Rodney

If you are trying to get me excited about some secret feature of A:M... it's working. I'd guess that that may be a carry over from an early version of A:M where there was a pencil icon which... ah...er... um... I give up... I have no earthly idea that is. Edit: perhaps it's a carry over from Shift G (which provides a lazzo mode to draw around objects). Do you currently have a pen/stylus connected to your computer?

As I said, there is a big difference between malware and a virus. The vast majority of issues we face are more akin to malware than virus. it is possible to create a completely secure environment... that absolutely no one can use. Not much sense in that. But reality shouldn't scare us. It should enlighten us. It's good not to trust computer security. Ashley-Madison anybody? If you think you are safe... you are in fact not. But again... the trade off... perfect security vs ability to freely operate. There are some persistent viruses out there that are hard to stop and if in contact with a system will 'do something' but most (smart) virus creators (there are many I'm told) don't want to destroy your computer. If they did that they wouldn't be able to accomplish any other goal... so many viruses don't do much if anything at all. They sit there... trying not to be noticed... one little piece of a much bigger puzzle. (The author) hoping no one will discover them. (The author) hoping the code isn't superseded and made useless by one of an endless march of installations/updates. For better or worse, installation of Win10 left a lot of old code in the digital dust. Storytime I recall my first encounter with a 'real virus' (back in the DOS days) and I managed to open it in a text editor and discovered it was pretending to be one virus but was really another. I was all happy and excited and printed the code and took the pages to the real computer people that were paid to know what was going on. They weren't interested. Even less interested when they noted I wasn't certified in their craft. About the same time someone else (in proper reporting chain) reported the true nature of the virus and the powers that be issued an antivirus update/operating system patch. The message went out, "Use this." My response, "Thanks." Bottom line here: Most people don't care about the nature of a problem. They don't want to study the problem. They don't care about the source of the problem. They just don't want the problem. This is like the illustration of taking your car in to have the engine worked on. It's generally not a good idea to let the car's owner see the mechanic rip wires and parts out of the hood and go through the process of 'fixing the car'. They just want a fixed car. If they see the process with all its gory details laid bare they will very likely be traumatized. "What are you doing to my car?$&!" This is important. It's amazing what can get installed on a computer without even knowing it was installed. For the longest time my dislike of Chrome intensified because it allowed extensions to be installed without my knowledge. I've been a long time user of Chrome and I almost moved away from it when finally they shifted their strategy to more properly exclude extensions by default. But Chrome isn't the problem. Don't surf porn sites. Be wary of most download sites. Fact: If you surf carelessly you will get malware/viruses (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). If you are an at risk computer user... know what you are getting into... and then inoculate yourself with common sense, proper protection and follow up processes. After you've installed a new and fairly unknown program... does everything still work optimally? Slight change of subject: We have moved into a very new realm of information warfare and it can be hard to tell whether code on your computer is put there by the good guys or the bad guys**. The only thing you can count on is that the code s already there without your knowledge (5th Generation Warfare) so you look for clues that belong to a bad guy. A core tenet of invisible warfare is that the circumstances will dictate. A process that is "deleting all my files" can then be treated differently than one that is "making me install a program I don't want". I haven't vetted this fully but I'd say that as a general rule of thumb; given a choice between an IT guy helping to fix my computer so that it will operate 'optimally' and a virus being installed on my computer, 9.9 times out of 10 I'd prefer the virus. **Most malicious code is put in place by 'the good guys' although they very likely didn't mean to put it there for nefarious purpose; the program is simply not operating as intended/required/authorized. This is why many/most companies screen their software first before allowing use by employees. If malicious code is placed purposefully (especially with intent to do irreparable harm) the effect should be obvious.

