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This is an open forum for discussing Animation:Master and discussions should relate to A:M in some capacity.
Ask questions. Share experiences. Outline goals and aspirations.
Discuss what you hope to accomplish with A:M and projects you are working on.
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977 topics in this forum
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I'm wondering... Is anyone here in the A:M forums also in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania area and may be interested in meeting up to discuss all things Animation Master? There used to be a group here years ago called the MAAM (Mid Atlantic Animation Master user group). We don't meet any more and it seems that all of the members of that group, except for me, no longer use A:M or have moved on to other things. I think that it would be nice to actually meet other A:M users face to face again. It was pretty cool back then and I think that it could be pretty cool now even though it would not be the same group of people as before. I could go over some rigging stuf…
Last reply by Rodney, -
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The Foundry has joined in the current trend of free software in anticipation of future purchases. And note this isn't just the standard Nuke release but the full Nuke X and Nuke Studio package also. Those paying attention know I'm a fan of Black Magick's Fusion and while Fusion is more accessible (IMO) due to its simplicity, Nuke will be easier to understand for most folks especially when trying to integrate audio and carry out basic NLE operations. I'd say the learning curve for Nuke is a bit steeper than for Fusion but there are also more resources available for Nuke as it's become one of the defacto compositors of late along with The Foundry's other tools. Fo…
Last reply by steve392, -
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http://aescripts.com/aftercodecs/ I figure these guys are going to make a million dollars, then lose it all to an Apple lawsuit. For the last 5+ years, Apple's Pro-Res Quicktime compression has been the standard in video playback and delivery in the pro world. And Apple being Apple- they made it so that Windows users could read, but not write Pro-Res files. Which has been a royal pain to Windows users (most just keep an old Apple around for conversions)... 3rd party solutions have come and gone, most simply don't work, or were too complicated command line stuff. An article I read explained that Apple had tied part of the conversion to something inherant in Apple h…
Last reply by KNBits, -
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My annual subscription came due. I have been using both AM18 -32 bit and AM -64 bit systems with no problems. I downloaded the new subscription for AM19 and got an error: The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime (some symbol here)1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem. I then tried to download AM19 32-bit to see if that was the problem. I ran the extract mode again, but it never completed and just hung the system. I tried to contact support@hash.com I got this message: >>> suppor@hash.com (reading BANNER): 554 p3plibsmtp02-10.prod.phx3.secureserver.net bizsmtp 205.219.233.9 h…
Last reply by RS3D, -
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I am reordering (Subscribe to A:M for only $79!) v18 by the end of next week but if v19 comes out say in 4 months of new subscription of v18. Would i be able to upgrade to v19 I am not pushing to find out release date.just wanted to no if you can upgrade.or have to buy new version seperate to run v19 Thank you
Last reply by Maniac, -
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I'm running on a Mac and I can't figure out how to change .mov or .m4v files to .wav. Can anybody help?
Last reply by purplegirl, -
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I am looking for aircraft cabin interior models including seats, dividers, commercial related aircraft models for a design project. Is there such a library?
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
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Hi all, FYI finally got some time to get back onto setting up AM after going through a learning curve to install Windows 7 on the old Mac Pro 2008 3,1 - finally did this, installed and new subscription and am happy to report, AM now works Flawlessly ! The old mac with a quadro fx 4800 card is no slouch and makes a damn good PC with the dual xeon processors and heaps of ram, now I am super happy and can get on with work, and possibly even get a new mac and have a great PC to run AM on it stable which happens to also be a mac he he, I have tested both ATI and Nvidia cards and they both work fine with no texture or rotoscope glitches at all. Exxxceellleent !
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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Hi! This model was created many years ago and originally the eyebrows were dark brown and not so long (before image…the head hair is left out of now image). Don’t get me wrong lol, …I kind of like the new look! Still, anyone know what the problem might be? Maybe something added to hair systems along the way or, when passing through decals hair now reacts somehow? I’ve not dealt with hair systems in years, lol…I had hoped never to deal with them again. ☹ Thanks, Rusty
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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Getting RML3 error contact support hash by email downloaded latest version and get the error message when I try to use it ...I gives me a serial number with download but no way of entering ???
