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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.
4,158 topics in this forum
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- 8 replies
- 592 views
Ok, I should have been paying more attention to Dylan at Momentum, rather then dreaming about the beautiful Stephanie Giles ( Work Experience chick - while I was doing my " internship" ) . . .Ahem. Can some one give me a quick break down of key frame animation in AM. For instance when I create a walk cycle according to the AM book, how to I translate this to another action ? Also on walk cycles, if I have a walk cycle, how do I loop it JUST USING KEY FRAMING in choreography ? I have got this to work when I constrain it to a spline path - the cycle loops properly - when I adjust the keyframes - the walk cycle is accelerated - or 25 frames are stretched into say 3…
Last reply by KenH, -
- 9 replies
- 850 views
Hi. I am slowly learning the "burn" tutorial, and I can bet the material to work, but I am wondering how to get more comtrol over it? By that I mean, can I attach it to a slider, so it burns at the pace I want? Also, can I set it so it only burns certain groups or models, not everything?
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 1 follower
- 7 replies
- 888 views
Does anyone know what happened to the free models page does it still exist Also where are all the models kept on the ftp site.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 2 replies
- 508 views
After modeling and rigging a character, I decided to test it on the walk cycle from TaoA:M. Having spent so much time in the Project Workspace, I got use to double clicking on an item when I needed to start something new... I did this for a new Choreography Action as well, thinking I could do the walk cycle that way. However, near the end of the process I discovered that I did not have access to the "Has Stride Length" setting. Can this be turned on somehow inside a Choreography Action? I decided to render what I had, even though it isn't constrained to a path: SarahWalkTest2a.mov Also, I need to enable the Neck and Finger bones for the 2008 rig, but I'm no…
Last reply by Bendytoons, -
"Escalated"
by danf- 21 replies
- 1.6k views
There's 2.5 months of work, INCLUDING learning A:M! I set out working on this before I knew a lot of the basics, and got people relying on me to finish it (like a sound effects crew who were using it as their final project for school), so I had to drive ahead rather than learn some parts. While I'd nailed the TAO:AM, I knew little of character animation, or the many advanced features of this diamond-in-the-rough of a software package. Thanks to this forum, I was able to gather as much knowledge as I needed along the way. I've learned there are very deep levels that one can learn to animate characters on, and I had to rush over them to finish this. In other words,…
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 9 replies
- 783 views
You know, I'm finishing up my first animation and all, so I'm a total pro... hahaha. But I've hit hundreds of hurdles, and I've got to say there's some basic stuff that would be well to place in the TAO:AM routine. Call it my A:M wisdom to this point... call it me venting my frustrations. Either way, it's healthy for me, it's healthy for new students, so drink milk: While Lesson 1 does a good job of introducing one to the "talent" pool, and notion of a "pose," I think it fails to properly represent the workflow intrinsic to the design of A:M. When understood, the design of A:M is a beautiful thing that puts everything at your fingertips. When not understood, yo…
Last reply by Gerry, -
- 6 replies
- 448 views
Ok! I'm definitely a newbie! I have a lighting project where I have multiple characters, each with at least one light focused on it. During Cho I am turning lights on and off during the music score. There are thirteen lights added beyond the basic key, background and rim. Apparently I have hit a limit and I can't figure out how to get around it. With several lights on at a keyframe I turn another on and it does not illuminate in the cho view. If I turn another light off at that keyframe my new light comes on. How can I fix this?
Last reply by johnjohn, -
- 3 replies
- 333 views
OK I'm using a 4 point tube to try and make a antenna looking device , and why the main part looks good the end points which do get quite small and shape looking are getting weird artifacts , is there a way to correctly close off a tube? heres a pic
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 19 replies
- 1.7k views
Looking for some insight into speeding up my productivity and am going after the machine, and the person using it... Been on a mouse so far but considering a graphic tablet. Anyone offer some advice/ suggestions/ direction? Next Question: I'd appreciate some input on speeding up the machine. I recently read a forum entry leading me to believe that more RAM will speed up rendering. I figured it was simply a function of processor speed but am wondering now that I stumbled across the post.... Thoughts, experiences? Glider
Last reply by danf, -
- 2 replies
- 251 views
OK iv finaly managed to make a material that look like a energy shield , only problem is that its white and blue and not see through , i need a way to make the white completely see through while only the blue half. any ideas
Last reply by photoman, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 1.4k views
Launched Animation Master today, but it didn't load. Subscription must be expired. Does anyone know the steps to renew? What do I do?
