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A:M Forum Rules
GENERAL FORUM GUIDELINES
The A:M Forum is for technical support and the sharing of tips and ideas between users/prospective users of Hash software. It is moderated constantly by technical support representatives.
DO'S!
-Ask questions about the software.
-Assist other users... everyone was new at this once.
-Inform people of your version/platform when asking for help.
-Share resources; tutorials, models, textures, tips and techniques (link to useful websites).
-Post links to your work, or where your art is being used online (on websites, in games, toons', etc.)
-Search the A:M Forum and FAQ. The question you are about to ask may have already been answered.
-Organize and inform others about user groups, IRC chats, image and animation contests, job opportunities, etc.
-Discuss what you are working on and let everyone know about magazine reviews and articles that relate to your projects.
DON'TS!
-Do Not be rude or disrespectful or mean to other forum members in any way. Personal attacks will be removed.
-Do Not post bug/crash reports to the list (send bug/crash reports to http://www.hash.com/reports.
-Do Not complain about forum content. Complaints or suggestions can be sent directly to hash@hash.com
-Do Not reprimand other forum members for violating forum rules, that's the moderators job, which (unless you are a moderator) you are not.
-No complaining or whining on the forum or distribution of misinformation.
-No flames of any kind.
-No Off Topic posts. (Posts in the Off Topics section should be related to A:M in some form or fashion or benefit the A:M community as a whole).
-No soliciting of any kind without prior approval.
-No threads or comparisons related to other 3D Applications.
-No "Wish list" or feature requests, they should be sent to www.hash.com/reports for categorizing and prioritization (User requests define the future development of the software).
-No "me too!" posts
-No discussion of Hash Internal Affairs (finances, advertising, PR.)
-No posting of private email to the forum unless permission of the author is granted. (Private correspondence should remain private)
-No very general questions like: "how do I make a good 3D model" make your questions as complete and concise as possible.
If you have questions as to whether it's appropriate, send it to: support@hash.com, We'll be happy to let you know whether it is, or is not appropriate.
User Led Forum Considerations
Firstly and foremostly, please remember this is Martin Hash's forum and that it is every A:M User's primary resource for information about A:M. In order to remain relevant we need everyone's continuing support and interest.
Secondly, understand there is a distinction between A:M (the program) and the A:M forum. There are some topics and issues that are outside the scope of this forum and most can be deduced by reading through the forum guidelines. These include such things as Hash Inc internal policies, business practices, trade secrets, and specific plans for the future not yet publicly released. Each of these would be fascinating topics of their own but are better reserved for private communications with a representative of Hash Inc.
Related to the second, is purchasing, customer service and other areas outside the purview of the common user who may have no interest in such things; subjects relating to money exchanging hands are beyond the scope of the A:M Forum and often can lead to conflicts of interest between users and/or Hash Inc. (If Hash Inc cuts you a deal on volume purchasing it's really no one else's business). Likewise, individual complaints about a product or service are best remedied by going direct with Hash Inc representatives empowered to make decisions. Please allow them them the time necessary to resolve your specific issue and consider the cost of customized solutions.
This last area is likely the source of much confusion because many see the A:M Forum as the official outlet for Hash Inc... and it is. But the forum is not designed for conducting business and private matters best resolved by going to Hash Inc directly. Similarly, bug reports are best resolved by entering them directly into the A:M Reporting system.
Many problems can be easily addressed at the user level just by asking fellow users in the forum. If someone at Hash Inc suggests the forum as a source, it is very likely a problem can be easily resolved. For tougher issues there is even more reason to take the issue directly to the source... you don't want the issue discussed... you want it resolved quickly.
Finally, remember that we want to pass this forum on to future moderators and generations of A:M Users in the absolute best condition possible. A:M is just that good a program and is worthy of our consideration.
Thanks for making the A:M Forum a great community.
4,166 topics in this forum
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- 2 replies
- 791 views
1. How do I unwrap my character so I can later paint the picture and then use it as a decal. 2.How Can I mimic reel camera movements into Animation Master.
Last reply by PF_Mark, -
- 7 replies
- 790 views
Hello, I am working on a short character animation that will be imported into Flash as a sequence of jpeg images. Ideally these should be the images of the character only without the backgrouds (ground, light) so it can be incorporated with the existing Flash scene . I found that I can remove the default ground from the PWS but do not know how to get rid of the sky/light (whatever it is?) that is rendered together with the model. I know that A:M can do that (Merlin the assistant is a good example, it floats and fits to the scene) - any suggestions? Another issue I am struggling with is the combining two animation sequences. In this particular case I have a 1. charact…
Last reply by Yossi, -
- 4 replies
- 790 views
Is there going to be Siggraph 2007 and up??
