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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.
4,160 topics in this forum
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Hi One month ago, i ve asked if it could be possible to attribute a short key to a plugin, some says no because the plugins don t appear in the custom short key list menu.I was sure i was crazy because some time they appear and i don t know why ! i had to reinstall my OS and then i ve shot this !! (5 notes theme of Close encounter of the third kind music here ! I don t understand why these plugins appear or disappear from time to time from the short key list ! Any clue ? where is Lt Colombo ?
Last reply by maddle, -
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Dear Terrians Everybody recommand this tutorial to master some of A:m tools but the link is broken http://www.colins-loft.net/new_coop_tutorial/tutorials.html does someone get a copy or a kind of mirror site ? the other question that i ve bought on ebay the aM hanbook 2000 and the author mention a third party plugin named A:M loft (with double rails loft, and multisection lofting function) where can we find it ? I use the term "we" for us poor newbies we are front of the majic software. Last questioon but not least: is it possible to bake the ambiant occlusion as a texture map ? Thanks
Last reply by maddle, -
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- 2 replies
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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, -
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- 723 views
What's going on? There's no libraries. When I open the library file from the disk I get the message that there is an "invalid library file". I've only had AM for a week. What do I do?
Last reply by LazyDude, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
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Hi there, I am rendering a scene for an animation, and am having a rectangular artifact appear in the final image. The animation is being rendered out at a multipass of 16 (4 x 4). The artifact does not appear until the 12th pass of the image. I am using A:M 13.0n on Windows XP Pro SP2. I have an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro video card and have all the latest drivers for the card and Windows. Out of 150 images rendered, 14 of them have the artifact in the same location and same height, but vary in width. Sometimes the frames affected are sequential, other times they are not. For instance, the frames affected are 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 then skips to 27, 28 then skip…
Last reply by C-grid, -
Will there be any more contests such as video or still image comming up? and if so what theme.
Last reply by Mr. C, -
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hi i am a newbie and i need someone to help me to get the right lighting effect to make the model look more real and not like a plastic puppet. is there any kind of softening render effect or something? is there any tutorials on the subject please help THANKS BILLY
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
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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, -
- 1 follower
- 7 replies
- 723 views
I used to use AM several years ago and have just purchased a subscription. I plan to make cartoons with robots shooting each other because that sounds like fun. About how long does it take to get the email so I can download this and get started?
Last reply by Gerry, -
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- 723 views
Hi All, Anyone know if it's possible to use AO or Fake AO and maintain nice reflections like this video clip? Thanks in advance! ao_reflections.mp4
Last reply by new guy, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 723 views
First off... I'm new to making 3D things. Classes in 3D start in the fall, and I spent a bit of the summer trying every trial available to me. Including, Maya, 3ds max, Shade12, Wings, blender, ProjectMessiah, Modo, Milkshape, Moment Of Inspiration, AC3D, Silo, Hexagon, SketchUp, Houdini... and probably some others I don't remember. I don't know of a trial for Animation Master so that's why I'm asking this silly question... and maybe perhaps making a feature suggestion for a future update. I've noticed Collada import and export is now in blender, wings, mirye shade, google sketchup, sidefx houdini, and luxology modo for sure. Is Collada import and export in Anima…
Last reply by Paul Forwood, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
- 722 views
I'm trying to add a series of flat Shelf Corals to the scene. It would make life a lot easier if I could select one within the camera view, duplicate it, and adjust its position...rather than dragging down another from Objects>Choreography, then have to back 'way out [visually] to find it, rotate it, drag it into position, then scale.[attachmentid=12929]
Last reply by heyvern, -
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I'm working on rigging my first model and I was wondering if there is a general feeling about the best way to get smooth deformations. I've searched for any topics on weighted CPs versus fan bones versus smart skinning; and while I have found information on all of those, I haven't seen any discussions comparing them. I guess I'm really looking for a comparison on which would use the least resources and be the most responsive when animating and most efficient in general. I hope I'm not repeating an old topic, and if there is already a thread, please let me know. Thank you.
Last reply by thefreshestever, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
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Ok folks Heres one I hope you all can help me solve. I have rigged my dude, go to action to make sure all is working well, which all does seem to be fine except,,,, when I move control hand down it seems to keep going further than it should and it stretches the fingers all out of shape. OUCHHHHHH I have attached the proj. files with this if anyone can figure out what I did wrong this time. Thanks Wally Nevik11.prj
Last reply by Walter Baker, -
- 1 follower
- 7 replies
- 721 views
Hi, I was wondering If somebody can tell me where can I find the Models Dex and Lambrina. I try to email Den, but my email did not go through, It comes back with an "error" saying, It could not be deliver to that email adress he has in his website. I wonder if he stills there, Mmmm ??? I am really impress with his work he has done.
Last reply by seduar, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 721 views
How do I go about putting the various choreographies in my project together when I render? So it plays the first Chor then the second once that one is done and so on and so forth.
