goodguy20k

AO can be a very "simple" tool for "fake" global illumination, faster than radiosity. Just remember that it should be a "base illumination", so it should be pretty low light level. Throw in additional room lights from most real light sources. -Daniel

Alright, thanks anyway! I'm eagerly anticipating this release...

What type of timeline do you think that will be? And I understand about not being in your ability, but maybe someone who has the powers will read and help.

These really need stickied to the top...

If you could explain the coordinate system, and how it all works from local to global, I'd be ever so thankful!

Am I the only one catching a sense of floating? Not fond of the environment. (HA! I finally found a critique for his projects! What? It's only part of something he's working on?! SO WHAT! It's a critique! He's HUMAN! )

Um, you might be interested in this: http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-56175.html It's a little for the other software... But I believe it does BVH, or something like that.

You got me with the mouse! You HAVE to do a short with him, if you haven't! Geez... Such a cute guy!

Kevin, open a paypal account.

Nothing helpful, but I just had to wish you good luck on coping with your relationships. I understand just how tricky that can be!

I always thought Grievous had a grasshopper look to him. Hey man, I know how you feel. When I was really learning A:M, I had to share the only computer that could run it with 9 other people. Well, more like 6. Not everyone on my family uses it. That was one computer out of 2! Now we have... Several (never enough... ). Now I'm the "head IT guy", the one who fixes all of them. I sure wish we could go back to just having 2 computers. All that to hopefully put a smile on your face. Your model ROCKS, man! I'd never finish what you finished in such a short time! What you did until you got bumped off I would need a week for. Keep it up! Slow and steady!

Dude, that thing just came out of the ship yard! As usual, you make me sick. I'd like to see you flub just ONCE, Mr.! Just show us you're human! Everything DOES look just a bit too... Clean. But... Anyway. Could I ask for a wireframe of the antenna stack? Seems you went from one update without it to the next with it... How you got that detail in such a short jump... Totally bewildering. (I've been having a lousy time lately, and it was great to see your work. It made me smile. Thanks.) Keep up the awesome work.

Good thoughts on color and waiting, but I just want to chime in with, your color's not far off. Maybe a tint of green? ::shrug:: I think what's very... Evil about his look is the sharpness. Almost everything comes to a point. Very rigid, yet elegant, and smooth. (What a bad guy, eh? ) Texturing should add to it as well, a nice battle-worn look.

Linear interpolation is your friend! Make a keyframe with the sword in, then one with it out, and set the interpolation (selecting the keys in the time line and then RIGHT clicking within the yellow box, selecting Interpolation->Linear.). Before and after those keyframes, you can use different interpolation methods. Should work nicely for what you want.

"Stick to it" is a skill. For years I just putted around with A:M, learning little things here and there. Never "finishing" a project. It wasn't until last year that I got around to STICKING to something, and my bear was the result. I learned from finishing that, and it's helped working on TWO. STICK to your ideas. And plan things out! Don't not dream because you don't finish! (Yes, a double negative. ) Push for the better and the awesome. Then try and pull it into reality. Again I say, "stick to it" is a skill.

Won't the owner of the little blue car be a bit upset that you totalled it for the live action shot? Oh, it was CG? Rock on, man! That was awesome! Only crit is that the attacked car doesn't rock much at all with the blows. Other then that, that was AWESOME!

Hey, that's not bad at all! I like the Thom in the back. Looks very nice. The hand moves a tad slow, and you might want to clean up a few keyframes in there. Overlap your motions. As in, keep say... The index finger following the other finger shapes a little longer and then ease it out to the poke, meanwhile the other fingers move a bit, and the arms motion also is in work. That may sound confusing, but... When all is said and done, that's a pretty good animation!

Also, add a little overshoot when he's standing up, both vertically and horizontally. (He's bending forward on landing, bends backward a tad while standing up, and then hits straight.)

Well, glad it made some sense. I DREADED the walk cycle. Then one day I decided I was just going to learn it. Grab my animation book, and hit the road... Still learning, but even that first one surprised me with how cool it was!

Not bad for a first cycle! Watch the hips. Seems to me that they float. They should move forward and to the side of whichever foot he's transferring weight to, and come back to center halfway before he goes back to the other foot. Also, look for the step up motion. (This is where you can really cartoonize your character, I've found.) When he's got all his weight on one foot, that leg should be (almost) fully extended when he's directly over it. You can fudge this, make it happen early, make it very slight, of over do it, etc. For me, that's what really sells a character's walk style. Also, when the leg is fully extended, the hips should move slightly toward the foot the weight is on. When you've read all that and realize I'm crazy and no not of what I speak, give yourself a round of applause and then forget it all. After that, visit this site: http://www.idleworm.com/how/anm/02w/walks.shtml It's got some cool stuff on walk cycles. Cool stuff, Mark! Can't wait to see more!

Thanks for reminding me, Rusty... Now I need to go take a picture of myself with my arms spread to see my ratio.

Nobody starts an animation out with the character in it's "natural pose". You should always set your char's initial pose up on frame 0. From there, keying is a like normal. And don't forget negative keying and post-cut keying. If you go right into the scene with action, move applyable keyframes back before 0. This will give you better follow-through and motion. And for heaven's sake, keep your timeline cleaned up! Note: Those are all suggestions, and backed by me alone. Don't blame anyone else but me if your animation flops... (Just kidding!)

DUDE! THAT ROCKED! You should really get this method out there. I'd buy it!

SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL! That rocked! You HAVE to do SOMETHING with it! Even just... Another trailer!

Just curious here, don't want to hijack the thread but... With your testing, Paul, what do you think of "soft bodied" models with the current simcloth setup? Basically, creating a "hard skeleton" and then throw fabric over it. I've thought about testing this, but... Never had the time. I'm curious what you think about it. Very cool tests, and I'm watching eagerly!