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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.
4,161 topics in this forum
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- 4 replies
- 714 views
Is there going to be Siggraph 2007 and up??
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 4 replies
- 609 views
well i need to rebuild a landscape and was woundering if there where any pointers
Last reply by photoman, -
- 4 replies
- 579 views
I'm so confused. I created a dynamic chain for an electrical cable. I have a streak emitter attached to the end that shoots out sparks. I did this in s separate choreography and project. Exported the chor and imported that chor into another chor in a different project. I didn't change anything after importing. Everything is the same in the dynamic settings. Now the dynamic chain swings really really slow. At least 50% slower than the original. In the original I had timed the streak sparks for certain points as the wire is swinging. Now they don't line up. I'm curious what might cause this. Does the dynamic constraint rely on the "speed" of the playback? The final pro…
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 4 replies
- 543 views
ok might be simple probly not i need a way to make two materials blend together with out a hard line , best example woul dbe in wow(world of warcraft) if you look at the ground by a path is it nicely blends into the grass / sand
Last reply by johnl3d, -
Help ! I applied a decal to the ground from a Jpeg file in the choreography window. The image was quite clear during the first portion of the animation work and then changed to a highly and largely pixelated version, making it unreadable. It rendered fine, but I need the clarity to coordinate the animation. I tried deleting the decal and reapplying, closing the program and restarting the computer, none of which helped. Can anyone tell me how to clear up the decal ? Thanks
Last reply by Maka, -
- 4 replies
- 601 views
Hi people, i was just wondering how much is too much? ive looked at some of the pre-made models that are floating about and they are mostly around 2-3k patches... mine usually end up with around 10k patches ive noticed a little lag... does it matter how many patches my models contain if i can deal with the lag?
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 4 replies
- 555 views
Greetings all, Well I have a new situation and not sure how to fix it (if it can be) without having to start all over again. I had modeled 1/2 of my ladies dress and then was going to COPY/FLIP/ATTACH but (not paying attention of course) I hit SNAP TO MIRRORED POINTS which at some point later looked right. So now my main seem down the middle won't move, when I HIDE her to just see the dress you see what i get. Close the model and reopen I get this Repair message and haven't got a clue. Any ideas folks????
Last reply by jirard, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 653 views
I've run into a problem. I've started working on an animation and I want a character to speak. However, I cannot get a dope sheet to appear. I know I've done this before, because I've done the "Can You Say That" exercise, but that was a long time ago. I've looked in the manuel and watched the video on how to make a character speak, but all they say is to click in the action window and hit "New Dope Sheet." But that option simply won't show up. I right click in the action window and scroll over to new. I can get a light, camera, volumetric effect, and a bunch of other stuff, but not a dope sheet. I'm stumped. (I'm using the 2006 version from a disk on a PC, if that makes a…
Last reply by GizmoMkI, -
- 4 replies
- 556 views
So I'm working through the flower tutorial. After drawing my line with 7 control points, and clicking the lathe, I wanted to adjust them. Every time I try to group a line of cp's it's always leaving one or two control points out. and therefor cause my stem to disform. Does anyone know what I can do about this so it'll change the way it groups?
Last reply by Ben28, -
- 4 replies
- 1.1k views
OK last knite i decided to try and make a rotor blade for a helicopter it looks OK i guess , just wondering if any of you have any idea to make it better rotor1.mov
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 414 views
Hello, I'm pretty sure this is not the right place for this, but I can't find an appropriate forum by name so I'm sorry, but I need help. I have been attempting to reach the webstore by email and by the website interface about this issue since Friday and have gotten no response. In short, I have moved since the last time I used the Hash site, three years ago, and when ordering the new A:M I changed the address on the website to reflect this. But when I got the confirmation email it showed the billing address as correct but the delivery address as the old address even though I did not chose a separate delivery address from the billing one. Therefore I have be…
Last reply by Jumpturtle, -
- 4 replies
- 587 views
ok i have apperantly turns on some aspec of the program that i wish to turn off, but i cant find out how, generalys when maiking a model hiting the numpad keys shift to a certain axis alowing me to see the grid and make modifications etc. no when i hit it i get a perspective look at the designated axis and its making it very dificult to move stuff to correct positions
Last reply by Master chief, -
- 4 replies
- 825 views
Ok folks, heres one. Do any of you know if there is a post or tut on how to transport (dematerialize) model A then re-materialize as a different model? A friend has a logo starts as a silhouette of a person, starts to break apart and dematerializes. We would like to have it re-materialize as text for his company. Any suggestions?
