opifex
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Here's an odd one:
Machine specs:
Computer Make: Custom
Mainboard: MSI K9 A2 Platinum MS-7376 Ver. 1.0
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6400+ 3.2 GHz.
Bios: MS-7376 Ver 1.20
RAM: 3322 MB.
OS: Windows Vista 32bit Service Pack 1 (up-to-date)
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX
Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro
Both sound and video drivers updated today.
AM version 15.0 and onward, currently using latest update.
1. When working in any modeling, action, or choreograph window I get the same strange problems. When using a render tool (render or render lock) or magnifying tool, or selection tool to drag-select an area I get the 'dotted outline' showing the area of selection - just as I should - but the inside of the selected area is completely gray (or if I've created a material it shows the material editor 'ball' as if I were cutting a hole in my modeling window and seeing the material editor underneath.) The area inside the selection outline does not update and if you grow and then shrink the outline it leaves an un-updated gray area that does not rectify until you release the mouse button.
2. Whether clicking either the render or render lock buttons in any of the above mentioned windows, or if selecting an area with either to render, the rendering process proceeds a short way in and then the materials editor window flashes or appears in the rendering area, and then the render process ceases leaving you with the original wire-frame you were trying to render.
This happens regardless of selecting either OpenGL or Direct3D render modes. It also happens regardless of screen resolution or frequency. It is making doing any work in AM so unpleasant I am considering giving it up.
I contacted AM Tech support and was asked to post on the forums. Any suggestions?
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Thank you Caroline for your kind comments!
I use a PC and usually render in AVI format but was unable to upload it. I appreciate you're letting me know about the other compression methods for Quicktime (I used the generic 'animation' selection under the compression drop-down list.)
Indeed, I think one can learn more from their mistakes than from their successes sometimes. I look forward to working on the next tutorial!
Cheers!
-Matthew
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Name: Matthew Gayton
Tutorials completed: 4
Instructor: Rodney and the AM Manual writers.
Well, I've been away for a few weeks. Put two more gigs of RAM in, a new sound-card and installed Windows Vista. After a week I uninstalled Vista and went back to XP. Now all my programs and peripherals work again! Yea!
Something told me that this exercise was very important as it is really the first time I've actually animated a character. So, rather than just mimic a few sketches in the manual I videotaped myself doing a little 'It's a Pitch' routine and used the video as a rotoscope guide to move the knight. I turned off the 'Balance' and 'Balance Rigid' pose sliders as it mentions in the video tutorial (but not in the manual for some reason.) I found that I had better results by making 'Key Branch' key-frames rather than the whole model (which tended to erase things like finger movement) and made use of the time-line.
The knees 'pop' near the end which I know I could fix but since I've already lagged so long on this tutorial I figure that I had to get it out at some point of imperfection rather than never.
Another reason this one took me so long is that I realize that for all the years I've dreamed of being an animator now that I am actually starting to do animation I'm terrified of failure. This is really weird as I am not competing with anyone but myself. Ah well... I'm getting it done and will now move on to the next tutorial.
Cheers all!
P.S. I've seen some really great work on this one; lot's of creative people here in the TAO AM forums!
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Thank you both! Very kind.
It is a fun exercise - I really enjoy the variety that everyone has approached it with.
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Name: Matthew Gayton
Exercises completed: 3
Sorry this one took me a while. My computer went down and it resulted in my having to wipe the drives and start fresh. Thankfully I was able to burn a backup just before I lost everything.
I just had to do a 'Jack Bunny' pose - it was too irresistible.
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Name: Matthew Gayton
Exercises completed: 2
Instructor: Rodney and the A:M manual folks!
Originally I thought I would have a tiny copy of Thom doing the CanCan on the knight's shoulder but I couldn't get the surface constraint to work right. Yet another reason I need to go through these tutorials one-by-one!
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Dear Rodney:
Thank you, glad to be here!
I appreciate your looking over my image and the kind suggestions!
Actually the image is a still from a three-and-a-half second animation (I included the project file for your perusal,) as I thought that perhaps the scene had to be animated to get the motion blur to work, however whatever percentage I set it for had no effect. I did fool around with KeeKat's pose sliders but couldn't find any facial mouth/eye combinations that gave the expression I was looking for. I could have gone in and altered the geometry directly but thought that was a bit too far ahead of this particular tutorial.
-Matthew
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Name: Matthew Gayton
Exercises completed: 1
Instructor: Rodney & the A:M Manual writers.
After looking at how creative and interesting all the other posts were on this first tutorial I thought it would be worth my time to display a little of my own creative spark. After attempting several things which didn't work it became clear just how wide is the gulf between what I can think of in my head and what I can do with my limited experience with the deeper aspects of A:M. My first post here is evidence to this. I thought it would be funny if KeeKat was looking up at a wheelbarrow falling just in front of him, but I couldn't get the motion blur to work (at all!)
I included both an image and the project file.
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Thank you both very much!
I am sorry I missed out on the TWO project but look forward to being in position to assist with the next one.
Thank you Rodney for the link to TaoA:M. I will dedicate all the time I have available to progressing along. I have so many films I would like to make and what better way than to get a solid framework and participation in the next A:M community film!
Best wishes,
-opifex
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Greetings all!
While I have puttered around with A:M since 2000 I haven't really done anything other than some interesting stills but my real interest is animation. So here are my questions:
1. Is the A:M 'school' where you upload your progress through the tutorials and have them graded still in effect or am I too late?
2. The TWO project was begun in 2005 as a three year project so I assume it must be in its final stages. Considering the fact that I still must go through the A:M tutorials and that I hold down a full time job is it too late for me to hope to contribute to this project?
Finally, a side note: I noted somewhere that there was still some texturing work to be done for the TWO project. I don't know if this means that the textures need to be created or placed upon models; if it means texture creation I am somewhat adept with Darktree 2.5 and would be happy to create some textures for submission if that would be any help.
Cheers!
-opifex
Real-time display errors
in A:M 2009
Posted
That did it! Thank you so much! I can go back to working with AM again!
Best wishes,
-Matthew