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 790 views
I'm making a robot and wondered what I need to do to make him metallic like the Tin Woodman. What changes do I need to make on for the surface?
Last reply by zandoriastudios, -
- 4 replies
- 789 views
Heya! I've been using Hash for years, and still pick up on pretty simple stuff that I've been overlooking from time to time. One thing I've never bothered to look into is how to do a fully seamless decal. That is; usually you decal the front, then decal the back, and you'll get a seam down the side (unless you make the texture line up absolutely 100% perfect by hand). Normally, I've just worked around this, but now I really do need to do it properly. Is there a way to flatten an entire model (not just one side/area)? Could I use alpha channels/transparent backgrounds to "fade" one decal into the other? Thanks a bunch!
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 6 replies
- 788 views
Hello! Is there anybody out there?! I'm trying to purchase the subscription version of A:M and the store won't let me. I know I have funds available on the card. All my info on the cart/site/login is correct. I've triple-checked. I've tried calling Hash Inc. I've sent emails to "orders" and "support". Nothing. I just took on a modeling/animation job based on previous knowledge/experience with A:M while working at another company. Now I've got a deadline of Friday, but no software to work with. I can make the deadline if I can get the software by tonight or tomorrow morning. Is there a webmaster or forum moderator out there who can help me? Or perhaps …
Last reply by cjmagee, -
- 5 replies
- 788 views
I am following through the tutorial and I have just finished the first one which results in a short video .avi file. If I select "Play Animation File" in the A:M top toolbar, I can see the video file. It has a small lock in the lower left hand corner which I imagine means it's read only. Anyway, if I select the file, I get an error in the media player. I first tried WMP 12. Then I installed VLC media player and still get an error. The strange thing is if I use windows explorer to navigate to the directory which contains the video file, I don't see the video file listed in the directory. I am getting discouraged since I can't even get past the first tutorial!?!? …
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 1 reply
- 788 views
I'm wondering: when you are editing around in an animation and tweaking key frames, is there a way to "reset" a keyframe to the state it was in when you visit it and before you move off it? I'm aware of undo, but with subtle changes it seems it would be hard to tell when you get to the exact point you started, and maybe you would overshoot and undo something else you didn't want to. I suppose you could save project at each keyframe and reload it if necessary; seems cumbersome though. -SB
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 5 replies
- 787 views
Hello - I have a project (cartoonish - not realistic) that I have a cloud that I need to have rain coming out of it raining on a character - then have an umbrella come into the scene and block the rain. Does anyone have samples of rain that they have done w/ fluids that they could post a link to? It's cartoonish, so the rain drops could be pretty big. Thanks for any suggestions - Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 2 replies
- 786 views
Are there any plugins available to allow exporting a figure so it can be opened in 3dmax? The plugin included for saving as 3ds doesn't create a file that will open in Max. I like the spline based modeling but AM renders the slowest of any program I've tried. Also, what happens if something happens to your cd (crack, scratch, etc.) can you get another so you can run the program? Thanks
Last reply by bobaloons, -
- 4 replies
- 786 views
Hi. I was hoping to start off my relationship with this board with something cool and interesting, but I have to start off with something very lame... I've installed/uninstalled this program four times on my Mac 10.4.7 computer. The reason? Within the very first lesson (Exercise 1) the book asks to go to the 'Library', click on the "Models" tab, double-click the "Actors" folder, and drag-and-drop "KeeKat"... Well, there is no "Actors" directory...within 'All Library" or "My Library". In fact, there are no directories at all in the Library section. I can find that specific file and Import it from the disc...but I don't think that's what the makers had in mind. …
Last reply by vf124, -
- 4 replies
- 786 views
Ok, so i photoshoped some gyroscopes i want to use but when i put them onto A:M they have a white background, even though i deleted it and made it transparent, i imported it as a .jpeg because A:M doesn't let me put in .psd im i doing something wrong? How do i make the white background go away and so it just the image i want? Thanks! -zam1137
Last reply by zam1137, -
- 1 follower
- 9 replies
- 785 views
Does anyone know if Enhance:AM is included with the new version of Animation Master? Thanks. Actually, I think it doesn't matter, since I have a MAC, and it probably doesn't work with MAC. Justin
Last reply by jmart714, -
- 4 replies
- 785 views
Hello , I m wondering if a knife tool exist (i ve tried J. Gross cutplane but i can t make it work ).Also i would like to know wich are the modelings tools and plugins to model in a good et efficient work flow. It is possible to extrude and move in the normal direction ? is it possible to create a spline and copy paste and outline or offset it ? or to solidify an object ? Any suggestions are welcome. ps : how can i create a short key to a plugins ? like Zevel o, key "Z"
