Microsoft makes 3DCG animation production software for children '3D Movie Maker' open source

by Mike Mozart

The 3DCG animation production software ' 3D Movie Maker ' for children released by Microsoft in 1995 was open sourced in May 2022, more than a quarter of a century after its release.

Hey friends --we've open sourced the code to 1995's Microsoft 3D Movie Maker https://t.co/h4mYSKRrjK Thanks to @jeffwilcox and the Microsoft OSS office as well our friends in legal and those who continue to put up with me being a nudzh. Thanks to @foone for the idea! Enjoy. Https://t.co/6wBAkjkeIP

— Scott Hanselman ???????? (@shanselman) May 4, 2022

Microsoft open-sourced the code for 1995's 3D Movie Maker because someone asked [Updated] | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/microsoft-open-sourced-the-code-for-1995s-3d-movie-maker-because-someone-asked/

Microsoft released 3D Movie Maker in 1995, the same year that the world's first full-CG animated ' Toy Story ' was released as a feature film for the theater. 3D Movie Maker was able to place and move 3D characters and props in a pre-rendered environment, add music and special effects, and create animations at 6-8 frames per second.

Microsoft hasn't updated 3D Movie Maker for a long time, but enthusiastic fans are still working on 3D Movie Maker. There are also forums where you can show off your work and exchange ideas, and newly created movies are posted on YouTube.

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Meanwhile, foone (@Foone) , an old hardware and software enthusiast, told Microsoft on Twitter, 'I want to extend the 3D movie maker released in 1995, so I want the source code.'

hey @Microsoft give me the source code to 3D Movie Maker. You released it in 1995 and I want to expand and extend it. My DMs are open, I'll help you open source it.

— Foone (@Foone) April 6, 2022

In response to this request, Microsoft decided to open source 3D Movie Maker. Scott Hanselman , a community manager in Microsoft's development department, consulted with Jeff Wilcox , a manager in Microsoft's open source program, and the Legal Department, and said that he realized the open source of 3D movie maker. ..

The source code for '3D Movie Maker' can be downloaded from the following read-only GitHub repository.

GitHub --microsoft / Microsoft-3D-Movie-Maker: This is the source code for the original Microsoft 3D Movie Maker released in 1995. This is not supported software.
https://github.com/microsoft/Microsoft-3D-Movie-Maker

In addition, foone has also open sourced the 3D renderer ' BRender ' used in 3D movie maker with the consent of Jez San, the former CEO of Argonaut Games , the game development company that developed BRender. I will .

So I have some really cool news:
I just got approval from Jez San, former CEO of Argonaut Games, to open source the BRender engine.

That's the engine used in Microsoft 3D Movie Maker, Argonaut's own Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, and the first two Carmageddon games. Pic.twitter.com/3aKiuZkK5b

— Foone (@Foone) May 3, 2022

Mr. foone will create a fork based on the code of '3D Movie Maker' which became open source, and will release a version that also works on Windows 11. In addition, it has a plan to release a version that removes the color limit of 256 colors, improves sound support, and adds new functions related to movie creation.