Rodney

Please let us know when you find a solution. I'm sure at least one of the Mac users here have ran into the problem before. There is a Mac forum area. Mac OS/X Forum It's forum 28 on your A:M dial. Hooking up with other knowledgeable Mac users is sure to help you out. Rodney

Added Will's latest to the TWO Wiki. The Hippogyraf page had somehow been orphaned so I moved the data from the old hippograf page to the new. Link: TWO Wiki: Hippogyraf Bio Click on the Hippogyraf image in the Wiki to get back here.

If this is somehow Mac related we'll have to call in the calvary to troubleshoot. I'll be guessing and thats not what I want to do. There are a few things you can check. First thing you should do is install the most current update from the forum. I think v13f is out for the Mac. As you install the update there will be a checkbox for installing the CD Library files to the harddrive. I recommend this. It will also reinstall the links to your Library... which is a good thing. If you don't want that you can still check to make sure A:M is looking in the right place for your Libraries. Go to TOOLS/OPTIONS on the Folders Tab use the drop down menu to check your Libraries If your Library folder isn't listed there you can add it.

Do you see anything else... like a white box instead of the image?

Mike, Contact me via email and we can make arrangements to host your exercises. You should still pursue getting your own site though. Its hard to be an artist/animator/whatever without one. Linking is generally the issue and you'll find you get what you pay for. If you pay nothing... If you just want storage there are some options but you can't link to the files just the location. www.box.net is an example of that. (See email link in my signature)

Take a look at what some others have created with Animation:Master! http://amfilms.hash.com/ You decide. Animation:Master is definitely the program you need. From initial learning to the final production (yes even mixing CG and Live Action) you simply won't beat the price and performance. Other software may have some or all of the features but they definitely won't have the price. You get all of the features in A:M too. You don't have to purchase additional (usually even more expensive) software. Of course your production may require other editing and motion tracking software if you plan to produce Hollywood level integrated cg with live action. If you are planning all that, computer animation software isn't the only thing you'll have to worry about. Rodney

That is one fine looking Hippogyraf Will. Nice textures! Looks like I'll be buying the SIGGRAPH videos this year.

Here then is another (late night) suggestion to counter overheating. First buy a really really big freezer...

Great to have you with us Lee. Each time someone new arrives here in the forum we get to refresh our own 'newbie-ness' too. We learn a lot from each other. For instance, thanks for your insight on your Mac installation. Make yourself at home, work through that manual ( LINK ) and get ready for the ride! Rodney (Note: I'll move this post over to the 'Welcome New Users' topic one of these days so if it disappears... it went there. K?)

Emilio Leroux's Sweeper now comes standard with A:M v13 so the current updater should get you that for free if own v13. You should still be able to get Sweeper via Emilio's site (at least the earlier versions). Check out his other tutorials as well! This one for instance is a must view (on the benefits and function of Magnitude/Bias adjustment). The location of (the orginal) Sweeper: http://www.moscafilms.com.br/emilioleroux/workshop.html

Matt and Dan are brothers. Twin brothers? I dunno. I forget. *Great renders. Really clues us in on the scale of things.

Beautiful Render there... the barbarian really looks great all posed, in a setting doing something. The specular highlights (while looking pretty nice in the small image) seem to be a bit much in the larger images. Thinkin more about it... it's probably not the highlights so much as the refectivity on the skin. More please!

Models (and other resources) won't be saved internally in a Project automatically. You have to tell A:M to do this. To save a model in a project you'll need to embed the files. This can be accomplished individually in the PWS at each resource or for all resources (except images which will remain external) go to Project/Embed All and then save your Project. It's not a bad idea to still save models separately from the project from time to time. Just right click on the model and Save As. Then make sure you Embed All before you save the project again.

That was beautiful... 'chills up my spine'-like beautifully said. I echo the kudos to the A:M Renderosity group. I think I saw the posts you speak of. Jin Kazaama, Darklimit... these talented folks and others have represented A:M well in the Renderosity forums. Very solid kudos to them all. Once the word gets out and the leap of faith into Animation:Master is made... its just a matter of time before the smiles start a'comin'! Mixed with the proper trajectory for the learning of the A:M toolset the rest is as they say... history. We already know you here in the forum Jim. You are already well on your way. Just wait until next year! You'll be able to look back again. Just imagine the tales you'll be able to tell. Spline on JPappas!