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 4 replies
- 515 views
Alright, real simple. How do you view decals in real-time (in shaded or shaded/wirefreame)? I swear there was an option/key for this but for the life of me I can't find it. Or am I just imagining things.
Last reply by Meowx, -
- 4 replies
- 679 views
Hey everyone! Long time no visit. I was starting to toy around with A:M again, and I wanted to make my own character this time, but had a question: I wanted to make the general shape of my character first, and then gradually add detail to it. Is there an easy way to say, "add spline down shape, between the two existing splines running in this direction"? That'd be really great.
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 4 replies
- 1.1k views
I've made a pose slider with Translate to and Orient Like constraints. I want the enforcements of these constraints to have the same setting as the pose slider. I've set keyes for the enforcements at 0 and 100, but when I move the slider away from 100% the enforcement settings changes instanlty from 100% to 0%. How do I make the enforcements match the slider setting?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 678 views
ok so i was able to add a single phenom to the word guns... but when i go to add another A:M closes down why can i not add another??
Last reply by itsjustme, -
- 4 replies
- 548 views
I am missing a codec for one paticular training video thats in my PRO SERIES TRAINING VIDEOS on CD called EX10_2Plane.avi can someone direct me to a web link where I can get the right codec?
Last reply by Eric800, -
- 4 replies
- 530 views
My question comes from pages 141 & 142 from the guide. I don't really understand what rotating a single CP (the flour sack's top most corners, I'm assuming) is suppose to acheive. Is there a posted example of this? or possibly someone can explain the desired results in a little more detail. I realize muscle motion is an advanced topic, but I want to make sure I'm understanding it correctly before I move on. TIA. John
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 541 views
How easy it to learn on? What I wish to learn in using this product is the basics (if not most) 3D animation. I have a good sense for animation, I used to do 2D using programs like EZtoon, Pivot, and Flash 8. Do you think I will be able to pick up on the normal motions of this program in about a month? Usually, I don't keep my expectations high, so I don't get frustrated, and this is no exception, but the look of the program is promising. EDIT: Could anyone point me in the way of a guide? Or is the Extras DVD sufficient?
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 4 replies
- 462 views
please could somebody explain how i can use alpha channels to make a decal transperent in AM thz
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 4 replies
- 814 views
I forgot how to add a text model into an animation, could someone show me how? like how to have words in the animation
Last reply by Jason Simonds, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 666 views
Hello, I'd just like to let you guys know that Animation Master is a terrific program, and I would love to support it. The problem is... I am a little used to the free updates.... and I don't think I can afford to pay 80$ every year. Anyone have an idea how I can work around this? My projects are relatively new, and I can't just resort back to the original version it had on disk. Or do I just need to put in the disk from now on in order to use it? Thanks again.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 4 replies
- 494 views
I am trying to use a material effector with a transparent material to make a part of a modell invisible in a chor and can`t get it to work. Does anybody by chance have an example project or mini tut for this matter?
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 4 replies
- 648 views
well im back and this time im trying some organic stuff , i allready know that there are tutorials for makeing a human face from scratch, but are they any good ones for making a face from picture , iv uploaded an example of what im taking about , seeing as this is all ready an animation i though it would be easyer to start on , but after a few hours i had nothing of any real value.
Last reply by Gerry, -
- 4 replies
- 703 views
1st... How are ppl rendering to get that polished movie look? 1080p/multi pass? 2nd... I use VGA or low and final for my rendering. a 32 second clip takes 2hrs on low/preveiw. My question is. Will a faster system speed the process. I currently have a 1+MHZ duel core with 2+mb of ram and a 1g video card. How much will a faster system speed up the rendering process? Thank you to all that reply.
