Rodney

While not officially confirmed by Steffen he has posted a file that fixes this problem on the Mac for EXR files and Mark has already downloaded the fix. Yet another reason to submit to A:M Reports... where they can be quickly resolved! [bug]6267[/bug] EXR.iio Plugin Not Loading On Mac If you are having this problem, downloading the attached file should get you up to speed and operational again. Disclaimer: Only download this file if you are experiencing problems with EXR IIO on the Mac. Thanks Steffen! EXR.zip

Hope you have a happy one Mr. Sappington! For those newbies that might be wondering, if you've watched the TaoA:M video tutorials he was your instructor for the majority of them. (It's also my sister's birthday)

Thanks Jason!

Same site... but different information. Here they break down the Principles of Animation: http://www.animationbrain.com/category/animation-principles Here's a random sampling of information from that section regarding how the number of frames effects timing: There is a similar writeup in the TaoA:M manual.

I haven't played with the project file yet (but hope to soon!) but I was under the impression that newton physics wasn't even used in this project.

I ran across this site and couldn't help but take the survey: I don't mean to skew the results for anyone that wants to take the suvey but here is what they say regarding global views on color: http://www.colormatters.com/color-symbolism/global-color-survey Remember what you select because you won't get the chance to see it again. Don't read the following if you plan to take the survey! No real surprises there. Although I didn't answer a lot of them the same. I post this as a furtherance to assigning colors but not as a suggestion that they have to adhere to anything preconceived ideas.

Oh, that's good Macros. You are making great progress!

You are quick! I'm not sure how best to approach the beard but I'm sure others will know. Aside: There is something about the color scheme on Gravedigger that doesn't quite seem to work. At a glance I'll guess that it's the bright green color but not sure. A quick look at real world fabrics might help to refine his clothing's color toward the perfect form.

If you visit the Adobe site or attempt to update to the recently released Adobe Reader XI you'll currently get an update to Adobe Reader X instead and if attempting to update via the Reader itself a message that says you are currently up to date. This despite the fact that the Adobe site showing the XI version available for download. Since the XI release has been out since late Sep I can only assume the current buglist is large enough to keep Adobe from promoting/releasing it fully. For those interested the XI release is available at the following location: http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatet.../11/11.0.0.html DISCLAIMER: YOU SHOULD READ THROUGH THE BUG LIST FIRST BEFORE INSTALLING. I installed and haven't had any problems thus far. Some of the updates from the previous version are fairly trivial but of primary interest is the new annotation options. Of particlar interest is that as the new release attachments can be added right there in the Acrobat Reader. So what does this mean to you? Scenario: You are reading a tutorial or watching a presentation when you see that some resources are available to use in Animation:Master. You note the attachment and click on it and the resource opens in A:M. You explore the resource and then go back to the PDF files to learn more. This is nothing new to folks that have purchased the full version of Adobe Acrobat but what is new here is that everyone now has the ability to add these resources as attachments inside a PDF document. That is significant. There will be more to come regarding this... with the goal of getting more resources into the hands of A:M Users... but I want to get this info flowing because it is going to be very good for us here in the A:M Forum and for those that want to add these resources now... you can now do that. More testing required to see what other capabilities are included in Acrobat XI. For those with time to kill here are some links to explore: http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/known-is...-xi-reader.html Acrobat User information and (apparently) the chance to win stuff over the next 30days: https://www.facebook.com/adobeacrobat?sk=app_316874691719824

Nicely tinkered John!

Bumping this up as not only the Star Sphere is cool but so is the coding (javascript) behind it. We were previously talking about how much we love the A:M file formats here.

Ooooo. I like it. If we can pull that off to the degree I think we can that'll be a great transition. That seems to lend itself well to thoughts of Latimer's parents social status and hints at their family history. I like!

How in the heck??? I assume you are animating the solid block's scale or size while simultaneously overlaying the sprite particle effect? Very impressive Marcos!

This second project downloads (and operates fine) the first one (as was mentioned) did not. You may want to edit your first post and delete that attachment. I'm looking at the project file now but so far don't see anything amiss... If you don't embed the project files then they will be missing. When you try to share them the project will point to the files that weren't downloaded. Occasionally this might work when using characters like Thom because they are in the same relative locations on everyone's computer systems. I'd say that when in doubt for sharing you should embed and/or use the consolidation feature to zip everything up into a single file that can be shared. The benefit of consolidation beyond embedding is that any images used in the project (decals etc.) will also be shared.

I'm not seeing the same issue on the PC side so perhaps it is only a Mac related issue. I haven't tried 64bit yet but 32bit I see no problem.

Okay, take this with a large dose of whatever... Some thoughts that occur to me in looking at this rendering: A - Consider some foreground trees/foliage to push a greater sense of depth. B - Consider squaring off the tombstone with Latimer's Mom. If she is going to stand there she'll want to be face to face with the tombstone. C - Latimer is actually buried here so there needs to be some indication of that. If it's been many years then perhaps just some taller grass etc. but if the funeral was today then a mound of freshly packed dirt. (Note that it's location to the tree is rough but... hey... this isn't reality... and it looks cool. Note that I flipped the image for two reasons. The first is because I wanted to see how well your image lined up with what I saw originally in my imagination. Once I flipped the image it was pretty close! What I saw was mainly just from a higher angle looking down... this to increase the sense of loss and sadness. I like the warmth you've got in this ground level approach. The image of the Mother... very painterly and appropriate. I almost get goosebumps considering her recent loss and what she must be going through. Oh... almost forgot the other reason I think flipping the image might be appropriate. Throughout most of this movie the characters will be moving from left to right. This may be a perfect opportunity to have characters directed the opposite way. In it's own way this opposing direction represents an obstacle to our hero which he must overcome. I'm impressed with this rendering. It's got a lot of heart. Looking very good Lloyd. Looking very good! Edit: I'll add this thought too. The closeness of the camera is another element that is adding warmth to this shot. If you are trying to accent the sadness then you might want to pull back the camera to isolate the Mother more. Personally I like the warmth but I'm not sure what you are going for primarily in this shot. Perhaps the shot could start off as warm and then move back and upward and fade out as it gets lost in the darker branches above.... then cut to the Land of the Dead Gravesite. Whoops. Forgot to upload the image.

