age234

Great character, I like it

Finished up the feet. I had forgotten about the shoelaces, I guess those will have to be clothsim'd or something. Another rigging issue to solve when it comes time. Now to improve the realism of the jacket cloth, and do the pockets.

When you do "copy-flip-attach" always make sure that your geometry is centred around 0,0,0. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

I've finally had some more spare time to work on this. I've copy/flip/attached everything (mostly manually; the automatic command often flips along the wrong axis ) and have worked on the lower body. All that remains is the socks and shoes, and some details of the jacket such as buttons and the pockets, and probably more wrinkle detail on the jacket sleeves. As an aside, having done more organic modeling with polys and NURBS than with AM patches, I'm really starting to appreciate the methods AM uses in this area. It's incredible modeling the leg, tail, and abdomen separately and then being able to elegantly attach them together the way AM does. I'm really having a fun time with this.

All right, I've started to work on the jacket and arms. I watched an episode to get reference for the body, and I noticed something. The character has a habit of putting his hands in his jacket pockets all the time, and doing gestures from inside the pockets, moving the jacket around. This is getting a little ahead of myself since it deals with rigging, but would be the best way to pull that off? I don't really want to get into cloth simulation if I don't have to, is it possible to rig something like that?

I've worked on the spline layout some more. I've tried to move the 5-point patches away from high-deformation areas, and I've also removed some unnecessary splines with hooks (now that I've figured them out). Is it a good layout for rigging and facial deformation, or where could I improve it? [edit] Also, reading through some of the earlier posts, I don't want to misrepresent myself - this isn't my first-ever character model. I've done a fair amount of character modeling in other software for school with polys and NURBS. But this is my first real attempt at character modeling in AM (my personal software of choice).

Yes, this Macbook's screen is extremely bright (I really should get a CRT to test these things on). I'll rerender it brighter after I fix the spline layout. Thanks again everyone.

OK, I found it. You have to do Shift-A to create a hook-ready spline.

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions, everyone! Thanks for the tips. The trouble I'm having is that I try to add a hook, but it adds a CP to the spline instead. I did manage to get one to work on the side of the head by the bottom gill-type thing, but I haven't been able to repeat it. Does it only work when joining two separate pieces of geometry, as opposed to ending a ring of CPs on an existing surface?

I've been working on this in bits of spare time I manage to carve out now and then - 10 minutes here and there, basically. It's Robbie Sinclair from the TV show "Dinosaurs" (I couldn't come up with any original ideas that were interesting enough). I plan on modeling the whole thing, texturing, rigging, and eventually animating as well. This is the first character model I've really committed to in A:M, since I don't really consider myself a modeler, but I want to get better. I know I have to work on the CP layout, parallel rows are getting pretty dense in some areas. I've had some problems with hooks (they never seem to want to work, is there a trick to making hooks?) It also needs smoothing out on the snout and side of the head. I'd love some constructive suggestions and anything that will help me make it better.

Tahnks for the pointers, everyone. I can't say I've ever seen anyone really do the UP. But thanks for the tip. Yeah, the hands do need a little work. And I agree, the scream and ending is floaty. Good idea about the bug eyes and all. The slide show was done in Final Cut Express, then projected as a light rotoscope. I'll post again when I get those changes made.

I'm actually working on it to put on my demo reel. I'm a student at Full Sail and the final projects/demo reel class is coming up. As an aside, I have to say that I like using A:M quite a bit more than Maya. Sure, the modeling tools are nice and the renderer is great, but A:M is a lot nicer of an experience. The non-linear way it works--like the separate ACT files. And to me, modeling, rigging, and scene setup in the same window doesn't make sense. So kudos to the Hash team for being ahead of the curve.

I was just wondering if I could get some constructive criticism on something I'm working on. The link is here (2.5MB) Oh, and if you're from any of the States mentioned and have a better idea for pictures to go on the projector, let me know that, too. I'm going for a sort of inside joke/stereotype thing. For example, for Michigan there's a hand, because we Michiganians will quite often point to a place on the right hand when asked where we're from (unless one is a Yooper). So, yeah. Looking forward to comments.

In the research I've done, I've seen them have a trough with water in it, which the bowls rotate through and keep the bowls wet. I've also seen just a bowl of water sitting on a nearby table. I think I'm going to make a cylindrical enclosure around the glass, the bottom half would keep the water in it. The top part would open and close like a piano keyboard cover thing, also setting the glass off from the background.

Here's a WIP of a glass armonica I'm working on. Not overly exciting. Just a tiny piece of a larger project.

I was rummaging about my hard drive, and I found this image from awhile ago. The lighting is a little bit strange, but it's cool, if I say so myself.

Okay, I have made a hat for him, and put some hair on the back of his head. The veins under his eyes are modeled, but not by design. I actually hadn't noticed them until you pointed them out, Zach.

Now the whole head is textured...

I picked up OS X Beta 1 (great work, Randy!), so now I can render. I've started on the textures for the face and added eyes. I'm trying to decide what age he should be. I think an old man with a knotty old cane would be cool. And I also need a name. Any ideas?

Cool! Looks like the dog from Microsoft Bob.

I started off this little adventure making a 3D version of an Al Gore caricature I have. I wanted to animate him singing Paul Shanklin's hilarious "Al Gore Paradise". But, as you can see below, drawings are usually made with two dimensions in mind. So with only a side view available, I did the best I could. At the same time I was making my first head model, and I'm still surprised, because I have always been in awe that people could make a model by making only half of the model. Unfortunately, Al Gore will have to wait. In the meantime, I have a nifty start on a gnome/leprechaun (can't believe I spelled that right) thing. So, why not? It's my first head model, why not make it my first fully-rigged character? I need the practice.

Yes, I know, but I thought I'd try.

I know that questions like this pop up often, but... Is there a kind soul out there that would be willing to put together a medium-quality Yugo Koral (Tempo) car model? (photos) It would have to be medium-to-high quality on the inside, medium-to-low quality on the inside. The interior in the back seat would only need to be low-quality. I would take care of the texturing myself (with the aid of well-labeled groups, and many of them). Quality-wise, it has to hold up to a live background (shot on DV) in which it is mainly seen from the front in close-up, with some medium and long shots of the rest. I am using it in a short film I am working on for school, in which an actual Yugo was not available, in case you were wondering. If anyone would be willing to help me with this, I'd be much obliged.

I gave up searching with page 8, but this image is another place in the world from which I posted the glass/metal/white Information Desk picture back in November. Executive Mansion Parlor Phone Closeup

I'm going with the slideshow way because: [*]It's simple to make [*]It's simple for the user to figure out [*]It won't make anyone motion-sick (as panoramas and 3D can and do, do) [*]I have no idea how to make games in that way (largest reason) [*]I like slideshow games Exile and realMYST, for me at least, are less realistic *because* they're steeped in such technology. The panormas in Exile were annoying, becasue the right/left click to change the way the mouse worked was just one more thing the player had to do. realMYST was fun, but it just doesn't hit the realism that Myst did. And the "Myst-alikeness" begins and ends with the interface. It's very different. It's similar only by genre (adventure game). Thanks for the comments, everyone!