Old Win95 Movie Making Program

[WhatRuOn]

Anyone remember an old movie director program that was demoed on some versions of Windows95?(I think it was 95) It gave you some characters and some sets, and let you place them on the sets with animations included in the version. It was a neat little program.

Anyways, I'm trying to find it, but it's extremely difficult because A: I don't remember the name of it and B: every search I try to do gets flooded with the Movie Maker that comes bundled with XP.

[iWindoze]

Anyone remember an old movie director program that was demoed on some versions of Windows95?(I think it was 95) It gave you some characters and some sets, and let you place them on the sets with animations included in the version. It was a neat little program.

Anyways, I'm trying to find it, but it's extremely difficult because A: I don't remember the name of it and B: every search I try to do gets flooded with the Movie Maker that comes bundled with XP.

IIRC (and I'm pretty sure I do because I was OBSESSED with this

program at one point..) what you're talking about is Microsoft's 3D

Movie Maker program from their kids division (yeah..this was a kid's

program...go figure! @@ It was rather cool for what it was at the

time you could use prerendered characters and move them in situations

of your choosing to create your own 'movies' the biggest constraints

at the time was the fact you were REQUIRED to have the cd in order

to be able to view the 'movies'. Why Microsft never made some type

of Office extension to allow a stand alone movie or some kind of export

is beyond me...typical MS not seeing what they have right in front of

them until its too late..

Check your PM box for a link to see some more info on the program!

--iWindoze

[WhatRuOn]

Your the man!

Thanks alot!

[iWindoze]

Your the man!

Thanks alot!

No problems man...your question brought back memories of my first computer

and how I used to waste HOURS on Microsoft 3D Movie Maker trying to use the

program to make my own film...heh..I wish I'd managed to save my work but I

know that if I ever saw it again I'd think it unbearably lame! Especially when

compared with the stuff the guys at that link I gave you have been making! I

couldn't believe how much effort they've been putting into their movies...Look

at the Redux movie that Aaron Haynes and Jason Meckes made...mindblowing

stuff that is!

I can't believe how badly Microsoft blew it when it came to this 'kids' program!

[sam13484]

Did a search and found this working link:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/deskapps/kids/3dmm.exe

Getting an error msg when installing on XP.

Can someone test it on 95/98 and see if it works?

Here's a similar program (trial only):

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/deskapps/kids/nick3d1.exe

[WhatRuOn]

I'm gonna try to run it on 2000 when i get home from work...If that doesn't work I might to dig around in my basement for a 95 or 98 disc. I have some good memories with this program, I really want to relive them.

[iWindoze]

Did a search and found this working link:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/deskapps/kids/3dmm.exe

Getting an error msg when installing on XP.

Can someone test it on 95/98 and see if it works?

Here's a similar program (trial only):

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/deskapps/kids/nick3d1.exe

As far as I can tell those are NOT the correct apps. You'll want to do some

googling around to find a better copy of the program. IIRC 3dMovie Maker

was just a Windows 9x bundle for the 'My First PeeCee' crowd and the Nick

version of the program was a freebie that was given away in cereal boxes.

I'd recommend reading up on Wikipedia to try and see where the 3mm community

hangs out these days. I'd say more but I don'yt want to be in violation of the TOS.

All I can say is that three megabytes IS NOT the right file size...more like 300mbs!

There is a 'compressed' version floating around only good for playing downloaded

3MM files, but that'ts just a rip and its not good for much of anything without all

the 'extras' that got removed and even that weighs in at about 78mbs or so...

Even Micorsoft isn't going to be able to cut that down to 3mbs.

Good luck on your search. Also IIRC there was a mini demo of about 40-90mbs

on the old Windows 95 'Companion' cd that shiped with some home PCs. Look

in the demos\Tours folder of the cd.

Good Luck!

PS: I've been sucessfully running it from the cd I have and it is working fine in

Windows XP (using compaitibility to run in 640x480) but it complains about being

in 16bit color and wants 256 coulor mode. Don't pay any attention to it when it

complains; it'll run just fine in 16 bit 'high color' mode.

[jimmsta]

Here... read and download and enjoy to your heart's content -- http://www.3dmmstudio.co.uk/

Basically, you can grab the full app off this site, as it's considered Abandonware now. Some hackers figured out all the formats, and now you can create and import your own characters, music, scenes, and whatnot... there's a huge community playing this game still... and it works on XP.

[iWindoze]

Here... read and download and enjoy to your heart's content -- http://www.3dmmstudio.co.uk/

Basically, you can grab the full app off this site, as it's considered Abandonware now. Some hackers figured out all the formats, and now you can create and import your own characters, music, scenes, and whatnot... there's a huge community playing this game still... and it works on XP.

Argghh! and here I was trying to hint at things by mentioning the wikipedia

article so as to avoid bringing abandonware links to the forum...or is okay to

post those links now?

PS: Have you seen Redux yet?

[ http://www.3dmmstudio.co.uk/listmovies.php?page=R#movie_571 ]

[jimmsta]

The only reason why I said anything was because I own a copy of the game, and only recently found the site that I mentioned... I got my copy with my first Windows-based PC - A Sony VAIO PCV-100, back in February 1997. ****, that machine was a piece of crap...

[Gorosaurus]

Hey there, guys. My name's Jason Meckes, and I was half of the directing team behind REDUX. I'm elated that you've found the movie, it kinda makes all the work that Aaron and I put into seem well-spent. Haha, 3dmm's still a fun program, and it's still quite alive (Though moreso through an add-on program called v3dmm http://www.v3dmm.com).

The program is now certainly abandonware, and Microsoft Kids division hasn't existed for some time now. The complete version should be around 128MB, and is available for download from http://www.3dmmstudio.co.uk, among other 3dmm sites around the net.

The community hub, with a recent forum makeover, is http://www.3dmm.com

There you can check out the latest animations, utilities, modifications, and new releases for 3dmm. The reason why 3dmm is still alive and still moderately popular is because it is, while limited in areas, completely open and easy to use in others. It takes no learning whatsoever to begin making a movie, and no other animating program is as easy to make simple animations with. As with any program, more complex stuff does take time to learn, but it all involves using the basic tools you started out knowing.

Keep an eye out for Ninja Gaiden 2 next year, that'll be my next big release