Last reply by animas3D, -
- 6 replies
- 485 views
ok i have a section on my model where 3 lines need to connect with out a seam what is the best way to do this
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 1 reply
- 242 views
OK the model I'm working on is a little complex and in getting the surfaces to work correctly i need to find out how i can have one side of a line be smooth as in the "O" key and the other sharp as in the "P" k
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 5 replies
- 385 views
Here is a walk cycle i have been working on. Tell me it you notice something different about his walk.
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 2 replies
- 410 views
if i wanted to get a good hand model, where could i find one???
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 2 replies
- 326 views
OK working through my material making iv come across 2 different color setting on called diffuse and one called ambiance , whats the difference and what are they best for ?
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 2 replies
- 301 views
OK iv done a lot of fooling around with making materials but know i need a material that has a metal effect to it any suggestions on how to get that
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 11 replies
- 447 views
Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ? - Ok I've add the models so how do I get icons to show ? Do I render, the models and create the icons, then what do I do with the image - save as jpeg and put where ??? ? Help !
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 273 views
Hi - I am working on another dental animation and need to show a hot stimulus on the teeth to show expansion and decided to use a cup of coffee - does anyone have a steaming cup of coffee they have done, that they can show me, so I can get a visual of how you did the steam, or something similiar that is "steaming". Thanks, Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 1 follower
- 15 replies
- 1.7k views
This one is a bit more involved than I might otherwise target, but our own forum member steve392 has daringly volunteered it for inspection, so have at it! The centaur nature of the character complicates things a bit, but I think you can still examine this mostly in terms of a biped doing a standing jump. Which is a good basic body mechanics challenge for an animator. There's quite a bit going right here. Can you spot what's going wrong? side_jump.mov 3/4 view same jump
Last reply by alano, -
- 4 replies
- 366 views
hello rigomortisfx studios here finally getting into 3d modeling useing Animation:Master and opening the box that version is 2004 ......i know i am late i make horror masks and props and have been doing that going on 8 years and video editing and have used some other 3d software and other fxs software , so many things have delayed me from getting into useing Animation:Master my son was born and is now 8 years old Animation:Master i am here and have one long hill to take on and have the time to do that now . just dont want to make horror masks anymore other hobbies i use to do was drawing mosty horror and sci-fi stuff thank you for …
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 9 replies
- 954 views
I was thinking of making a holiday themed animation as a small project and figured I'd open the challenge up to other people learning A:M Here's the simple idea: A Gingerbread village. Here's the rules: Nobody who's got more than 2 years A:M experience. (We'll let them critique it after!) Needs to be done by Dec 24th Everything on theme Capable of being assembled into a project at the end (Same scale) I'll post a gingerbread tree in photo and model. Feel free to modify/ re-scale if you like, but mostly I'm posting it as a starting point. Some ideas: A house (or houses) Snow, Candy cane fences,…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 4 replies
- 503 views
How many characters can you assign different voices on stage at one time like a conversation, and can I import 3DS or is there a converter for it that will work with animation master. thanks
Last reply by washbucket, -
- 6 replies
- 501 views
I just felt the need to say thank you. All my life your program is exactly what I have been needing to let my creativity flow and bring my characters to life. I only wish I found it years ago. I cannot express enough how much this program has made me smile. I am a disabled Veteran and cannot work so I was searching for something to use my many free hours on. And wow did I find it! You have a loyal and dedicated customer in me and I will when I can buy every addon and cd possible! I look forward to anything you create and will definantly put it on my to buy list. Again just thought a THANK YOU was called for. Robert Thompson / The Spleen
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 1 reply
- 344 views
Hey again. The last post I made was about the missile smoke and I got that all worked out. Now I have a new problem. I've made a Mig-17. I've tried to find camo for it, but it's been almost impossible and I've been searching for hours. I'm looking for the camo scheme for Colonel Toon's mig- a Mig camo in the vietnam war. I need a pic of it from the side view and from the top view. Anyone have anything that they could hellp me with?
