Some more VFX applications every Animator should know about….and use where possible!
Cinema 4D:
So popular is this software that its creators have made various versions for specific tasks. It is best used for animation, texturing, modelling besides a range of other services. Primarily for visualization and modelling for activities such as photography, designing and architecture, it has a load of features for customization, rendering, lighting and texturing. Cinema 4D is too good and can tackle most of what goes in the name of animation irrespective of fields.
Blender:
Don’t go by its name! It blends things rather well and does that free! Yes, blender is a 3D application on the open-source platform. BUT mind you, it is immensely good at what it does and is THE software used by newbies and students as it is free and its user’s forums regularly update the software.
V Ray:
If you desire rendering of the next level for your most toughest of activities, V-Ray is the one to go to. It is extremely high-end and extremely fast with unique features including aerial perspective, ray-rounded cornering, stochastic flakes and tri-planner modelling!
Nuke:
With Nuke, you could effectively nuke the plan to go for anything else! It has the best of tools which simplify everyday chores and get results faster. You can get practically everything that you desire with the flexibility to circumvent problem areas. Its next version, Nuke X has more! With its “out of box” ideas it cuts time you would otherwise spend trying to get in more functionalities. The next version i.e., Nuke X has stuff like model builder, camera tracker, particle system to name a few. Nuke is a powerful suite which helps turn around the toughest of a project with remarkable ease, less time and yes, less money!
Renderman:
With the indelible stamp of Pixar behind it for over2 decades, it has every reason to take care of all your 3D animation and VFX needs. The latest suite has been redone which includes the latest in tracing means for higher efficiency and better output. With its Movie background, it has awesome features which includes an out-of-this-world camera feature, Visualizer and Integrator, Denoiser and the likes! Go for it but first get the hang of it with its trial version!
Silhouette:
Wholly and solely for post-production, the application has some of the most sought-after tools in the VFX industry like matting, warping, morphing, conversions 2 to 3D and vice-versa, rotoscoping, keying etc. And yes, it works like a dream really!
This is as far as VFX applications go. We shall shortly come back with more stuff on other aspects of VFX.
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VFX Application every Animator ought to know about
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