A new real-time, non-linear, behavioural driven animation system being developed by a Cambridge-based animation company is threatening to change the way that 3D animation is made, writes Sam Espensen.

Made by software

A new real-time, non-linear, behavioural driven animation system being developed by a Cambridge-based animation company is threatening to change the way that 3D animation is made, writes Sam Espensen.

Made by software company Kelseus, Antics will act as a real-time directing tool that enables an animator to assemble, direct and modify a scene involving 3D characters, props and scenes. According to the company, unlike equivalent animation software, characters will interact automatically with objects in the scene and navigate their environment intelligently, eliminating some of the tedious parts of animation.

The software will fit into existing 3D ?production workflows? which means, for example, that geometry and animations can be imported from 3ds Max. Animations can then be exported back into the original package, so if real-time rendering is not suitable for a production then off-line renders can be done.

The intuitive tool in the software is purported to have a large number of benefits; scenes can be blocked faster, episodic content and multiple language versions can be produced where the timings of characters are different, scenes can be changed fast and the results can be viewed in real-time. It also allows a high level of re-use of characters, scenes and props. Antics will retail at somewhere between£2,000 and£4,000 and should be available towards the end of this year.