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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As more and more collaborative teams hit the internet to bring their projects to life small and large services are popping up to address that need. In the past I've mentioned a few and several of those have since had significant upgrades. Shotgun (recently purchased by Autodesk) is one that gets the majority of press because they got a head start on their competition and have invested deeply in the features needed to bring projects through production. Frame.io is another of these services. Will it work well for your next project? Answer: It depends. On the low end (the space which most independent creators occupy) where a team of two or three work on a pro…
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
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I saw a mention of this JPEG standard and thought it of interest because it proposes to address some issues with the current standard. Specifically, the XT flavor seeks to address issues of higher bit compression, HDRI imaging and... the alpha channel. JPEG with Alpha... that's been needed for a very long time now... and using alpha channel with both lossy and lossless processing would be a welcome addition to the format. For more info: https://jpeg.org/jpegxt/ For some open source software that reads and writes the format: https://jpeg.org/jpegxt/software.html On the downside: The JPEG standard itself has some limitations of usage due to patents.
Last reply by Rodney, -
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My apology if the following linked resource has been posted before. There is a lot of misinformation about copyright and fair use out in the wild and I recently read an article that attempted to shed some light on the subject. I haven't vetted the article itself nor examined it for links more appropriate for 3D animation but the article did reference some publications that can and do speak for themselves. One of those publications primarily concerns itself with the plight of the documentary filmmaker, who navigates an increasingly difficult arena of copyright laws and limitations but many aspects of fair usage they claim as self evident cross pollinates into common …
Last reply by Rodney, -
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I've been testing out various aspects of A:M that I don't use much and this is one. It's interesting that Chuck Gram mentioned 'Arnold' in another topic and I was wondering if he was watching what I was rendering while he posted! Here's a random STL file downloaded from Thingverse (I had visited there due to Paul Harris's post about 3D printing an animatronic eye setup). The background image (and environment map) is also a random image from the internet. It's from an abandoned theme park (one of Disney's as I recall). Initial chrome Material is from the A:M Library. About the only things that are my own are the lighting and the red eyes which is a little lathed s…
Last reply by blixien, -
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Have had animated booleans work but only with one bone in the cutter. Can't seem to get this one to work, am trying to get this "reveal" effect of these cords (threads) as though they're coming off of a spool. Anyone know if this is even possible or have any workarounds? Ribbon.prj Ribbon1.act Ribbon1.mdl
Last reply by svetlik, -
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I wondered how it comes when I import models with the *.obj extention I often get a scrambled surface on the skin. For some reason the trivertices don't seem to fit in well and make bad shadows. Does this have a reason, for example the normals are not fit in well, or is it just because of the nature of the object files? Is there a way to get this effect blended so the surface rounds up well again?
Last reply by detbear, -
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Is anyone up on the specifics/requirements regarding creating images for Mac Retina Displays? I've read a few articles but lost the one that I thought outlined it best. For those that haven't heard of this before it's related to how Mac displays are now produced with pixels spaced closer together which allow for crisper displaying of shapes and lines. This has ushered in a requirement for higher resolution images because the lower rez (normal pictures found all over the web) now look blurry by comparison. Has anyone seen a definitive guide?
Last reply by thejobe, -
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For the second time I've had A:M hiccup and save an empty file of a model I had been working on. The model exists on screen, but what is saved is looks like this: ProductVersion=17 Release= PC FileInfoPos=162746 This obviously is wrong. I would suggest a warning message be displayed and a prompt to continue before actually destroying what is on disk. Fortunately I didn't lose much work, but it is frustrating when it does happen, and could be (and has been) catastrophic. Just sayin.
Last reply by Mechadelphia, -
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But will it run A:M? Hmmm.... xhttp://www.geek.com/news/intels-150-windows-pc-on-a-stick-is-now-on-sale-1619738/ Even if it does run A:M it (and similar tech) might be worth a look.
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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OK OK I should know how to do this by now and I've done it in the past but now can't get environment maps to work - they're sticking like decals. AM v19oh on Windows OS7 New material - attribute/plugins/hash/environment maps and Global axis is ON and the object is moving around in Chor. but environment map is sticking like decal. Any help appreciated.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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Mr Largento is having a birthday I believe ....happy birthday Mark
Last reply by jirard, -
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I purchased the disks for AM. My PC crashed, now I'm trying to install on a new computer. I get a "activation code already used" message. I sent the "your_host_id.txt" file as requested and along with my Activation Code. I received a codes.txt file and the link to install v17 which I did. I clicked the link and installed. It asks for my activation code and I still get the same message, "already used". What do I do with the codes.txt file? I was told they'd send a new master0.lic file, so I thought I'd have to rename and replace with codes.txt file. I searched and couldn't find a master0.lic. What am I missing? Thanks, Michael
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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If I wanted to add a font to AM, is there a fonts directory? Or does it just use the Windows fonts? I did not see a font folder in the AM parent folder.
