Maya Unlimited (complete with Fur and cloth and Liquid effects) is 7000.00.

Maya Complete is a mere 1999.99. Most 3D packages (lightwave, 3DSM, Cinema4D, SoftImage) are around there. It has everything you need for 3D animation and rendering plus dynamics and painting, just without liquid, cloth, and fur. Its great for students.

I'd still go with a PC :rolleyes: Youll be more productive and happy.

I DO like the Apple portables though.....You know, if you are bent on getting a mac, get a PowerBook instead of the iMac and take it everywhere!

[jelloshotsrule]

only "problem" i have with recommending a pc (we use dual xeons at school, as well), is that i don't think it's going to just be some sort of 3D production machine. hopefully the machine will get a good 3D workout, but it will mostly be used for other stuff, most likely

therefore, the sweetness of osx would really help. i guess it's ideal to have both. but anyhoo. though i think the tibook is a reasonable recommendation....

so diorio, is it going to just be 3D? or will it be everything with 3D as well?

i know my parents wouldn't buy me a computer (when i was in high school at least) just to learn how to do stuff... they would at least expect it to be the entire house's computer...

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule

so diorio, is it going to just be 3D? or will it be everything with 3D as well?

i know my parents wouldn't buy me a computer (when i was in high school at least) just to learn how to do stuff... they would at least expect it to be the entire house's computer...

I will be purchasing the computer out of my own money. At this point the computer won't be just for 3D, I'm just going to be starting out. Maybe if I pursue the field far enough that I'm doing 3D a lot, then I'll need a more powerful machine. Until then, it will be a 3D/school work/gaming computer.

[BenderBot1138]

Who needs to put an add in the paper... all the tallent needed to make motion pictures is right here.

:cool:

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
Who needs to put an add in the paper... all the tallent needed to make motion pictures is right here.

:cool:

i didn't want to announce it til later, but by christmas macrumors will have gone public with its major motion pictures wing. headed up by me and a few others. our first film will be a film/3D combo involving the following things: cow pies, g5's, bill gates, susan lucci, tater tots, and greg louganis


should be good... keep any eye out



diorio. sounds to me like the mac is best for you. i mean, the overall experience will be better. then, if you go hardcore on 3D in the future, get your quad xeon. unless apple has a better chip by then....

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule





diorio. sounds to me like the mac is best for you. i mean, the overall experience will be better. then, if you go hardcore on 3D in the future, get your quad xeon. unless apple has a better chip by then....

sounds good to me.

[jelloshotsrule]

2 minutes later. dang. you are quick with that pc. ha

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
2 minutes later. dang. you are quick with that pc. ha

Well, you know, school server, tends to be fast in the afternoon when all the students are tired and are in class (or study hall like me) but don't have the energy to do anything but sleep. It is a pretty crappy computer though, intergraph.

[Durandal7]

diorio, for what you're doing the mac will suit you better. It will be years before you'll being doing anything the iMac can't handle. If you really need to then you can get a good Linux or IRIX setup to run Maya further down the road. But since you'll be using the iMac for personal uses as well as playing around with graphics you should be fine.

[Mr. Anderson]

Ask agreenster how much the whole system cost.....not that it probably kicks the mac's ass. But for you, now, especially since your just in school, you can get by with an iMac for you 3D. No one is going to be asking you to develop a pilot for a 3D animation series. Take the time to learn as much as you can and see where it takes you.

D

[jelloshotsrule]

diorio, can you produce a 3D tv show pilot for me?

here's the story

a family of koalas wants to leave australia, and they move to novosobirsk, russia....

the show is all about hwo they adapt to russian culture and such

we hope to air the pilot in may.
thanks

EDIT: duke spoke too soon i guess....

[Durandal7]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule

here's the story

a family of koalas wants to leave australia, and they move to novosobirsk, russia....

the show is all about hwo they adapt to russian culture and such

I would watch that show. :D

Anyway, it sounds like what you'll be primarily doing is light gaming, surfing, word processing and dabbling in graphics. The mac would offer a much better experience for that.

[agreenster]

Originally posted by dukestreet
Ask agreenster how much the whole system cost.....not that it probably kicks the mac's ass. But for you, now, especially since your just in school, you can get by with an iMac for you 3D. No one is going to be asking you to develop a pilot for a 3D animation series. Take the time to learn as much as you can and see where it takes you.

