Encourage Hash to make a Linux Port

An anonymous reader said "An employee of Hash, Inc., the makers of the phenomenal Animation:Master 3D modeling and animation software, inquired today on the animation:master mailing list on whether or not users would buy a Linux verion of the software package, if Hash happened to port it to Linux. You can email Steve Sappington at Hash and let him know if you'd be interested in a Linux port. " For those of you who care, I animated Hamster Havoc and Duckpins in an earlier version of this software ages ago. I miss this program more than Diablo. Update: 02/18 09:09 by CT : Steve from Hash emailed me and said that this was completely untrue and to stop emailing him. I'm bummed.

I doubt it will be free and/or open source

[Kurt Gray]

I was big into 3D Windows software a couple of
years ago and from I remember Hash never offered
a demo version and their price was steep -- but
yes, the quality and effects were amazing.

I seriously doubt there will ever be a free
version of Hash (not even a demo) and defintately
not open source. Nonetheless, more apps is what
we need so come on down!

Hmmm.

[Drel]

This is one of those multi-thousand dollar modelling packages, isn't it?

Personally, I think the open source modellers are getting to the point where they are adequate (if not ideal) for most modelling purposes.

The not open source but free modeller, Blender [neogeo.nl], from Not a Number is quite powerful, as well (though it's UI is the worst of any program I've ever used. A good example of how a UI can look good but be absolutely impossible to use). Moonlight Creator [cybersociety.com] is open source, and was getting quite good; unfortunately, there's not been a release or any update by the author since June of last year.

For rendering, the open source renderers [povray.org] can for the most part compete with commercial packages in technical features, though do lack a bit of the UI polish.

With all that said, having a high quality, polished commercial package available would be nice!

I have to agree

[Ken]

Linux users aren't into paying for software as far as I can tell.

And I doubt that this would be free or open source.

The Blender UI

[Extremist]

I know user interfaces are very subjective, but have you really gotten into Blender? It's something you need to spend a few days with before your brain can 'click' with it.

I find the interface very intuative and powerful. One hand on the keyboard, and one on the mouse, and I'm blazing though models without thinking about the interface. It feels like a good race car. Not that good to look at (depending on your tastes) but everything it right where it belongs to get the work done. You focus on how to create the effect you want, not where that menu item is. That is the goal of a UI, isn't it?

Not everything has to be.

[Shreck]

Hash makes a very good product and deliberately prices it at a level that will be affordable for all (c'mon, it's the price of three games). They know they could charge $1000 or more for it, and that doing so would actually gain them some respect from their peers in the business. They don't care. Their attitude ("software even an artist can afford") is, in my opinion, just as noble as Stallman's "all software should be free".

YES!!!!!!!!!!

[Jaimethon Khan]

HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA...



The more Linux 3d apps we can get, and the more multimedia support we can come up with, the closer Linux gets to being the indisputable OS for everyone.

Blender UI is good, not bad.

[FireReaper]

Just to make a comment. The UI's good or bad
points are highly SUBJECTIVE based on the user.

Blender's UI is highly optimized for work and
power, not for new users to get into the field
of 3D. If someone wanted to really use Blender,
they should seriously consider checking the
various howto's on the web and/or purchasing
the extremely good and stylish manual.
Their URL is: www.blender.nl

Linux and Windows are examples of a conflict of
style and UI priorities. Linux(Unix) focuses on getting
the job done by making commands and flexibility
of programming and scripting at the command line.
This allows for faster and more effective work
to be done while making it harder to use for
new users.

Windows is easy to use for new users, but has a
limit on functionality after that initial learning
curve has been reached.

Blender is like this. Focus was on efficient use
of functions and accessibilty of functions.

After a few days of playing with Blender, even
without the manual, it becomes easier.

I had similar experiences when I alternated between
3DS MAX and TrueSpace. MAX had a good modeler, but
TrueSpace had better renderer's. So I switched
between the two and found that while Truespace's
interface is fun and easy to learn, it is highly
limiting because of the many widgets.

Max's menus were hard at first, but tinkering got
me around soon enough. Still, after the initial
learning stage, the menu's themselves were a
speed limit. I kept asking myself where the
shortcut keys were.

Blender is like this. Lot's of shortcut keys, but
virtually no menu's. Better work speed, but
slower learning.

