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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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939 topics in this forum
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- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 591 views
Hello all, I'm looking at getting a new keyboard, and I've narrowed it down to 2 similar models, one with numerical keypad and one without. I don't do a lot of number-crunching/spreadsheet stuff, but I've noticed when I do it is nice to have the numerical keypad. I don't recall using it much with AM, but before I lock in my decision I want to make sure I'm not missing anything with regard to some super-productive modeling method (or other feature) that relies on the numerical keypad. What is your opinion? Do you use the numerical keypad much with AM? Thanks in advance, Roger
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 3 replies
- 503 views
Hey Guys, how do I reset the window positions on mac, for instance the library keeps on opening up an when I add tools to the menu bar on restarting AM or after a crash the old windows opens up and the tools which I activated in options I have reactivate them again, do I have to delete a preference file or something so the app windows go back to default - then how do I set my window workflow to keep on opening up the same all the time ?? Driving me nuts to reset up my windows and tools how I like everytime I use Am
Last reply by a.quaihoi, -
- 1 reply
- 511 views
Recently someone posted (facebook) an animation serie called spookiz, there are 2 characters exactly the same JohnArtBox's Kapsules... check it. https://youtu.be/SH_RwE6N2bk
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 replies
- 629 views
I bring this up again, but I am very much opposed to the subscription model which was introduced some years ago. It is not the monetary outlay, but the principle of dependency which irks me to no end. I also find this protectionist attitude to be the greatest hindrance of proliferating this software and its qualities, and it will be the ultimate cause of its demise. I do have a couple of subscriptions and I will let them expire with no plans to renew in spite of my great affinity to this program. I also find that most improvements since V12 are simple window dressing, or entirely useless inclusions of open source libraries for fluids and cloth etc., but coupled to a…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 12 replies
- 997 views
(This topic moved from original topic by request. For more info see original topic) Although a little off topic, the folks at DIsney have an interesting paper that (very loosely) relates to this: http://www.disneyresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/Sketch-Based-Generation-and-Editing-of-Quad-Meshes-Paper.pdf
Last reply by nemyax, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 619 views
Mark Mayerson (of Mayerson on Animation blog-fame) has a video "Don't Pitch a Buyer, Pitch the Audience!" that is making the rounds that covers a good bit of territory of topics of interest to creators. The video is just short of one hour in length but will be well worth your time. xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQQmmbvmGc It's a great summary on topics that have been gaining ground, especially as more creative types vie for the attention (and money) to support their projects.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 7 replies
- 1k views
How can you make a decal slide over the surface of a model? I've tried animating the translate x and y in the decals section under the choreography but it won't budge. Any help please.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 605 views
A brief interview where Brad Bird reveals he is writing and will direct Incredibles 2 as his next project https://youtu.be/uU4LMmBQp6U
Last reply by Dpendleton77, -
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- 593 views
Hey guys when I have a shape which I have drawn out like so . . . And I want to attach another splines to it, the curve gets " disturbed " - is there any key etc. that I need to hold down so it keeps the existing curve on the second spline / object ?? Been a while but I remember it used to do this before too ?? Spline drawing would be awesome if it worked like illustrator . . . hmmmm . . . Just remembered that you can import AI into AM - but trying to create a surface by joining the shapes to create a mesh did the same thing last time I was building a model . . . please shed some light on this anyone ! Thanks in advance.
Last reply by a.quaihoi, -
- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 480 views
I love animated movies. And in every movie there is a scene that captures me. I was rewatching The Croods tonight and the top of the tree scene captured me.
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 3 replies
- 660 views
I have forgot its been a long time and can't find it in my notes any where . . . is there an object / node align feature in AM now ??
Last reply by a.quaihoi, -
- 7 replies
- 683 views
Hey guys & gals finally got around to getting back onto AM to chip away at some old projects, just got myself the new V18 subscription no 64 bit version for mac ?? Running slow as on my twin processor dual core xeon with Nvidia Fx 4800 - what is the SSE4 for mac ?? Or should I just boot camp it, which is what I did last time. Another thing, when I apply decals in shaded wireframe view it doesn't show the texture previews until I render them - is that a mac thing or is it a setting in options for video card ??