Last reply by Kaijin, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
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I have been working my way through the projects in the manual. I keep returning to excersie 6 "The door's stuck" to try and resolve a major problem I have been experiencing. I will create a path for Shaggy from offscreen left to just infront of the door. I assign the action of walking to the model of Shaggy. The animated character "Shaggy" walks neatly onto screen and pauses in mid-stride before the door. So far OK. I then advance the frames by 5 and position Shaggy standing with both feet firmly planted in a standing at rest posture. In addition I move the right hand to the door knob. At this point I will run the animation to see how the motion flows and, to my consterna…
Last reply by oakchas, -
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I set up an object to "glow" as a pose slider from 0 to 100% but it seems to only work as 0 or 100% nothing inbetween. I know the setting is either off or on - but I thought I would give it a try. I am trying to make a tooth glow - up and down to make it look like it is pulsating showing pain. Any ideas if the glow thing isn't possible would be great. I suppose I could just do glow "off" "on" "off" "on" etc., but I wanted to fade it off and one. Anyway - thanks. - Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 721 views
hi! this is a bit outrageous, but i'm wondering whether you remember writing about your bus stop project and feathers? someone complimented you on your materials in particular, you answered in generous detail, and then there was talk about the way feather "hairs" cling together; of every hair having more "hairs". i seem to remember an image of a white feather, but all of this could be faulty - i could be connecting details here that were not connected. on a couple of occasions i've done searches for this, coming up with nothing, so this is a bit of a last resort. have to ask.
Last reply by dblhelix, -
- 5 replies
- 721 views
I had always been a fan of the written tutorials because I could go at my own pace and not have to worry about pausing the player and/or rewinding to catch something I had missed. But having been stuck on the flower modeling tut. I went ahead and watched most of the video tutorial. I am now hooked. There are so many hints and tips you can catch on a good video tutorial that never come across in the written tutorials. (BTW, who is doing the video tuts. for the TAoAM videos?) It's almost as if a picture is worth like 999 words. (Hmmm. That could almost be a proverb, I'll have to work on that.) I am aganin even more excited now about the prospect of the…
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 5 replies
- 720 views
Can someone tell me how do I Load a BVH file into A. M. I BVh files I Know there is BVH files that are reuseable. And since I just started to use this program I have not be able to import a BVH file to see if it works with a 3D Character. IF Somebuddy can explain a little bit how to do it I woud apreciate it.
Last reply by seduar, -
- 3 replies
- 720 views
I was wondering if there was an easier way of adding text instead of modeling them. I heard there was a wizard or something to do it for you. How do I do it?
Last reply by FlyingMonkieBoy, -
- 5 replies
- 720 views
Does anyone know what version does "the setup machine 2" support. I know it a freeware.
Last reply by sfx3d, -
- 7 replies
- 720 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, -
- 7 replies
- 720 views
In earlier versions of AM ( V8) it was possible to specify Black and White as the output of the render then that began to change with V9 and V10, when it became necessary to treat it as a post render treatment. I am using V15 to redo an old project for a competition but I can't find where the BW option is, could anyone kindly explain where it is and how to use it? regards simom
Last reply by Simon Edmondson, -
- 5 replies
- 720 views
I love the look that AO can give... but getting there is killin me! Friday I set up a AO render and let it fly all weekend... it was taking an hour per frame... not bad- I have some time to render this sequence. TODAY I am trying to do the same thing and NOT getting the same results (See image) Let me tell you how I go about getting AO and please check me if I am missing something: -Open up project and turn OFF or delete any existing lights. -Set the CHOR to GLOBAL AMBIANCE TYPE- COLOR -Adjust the color to an off-white, set the ambiance intensity to 70-90 ish -set the ambiance occlusion to 20-40 ish (higher equals longer renders...) -In the RENDER cue...…
Last reply by HomeSlice, -
- 1 follower
- 10 replies
- 719 views
During the modeling of a somewhat detailed FW190, I realized that I would have to apply cylindrical decals to some parts of the model. The only way that I know how to put cylindrical decals on a surface is to have the part on the 0,0 xy coordinate. How can I translate the decal to the model instead of moving the model part to the 0,0 point? Say I have 20 different parts all over the model that need cylindrical decals applied. It would be a real pain to move the part to 0,0 one at a time, then put it back in place on the model.
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 5 replies
- 719 views
Anyone know of anything I can use to convert TGA files to PNG fast like a batch converter that will actually keep the alpha channels? I've tried a bunch of converters, but they all ignore the alpha and I end up with an image that has a black background instead... Thanx guys.
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 1 follower
- 10 replies
- 719 views
Hi - I am working on a project for a client that has to be rendered out at a very high resolution - one of the characters in the scene is a girl with long hair - I want to use a hair material to create her hair, but getting concerned I may not be able to render it, or take way too long at the resolution it has to be in. Has anyone created a character they could point me to or post a pic of that they modelled the hair, but still has a realistic look to it? Thanks - Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 13 replies
- 719 views
I have an IK chain of two leg bones. The knee has a null target. I noticed in a chor that the null does not follow the knee as it moves forward. Because it doesn't, I believe that it is causing the knee to bend inward somewhat. Here are three screen captures of what I am talking about.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 718 views
I was searching the forums to find these 2 tricks in animation. None of the topic headers seem to have keywords to track down the info. Logically, they have to be common animation techniques for some time now: 1. Rotating a wheel such as a car, and to keep it spinning. 2. Animating a prop that pops up in one area and then disappears and something else pops up in the same location, like magic. For instance, a frog breakdancing and then instantly disappears and a prince pops up in the same spot.