I happen to like Blender, which is becoming better
with each new release. And while I hope it doesn't
go commercial, I wouldn't mind paying for it when
it does. This is because it IS a quality product.

The UI seems hard because people are not used to
it. Once you do get used to it, you'll find that
what seemed like UI mistakes are actually UI
improvements.



- Wing
- Reap the fires of the soul.
- Harvest the passion of life.

This is bad.

[Azul]

I am rather tired of the UseLinuxBecauseItsLinux people.

I use Linux and love it. I hate MS shit. I am thinking about trying FreeBSD soon. Viva el Open Source.

But Im tired of them UseLinuxBecauseItsLinux. PromoteLinuxBecauseItsLinux.

Why should we LIE to companies and tell them to port to Linux software we know we are not going to buy?

Please, the Open Source movement does not need that. If we Open Source followers need a program, we will code it ourselves.

Only those who would actually buy their port should email them. And I am pretty sure many who wouldn't buy it will write.

I, for my self, would write: "I couldn't care less if you port your application to Linux or not. I will never buy it anyway. I would like you to port it just as it would promote my favorite OS, but don't expect me to actually buy it".

AFC.

Yes, we want a port

[Dionysus]

But don't expect us to pay for it, though. Do expect us to bitch about it not being free, eh, I mean, liberated. And even if you open up the source code, expect us to bitch about it not being GPL. How else are we going to include the code in our programs, or make money selling support for it? Remember, if you don't release the code, you are just a bunch of parasites, anyways, living off other people's code (even if you did spend money hiring people to write that code).

Oh, and if you trademarked the name, we will bitch about the US patent office. OK, so you don't know what the trademark has to do with the patent office. We couldn't explain it to you either, but we will bitch about it.

Finally, we will point out to all your users that there are *real* Open Source Software doing almost the same thing and they should, instead of buying your software, and supporting your evil, immoral ways, give the money to the OSS people. Nevermind that it is years behind your program.

So, please port. We welcome you with a fist.

* NB! Anyone who disagree with any or all of the above points are braindead M$ stoogies.

I doubt it will be free and/or open source

[StarFace]

"the price is steep" ??

i don't really consider 200 bucks to be steep for a spline modeller of that calibre.
it's rendering engine isn't the greatest, but hey, that is what electric image is for :)

Great Product

[VinceJH]

I remember that Hash cost only $200 dollars, which is a great price, compared to 3DMAX or even Lightwave. And hopefully it will give some reall compitition to Blender. Not being open source I see is a reall problem with Blender. Not because I can't make some funky change, but becuase with blender you don't even have the file format specs, not to mention plug-ins specs.

Open source modellers seam to be duplicating effort. I look and look, and mean like all last week, but I can't find one that is a complete 3D solution, or even one that provides character animation abilities. If I am wrong, and you have tried one that works, please reply. I might even try working on one that looks like it is or was going somewhere.

I doubt it will be free and/or open source

[Gumber]

Bitch moan, bitch moan.

Animation master has a lot of features for a low price.

3D Apps on Linux

[Pinc]

Realsoft Oy, Finland, have decided to release the successor to their 3D animation package 'Real 3D' for Linux.

Other supported systems will be Windows and probably IRIX. Amiga is most likely being dropped and maybe Mac and possibly Be will be left to third party developers.

There is no release date yet, but the software is finally entering beta testing after years of alpha testing.

See their V4 pages [realsoft.fi].

3D Apps on Linux

[Pinc]

Even the current version 3.5 of Real 3D is very powerful, the power is just hidden unter a not-so-stylish GUI. But the physical simulation features, the embedded programming language (FORTH) allowing access to almost all program functions, and the rendering engine quality and speed are smashing.

I don't think the price is fixed yet. But just like the Amiga version was always much cheaper than the Windoze-version, it might happen that the Linux version will be cheaper than the version for the "professional" (huh?) operating System "Windows NT". (It will most likely run on W'98, too)

Real 3D was always a lot cheaper than competitors like 3DS MAX (whose rendering engine really sucks, both quality- and speed-wise) or LightWave 3D, and offered much more features without hundreds of plug-ins.

Thanks for the links!

[TheShoe]

I've been looking for some free or open source modelers. Thanks!