The feature set of Hash's Animation:Master 2000 is nothing short of amazing, especially in light of the price of this 3-D animation system, but the manual that ships with the program hasn't matured as quickly as the software. Some features of the software are barely described in the text, and some aren't even listed. Jeff Paries, a former Hash employee and an Animation:Master user extraordinaire, continues to fill in the blanks--and then some--with the third edition of The Animation:Master Handbook. The tutorial-based approach and clear, concise writing make the book a priceless asset to both new and old users of the software.
This new (third) edition of the handbook covers everything from the previous editions, in addition to new material, so you'll stay current with Animation:Master v8, a.k.a. AM2000. You get the scoop on new texturing options, soft and rigid body dynamics, and flocking/swarming of groups. New information on shag and fur shaders also is included.
For new or intermediate users of Animation:Master, this book makes an excellent resource and companion. It's full of useful information and tutorials, so most users will be able to get up to speed reasonably quickly by working through the book. That's the good news.
The bad news is that there are no color pages. All screen shots are in black and white, and any discussion of lighting and color is blandly illustrated and somewhat theoretical. Also, coverage of the new features, such as the hair materials or Dynamics features, is extremely thin. Dynamics in particular deserves deeper tutorials, especially the new Cloth and Springs features, because they are generally found in very high-end animation systems only.
Lastly, the included CD-ROM contains precious few example movies, although it does have all the project files and source material that's discussed in the book. Still, there's nothing like a nicely rendered movie to inspire a new animator, especially if there are explanations also of how it was created. --Mike Caputo