Seriously? That's the only real solution? The following is long and a bit rambing but old frustrations from my years as a workgroup manager persist. As such I'll offer the following thoughts: For most browser based infections another solution is to reinstall the browser. I'd at least do that before formatting my harddrive. The number of times I've formatted my harddrive in the past I dunno how many years approaches zero. This isn't to say a formatted harddrive can't be a good thing. A squeaky clean harddrive will definitely clean out the cobwebs... but it'll also clean out pretty much everything else. So your efforts could prove to be more damaging than the imaginary virus you are trying to rid yourself of... And restoring from a backup to the new squeaky clean harddrive could (theoretically if not practically) reinfect your system. So, formatting a hard drive isn't the full-fix answer to these type of problems. I'm tempted to give you my recipe for success but... then someone could spice up that recipe and take advantage of known vulnerability against me. Never a good thing. Here's a starting place (a recalibration if you will allow) to consider in absense of the full recipe: Assume you have a computer that has no viruses and doesn't even have a dedicated anti-virus program installed. Assume it suddenly gets infected by something (we know this because stuff keeps getting installed that we don't want installed). Consider the cause was very likely that we said 'yes' to something we didn't want to say yes to and installed a program (for argument's sake we could call this a virus although technicially most nuisances of this type aren't). One of the first things we need to do is stop the program from operating. We can do this multiple ways and some work better than others. One method would be to temporarily install an antivirus/malware program and sweep the computer for known programs. After the results are in, bad programs removed or quarantined then uninstall the antivirus/malware program and you are back to square one again. Some persistent malware programs install in RAM and continuously launch/install new programs in an effort to stay one program ahead of the person trying to uninstall them. One method to stop and get to the point where antivirus/malware software can be properly dispatched would be to kill any programs that are running, then reinstall the browser and... then reboot the system. It might not be wise to reboot the system before killing the programs and reinstalling because the virus/malware might have left installation instructions that go into effect upon reboot. Reinstalling the program (usually browser) will usually overwrite that instruction. I generally don't care to reboot my system while having a major problem until after I've isolated the problem. This is where antivirus/malware programs can come in handy because they will quaranteen programs so they cannot run (especially upon reboot). In today's age it is quite possible to operate a computer with the default protection of the operating system alone. The trick is to stay clear of sites that are known to spread malware (and malware like programs that trick users into installing software) and to use other software for special purposes as needed; preferably uninstalling them when not needed which is generally any time you are directly working with/against a problem. It does help to stay up to date on your primary browsers. Malware writers study current vulnerabilities and exploit them where possible. When those vulnerabilities are removed by a new update of any give software/browser the malware writer has to then update his malware to work around/through the changes in the new software... and the process starts again. There is a trend now for software companies not to publish all of their changes in order to keep malware creators in the dark. This is a good move in my opinion but it does make a lot of folks nervous because they'd like to know what software changes/updates were installed. "Why is Windows updating? What is it updating? This is proof positive that is evil! What are they doing with my information? Are they sharing images of my pets with nefarious types in Russia? China? North Korea? Hoboken NJ? Etc. etc. Well, for starters, first most companies need to provide minimal protect for you so they can get more money from your wallet. So trust that they *initially* have your good interests at heart.. Trust but verify thereafter. Where is all of this going? I dunno. I guess I'm just saying that I think most problems faced on a computer can be fixed without resorting to formatting harddrives. I'm a bit old fashioned and naive in this but the first option I go for has never been and suspect never will be to reformat my harddrive. Although, I suppose I'd consider that option if I just happened to have just bought a new harddrive and was already planning to start from scratch.. Sorry if this is off topic... um.... Rusty changed the topic! Disclaimer: I've dealt with a problem similar to Rusty's experience on several occasions and (in my estimation) the true/underlying fix to the most recent was updating my (Chrome) browser (which was locked not to allow automatic updates... although I wanted automatic updates... did the malware do that too? Probably not.). It was a little more complicated than space here (and a imperfect recollection) will allow but... the final results (defeat of very persistent and well programmed malware) was what mattered. Note1: Historically, most antivirus software has been worse for your computer's operation than the viruses they claim to prevent. For this reason I tend to recommend temporary installation of antivirus software over permanent installation. Install it. Uninstall it. Press on. Of course, don't invite trouble. Use your operating system and browser default protection at all times.

In addition to Fuchur's tutorial... Somewhere out there, Will Sutton has a video tutorial on connecting a rig to BVH.

Those lessons go pretty deep... at least for non-mathy-types like me. Here's proof that I made it to the animation course**: https://www.khanacademy.org/computer-programming/longbounce/5236735532466176 * *Definitely needs more spin. If'n you want to learn about subdivision surfaces and the like... it's a nice intro. **Although... not proof that I was paying attention!

Pixar has teamed up with Khan Academy to offer a free course on how animated movies are produced. Introduction: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/start/introduction Course page: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar The folks at Pixar can now point aspiring creators to the Khan Academy when they ask those inevitable questions about CG animation. The basic breakdown of course material: Environment modeling Explore how blades of grass in Brave were created using parabolic arcs. Modeling grass with parabolas Calculating parabolas Character modeling Explore how clay models are transformed into digital characters using weighted averages. Modeling with subdivision surfacesMathematics of subdivision Animation Explore how animators bring characters to life using different kinds of animation curves. Introduction to animation curves Mathematics of animation curves Crowds Explore how swarms of robots in Wall-E were made using combinatorics. Building crowdsCounting crowds Sets & Staging Explore how virtual sets are constructed using geometric transformations. Geometric transformations Mathematics of rotation Rendering Explore how pixels are painted digitally using algebra. Rendering 101 Mathematics of Rendering

Its not a new term of service. So, technically they've always had the upper hand.

Which goes a long way toward explaining why folks held out on support enough that Apple didn't continue basic (read: free) support going into 64bit. And a reason other companies (like Cisco) are researching and developing new patent free codecs.