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 8 replies
- 871 views
Hi! I would like to turn my A:M renders into photographic prints. I'm excited that A:M can render at any resolution (go patches!) so does anyone have any ideas as to what pixel size I should render to approximate a really good 35mm camera negative? I'd like to then take this "negative" and print it out at a photo shop. I'm thinking of prints that would be in the range of FEET as opposed to INCHES, so a 3ft by 5ft picture that you would hang on a gallery wall. Some of the size would have to come from a smaller negative being "blown up." I know that there is a "super 35mm" preset on the camera output options, but would this be good enough to blow up to big format …
Last reply by Laconic, -
- 18 replies
- 1.1k views
ok iv just gone over the creating materials tutoral and have made some pretty interesing things , know what id like to know is can the materials be made to move. example i have a for lack of a better term rock that the material makes it look like its electrifyed , id like to be able to make the electric bits move
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 1 reply
- 369 views
Hi, I forsee that I'll have to do some heavy duty time intensive rendering, but I work on a Macintosh. I imagine that there are PC based computers that can really crunch with great processing power. I'd like to know if I can create my animations using A:M for the Mac and them render them using A:M for the PC? Any help would be appreciated... T
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 12 replies
- 866 views
When I activate the Cloth Wizard in a choreography, it works pretty well. When I activate the Cloth Wizard in a different choreography, with the same model, the cloth just bounces all over the place or something, when I simulate. I notice that each time I use the Cloth Wizard, a new Spring System folder appears in the Objects folder; I assume this means I can reuse this one spring system in other choreographies, instead of clicking "Cloth Wizard" every time, but when I put a model with that spring system into a different choreography, I can't figure out how to use the system. However this is done, I presume you can do the same with spring systems you create from…
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 9 replies
- 616 views
ok I have fluid working no problem. Problem is I need it to start at frame 48:00 and it wants to start at frame 00:01 how can I set it to start at that frame? Thank you.
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 1 follower
- 23 replies
- 1.7k views
I am trying to animate an item that has moving video on it within the animation. Plan 'A' is to have a television in the background. I have tried to use one of my previous animations as a decal. I can import it, I can apply it (although it is a blank image at time of application) and then it's lost. Still shows up in the image folder in the decal area but doesn't show up rendered or in choreography. Ideas? Plan 'B' is to build a movie projector in an animation. Thorough the manuals, It would seem I can just import a video and use it as a light gel, but I am running into the same issue: I can import it to the image file, even adjust/crop etc. But nothing…
Last reply by Glider, -
- 2 followers
- 12 replies
- 1.2k views
OK due to some post by other iv come to the conclusion that textures most likely wont do it for me( note there was nothing wrong with the post they just steered me in a new direction) so i need to know how to make materials, any help would be nice
Last reply by Helojammer, -
- 7 replies
- 535 views
OK really two question 1st can i take a image say 500X500 pixels and have it applied to the entire model 2nd once done can i get the image to move around it , kinda like a chain rolling around a gear curenty im trying to come p with a worm hole effect , the model itself consists of really distorted donut shapes but i cant seam to get them to you know look worm holeish with out the use of textures, and then i get into the problem of there being a big square just sitting there.
Last reply by Gerry, -
- 1 follower
- 14 replies
- 1.4k views
Hi sorry to ask probably a silly question. But I have just finished a short film that is about 1minute long and it took 22hours to render is this normal or could it have anything to do with that fact I used an extra light and so created two lots of shadows. I'm using a MacBook with AM v15. Any help or advise will be great thanks.
Last reply by Gorf, -
- 13 replies
- 878 views
All the sudden when I try to render something it just renders a blue color any idea on how to fix this.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 9 replies
- 617 views
Okay, I'm wandering into new territory again and need some help. :-) I'm working on a shot for the Christmas greeting I'm doing and I want to do a focus switch ...to transition from one character to another. So, I've turned on Depth of Field in the camera and set it up. When I do a preview render with no multipass, I get exactly what I would like. Foreground character is in focus, and background character and set are nicely out of focus. But when I do a multipass render, not so good... With more passes (say 9), there's almost no blurring at all. Is there a trick to this?
