Apple 3D software

Good point. But I always thought animators did that stuff on PCs? I know at my school the animators almost always have their classes in PC labs while graphic designers have the Mac labs.

 

There was talk a good while back of Apple buying Wavefront|Alias (all rumors). I don't think i3D or any pro 3D app will come from Apple any time soon. Its too small a niche right now - what you might see is plug ins for 3D effects in iDVD, iMovie, FCP etc.

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Depends. We have an a Mac lab, all 3D work is done in lightwave on G5s. There is also a class at the school that deals with gaming, students use lightwave on the Macs and then move to the PCs for creating the interaction.

I am currently taking advanced Maya classes, which the instructor is teaching on a G4 laptop. The required materials for the class included a Maya DVD of which the person conducting the lessons keeps going back and forth between a G4 tower and a G4 laptop.

I also know that Disney animation studios use Macs in their workstations, it is up to the department or individual to request the system that best suites their needs and or style.

I do think that PCs still dominate the 3D world but thanks to Alias, we are seeing higher end 3D options develop on the Mac.

 

there have been various versions of Maya available for the Mac for some years now

 

I think he/she meant if there would be an Apple-branded 3D rendering/animation app, not just a Mac version from another company. Sorta like Final Cut Pro Vs. Adobe Premerie (although I don't think Adobe makes Premerie for the Mac anymore, so maybe thats a bad example ) But you get the idea

Or maybe Adobe After Affects Vs. Motion? (I think those two are the same type of app, right?)

 

I'm sure with Pixar's proprietary software Apple could release something on both a Pro and iLife level. The sheer expense of decent 3D programs keeps most consumers from purchasing/using them. Apple will eventually come out with a "3D modeler for the masses,' it's only a matter of time and processor/graphics card power.

 

Actually, Pixar has already released RenderMan publicly, which Steve has touted. It's admitedly just the renderer, not the full animation package, but it's integrated with Maya, and from a couple of articles I've read that's one of the main modeling tools they use at Pixar.

None of this is an Apple 3D package, of course, but I'm just wondering if it's a space that's got enough solid Mac tools in it that it's not worth Apple going there itself. If Maya is good enough even for Pixar, why would Apple go to the huge expense trying to develop something to compete?