martin

Uhhhh... When this guy starts moving, he's going to be stunning!

Mike, it sounds to me like you just volunteered to write a new "Grass" tutorial when you figure this thing out.

Making grass with Hair has some serious drawbacks. How much grass are we talking about? 1,000,000... 10,000,000... blades? Calculations and rendering on those kinds of numbers don't come cheap. You'd have 99% of your computer's horsepower doing something that probably only has secondary interest in your scene. For grass, lower the density (a lot!), and try to use a grass image that is wider (to fill in the "spareness" resulting from lowering the density). The grass image should have multiple blades of grass; a clump of grass. Also, grass isn't like someone's front lawn in the suburbs. Have a couple (3 maybe?) Hair systems of varying grass types: i.e. dandelions, short grass, tall grass, (and keep their densities down!)

Fame is good.

We disagree but that's art. You forgot to mention Glenn Fabry?! He also does the hyper-real look using real people. In fact, he paints himself! (That's why I mentioned you doing yourself - it would work). I don't think the animation depends on rather it's hyper-real or PJCesque - but BVH motions are "real," in the sense of the word that they are captured from real people. The reason I was suggesting "hyper-real" is because I could pitch that look to DC. Alex Ross and Glenn Fabry are the most prestigious looks in comics.

I think it's awesome, but now I have some suggestions... Find a real actor for the face (you?), take some digital pictures and map them onto the model. Make Superman hyper-realistic. Same thing on the rest of the body: dress somebody buf (you?) all in white, take some digital pictures, and use the result as a Diffuse map. I'm sure you've got the Alex Ross book showing how he paints his watercolors - those are real actors, hyper-realized.

This looks like the kind of stuff that HA:MR will do well. We plan to taking HA:MR Alpha next month, so you should immediately give it a try with your tradeshow booth application.

Did I read that you're actually using A:M Composite!? OMG! Stop the presses... Folks! Someone finally used A:M Composite! (I'm sure there's a gift in this for you, Jeff - Hmmm...)

I'm following your blog here, Bruce. What an excellent use of models from the A:M Library, and I think your family and friends will love getting this in their Christmas card, (me too).

Nice changes. Can you put some motion capture (BVH) data on this guy for an animation like Joe Williamson did on his "Hunter" girl? (Don't try to be cute... use "real" movement... and some Superman theme music.) I think a realistically moving Superman would capture a lot of attention, especially if you've got SimCloth running on the cape. And try some A:M Hair, (Kevin Waldron can give you some pointers.) Let's bring your A:M modeling into the current decade.

Well, all I could find was a small print we made years ago but I scanned it in for your benefit, Patrick. I hope it helps.

Now, that's what I can an entertaining status update!

I'll have to dig it up but we have a print hanging in the office so I'll scan that if nothing else.

We were using Alain's model for "Shazam." It was Jeff Bunker who made the modern Superman, (we don't have his model). There are several other superhero models that are going to be on the "Extras II" DVD, i.e. Batman, Wonder Woman, Hulk, etc. If anybody else has some superhero models (Jeff Bolle comes to mind with his Spiderman model), please donate them to "Extras II." The kids just getting into A:M really love the comic book stuff, (me too).

Good to see you back in form, Patrick. Jim has a modern Superman too... I wonder if it's still around someplace?

Thanks, Sam. All models welcome on the Extras CD. Some kid, in some school, somewhere in the world will be using these models for something!

TWO is progressing well - so well in fact that we're moving into modeling for Act II, (there's still plenty of animation to be done in Act I but the modelers need to stay way ahead of the animators). Alain Desrochers, TWO Set Manager, will be looking for modelers for "Mrs. Yoop's Castle" (which Alain designed). This is the best set in the movie, with lots of gothic and macabre details, and plenty of opportunity to be creative without having to be a perfect modeler. So, all of you car modelers please raise your hand by responding to this thread. You don't have to commit to a lot - just bite off a piece here and there: plenty of statues, ornamentation, hallways, and the like can be completed in a few evenings then you can get back to your own modeling. The whole A:M community will be watching. Come one, come all. TWO needs you!

A guy drove one of those to the local "Beaches" restaurant during the 4th of July celebration, (it made the front page of the paper!) Then, I saw a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari 360 at the "Beach Boys" concert Friday night (Yves was there too). I used to think I was pretty hot stuff in my Ferrari 348TS (I had a 308GTSI too) but now I've got gray hair and wrinkles... No more fancy sports cars for me... Except via Animation:Master! Thanks for that image!

Wow. Too bad you couldn't get that done in time for the contest, Mike. I'll tell you what - finish it up, contribute the project to the "Extras" DVD, and we'll send you a "Painting with Fire" DVD, and include the image in the "Mechanical Contest" webpage as an entry, (with your name on it, of course).

Dave, have you done the TaoA:M exercises? Please, do the exercises first so that we all know what your knowledge base is. Many, many people have done TaoA:M, (you can follow their threads here - that's what this area of the forum is for.) Plus, you get a snazzy "Certificate of Completion" when you're done! Thank you for supporting Animation:Master. As you can tell, the people here want to help. Martin

Deservedly so! I'm sure many people will learn from the simplicity and elegance of its construction. 1) The head looks like a photograph except that the teeth could benefit from a stained texture and bump maps (but I'm not an expert of alligator head teeth). 2) The "bricks" look like a photograph of some kind of building material (just not bricks). 3) The "clapper" looks like a photograph, period. 4) The composition is excellent (I want one of those mechanical alligator heads). 5) The lighting is excellent (my mom would think this was a photograph). 6) I do not recommend changing it but "real" photographs are blurrier and grainier than this and have more DOF in such a close-up shot.

That's the right attitude! It will do GREAT at festivals. (And donate the models to the "A:M Extras II" DVD for other people to make fan films.)

11.1b is a pirate version.

Make sure to schedule a meeting during Emerald City Comicon or Seattle Anime Expo so that Hash guys can come!

That looks pretty nice: it's very exaggerated which I like in animation. The backward back arching near the end is VERY exaggerated, maybe too much so but I wouldn't change it - I simply mention it for your reference. You need to do some TWO animation. Sequence 1_05 starts Monday.