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 24 replies
- 2.2k views
Hello, All! I've been away a while... work demands my attention. I was messing around on a personal project and had a lot of models (four, but with lots of copies) to assemble a structure. The issue I am having, and maybe I just forgot how, is I select a group of models and want to "nudge" them over with the arrow keys. Well, this results in the models moving all different directions as they have been rotated from their original placement. I can drag them with the mouse with no issue, but it is not as precise. I have attached images to show what I mean. EDIT: Correction, it even shifts the models when dragging with the mouse or isolating one axis by holding "…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 3 replies
- 701 views
Alan Becker has posted a series of videos covering the 12 Principles of Animation (according to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston). The imagery is simplistic and actually enhances the lessons. (For those familiar with the principles make sure you get past the first few videos as they get better as they go) 1. (Squash and Stretch) 2. (Anticipation) 3. (Staging) 4. (Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose) 5. (Follow Through and Overlapping Action) 6. (Slow In and Slow Out) 7. (Arcs) 8. (Secondary Action) 9. (Timing) 10. (Exaggeration) 11. (Solid Drawing) 12. (Appeal) Well worth a look! He plans to continue with videos covering walk cycles etc.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 8 replies
- 1.5k views
Microsoft has teased a new device called Hololens. It is not released yet, developers dont' get access to it until about May this year and there is no commitment to even producing it yet. you can read about it in this NY Times article. Microsoft HoloLens: A Sensational Vision of the PC’s Future Briefly, here's what we know about HoloLens: -It is a headset you wear. -It overlays CG images onto your vision and synchs them to your head movements to make them appear to be planted in your real world, pehaps in a somewhat ghostly, semi-transparent fashion. -It is NOT a peripheral for your current PC, it is a self-contained computer and display. -It runs Wi…
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 1 reply
- 795 views
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, -
- 0 replies
- 589 views
Video Blocks has been around for awhile... long enough to spam my email account for quite awhile. I'm not sure how this fits... but for those who might make a few pennies on creative works it might be worth a look... or at least pay for the video blocks subscription if you have one of those? Video Blocks' Members Only Marketplace let's creators retain 100% of the fees brought in from those who purchase their content. They can do this because their primary source of income isn't from the content itself but from the subscriptions they sell that let's others access the content. While I can't speak to the amount of money this might generate (it could easily be nothi…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 13 replies
- 930 views
I am working on animating a feature length video. It is slow as molasses. I decided to produce an illustrated script as an intermediary step. To do this, I put the text in a Microsoft Word document. I inserted the bmp's I created in A:M from cho files. There are about 210 pictures. I start out with nice big bmp's. They display well in full screen. Then these get compressed when I insert them into Word. They still display well in Word, but of course, are much smaller in the document. Then the entire document gets compressed when I make a pdf in Soda 5 Pro. My Word document is about 90 MB. My Soda pdf is about 17 MB. The pictures start out cear and end up blurry. …
Last reply by Pitcher, -
- 8 replies
- 1.9k views
Can we export anything larger than 512 (which, when set to 512 I get a 1024 double sized image...?) using the obj/seq exporter? (See image for where I am...)
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
tiny utility for ImageMagick users (Convert PNG sequence to Gif animation w/ transparency)
by Rodney- 0 replies
- 514 views
For PC users... If you use ImageMagick (or have it installed on your system) I created a little utility program to convert a directory full of PNG images into a GIF animation. It's pretty no frills but has the following features: - Converts a directory of PNG images into a GIF animation - Preserves transparency (most gif converters do not) - Works if setup properly from the Tools/Customize menu in A:M (so converting renders from A:M to gif is a quick process). - Allows user to enter a name for the converted gif animation (pressing the enter key results in only the date/time stamp being retained as filename) -- If entered, the name will be added in front of …
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 10 replies
- 890 views
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, -
- 2 replies
- 540 views
The one thing that my current workflow lacks is a high end video editor that doesn't break the bank. Several companies may help to resolve that. Avid is on the move lately with some major purchasing of other companies and an announcement that later in 2015 a free version of Media Composer will be released. While I don't imagine the free release will meet all the esoteric requirements needed the entry point is priced to make the determination of how well the program can fit into a production pipeline and fit current needs. It is also worth noting that a company recently purchased by Avid (Orad)is known for their realtime 3D technology. Sign up to receiv…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 41 replies
- 3.2k views
I'm researching software for the initial workup of a game app proposal and have been asked to investigate software to build the proposed application. At this time the project is pre-pitch/prefunding with much of the material confidential so I can't go into detail on specifics of the game itself but the following is basic criteria: The team is affiliated with an Educational Institution and likely eligible for education/student licensing. The team consists of approx 14 people most of which are technical experts in the games subject matter (not gaming, graphics or software development). -- Depending on funding/green light to go ahead the team may involve students an…
Last reply by DZ4, -
- 5 replies
- 1.7k views
I like Rodney's v18L banner. We needed some color up there.
