Rodney

As with most things this gets a 'Yes, but" answer from me. Generally I don't recommend it but there are many cases where a modeler may want to model in a Choreography window rather than a Modeling window. Most often this is because a model has become too complicated to model in Modeling window or the Model has many repeating elements. Those can benefit a lot from Chor modeling. In the case of a biped model the concept is to build one half of the model and then 'flip' a copy in the opposite direction (-100%). Then as you build one side of the model the other side automagically appears. In a Model window the same basic process is accomplished through Copy/Flip/Attach methodology. A added benefit to Chor Modeling is that each instance of a model brought into the Chor can be viewed in a different manner (wireframe, shaded and shaded with wireframe).

MIke! Yours is a very timely post. I've been planning to investigate Twitch but haven't gotten around to it yet. I agree that it would be a great place for Hash users (and potential users) to hang out, learn and share their knowledge and experience. Sadly, I'm not sure I'm any closer to jumping into it today than I was back when I first heard of Twitch though. Don't let that stop you. Capturing the learning process and making lots and lots of mistakes is a very useful process. You are already off to a great start then. Thanks for the info and encouragement. It'd be great to see a Twitch channel devoted to A:M.

I'd love to have those. Are you willing/able to sell those separately? If the price is right I'll buy the whole lot and give the one's I have (most everything else besides the Studio 45 CDs) away as gifts/awards to other A:M Users. I say this with the full knowledge that I'm overextended on my hobby purchasing but would love to see folks that can use them get access to these. As the dealing/money exchanging isn't really right for the forum feel free to contact me via email at: rodney.baker@gmail.com For those interested in any of these, if I can purchase the lot I might be able to pass them along to you at cost of shipping. Sorry to lose you Ted. If the itch ever strikes again... perhaps with grandkids... Good luck in your future endeavors!

Thanks for the info Chris. It's always fascinating to learn more about the processes people use to get their productions made. Every time I open A:M I still get a sense of that magic and I fully expect that to always be the case. I can see some great potential for short gags with these guys even if only of a one, two three punch variety (or even knock knock jokes). I admit I've been swayed by those of late because some of the kids I hang out with really enjoy telling jokes.... and those kids are really good at telling those jokes too! If only I could remember the punchlines... I might try a few myself. Ahem... What do you call it when the worms take over the world? Okay. I won't quit my day job. And the bigger benefit to the simple riddle/joke format would be that the animation wouldn't have to be overly complicated.

Nicely done Chris. Those guys are lucky to have you do an intro like that! That is a very interesting concept and you worked it well. I think now have a little more insight into your forum avatar too! More please! Edit: I almost forgot to add my obligatory critique suggestion. It'd be nice if after the curtain opens the camera could zoom in a little closer to the characters. I do have a question too but I'm not quite sure how best to ask it. It has everything to do with your lipsync animation. In considering the dummy's lipsync I'd say that's pretty straightforward... the piano on the other hand... now that looks like a lot of work!

He looks a bit like one of those cartoon guys seen in the PBS specials about the exploration of molecules and such.

Looking good Robert.

Thanks for the follow up on your process, Kevin. It's always illuminating to see how folks work in production. Not to cherry pick just one of your highlights but the bit about the moving camera is likely one I need to watch for in my own efforts. As with most things in life, I either have too little or too much. That element of defining the extreme parameters of productivity easily eludes me (particularly in finishing a work)... of finding just the right amount of detail/polish to say, "enough". That's where that 'Thinking Ahead' and having/sticking to a plan certainly can pay off. Many have said it before and I know it has been repeated by some our highly productive forum members that a work isn't so much finished as it is abandoned at some given point. I may have taken that concept of abandoning project a bit too literal.