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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Hi, Re the face controls…the nulls in boxes drawn via splines…what keeps the nulls within the spline boxes???? Where do I find it? I thought it would be bone translation limits but no…nothing’s set there. What, LOL, and where the heck is it???? Thanks, Rusty
Last reply by rusty, -
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As opposed to the less stable neo hookian flesh simulations... PDF and video are available here: http://graphics.pixar.com/library/StableElasticity/ Addititional info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Hookean_solid
Last reply by Rodney, -
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Last reply by Roger, -
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This program can be very useful for collecting references (and rendered images) and displaying them over/under and beside other programs. Use of shortcut keys is highly recommended. https://www.pureref.com/index.php It's name your price so feel free to enter $0 to try it out. Add a few more $ to support.
Last reply by Rodney, -
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This little video explains the basics of PBR materials: https://youtu.be/_LaVvGlkBDs
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
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Years ago when I was working regularly with A:M, I watched a video in the A:M showcase with two swordsman on an island. The style was like flat animation built from 3D. Anyone know where that can still be found? The current showcase only has some 200 videos so I know the ones from 6 years ago or longer are not around. Any way to see the archived videos?
Last reply by ArgleBargle, -
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Last reply by robcat2075, -
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I just recieved a note from Sherm Cohen that he'll be removing his Storyboard Q&A video to make room for his next online class. So go see it now or you may miss it. http://storyboardclass.com/q-and-a/ Note: I haven't purchased his DVD set (yet) but it's a great deal. Highly recommended.
Last reply by largento, -
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Last reply by robcat2075, -
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A site I like to keep an eye on is 'floobynooby' which collects a lot of animation related content similarly to sites such as onanimation.com Quite often the links that appear on one site will appear on the other. Every now and then however the content differs and I'm reminded again why I visit both onanimation.com and floobynooby.com regularly. In this case the posting of the first part of a three part analysis of the cinematics of PIXAR's 'Incredibles': http://floobynooby.blogspot.com/2013/12/th...les-part-1.html For anyone interested in filmmaking and animation, the article is well worth taking the time to purview. Folks pay good money for this kin…
Last reply by Rodney, -
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I've been meaning to post a few examples from a book I picked up years ago at a Library book sale. The book, part of a series of lessons on learning how to lip read... with accompanying video... which was missing when I purchased BTW... echos what most animators have been taught about lipsync but adds a few descriptions to assist with categorization. Those categories include: Blowing Wide Smiling Sealers Pinchers Forwards Lip Biters Peekers Pushers Teethy Lifters In theory, all dialogue can be shoe-horned into one of these categories. This is perhaps something to consider when rigging a face to achieve articulation for dialogue... although they very l…
Last reply by Rodney, -
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Posted elsewhere... Free for a limited time (as a response to the current Corona virus scare): https://creatureartteacher.com/product/fundamentals-of-animation/ Contents: In this comprehensive course, master animator Aaron Blaise (“The Lion King”, “Brother Bear”, “Mulan”) takes you through the key principles of animation. This course covers the “12 Principles of Animation” as originally pioneered by the original “9 Old Men” who worked directly under Walt Disney. This course includes 13 HD Video Tutorials covering: Squash & Stretch Timing Solid Drawing Anticipation Follow Through + Overlapping Action Arcs …
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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I just bought the subscription version of AM, again. I didn't have to. I still had an active license. Get this, I bought it and there was NO LINK TO DOWNLOAD IT AT ALL!!!! I don't know who to talk to. I called the customer service line, no response. Someone needs to start waking people up. Saying that I am frustrated is an UNDERSTATEMENT. I AM LIVID. I am not going to request a trial version when I freaking bought a subscription.
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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It's been a while since I've been on this Forum. Hi everybody. Well my CD broke with my version 15 on it so I got the 64 bit download version and some things have changed.I can deal with that, but I'm having a problem. I try to apply a decal and AM crashes when I hit apply. It does this when the application method is Planar. It doesn't crash when I apply in cylindrical mode, and of course, it is extremely distorted and quite unusable. Anybody have any clues?