Last reply by itsjustme, -
- 4 replies
- 484 views
I am setting up a complicated stage. It to be a city. In the choreography I can have multiple copies of the same building or prop. I was wondering if this can be done in the model window. So you can build a complex building with relatively few parts. And low CP count. Before you drop them in the choreography. Or is this only possible in choreography Also is there a place to change the model file defaults so the “Toon Shading (Method)” can be set to standard when I make a new model?
Last reply by DJBREIT, -
- 4 replies
- 518 views
hello again unfortunatly due to a Hard drive failure i lost my working copy of AM as well as most of my files ( sigh ) but good news is i still have you guys as i have been trying to rebuild my files i have been working on making shield effects and while i have had good success with making mats that look good i cant seam to remember how to move them along a surface as ever time i try and translate them it moves the solid not the mat . any one remember how to do this???
Last reply by Master chief, -
- 4 replies
- 515 views
i was playing a very old game by the name of "Total Annihilation" and i tough i would try to recreate the way things build in the game. in which a energy grid is sprayed with a nanite cloud and it forms a full structure. and so i came down with 2 problems. 1 i could not find very much info on making smoke though it seamed it had to be using sprites 2 what i could find has an object moving leaving smoke, i need the smoke to move from an object preferable in a controled maner towards another model
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 4 replies
- 325 views
ok iv managed to create a decent looking spray using the streaks material but had run into a problem which more or less is how to control when it sprays as they all start at frame zero how can i set when they start and stop , and preferably more than once
Last reply by Master chief, -
- 4 replies
- 529 views
hello again I'm trying to recreate effect iv seen in on of may games it is best shown in this vid if this link fails search you tube for armored core 4 intro if using this link at around 2:19 in the optics of the bot shifts from one side over . this is what I'm trying to recreate theres allso one where hes going ya im so good at 2:35 ish
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 4 replies
- 572 views
It used to be that A:M would do the "real time render" and show decals in shaded mode. But now I have to go to render mode to see that decals. Even on previous work? Anyone know what happened, and how I could change it back? Thanks, Myron
Last reply by TheSpleen, -
- 4 replies
- 503 views
OK i have been trying to add some roundness to my creations with circles and ovals and such . and to that point i have been using the lathe tool to create wheels that are well ...... round. but i have encountered a problem. it seams that the lathe tool works on a 8 point system while the grid is only 4 . when i try to use the snap to grid option the points at 0 90 180 270 snap into correct position but the points at 45 135 225 315 snap to what ever point is closest. is there a way i can collect the cps as a full group and select only one of them to snap into the grid to aline the circle???
Last reply by DJBREIT, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 464 views
I will be needing to make some neon signs. I have figured out how to make one using render as line and adding glow to it in notepad but if you save the file it deletes the glow entre. I wanted to see what other options there are to make them?
Last reply by DJBREIT, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 540 views
I have been working on a model, no hairs but just ordinary patches, and I have now 3034 patches including about 70 5pointers. When is it reasonalbe to encounter problems with the computer, at what amount of patches? I have some modelling to go and I have all sorts of delays and even a black screen from time to time, just in the modelling window. No problems with the rigging or animating in chor. What is your opinon? - is my graphic card too old, a Radeon X1650? - too little RAM, 2 GB - all too weak? Or too many patches? Grateful for some advice here
Last reply by Shelton, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 617 views
I started building my house in AM so I could see what a wood floor would be like throughout my little place. A friend of mine saw the attached picture and asked if the cold air return was real or a decal. I told him I really modeled it. He suggested that a decal would be better because when rendering, the light will have to be calculated for each fin (There are 68 fins, and a decal or map would be better. (This is based on a 3D program he uses) Does that apply to AM? Am I really going to tank my render times for adding too much detail?
