There are Milk shape and Blender that are 3D modellers that you should look into in terms of absolutely free.

If you go to a good magazine store, there are copies of Computer Art and 3D World for $20 that have the trueSpace modeller full version 3.0 that is good for iso. I'm prejudiced about it because I do my iso art in trueSpace 4.3 to render sprites from 3D models.

ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site
My Game Art


[edited by - ZoomBoy on February 1, 2003 5:30:06 PM]

quote:Original post by nickmerritt
Thanks, in truespace do you have to rotate every thing by hand?

I have rotating poses like you.
You can rotate by typing the rotation into the Object Panel and then hitting the record button.
or
by hand quite safely
I use an overhead view - I always have one open - and then restrict the rotation with two mouse clicks to just the Z axis.
I move the mouse and the model rotates to the correct facing. The Object Panel shows the rotation real-time as well so it can be exact.

But there is a trick if you have 8 poses rather than 4.
1st I do the pose facing me - frame 0
Then I do the facing away pose - frame 4
Then I do the facing left pose - frame 6
And then the pose facing me again - frame 8
It interpolates properly for frames 1,2,3,5,7 but only render out frames 0 to 7

But the safest method I use is
1st I record the pose facing me - frame 0
And then record the pose facing me again - frame 8(so it''s exactly the same as frame 0)
Then I do the facing away pose - frame 4
Then I do the facing left pose - frame 6

hints
- Watch out for the auto-record option - I have it turned off
- Make sure your axes of the object are where you want them to be. It can be tricky for a humanoid figure
- if your model has bones in it, the bones rotate but the skin is one step behind It freaked me the 1st time I saw it.
- create a spread-sheet, if you''ve got many poses

ZoomBoy
Developing a iso-tile 2D RPG with skills, weapons, and adventure. See my old Hex-Tile RPG GAME, character editor, diary, 3D Art resources at Check out my web-site

quote:Original post by nickmerritt
I need a 3D render to make some ISO art but I have no money, I''ve tried Anim8or and it works but not for making ISO, or so I think? Any programs for free that work?
Nick

It seems you need to get money, then you can get a good 3D program. Sometimes getting to the goal takes more than one step, Grasshopper.

If you use a 3d app that supports plugins and you are a decent programmer, or know one, you could make a plugin to do the rotations for you automatically.