New Users
Get started and learn the ropes!
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.
4,168 topics in this forum
-
- 11 replies
- 933 views
I'm having trouble with this 'invisible patch'. I've tried re-making it, flipping the normals, everything I can think of, but it just won't appear! And It doesn't select in the patch mode either.
Last reply by Scottj3d, -
- 1 reply
- 533 views
Can someone point me in the right direction for an explanation on how to use constraints to have an actor grab and hold objects in his hand? I have his fingers wrapped around the object (in my case, the hilt of a sword). Do I have to constrain the hilt bone to the hand or finger bones or vice versa? Do I use translate to and/or kinematic constraints? Nothing I try seems to get the object to stick in its original position. For example, the hilt of the sword jumps to the outside of the hand.
Last reply by luckbat, -
lightning?
by cuboos- 1 reply
- 517 views
can anyone show me a good tutorial for making lightning and electrical effects in A:M and i would like a tutorial for making mussel flashed for guns
Last reply by Stuart Rogers, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 747 views
Hi, I am sure this is easy, but I'm just not getting it. I have a model of a book. I want to put several different covers on the book with a percentage pose so I have only one model making up the little library. I understand it's possible. But how to tell the relationship "load this image, then swap at x%..." thanks very much. S.
Last reply by sbk, -
- 1 reply
- 537 views
I just purchased AM over the weekend and I am trying to get through the first tutorials. My problem is that when I select a character and click on its gizmo to move, rotate, or resize it the box disapears and it looks like all the verticies on the character are selected. I have found that I can use the gizmo if I hold down the shift button while clicking on it but that causes more problems after the first move. I am having a similar problem if I show the bones I cannot click on them unless I hold down the shift key. I hope this isnt the way its supposed to work. Sorry for being so long winded. Thanks in advance for any help! Ctimbs
Last reply by Stuart Rogers, -
- 2 replies
- 588 views
I've noticed that for many things... The suggestion is made to click "show more than drivers". I can't find info on it anywhere. How do I "show more than drivers"? What does it do? Point me to a part of the tech ref, or a tutorial.. I can't find it.. I prolly don't need it (yet), but my inquiring mind wants to know... and I see Drivers with a green check mark in it in my models, so I'm wondering. Thanks,
Last reply by oakchas, -
- 2 replies
- 601 views
I created a sprite emitter material based on the one given in the manuel. I works in the project file I created it in, but does not work in other project files. I have no clue why.
Last reply by FMSonic, -
- 10 replies
- 1.3k views
I'm new to A:M so naturally I jumped in over my head and started a big project. My WIP is a music video. I have a 2d model of a stage with some scenery in the background. I'm trying to fade the background to black (as the sun sets) and leave the stage lit up. I thought I could just make a black background behind the scenery then slowly make the scenery transparent with a pose slider, but it didn't work. I searched the forum and my manuals I have but haven't found anything to help. Any ideas?
Last reply by Kamikaze, -
- 1 follower
- 0 replies
- 499 views
I put the 2001 Skeleton rig in my model because I didn't want to start from scratch, but my model is a turtle. Everything would be wonderful if I had foot targets for what used to be the hands. How can I make the hands into feet that have foot targets. Does anyone know of a tutorial for a rig with four legs or can someone please tell me how to make the 2001 Skeleton work for four legs?
