Poser does that. but as far as I remember, poser neither allows to sell the outputed 3d mesh, only 2d render. Was/is a tool for compositing and 2d design, mostly, for avi output, or any rendered stuff... not realtime use unles have changed. It has the easiness a coder could handle without passing by all the learning we (gfx people) needed to suffer.
Lowdown is no 3d export legally -unless they changed that- , too hi res for realtime, and too similar meshes, though.
There's no dumb easy tool for animation. Motion Builder, but is not easy, and even more, no format for real time that you could use. FBX only is opened by the big packages like LW, MAya, Max. But having any of those would avoid the need of buying an extra tool :D
Character Fx is good, but not for the standard coder, for what I am seing for quite a time. Not for the user type that Halo is aiming.(mainly coders that can do a bit of gfx)
Other than that, I don't know how good it is, as haven't tested (I am gfx guy and a control freak ;) )
But the main intention, and market aim seems clever.
Lowdown is no 3d export legally -unless they changed that- , too hi res for realtime, and too similar meshes, though.
There's no dumb easy tool for animation. Motion Builder, but is not easy, and even more, no format for real time that you could use. FBX only is opened by the big packages like LW, MAya, Max. But having any of those would avoid the need of buying an extra tool :D
Character Fx is good, but not for the standard coder, for what I am seing for quite a time. Not for the user type that Halo is aiming.(mainly coders that can do a bit of gfx)
Other than that, I don't know how good it is, as haven't tested (I am gfx guy and a control freak ;) )
But the main intention, and market aim seems clever.