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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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961 topics in this forum
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I know we can export Lights to a python script but... Can we reimport that script back into A:M or is this for external usage only? (If not I know the workaround... perhaps more direct route... is to simply save the Chor setup and import that back into A:M. I do note however that editing the script to create lights is easily readable via the python script) The same appears to be true for exporting Choreographies to python scripts.
Last reply by johnl3d, -
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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, -
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Happy New Year, everyone!
Last reply by johnl3d, -
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Hey! Can someone direct me to a good water tutorial that was made after 2001? For some reason I cannot make any of the steps of this process happen at all. I have been going off of the tutorial on the bonus disc (http://www.babbagepatch.com/water.htm) and I'm not sure if the author is skipping over valuable information, or if I'm just an idiot. The first phase of this process is to make a model with a Turbulence Combiner that can be animated in an action (and thus define water depth) on the Y and Z axis that will cause a wave material. I cannot get these basics to work and I'm starting to get really frustrated. I've also been comparing my work with the .prj file…
Last reply by TheToadStool, -
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- 3 replies
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Have any early adopters had a chance to play with A:M on OS X 10.10 Yosemite? Unlike with Mavericks... which threw a lot of folks off a cliff for a brief moment... it would seem most incompatibilities with Yosemite are related to hardware drivers. That sounds like good news for A:M users as keeping hardware drivers up to date is generally a good practice anyway. As Yosemite is a free upgrade for Mac Users it likely to be adopted by many: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2014/10/16OS-X-Yosemite-Available-Today-as-a-Free-Upgrade.html
Last reply by jason1025, -
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I updated to AM v18 today. Before this I was using v14 so there is no doubt many changes for me. I have opened an existing project into the new version and found I can't get the hair on the model to render. When the hair is turned on I see it on the model, but it disappears when I render. I've gone through all the setting in the options and done some searching in the forum, but haven't found a solution. Does anyone have an idea what setting I have wrong? Or is it possibly a glitch? It seems unlikely to me to be a glitch so I'm hoping someone can find a setting I have wrong. I've attached the project in hopes someone can find the problem. Thank you for your help. …
Last reply by jnord71, -
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Apropos of our recent "Plane Trains Automobiles" contest, here is a great industrial film made by GM in 1959 to give a sense of the process by which a new car is brought from the drawing board to the production line. Full-size clay model at 3:10 The drawing room at 5:25 ! All splines made with "french curves" I particularly like the robotic butt machine that tests the upholstery at 8:20
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 870 views
Hello Hashers- I am getting those notices that Microsoft is ending their security patch support for Windows 7 on January 14th, 2020. I have 3 computers running Windows 7 Pro and I am trying to figure out a way to avoid buying new Windows 10 operating systems and re-installing everything on 3 computers.....with the possibility that some of my other software might not be compatible with Windows 10. Is anyone else facing this prospect and does anyone know of a solution rather than buying the $50 a machine fee Microsoft is charging to extend their Windows 7 support for 12 more months? Thanks for any thoughts... Tom
Last reply by Tom, -
- 1 follower
- 5 replies
- 869 views
Hi everybody, I have a chance to buy a second hand (version, copy, license) of an old A:M, but I don't want to fall into the error of "divide a license" cause that would be illegal... and plain piracy... The seller is not the original owner but a "second hand shop" then, He doesn't know all about the origin of that copy... So my question is, is there a way to know if a license was "divided"? is there a sign, a mark or something on the CDs that could help me to know?, Hash's people would get angry if I ask about the status of a license with the serial number, and even more, of an old version? Thank you ... a little question more, A:M was …
Last reply by Rodney, -
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- 869 views
If I import an STL file I am getting a lot of surface artifacts where the surface is not smooth, and I have tried adjusting the peak angle. When I export I have no issues. Anyone have any ideas?
Last reply by nemyax, -
- 1 follower
- 7 replies
- 868 views
twice this problem has arisen I am using a character and everything is fine with rig got em posed and for some reason/ I hit a button or something and the character goes into T pose and will not respond anymore. ??????? very frustrating what key turns rig off?
Last reply by Mechadelphia, -
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Here's something cool and useful. This guy has drawn skeletons into cartoon characters. Interesting to see where he has placed the joints and something that could be handy when you are thinking about rigging your character.