Last reply by mpmmprod, -
- 0 replies
- 436 views
[attachmentid=15158] This is simple fade to black I put a pose slider on the fader for control ..see the first chor on how to use it. You can save the model and inport it into your project [attachmentid=15159] This is another fade to black I put a pose slider on the fader for control ..see the second chor on how to use it. You can save the model and inport it into your project it needs the material which has a gradient controled by the pose slider.. do not scale this model in model window or gradient will not work correctly okay to scale in chor Project 12t [attachmentid=15157] camerafades.zip easyfade.mov gradientfade.mov
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 1 follower
- 9 replies
- 1.1k views
In an earlier topic called "Need Keyframe Help" I followed the suggestions that were made without success, here's what I did. Opened time line, at frame 00:00:00 I nudged Keekats Right forearm, keyframe was create at 00:00:00, at frame 00:01:00 I nudged Keekats Right forearm, keyframe was create at 00:01:00, moved time slider to frame 00:02:00, moved right arm to position I wanted, when I moved arm, time line changed, two more graph lines appeared and stated to come together at 00:02:00 as I moved Keekats arm, keyframe 00:01:00 disappeared. I hope this was clear, and I would appreciate some help with this so I can move on. Thanx, Bob Koonce
Last reply by bobkoonce, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 588 views
Alright, Thank you so much for the quick replies on my last post. I appreciate it. So I get the program up and running with no problems. But for some reason when the program starts up I am not seeing the camera view. I drag a character out of the library on to the stage - a load bar at the bottom goes to 100% but I see nothing for some reason. No grid, no camera, no character. I must be doing something retarded. Any advice? Thanks in advance, Eric
Last reply by KenH, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 626 views
Is there any way to recieve alerts or somthing like one, that will tell you if somone has read your replies or new topics? Thankx, Bob Koonce
Last reply by bobkoonce, -
- 2 replies
- 668 views
Hi! I'm new to A:M and the community and I was just wondering if there are any copyright restrictions on the usage of the models that come with A:M and the Extras CD. Eg. If I wanted to create a program for my wife to use in her school can I use pre-existing A:M models or do I have to create all my own? Regards, Ken.
Last reply by KenSingleton, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 523 views
Hi, I just received animation master, and the program will not run unless the install disc is in the drive. Is this how it is suppose to operate. Also when I do get it to boot from the disc, what I am seeing on the screen and according to the manual what I am suppose to be seeing are different. In the manual it looks like a camera view with a grid. I am just getting a gray background. Any help would be appreciated. Sincerely, Eric
Last reply by luckbat, -
- 6 replies
- 894 views
I've been messing with A:M's (v.12t) hair emitter today and am trying to get a "billowing in the wind" animation in either an action or a choreography. I haven't found a tutorial that addresses this, so I apologize if there is an obvious oversight on my part. I've tried to adapt the A:M "Wave The Flag" tutorial to my current needs, but am running into a snag since I'm using a hair emitter, not A:M cloth. How do I get my hair material to react to a wind force? -Chris
Last reply by cribbidaj, -
- 1 reply
- 484 views
For Expedency and Symetry Can anyone tell me if I made several copys of a group and want to fix a flaw in the original does AM have a option that will pass the change to all the copies?
Last reply by Karl, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 711 views
How do I go about adding an alpha channel to some animation, I need it to apply over some live action. Thanks,
Last reply by Chip, -
- 1 reply
- 493 views
I have AM 9.5, I like animating for fun once in a while but have not been able to devote the time to seriously try to learn AM. I do have some questions about some of the AM books. Regarding the new AM v11 Technical Manual. Does it only apply if you have the latest version of AM, or does the tutorial work with any version of AM. Secondly, on the same subject, the link to purchase the book does not go anywhere. I know a few months back that it did, but now it just goes to Cafepress' website without any information. Thanks Griffin
Last reply by Leo73, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 717 views
I created a movie that I thought looked good in a 3 min Choreography window. After rendering it and watching it as a movie, 3 mins makes it look like it is in slow motion. Is there anyway to Fast Forward the movie for rendering? I want the same movie to take only 1 min and not 3 min. Hopefully I do not have to rebuild the entire movie again. I am using V11
Last reply by MMZ_TimeLord, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 923 views
I wanted to interact some 3D animation with an image, to make an interesting DVD menu. I'm a new user, and found that decals seemed to be my best option. So, while using "snap to grid" I modelled a perfect box, and applied my decal on it. It looked perfect. Until I rendered it. Then there was distortion. The distortion is mainly visible in the upper left quadrant, and may be present only there. And it is _very_ visible. Once in a hundred tries I did not see the distortion, but I didn't do anything different at that lucky shot. I'm even beginning to doubt that it even happened... Is it a bug, or is it me? I'm using A:M v8.5 with Windows XP pro on a pretty po…
Last reply by Aleta, -
- 3 replies
- 700 views
