3ds Max 2013 gets built-in animation store
Autodesk has partnered online animation store Mixamo to launch the Autodesk Animation Store: a library of stock motions directly accessible from within 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design.
Selecting Autodesk Animation Store from the Animation menu brings up the option to search for and preview motions on any Biped or CAT character; or Mixamo’s autorigging tools can be used on an unrigged character.
Basic animation controls enable the user to edit or retime motions before purchase. The move can then be downloaded in FBX format, or users can opt to write or append the keys to their scene.
Autodesk is pitching the service at casual game developers; and users who need rapid turnaround but limited customisation on animations, such as news broadcasters and visualisation professionals.
Mixamo motions typically fall into the $20-30 price range, and include locomotion, combat and sports.
PRESS RELEASE (Excerpts)
Autodesk has introduced a new Autodesk Animation Store for the 2013 releases of 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design, which began shipping today. The Autodesk Animation Store can be accessed from the 3ds Max products to provide a simplified animation workflow that allows users to search, customize and purchase licenses to characters and motion clips without leaving the software.
Powered by Mixamo, an online character animation service for 3D professionals, the Autodesk Animation Store offers hundreds of characters and more than a thousand editable animations for 3ds Max Biped and CAT characters. The content is aggregated from top-quality providers, such as aXYZ design, Original Force, Winking, Radiance and China West Coast.
“At Autodesk, we are removing technical barriers to creativity by providing more iterative streamlined workflows, and offering powerful creative tools like the Autodesk Animation Store,” said Ken Pimentel, Autodesk director of product management for media design. “The animation store is a great resource for users who don’t have the time or expertise to create quality 3D animation from scratch.”
“Now, broadcasters can quickly assemble an animated clip in response to today’s news, and casual game companies can reduce production time by licensing motions targeted to their game and characters,” added Pimentel. “Architects can also use the service to license animated characters in order to more easily populate architectural visualizations.”
Motion clips in the animation store are automatically applied to the Biped or CAT control rigs. They can be customized in real-time and previewed for free in the 3ds Max scene, so users can quickly test multiple animations on a given character and see how the motion will perform before making a purchase. After purchase, users can take advantage of 3ds Max software’s support for animation layers to non-destructively edit the animations as required.