Rhino3D question...

**kodster** · 17th May 2008, 01:59

Is there a program or tool out there that can animate models in Rhinoceros 3D?

**leorcc** · 17th May 2008, 21:49

I thought Rhino3D exports in formats that programs like Renderman and Maya can use?

**kodster** · 18th May 2008, 02:02

I didnt know that.

Renderman...Maya...these programs, have you used them before? Where can I get them?

**Gaseraki** · 19th May 2008, 01:11

Render man I am afraid I cant help you with.
Maya is however a program I use a lot. Fantastic CGI 3d package that can produce cinema quality. However unless you want to dabble in 3d animation I dont think it will help you.
The only reasson I use it to CAD my robot designs is because I dont know how to use a decent CAD software.
The only reasson that people might want to export to it is to creat a better render.

**kodster** · 19th May 2008, 02:23

Thank you.

Err...is there any other program out there that can animate models? Want to know just in case Maya doesnt work for me.

(Message edited by kodster on May 19, 200

**leorcc** · 19th May 2008, 09:23

I animate my models in Lightwave, which like Maya is also specificaly for cinematic renderings (Babylon 5 being one of the mose famous series). I use an older version of it because that transports easily from computer to computer (copy, edit lw.cfg and lwm.cfg and away we go).

Most programs capable of rendering are able to import at the very least DXF or DWG, so if Rhino can export these you should have your pick. If you want something freeware you could look at Blender3D for Linux but I find that a horrible program to work with.

Ive used Maya in the past, but havent done so in a while. I loved the kinetics engine in it. There is a personal learning edition of maya that is free for use but it does create a watermark on the finished rendering.

**kodster** · 19th May 2008, 13:32

Thanks Leo.

**terrorhurtz** · 19th May 2008, 14:09

Autodesk Inventor has some nice animation facilities. And in the 2008 version they have gone one better with Dynamic Simulation, where it takes into account the mass of everything.

We have managed to model beta jumping using Dynamic Simulation.

We told it the torque driving the hammer shaft (and how it varies over time), and it figures out how fast the hammer accelerates and how it lifts the weight of the machine off the ground.