Shake vs Combustion

[animayator]

Hi, everybody.

I'd like to know the main differences between Combustion and Shake. Does Shake do some things that Combustion can't do and the opposite? What does Shake do better than Combustion and what Combustion does better than Shake.
As a film director wanting to autoproduce my movies, I'm searching the more adequate solution.

PS: using Cinema 4D, I'd like also to know if this 3D soft is friendly with Shake or Combustion or both?

Thank you.

[epsic]

do a search this has been talked about so many times

I've worked with both and yes one will do something another can't but really it all comes down to your talent/imagination, hell you could have a Inferno, but without talent you have nothing.

As for C4D it is fine, it outputs many file formats and C and Shake can use them all. But if C4D is your thing then use After Effects, the C4D multirender option for AE is great, yes you could just do the layers yourself in C and Shake but with AE you get the Camera move and light moves.

[animayator]

Thank for this tip for Cinema 4D. I didn't expect that AE was still competitive with C or Shake...

In fact, the idea in my question was: which one of these softs is the most "swiss army knife" soft to use and easy to learn?

For Inferno, You're right! I used it for my last SF short movie. I ld like to have one at home with the talent of the guy who worked for me.

[bigbossfr]

Hi!

I've been able to use Shake and Combustion on a couple of jobs..definitely each one has its own pros and cons.

Combustion definitely gives you more features for its price point. Infinite layers, 3d camera, extensive vector paint tools, superior stabilize/tracking tools, an intuitive and easy to use particle system..and this is from version 2. Combustion 3 adds warping, time remap and a scriptable expressions tool for customized effects.
Shake gives you fantastic speed(especially on a G5), customized macros, extensive color correction tools, rotoscoping, keyer by Primatte and Keylight.

So which is better and what should you choose?
It boils down to what kind of jobs would you be involved in and the workflow the company uses.
Combustion is geared more for the individual user who wants almost all the tools found on a highend system but has no money for an Inferno. Its a toss up between using Combustion and using AE...i feel that Combustion has an easier interface but its a personal preference.
Shake is more for big post companies doing heavy 3d effects work...kinda like Weta. Since Shake offers the most in customization and speed, it allows your TDs or FX supervisors to create specialized looks and revisions for high resolution materials...believe me, i've had Combustion collapse on me using 2k or 4k layers but with Shake, it handles this with ease(sometimes anyway).
In the end, you can really co exist with either software but in some cases, would be able to complete the job only using both of them.
We haven't even included Digital Fusion in the discussion..which for me is like getting the best of Shake and Combustion...but that's another topic...

jude