Hi,

I wonder how they design/draw the final fantasy characters in "advent children" making them look so realistic???

Is there a certain piece of software that they use? or does anybody know of any tutorials for learning how to do this? I really want to learn how to do it...

Has anybody in this forum been able to draw characters of that quality yet?

You mean the 3d characters? Its made with a program called 3d studio maximum, from the company autodesk. Its really annoying to use, really good, and 6000 USD for a copy. The rendering software, which gives it the hair, and the textures too, is most likely custom made. Some of those can get up to another 8 or 9 thousand USD.

For a free 3d system, check out www.blender.org

I watched a "Making of AC" program, and yes most of the software they used were custom made, that Square designed for them to use.

You mean the 3d characters? Its made with a program called 3d studio maximum, from the company autodesk. Its really annoying to use, really good, and 6000 USD for a copy. The rendering software, which gives it the hair, and the textures too, is most likely custom made. Some of those can get up to another 8 or 9 thousand USD.

For a free 3d system, check out www.blender.org

Don't forget to mention that said 6000 USD only pays for a copy with a very limited license... And as implied, it does not give you the benefit of any custom made software, seeing as it would be proprietary to the company that used it... If you want to draw characters in that manner, there are various schools that will teach you how to animate 3d graphics, and they are always looking for more people to go to them. And if you wish to draw FF characters in that manner. Learn Japanese and attend one of those schools. Square Enix is always looking to hire someone in a pertainant field who is fluent in Japanese and English, and/or the tongue of whatever country the local office you would work for is in. (The fluency in Japanese expected is high enough to where it's easier to find a Japanese person with the required fluency in English who has the right skills and certifications than it is to find a non-Japanese person of the same specs., so there is a pretty good reason why most of Square-enix's employees are Japanese, other than the fact that it is a Japanese company.)

like most fancy software and hardware packages, the skills of the person using it matter infinitely more than what software you're using.

there are free 3d modeling programs that it's possibly to do very, very impressive things with. if you can work in one 3d program you can pretty much work in them all with some minor adjustment periods.

Of course if you're just bored and have infinite time to play around... and i mean infinite.. you might nearly achieve the same results... for one pictures.

It doesn't take infinite time. An easier way is if you happen to have a FIRST Robotics program in your school. You get a free copy. I've got the Beta 8.1 version. However as said, it is terribly hard to use and will kill your computer with texturing.