Last reply by bighop, -
- 4 replies
- 750 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, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 1k views
Hi Folks I am having trouble Limiting the rotation for a bone with a Dynamic constraint. Basically I want I have a hinge that should only move on one axis. I have limited the bone to that axis via the manipulator options. Now I want to make that bone dynamic so that it swings up and down along that axis as the rest of the model moves. Unfortunately the Dynamics constraint does not seem to adhere to the limit manipulator option. Any Ideas? Is this something I should request as a feature in AM? Is this something I am doing wrong? The video illustrates my problem. Dynamics_question.mov
Last reply by jason1025, -
- 4 replies
- 578 views
Hi everybody. I just installed A:M to one of my PC's at home and now I realize that was not the best place to install it. How do I transfer the program to another PC? Do I uninstall on the old and just install on the new with the existing password? Of do I have to get Hash to deactivate the old password and get a new one? Thanks for your help. Cheers! Calvin
Last reply by CD Mah, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 684 views
I really like the look and feel of an AO render and have no problem doing an AO render on a white background (see example below). I would like to be able to carry that look and feel to my final renders. Is it possible to do an AO style render when the model has been textured and it is in a scene with other elements without doing it as a white render? Thanks... Al
Last reply by Paul Forwood, -
- 4 replies
- 596 views
I'm missing something very fundamental here: I'm trying to model a logo from scratch using a rotoscoped image. I got the outline for the logo finished and looking good and then extruded it to get some depth. My rendering mode is set to shaded & wireframe. As you can see from the attached image (which is the perspective view), the sides of the logo look fine but I'm missing a front & back face. How do I add a front and back face to the model?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 571 views
So I just had a thought which I figure I’ll throw out there, as my own cloth/particles skills aren’t up to testing the idea yet—has anyone tried using cloth to serve as (pseudo)fluids in animations? I’m talking about a really “thin,” semi-transparent cloth, “pulled” over a surface (I imagine it’s outward “flow” would have to be manually adjusted/keyframed, like pulling a blanket, but perhaps with a slightly “tilted” set the cloth could slide down and calculate the flow/slide itself), where the surface itself would serve as the deflectors and the cloth contour itself accordingly. I’ve heard tell of new fluid simulations in v15, but, alas, my wallet mandates that I st…
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 4 replies
- 536 views
As I'm starting to add texture, I'm finding it very difficult to preview stuff in real time because the textures are just ridiculously low-res. The texture itself is pretty big, the upper body texture in the screenshots is about 2000x1000. It's kinda hard to even apply a decal, it shows up in low res there too (3rd pic). Is it just because the texture is too big? Also, "Clear Cache" doesn't seem to do anything. If I edit a texture, I have to reload the project to get it to update. I'm on a Mac, dunno if these are Mac problems or A:M problems.
Last reply by Meowx, -
- 4 replies
- 513 views
This is a problem I've always had and was wondering if it was normal. The edge of the patch where the decal ends is always distorted. Decals are applied to the flattened surface as planar and extend beyond the edge of the patch. The "seam" you see in the screenshot is the product of the edges of two decals (front and back). I fix it by just covering up the seam with another decal, but this complicates bump maps. Is this normal or is there a way around this?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 548 views
What are pcx files?
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 479 views
Hiya I have made a big mistake, I bought animation master in the uk, still got my box and original cd and manual but lost the cd cover which has my serial no on it, had to rebuild my machine, so now cant install, is it possible to get a new serial no, bit of a nightmare, if any of hash read this could you email me on pb@reptilezone.co.uk pete
Last reply by steve392, -
How do I edit a Path after I have made it and find I need to make some adjustments Also in the tech manual it mentions I can use a model spline for a path but I have not been able to get it to work.
Last reply by DJBREIT, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 415 views
so in my rush to fix my shade wire issue i went and did a complete install of 15.0h....i wish i waited and saw your later replies about 15.0i. never the less i did the install and ive noticed that i cant modify and or add libraries. ill do the usual folders tab scroll to lib. and add new. click through to my extras dvd data / library. the path is all there and i restart AM and its gone as if i never added it. anyone else get this?
Last reply by sir fen the usa, -
- 4 replies
- 515 views
Hi, I'm new to Animation Master and am looking to import some simple 3d shapes into Photoshop and After Effects. Can anyone tell me what type of file I would need to export from AM in order to do this? Thank you so much for you help! Andrew
Last reply by HomeSlice, -
- 2 followers
- 4 replies
- 735 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,