Rodney

The general rule: (read this somewhere and have no idea how it applies to purple aliens but it makes for interesting backstory... ) The number of teats are portortional to the average litter... in multiples of two. So species averaging 1 offspring would have 2 while those averaging 4 would have 8. Striped and Pockadottted Aliens with 24 boobs... generally have 12 little pups. I'm not sure what one boob on a purple alien means but I would imagine they are very rare. The A:M forum is so educational isn't it.

Looks interesting. Please tell us more as you can.

Make sure you download and install the Ensharpen codec. Hash Inc has encoded their videos with it for several years now. http://www.techsmith.com/download/codecs.asp

It had too much content to fit on a CD so Hash Inc turned it into an 'Extra DVD'. Its distributed with updates, at tradeshows, etc.

Investigate some of the training CDs available from Hash Inc, Azovin, Barry Zundel, Will Sutton etc. Learning faster isn't as cheap as learning slowly but you'll find it money well spent. Which training videos you should invest in will depend on what you want to learn.

I've been running v13/v14 on Vista (not the Business edition though). With 2GB of RAM you should be good to go. (I have 1GB and need a bit more) The only problem I had intially in Vista was with my graphics card and that has effected other programs besides A:M too. After waiting and then downloading/installing some interim drivers I'm running pretty smoothly. I don't have an Nvidia card so can't speak to that. (I have Intel Graphics here)

Bob, Your going to get the biased opinion from me here... I think that just about everyone with the interest will find A:M useful to them. There will always be exceptions to the rule. To determine if A:M is for you just look to your goals. Firstly, and most importantly, you've got the right angle on it when you focus on the enjoyment of it. This tells me you will succeed with A:M. How far you want to take it beyond that initial success again will depend on your goals and the time you have to apply to that effort. Keep those goals realistic, keep it fun and within budget and you'll do well. With this as a goal I know Animation:Master will be a great tool for you but you're the one that'll have to take that plunge. For my part, I'll try my best to be here to help you when you do. The entire A:M Community will be here too as they have similar goals as you do. I'm still trying to make up for waiting 4 years before I made the leap myself. Waiting to purchase A:M was perhaps the biggest mistake I could have made as an artist and aspiring animator. Don't take my word for it though... take some time to look around the forum. Visit A:M Stills and A:M Films... check out the music videos! Welcome to the A:M Forum!

Great technique Will. It looks really great. 2 clicks eh? Wow.

There are several ways. I assume you want to make the lights part of your model rather than constrain the lights to it in a choreogrpahy/action. Modeling Window (Older way) Create or Open a Model RIGHT CLICK, select New/Light You must enter Bones Mode to see and move/adjust the lights. Action Window (Newer way) Create or Open a Model Create an Action for that Model RIGHT CLICK, select New/Light or drag and drop lights into the Action Adjust the lights as needed in the action window Thats pretty simpified. Sorry if its not enough. I'd promise a tutorial but would probably never get around to it. Let me know if you have any problems!

This happens pretty frequently already but that doesn't mean its not a good idea. It'd be interesting to list some of the collaborative projects just to see where everyone has been and what has been achieved. When it comes to collaborative projects it seems clear that TWO should remain the focus there. Once TWO is completed who knows what might be next. What may be missing at this point is an 'ultimate goal'; hitting specific targets. I think the A:M Community is nearing the point where collaborative projects of the paid kind may become the norm. Such projects allow A:M Users to supplement their income and at least stay current with the tools of the trade (primarily A:M). Is the collective talent in the A:M Community up to that level yet? (Robert has properly inserted this into the discussion) Maybe not quite yet but it sure is getting there. This is not to say that all ultimate goals have to have paid contracts attached to them. I'm a big fan of collaborating for the experience and opportunity to meet interesting people too. Paid gigs do tend to keep artists and animators in business though. (Just what came to mind. Not meant to be taken too seriously) I sense a thread drift so will reiterate... Briar Rose is outstanding work. Somebody buy that thing!

Hardly. My A:M persona balances my dark side. I have yet to try to tackle flame effects but its something I look forward to. So you definitely have my interest there.

Just a suggestion here. If you can create an image from the .gtx you can apply it as a decal in A:M.

Was that a spark of an idea I just saw Matt? Someone throw a little fuel on that idea and maybe we'll light a fire yet.

Hey thats nice Charlie! I'm only just now catching up in the forum so this is the first I've seen of your candle engine. I like where you are going with it.

As the shadows aren't rendering in Final make sure Shadows are turned on in the Render Panel. You can get different results depending on what settings you've got selected. For instance, if you have Shadows turned off in the camera settings and have 'Use Camera Settings' toggled on in the Render panel... May not be your problem but just in case.