Hey now! Can he say that??? What if we can get you a 33% discount on certification!? Seriously though, the certificate is just extra... the real reward is what you learn along the way. Welcome to the A:M Community Mark!

Go ahead... twist my arm. Okay... you win! That setup will make a nice addition to the DVD. Thanks Dan!

Bruce, 'Astromony 101' is nothing short of amazing work. I agree that the intros seem to drag a little but it does take time to introduce all the characters. I'm sure that the episodes can really move right along as they concentrate on historical figures and the facts. I know it may be out of your control but to capture more kids attention I think you should leave the ages and grades out of the intros... better to let each kid imagine the characters are their age. The quality of visuals and sound are top notch. This is on par with and I'd say even better than a lot of the programs I see on TV right now. ...and educational too! You should definitely be proud of your work. I had seen some of your historical characters in A:M Stills and in the image folder on the Hash Inc FTP. I always wondered what they were being used for... now I know! Great stuff. Let me close with an apology. In chat last Wednesday I got so focused on your 'Wedgeeguy' moniker that I didn't realize you were the same Bruce Monahan that created such shorts as 'Them Cows is Stupid', 'Everything's Just Beachy', '[sigh]' etc. When I think of Toon animation... those ALWAYS spring to mind. After you left chat and I browsed over your site... my memory returned. Best of everything in your efforts with 'Astronomy 101'. I hope it gets seen by lots and lots of kids and adults too! Now gimme the answers to those Astronomy questions!!! Rodney Edit: I see this was made for upcoming Astronomy software. Is that cool or what?

What file format, codec and compression are you rendering to? I'll recommend Quicktime .MOV with Sorenson 3 compression. You really should render to TGA sequential images first though but that's a different subject.

When you dropped the specular highlights I think you surpassed the quality in the original image source. Nice. Maybe Jody can borrow your scaled image (or at least the layout) for the thumnail image on the Extra DVD? It definitely lets everyone know at a glance the relative scale of the planets.

that'll do.

Martin is very protective of forum contributors' time isn't he? He gets right to the point and bottom line he's right about TAoA:M; completing TAoA:M resolves many of the issues presented here in the forum. Those it doesn't resolve it usually sheds some light on. I'm there for you in the TAoA:M exercises if you want to work through it officially online. To answer your question on the Extra DVD: It is slated to have some tutorials on materials, texturing and decaling. Martin may step on your toes but take it in the way its intended. He wants you to succeed. It may sound strange but you'll find yourself wishing he'd stomp a little harder the next time. Best, Rodney

Starting to really get the look of being a world that is lived in. If you don't put in some concrete curb barriers you might want to dent up the lamp post. I'd imagine someone would have hit that many a time being in the parking space like that. It reminds me of the time I was in Japan... backing into a parking spot and found out designers do indeed place huge posts and poles in parking spots. The pole was really really huge and yet somehow it had been hit many times before. Umm.. and it was my wife's car. Great improvements!

Cool. Thats good news. I need to look at Bitmap Plus anyway. Right now I can't get it on the schedule as I'm deep into putting the Extra DVD together. Can't afford to miss that deadline. (I'm behind too... I was suppose to upload the directory/DVD structure 1 August!) Eeek. Extra DVD vAlpha2 is burning in the DVD drive right now.

Glad to see you're making good use of your free time. Forgive me if I don't show my wife as it'll remind her that I need to throw away a lot of 'stuff'. ...and YES everything I have is needed thank you very much! I know this isn't a WIP but I'll add this: It would be nice to see the scene with some more texture... dirt, dust, grime etc. but that's just me. The lighting experts could weigh in on that aspect too. The composition (from camera POV) could use a minor adjustment to really finish the image. Cropping the image to balance the top and bottom a bit more would accomplish this too. The empty space at the bottom doesn't contribute to the theme of the image; "garbage", so could be removed. But... 'Garbage' tells the tale as is. I like.

Hmmm.... I haven't launched Bitmap Plus in v13 so that might be the problem. Will have to investigate.