Rodney

Looks spot on to me. A quick comparison with the example I just posted (for the uplifted hoof) has it matching exactly. (Ken's suggestion to sharpen up the hoof a little is a good one. Just in case you missed that.)

It sounds like you got my suggestion even though I did everything I could to confuse you. I've attached an image that hopefully will explain my thoughts more clearly. If the Satyr isn't placing any weight on his hoof (if he is lifting his leg off the ground) then you have a pretty good position already. If he has any weight on that hoof the rotation should go in the other directions in order to support that weight after making contact with the ground (see attachment). Hope this makes a little more sense. Note: If you move the focus of your eyes back and forth from the top image to the bottom focusing on the rear legs you can see how a Satyr might walk/prance.

Gah! Just as I was about to hit submit my browser crashed and my post went bye-bye. With it about 30 minutes of research and suggestions vanished without a trace. My general suggestion was to consider the weight of the Satyr with respect to his anatomy using the horses front legs as its base. The joint under consideration appears to be the Fetlock (literally 'foot lock') which deals with supporting the horse and the leg. I can regrab the references if you are interested. My suggestion was to consider whether having the Satyr lean forward would be more effective. This would require you to rotate the lower bones below the fetlock the other way. The primary time we see the rotation as it is in your image is when the horses paw and the ground or jump when there is no weight on that hoof in place. As you've got the rotation now it seems technically correct but this is because the Satyr is leaning away from the stage. If he was leaning forward the weight would shift/rotate the joint forward. Compositionally it might prove to be a better way? Here is an image of the horses leg anatomy with the fetlock on display. (the one I managed to save) As far as I can see, if there was any weight on the hoof the rotation would be angled the other way. I did want to also comment on little on the Sluagh. (Very intriguing character!) I get a little lost in looking at her as her eyes don't convey what she is thinking of/looking at as much as I'd like. At first glance the direction of her gaze appeared to me to be going off to the right. Making it absolutely clear what she is looking at (I assume the apple) will direct the viewers attention throughout the scene and help balance the composition. Perhaps darkening them or allowing more of the white around her eyes to appear would help her out. Hope all of this isn't too far off the mark.

Mark, If its not too much to ask please drop a rough storyboard image or two on your blog. I love that 'Here's whats coming up next' stuff.

You have officially lost it Matt. You've caught the StianEric flu and apparently thats fatal. I'd think you might be able to get a good effect just by scaling the bill out and making it appear to come out of a flat dollar bill. Who needs to stretch their money when it can tranform into 3D. You so crazy though...

I had to read back quite a way. You are making great progress! Funny you should mention this. I was trying to find a way to articulate it but it seems that if you were to draw a straight line from the knee to the end of the hoof (on the right leg that is) that would be about the right angle. This would also keep it in roughly the same configuration as the left leg. Its that wide angle at the last joint that really seems strange to me. Having the platform there on the left seems to lessen the effect of the legs angle a little... I'm not sure what you've got planned there. Too early to tell. I don't have enough positive things to say about your effort here. Its really amazing. Your work is unlike any other I've seen anywhere. Very unique. (which is a very good thing)

Very nice. I like! There are several ways but the one that immediately springs to mind is: - (Under the settings in a Choreography or Action) Turn the Ambiance setting on the suface properties up (and turn it way down when you want to dim the light). The surface should also have an Ambiance color to make this work if it doesn't already.

I see Holmes's tutorial topics have been viewed 8558 times here in the forum as of this date. That's quite a lot of views and I know its been an education for those that have worked through the tutorials. Newbies (and old timers too)... as you are working your way through TaoA:M keep an eye on these tutorials. You'll find them to be useful extensions of those basic exercises. If you've learned something drop a note into that tutorial topic. It'll bump the topic up for someone else to see and thank the author of the tutorial too. Thanks Holmes for these outstanding tutorials.

It is related to video card but more likely you are seeing problems with Windows Vista's Aero properties. I turned my settings off and haven't seen any similar problems since. I must admit though that I've forgotten where to turn the Aero properties off. It should be in your Vista Control Panel. Note: It is a good idea to double check and make sure you have the most current video driver for your card.

