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I returned to this to add a new option. After successful creation of the MP4 video and moving of the PNG sequence the script creates a thumbnail gif animation using the MP4 video. A few observations. We can render to the watchfolder or simply copy/paste a sequence into the directory. Either way the watchfolder script will see new images arrive and respond accordingly. I fired up Netrender and rendered to the watchfolder** and any excuse to use Netrender is a good excuse right? This isn't using Netrender's native ability to run scripts after completion but that might be something to consider as we could have Netrender communicate with the Watchfolder script to pass project names and more over to the script. One thing I forgot in the interim from using the watchfolder utility was that the .ini settings override the settings in the script itself so I kept wondering why even though I had changed the location of the watchfolder in the script it refused to watch the directory I specified. Well, Rodney, that's because computers only do what you tell them to do and you told this one to use the directory set in the .ini file. Once that was updated... all very good! At any rate, render a sequence of PNGs and automatically get a MP4 video, a smaller gif animation preview and datetime stamp a directory holding all of the PNGs. Rather quick too I must say. And while we are talking utilities to work with A:M files... Here's a test of a program that visits a github repository, previews the file (if preview image found), allows the file to be downloaded AND, if a zip file is located in that resources directory activates a button to allow that zipfile to be downloaded. Its more of a proof of concept than anything very useful. I'd like to have the program look inside the Animation:Master resource and share the preview/icon image stored there (if present) and display the File Info text (if present). Now that I've experimented with extracting the icon previews out of A:M files I think I might be up to that challenge. Note1: The program first looks for a preview that belongs to the actual resource. For instance, if cube.mdl has a PNG image in same directory named cube_preview.png it will display that. If that preview is not present the program will look for a preview.png image in that directory.. If that image isn't present it displays a default image. It'd be overkill but fun to have it have an option to look for an animated gif. Note2: The token field is what allows more usage via github. Github tokens can be set to expire and the one I'm using in this test expires in September. When scanning through a large repository the user will run out of free access quickly so having the token helps a lot. Without token: 60 requests per hour With token: 5000 requests per hour The count resets every hour.

Thanks for posting this, Rob.

At Live Answer Time we once again discussed TSM2. The TSM2 page shows where to get installers for AMv15 and TSM2 https://forums.hash.com/topic/32426-tsm2-for-am-now-free/ It also has a link to two LAT videos showing a complete TSM2 installation and CP weighting. @Roger @Ganthofer @svetlik

We shall try to look at this at Live Answer Time if you can be there, Edward. I think I will need you to walk me through what you are doing.

Sorry, meant to ask if anyone has suggestions about bone heirarchy to avoid shrinkage when the arm is raised straight up. This setup follows Mike Fitzgerald's setup from his rigging DVD with officer McKnuckles.

Made 2 seperate smartskins for bicep & forearm and driving them both with ArmsShoulders pose & making some progress. Not sure if that's the correct way to set that up but so far so good. See attached Prj. SuitCoat3.prj

Bring your A:M questions to LIve Answer Time at Noon CDT Saturday August 9, 2025! Comedian David Steinberg was born on this day in 1942. in 1968 Steinberg made the first of his 130+ appearance on "The Tonight Show"

Digging through my HD again looking for some old projects. I was commissioned at one point by Hash to model Batman, such a fun project, thought now days I would probably model him with half as many patches, always less is more.. especially with splines.

Hi Pete, Hope you are able to get the latest version of A:M running! sounds like an impressive PC and always nice to see old/new users using A:M and posting their cool artwork on here!

You can still buy Animation:Master. I always buy the annual subscription. I've NEVER had trouble getting the activation code. It always arrives instantly. I'm baffled when people have trouble with that. What are they doing differently? I have no idea. I've never bought the permanent version. Is that somehow different to activate? I don't know. If you have trouble that has to be resolved by email that will not be instant but it will get resolved eventually.

...what's going on. I still run A:M on a legacy Mac Pro. I just bought a new PC specifically and only to run the new versions of A:M. But can I still buy Hash? I get the impression it's kind of a side project now and the support staff is very busy with other things. I perfectly understand how hard 5 spare minutes can be to find sometimes. If I order a permanent license from the Hash Store, will I get my activation code email right away, or whenever the staff finds the time? I'm eager to see what this Alienware gadget can do and Hash A:M is the only reason I bought it. Right now it's just sitting there receiving spam from Microsoft. Thanks.

A Smartskin is a Relationship, driven by a Bone angle instead of a Pose slider value.

Smartskin is good just exploring relationships, as the manual makes the point several times that they can do all the things that smartskin can do. thanks for the help.

That is what Smartskin is for. it reacts to whatever angle you move the bone to. What about smartskin doesn't fulfill your need?

Yes I know how pose sliders work (& they're cool) but I meant creating a pose with keyframes of skin at different angles of a bone rotation (like Smartskin) so that you can move the arms around freely and have the skin moving as wanted (like wrinkle in cloth) and NOT using a pose slider. I know smartsking can do this but I'm just exploring other avenues. Is this making any sense? Sorry if it isn't but not sure how else to explain it.

Suppose you wanted a slider that makes a cheek puff out. Do New>Pose>Percentage Do ALT-4 to open the Pose Window if it isn't open already. The slider highlighted in red is the one you are editing. Change to Muscle Mode Sculpt the CPs on the cheek you want to "puff" Move the slider to see the change from 0% to 100%. You could make shapes at any other percentage if you wished. When you are done with the Pose, force a save or save as on the model (or the PRJ if the model is embedded).

How do you set up keyframes for muscle/skin in a Pose as opposed to Smartskin? Been trying but can't get it to work. I thought Pose was able to do this but don't remember how to set it up. Is this something that has to be done in an Action? Been looking in the manual but can't find instructions for a dumb-ass, you know "Do this and then do that." details. thanks in advance.

can I borrow the Sadomasochist Fox and Mad Squirrel for an animation?

Um... well... I needed a model to test with and Herodude just happened to be here. After an initial generic standing pose I decided to try a 'trip and fall'. I suppose this might be a setup that would convey the general idea although I think it'd pay off to start over from scratch now that the general idea is there. Added a side view that I rendered just prior to doing the front camera view.

Those "locators" he talks about are pretty much like our "Nulls". I have often added a Null to a Chor to temporarily rotate something, like a foot or a prop, around some point it would not normally rotate. Here is his rolling cube, done in A:M... RollingCubeTest.prj

I'm sure in the hiarchie of walrus there is a lot of stride. But for the skinhunting problem they were haunted I'm a bit back holding. I feel a bit sorry for killing a Rotweiler in Quake, but that is the startpoint for a shooter game. Otherwise I meself would be killed. Quake is terror and horror, not a kind walrus humping to me. 👿

They are kinda like the dogs of the sea, aren't they?

At 8:01 I heard him say, "I've been rigging in my ass since 2003..." but then I rewound it and found he really said, "I've been rigging in Maya since 2003..."

This thread has several examples of using simcloth for a shirt. The more the character has to move the harder it is to make it work. A fitted suit, as your character has would be very challenging.

Sounds good - talk to you then and thanks.