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- >If I can't criticize a package because not everything comes in then I
- >have this great empty box I'd like to sell to you. It can't do much
- >but there are a LOT of IPAS plug-ins available for it. The empty box
- >sells for only $2500 and plug-ins start at only $500.
-
- >As far as not using the IK but having to pay for it, Lightwave sells
- >for about $800 whereas 3DS is about $3000. For the price of one IPAS
- >you are getting an entire program that does what ALL of the IPAS' put
- >together do but better. Now I don't exactly call that paying for it.
-
- > -=Fred=-
-
- Campairing the basic 3DS package to an empty box is very stupid. As with
- Lightwave, 3DS comes with a ton of stuff built into the basic package. That's
- why the program comes with a ton of manuals. There is IK, limited particle
- animation, collision detection, programming interface, polygon and spline
- modeling tools, wavemaker, precise motion control, and a million other things.
- yeah an IPAS may cost $300, but it does more than one thing. The bones pro
- ipas freom digimation works with IK built into 3DS and lets you create
- characters that breath, with muscle bulging, and streatching skin. With a lot
- of the IPAS you get a few features packed into one disk. A lot of professional
- animators like this open archetechture anyway. Look at SGI programs where
- programs range from $6,000 to $15,000 depending on what tolls you buy with the
- program, and add in like Alias Compuhair cost $15,000 and it's just an add on
- to PowerAnimator. I am not saying Lightwave is a bad program, I have never
- used it cause I couldn't afford it. I was able to get my copy of 3D Studio R4
- from Autodesk for $395, I think I'll save that $400 I saved from not buying
- Lightwave, and use it to buy the 3D Studio IPAS tool kit for $59 and write all
- the IPAS routines I want. Gee, that still leaves me $340, maybe I'll buy
- Truespace too, since I can get that from Caligari Corp. for $300. I'll just
- pocket that extra $40 bucks.
-
- Jeff
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