Next Year
 

A few questions and comments:

Is it official that we will get Max 5? I don't know when this will be released, and it sounds that first will be shipping out the programs in Oct. so i'm not sure if max 5 will be ready then. Also, will we get more than one license of Max because when i wanted to put it on my home computer i had to do some bad things. (Can't say anything more here) But, even though i was not being totaly leagal, i don't know any other way for somone to learn max, which is the purpose of the competition. I think first must reconcider giving only one license otherwise, people can't learn.

Also, it sounds that there will be regional Anamation awards this year. It will probally judged by peers. (like play of the day) But i thought that the deadline for entries was after the first regional. Wait, mabey not, i can't remember. And, could you change your anamation from the regionals to the nats one?

Just a few q's i thought of because of the meeting that occured w/ first about next year.

My guess is: no, 3ds max 5 won't be sent out. That's just an unedumicated guess.

As for a "nice" way to install it at home: nope. :)

demo cd
 

Maybe Autodesk should give you a bunch of demo CDs when they ship you the copy of MAX. They could make the demos the same except not allow you to save or render or some other debilitating feature that would allow you to learn but not actually produce something. Just a thought, because they will have a demo CD and you can reserve a copy of it at

http://www.discreet.com/products/3dsmax/
(Click on order a demo cd)

Its not actually out yet but as it says on the top of the page it will be out later this summer.

Hope this helps, because I know how tempting it can be to go the easy route and find it pirated. Most of the time, however, the joke is on the guy who got the pirated version cuz most of them don't work that well. I, uh, heard that from a friend.

How bout if they time bombed the version so that you could install it on as many PC's as you wanted to, but after the ship date (or whenever the thing is due) POOF the software no longer works.

well, max 4 came with a cool kinda utility that transfers you liscence via a floppy i think so you could technically float it back and forth between computers, but still, onlyy one at a time legally. One thing you also could do if you are a veterain team, is use max 3 and share the dongle. No real way to get it on multiple comps legally though without more liscenses :(

I just was wondering if first was doing anything to make there a "legal" answer. The idea of timing it to expire after the ship date is good, except it might need the entire auth. part of the program to be remade.

However, i would like to know what all of you think about the proposed regional anamation award.
Personally, i think the regional award is great ; it gives us a greater chance for an award which is deserved because of all the time we put in. However, i would like to know if you think it would be the same one for nats. and is the deadline for the nats anamation after the first regional?


Thanks

Actually, I'm rather worried about the regional animation awards... seeing as the only regional we can afford to go to also has the teams with top animators, it doesn't do me a whole lot of good. Yes, I get to lose twice!

Incredible Requirements
 

I would guess that the answer is no, or atleast hope it is. The requirements for Max 5 are crazy if i remember rite u need 512 megs or ram and they suggested a gig of ram. I dont remember the other requiremtnts.

I have a pretty nice computer at home, and so do the other ppl who worked on the animation with me. But we were forced to use a school computer that was only 700mhz with 128 megs of ram....it was horrible. I think that if they send out max 5, many teams wont be able to participate in the animation simply due to a lack of processing power

ah, hmm. thats a good point, most schools do not have good computers, we were fortunate enough to get a 1.8ghz p4 that we formatted and threw 512mb into, so it was pretty good for animation, but if the minimum was 512, preformance would be hindered a lot. maybe they will have a less system intensive version of 3ds max 5

RAM is pretty cheap-I personally would love to get MAX 5.

We've got 5 or 6 high end machines, however they are entirely our own computers, we just bring them to wherever we areworking. We are oping to get or sponsor to buy us another machine, as well. As for all the teams who don't directly have high end machines - Be Resourceful! You only need one machine with 512 RAM. There should be someone on your team obsessed enough with robotics to allow you to use their home computer. And maybe you can get your local computer store to sponsor you - that would rock.

Basically I'm saying I would definitely like to use MAX 5 as it is supposed to have many awesome features.

If they're serious about doing a regoinal aniamtion award I guess we'd better make the most of our time.:rolleyes:

I just wish FIRST would treat animation better at the nationals and display it better than just as filler during down time at the competition.

It's rather insulting to the people who worked hard on the aniamtion to be treated as such.

Bunch of Whiners!
 

All you guys are a bunch of babies... when I started w/ this whole animation competition thing I was running Max 2 on a P-75 w/ 24megs of ram and a S3 Virge 4meg PCI card that overheated so bad I had to keep a fan pressed up against the side of the open case.

Quit yer whining...

-JL

Re: Bunch of Whiners!
 

w00t to the Sunny...

-GH

The FIRST step in recovery is to realize you have a problem...:D

ok, none of you know what overheating is untill your forced to keep a desk fan blowing on your computer without the side panel because you have no air conditioning and its 98 degrees in your room....

Yeah, I had a similar experience where I left my computer and a computer we were borrowing from our sponsor on in my room all day long. I was out all day, so when I came back it was like 100 degrees in my room, it being a small room and the door being closed all day. I was surprised I hadn't set the house on fire.

Anyone who accidentally,intentionally / purposely over heats there machine no matter the age i consider a computer abuser. hey that rhymes. i have to fix the machines in which people break. then again. brings me money so over heat away so i have a job. :cool: hehe.

do not over heat your machine intentionally i will find out. I'm computer god i see everything.

Sunny and Jason
 

Sunny and Jason, I have finaly desided to post on Delphi. I have tried Max 5, and it is all that I thought it could be and more. I did not like the lack of animation botton at first but now, it is awsome. Max 5 is faster and easier to make movements quickly, and the exact one that you want.

Yeh, I'm loving the new movement gizmos
 

Its sooo precise and the new circle-style gizmo for rotations, I'll agree, it was rather awkward at first, but now its SOOO helpful.

Re: Sunny and Jason
 

Our Technology Department recently recieved Max 5 Educational Version I don't know if that is what ya'll all taking about or the pro version...

I think it looks exactly like Max 4 but the animation aspects have been greatly improved..

If they are having regional animation awards, we're not going to have as much time as we have in the past.

DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY KNOW IF WE ARE HAVING A REGIONAL ANIMATION AWARD....AND NOT JUST SPECULATION ACTUAL PROOF?

MAX 5 was released ages ago if I'm not mistaken.

512mb of RAM? Who cares. Go shell out some cash and get yourself a gig or two, you wont be sorry.

My opinion exactly. Its not THAT expensive and Animations will definitely improve in quality once we get MAX 5. I would also think that FIRST would not be fulfilling it's goals to provide us with real world experience if they DID provide us with out of date software.