EnigmA Amiga Run 1997 July/EnigmA AMIGA RUN 20 (1997)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1997-07 & 08][EAR-CD IV].iso/lightwave/lwmlist/96.lightwave-0215/[e-mail] _Sun Feb 18 22:09:57 1996.msg

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Date: Sun, 18 Feb 1996 19:10:49 -0800
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From: [e-mail] (Craig Simmons)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Lightwave 2D
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Hi,

On the subject of a good 2D paint / animation programs.  I find it totally
hard to beleive that no one has yet to make a decent 2D paint / animation
program for the PC.  And why has no one crossed the line between the
excellent animation and mapping features of a 3D program with the ease of
use and speed of a composition program?

Here's what I'd like to see:  Lightwave 2D  (how bout Lightwave Live?)

-       A good paint program (with pallette management features for all
those 256 colour files I still deal with!  aka.  Animator Pro, Deluxe paint,
etc...

-      All the features of a 3D program without the Z depth.  Each actor /
object would be stacked one over the other.

-       Object based!  Just like our 3D systems already are.  The ability to
draw /    paint on an object (with multiple frame) and then move that object
around         and give it a motion path.


-       How bout thoze nice bezier curves we see in all those draw programs?
(illustrator, Corel, freehand).  The ability to use bezier curves with those
nice handles to control animation paths.  Then the ability to slide the
keyframes (slow in and slow out) between two points?  I still wonder after
all these years why in the motion graph and modeller we couldn't have bezier
curves with nice handles instead on T,C,B!  (Although alan has mentioned
this issue once of twice?)

-       Soft shadows?  Transparency, etc... Specialized lighting effects.


I have tons more suggestions for a great 2D compositing / animation package,
but I'll leave it alone for now (I've been thinking getting a team to write
a program like this for a couple of years, but the sheer fun of animating
always distracts me!)

The magic solution?  A combination of a draw, paint and Non - linear system.
 Here it is:

The power of lightwave to map sequences onto objects and to control motion
paths.
The power of a draw program to define motion paths, layer objects and build
graphics.  (Anti-aliased of course!)
The power of a Non-linear compositor (such as Razor Pro) to combine track
after track and edit on a timeline.
The power of a great Paint program for finishing work (but over time) ala
Fractal Design Painter...

I guess, it's too much to ask?


For those who are interested or not, I've put together a rather bizarre way
of creating object based animation.  Its flexible, but not for the timid!

I own corel 5.  I use corel's features to build up the basic flat coloured
objects.  I then use Corel Move to import the corel 2D animations and give
them motion paths, create multiple objects and fine tune motion.  I then
re-render all the graphics from corel (through Zenographics superprint to
anti-alias) them and re-import them into move.  From there I export them as
sequential targas.  A real pain in the ass, but very powerfull, none the less.
______________________________________
Craig Simmons - Virtual Reality Technology
New Brunswick Community College - Miramichi
PO Box 1053  Chatham, NB  Canada  E1N 3W4

Tel: [phone]  Fax: [phone]
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