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Everything posted by Rodney
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Here is an example of the hat reworked. You could have more or fewer splines depending on your needs but this one is based on a 8 spline cylinder. In this case I've capped the end with what I'd call a basketball style. While its optimum to stick with four point patches in this case it leads me to use four three point patches on the top and bottom of the four point patches. *Apologies for messing with your hat... I accidently tweaked it while trying to remove it from the smurf mesh. One never knows when you'll want a smurf to remove his hat. Edit: Uploaded the model file. hat.mdl
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Remy, Welcome to the forum! I'm going to guess you've brought this in from another program. Perhaps more important than filling holes is the fact that you can get away with using only about 20% of those splines. If you want to animate him you really want to get to a place where you have a good economy of splines. An added benefit to reducing splines is that it'll help you deal with and close any holes. (if using only A:M you likely don't even need to close some holes) I assume you mean at the end of places like the nose and hat, but I've indicated places (in red)where you'll have other more important concerns. (Note: I haven't indicated them all) These areas have a poly-minded flow that will not work well at all. They will need to be reworked. Spline continuity-wise you've got something of a mess but... all in all its a nice smurf!
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Yes, PC with 15j. I just ran a test of your Chor with your model with transparency at 0 percent and transparency at 20 percent. No change in toon line evident. Something else is going on here. When you go to render what are your render settings? As this is effecting all models (regardless of their individual settings) that seems to be the most common variable to look into. Have you changed any of the default toon rendering settings or just turned Toon on and let it render with default settings? I did not see any Toon settings turned on in the Model's Group itself so must assume you are getting the toon from the render settings. Multipass on? Blur? Anything else? My results are rendering as in your first image. If you haven't closed down and restarted A:M in a long time try that before anything else. Conflicting settings might have got stuck in memory.
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I'm not getting this on my end using your file. When I change the (blue color) group's transparency (to 20), the lines still render the same. Is it possible that you've animated the toon line thickness over time? If you are using an Action or Choreography we don't have access to that to test... only your model.
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Sweet! If I didn't know any better I'd say Matcaps are a source of the celestial. The eyes would look really nice with a touch of ambiance to highlight them (perhaps with 60% or so fall off)? Not unlike what it appears that you have on the ships sails.
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I believe you are looking for the Post Effect called 'Tint'. Right click in the Project Workspace under Post Effects and create a Tint post effect. The default settings should yield Black and White (or more appropriately perhaps Grayscale). If rendering from the camera Drop the Post Effect on your camera and make sure you've got the option to use the Post Effect on in the render panel.
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Great solution. That area looks really nice and natural now.
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Thanks Steve, That's good to know as I plan for the future.
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Thanks for the news on Netrender, Steve. I should be a Netrender user if no other reason than to help make sure its supported and available when I need it in the future. The hard truth right now is that I don't require that much rendering and can't justify the cost (i.e. its not worth my wife leaving me to purchase). I'd be all about purchasing Netrender if I needed that rendering throughput (i.e. my wife would forgive me once she saw the money return). Do I understand that you are using Webrender in this process or is that something completely different?
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I really like the struggle at the beginning. The cut of the camera to a slightly different view right before he loses his grip on the ball and flies back makes it a little harder to read. Its almost as if the brain tries to put some imagining in there (the brain is confused... what makes him release?) this is something that the current landing on the ground doesn't repair. One thing that would help convey the energy a little more would be to get a reverse arc in his body. You got the leaning forward... try to get the opposition to that by arcing his back to the opposite extreme. If you could try to keep the feet planted with legs forward as long as you possibly can. Then successively release each joint of the body as the tension releases starting from the hand. The origin of the pulling is at the shoulders... So when the hand releases the shoulders go immediately back. The head and the arms then lag behind as they are pulled by the shoulders and the body as they arc back. As the shoulders and body rotate back (via the hips) eventually the hips also go back. With the hips moving, then the legs and feet can go back. As secondary motion and to achieve maximum reversal of the arc the head would eventually catch up to the body and overtake it as the body whips it back. The head would then likely hit the ground first immediately followed by the shoulders (which sends the head forward again with push/bounce) as the rest of the body lands. Probably easier to draw a picture no? I can see that he might just as easily fall on his butt but the successive breaking of joints as the hands release from the ball would still apply.
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Ah, got it Mark. I probably read that and forgot. My apologies... press on! press on!
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Troll, faerie fly-fishing...
Rodney replied to zandoriastudios's topic in Work In Progress / Sweatbox
Okay... couldn't stop thinking about this story. It's captivated me over the years. Seeing it bumped up again has reminded me just how great a short story this is. One aspect that I really like about it is how we (as the audience) change. For instance, at the beginning of the film (I'll call it a film because that's what this thing needs to be!) I am the Troll. While I might have some symphathy for the plight of the fearies... they don't compel me to want to be them. I am the Troll and for some reason I can't quite recall, they are trapped and rather nasty little things. As the film rolls on I find myself enjoying being the Troll. I'm walking down the path, sitting on the dock... I'm a fishing Troll. Shock. Okay... maybe I'm not the Troll. But I sure don't want to be the Faerie either. Like the Faerie I'm trapped too and I've got no place to go. No... No... I'm definitely the Faerie. ...and now I'm all alone. I'm doomed. This is it. My life is over. What? I'm free? How wonderful! The Troll has freed me? What a wonderful Troll! Fade out. Roll Credits. Now I'm back to being myself and I'm having a heck of a time trying to comprehend the incredible experience I just had as a Faerie and a Troll. -
Troll, faerie fly-fishing...