Last reply by largento, -
- 45 replies
- 3.1k views
I think your product looks great. The tutorials really are a good sales tool even if that was not the intention. I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions before I buy. Maybe I haven't looked closely enough but is there somewhere that gives the specs for the minimum and ideal computer (speed memory etc) that your software will run on? What is your policy on running the program on two different computers . Currently I run large renders (2+ hrs) on a faster computer while I continue to work on another (does this require 2 copies, network license, site license, don't care) While I don't mind copy protection, I do mind registration prote…
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 7 replies
- 875 views
Hello! Hoping someone can help point me in the right direction here... I'm making a simple wall clock and would like to animate it so that it does one of those "time passes quickly" gags. I've set it up with a bone for the minute hand and a bone for the hour hand. They are independent of each other and when you rotate them (from the front view), you can change the time on the clock, so it basically works, but I would like to make it more automatic. I need to constrain them, so that the hands only rotate around the center pin on one plane and I would like to make it so that moving the minute hand would work like a real clock: making it so t…
Last reply by Helojammer, -
- 4 replies
- 508 views
It's been a while since I've been on the forum, but I was away working on an idea for an animation that I intend to expand on. Now that I am back back, I have a question for anyone who can answer. I'm experimenting with smoke and I know how to work that. One thing I don't know how to do is to get smoke to start up after a certain period of time. I have an aircraft with missile bays. When the bays open, I have the missiles firing. That is when I want the smoke to start up and go. The plane will be moving too, obviously, and I don't think it would look to good with smoke coming ot of the fuselage in some random area. Anyone know how to work this? I'll put the missile video…
Last reply by captainrex, -
- 1 follower
- 15 replies
- 1.2k views
Hey folks, can anyone help me, I'm working on a model and suddenly I can't select any control points. If I click on one or any of them nothing happens that I can see. On a rare occasion if I try and grab a whole section of points the green selection box will grab another area of the model. I tried opening older versions and the same thing happens, which is nothing, so then I thought perhaps reinstalling the software might help. It didn't, same problem. I'm going through the Posts now to see if this has happened to anyone else but I may as well start a new post also and get the ball rolling, Help me animation masters, I'm getting desperate. Aj
Last reply by largento, -
- 1 reply
- 364 views
How does one Lock models in the choreography so you don't accidently move them ect.
Last reply by Jeetman, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 406 views
Hi - I am working on another dental animation and need to have a metal piece move in and attach to the upper jaw bone - then have the mouth close and it stay in the exact place I put it in the chor. I tried using Translate to and Orient Like and also Kinematic... it moves a little bit when I close the mouth because the jaw bone is moving. I tried setting some different interpolation methods - but didn't seem to help. Is it possible to lock it in place like I am trying to do to remain in the exact place I constrain it? Thanks for any help. -Eric P.S. - Happy almost Thanksgiving!
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 2 replies
- 373 views
Suddenly, when I do "final" renders, the shot I was setting up looks completely wrong. Namely, this character looks either toon rendered or over-exposed, and I can't find what's been changed in the surface info. Does this effect look familiar to anyone?
Last reply by danf, -
- 1 reply
- 451 views
Ok it has dawned on me that for some reason AM is currently using only one of my cores on my quad core machine , is there a way to tell AM to use other cores to speed up its rendering time or is it just set to 1 for a reason .
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 6 replies
- 500 views
Hello - I attached an image - I am using fluids and getting a black circle outline on the water droplets. Is there a setting under the fluid emitter or something that is causing this? Thanks - Eric
Last reply by flashawd, -
- 2 replies
- 443 views
Is it possible to configure A:M to zoom on the mouse pointer? I realize I can use the Bound Zoom when I need to zoom in on a specific area, and that works great, but using the scroll wheel and mouse pointer together to zoom in on a target area has become second nature... Just curious.
Last reply by AMSpector, -
- 9 replies
- 611 views
I designed myself a new character today. Very happy with him but............ when I go to render him I get this................ I know it is a toon render. but his entire body and all the rest of him are not tooned! only his face! So I started with the nose of another character, that nose must have had the toon settings set on it. How in the world do I turn this off??????????? I have a half toon/half 3d character LOL
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 8 replies
- 599 views
Hello, hope everyone is good - it's been awhile since I posted, I have working on teeth animations... getting a bit boring. Anyway, I have a new client that wants his logo merging out of some water, kind of as a fountain... I was thinking I could bring his logo in as an .ai file and 3D it - then place it under the fluids fountain - does anyone have any samples they can show me of a fountain they have done w/ fluids, that would give me an idea if my idea is possible - I hadn't had a chance to play w/ fluids much from when it came out in the new version. Thanks for any help. -Eric
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 1 follower
- 13 replies
- 1.1k views
Hi all Sorry, very newbie question here. I am trying to make a short film with two different camera shots, but I'm having trouble. Can anyone tell me how to get two cameras to work and how to render them at different points of the film. I would like to have the first camera slowly zoom in one my actor then change to the next camera that is in a different place and continue the shot. Then may be go back to the first camera again. Hope this all makes scene to someone. Thanks for any help from anyone, if you could be as simple as passable because I'm not that up on tect talk. Thanks again Jeff
Last reply by Jeff B, -
- 3 replies
- 386 views
Ok heres my deal, i use a program to extract a model from a game , the program saves it into a format usable by a program called 3d studio max, when it loads into max the models akin to perfect , ie surfaces are nice , colors are accurate, and hey there are even textures , now when i save the model in a format usable by AM ".3ds" it loads in about 1 min and as said above looks like it went through a blender , the main form is still there but thats about all that there is , also i will try and upload a pic soon as due to a system change i currently cant access AM
Last reply by John Bigboote,