AnimeSuki Forums

Olaguer · 2009-08-05, 09:10

Hi everyone. This is my very first post on the very first anime forums that I have joined. I'm new here and I want to ask a few questions. I'm in college and I'm currently taking Multimedia Arts and Science. I took this course because I want to become an animator but I think it will take me years before I get my hands on Mac computers since we're being tought of general subjects first. I don't know if this is the right section to post this thread but kindly move it if I posted in the wrong section.
My questions are :
What's the best software should I use to practice my skill as a starting animator?
What's the difference between Gimp and Photoshop? Which is better to use?
What's the latest/best photoshop should I get?
Is it better to start with Flash programs as early as now?
What's the best flash software out there?

-KarumA- · 2009-08-05, 18:56

1. depends on what you want to do, 2D or 3D or a combination, remember there are many forms of animation each with different goals:
- for websites, Adobe After Effects can import to Flash or you can use Adobe Flash for it but it is mainly websites interface so keep that in mind
you have flash animations and clips the thing you are probably thinking about but if you go into Flash be ready to be dragged in the world of a website creator and not mainly the following others below, you will also need to start learning different coding such as Java, html etc. etc.
- for in live filmed video, specials effects etc. which can be creating explosions, green screen things
- for 2D animation, which also involves 2D going 3D
- 3D animation, which can also be 3D looking cartoony and 2D ish

There are a lot of animator highways to pick from, first try and figure out what you want to do
I would recommend different programs based on what a person wants to do

2. i pick photoshop because as part of Adobe you can easily switch between programs and combine them

3. CS4 is the latest but I still work with CS3, why? Adobe, as well as many other multimedia software makers, bring a new version out like what, every 2 years
but hardly anything changes in the program, some bugs were fixed and it looks different in lay out, it is your pick really, I prefer CS3

4. It depends on what you want to use Flash for, Flash is mostly used for websites and then animating the websites themselves because you can easily combine your animation to your interface through proper frame picking and coding
If you want to make Flash animations just for fun and laughs go ahead, but it isn't as easy as it looks
you could also use Adobe After Effects though

5. Adobe Flash, hurrr duuurrr...

Olaguer · 2009-08-05, 20:12

I like to start with making Forum Avatars(GIF) and Forum Signatures, can be GIF as well. I want to know about this frame thing that can make things move. I think that's the basic way for me to start. I'm aware that flash is mainly for website making. Actually, my goal for now is to make a site such as Final Fantasy XIV. (http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/). It's full of flash everywhere you look at. Maybe I want to try all things I can do under Multimedia. My inspiration right now is the movie Transformers. It has great 3d effects which triggers me to really be an animator. Pixars is good as well. I love their cute 3d movies.
Thanks for answering my questions but like I said I'm an amateur so can anyone help me for basic tutorials to these softwares you mentioned?

Ledgem · 2009-08-05, 21:44

So when you say "animator" you really mean "3D animation." I'm slightly self-taught in 3D but never got very far - I'll tell you now, those programs are pretty complicated. They make Photoshop seem pretty simple by comparison.

Since you want to do movies, look into Maya. In the past they had it so that you could use it unrestricted for free, with the only caveat being that your outputs would be watermarked and I believe artificially capped to a certain resolution. However, you can still use the full functions of the program for training purposes, and the program comes with a hefty set of tutorials to get you started.

Another 3D program to consider is 3DS Max. It was the biggest competitor to Maya, and while it was used for movies, it was better-known for being used in video games.

Of course, if you go to either website you'll notice that they're both owned by the same company now. That happened a year or two ago, maybe longer; I would have thought that they'd integrate the two programs into one. Maybe they're still working on that, or maybe they're going to try and stratify each. I tried a bit of learning on Maya and then flipped over to 3DS Max - it felt pretty alien to me (not that I spent much time in it). I'm not sure how much time learned in one can be applied to the other.

A third industry-used program is Lightwave. I think I dipped into this once, but don't remember it.

Most of my 3D learning was done in Raydream Studio, now Carrara (and it seems to have changed companies yet again). The interface is pretty good and seems geared toward consumer artists rather than professionals. I'd only recommend using it if you get frustrated with slow progress in the pro-level programs; Carrara will let you do some pretty nice stuff pretty easily and quickly. Very little of it will translate over to a program like Maya, though.

