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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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942 topics in this forum
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- 6 replies
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Okay, I stand corrected. Robert had mentioned changing a texure from .png to .tga and my response was that I thought those were hard coded into the .OBJ file. We *can* change the texture format of an .OBJ and we can do a whole lot more too. The secret sauce is in the .MTL file which can be edited in a text editor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file Look down until you get to the Material template library section. To go out on a limb and possibly be wrong yet again I'll say that perhaps it is that material that is assigned to the .OBJ that is interferring with the rendering of the image/texture? Attached is an image I got out of A:M's rende…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 5 replies
- 523 views
OK.... I confess....I'm a huge fan of Sky Captain & the world of Tomorrow. So when I saw this John Carter Pitch done by the same director(Kerry Conran).... I have to wonder how awesome it would have been if they would've done the movie. Check out the pitch.....
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 0 replies
- 423 views
For those that might have wondered what legendary Disney animator Glen Keane has been up to since departing Disney, a theatrical release of the immersive application was revealed at Google I/O. Glen was challenged to create a follow up to the very popular and innovative 360 immersive entertainment 'Windy Day' and the result was 'Duet'. The part on 'Duet' to include some technological behind the scenes work as well as the short itself is at the end of this youtube video. Other releases of just the short itself are beginning to appear. As the 'rendering engine' Glen animated at 60 frames per second in order to create the animation for the application. cV8JDSO1…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 476 views
Project management for multimedia production has been a growing area of interest for many years so it comes as no surprise that Shotgun is positioned in an important niche. I've watched Shotgun since it's initial press release and made note of their quality and the potential to go far. The news was just released that project management software company Shotgun is 'joining' Autodesk. I take this to mean the company is being purchased. This is good news in that it should help bring project management for video production to the fore for many more projects. The cautionary note being that it becomes all the more likely that Shotgun will be at least as proprietary…
Last reply by fae_alba, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 572 views
Here's a clever pricing strategy for all you free-lance types... Freelance pros take the zeros out of project bids. Here's Why.
Last reply by fae_alba, -
- 16 replies
- 2.1k views
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27677712 Sounds great, is animation master easy to export to renderman? or would extra work be needed to export it to renderman. I know this is not a commercial license but it would be great to use it as another option.
Last reply by frosteternal, -
there are several external renderer importing alembic files. Is possible to code A:M for export this format ??? http://www.alembic.io/index.html I`m using chronosculpt demo to import OBJ+MDD and expost an .abc file ( alembic ) but the result isn`t 5x5
Last reply by Xtaz, -
- 6 replies
- 720 views
Hey all! I've been progressively trying to get to the point of being able to do freelance work to some extent (I even made a website!) but I still feel like there is much to learn before I'm ready. Certain concepts I've gotten pretty solid (with much help from you folks!) but there's always more to be learned! Anyways, I was wondering what the top 5 books are that you might recommend for doing CG work. It can be ranging from any topic from lighting, to animating, to modeling etc. Just what are the top 5 books you think anyone like myself should read when doing this sort of work? Thanks!
Last reply by robcat2075, -
Facial Rig
by Xtaz- 1 follower
- 12 replies
- 2.8k views
This is for the Rig´s Gods Itjustme, mtpeak2 !!!!! 8qeOFibRmoo
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 4 replies
- 695 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, -
- 1 reply
- 528 views
So for the first time in ever, I have a pretty decent PC. 3.5ghz Intel i7 quadcore, 16gb ram, 2gb nvidia graphics card. So how come my render for AM still takes 5 minutes? And I'm not rendering anything all that intense BTW. Furthermore, when I pop open task manager, it's only using like tops 15% of my resources. My PC is set to high performance and I gave AM realtime priority in task manager, but that hasn't caused AM to use any more resources. Is this as good as it gets for AM's processing power? Or am I missing something (cause I don't really know much about getting a computer to run at peak efficiency)?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 replies
- 525 views
Just noticed the Troll?, spinning the words Animation Master round, for the Special Topics forum Was that your handiwork Rodney!?