Last reply by Dhar, -
- 8 replies
- 718 views
I'm using V11.1 and iIwas using the program like normal when all of a sudden all the things in the Library has been drawn blank. Models, Actions, Projects, ect........all blank. What could be the problem? Should I reinstall the program?
Last reply by TRN, -
- 5 replies
- 718 views
Hi - I have been seaching the forum for materials trying to learn more about them. I see the following darksim link http://www.darksim.com/html/simbiontam.html How does this work - it says the Simbiont Plug-in is already in version 13... and up I am guessing. I just upgraded to the latest version - how do I know if I have the plug-in. Also, are the free materials they have on on the site applied like you would a regular material? Someone help me see the light, was a little iffy about downloading the plug-in, didn't know if it was just for an older version
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 2 replies
- 718 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, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 717 views
Hi I was wondering what are the lip sync tools like in Am? What sort of documentation does Am come with? What sort of technical support can I expect from am company, if i bought am. Does am have a paint program simular to that of bodypaint? What feature films does anyone know of that have been developed from am. How easy is it to learn the moddeling tools? What other software is compatible with am?, In your own words how does am compare with major packages like cinema 4d?, or lightwave? If you can answer any of these questions I would be very grateful.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 8 replies
- 717 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, -
- 8 replies
- 717 views
I am new at this program. I bought the AM at the Anime Evolution Convention in Vancouver, BC, this month. The first question that I have is this: Am I supposed to update the program?
Last reply by Aquaryan, -
- 7 replies
- 717 views
I was making my archery bow and had some materials applied. When I opened my project today, the materials were still in the PWS but non of them are showing up on the bow?!?!?!? I made a new project just to see if they worked there and they did. Not really sure what got changed to where non of the materials are visible on my model. Thoughts?
Last reply by thumperness, -
- 7 replies
- 716 views
I'm lost when it comes to collisions and the like. What's the best way to simulate the effect of someone jumping around on a matress? Mainly, the indentations of the feet making contact on it. Thanks in advance.
Last reply by frosteternal, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 716 views
goodnight-stories needed: looking for technical info with examples on interpolation and pre- & post-extrapolation in a:m? techref: nil site search: one (candy cane rotation repeat was conclusive) almost feels like i'm missing something here?
Last reply by dblhelix, -
- 8 replies
- 715 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
- 715 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, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 714 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, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 714 views
Hi all, I'm quite new to A:M, so I guess this is the right forum for me! I've been working on my very first project and I'm getting some odd shading patterns. I'm sure it's a simple mistake in the way I applied peaked splines in one direction and smoothed splines in the other (peaked in spanwise direction along wing, smoothed in chordwise direction along ribs). Is there an easy way to get around this? Or does it even matter when it comes time to texture it? Thanks in advance, Luke
Last reply by jakerupert, -
- 6 replies
- 714 views
Pixel has made a wonderful Remedy model that I've been playing with but for the life of me I can't seem to get it to view right in render lock. Every time I do take a look in render lock it's nothing but IPod commercials. I've attached the model file and an image. If anyone knows what boneheaded thing I'm doing wrong I would appreciate an explanation so I can feel suitably stupid. I'm using 13.0i EDIT: I should mention that rendering to file works fine (see second attached image) it's just render lock that gives me Apple commercials. It's frustrating for me because I'm working with Pixel and Wedgie on these models and it's hard for me to tell Pixel if…
Last reply by Rob_T, -
- 5 replies
- 713 views
Trying to get a sprite particle system set up, and can't help but think I'm missing something basic here. I can't get the opacity to change over time. It's just constant. I adjust the opacity over time on the timeline, but it does nothing. And is it possible to use an animated format for a sprite? .gif or .mov? Had no luck with .mov, nothing renders. Thanks!
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 followers
- 2 replies
- 712 views
Hi everybody. While I'm new to the forums, I've been using AM since v9 in 2002 and was planning to upgrade to the 2006 version. So please bear with me as some of these questions might seem elementary. I was wondering what exactly the v12.Op Installer available at this site did, and whether that was the same as ordering the 2006 upgrade from the AM flyer that recently came in the mail. One thing that kinda worried me was accidentally scratching the AM CD, and having to buy the whole thing over again. It happened once before, with my 2002 CD. I had the Complete Guide to AM:2002 by David Rogers and the 2002 program itself, and was content to stick with that…
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 5 replies
- 712 views
i want to know how to know if the lip poses im making are the right poses
Last reply by HomeSlice, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 712 views
i need to ask something but i can't make an image to illustrate... i can't render in the model mode, in the model window. trying a jpeg, tried particles ON if that was an issue; wireframe; i need an image that shows normals, my actual question is about those. help please?
Last reply by dblhelix, -
- 8 replies
- 711 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,