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 2 replies
- 784 views
Hello All, I am having a bit of a problem with how bone boundboxes are showing up (being displayed) When I try to change the size of a bone the boundbox that is showing up is not correct. Please see pics. Here is what I am getting when I edit a bone... [attachmentid=12903] here is the boundbox that shows up [attachmentid=12910] This is what I would like it to look like... [attachmentid=12905] [attachmentid=12906] This was displaying or working fine before, but all of a sudden it is showing up like this. I did roll back the video drivers (Nvidia 6800) to the version when I first installed the card but I never had a problem…
Last reply by tjk_17, -
- 6 replies
- 784 views
I am using AM2006, the yeti CD. I downloaded the AM2000 & AM2001 files from the Hash FTP. I created a library file for AM2000 and gave all the models thumbnails. Then I was doing the same for AM2001. After spending a long time doing this, I noticed the "Vehicles\Land" folder was missing. Then, right before my eyes, the "Vehicles\Sea" folder disappeared as well. I went back and checked the AM2000 library and the same thing had happened there too! I panicked and closed AM quickly. When I reopened it and browsed my libraries, I found those folders as well as a couple of others had mysteriously relocated themselves into my "props\weapons\blade" library folder. …
Last reply by T-Dogg, -
- 4 replies
- 784 views
Hi All - I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem. In my camera properties, I set the background color (in this case to white). When I click the onscreen render button, the background is white. When I render my final animation, the background is black. I tried changing the bg color to all kinds of crazy colors. Same exact results. I'm sure I'm just missing a setting somewhere. What setting am I missing? Thanks. - Michael
Last reply by mfortunato, -
- 5 replies
- 784 views
Hi! Yeah, that is... All my raytraced proyected shadows seem to me like a bit "sharp" and I think there must be a light option to avoid it in the same way I can add blur (or smooth) to my Z-Buffered shadows, isn't? Although I've been study all the options unsuccessfully and finally I don't know if really I won't be missing something about all this... Ohhh, this damned A:M curse! Always a newbie... THANKS!
Last reply by Ramón López, -
- 8 replies
- 784 views
ok iv made a modle and colored the whole thing grey but im trying to make a few patches red but when set its still grey am i doing something wrong
Last reply by youngman, -
Hi Guys, Coming from Lightwave, i m wondering if it s possible to rotate/ move a light from the current light point of view ? It s definetly easier to target when you are "inside the light". Thank for you help ps: did the cA:M ommunity stop the developement of the T.W.O project ?
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 4 replies
- 784 views
Can any one make this work correctly... (this is the procedure for making the tires in the FW-190 tut in TAoA:M) Lather yourself a circle like you are going to make a torus. Instead of moving it so you can lathe it around the default axis, Group it and move and rotate the pivot so you can lathe it into a torus where it is. Lathe it. I get very distorted splines in v16
Last reply by knipple, -
- 8 replies
- 783 views
i have made several poses so far on my models, yet if i use more than one that uses the same bone(s), it seems to add them together (ex: a mouth opening with a smile) and makes it look terrible, and the face points and the bones are all over the place. is there a way to use more than one pose in a certain area without this happening?
Last reply by itsjustme, -
- 2 followers
- 4 replies
- 783 views
Hi Folks I am viewing a tutorial on texturing by Will Sulten. In the tutorial he is using the hipogyraf and I wanted to fallow along with him using the same model. I know I could use something else but if its available could some one point me to it or post it?
Last reply by jason1025, -
- 10 replies
- 782 views
well, I like what I see, and the price you just can't seem to beat. Ive read alot of reviews, some really positive, some not so much. My biggest concern is that people are saying that it is unstable. Has that been fixed in the lastest versions? I'm 15 and I used to do animation in power point just for fun. I tryd maya at a friends but it was really hard to use and WAY out of my price range. Also, is there a return policy if the cd is defunct? thank you.
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 6 replies
- 782 views
Whoa! So, I'm in the midst of doing the piston tutorial. Everything is going along swimmingly. The tutorial works. I can make a piston go up and down while the crankshaft turns. Exactly as advertised. Well, except for those inbetween keyframes where you have to make more keyframes to get the "shaft" bone to line up correctly with the crankshaft pin... Then it's "close enough," but it really isn't. Somewhere (early on) in the tute is mentioned the fact that we're going to "brute force" this animation without relationships, etc. Great, I can handle that, as long as it works. But, it really doesn't. Well, not accurately enough. It will look fine as it's m…
Last reply by R Reynolds, -
- 7 replies
- 782 views
ok, i have this light, with lens flares, and when i render it, i can't see it, what do i do?