Hi everyone, I organized my coreography and put in a Character, a camera and a path. What I wanted to do was to make the camera follow the path while pointing to the character. So, I gave the camera a Constrain "Aim at" in compesate mode to the character. First step done. Then, I applied a second constrain to the camera in order to follow the path (a 3 point curve around the character). When I did that, the camera begun following the path but aiming the path too. I clicked off the Store roll option in order not to aim the path and the camera started aiming to the front... but not to the character. I tried to do this in A:M 7 and A:M 12 obtaining the same results…
Last reply by Miguel Esteve, -
- 2 replies
- 477 views
Hello Everyobody! I'm Chris and this is my intro thread. A little about myself. -17 y.o. - I have owned AM 2005 since Dec. 2004 (LOL) - I am taking a course to learn how to properly use AM and its various functions - I will have a new computer soon so after that I will get more involved in animating I find this to be a great forum with many resorces/people who can help each other out. I won't try posting on everything (this is a BIG forum) but I will be reading what I can to learn. I love the tutorial section and I will be sure to work on them when I'm done with my course. I also need a place to show off to people who understand what went into an ani…
Last reply by cfree68f, -
- 10 replies
- 977 views
well that wasnt long at all now when i click the format button it drops down and gives me 3 choices avi. mov. tga. but no jpeg and when i try to upload it it says that the file extension is forbidden?? a little more help plz...
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 1 reply
- 517 views
I have a character that is lifting a box. The character bends down to pick up the box, then I constrain (translate to) the box to his hand. He then picks up the box and places it on a table. This all works nicely until I place the box on the table and turn the enforcement of the contraint to zero. At that point the box jumps back on the floor. Is there an option I can click somewhere that forces the box to stay in the place it was last translated to when the constraint was turned off?
Last reply by luckbat, -
- 1 follower
- 15 replies
- 1.9k views
Hello all here at hash animation master im new here and looking to get into 3d animation. but im useless with it i got it about a week ago and i carnt make nothing just need some advice on where to start once you get animation master with no experince in 3d? any advice on where to start how to start what to start with??? Thanks in advance guys look forward to replys. im thinking i should quit because i have always been intrested in 3d animation try loads of programs but never get the hang of it so now im trying animation master hope the experts here can help me out cheers cya soon
Last reply by the_black_mage, -
- 2 replies
- 810 views
Hello again, Im still new to the Targa rendering method. I cant seem to bring the targa sequence back in A:M to save it as something else. It either brings in one frame, or it tries to open Adobe Photoshop to show the frame. Could someone share the Targa secret?
Last reply by SirSpectre, -
- 8 replies
- 990 views
Hello everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. Mundanely, my name is Marni. My ID on these boards is marefyre. I'm a married 30-something living in Florida. I went to Sheridan College for their Classical Animation course back in the early 90's, but left after 3 years and didn't go into the field, in fact, I'll admit I abandoned it. For years. Recent odd occurences have re-kindled my interest in animation, and in learning A:M I foresee finally being able to tell my short stories and create the demo reel I always wanted, but couldn't achieve in my academic years. I found A:M at MegaCon 2006 here in Orlando, and after seeing the prices for DAVE school and Ligh…
Last reply by Leo73, -
- 2 followers
- 0 replies
- 496 views
I have set-up a material Library for texturing the objects in "Tin Woodsman of Oz". If you would like to help get all of these objects for the movie textured, I could really use your help! All you have to do is drag and drop materials from a library onto groups in models, and then tweak the parameters on the material shortcut. It is just a matter of choosing an appropriate material and tweaking the color, basically. This is a good opportunity to learn and to contribute to making the things ready to render. If you are interested, send me an email and I will point you to where to get started. Thanks,
Last reply by zandoriastudios, -
- 7 replies
- 938 views
For my mini-movie entry for the contest I've been trying to add several layers of sound. One audio file is for the background ambient noise, one is for footsteps, then a few for other random noises. In the realtime playback of the scene, all of the auido is lined up perfectly, but upon render the audio gets shifted. Secondly, when I try changing the sound volume or changing whether the sound is muted or not... it seems to have absolutely no effect in the realtime or rendered version. Any help or ideas on how to add sound properly? I've heard about rendering to TGA's and then loading them into quicktime pro to add the audio in there or something... but I would …
Last reply by rossk, -
- 4 replies
- 805 views
well i was just wondering how to take stills and not animations. I open director mode then lay everything out then i hit the render file do i type 00:00:00 or 00:00:01 or is there a diffrent way to go about this sincerly, |logan|-|BHS animator|
Last reply by BHS Animator, -
- 24 replies
- 2.4k views
Hello - I have purchased a custom built PC with an AMD 320+Ghz dual core processor with 2 gig of RAM and I'm still running into long rendering times. Rendering a 20 sec (491 frames) animation in "preview" mode at low res (320x240) is still taking over 2 hours. My choreography's ground and sky are just the default A:M backgrounds. I am running A:M 11.1 on my startup disc and rendering to a seperate internal hard drive. Surely this rendering time is abnormally long. Any suggestions? Thanks, Chris
Last reply by luckbat, -
- 2 replies
- 612 views
When a scene renders [and I'm thinking about multi-frame animations] does the program have to calculate every CP in the model for every frame, or just what the camera sees?
