messiah:faq

Why do I need messiah if I already have Maya or LightWave (etc.)?
This is by far the most common question that we get, which is quite understandable.  The best way to think of it is the knife analogy:  Why do you have more than one kind of knife at home?  It's common to have steak knives, butter knives, regular table knives, chef's knives, etc. yet they all ultimately do the same thing.  The difference, as with software, is in the subtleties, the type of work to be done, and the approach (how it's actually used).  "Do it all" packages are, by their very nature, very complex because there's so much to do.  But specialty packages like messiah allow for streamlined work flow. 

The large majority of our users have Maya as their companion package, and the comment we hear most from is that it's not that messiah has tons and tons of features that Maya doesn't have (though we do have many), but rather that for character animation and other effects it's just much easier and faster to work with.  Along the same lines, people like that messiah is artist-friendly, so you don't have to be a technician to achieve great results.  It's a very forgiving program that invites exploration and experimentation due to things like the unique Setup Mode, easy toggling on/off of effects and keyframes (even while the animation is playing), reusable rigs, etc.  Messiah puts the fun back into animation.

When I install the demo version it asks about a "HASP" device.  Why?
Because you've accidentally downloaded the full version for licensed users with a hardware dongle.  Uninstall the software then download and install the version marked "Demo."

What are the system requirements?
Operating System:  Windows XP (recommended; also runs on Windows 2000)
CPU: 1ghz or higher AMD or Intel
RAM: 512mb or higher
Hard Drive Space: 100 megabytes
USB Port (for hardware dongle)
Graphics Card:  NVidia is recommended, but ATI now works well too.  The card must fully support OpenGL 1.2 at the bit depth and resolution you are working at.  (Some lower end cards may only support OpenGL at resolutions below 1024x768. Check with the manufacturer)

Is the software downloadable or must it be shipped?
The initial order must be shipped because there is a hardware dongle.  Subsequent updates, whether paid or free, can be downloaded.

Can I rig a character in messiah and animate in Maya or other host app?
No.  The connection with messiah is one way and it exports animation, not rigs.  This connection is live, so as you animate in messiah it is automatically updated in your host app.  Then when you save your scene, save it from the host app and it will save all of the messiah info inside that file-- you don't have to save the messiah scene separately unless you want an "unconnected" copy (though even that can be connected later).  Note:  Mark Wilson's Point Oven is another great way to use messiah with other apps, including with SoftImage XSI.  For more info see Mark's site here.

Will there be an animation connection to SoftImage XSI and other apps?
While we have included connections to Maya, 3DS max, Cinema 4D, & LightWave in the base package, it is not very practical for us to develop and maintain connections to all popular apps and the different versions of those apps. However, we do have an animationHost API that allows anyone to connect messiah to virtually any app that has a capable plug-in API.

Does messiah have a modeler?
No, messiah does not have a modeler, it is just animation (messiah:animate) and rendering (messiah:studio).  There are currently a number of good commercial & free solutions for modeling, and messiah can load the various formats that are support by most of those modelers (see next question). Relying on external modelers for objects allows us to focus on those areas in which we have considerable expertise: setup, animation, shading, & rendering.

What modeling software/formats does messiah work with?
Any modeler that can save object in OBJ, LWO, LWO2, DXF, and 3DS.  Here are some of the modelers that people use with messiah:  Silo, Wings 3D, ZBrush, Maya, SoftImage XSI, modo, Cinema 4D, 3D Studio Max, and LightWave.

Does messiah have a network render controller?
No, messiah does not have a network controller.  It works great with Butterfly Net, and it comes with the Host API so studios (or individuals) can, if they require, incorporate it into whatever controller they are using.

Can I use ZBrush displacements?
Absolutely!  In fact pmG has been aware all along that high-quality displacement is absolutely vital.  With the arrival of ZBrush on the scene we added some specific support features to ensure a robust synergy between the two programs.  This makes our integration of ZBrush displacements unrivaled in simplicity and comfort.

Why doesn't messiah have weight painting & what is field weighting?
Weight painting requires that the weight data be stored with the object. This is essentially a modeling operation that requires saving of the model. Since messiah's purpose is squarely focused on animation and rendering, and since it may have a live connection to host apps, it does not support explicit modeling operations.

However, weighting is still a necessity in character animation.  messiah uses a technique called "field weighting". Field weighting allows you to perform weighting of your objects with weight tools that generate an area of influence. This is not only extremely flexible, it also allows for easy object replacement since the field is not directly attached to the object.

Another advantage of Field Weighting is that it allows for animated weight fields for those effects/shaders that support it. This allows for some very dynamic character deformation and effects.

Where are my car keys?
Assuming they're not still in the car, check on the floor next to your bed, or in the bathroom.  It's also possible, depending on your living situation, that they're in the front door of your home from when you arrived last night.  On the other hand, they may have slipped through a wormhole and arrived in the soup of some unsuspecting diner in an alternate universe or time.  If that's the case you can forget about ever finding them again but can be thankful that the entire car did not slip through.