Last reply by PeterS, -
- 4 replies
- 782 views
I have look around the forum and thought I had seen something on this but I can not find it. After some searching I decided it would be quicker to just post the question. I have a model in. .OBJ and I would like to convert it to .MDL but the A:M program keeps freezing. Dose anyone know how to get around the problem?
Last reply by DJBREIT, -
- 7 replies
- 782 views
I have Adobe Premiere Pro, and I want to do some special effects, but when I use video captured by Premiere, the video doesn't even show up.
Last reply by HomeSlice, -
- 2 followers
- 4 replies
- 782 views
I thought I knew but I didn't. What I have learned about is "Dynamic Constraints and cloth" But Spring Systems although related seem to be different. I don't want to debate that part. I just want to know if there are any tutorials showing how to use the editing features in dynamics mode and assigning masses, using the constraints that are designed for spring Systems. Could someone point me in the direction of a tutorial for this? Or could someone make a video tutorial. In the tech ref they talk about using this for stuff that I would normally use a dynamic constant for like pony tails, locks of hair, loose jowl skin, ear-rings, bouncy noses, ear lob…
Last reply by jason1025, -
- 6 replies
- 782 views
Hi guys .... I bought the amazing Jenpy's Fake/Fast AO too, but I can't put it to work.. A:M is crashing when it's being aplied ( after softening pass ).. If I model a simple ball it renders correctly ... but A:M crashs using complex objects ( characters, cars...etc...etc ) Windows 7 64 bits A:M v16 beta 5 / 64 bits check the video... FIXED in 1.03 thanks Jenpy bmw.mp4
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 782 views
So right now I am working on learning smartskin. I'm in bones mode, I right click the bone that I want to drive the muscle motion, then go to New smartskin (I didn't see an option to choose x, y, or z rotate though - this was listed in the technical reference, and the copy I have is pretty old so something may have changed). AM then brought up a new Action window. I then moved my bone where I wanted it, and went into Muscle mode to adjust the control points at that extreme position. It seems to be working, when I move the bone now the points follow. Is that more or less how it is supposed to work? Also, in Muscle mode, the points that make up the smartskin t…
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 4 replies
- 781 views
i have been trying to post some pics and movies as attachments and it works up until it finishes loading then its like i never loaded it in the first place and help on this?
Last reply by Odog2020, -
- 8 replies
- 781 views
I got Boneless Thom to walk...thought Cheech would be easy. He's just Legs and Spine. But something has gone awry. Perhaps I missed a step. The Knees and Foot Targets don't want to stay with the mesh. Feet flip around backwards. This rig of Cheech has the Head, Hands and Arms deleted. IK Leg Setup is ON, IK Arms Setup is OFF, and, as in the tutorial: Steady=0, Balance=100 and Balance Rigid=30 [The Blue Arrows=Knees, the Red Arrows=Foot Targets] Hips/Pelvis and Spine bones have no problem. Where have I gone wrong?[attachmentid=14619]
Last reply by Stuart Rogers, -
rotoscopes
by bts0- 5 replies
- 781 views
ok its a white box again........ but when i render the final pic its fine and i can see the picture wh does this mean and y can my graphics card show the pic in the final render but it doesnt show up when its not rendered?
Last reply by bts0, -
- 5 replies
- 781 views
when i go to render project 1 "posing keykat, it wants to render multiple frames?" M i doing somthing wrong? please let me know what i em doing or should i just let it finish?
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 8 replies
- 781 views
Hi everyone, I'm new here and to animation master. (and I'm using the most recent version in case anyone needs to know) I'm making an animated text logo and modeling the text after a design created by another person in adobe illustrator. So here's the deal: the font used in the logo is Minion Pro. I have this font on my computer and thought I would save some time by just using the font wizard to model the letters. The only problem is the font doesn't appear as an option under the wizard. I have nearly every other font, but not minion and I also noticed it doesn't show myriad even though I have it too. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks!
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 8 replies
- 781 views
I have a decal applied to the floor. And it repeats over and over abot 20x20. My problem is when it renders it realy starts to blur as you get closer to the camera. I thought i read something about antiailising. Is this what I need? If so where are its controls? Please someone help. I'm at work working on this right now. Help before the next hour or so is crucial. Thanks for yalls help.