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 0 replies
- 444 views
This is a Star Wars fan film put together by two school mates over the period of six years. The film is in french with subtitles and contains some harsh language not usually seen in Star Wars films. hChZObLRPRc Of interest, there are hundreds of stormtroopers in the film but no one wore a stormtrooper costume. All appearances where 3D models animated and composited into the film. There are several making of videos that are well worth reviewing as well. Here's their website that has links to several: http://1k0.blogspot.fr/2014/03/versus-twts-making-of.html Here's one thatperhaps outlines the effects breakdowns best: CG4AV5UIk…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 0 replies
- 548 views
I ran across this short video and thought... that sure looks like it was designed as a showcase for a renderer... and sure enough it is. What I didn't guess is that the renderer is open source with an MIT license. The short is... very short so check it out: [vimeo]92172277[/vimeo] Direct Link The appleseed renderer is currently in Alpha testing: http://appleseedhq.net/
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 2 followers
- 2 replies
- 616 views
This looks to be a positive development: jR8XBZRkkao The video doesn't go into detail but the general idea is to allow viewers to assist and support directly (translation, captioning and funding).
Last reply by zandoriastudios, -
- 1 reply
- 471 views
my subscription to A.M ran out.I was wondering if is possible to make a metallic paint texture. If so can someone please make me a metallic blue ,red ,green render it in jpeg 1080p this is for a template for a car simulator game. You can do custom paint jobs on the models with photo shop. thank you here is car I have done all ready
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 478 views
U.S. Leads Multi-National Action Against “Gameover Zeus” Botnet and “Cryptolocker” Ransomware, Charges Botnet Administrator According to this article you have two weeks or less to undo your cryptolocked computer... Global police operation disrupts aggressive Cryptolocker virus
Last reply by pixelplucker, -
- 2 replies
- 612 views
Of possible interest... As of April of this year Autodesk released Toxik (now named Composite) and MatchMover which runs on Linux, Mac and Windows 64bit for free. Composite is a node based video/image compositor. As the UI isn't exactly intuitive I highly recommend reviewing all available videos and tutorials BEFORE diving in. The learning curve is a bit steep and the UI doesn't always react in accordance with the tutorials. Aside: I'm not aware of any way to access the custom channels created for the EXR format but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Accessing standard RGBA channels is straightforward enough. MatchMover is a 2D/3D tracker for …
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 6 replies
- 662 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, -
- 4 replies
- 489 views
or... 'Why PIXAR movies really cost that much'. EL_g0tyaIeE Direct Link
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 11 replies
- 1.3k views
Fresh Spleen Update: Gene was moved to the new building this morning., and I hear his spirits are better. So the prayers must be working. Keep it up.
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
- 3 replies
- 458 views
So does "mad science" count or is it more spaceships, robots, aliens and such? I'm interested in doing an entry but need to pick something g I can pull off with the new deadline.
Last reply by Roger, -
- 7 replies
- 453 views
Just got in this afternoon to find four notifications from the forum in my mailbox, Only to find that the messages they relate to are from 2013... Is there a glitch with the new server setup ? simon
Last reply by Rodney, -
Tiny Nomad
by Rodney- 0 replies
- 590 views
My kind of short film... [vimeo]93537717[/vimeo] Direct Link to Vimeo video This is Toniko Pantoja’s fourth year project at Cal Arts. See more via Toniko's blog. His first year film is impressive as well: Link
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 3 replies
- 522 views
Here's a video that is making the rounds. There is nothing particularly new represented here but it's a very nice and concise (even entertaining) look at the 12 principles of animation as outlined in Johnston and Thomas's book 'Disney's Illusion of Life. [vimeo]93206523[/vimeo] Direct link to video on Vimeo Note that at the end of the video there is a link to a tumblr site that doesn't appear to work. The correct address (that links to a webpage where each of the principles/examples is separated) is: http://the12principles.tumblr.com/
Last reply by serg2, -
- 22 replies
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Something is very wrong, and it might be because I don't understand optimizing win7 or..I might have purchased a DOG. I need help with finding out why new system is performing so badly (compared to old)..not much of a speed up at all, and in the case of running 16b/32 - it's slower. OLD system: xp pro 32, core2duo 3.2ghz, 3GB, nvidia 8600 256 NEW system: win 7-64 pro, i7-4770 3.4 (up to 3.9 - whatever that means), 16gb, nvidia gtx 650 1 gb. (dell xps 8700 special edition) I am running Robs benchmark test and results are disappointing, surprisingly. I can only compare old and new with render times for ver16b/32 since old system was Xp pro 32 OS …
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 7 replies
- 469 views
I have a model performing a dance action and am wondering if there is a quicker way to mirror the whole action other than to "copy/paste mirrored" each keyframe. Using A:M 15j on Mac OS 10.6.8. Thanks.