Last reply by detbear, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 607 views
I'm revisiting an old topic. As I'm learning more Python stuff, I want to find a way to make a new Python 3D mathematical model plugin for A:M like Petr Sorfa's from years ago. Is there a way to peek inside the HXT so I can code a new compatible version? Otherwise I will have to use the A:M SDK and try to re-create the plugin. What is the best way to do this? I'm still a beginner in the programming/plugin arena but I'm motivated. Thanks...
Last reply by KingVidiot, -
- 6 replies
- 555 views
Tried to do flock birds,swarm and crowds and nothing shows up even when I tried old flocking project ?? rough test butters.mov
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 12 replies
- 836 views
I find myself playing tug-of-war with Version 18 of A:M more than I used to with Version 15. There seems to be a lot more snap. I pull a control point to a position when I am modeling, and the computer snaps it back to where it was. How can I turn the snap off or adjust it to a level that is helpful?
Last reply by Pitcher, -
- 5 replies
- 692 views
I have no idea what I did or what changed, but now when I'm modeling and I select a control point or group of control points, and then go into turn mode to rotate the view, the view does not rotate around the selected control points, but rather around the center XYZ origin for the entire modeling window. This may or may not have anything to do with it - I noticed the change after installing v18k. I doubt this has anything to do with it, since I uninstalled the whole program and then installed the version I had previously, v18j, and I'm still having the same problem. I have an old CD version installed as well, 11.1, and I do not have this problem with it.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 reply
- 1.2k views
Past forum-member Zachary Brewster-Geist is carving out a growing career as an actor out in the DC area. Here is a trailer he created for for a rare "original pronunciation" (think "pirate" but with less "arrgh") production of "Merchant of Venice" in which he plays "Antonio" https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=868150176557725&fref=nf There's a close-up of him at 1:24
Last reply by Dpendleton77, -
- 10 replies
- 2.4k views
This may already have been addressed but I didn't see it mentioned... In trying to export via an Action to .X (Direct X) format but the export dialog has an 'Open file' dialog instead of a 'Save As' or 'Export' dialog. Hitting Open just results in a error message that the file cannot be found to open (which of course I don't want to do in the first place). I can't see any way to get past this and before I go about trying to locate an older .hxt to file to test I thought I'd ask here. Anyone have any insights into how to successfully export to Direct X format?
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 10 replies
- 1.1k views
I've been using AM for theatre productions here are some screen shots the backgrounds image are all AM (in-fact all the art work was done in AM) and the actors work with the AM characters on screen you can see the inter action by going down to the itty bitty plant song Childrens books made easy interative ibooks and audio books for children The only downside to the production was the front projection so creative lighting was called for that being said (: bottom line aM awesome!
Last reply by wedgeeguy, -
- 2 replies
- 514 views
This video breakdown by Pixar storyman Michael Arnt of how stories are broken down (focusing on how to get a story started) has been out for about three years but I don't recall seeing it before. Well worth a look: xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6mSdlfpYLU Source: Spline Doctors (via onanimation.com)
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 970 views
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, -
- 19 replies
- 1.3k views
About a minute or two after my computer has finished booting, the monitors go blank as if the video signal had stopped, as if the computer had turned them off for sleep mode. However the computer is not sleeping, it is still running and functioning. If I run a music program i can still give it keyboard commands and it responds correctly although the monitor is blank. If I reboot up in SafeMode (what I am in now) the monitors stay on and don't blank. This has happened after no obvious change by me. I haven't changed any settings or installed any new programs.
Last reply by pixelplucker, -
- 1 reply
- 449 views
I haven't read through the document so really can't comment on it but for those that have the time and inclination the FCC has posted their 400 page report on the new 'Net Neutrality Rules'. http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0312/FCC-15-24A1.pdf Recommendation: Right Click and choose Save As to download the PDF file
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 5 replies
- 750 views
Hello fellow hash'ers, I'm creating the cover for my next book and also it's book trailer. Unless I'm missing something, it seems that the most awesome sweeper plug-in, in copy mode, will not copy the model's surface attributes (color and I presume materials or decals...nor group names which would also solve my problem). I have a long complex tentacle with hundreds of parts strung along it and I'm looking for a way to create these with surface attributes (or like group names) without having to do each individually as this would take a long time. Anyone know of a way to accomplish this? Thanks for any help you can offer! Rusty
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 6 replies
- 624 views
It looks big! And it's got George Clooney. Tomorrowland
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 5 replies
- 641 views
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/unreal-engine-4-now-free-everyone/ In case we have some interest in games....