Hot on the heels of the latest software update to Davinci Resolve is yet another release that brings additional features in both free and paid versions. The primary difference between the two versions is that the Studio release expands plugin usage and adds GPU processing not avaiable in the free release. The most significant feature added this time around (for A:M Users) will be native coding/decoding of Apple Prores video to include the various .MOV flavors that in the past have relied on Quicktime Player being installed. Here's a breakdown of the most recent updates: EDIT IMPROVEMENTS * Improved 2-up and 4-up, multicam and playback performance when using QuickTime ProRes on Windows * Added menu items to allow selection of clips based on Flag, Marker and Clip colors on the edit timeline * Added ability to import and export duration markers using EDL * Added the ability for clips to snap to their own markers when adjusting In and Out points * Improved consistency of edit functions when Timeline is in full screen mode * Added support for box wipe mode for offline reference wipe COLOR IMPROVEMENTS * Improved performance for Spatial Noise reduction in Better mode * Improved listing of attached and timeline mattes in the node graph with support for alphabetical listing * Added ability to apply grades from a reference wipe using the viewer context menu * Added ability to align keyframe timelines of color grades using playhead position and wiped still frame * Next node and previous node operations now loop around the node graph * The ‘displayed’ node graph now automatically updates when the current still is changed * Swapping nodes now also swaps the node labels * Shift Up + Next Still will now append grade from the current still on the advanced control panel (Studio version) * Added support for left eye and right eye grades for the timeline node graph (Studio version) * Added ability to convert a mono timeline into stereoscopic 3D (Studio version) * Added ability to convert a mono clip into stereoscopic 3D (Studio version) * Added support for sequence and node render caching for stereoscopic clips and timelines (Studio version) * Added compensation for stereoscopic slip when exporting timecodes in ALE (Studio version) * Added support copying DolbyVision grades using stills and middle click (Studio version) * Improved 3D and Qualifier panel layout in dual screen mode * Improved behavior to stay on the same frame when joining two clips RESOLVE FX IMPROVEMENTS * Added ResolveFX Generate Color (GPU accelerated) * Added ResolveFX Tilt-shift Blur * Added support for anamorphism in ResolveFX Lens Blur (Studio version) * GPU acceleration support for ResolveFX Lens Flare (Studio version) * Ability to adjust Shadows/Midtones/Highlights in ResolveFX Film Grain in all compositing modes (Studio version) * GPU acceleration support for ResolveFX Emboss, Waviness, Vortex, Ripples, Dent, Mirror * Improved ResolveFX Scanlines and added various composite modes * Ability to view the ResolveFX Scanline layer without the background * Improved border behavior for ResolveFX Gaussian Blur, Directional Blur, Mosaic Blur, Radial Blur and Zoom Blur * Added support for horizontal/vertical ratio in ResolveFX Glow * Added support for pan and tilt on ResolveFX Prism Blur * Improved performance for ResolveFX Light Rays * Improved performance for ResolveFX JPEG Damage MEDIA IMPROVEMENTS * Added new Import Media options to File menu and Media Pool context menu * Added support for stereoscopic 3D clips in Media Management (Studio version) * Added ability to create stereo clips with mismatched source resolution (Studio version) * Added support for display drive names in Media Storage on Windows * Addressed issues with open file location from Media Pool on Linux * Added Source Name tag support for filename without extension CODEC & FORMAT IMPROVEMENTS * Adds direct support for ProRes decode on Windows so that QuickTime 7 is no longer required * Improved .mov decode and encode performance on Windows * Support for UHD H.264 renders on Windows * Improved .mov decode and encode performance on Linux * Added support for HEVC (H.265) decode on Linux * Added support for alpha channel on DNxHR 444 * Added support for the Sony X-OCN format * Added support for various AAC encode parameters on macOS * Added support for QuickTime AAC audio encoding on Windows * Added support for V-Gamut in RCM for improved Panasonic camera image handling * Added ARRI LogC to Linear and Linear to ARRI LogC LUTs in VFX I/O * Addressed decoding of last frame in some Panasonic AVCHD clips * Improved handling of AVCHD .MTS clips GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS * Alpha-numerical listing of codecs and format in the Deliver and Media Management pulldowns * When running DaVinci Resolve in window mode, the macOS dock is now visible * Improved latency for remote grading (Studio version) * Improved handling of dissolves and overlapping clips in DolbyVision metadata export (Studio version) * Improved behaviour when creating render jobs on locations without write permissions * General performance and stability improvements If you need video editing or color correction and don't have a dedicated application for that purpose Davinci Resolve is worth checking out. The new v15.1.1 release can be downloaded here: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Fuchur said: Most definitely. I wasn't expecting to see another episode of these guys for quite awhile. Kevin, it looks like you've got the workflow and production scheduling thing down. I'm hoping you'll reveal some big secret to your process besides hard work!

Nice. That made me thirsty!

Looking very good! (And with... I must assume... a custom rig too!)

Rijk, You've got mail... Jason approved the cert and you should be good to go. (Thanks Jason!) If you have any issues with installation just let us know. Enjoy!

I probably should have gone for the activation code but decided to go for the gift certificates instead. In that way that will make sure Rijk's activation is in no way connected to me. Purchasing the activation code is immediate... gift certificates have to be approved by someone.... someone with approval authority... someone that is experiencing a weekend... someone that is named Jason... someone that weilds great power... someone with the fate of a new subscription in the palm of his hand... some one who will very likely check his email on monday...