When an Action Object is created those are automatically constrained to the initial Model so you might not have to use many additional constraints. Each Action Object can be selected separately in the Chor and independently animated as well. The bigger issue might be that if using Action Objects you won't be able to use Netrender as there is a reported issue with rendering Action Objects there. I must assume that importing the separate models into one master model isn't an option. Added: It seems to me that one of the difficulties is getting all three models to be of the same level (i.e one must be the main model while the other two are the Action Objects). A way to overcome this would be to use an empty model as the main model and then have all three models (with geometry) be Action Objects. The empty model could then be named something relevant such as 'Robot container'. Aside: For those this applies to a downside of combining Action Objects with the goal of later combining them into an external master model is that Export to Model format is not an option from the main model in an Action. The workaround is to assemble everything (drag the Action onto the empty model) in a Chor... THEN export to a new master model. I haven't tested to see if constraints and such make it through but they should.

Thanks for that link Nancy... that's a great interview. (Haven't watched it all yet but playing through now) In about the 5th episode she says the important thing, "the easiest way to learn to make games is to make games." Then she goes on to add even deeper insight. This aspect is a reason why game design courses yield success. The students enrolled create games. And in the process learn. She likens the process to cooking. The way to tell whether your recipe will be a tasty meal is to put it together, place it on the stove, cook it and then taste it (or better yet... have some other folks taste it).

Trippy! Congratulations!

Has a bouncing ball (through a window) look to it at present.

Nice improvement!

Also... Don't forget that in realtime you might see some differences from final render. Before you spend excessive time trying too many adjustments... render a test out to final.

Glad to see everything worked out!

Hey I remember that guy! The cartoony guy that is. Sorry Tom! Nice interactivity. Edit: Ah... wait a sec... the reason I don't recognize Tom is because... that ain't Tom.

It's working the proper way here (v18 64bit/Win10). I seem to recall it not working properly (and working as you describe) some time back and after running 'Help/Reset Settings' from the menu the proper response worked again. So, you might try a reset.

Partially mistaken. The operating system shouldn't have anything to do with activation. Although, it's a good idea to be running a fairly current version of Windows for performance reasons..

A suggestion to get to the root of the issue: One of the easiest ways to solve the problem (in the short term) would be to request a trial version. If you can activate that trial you'll know better how to install and activate your most current purchase.

This doesn't tell us enough. Everyone has v16... it's available online. If you have a current websubscription (annual or never-expiring) then you can install v18 as well. If you purchased v16 for $299 (perpetual license) then you can install and use v16. If you purchased v16 for $79 (the annual web subscription) then it expired several years ago. Did you purchase a perpetual (never expiring) license *of v16*? At this point it's not clear to me if you need this. It all depends on what you purchased.

If you have the web-subscription you don't need the CD (and vice versa). Obviously I'm missing something. Perhaps we can start from the beginning and work forward until we solve the problem. Do you have a *current* subscription to A:M? In your last post you state that you don't. If you only have the CD then all we need to do is identify the version of that CD and get that re-installed for you. You posted a screenshot that says v16 but did you purchase v16... to my knowledge there was no CD for that. So the question remains... after your last CD (which appears to be v11) what version did you purchase?

It will help to have a view of how the mesh is laid out along with the imagery. For example, that'd let us know if those are areas that have 5 point patches. To get the shaded wireframe view hit the 0 (zero) key on the top of your keyboard (or Right click and change the View to Shaded Wireframe) then use the Print Screen (PrtScn) key to grab the image, paste that into an image program and post the image here.

Those look like areas of inverted Normals to me but before looking into that I'd suggest doing a final render to see if the abnormal areas render. If they don't then... problem solved. You'd just have to allow for them in real time view. That would indicate the problem is related to your realtime drivers of your graphics card. If related to normals you'll want to select the patches at those areas, Right Click and choose Flip Normals. You could also turn Normals on in Tools/Options so that you can see which way they are pointing. Added: Another thing it could relate to would be internal patches where the mesh underneath is creating hidden/unnecessary patches. Internal patches will cause trouble on the surface of a mesh as A:M has to decide which way is up for displaying the surfaces of those patches.

A rather timely article... http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiasavchuk/2015/08/19/black-arts-the-800-million-family-selling-art-degrees-and-false-hopes/ Bottom line: There are a lot of folks that will be glad to take your money... and go out of their way to help you get a loan... so you can give them more money. As has been mentioned, a good degree can get a foot in the door and help someone network with others to parlay that into a rewarding job. If that degree will help ground the artist into the business side of art so much the better. As such, I'd recommend classes in business, marketing, economics, etc. From a personal side I'd suggest getting familiar with programming languages as well. This to ground the artist in with where the art will very likely be applied. While programming isn't for everyone, having a good grasp of the basics will help when communicating with those who'll make those game designs fly. If a local community college offers an introductory programming class that focuses on gaming that may be an ideal introduction. "Programming Games with Python" is one that has been gaining popularity. The emphasis there of course will be on programming so complement that with targeted online studies (using free resources where possible). Best of everything to you and your daughter.

I suppose that could be a 'tip-o-the-hat' to the first contest that gave out a medal?