As for Flash and GIFs, Adobe is the industry standard - look into their suites. I'm not sure which of their programs is for GIFs now. It used to be Imageready, but then Imageready was abolished and supposedly some of it went into Photoshop. According to Wikipedia, Adobe Fireworks (which was acquired from Macromedia) is the replacement for Imageready. Imageready was pretty simple to use... I've never touched Fireworks, but it seems a bit more daunting. Good luck!

Olaguer · 2009-08-06, 00:52

Thank you Karuma and Ledgen. All questions have been answered.
Close the thread if you wish.

-KarumA- · 2009-08-06, 03:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ledgem

As for Flash and GIFs, Adobe is the industry standard - look into their suites. I'm not sure which of their programs is for GIFs now. It used to be Imageready, but then Imageready was abolished and supposedly some of it went into Photoshop. According to Wikipedia, Adobe Fireworks (which was acquired from Macromedia) is the replacement for Imageready. Imageready was pretty simple to use... I've never touched Fireworks, but it seems a bit more daunting. Good luck!

Fireworks is more or less the new ImageReady but it is hardly used, the thing it is probably good for is making a website lay out, just a test one lol
for Gifs I still use Photoshop
Flash can be used but it is more for self made avatars and by that I mean self drawn (like the many stick puppet gifs)

also Ledgem was Maya that alien lol, I've been using 3ds max for ages now but I'm going to have to learn Maya now as well for my next degree

also for gaming Autodesk made Motionbuilder which combines your created characters from 3Ds max

edit:
also if you want to make a website like the Final Fantasy one also keep in mind that you're going to learn more about HTML and Javascript
Flash is nice but Javascript also has many possibilities nowadays

Ledgem · 2009-08-06, 20:46

Well, I didn't have Maya down that well when I took a look at 3DS Max, so they may be more similar than I'm letting on. Both were radically different from Raydream Studio and Carrara, though... but then, Carrara is a radical departure from any other 3D or media program I've seen (except maybe Lightwave, but I don't remember Lightwave that well).

Olaguer · 2009-08-07, 00:16

Can you explain what Javascript is?

Furuno · 2009-08-07, 00:57

Well, Javascript is a client-side scripting language that you can use to make your web application (read: web site) "do more", from input validation to animation to AJAX. More on it you can read it from here.

Oh and about Flash, I think you should learn AJAX or HTML5 instead. It's capable of doing the same thing and it's and open standard (not propietary) and doesn't need any plugin so it'd definitely work on most (modern) browser. Well, it's just my opinion as an open-source maniac I guess, and it seems that I just hate Flash to some extent (maybe because it's too heavy and resource hog?)...

It's true that the learning curve for AJAX and/or HTML5 might be steeper, but I think it's very worthy for anyone that interested in RIA (Rich Internet Application)...

Olaguer · 2009-08-08, 05:22

Thanks for the tips but I don't think AJAX and HTML5 are covered under the course I'm taking. If anyone wants to add something please feel free.

*Another Question :
How can I apply flash on my site?

-KarumA- · 2009-08-08, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olaguer

Thanks for the tips but I don't think AJAX and HTML5 are covered under the course I'm taking. If anyone wants to add something please feel free.

*Another Question :
How can I apply flash on my site?

in order to make a website with Flash you need to make the entire website in Flash first, that or for example if you want to make an intro film to play first and then skip to whatever other coded website you made I don't know how to do that I'll tell you that straight up lol
but thing is on that FF website after the intro and you have the picture moving left to right and stopping at times, that can also be done in PHP, though I prefer flash over php but overall i prefer no website coding over anything website lol the stuff is too complicated for me ha ha the deep PHP stuff makes my eyes spin

to make a flash website you of course need to use flash XD
there's probably 2 things you'd want to look into: 1. how to make a website and 2. how to animate using flash

and prob 3. how to insert this into a web-page

http://www.free-webmaster-resource.c...utorial_id=460

^ might help on basic site making
Flash coding is IMO the most difficult thing in Flash

Antares · 2009-08-08, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by -KarumA-

Flash coding is IMO the most difficult thing in Flash

If I can remember correctly, ActionScript 3 is based on Javascript so they have a lot of similar features. If you can get familiar with JS, AS3 is very easy to learn.

Also, you don't really need to know AS3 to make Flash. You only need AS 3 if you want to make it interactive.

Justin Kim · 2009-08-09, 00:03

Using Gimp will help you with using photoshop. Think of it as a tutorial kind of program, although both programs have relatively the same functions. Except, photoshop is alot of extended with utilities.