Apologies if I misread. There is only one file that you are after from what I read above and that is the Knight model (Knight.mdl) that is in the Actors folder. All models (.mdl files) open in Animation:Master (A:M)so you will need Animation:Master. You should be able to import the model or double click on it to open it in A:M. As for the majority of the other files, they open in Animation:Master too. I'm not sure what program you refer to if it's not the trial version of A:M.

Rijk, Unless you just really want to go the trial route.... I wouldn't bother. The first subscription is on me. It's the least I could do for a guy that inspired me (and others) as much as you did. Just say the word. P.S. if you are an impostor and kidnapped the real Rijk in order to get a free subscription to A:M please disregard.

Wow RijK, it's great to see you. You are a legend around these parts. The subscription is for one year only although there is the more expensive route that is a permanent (never expiring) license (for @299 as I recall). After the subscription expires the software will require reactivation with a new code ($79). There are a ton of improvements since v10 and the file formats have changed to a more XML friendly format. Older files can be brought forward but taking new files back to pre-v11... that won't work without serious editing of the file. In both annual and perpetual licenses if you change computers you'll need to contact Hash Inc to get an activation code for your new system. With regard to v18 and XP.... one thing to keep in mind is that as a subscriber you have access to every release from v15 to present... and what is released in the future... while the subscription is active. A downside of the perpetual license is the current release and (to my understanding) will see support end after one calender year. Contact Hash Inc to determine if they have any special deals or variations to licenses. For what it's worth, I recommend the annual subscription for $79. Regarding the STL export... it's great stuff. The exporter allows low resolution export or dial it up to ridiculously high detail (and give the exporter a lot of time to create the file because there will be a lot of data to crunch). STL fles can also be imported into A:M as Props (and textured via materials). P.S. Your short film was one of the first I ever saw when I purchased A:M and it was a major factor in getting me to subscribe. That was back in the '98 timeframe. Edit: Looks like Robert *and* Kevin both beat me to the response.

Sweet! Thanks!

I dunno nothin! I wasn't there. There were no witnesses and you can't prove anything! The knight can be found in several places... but I see it and the rest of the characters used in the exercises aren't in the Characters forum (in A:M Exchange). I'll have to do something about that. The files in question, including the Knight, can be found on the ftp site at; ftp://ftp.hash.com/pub/misc/LittleData.zip Just download, unzip and load. Most of the Actions that accompany are designed to go with the Knight so you might consider using those.

I primary tweak that has benefited me is a pretty straight forward one and that is to increase RAM. This also means that if running on a 32bit operating system there is a need to upgrade to 64bit in order to access that RAM. As far as how much RAM... the more the better! As a case in point, there were a few features I never got along with very well (such as particle hair) *until* I moved into a 64 bit system with additional RAM. Then all of a sudden I was starting to like those feature more because they were more responsive. Most of the other thing are user controllable things like closing applications to free up more RAM, saving often (because that releases RAM), etc. I have heard that SSDs work better/faster but I don't have one yet. That will very likely be on my list of things to get when I purchase my next computer.

Doodling and tinkering at the same time... is that legal? The MP4 files you are posting are a decent size and play quite well. What are you using for that?

Someone else posted a link to this recently but I haven't had a chance to check it out. Anyone taken the plunge and investigated?

Images can be composited directly in A:M but sometimes we need a bit more power and options. Some folks use Adobe After Effects or any number of other approaches. In my estimation Blackmagic Fusion is the best solution available for this (and many other) purposes. It's real power is not so much what comes with the program but what can be made by combining the tools/nodes. Blackmagic recently released version 8.2 which is primarily a release for Linux (the first time for linux). So now those compositing tasks can be pushed over to those other computers while you press on with your character animation in A:M. Fusion is free for commercial use with all the various bells and whistles. The Studio release which reserves collaboration and management features, plugins and 3D stereocopic workflow is available for $995. Fusion can import 3D models (OBJ is likely the most useful from A:M) but I haven't established any workflow worth reporting. In my estimation every graphic artist and animator should have Fusion installed. With Fusion it becomes a trivial matter to render out scenes from Animation:Master and composite them together, adding effects, color correction and any number of other elements required. Here's a intro demo for v8 (more of an overview for professional users already familiar with basic composition and related workflows): It does demonstrate how 2D images can quickly be turned into 3D scenes with realtime reflections and effects. v8 Demo: xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Wu7JthR2c To download: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/fusion

This problem appeared in the past but I can't recall what the solution was.

Is it just me or do those arms look really huge? Since the meshes are obj files that shouldn't be too difficult. (said me, the guy with no patience and not a clue)