D

Well, when I did my senior project, I used both my powerbook, my G4 desktop, and a handul of other Macs at the school for rendering. For just a SIMPLE 3D project, I needed lots of horsepower.

I use Maya on both platforms now, and even just simple character creation takes a lot of processing, and a good video card. I wouldnt go with ANYTHING less than 64mb of texture memory. I use 128 and its still kinda slow at times. And this is just for one character, with a typical rig setup.

Im still not sure that even a top of the line iMac is going to seem very responsive compared to a similarly priced PC. But, I know Macs are more fun to use. So, choose according to which you prefer. I also use Photoshop and typical graphic programs on the PC, and they are really fast and nice.

Our systems at work are Compaq Evo W6000's, and if memory serves me correctly, they were about 1800 bucks with one processor. We only paid another 200 for the second processor. So, they are Dual Xeons with 20gig drives (most data is stored on the server) and Quardo4 128MB Video cards. 768MB of RDRAM. We also have Linux servers and a DDR editing system (Video Toaster), but they were pricier.

So, to get an equivalent dual G4 w/ a 128MB card and DDR ram (in my opinion, the baseline hardware to really do some 3D, even at a beginner level), you'll be spending over 3999.99

[jelloshotsrule]

well again, he's not doing much of a project per se. i mean, its' going to be his main computer, with some 3D dabbling.

as opposed to a 3D workstation which he uses to check email at lunch breaks.

i've heard that 4.5 on dual 1.25 is very snappy. even compared to dual xeons.

but yeah. i'm sure the pcs in general can handle it better. which is why apple needs to toss some better hardware together.

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
diorio, can you produce a 3D tv show pilot for me?

here's the story

a family of koalas wants to leave australia, and they move to novosobirsk, russia....

the show is all about hwo they adapt to russian culture and such

we hope to air the pilot in may.
thanks

EDIT: duke spoke too soon i guess....

Okay, no problem. Ha ha, I don't even have any software or experience yet, but it sounds like a funny story. :)

well again, he's not doing much of a project per se. i mean, its' going to be his main computer, with some 3D dabbling.

That is true, I'll be lucky if I can do anything notable before I go to college. Until then, it'll just be playing around and learning the software. If I had a little more money, I would consider the powerbook, but right now its out of my price range.

[wdlove]

President Bush staring in Star Wars II, the remake!

[Durandal7]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
our first film will be a film/3D combo involving the following things: cow pies, g5's, bill gates, susan lucci, tater tots, and greg louganis

Make sure to put Winky in it ;)

I was looking over the requiements for Maya Complete and I saw that it required a G4 processor. I think that this kind of locks you into an eMac G4 or an iMac G4.

[jelloshotsrule]

i'd definitely go with the imac.... or the emac

unless you MUST have portability.

[diorio]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
i'd definitely go with the imac.... or the emac

unless you MUST have portability.

I think I'm going to get the imac, probably after Macworld to see if they do anything with the price.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by diorio


I think I'm going to get the imac, probably after Macworld to see if they do anything with the price.

Ha, if you're lucky, there might be more than price after MWSF. Good luck and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

D

[jelloshotsrule]

2 things:

cgtalk.com is a great resource, as duke said. i'm just now realizing how amazing it is

also

i spent 8 hours in the same room, only leaving once, rigging today... blaaaah... but it's coming along at least.

3D's cool.

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
2 things:

cgtalk.com is a great resource, as duke said. i'm just now realizing how amazing it is

also

3D's cool.

cgtalk.com was very intimidating the first time I went there - the quality of some of the art is absolutely phenomenal - but they also are willing to help newbies and have many great links to tutorials. I go once in a while just to see what people are doing, get inspiration.

D

[diorio]

Originally posted by dukestreet


cgtalk.com was very intimidating the first time I went there - the quality of some of the art is absolutely phenomenal - but they also are willing to help newbies and have many great links to tutorials. I go once in a while just to see what people are doing, get inspiration.

D

cgtalk is awesome. I like looking at everyone art, it is phenomenal, most of it. They have forums for just about everything, from maya help to photoshop help. Awesome.

[wdlove]

The filming of the 3rd installment prequil trilogy is only months away!
http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/news/2003/01/news20030117.html

[diorio]

Originally posted by wdlove
The filming of the 3rd installment prequil trilogy is only months away!
http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/news/2003/01/news20030117.html

Thanks for the information wd!