-KarumA- · 2009-08-09, 05:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Kim

Using Gimp will help you with using photoshop. Think of it as a tutorial kind of program, although both programs have relatively the same functions. Except, photoshop is alot of extended with utilities.

rofl this isn't about photoshop

Furuno · 2009-08-09, 07:00

Here's some links that probably useful for you, it contains easy-to-understand tutorials for web related stuffs :
http://www.w3schools.com/

And this is some of the tools that I've used when I'm developing web application (I'm doing the logic part of the website, not the presentation part...) :
NetBeans - My primary Java IDE, I use it for J2SE / J2EE application...
Aptana Studio - I'm currently learning about Ruby on Rails and using this IDE (probably I'm just bored with NetBeans).
Well, these tools are probably have less use for designer though...

You also might want to take a look to this site, it contains a very impressive gallery of web designs.

2009-08-05, 09:10	Link #1
Olaguer Member Join Date: Aug 2009	Questions. Hi everyone. This is my very first post on the very first anime forums that I have joined. I'm new here and I want to ask a few questions. I'm in college and I'm currently taking Multimedia Arts and Science. I took this course because I want to become an animator but I think it will take me years before I get my hands on Mac computers since we're being tought of general subjects first. I don't know if this is the right section to post this thread but kindly move it if I posted in the wrong section. My questions are : What's the best software should I use to practice my skill as a starting animator? What's the difference between Gimp and Photoshop? Which is better to use? What's the latest/best photoshop should I get? Is it better to start with Flash programs as early as now? What's the best flash software out there?

2009-08-05, 18:56	Link #2
-KarumA- (｡☉౪ ⊙｡) Author Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In Maya world, where all is 3D and everything crashes Age: 36	1. depends on what you want to do, 2D or 3D or a combination, remember there are many forms of animation each with different goals: - for websites, Adobe After Effects can import to Flash or you can use Adobe Flash for it but it is mainly websites interface so keep that in mind you have flash animations and clips the thing you are probably thinking about but if you go into Flash be ready to be dragged in the world of a website creator and not mainly the following others below, you will also need to start learning different coding such as Java, html etc. etc. - for in live filmed video, specials effects etc. which can be creating explosions, green screen things - for 2D animation, which also involves 2D going 3D - 3D animation, which can also be 3D looking cartoony and 2D ish There are a lot of animator highways to pick from, first try and figure out what you want to do I would recommend different programs based on what a person wants to do 2. i pick photoshop because as part of Adobe you can easily switch between programs and combine them 3. CS4 is the latest but I still work with CS3, why? Adobe, as well as many other multimedia software makers, bring a new version out like what, every 2 years but hardly anything changes in the program, some bugs were fixed and it looks different in lay out, it is your pick really, I prefer CS3 4. It depends on what you want to use Flash for, Flash is mostly used for websites and then animating the websites themselves because you can easily combine your animation to your interface through proper frame picking and coding If you want to make Flash animations just for fun and laughs go ahead, but it isn't as easy as it looks you could also use Adobe After Effects though 5. Adobe Flash, hurrr duuurrr... Last edited by -KarumA-; 2009-08-06 at 03:04.

2009-08-05, 21:44	Link #4
Ledgem Love Yourself Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northeast USA Age: 38	So when you say "animator" you really mean "3D animation." I'm slightly self-taught in 3D but never got very far - I'll tell you now, those programs are pretty complicated. They make Photoshop seem pretty simple by comparison. Since you want to do movies, look into Maya. In the past they had it so that you could use it unrestricted for free, with the only caveat being that your outputs would be watermarked and I believe artificially capped to a certain resolution. However, you can still use the full functions of the program for training purposes, and the program comes with a hefty set of tutorials to get you started. Another 3D program to consider is 3DS Max. It was the biggest competitor to Maya, and while it was used for movies, it was better-known for being used in video games. Of course, if you go to either website you'll notice that they're both owned by the same company now. That happened a year or two ago, maybe longer; I would have thought that they'd integrate the two programs into one. Maybe they're still working on that, or maybe they're going to try and stratify each. I tried a bit of learning on Maya and then flipped over to 3DS Max - it felt pretty alien to me (not that I spent much time in it). I'm not sure how much time learned in one can be applied to the other. A third industry-used program is Lightwave. I think I dipped into this once, but don't remember it. Most of my 3D learning was done in Raydream Studio, now Carrara (and it seems to have changed companies yet again). The interface is pretty good and seems geared toward consumer artists rather than professionals. I'd only recommend using it if you get frustrated with slow progress in the pro-level programs; Carrara will let you do some pretty nice stuff pretty easily and quickly. Very little of it will translate over to a program like Maya, though. As for Flash and GIFs, Adobe is the industry standard - look into their suites. I'm not sure which of their programs is for GIFs now. It used to be Imageready, but then Imageready was abolished and supposedly some of it went into Photoshop. According to Wikipedia, Adobe Fireworks (which was acquired from Macromedia) is the replacement for Imageready. Imageready was pretty simple to use... I've never touched Fireworks, but it seems a bit more daunting. Good luck! __________________