Last reply by thefreshestever, -
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- 868 views
I'm hoping this is some sort of CG trick and fake but I don't think it is... The Creepiest Phone Charger ever Seen: Umbilical Cord iPhone Charger
Last reply by itsjustme, -
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Lately I was working with a simple model, where I tried to add the 2001 skeleton rig. In the manual is said to make a new bone subdirectory in the new model and drag the root boon of the rig model into it. After done so, I can attach the bones to the model and use it as the 2001 skeleton rig. The advantage of this is that I have all properties of the rig model. After doing this for some time I experienced a strange loss of these advantages. Sometimes the hip model movements loose the attachement of the feet's gravity. I seem to have a model that moves the same way I would move the root bone. I tried to understand what makes these null pointers keep the feet …
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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Just purchased update subscription, installed it and it still tells me that AM expires in a few days. Just spent 80. bucks. Emailed from AM's support page-no response - Sent email from receipt email - also no response. Nobody seems to be at home at AM - no phone number to call. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Last reply by svetlik, -
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Corel has followed suit with other companies in offering subscription services. The going rate for the latest Coreldraw Suite appears to be $24.99 a month or $198 a year. The areas I see as most beneficial to A:M Users are: - Publishing (many formats to chose from but PDF is a standard) - Compositing (composite back and forth between vector and raster via Coreldraw and Photopaint) - Textures - Limited Animation (there is a useful but very limited AVI to GIF capability) - Font Creation (Fonts can be imported into A:M via the Font Wizard) - AI export (these lines convert very well to splines in Animation:Master) - Power Trace (Raster to Vector con…
Last reply by pixelplucker, -
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I've been trying to get a dynamic bone chain to bring life to a shirt worn by Pappa Bear rather than using sim cloth. I added two dynamic bone chains to the shirt opening, then enabled collision detection. The issue comes about when stressing the range of motion as shown with the attached movie clip. I've fiddled with just about all of the settings with no real change in the behavior. I'd really like to get this to a point where I can animate the character without having to worry about the behavior of the shirt, but at this point I don't know if that is realistic. shirt_testc.mov One thing I'm wondering is if I need another bone chain to run along the bottom he…
Last reply by fae_alba, -
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- 855 views
When I first saw this I thought it was a trailer for an upcoming movie... did I just imagine that it's suppose to eventually be a full feature? Hmm. Aw well, at any rate they've released this short (starring the voice of Steve Martin as the alien leader) for all to see: FavW-Y1kaxs Something to note: The length of this film is a good measure for shorts. It runs 4 minutes 7 seconds which includes intro and credits. And yet it is more than sufficient to tell the story. It also reminds me of some old A:M shorts.
Last reply by Rodney, -
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- 853 views
Can someone explain the 'direction' of splines? I have never understood that.
Last reply by Kelley, -
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Shhhhh... keep this on the lowdown. Recently I was plugging Don Bluth's effort to get his traditional animation project off the ground and this relates to that in a way. How? Way back when, at Don's Masterclass one of the attendees was Keith Osborn who near the end of the course showed me a few secrets of a then hush hush project; Warner Bros Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote when they were first making the move to CG. The highlight of the animation was Keith's work with smears, duplicate limbs, etc. which were all pretty hard to do in most software in that timeframe. Well, seeing ample opportunity to spread the word on his approach and technique, Keith has publish…
Last reply by Rodney, -
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- 2 replies
- 852 views
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Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 850 views
Looking for an old plugin. Anyone have or know where to get it? Thanks! Joe
Last reply by J. Baker, -
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I've brought a wav audio file into choreography for lip-syncing and have synced the actions to the file, but when I play the action the sound plays faster than the wav file I've synced the actions to. The time code/frame tells me the wav file is 72 frames in length, but on playback, the sound does not sync with the frame count. It plays much faster. How can I sync the syncs?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
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tried loading a sound into project even tried one from data it does not play ....windows 10 issue?
Last reply by Rodney, -
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All of a sudden the keyboard controls are not doing what they have always done. I may have inadvertantly hit Control/something and changed what the keys do? Is there a way to get the keyboard settings back to a default setting?