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 7 replies
- 754 views
Hmmm... looks intriguing. As it is already funded and still has 18 days to go... I might have to bite at this one. Although in many ways this is more of a novelty item it does have some practicality to it also. This might be primarily of interest for those of you with a desire for a Cintique but a budget closer to an iPad. Of interest to me is how this effort actually helps to bridge the gap between old 2D methodology and the newer digital approaches. CAEgL3kJyBs https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964133...n-desk-for-tabl Edit: Grrr... I hate it when kickstarter projects limit the number of distros in the tier I want and don't allo…
Last reply by ruscular, -
- 3 replies
- 558 views
This is from 2013 but I haven't seen it linked here in the forum. Part 1 is "Acting for Animators" with Ed Hook: z8TS-E2pxek Part 2 is "Improv for Animators" with Dörthe Eickelberg: yUNRDtKKIOs There are lots of nice insights to glean from both interviews. Source: AnimatorIslandTV (Animator Island has a pretty biting commentary/satire on online animation schools. A little fun/funny)
Last reply by NancyGormezano, -
- 4 replies
- 485 views
Could someone help me to find a tutorial about facial rig and weight.
Last reply by JimFier, -
- 10 replies
- 1.3k views
for fun trying to have random color changes in models but using a rand() expression in the color numbers causes AM to crash ..tried RGB(r,g,b ) with random numbers ..crash played with x,y,z size expressions and tried to have those number go into color number slots...crash weird numbers do not need to be integers so rand()*255 should work without color changes quick test front model has pose turned off randomize.mov
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 9 replies
- 627 views
It's been awhile since we've seen a post about 3D Printers on Kickstarter... Here's one that recently launched that is already exceeding $2 million of their initial $50K goal with 24 days still to go. At a glance I'd say there is some interest in the technology... It's certainly small. Added: It seems the majority of folks are opting in to one of the various $299 options. AND NOTE... MOST OF THESE OPTIONS ARE GONE. What they appear to be doing is adding new $299 options but with subsequently later release dates. As of this moment it looks like that tier would expect a February 2015 shipping date. The Micro: The First Truly Consumer 3D Printer …
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 8 replies
- 720 views
This is somewhat related to Robert's 'Painting with Light' series but the methodology is very different (I'm not as smart as Robert!) It's something I stumbled upon last night while exploring things in A:M I've never considered beyond the tried and true and defaults. At the end of the video I show some other stuff that can be done with this technique that goes beyond painting clouds. Midway through the cloud painting portion of the video you can see the shape that I'm painting with. It looks like two oval shapes, one inside the other. Everything is created in real time directly in v18d with no plugins or extras. Strickly A:M stuff. cloudpainting.mp4
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 2 replies
- 885 views
For those of you wth money to spend... Zurbrigg has released their video player that is enhanced for filmmakers and animators. Their site states that introductory pricing is $25. Keyframe MP is currently available for 64-bit version of Windows (Vista or newer) with an OS X version in development. http://zurbrigg.com/keyframe-mp There are several videos that demonstrate usage: [vimeo]90056692[/vimeo] Getting Started with Keyframe MP (Direct Link) [vimeo]89196777[/vimeo] Keyframe MP Overview (Direct Link)
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 0 replies
- 1.4k views
Disclaimer: I haven't tried this out yet but spotted it and wanted to see if anyone had given it a shot. Anyone? http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/ Obviously when you upload a model you have shared it with the server. If the model you want to convert is precious to you and you don't want it out there then don't use these types of converters. Here's the basic info (from the website): If enough people upload .MDL files (which will fail to convert) maybe they'll write a converter for A:M model files. One can dream. The author is a/the developer behind the Open Asset Import Library (Assimp) and associated viewer (C++ etc.)…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 3 replies