Awesome. Thanks! It occurs to me that one of your story elements might be that when Latimer (or anyone for that matter) dies they enter the grave in the real world but wake up in a very different location. What made me think of this in particular is your previous rendering with Latimer's Mom at the grave. This could almost be a private or family cemetery (I don't see any other gravestones) and this would stand in stark contrast to where Latimer wakes up dead which is in a graveyard filled to the brim with gravestones. I'm not sure if that factors in... but it was a compelling thought for a moment. Be right back with some thoughts concerning your previous rendering...

This is where I need to be able to get inside your mind. You say they are nothing alike but I have no frame of reference for that. What is different about them? Have the gravestones changed into other shapes? Do they just look more weathered and broken than their real world counterparts? Is there a stylistic difference such as the real world being rendered more realistically and the land of the dead more stylistically and abstractly? When you say they are nothing alike... I have no reference point, and mostly because I don't know what the real world graveyard looks like to begin with. Keep in mind that I'm suppose to be creating gravestones as such so I kind of need to know. Note that I'm not opposed to creating stuff and then you saying, 'yes, that's it!' and 'no, it's not like that at all.' but perhaps you can find some images on google or post some doodles so we can start getting into sync with our understanding of these two worlds. When I say 'ultra simple' I'm thinking that the real world graveyard is (primarily) cleaner and better lit than that of the land of the dead. From there other differences would flow. My thought here is that even in real world graveyards there are new gravestones and those that are very very old. In some cemeteries I've been to there are the open areas that are well lit (and better liked as far as cemeteries go) and those harder to get to places often near trees and hills where shadows dominate and most prefer to never go. Edit: Nice images! That gives me something to go on.

That's really good Kat! Very impressive.

If you are after ultra-simplicity, I think you can just cut from an image of Latimer's parents at the gravesite to one with without them at Latimers grave. I think it'd be good for the audience not to know how much time has transpired between the two. The image I've had in my mind is clearer for the one with Latimer's parents in it. For that I see the camera at a high angle up in the trees looking down on Latimer's parents who are laying a rose at the base of his tombstone. Similarly, I don't think it's important to show how long it's been since Latimer actually died. They could be at his funeral but it could be much much later as well. The important thing is to show how much his parents miss him. In the image I see Latimer's father is standing while his mother is kneeling at the grave. She's obviously devastated and he is trying to be strong. He kneels down as if to comfort her but we can't be sure if his knees didn't simply fail him also. I had the thought of him holding and dropping a red rose onto the ground as he embraces his wife. In my minds eye the scene is not clear... it's gloomy and dark. The only real color is the rose. That would give us a sense of where we are about to leave 'the real world' and when next we open our eyes it's almost in the same sense as Latimer. In a way we've traveled with him from one side to the other although he is not aware yet of what has occurred. I think its not only okay to leave some things out of those transitional scenes but it is better because then the audience can supply/attribute their own feelings and emotions. Almost everyone has experienced some form of loss in their life and so they can sympathize with these parents who have lost their son. The awakening (for us) with Gravedigger at hand is a bit like we've made the transition ourselves in order to arrive in time to witness Latimer 'wake up'. I think this is a pivotal scene if for no other reason that it's the focus of the title itself. Latimer waking up dead is a significant moment. We can echo that a little in how the audience experiences that also. They'll experience it first by transitioning from the presence of Latimer's parents to an empty graveyard... where they meet with Gravedigger who is about to wake up Latimer. This helps us as members of the audience empathize with Latimer all the more because we've just made that transition ourselves. Note that I'm not suggesting that Gravedigger actually see us and welcome us. We aren't really there... and yet we are. We are confused.... like Latimer... and some folks (primarily Death) will be along shortly to help us figure everything out. Unlike the first scene which I envision with the camera looking down... the scene in the graveyard of the dead is from ground level... almost underground. In this way both scenes allow us to be Latimer... or at least share his perspective... hovering over his parents at graveside vigil... and coming up out of the ground. I envision the camera doing a low move into the graveyard moving slightly up hill as we are introduced to Gravedigger and watch him moving around. He's at work and we aren't yet awake yet ourselves, so he doesn't know we are there watching him. As it should be, things really get interesting with the awakening of Latimer.

More info is needed Marcos. I'm sure we can come up with something that will work... and if not particles who knows... maybe it'll work even better. What is the effect you are trying to reproduce?

It would be an honor. I wont be able to get started right away because I'm still fixing things I broke up there in the top of the forum header... perhaps later today.

I like the way you think!

Jason, You probably already know this but the WIN 64bit installer link isn't working...

Okay, whose got the scoop on this one. These additions sound very useful. Very useful indeed! Downloading now to begin the experimentation. Thanks Steffen and Hash Inc! If you haven't already got it: Download v17.0b!