Last reply by clonewar12345, -
- 3 replies
- 781 views
alright this ones a bit out there but bear with me. thanks to the help i have been getting i have managed to get some of my AM skill back and have rendered a few short animations to my liking ( again thanks guys). my main concern now is that i want to put these in a web page, but try as a might i cant find an option to render as a animated gif. that said first question is does AM have this capability. second question is that if AM does not, does any one know of a way to load a small movie file into a web page to auto run and repeat as if it where a animated gif? hopefully with out the pause paly bar?
Last reply by Xtaz, -
- 5 replies
- 781 views
Is it possible to use AM v13, for cutting and joining animated clips done in AM. I m not sure i have heard of this done in AM before. thanks.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 5 replies
- 781 views
Firstly dose anybody know what "Exception #035" is ? I'm getting it every time I try and bake particles and then A:M locks up. Mac v16b and v17beta. Here's a test project that consistently fails for me, maybe someone could see if it fails for them too. Or am I just doing something wrong again? The zip contains the .prj and the .tag sprite images used in it. Secondly, for speedier rendering I would like to use NetRender. Do I need to bake particles before rendering? Particle_Bake_Problem.zip
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 780 views
I just recieved a leaflet saying I can upgrade to the 2006 version for $99. If only. lol. Unfortuantely I was one of the stupid ones who wouldn't put the time or effort into learning a diffirent way of modelling. Something I have regretted ever since. I was one of those prize idiots who sent my copy back. I keep popping in by the forums just to see the amazing stuff that folks have done. So even though I am not a user I have been grabbed by the bug that refuses to leave me. lol. If and when I get fixed up by the docs and can go back to work, rest assured I will be an Animation Master user. Keep up the good work folks. Cheers Mike R
Last reply by mykyl, -
- 5 replies
- 780 views
i was just curious, should i change any of the render settings to make a picture look more realistic (of a human with a pretty good mapping semi real looking) -hisako
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 6 replies
- 780 views
Hi I am using a macbook at school, and i am working on animation during my art class because my teacher has let me do so, buuuuut i was trying out the talking on my character and it is having a lot of problems with the dope sheet, i am trying out the sound "secret" and i type into the dope sheet "i've got a secret. Can you keep a secret? Didn't think so" but when i click ok, the only word that shows up on the timeline is "I've" and it keeps having erros like unable to access animation master, and cannot find dictionary. I have even looked in the animation folder and dictionary.dic is in the folder! so i have nooooo idea whats going on please please anyone who …
Last reply by bts0, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 780 views
Hi all, This is my first attempt at flattening a model and applying a decal. I have created a PNG file with an alpha channel in GIMP2 and applied it to the flattened face in AM. Two five point patches at the center above the eye brows have holes in them and the background of the PNG is white and not transparent. I have included the PNG and a screen capture of AM showing the problems. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help will really be appreciated. Thanks, Flatten_Face.zip
Last reply by steve392, -
- 6 replies
- 780 views
Hello all, I want to make a scene with flying or falling Money. mt first problem seems to be making the paper thin enough to be paper and still put a decal on it. the second problem is placing the bones for curving and flipping the paper as it falls. And it would be fantastic to have any suggestions on the best way to set gravity etc. Thank you
Last reply by MattWBradbury, -
Need ideas
by Mr. C- 9 replies
- 779 views
Well, I'm at a boarding school. And I just may have the oppertunity to teach a course in animation master (10 hours of work per class) Problem is, I need to learn AM in 4 1/2 months or less... Is that even possible? I've about convinced my school to buy 10 copies. (one of which will be mine) And I really want to learn and learn to teach amimation. Any ideas on were to start? Can somone link me to all of the online VIDEO toturials? And is 4 months even enough time. I would lead four two-week classes. class would be structured in the following manner: - Students will create and animate their own character - Students will learn the basics of m…
Last reply by Mr. C, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 779 views
I have noticed that in some of the tutorials I have watched, and also when I look down in one of the channel views I sometimes see a "W", as in "Transform.Rotate.W". What does that mean please?
Last reply by Luuk Steitner, -
So , i got it , for one year at least !! I m so happy to be a part of this incredible intelligent piece of code !! it s going to be a hard way to go ! but animation is the art of..life. i want to share everything i m going to learn, to every one here at the AM community , and i m already proud .... So let s have funny situaation ! Majid
Last reply by maddle, -
- 3 replies
- 779 views
I would appreciate some help here, I can not figure out how to make my figure draw a line. I can make her finger follow a path - line, but how do I make that drawn line visible as she makes it? I would be very happy if someone could direct me to some information about how to do this.
Last reply by eptigo, -
- 4 replies
- 778 views
How come sometimes when I want to create a five point patch, the interface won't allow it? Can you not have two five point patches touching each other? (sharing a commone spline segment). I got it to work...does the order that you select the points make a difference?
Last reply by robcat2075,