What this post is about

As a new project I want to design the most efficient way possible to create animated movies of comic/anime style. Therefore I ask what YOU wish animation programs were like?

Further details

Eventually I'd like to start working on this program. >> The largest feature I'm looking for is EASE OF USE. The step from scetch on a piece of paper, to breathing animation in computer will have to be very short. >> The second largest feature I'm looking for is 3D CAMERA ROTATION. You draw a scetch on paper, and not much longer after that - you're looking at it from a camera spinning around it. Initial abilities: making a 5 sec moving animation, not looking much better than a drawn graphite scetch. Improved abilities: making game intro-movies, and other shorter movies Final abilities: ability to create colored anime Depending on your suggestions (I will also consult others) this could be a plugin for a program like 3DS MAX, Lightwave or Maya. It could also become a full application on it's own.

Alright, what now?

So, now before anything happens - let's discuss how the dream animation application would be like. I'm asking about all animators opinions! You all must have thought about how animating could be made easier. Please share your thoughts!

Thoughts of my own Basic idea is to delegate all the repetetive animation (non-creative) work to the computer program. Some possible (and impossible) examples for what you could wish for: 1. You don't do much more work than scetching a character. With some simple help from you, the program interprets the 2D drawing into a 3D object. Perhaps it also adds a skeleton meanwhile. "Instant 3D, just add water." 2. You can record sequences of basic motions the character can do, and the program is able to morph between all these without a glitch. You can also run several sequences at the same time, morphing everything together. Then all you do is to tell it to "walk towards south while picking nose and waving other hand to the right". 3. Really easy GUI. Basically all you do is to drag stuff around, place keyframes and position the camera. You don't have to dig through lots of sub-menus to find what you need. The application will have all commonly used actions closely available. 4. Program doesn't interpret drawings into a 3D object, but DOES morph the images of each bodypart to resemble the look of it from another angle. All images is placed onto a 3D-skeleton and then animated. The program figures out what the images should look like from a specific angle. Usually you don't have to interfere, but you can go in and correct the more difficult angles. 5. Have a "character creation studio" much like 3DS MAX, but use it for all objects. Including bananas. Everybody wants to have a 'banana creation wizard'. 6. Incorporate a physics engine, so you don't have to (re-)animate that swinging braid each time you change the movement of the girl. Falling barrels bounce properly and things gets knocked over. All you have to do is the creative stuff and let the program handle the stupid processing of physics. Now go ahead and wish!! (but ONLY SERIOUS SUGGESTIONS, please) Thanks! ~NQ [Edited by - NQ on November 2, 2005 1:24:24 PM]

I honestly dont think an "instant 2d to 3D" program is possible -

1)It has no idea what is behind/on the other side of the bits drawn
2)it doesnt know how "round" something is - ie how does it tell the difference between a 2D drawing of a circle and a 2D drawing of a sphere?


You could always try using 3d software and toonshaders to achieve your desired animation.

Use right-click menus... They are great :D

Sounds like it would be difficult to write a program like that.

You can go from 2D to 3D if you have some extra information. That extra information could be "I know this is an Anime character" or it could be one sketch from front, and one sketch from the side.

It's not easy, but it can be done. Look for example at FaceGen for a tool which does it with photos.

Ah yes, I'm quite certain it's possible.
It's all about that 'extra information' and how to give it to the program.

I'm about to start a new thread in 'General programming' about this very topic. I think this thread no longer serves any real purpose. It was about asking animators how they'd like to animate, where 2D->3D was just one idea and I wanted others. I don't think I will get any feedback in this way. Since it seems to be what people wish for I'll focus on that. Check back soon, and I'll have that thread up.

It might be easier to have a set of generic character(s) that people could start off with, reflecting a variety of typical anime style characters. Think of how the character creation in MMO's work, you could have a set of generic models to choose from, hairstyles, colors, as well as clothing sets and other accessories (scars, etc.).

As far as actual animating, you could have the models pre-rigged in the application, so the animators are really just working with a skeleton that has already been established. From a 2d animation standpoint, the thing that is so great about that medium is that all it requires is a pencil, and some paper. I can sit down and start planning out a shot, and have it roughed/keyed out very quickly. With that in mind, you might want to make it easy for someone to set up a shot, place a character, and key out their poses quickly. Then make it so they can go back in and flesh out their timing and inbetweens.

Yeah, I see what you mean, but that would be a rather limited solution.

However, after plotting out a few different approaches on how to translate scetches to 3D I've come to a conclusion:

2D->3D IS POSSIBLE (never say anything else) - but it is so cumbersome it will never be easier than the existing methods. These are words of the original poster.

I will therefore switch approach. I will now be investigating how to improve the link between animating skeltons and scetching ontop. The up-coming topic will be about this new approach, and I hope you will read it.

It would be limited functionality at first yes, but it's also somewhat efficient for someone who just wants to make animation to begin with. Getting bogged down in modeling, rigging, and texturing can take the excitement out of just sitting down to animate. I think you have a pretty interesting idea, but...if it's something just like Maya, where I have to fully create my character and rig it before I can even start animating it, why would I want to use your app over Maya, or even just drawing it myself?

It sounds like you want to use a system similar to Magic Pengel or Graffiti Kingdom where you can draw out a character using a tablet and take that into 3d, definitely would be cool but it might take a while to develop, using stock models could at least get people working in your app while you work the other functionality out. Something to think about, at least.