- 679 views
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, -
- 5 replies
- 671 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, -
- 8 replies
- 1.5k views
I almost hesitate to share this because I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't go into any major expenditure unprepared... so this only applies to you if you are already prepared. Animation Mentor is currently offering a 'one time only' discount on their Animation Basics course. Some caveats (in my opinion): *If* you already versed in Maya at least to the point where you can find your way around easily, or... *If* you've already taken a course in Maya (preferrably the intro to Maya course at Animation Mentor), and... *If* you have a lot of free time in your schedule, and... *If* you've currenty got the spare cash on hand, or... *If* you were planning…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 612 views
This app for androids was available for $2.99 but I believe it has reverted to $11. Of particular interest is that it appears to support splines and patches. (It can reportedly create 2 sided, 3 sided and 4 sided patches) As it only exports to .OBJ I'm not sure how well that will work but it makes sense that a quad/spline/patch based model exported to .OBJ might import into A:M better than most. I don't have an Android based phone or tablet so can't test this out. There is a free version that limits the size of the model that can be saved. From their site: http://www.scalisoft.com/ Could be useful for creating assets for A:M while on the go.…
Last reply by Wildsided, -
Mr Homeslice
by Xtaz- 1 follower
- 11 replies
- 1.5k views
I'm missing Mr. Holmes Bryant. Does anyone know where he is? He doesn't appear here since 2012
Last reply by thefreshestever, -
- 0 replies
- 385 views
While I'm in the mood, I'm looking for some real projects to model (characters or soft body - not hard surface). Not talking designing the characters - if you have model sheets or well drawn concept images - hey I'm looking for something to do (free of charge). I need to hone my skills. Cheers
Last reply by higginsdj, -
- 1 reply
- 438 views
Skip ahead to 12:35 This is the first time I've ever seen him on film. 9JpfUK53lug
Last reply by largento, -
- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 774 views
The folders of my Windows 7 can show me thumbnails of .jpg, .png and .bmp picture files. But when it comes to targa files (which I nearly always use) there is no thumbnail. Anybody know of a way to get .tga-thumbnails?
Last reply by Tore, -
- 11 replies
- 905 views
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, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 514 views
Dusted off my old HASP dongle and was going to mess around with A:M over the break, but it seems that the HASP software isn't working on Windows 7. After getting through a few other hoops, I'm stumped on this HASP error, when I try to open A:M: "HASP not found (15)" My USB HASP Dongle is plugged in and lit up, Windows seems to think the drivers are up to date, but A:M won't see it. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 followers
- 11 replies
- 1k views
Here is a Theremin simulator that runs in your browser. http://femurdesign.com/theremin/
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 2 replies
- 443 views
Materials is one of those areas I haven't mastered yet, so over the years I've built up a library of canned ones, just in case I needed them. But for the life of me I can't seem to get my hands on a decent felt material, or any felt material. Anyone happen to have one kicking about in the dusty corners of their 'puters?
Last reply by largento, -
- 1 follower
- 9 replies
- 873 views
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, -
- 2 replies
- 529 views
Is there a video of the live AM presentation that is performed at the conventions?
Last reply by edifex, -
- 2 replies
- 476 views
During the live demo, the presenter had a 3D Bugs Bunny. He then did something that turned it into a 2D character which resembled traditional animation. Does anyone know how he did that?
Last reply by edifex,