Character Studio is a plug-in for 3D Studio MAX—a 3D animation program. This program enables animators and artists to create realistic and natural looking 3D character animation. It is in regular use by numerous motion picture and game development companies as well as dance choreographers including Merce Cunningham.

Character Studio consists of two elements. The first—Biped—is a skeletal animation tool that enables you to create complex motion for any two legged character. Its optional footstep driven approach allows you to animate a character by rotating and dragging one or more associated foot prints anywhere in 3D space. The second—Physique— lets you seamlessly skin a character skeleton with a detailed 3D model so that as the skeleton moves, the “skin” smoothly and naturally deforms along with it.

	As core team members, Forcade Associates supported the development of Character Studio. We designed tutorials and produced user documentation.

Project Scope
Forcade Associates was contracted by Kinetix and UnReal Pictures to produce user documentation and tutorials and to work with them on refining the user interface. As members of the core development team we provided input on overall program functions and use. We were also called upon to support Character Studio's beta test program by producing a preliminary user manual with tutorials.

Because of the unique nature of the program and its associated processes Forcade Associates was called upon to clarify and simply its intricate and esoteric technology and make the program more accessible to character animators.

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