Last reply by MJL, -
- 1 follower
- 9 replies
- 844 views
I'm new to A:M and the forums but I was amazed at the quality and diversity of the body of work done by former member Paul Forward whose untimely passing occured this June. He seemed to be very revered on the board and I wondered if A:M could somehow commemorate his passion for animation, creativity and skill with A:M by posthumously designating one of his creations as the 2013 A:M Mascot. Perhaps if his son, Josh, could give access to one of his best models. Someone could render it out in a suitable pose for the splash screen. Let me know what your thoughts are on the possibility of this idea are and if it is something the forum members would be in support of. Sin…
Last reply by KJ'd Beast, -
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- 843 views
Hello everybody... Perhaps you have seen this video before on Youtube or perhaps not, anyway I want to share it here cause may be we can make use of this idea somehow... If anyone has a comment or knowledge about this technique... Perhaps it could be implemented in A:M with some Mouse Motion Capture and something else... Note: It's interesting what is written in the description of the video on Youtube... Good day, bye
Last reply by Rodney, -
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I can see why they are doing this but... The BBC reports that Getty images is releasing 35 million photos from its collection for use by bloggers, etc. but will still charge for commercial use of the photographs. There are some prid pro quos and caviets attached. http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26463886 The plan is to have those using the images embed them with code through which they may eventually be able to generate revenue. Although not likely to dissuade pirates and producers of derivative works at least that part of the plan is innovative. Providing a means for everyone to legitimately reference their image collection is a good idea.…
Last reply by Clipping Path Specialists, -
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- 843 views
Seen on ebay. This is a used Wacom Cintiq from a studio being liquidated.
Last reply by Wildsided, -
- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 840 views
An article on Forbes about running Widows apps on the new M1 Macs... You Can Finally Run Windows On Your M1-Based Mac, But With A Catch However... Certain games won’t work. Games and apps won't work if they use a version of OpenGL greater than 1.1, or if they rely on "anti-cheat" drivers that haven't been made for Windows 10 ARM-based PCs. Check with your game publisher to see if a game will work. Apps that customize the Windows experience might have problems. This includes some input method editors (IMEs), assistive technologies, and cloud storage apps. The organization that develops the app determine…
Last reply by a.quaihoi, -
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- 837 views
For those who have an iPad Disney is joining the growing number of organizations that are opening their vaults for a peek inside production. I posted briefly about Richard Williams's app that puts his video and text from "The Animation Survival Kit" elsewhere... The primary reason I post on this is that it seems to be a trend to repurpose older material for new audiences using new digital (interactive) technology. At it's core this seems to be a smart move on behalf of Disney because frankly, if they don't do it someone else will. Of particular interest to animators is that the various references from the "Principles of Animation" chapter in Frank and Ollie'…
Last reply by largento, -
- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 836 views
I recently purchased and downloaded the hash animation masters 18.0 and its saying its not able to install I have the password and everything.
Last reply by Shelton, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 836 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, -
- 1 reply
- 835 views
Trying to figure out how to use mirror mode in AM modeling. Any help would be appreciated.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
AMD has released drop-in 12 and 16 core socket 470 parts: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-ryzen-9-3950x-zen-2,39615.html Price I've heard on the 16 core part is $750. The 12 core AMD part for $499 beats anything 12 core and under in Intel's current lineup. They have also released their new Navi graphics: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-navi-radeon_rx_5700_xt-rx_5700-details,39608.html
Last reply by Fuchur, -
Alpha channel
by MJL- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 833 views
I was having a couple of problems. Updating to V19.0o solved one but not the other. The one that I'm left with is this: It used to be that when I rendered out to a PNG, the background would be black during the rendering, but the object would render with out a background. When used as a decal, only the object would apply. All of a sudden, a PNG now renders with a separate "photo" labeled the same with a "-Alpha Channel" added to the name. As far as I know there are four places where you can turn on or off "Save with unpremultiplied alpha channel". 1. the Rendering tab in the 'Tools' menu, 2. in the 'output options' of the camera object property menu, 3. the …
Last reply by Michael Brennan, -
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Chuck Williams and Aaron Blaise have launched a kickstarter to fund the initial creation of their current effort; a movie called "Art Story". But that isn't what I'm posting about here... Previously to this effort Williams and Blaise were working at the ill fated Digital Domain on several other story ideas. During that process they recorded a TEDx presentation about their creative process in creating their stories. hSIfGs-DGQ Some concepts covered: Starting out Spaghetti Pitches Inspiration Capturing Moments Evoking Emotion (Emotional Experiences) Research/Reference Connecting with Real Life Beat Boards Non…
Last reply by Rodney, -
SyncSketch
by Rodney- 0 replies
- 831 views
