Best 3d software for Flash Collab?

[mcgyvr2009i]

Hi NG.
I pretty much lost interest in making games for a living and am now looking to make animated Sitcoms for YouTube. But to get to the point. I am tired of the whole "Draw A Shape Color It In" type of animation and I actually want to use 3d stuff too, although not JUST 3d. I basically need a FREE software that allows me to animate, then download for import into Flash (like download as mp4 or something). I want to make 3d backgrounds when needed, and other things that you can't do with flash.

Is there ANYTHING I can get my hands on that may do the trick? Something free? Does anybody here use a 3d animation software that allows you to increase the quality by adding 3d effects? Blender probably doesn't work unless I download frame by frame and then take EACH frame and color over it. Someone recommended I do that and I'm going to but I'm also looking for an easier way. Thanks in advance.

[A-Genius]

At 8/31/13 04:33 PM, mcgyvr2009i wrote:

There is no shortcuts unless you have to find it out by your self!

I think what you need is to put it in 3d software like blender do the animation, render it and at the end import the photos it into flash how easy can this be ! :P

[PeterSatera]

I mix the two all the time, what exactly are you looking to do? If you want to mix the two the best idea is not to use flash to import, however. It will import sequences, which 3D packages render out. There's a whole level to mixing the two, but if you let me know exactly what you are going to use it then i can explain the pipeline.

Blender is your best bet for free 3d software.

[mcgyvr2009i]

At 9/1/13 05:03 AM, PeterSatera wrote: I mix the two all the time, what exactly are you looking to do?

I want do do something like what you see in the beginning of "Family Guy -- All I Really Want For Christmas" occasionally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa22MBGkl9o
where you see the camera zooming in on Quahog and eventually the Griffin House
That's one example of something I want to do with my animations,

I also want to be able to make an animation where I can turn from one hall down another (if you can picture a person turning around a corner but instead of disappearing, the camera also turns and the character keeps going) but flash probably won't let me do that with the current 3d features.

Those are two examples.

There are just so many things I want to do that Flash probably won't let me do with Flash alone.

[PeterSatera]

At 9/1/13 08:32 AM, mcgyvr2009i wrote:

At 9/1/13 05:03 AM, PeterSatera wrote: I mix the two all the time, what exactly are you looking to do?

I want do do something like what you see in the beginning of "Family Guy -- All I Really Want For Christmas" occasionally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa22MBGkl9o
where you see the camera zooming in on Quahog and eventually the Griffin House
That's one example of something I want to do with my animations,

I also want to be able to make an animation where I can turn from one hall down another (if you can picture a person turning around a corner but instead of disappearing, the camera also turns and the character keeps going) but flash probably won't let me do that with the current 3d features.

Those are two examples.

There are just so many things I want to do that Flash probably won't let me do with Flash alone.

To get this effect, you model, texture and create it all in your 3d package. 3D packages have an effect called 'cell shading'. This mimics the vector effect then you apply an outline. You can enforce a dark colour a light colour and how many colour variations. It's not a matter of bringing in an object from 3D and colouring it in flash, the 3d package does it for you.

If you want to incorporate 3d renders into flash the best way is to render a sequence, and import that to the stage, flash recognizes sequenced images, so you select the first and it will grab the rest. You can then animate on top. When that shot is complete you delete the original 3d sequence, and export a PNG sequence out from flash of your footage (24-bit with alpha, aka 32-bit images). This will maintain transparency on your images.

Or if using movie clips, delete the 3d sequence footage, and then export to swf, and use swivel uncompressed avi, which will also maintain transparency. You then layer in another package, such as After effects, layering the base 3d footage and the flash footage together with a composition running the correct frame rate. For many reasons you use another package to composite together, as flash isnt a comping package at all. Degradation is a key element in blending 2d and 3d but we can go into exporting file types and methods later once you have the 3d down and ready for it. So im not going to bombard you with it.

All im letting you know here is that yes, it is possible and it occurs all the time, in Family guy, futurama and the simpsons as well as many others. Here is an example of cell shaded I quickly did. The image on the left is flash, the one on the right is Lightwave 3D. I dont use blender as it's not as good as bought packages. But cellshading is a technique it will surely do as it's common amongst multiple packages.

If you opt to used a paid packages such as 3DS Max. 3DS max renders to flash format with a plugin called electric rain (the creators of swift 3D). This would then allow you to import directly into your flash and maintain vector graphics all the time. Maya also has something like this, but not as good. However, be aware this is a very expensive route, these packages are in their thousands and then you have to learn and buy the plugins, which are also expensive. Swift 3D is another package which creates basic basic 3d but then exports to swf vector format. However, the modelling tools are poor and people use it more to import and convert than to create and animate.

[mcgyvr2009i]

So, what file format allows me to export frame by frame in Blender?

[PeterSatera]

At 9/2/13 09:44 AM, mcgyvr2009i wrote: So, what file format allows me to export frame by frame in Blender?

Blender will export an image sequence. It should have a large array of choices. Common ones such as bitmap, jpeg, png, gif, tiff, targa (tga). When exporting you can choose a 32-bit image oppose to 24-bit. 24-bit doesn't have an alpha channel, 32-does. All the ones I mention except bitmap and jpeg can be exported with alpha. This allows you to export your 3d images but have nothing behind it, meaning you can overlay your 3d onto something else you made elsewhere, or overlaying 3d onto flash. I have an image which shows this, I'll show U it when I get back to the pc. Personally I always export tga ot tiff. If im doing a quick test png.

Feel free to ask any mixed media process, asking can save you weeks of trial and error. :)

[PeterSatera]

So here's the layering example of mixed media.

Some effects are photoshop, some are flash (the rain) and some are 3D (stickmen characters and backgrounds). All comp'ed in after effects. Then the shot is exported and taken into premier for editing.

http://www.filz.us/view/d2894823-3b3/