Last reply by Nichod, -
- 2 replies
- 621 views
Is there a way to assure that all cps are in one plane without making them snap to grid in all axes? In other words, if I have a rounded rectangle that I want all cps to be on the same plane without moving the corner points to a different location on the xz plane but I wanted them all to rest on the plane (because one or more cps is slightly offset in the y axis). Is it possible to bring that/those points to the same xz plane as the others without it moving in x or z axis, only the y axis. Man, this is hard to describe... the xz plane is a flat plane... like the ground (but ABOVE AND parallel to it). All the cps are where I want them in each axis EXCEPT y... …
Last reply by oakchas, -
- 1 reply
- 572 views
This is a really newby-ish question, but is there a way in A:M to attatch two splines together withought having to make complicated stuff? Say I want to make a rocket. How do I take a four column 3-D shape and "connect" it to say an 8 collumn 3-D model. Sorry if you're having complications understanding what I'm saying, I don't know the vocab too well lol.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 766 views
hi- i have 2 questions for the group. i want to add my own material to the library but what format can i use? what is ".mat"? i'd like to add a photoshop file: jpg or bmp or ?. can i? and- if i want to create a cube with specific dimensions- can i do that? if so, where do i specify that? thanks much patter
Last reply by Fishman, -
- 5 replies
- 811 views
i have motly lurned the particle emiters exept sprites can any one type down or show me a tutorial that will help me lurn and get the know the sprites emiter better? thanx and sorry for any misspells i typed this in a hurry
Last reply by Fishman, -
- 2 replies
- 575 views
Is it bad to have a model where two patches cut through each other? I'm modelling a Harrier GR7, and the fuselage does not taper to the rear, as with most jets, it’s just a cylinder ending in a hemisphere. The tailfin looks like it could be modelled as a single object with the lower part cutting through the fuselage and forming the small ventral fin, for simplicity and reduced splinage. Is this sort of modelling frowned upon? Are there any rendering considerations I need to take into account? The biggest question, though, is that if I should be modelling the whole thing as a single assembly, is there a quick and dirty way of turning the interface…
Last reply by heyvern, -
- 2 replies
- 593 views
With all the help on the forum I've managed to come up with a cool walk cycle along a path in a choreography. Thank you! Now, I'm mixing 3 different actions in the same choreography - character begins with the walk cycle (action 1), does a hopscotch move (action 2), then takes a few steps, turns, stops, and looks at a sign (action 3). How do I get the character to stop moving along the path as she looks at the sign (or how do I add an action to this character in the choreography that is NOT constrained to the path after she completes the actions I want constrained to the path)? Thanks. Chris Walters http://heartdancemusic.com/chriswalters.html
Last reply by cribbidaj, -
- 3 replies
- 644 views
Hello, I'm practicing rigging and posing in A:M 12.0 on a Powermac G4. I need help in understanding how to maintain the relationship between bones while I'm building a pose. Here's my situation: Let's say I have Two (2) bones: Bone 1 and Bone 2. I'd like a pose where they move in relation to each other in a Percentage Pose. I right-click on the object name in the workspace and choose [New][Pose]. This opens a pose slider which is set to 100%. I then set up relationships between bones using "Orient Like" [bone 2 is set to "Orient Like" Bone 1,] When I move Bone 1 with Bone 2 related, it works fine and the bones moves as they should with the re…
Last reply by itsjustme, -
- 3 replies
- 739 views
Hello, I'm trying to do an orthographic projection in choreography mode, but I can't figure out how to configure the camera. I don't see any options on the camera settings to do this. Can it be done? What I trying to do is to create some flat textures to apply to my models. For example, I created a riveted wall model, then I'm going to shoot it in choreography mode to generate a rivet-wall texture that I can apply to my other models. So far, using the default camera options I'm getting some stretching of my model toward the outer edges, and I'm hoping an ortho projection would correct this. Thanks!