There was a time when the release of animation of this quality would have commanded a lot of attention. Now the ripples of interest go out a little more slowly over time. There is a lot of talent out there in a pretty saturated animation market these days. Aspiring animators take note. Even with all that is out there 'Briar Rose' is exceptional in its storytelling, characterization, quality and scope. Its a wonderful demonstration of Stephen's talent, creativity... and yeah... stubborness. Your work speaks for itself Stephen. Disney had to work on the fringes for a few years too so hang in there. Sometimes we have to create the future ourselves.

Keekat you can't use for commercial production as it is owned by Paw Island Productions. Many models on the Extra CD/DVD will require persmission from the creator unless substantially changed. Most of the models contained therein are for learning animation, modeling etc. When in doubt contact the creator for more information.

You can scan images in or create everything from inside A:M. An example of where you might want to scan something in would be a background, a building or something from the real world you want to use in an animation. You might also scan an image or drawing to use as reference for building a model. So no... you don't need to but you can if you want. Since you've mentioned your daughter is getting quite familiar with 2D paint programs it should be noted that she can use images created with those programs in Animation:Master too. A:M has a Library where she can keep projects, models, actions and images for later when they are needed. The drag and drop aspect of this is particularly nice.

You've got the right attitude. You'll go far with that. What you learn now will help you make the transition. It took me 4 years to buy A:M and while I'd like to think it was worth the wait I should have found a way to buy it sooner. So I definitely sympathize. At least it looks like you already know A:M is the right program for you. You are off to a great start already!

A professional clown and magician... very cool! As an entertainer you'll definitely appreciate Animation:Master. Working with A:M is not unlike juggling... it can be extremely frustrating at the beginning... but as you practice the muscle memory kicks in and the next thing you know you are juggling...er... animating! As a long time comic book collector I can attest to Animation:Masters suitability to that task. Thats the angle I approached A:M from. Animation:Master can do a whole lot more than comic books though. I wish it was available when I was a kid.

Hey... it wasn't me. It's probably best that you were outbid. $129 plus $99 for an upgrade is more than some will pay for A:M as a student or via Tradeshow discount. If you are willing to pay $127 plus shipping you are pretty close to that price ($199) already. Be of good cheer though... Charles Faust has been trying to win a copy of A:M on Ebay for ages. At the moment amxchange.org can't get you into A:M for less than $199. Thats a really great deal for what you get in v14. Best if that purchase price go directly to Hash Inc to support them anyway. As always, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware): There is a danger you can win a copy of A:M on Ebay that cannot be upgraded... so... be careful.

What an absolutely wonderful thing to be able to say. I hope your experience has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. I can only imagine (and read of) the changes that have transpired since Apprentice. As great as I'm sure the tools were at the time the ease with which we can now transition between modeling, texturing and animation must be a real treat. I'd imagine some things probably remain the same as well. Your experience and any commentary you care to share with regard to TaoA:M and Bootcamp and the world of animation will be most welcome. Its great to have you here with us Mike!

Thats a great model Al. Thanks! Sure wish I had the time to play with all these Star Wars models that have been showing up in the past few years. When I was growing up my family couldn't afford to buy the toys and I didn't even see Star Wars until after Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which I saw on video only after a family friend took pity on me. My first Star Wars movie seen in the theater was Return of the Jedi and my brother and I practically memorized it and acted it out for months. "What you didn't see Star Wars in the theater when it was first released? Bo... shudda!" I had most of the Star Wars cards when they were released and they provided endless days of exploring many imagined worlds of Star Wars. In a way not seeing the movies made it even more interesting to me as I had to fill in the gaps with my imagination. Even then I was facinated by what was going on behind the scenes. Now here everyone is building their own Star Wars toys. Animating your own AT-AT in Animation:Master... how cool is that!

Congratulations Satyajit! This is an outstanding accomplishment. Will you be selling this via your website as well? Also... you mentioned before: Your insight into compositing would be very welcome here.

Don't forget you can add the sequence as a patch image too. The situation will dictate whether a decal will work better of course. Places you can use an image or sequence of images include: - Decals (Mostly used for texturing) - Patch Images (Images may be rotated incorrectly in some cases. Right Click/Rotate Images to correct) - Rotoscopes (Applying to a camera will restrict movement in the camera plane but can be scaled and offset) - Layers (Animatable in all 3 dimensions) As of v14 you can set the frame in a sequence for the image under Timing in the image properties. In this way you can select what order your images appear, animate them via the Timeline and more. Where applying a patch image to a TV screen can work well is in adding a 4 point patch (line extruded) just inside the front screen of the TV. Create a Group for the screen of the TV and adjust the transparency. Raise the Groups specularity and it can appear as glass hovering just above the image. Additional images can be added to give the effects of lines, static or other effects onscreen.