We are seeing more and more of these type of applications... a definite trend in collaborative software. While useful and interesting once online sketching is ubiquitous I imagine many of these application will either fade from existence or be assimilated into other products. I fully expect Youtube and other video services to move in that direction as well. But... in the meantime these application are available and can help bring collaborative projects to life. Like several similar offerings SyncSketch provides online annotation of video uploaded to the cloud. Sharing a link with someone else allows you to then share that information with others. Here are a fe…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 830 views
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Last reply by Tore, -
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- 829 views
There are many ways to approach the breaking down of scenes in a film but one of the best is to study what has worked (and worked especially well) in the past. For many years Hans Perk has posted the drafts from classic films on his blog where the films can be examined in light of these production drafts. These drafts attempt to break down the assignment of scenes as they are doled out to the various animators. Much can be learned from these drafts. As a means to understand the breakdown of timing in a shot or sequence we can see the timing of any particular shot from the vantage point of any animator or director. In this assigned shot, M…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 0 replies
- 829 views
When I look at old shows (and most movies) from the 60s they look very flat and dull. It's like they had given up trying. Television looks a lot different today. I think it had to. Flat and dull wasn't going to sell anymore. This article has broad level discussion of doing better lighting, for non-white skin tones and just to not look like 60s TV. Keeping ‘Insecure’ lit: HBO cinematographer Ava Berkofsky on properly lighting black faces "...the secret to making television resemble film is providing different levels of light to the scene. “[in sitcoms], everything is the same level of brightness. That’s what I’m trying to avoid,” she said. “The trick is keepi…
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 3 replies
- 828 views
On September 27th I ordered the $299 version of Animation: Master and the Tin Woodsman of Oz DVD. I haven't received my order as of October 20th. I emailed the Hash Store twice with no response, the phone number is no longer in service, I tried both emailing the hash support and using the contact form on the Hash support and contact page. I have not received any response to any of them. I checked just now and I think before when I checked my order it had the option of canceling each item, now it return. Does that mean it finally shipped or is it automatically closing out the order since it has been over 3 weeks? Is there any way to get a response to check the st…
Last reply by Zepros, -
- 4 replies
- 827 views
I'm staring at a dilemma that seems to resolve around the necessity of including bitmaps (for decals, backgrounds, etc.) and am actively searching for a solution to set aside or exclude bitmaps from the general workflow. Now, this isn't to suggest that bitmaps would not be a part of the project workflow at all but rather to set them aside for a time to optimize the given workflow. As an example, let's say we have a system where the use of only text files is the norm and is preferred. Let us also assume that text-based image formats (SVG and base-32/base-64,etc.*) aren't ideal either although additional development might allow for them, especially the latter as they …
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 826 views
Have tried installing several older versions like the "yeti" which installs but won't run. Error says need to be administrator but "run as administrator" doesn't work either. there is no administrator on my PC just me. I once had this same version running on it for years but now can only install/run Master 99. any help would be greatly appreciated.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 5 replies
- 823 views
For both PC and Mac... I don't know a lot about this so wont comment much except to say I'll put in a recommendation to check this out. (translation: Go get it!) Especially for those of you included toward music, foley and audio effects. What's the skinny? Unless your budget is $100K or more you can now use these tools for free. If over $100K then you'll need to license. Note: FMod was free for non-commericial projects before but now it is officially free for independent commercial projects. http://www.fmod.org http://www.fmod.org/download/ The pitch here is more toward realtime audio for development of games but this can be leveraged…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 0 replies
- 822 views
Since XML format, it is possible to read the MDL file by a text editor. Here is some information about the MDL format, that I could understand. Hope this can help someone. The CP: The splines : I have not found meaning the first number. Hooks: Patches : I have not found meaning the first and last number for patches. UV, Stamps:
Last reply by Malo, -
- 6 replies
- 822 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, -
- 0 replies
- 821 views
For any of you Android phone users. from NPR... Major Flaw In Android Phones Would Let Hackers In With Just A Text
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 6 replies
- 820 views
This is the oddest beginning-of-the-film studio logo I've seen today... It's at the very beginning of this movie... A440DsuM8iQ
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 1 reply
- 818 views
Way back in the day Computer Graphics pioneers Jim Blinn and Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith conducted lectures on their work to young and eager minds that were interested in pushing the technology to its full potential. It would have been wonderful if someone would have thought to record some of those lectures. And they did! These lectures haven't been viewed a lot on youtube bit should be for historical perspective alone. The lectures dive more deeply into subject matters we are well acquainted with to include splines and patches: xhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXre0qpHjdhC29xH8WkKnw/feed From my perspective, this timeframe was while I was in h…
Last reply by Rodney,