Outstanding tutorial Robert!

Somewhere in the forum Bob Croucher discusses the Pros and Cons of two methods of Key Groups. I've lost it for the present but its there. I did find this Tech Talk that may be of interest: http://www.hash.com/ftp/pub/movies/techtal...ps%20Poses.html Warning: Large file (but its streaming)

That doesn't sound right Matt. Copy/Paste can take considerable time and is more reliant upon available memory. Is that the way you are doing the merging Stian? I assumed you were Exporting from the Action to merge the Model and Action Object. Or... assembling them in a Chor and Exporting them into one Model from there.

Hey! What have you done with my Wannabes!!! Just kidding Mark. Hang in there. I do think the changing of your header graphic is a good idea. At least readers will know this new strip isn't something thats been broken on the webpage. The change in style and genre may be pretty jarring but I'm sure fans can adjust accordingly. Sell the controversy! So... should we all begin working on our own pirate-themed comics to fit into future cross over continuity? Maybe you could get Andy Mulia to do a short strip or two leading up to a cameo by Werewolf and Firefly. Its all part of the tear in the fabric of the time/space travel continuum thingy. Edit: Hey, wait a minute. You are going to model, texture and render all the Greyhawk characters in 3D and have them interact with the Wannabees!?? You soooooo insane. But I'm there with you!

Hey, its great to see you again. I started to repond but got distracted. My apologies. My memory may be faulty here... Make sure your FPS in the Project's Properties are set to your desired FPS as well. (See attached)

Nice. With each new addition the cathedral achieves a new sense of scale.

Interesting news Mark! I was wondering if I'd ever get a chance to see those Greyhawk characters up close and... low and behold. Keep us posted.

Its great fun to go back and read over these kind of projects as they come together. Here's an article-like view of this topic. When I think about terms to use for Eric and Stian's modeling I think of the word 'mindnumbing'. Truly amazing stuff.

Here is an working index to some of the A:M Forum's Tutorials. Featured: Holmes Bryant's Featured Tutorials Pinned: Featured Tutorials (3 replies) Pinned: Useful Links (Archive) (75 replies) Other/older classic tutorials: Making a Tutorial... (21 replies) Championing Video Tutorials (1 reply) Camtasia Decoder not Working (1 reply) Holmes Bryant Tuts (1 reply) Dink3D tutorial - Ribbed surface (7 replies) Screw head tut with keyboard shortcuts (5 replies) My first video tutorial (11 replies) What is the best free software for making (3 replies) lighting tuts from movie short (2 replies) exploding tut mov (6 replies) AUTO SAVE PLUGIN JH VID TUT V1 (6 replies) 3D_MOUSE_JH_VID_TUT_V1 (5 replies) My Animation Master Movie - Could take a while. (15 replies) Jing Screencapturing (5 replies) Custom tool panels (0 replies) Crowds (8 replies) Third Party Video Tutorials? (13 replies) How to Edit a DVD (1 reply) A:M Tutorials Forum Project for 2006 (30 replies) brick wall falling (4 replies) Calm Ocean tutorial (5 replies) Using Expressions i A:M (17 replies) A:M Features (26 replies) A.R.M. links (7 replies) The A.R.M. (2 replies) Timing Particles Sprites, Streaks and etc (12 replies) Flame Tutorial by Sine NG (5 replies) TRAINING DISKS (1 reply) How to make a spaceship explode (9 replies) Looking for star wars tutorials (4 replies) Where can I start where I left off? (1 reply) Formula from BPM to FPS (27 replies) Exploring Newton Dynamics (6 replies) Sound Problem (0 replies) cars (1 reply) More than the Manual? (3 replies) Racing tutorial (4 replies) avi and swf files (4 replies) Not able to open AM after uninstall /re-install (8 replies) Tutorial Help (4 replies) BB (1 reply) Making Tutorials (18 replies) Need a tutorial (7 replies) A look back as we go forward (0 replies) AM can convert and compress output formats (2 replies) MUFOOF (40 replies) OLD new user with something to offer (2 replies) New tool for character artists (3 replies) pathease problem (7 replies) properties help (2 replies) AM Books - what's still needed? (16 replies) Spanish Video-tutorial on-line. (16 replies) New to A:M v12 (3 replies) Will you like to join an Online Art & modelling school? (0 replies) libraries (1 reply) About Hair and Grass (59 replies) Turning a Cartoon Horse into a Zebra (3 replies) MakeFace(?) (6 replies) Help with an online tutorial (2 replies) Creating A DirtMap (2 replies) SEVEN WITH WINK (1 reply) Help With Face Modeling (4 replies) President Lincoln LipSynched (56 replies) Tools (10 replies) Irfanview and Wink (3 replies) Basic Functions and Features (6 replies) Four Basic Lessons to learn and teach A:M (19 replies) Grass Tut (3 replies) Making SIRD (3 replies) Teachers A:M Tutorial 1 (1 reply) Requests and Commentary (26 replies) How to WINK a tutorial (1 reply) 2D cartoon with A:M (2 replies) Shark landing tutorial (0 replies) In-camera smartskin. (10 replies) Flash (2 replies) The Seven Tutorials Series (34 replies)

