martin

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.

This model is so well done that I started googling "Bismarck", and ended up reading all about the Bismarck... Very interesting.

http://www.hash.com/users/heath/lib.html

These "bad" model issues fall under the category of "you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... but sometimes you have too!" Members of this forum graciously compiled many models together for use by everyone in the community, (the "Extras" CD). Adjunctly, they also recomposed our main A:M disk. However, Hash never expected the core models to be CHANGED, and we were negligent in not checking them before mastering the CD. In particular the "Knight" and "Kee-Kat" on the CD have rig problems. We have since rechecked every model and updated (postdated?) them. This in no way reflects negatively on the volunteers and contributors who compiled the "Extras" CD. Even if I KNEW that a couple key models would be impacted, I still would have taken the same risk to get our great new "Extras" CD.

I agree... Done.

That's pretty good. I wish more people would use Newton Physics - think of all the "free" animation they'd be getting!

Well it seems to me you just did Martin I know, but I wanted you to get the credit for helping - not me. Thanks.

Thanks Chris (RViewer) for helping this new customer. Could you should show him where you found that Battlestar Galactica model so that he can get some more, and explain to him that polygon models can be used as "Props" in A:M by opening them in the Choreography, (not the Modeler because then they will convert to splines).

Good direction. I could tell what was going on, (meaning you didn't need to tell me with superfluous dialog). The foley noises are unconventionally loud, but if that's how you're doing all the episodes, then their loudness may be a trademark. Good work! (I'm going to show my wife, Gwynne).

Very nice: both the modeling, and the creativity and initiative you're showing to this project. I (an old time Star Trek fan who watched the original series and NG, but no further) am following your recreation with great interest.

Remove the material from the curtains. That will speed up rendering a lot (on the new CD, we've already removed that material).

Thanks, Rusty.

This is not surprising. No refraction processing is used if IOR is 1.0, but anything other than that uses refraction code. There's another possibility. There are two ways of calculating transparency: additive and multiplicative. Multiplicative transparency has the disadvantage of making things darker behind the transparent object, but it has the advantage that it produces an image that more closely approximates real life. Additive transparency is definitely what is needed for transparency maps and cookiecut maps, and for single surfaces with transparency on them. It could be that refractive objects use multiplicative transparency, otherwise additive transparency is used.

The cube on the right looks like it's taking "density" into account: the farther a light ray has to travel through a transparent material, the more of the material's color it assumes. Do larger cubes get even darker? That would be a good test.

I, for one, am ready for the screaming to begin! I WANT to see "The Battle of Wolf 359".

I reread your Porsche modeling thread, Jin, and now this thread is equally interesting. Thank you for sharing with the A:M community. BTW, if you would be so kind as to donate some models to the "A:M Extras II" CD, just attach the files in this area: http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showforum=92

I watched it - loved it. (Never saw a suitcase with breasts before.)

Hey, I was only asking! BTW, Karl, if you need a Copyright lawyer, I'm available.

Sorry Martin, but nope - I'm Mark's client for these models and I need to retain commercial rights... But his work does look great doesn't it!!?? Karl, get your value out of the props then let Mark donate them. The A:M community needs generous contributions to remain vital. Did you see what those High School kids did with the models from "Extras CD I"? Maybe there are some models in the community that you can use?