2009-08-06, 20:46	Link #7
Ledgem Love Yourself Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northeast USA Age: 38	Well, I didn't have Maya down that well when I took a look at 3DS Max, so they may be more similar than I'm letting on. Both were radically different from Raydream Studio and Carrara, though... but then, Carrara is a radical departure from any other 3D or media program I've seen (except maybe Lightwave, but I don't remember Lightwave that well). __________________

2009-08-07, 00:57	Link #9
Furuno Fuwaaa~~~ IT Support Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Indonesia Age: 34	Well, Javascript is a client-side scripting language that you can use to make your web application (read: web site) "do more", from input validation to animation to AJAX. More on it you can read it from here. Oh and about Flash, I think you should learn AJAX or HTML5 instead. It's capable of doing the same thing and it's and open standard (not propietary) and doesn't need any plugin so it'd definitely work on most (modern) browser. Well, it's just my opinion as an open-source maniac I guess, and it seems that I just hate Flash to some extent (maybe because it's too heavy and resource hog?)... It's true that the learning curve for AJAX and/or HTML5 might be steeper, but I think it's very worthy for anyone that interested in RIA (Rich Internet Application)... __________________ Check my Blog / Thread / Twitter for some random stuffs...

2009-08-05, 20:12	Link #3
Olaguer Member Join Date: Aug 2009	I like to start with making Forum Avatars(GIF) and Forum Signatures, can be GIF as well. I want to know about this frame thing that can make things move. I think that's the basic way for me to start. I'm aware that flash is mainly for website making. Actually, my goal for now is to make a site such as Final Fantasy XIV. (http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/). It's full of flash everywhere you look at. Maybe I want to try all things I can do under Multimedia. My inspiration right now is the movie Transformers. It has great 3d effects which triggers me to really be an animator. Pixars is good as well. I love their cute 3d movies. Thanks for answering my questions but like I said I'm an amateur so can anyone help me for basic tutorials to these softwares you mentioned?

2009-08-06, 00:52	Link #5
Olaguer Member Join Date: Aug 2009	Thank you Karuma and Ledgen. All questions have been answered. Close the thread if you wish.

2009-08-07, 00:16	Link #8
Olaguer Member Join Date: Aug 2009	Can you explain what Javascript is?

2009-08-08, 05:22	Link #10
Olaguer Member Join Date: Aug 2009	Thanks for the tips but I don't think AJAX and HTML5 are covered under the course I'm taking. If anyone wants to add something please feel free. *Another Question : How can I apply flash on my site?

2009-08-09, 00:03	Link #13
Justin Kim Senior Member Artist Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Orange County, California	Using Gimp will help you with using photoshop. Think of it as a tutorial kind of program, although both programs have relatively the same functions. Except, photoshop is alot of extended with utilities. __________________ Signature stolen by a horde of carnivorous bunnies. It is an unscientifically proven fact that they are attracted to signatures which break the signature rules.

2009-08-09, 07:00	Link #15
Furuno Fuwaaa~~~ IT Support Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Indonesia Age: 34	Here's some links that probably useful for you, it contains easy-to-understand tutorials for web related stuffs : http://www.w3schools.com/ And this is some of the tools that I've used when I'm developing web application (I'm doing the logic part of the website, not the presentation part...) : NetBeans - My primary Java IDE, I use it for J2SE / J2EE application... Aptana Studio - I'm currently learning about Ruby on Rails and using this IDE (probably I'm just bored with NetBeans). Well, these tools are probably have less use for designer though... You also might want to take a look to this site, it contains a very impressive gallery of web designs. __________________ Check my Blog / Thread / Twitter for some random stuffs...