GUILFORD, UK — IKinema has introduced the public beta of its new browser-based animation service, WebAnimate. The production-level tool helps amateurs, indie game developers and small studios rework their mocap and animation data for free.
WebAnimate’s built-in toolset allows users to fashion rigs, manipulate bones, retarget/ customize motion capture data and animation all in the span of a few minutes. With this program, independent studios and individuals working on games, films, and mobile projects can now realize realistic and believable animation at a price they can afford: Free.
“It’s time to make high-quality tools available to everyone in the animation community,” says Alexandre Pechev, CEO of IKinema. “We recognized a need for an affordable solution for small studios and amateurs exploring this field, so we adapted our product to address it. WebAnimate will give all indie developers a new power tool for their creative arsenal.”
Over the course of the next year, users can expect to see new features added to WebAnimate. The introductory version of the platform will allow for the retargeting of motion capture data to models from standard formats such as bvh, FBX, and in the near future, c3d. Both experienced and beginner users alike can use this platform to quickly port motion capture data from cloud or local sources directly to their models. They can also tap into the vast number of free mocap files that reside online. Traditionally, this functionality has been only available to high-end markets. WebAnimate democratizes this toolset by making this high-end software accessible to anyone who wants to use it; in part, by tapping into the well-traveled ground of their browser.
Because IKinema’s solver works off of a browser, users are able to animate or retarget from anywhere. This is especially helpful for development teams with members that telecommute from across the globe. With WebAnimate, they only have to sign on to the Internet to start collaborating on projects from afar. For a small studio, this flexibility will save a lot of money and will give their artists some room to focus on the things that make them happy; like the speed at which WebAnimate allows them to dynamically animate human and fantasy characters.
“People live online. So why can’t their animation tools live there too?” added Pechev. “WebAnimate was created to not only level the playing field, but to place it where most people spend their workday. We think this will yield some exciting results.”
WebAnimate is available now and can be used by visiting their Website (www.ikinema.com/webanimate). It will remain free of charge while in its beta period. After that, users will only be charged when their animations or poses are exported for commercial use.