Yes indeed, Robocat is Robert's cute little metallic assistant that zips around doing various errands for him. You don't think Robert does all that super-geniusing all by himself do you? Try to look past the motion blur and you'll recognize him by those distinctive ears. Look closer and you'll even see the precision of the arcs in the motion of his tail. Imaginary assistant or otherwise, Robert Holmen has proven to be the greatest thing since animated sliced bread. Thanks for all your efforts here in the forum Robert! And as for you... keep up the good work Hazard6211!

Perhaps the most simple way of creating terrain is to use the Grid wizard combined with Magnet Mode. In a Model window Right Click Go to your Wizards Create a Grid Make sure Magnet Mode is on Pick a Control Point and move up/down Watch as the adjacent splines and CPs follow Its handy to do this with two Windows open. One showing the Top View and One the Front. (Or better yet, Drop the grid into a Choreography and then adjust the Model) You are only out of luck if you give up.

Superbly designed character! Really wonderful Serg!

To combine two Choreographies most people: - Save Both Chors (Actually, they don't do this but they SHOULD!) - Either Create a New Chor or open one of the two - Right Click in the Chor window - Select 'Import Choreography' - Import the desired Chor(s)

Don't underestimate the value of the assets you have already. Any reuse will make a collection of useful imagery handy. If there is a lot of reuse you may wish you'd saved more of your renders in Targa or PNG. I'm thinking not only of the strip of course but of promotional work and other venues that will appear. If you at least have the art available you have something to work with when crunch time nears. If you don't you have the resources you'll spend your time tweaking and rendering. Why render an image again if you already have what you need? (rhetorical question) Here's a minor example: Lets say you have something that will reoccur in your strip; an environment, characters, props or other things. Or you've got Flemm holding a crummy soup spoon when you need him to hold his favorite ladle. You could go to all the trouble of posing and constraining or just position the image and erase those parts of the image not needed. Perhaps you'll find out you need to do a special Pirate's Tools page for a magazine. If you've got all the props rendered as PNGs with Alpha Channels you can just import them and drop them on the page. Since there is no need to rerender you can move on with your storytelling focusing on assets that are really needed. ...and of course some of these assets will be useful later for 3D. Edit: Perhaps the focus for animation can be on Ads.

Mark, Two words... Amass a collection of stock images with Alpha Channels (preferrably in PNG format) to use in the comic strip. Okay, that may be a few more words than two but I hope you get the picture. Its okay to think in terms of Hanna Barbera here. As the strip will consist of many of the same images anyway it'll be good to have a library of assets available should you need them. Yeah, I know you know this already but this is just to make sure. In twenty years I'm gonna want access to them.