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 reply
- 447 views
This is pretty much textbook, animation school jumping here. Notice how the legs have extended to nearly a straight line in the direction of motion before they leave the ground and likewise, the arms have extended as far forward as they can go also. This gets the most mass moving in the intended direction before power is lost when the feet leave the ground. The tail action is a bit counter intuitive; instead of trailing behind, he is flinging it forward to get mass moving for the same reason the arms are thrust forward. http://youtu.be/UMv5pvsrzRU The landing isn't a standard landing on the ground but catch the overlapping action of the body hitting …
Last reply by johnl3d, -
- 2 replies
- 529 views
Does Animation Masters offer a training course? I thought I saw somewhere it said they do offer it.
Last reply by Mr Buzzkill, -
- 4 replies
- 576 views
I have a character riding in a vehicle that looks flat and washed out. The character and vehicle are part of the same model. The character was placed into the vehicle via action file. The vehicle looks fine after rendering as does the rest of the scene, except for the character riding in the vehicle. The character in the vehicle looks fine in the real time render. Other characters look fine in the final render. When I say flat and washed out, I mean no shading at all. There is just flat color in the shape of the character. What am I leaving out? Thanks.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 12 replies
- 1.2k views
I have been playing around with the cool Fisheye lens project that some kind person has posted online for Hash users. It has some cool sliders where you can adjust various things like: 1) Wide Angle 2) Lens Distance 3) Bigger 4) Whiskey Glass 5) facet After going through an art book retrospective on "Perspective" I came across this picture reminding me about the different kinds of specific Perspectives (see attached). I don't know how the person who created the Fisheye lens did it, but is it possible to create a lens whereby you could use a "pose slider" to shift between 2 and 5 point perspective? To simplify the question... As the number of vanishing …
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 9 replies
- 1.5k views
I started using the 64 bit version of A:M and loved the way it operated. Then I tried to render. Then I looked online for a solution as to why it would not render. I discovered an answer that indicated we were to look for a license file and transfer that to a 32 bit version when we wanted to render because we were licensed for both versions. I went back to the 32 bit version of Version 15i which I had before because I did not want to change versions every time I wanted to render. My question is whether the 64 bit version of version 18 will render soon (it's been a while since I tried it the first time and maybe the current build already renders. I don't know.)? If it …
Last reply by Pitcher, -
- 1 reply
- 532 views
Looks like Keith will be closing down his store for good on March 1. You can get his entire 61 video animation tutorial series for $19 Although he is not demonstrating in A:M almost all the concepts will translate to A:M. Some of the early videos suffer from primitive screen capture but they get better as he gets better at it. At that price, I can't imagine passing it up. If even one video is useful to you it's a bargain.
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 6 replies
- 3.2k views
I composited .exr (from A:M) in Blender Node. thank you.
Last reply by Shelton, -
- 3 replies
- 649 views
https://www.digitaltutors.com/11/register.php
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 8 replies
- 629 views
I am aware of changing color or opacity on a timeline for particles. Is it possible to do this also for regular models? For example, if I want a character to change from red to blue gradually or to become invisible gradually, how do I do this? I've tried going to different places on the timeline and changing percentages of transparency or color, but the program changes these characteristics to whatever the current percentage or color is for the entire timeline. I've looked for a way to put a curve for transparency on the timeline, but have not found it. This is probably a simple question for someone who knows the answer. It's not simple for me right now. Thanks.
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 7 replies
- 872 views
according to this article... Windows 10 Will Be A Free Upgrade
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 9 replies
- 870 views
What is the one second increment on the timeline in animation master? I feel that if I know that I can animated a bit better. I know it in Maya it is I am just not familiar with A:M's animating features yet. Thanks alot.
Last reply by DZ4, -
- 1 reply
- 386 views
Tigers can jump... http://youtu.be/qerL893QDTY Notice how the tiger fully extends before leaving the ground and fully extends to land again.
Last reply by Dpendleton77,
