@@In Non linear editing, you still need the film and the raw material. But, at the end of the day the editing part is much, much more elegant. Non linear animation doesn not mean you don't need the animation, you need the basic materials just as much, models, animations, etc. But it enables you to elegantly work with those basic ingredients. And it enables you to reuse them effectively. NLA is definately the way forward, but it is not a replacement for keyframe animation. Nonlinear editing is not a replacement for editing, it is an extension and enhancement thereof.
I never said NLA was a replacement for keyframe animation. I think we're in agreement that it's an enhancement device.
My post was geared to the fact that many things that have been manually keyframed in the past no longer have to be. I illustrated this with the walk cycle. Instead of creating 3 discrete walk cycles, you can now build one good cycle and modify it to fit the other 2 styles as all walk cycles possess certain similar key elements (hip sway, bounce, pivot, etc.). Same is true for other animation elements.
Let's also not forget that NLA is not exactly synonymous with NLE. Sure, you can drag things around in clips and apply transitions, but with 3D you have many more elements to control than in 2D. NLE is basically cuts and transitions with a few FX thrown in. NLA is all that and a bit more because you control the added dimensions inherent in a 3D environment.
Matt
Matt Lind
Animator / Technical Director
Softimage certified instructor:
Softimage|3D
Softimage|XSI
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