Hiya all, long time no post!!!

Anyway, I need to create an animation for a big award show where the visual needs to tie in with the music to add maximum impact.

I am looking for advise/tutorial/book on how to best tackle the workflow.

1) Is it better to animate first and then pick the create music and then edit the two to fit
2)...or to pick the music first so the tempo is set and then animate to the track?

What are the pros and cons of option 1 and 2?

Cheers

3DS Max 6 to 2009, Maya 2010
Windows XP Pro x64 SP2
NVIDIA Quadro 1700, Quad Core 2.67GHz, 4Gb RAM
http://www.beanboxanimation.co.uk

I think it is better to animate stuff then add the music the best reference is the max files and references that come with the software. 

“I am looking for advise/tutorial/book on how to best tackle the workflow?”

what kind of advise/tutorial/book? what is your main goal in max? gaming, movies FX, architectural visualization, level design. character design?

Edit: i hear that when you add music in max is not very good! and ppl use another music program But as i only use max 9. I don’t know if its the same as the currant verison of max

Computer engineer, 3ds max freelancer
3ds max used currantly using max 9 (7, 8)
poser using 8 (5,6,7)
windows xp sp2
512 memory
40 and 80 gb hard drives
sis mirage 3 VGA Card
Asus motherboard

I would recommend working on both simultaneously.

If you are going to use a pre-recorded sound track, then you will want to time the animation and match the visual feel/impact with the music.

If you are working with a person/group/company that will produce a score and soundtrack for the occasion, then you will be developing simultaneously.

The problem with sound tracks in Max is not the quatlity. I’ve used wav files of over 5 minutes in duration, stereo, at very high sampling rates, and they playback without issue. (Hardware factors into this as well.) The problem in current versions is that you can only have a single wav file loaded in Track View. There is a 3rd party plugin available called SoundTrak from Boomer Labs, which allows up to 99 keyable tracks.

In looking at the specifications for 2010, there appears to be a much enhanced method of dealing with multiple sound files.
http://area.autodesk.com/for...ment_3ds_max_design_2010/

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: 7.5, 8, 9, 2008, 2009, 2010

The ideal is to have the audio be final before you start, but that almost
never happens.

At the very least you need some kind of scratch track to work off.

I’m guessing it’s some sort of flying logo type animation...get the camera
and major motion down first. Glows/flashes/glints can all be added after
to accent things.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advise.

I agree with “The ideal is to have the audio be final before you start, but that almost
never happens. “

It seems like I need to finalise-ish the music track then time the animation to the music. If the client wants to change the music at a later stage then i may have to accept retiming the whole animation.

Cheers guys

3DS Max 6 to 2009, Maya 2010
Windows XP Pro x64 SP2
NVIDIA Quadro 1700, Quad Core 2.67GHz, 4Gb RAM
http://www.beanboxanimation.co.uk

The problem with sound tracks in Max is not the quatlity. I’ve used wav files of over 5 minutes in duration, stereo, at very high sampling rates, and they playback without issue. (Hardware factors into this as well.) The problem in current versions is that you can only have a single wav file loaded in Track View. There is a 3rd party plugin available called SoundTrak from Boomer Labs, which allows up to 99 keyable tracks.
In looking at the specifications for 2010, there appears to be a much enhanced method of dealing with multiple sound files.

I assume Max 2010 will include Pro Sound, since is has been offered to subscribers as an extension. But I wouldn’t worry about this, the music will likely be mixed down to a single WAV that can be loaded to track view as a guide track. And as for the quality, the guide track you load will be just that, a guide. If you are doing things properly the soundtrack will be put in elsewhere, post render, not from Max.