Last reply by KNBits, -
- 4 replies
- 664 views
Alright then, can anyone out there tell me how to render an animation out with more than one camera? You know, switching cameras and such...
Last reply by Smuschee Faces, -
- 3 replies
- 647 views
Hi I am making many models in the same project. How do you combine them borrow a group from one and apply it to another? Technodandy
Last reply by Scottj3d, -
- 4 replies
- 801 views
I forgot how to asign a fixed distortion cage to a model, anyone know please advise. This is to be able to use the cage in conjunction with bones. Thanks
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 3 replies
- 646 views
If I create a simple action that has a sound effect associated with it, the sound plays in the chor when the action happens... but only for the first occurrence of the action. Subsequenct actions are silent. Am I not understanding something here? or is that a bug?
Last reply by ArgleBargle, -
- 2 replies
- 562 views
Today I undertook to lathe a sphere. I made a diagonal spline, lathed it into a cone, deleted the top CP's, rotated the remaining ring, and lathed that. Standard stuff. Done it many times before. Today, as soon as I select the sphere and attempt to move it in any way [with either the Translate, Scale, Rotate, or the regular Select arrow cursor] a single point leaps out from the surface. The red arrow indicates how far. If I actually move the sphere's position, the point moves away in the opposite direction. I tried Saving and closing out of A:M, then re-opening the program. It still happens. I can move the model. I can move the lathed cone. I just can't touch the sphere. …
Last reply by Kelley, -
- 1 follower
- 93 replies
- 7.9k views
I'll explain everything... I'm in 7th grade and doing a project about invertabrates and my group is crustaceans(crabs, lobsters, etc.) and we got to chose how to present it. Well of course i chose animated movie and i really wanna become an animator. So anyways i've spent like a week modeling my crab and it looks wierd. and now i have added bones and i am trying to add bones to the pupil of the eye to make it look around and stuff like that but i can't and i looked at the provided models with A:M like shaggy and it had a null thing and i don't know what a "null" is how to apply it to my pupil...wow... so right now you are probably like ...so please help!
Last reply by FlyingMonkieBoy, -
- 2 replies
- 689 views
I have a small issue with video decals. I have three separate quicktine decals that load and play no problem. Two of them sit off screen for a bit (inactive) for a delayed entry. I don't want the decal to "play" until I activate it. Right now, the third video is finished playing before it even gets on screen. Can someone tell me how to set the playback start for a video decal? Thanks!
Last reply by albee01, -
- 12 replies
- 1.3k views
Hello - I have created as short walk cycle with a model I created that I am now in the process of animating for a short film. The resulting choreography is okay, but I feel it is hard to focus on the girl model as she walks across the screen. I'm experimenting with lights and what not, but really have no idea what I'm doing. I thought it might be because I rendered it at A:M's default 30fps, but when I change the project's fps to 24, the choreography speed still looks the same. I'm unable to attach the file to this forum because I get a "You are not permitted to upload a file with that extension." error message. How can I show my results so members can see it? …
Last reply by cribbidaj, -
- 8 replies
- 1.3k views
I'm making a porno, and i was wondering how can i make semen look realistic.
Last reply by ddustin,