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Larry J B

*A:M User*
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Posts posted by Larry J B

  1. Thanks Rob:

     

    I took your advice on the page turning. i took it one step further. i put a vertical bone (up/down) and set teh manipulators to roll only, around z axis ONLY. Using the roll handle I can roll the book cover open/closed. Then use the arm-like rig on the page segments so I can bend the page.

     

    For the cover I used a modified 'fan bones' similar to old elbow rigging. EXCEPT roll like (%) on the one binding edge so rolling the book closed will roll the spline behind to some degree to keep smooth corners.

     

    I seperated the rig into:

    Front cover

    Back Cover

    Front padding (thick bunch to emulate a stack of paper)

    back pading

    1 page to turn (on vertical roll AND spanning across for flexible page)

     

    You can see various images at scientiallabs.com/wip/

    bone.jpg will show the bone setup (the 2nd corner on cover and padding are hidden but looking at shaded CP and surface in bones mode you can see the colors indicating bones that are hidden).

  2. Hello:

     

    I am trying to rig a book I designed. I am wondering if I should be building it from a closed form then use a pose slider/precent to get the book to open pivoting on bones.

     

    I know that if I hold teh book up like you do when reading it and put the bone up/down the book spine and associate front cover CPs I can then rotate in Z axi to 'close' the book. but then I get stuck with the binding AND when I close the book, the PADDING page overlaps and doesn't close on top of the padding page.

     

    The front padding can be removed but being a dictionary book with the word definitions I ant being in the middle, I can't realistically have the middle of the dictionary open in the front of the book. After all I need a-j or whatever to be listed in the front.

     

    i guess I'm asking where to put thefront cover bone(in top view) so when it closes, it doesn't pull teh spine fnny OR close through and overlap the front and back padding section.

     

    I have been out ofthe loopfor bit and am a few versions behind o any new features I may not have access to (yet).

     

    BTW:

    My WIP images can be found at http://www.scientiallabs.com/wip/

     

    Binder is front cover

    padding is the front/back padding

    pages is the 3 exact copies of flat 2-d (x/y plane)stacked together and pulled back in Z a little and stacked to give me a few pages that can turn while the book opens for etra effect/space between pages when a book is opened.

    render is a quick render of the whole book withthe decl stamp of words

    whole is the undendered wire/shade view of all layer together

     

    I just need a ewsuggestions and pointers to rig/smartskin/etc.

     

    If there is alredy book moel I can study from that'd be great too.

     

    Thanks again for any uggestions and help anyone can provide.

     

    -Larry B

  3. Jobe, Got it right.

     

    As for the knowing where the CP should connect in order should be easy enough to have the computer 'remember' what spline line was crossed first. then being on bird eye view of a cube as teh knife crosses one spline (intersects the point) to remember-mark it as first CP of teh cut. Then as the line intersects another spline, it will be remembered as 2nd point to connect to. Then as it intersects a third point, it can remember to add spline to That point next.

     

    I guess the reason for this tool, and speeding things up is I know I can take a somewhat complex series of intersecting splines and pressing 'y' to get into the exact middle, between two splines THEN to a, click, click, click till all are connected I can lets say 'X' then draw a line-intersecting and auto inserting a spline segment instead of all the add, click, click, click, click.

  4. One feature if not already implemented is a KNIFE tool.

     

    Imagine a cube. 2 cp on the top left to top right in front view.

     

    *____*

    | |

    *------*

    (* is CP, __ is spline)

     

    Lets say you want to add control points and a spline down the middle. To do this you have to Add-lock and click everywhere you want to stitch a spline at an intersection of your choice. OR with the knife tool, click in the middle adn draw a line (or lasso type tool) and wherever the knife line mark interstects a CP, it will auto-stitch a spline.

     

    *__~__*

    | |

    *--~---*

     

    (~ is where knife tool intersects in a vertical line)

     

    *__*__*

    | } |

    *--*---*

    ( '}' is newly autostitched line)

     

    This would make my modeling dreams come true

     

    -Larry B

  5. Skype would work well. I don't suppose there is a collection of usernames for people in Skype.

     

    I think it is Skype that also offers a 'share my screen' which would enable a person (if they wanted) to give short 1 on 1 visual help.

    Don't know if there is a skype video recorder that can record the screen (and offer to share visual help/mini tutorials).

     

    As for the quick videos. They were my first attempt at something like that with limited resources. I gotta ge tthe old system setup and see if I kept the AVI format videos. I'm a little dissapointed with them. Too long, could have been edited down, etc. But it may be good for a dual monitor and follow along.

  6. Well, I'm not sure about the submit feature thing. Just know that when I am in an unproductive mode I can open pidgin and be 'available' to chat.

     

    My only real communication is with (extremely rare) forums. and A:M Chat.

    If implemented I would be able to chat with anyone that wants to as I will be able to see them online more often. Just like I don't keep Firefox open and logged into Facebook all the time for chat (and don't) I have been able to keep in better communication with those that log in on FB when I am logged into pidgin.

     

    So, if implemented, I can see people logged in and easier to keep in chat with others even when A:M is closed.

     

    Ever since a:m came out with chat I always thought how much more useful it would be if it were a stand-alone app instead of embedded within the production software.

     

    I have been able to catch up with Denbo, (still hunting Billy (wegg) down. I know where he hides but never catch him online. Other than that, that's about all.

     

    I'm not sure what happened to the video tutorial I did YEARS back but hope that it is still floating around and helpful.

     

    And about the not wanting to stir things up, I'm sure you remember some of the volatile topics that have come up in the past.

  7. Hello:

     

    I still use A:M occasionally and (yes, still) working on a project that will probably be more of a composite A:M and live action.

    ICQ, etc.

     

    I did find that Facebook has added support for XMPP Format (that Pidgin supports). So, loading a MSN Messenger type program I can keep people on my Facebook account as if they were on a friends list.

     

    Without starting anything (cause it is not my intent) is it possible to request A:M to look into implementing an XMPP Chat protocol so I can create a Hash account and keep in touch with other A:M Users better?

     

    Thanks

    -Larry B

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