Last reply by MJL, -
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Windows 7, AM v19.oi Nvidia grafx card Shaded view once used to show decals but now they don't show up. Nothing updated, nothing changed. Had tried to update Nvidia driver but could find NO button or function in the Nvidia control panel to do so, So Nothing has changed yet - no decals without doing a render. any help appreciated
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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Introductory pricing for 48 hours... $39 vs $60. Aaron continues to put together some of the most direct, accessible and... reasonably priced material on drawing and animation available. This time he tackles human anatomy. https://creatureartteacher.com/product/drawing-human-anatomy/ Here's the promo video: xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcrsSbYteA The primary reason I think Aaron's approach is superior to many available is his experience with a variety of art mediums but specifically his foundation in animation which brings it all together. Description of content from his site: In this comprehensive 9.5 Hour video course, animator, dir…
Last reply by Rodney, -
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Free until July. I don't know much about it but if you think you might want to get into gaming you should download. The Pro version is free through some time in July ($75 subscription otherwise). Personal version likely free thereafter. I was able to import Rabbit with textures... otherwise I didn't get through much of the workflow. Couldn't see a direct means to render. Features: http://xenko.com/features/ Of interest: PBR materials Compositor Cocumentation: http://doc.xenko.com/2.0/ Download: http://xenko.com/
Last reply by pixelplucker, -
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European animation fan website Zippy Frames is highlighting Dušan Kastelic's subterranean A:M animation "Perk." Perk was quite an advance in detailed texturing in 2002 and still looks detailed today. Perk by Dušan Kastelic
Last reply by Rodney, -
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I'm using Version 19f. Is there an update with fixes?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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I would like to run AM on a computer not connected to the internet, but I have learned the use of the disc as a key is no longer an option for the newer programs. If I connect a computer to my internet connection to download the newer program, then disconnect it, will the program still run?
Last reply by Fuchur, -
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For those of you that want to delve into the world of PBR materials and texturing this might aid you in getting that ideal texture onto your model in A:M. Basic workflow would be to export OBJ models from A:M which would then be used as the basis for texturing your spline based models in A:M or to import as Props. This was (apparently) the the primary program used to texture that real time animation recently featured by Unity 3D and according to the hype (and 3D world) is 'this year's best texturing application'.* I note that there is currently a 40% off banner on their site so for those with the $ to splurge it might be worth investigating. Photorealistic text…
Last reply by detbear, -
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Finally came in, set everything up without a hitch and wow what a nice machine! Lots to watch out for as with any high tech equipment, biggest issue is keeping the resin tray clean, keep material mixed and plan on a resin tray with each liter of resin to play it safe. Thought they sell the trays separate they are the most prone for print failures simply because of the wear and tear of how the machine operates. I did my first print of a coin, tossed it on edge because I didn't want to have to glue 2 parts together for a quickie proof. I printed it at med resolution 50 micron and the detail of the text all held perfectly. Far better than any Objet or Polyjet print I hav…
Last reply by pixelplucker, -
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Hey, I'm guessing this topic has been discussed before and I've seen reference to it, but I am interested to know about the application of RAM with Animation Master. I have 32G of ram for my Mac and I feel that I should have some powerful efficiency with using dense meshes and more complicated hair set-ups but I feel that I am not getting what I need still. I am desperate to know how efficient I can get my set-up to be. I also run A:M on PC with solid state hard drive and 24G ram. I want to make some pretty complicated scenes that require a lot of processing. Is this possible with A:M? Can it utilize the RAM and processing to make the magic happen? Adam
Last reply by TheToadStool, -
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Thought I'd post this because it represents several trends in software of late. A few of them include: Higher Resolutions (including support for 4K) Screen Capture Motion Tracking Video Layering These represent must-have technologies in my estimation. In this case, I see Corel is pressing into the market more fully by enhancing their Video Studio products and at $79 that makes for an affordable solution when similar products can easily range toward $399 and upward. dYWGQnjFWmk They have a trial version for those who want to explore. (Trial Link) Disclaimers: I have not used Corel VideoStudio in years so cannot attest to its current ea…
Last reply by Vertexspline, -
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Hello Hashers- Just noticed a blurb about the upcoming new Pixar Movie, "Inside Out" coming out next summer. Looks pretty funny when you consider the premise and the voice actors. I don't know if anyone at Pixar saw this terrifc short: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuyB7NO0EYY) before they formulated their movie, but both concepts look great. Tom
Last reply by fae_alba, -
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Pixar has teamed up with Khan Academy to offer a free course on how animated movies are produced. Introduction: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/start/introduction Course page: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar The folks at Pixar can now point aspiring creators to the Khan Academy when they ask those inevitable questions about CG animation. The basic breakdown of course material: Environment modeling Explore how blades of grass in Brave were created using parabolic arcs. Modeling grass with parabolas Calculating parabolas Character modeling Explore how clay models are transformed into digital characters using weighted averages. …
Last reply by Rodney, -
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I sometimes don't have the file organization as I like it and attempt to reorganize. Sometimes this leads to losing the path to the decals. The program seems to try to reestablish the path for some by having me browse and find a few of the decals, but there are others that are left out. Is there a way to select these decals with no path and reestablish a path. In the best of all possible worlds I would hope I would not have to redecal an object, but just establish the path to the image used in the decal. Is there a procedure to be used in moving a file that will help avoid the lost decal problem? Sometimes I have a model that might have 60 or 70 decals. Thanks.
Last reply by Pitcher,