Rodney replied to zandoriastudios's topic in Work In Progress / Sweatbox
I haven't looked at Will's storyboard in a long time but I'm trying to imagine what that reversal might be. The story 'as is' is compeling enough as the story demonstrates (from trollish and faerie perspectives) that that's just the way life is. I think the reversal is already there in that the troll isn't the mean ol' nasty that we initially see him as. It's our view of him that changes. He's just fishin'. Its stark and a little too real... not my usual cup tea... but I get it. Award winning storytelling this is. -
Mark, I was about to post my usual 'impressive' and press on but I caught something out of the corner of my eye in your last posted image. Just above the grey rock front/right there is a shadow of a tree that is vertical (with parallel lines). Perhaps there is a plane used in the DOF that is set to accept shadows there? As this shadow is falling on foliage I think something is not right. The image you already know is spectacular. I need to really study your technique for enhancing DOF. Its an effect I know I'll need someday someday... and the control... I really like.
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Troll, faerie fly-fishing...
Rodney replied to zandoriastudios's topic in Work In Progress / Sweatbox
I've got to say... this would be a very amazing short. -
Time traveling again. (Landed close to Robert Holmen's stomping grounds last week. It's warmer and people look San Antonion around here.) I'm typing at 12:43AM but my computer knows it's really 2:43PM the next day. How else can it tell me what is going to happen today? David may not be 50 yet but I'll put money on it that he will be some day.
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There must be something in the water... David has got the big 50 too! First Robert.. now you?!?? Happy Birthday!
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I can't help but wonder where Mrs Smith's talented students are today.
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The answers are all there in these responses but I'll offer this: The steps to convert an Object (OBJ) to an image (in this case the Targa image (TGA) are: Open program Import Object Render out the image The easiest way to convert an OBJ file to a Targa file is: Open Program Import .OBJ file. Press the Prt Scr (Print Screen key on a PC) Paste into an image program Save as a .TGA image Just as in this discussion there are some details that may get lost in the processing/translation. The problem with this process is that there will be little use for the captured image as it is at this stage. Capturing (or rendering also) does not automatically leave only the object in the image. To do this in Animation:Master: Open A:M Import .OBJ file (as a Prop for best results) Note: The .OBJ file now is technically no longer an .OBJ file Place the Prop in a Scene Select the Render button and make sure the following options are set: - Image format (Set the format to .TGA which is the Targa image format) - Buffer (Set the Alpha Channel to on which will make empty space behind the Prop transparent) Render out the image Use the Targa image in a program that is designed to use and take advantage of the Targa image format You can see several potential nodes of failure here. Namely: - The .OBJ file does not import properly into A:M - The Prop is not properly placed into a scene - The Render options are set incorrectly - The program you are going to use doesn't support the Targa image format. Now I'm looking to deeply into this. There are several lessons that need to be learned here: 1. 3D file formats - How to identify and effectively use them 2. 2D file formats - How to identify and effectively use them 3. How to select the best image format for your needs 4. Assuming the desired format is .TGA, How to create a Targa image (by editing, capturing, converting or rendering) You'll need to understand these basic elements for each program you are using. Looks like you are well on the way to mastering these.
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Does it do the same thing if the camera circles around the dino instead of the dino rotating?
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Not often, but I was never good at putting my toys away. That led to many a lost/broken part/piece of a game/toy. Colorforms it was! P.S. That Shapeways site is pretty cool. Most definitely worth a look.
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Outstanding! Too bad A:M doesn't have a read only format (besides HA:MR that is). This stuff brings out the kid in me... It'd be fun to play with these characters and create new adventures/stories. This one makes me think of two types of toys: - Those big sets that open up on hinges so you can access the interior. - The vinyl sticker boards where you move the characters around on the background and restick them on the cardboard. As a kid, if I saw either on a shelf in Walmart I'd want one! Added: Would it be mean of me to suggest one of K'Bor's tusks get broken off during this episode? Yeah... yeah... I know. My thought is that it'd add an interesting and intense element to the character's back story while simultaneously helping to make his design less symmetrical and showing his face more. Best to shelve that idea... I'm not sure I want to be known as the guy responsible for breaking off the tusk of the mighty K'Bor!
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Looking good! Cap has been one of my favorite characters over the years. I liked him even more when Roger Stern and John Byrne revealed in one storyline that when he wasn't out saving the world he was making a living as an artist. I assume this guy is the Captain's partner from WWII (Bucky) who is currently filling the star spangled hero's boots?
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Wow! This just keeps getting better and better. Setup-wise I can't help but think you need to adjust the angle of decent or the camera a little to break the initial symmetry. A few options: 1. Start with the bird further to the left (or right) and have her swoop down and land stage center. 2. Star with the bird where it is and have the Valkyrie land where she does but have the bird arc out to left (or right) during the transformation transforming. This may be more work than you have time to give it and I'm sure you have other things to attend to. The current setup works as is but I can't help but think you can still plus it up a little bit. If she transforms like this in other scenes perhaps what I suggest could be applied there instead. I'm going back to read through the rest of your WIP. Did you say this was for a personal project or contract work? Either way... impressive!
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For any Action with an Ease setting you can just inverse the ease starting with 100 percent and ending with 0 percent. If you've got mulitple actions, combined actions, layered actions etc. etc this might be more pain than its worth. It'd be best to know more about what your animation consists of. If too complex you may want to reverse the animation in post. There are a lot of options here that depend on too many variables at the moment. With rendered images being able to be retimed in A:M this is very easy to do in post. As for flipping the Camera view... the first thing that comes to mind is to use a mirror (fully reflective plane) and point the Camera toward that. Just make sure your camera is not visible or it will show in the scene too. There is likely an easier way than that.... so wait and see what others come up with first.