Fuchur

@ Stuart Rogers: It's a combination of the skin-shader, a bump-map and a material with a checkermaterial with very big spec-highlights. @ Drvarceto: I will rig him at the weekend and then he will get in motion See u *Fuchur*

Try it again... I changed the link above. *Fuchur*

Hi! I just wanted to pop in and show off my new character. comments, tipps and critic welcome! LINK TO IMAGE (1280px X 1024, 25 passes, on my Athlon XP 2000+ with 768 MB RAM, about 1h 20min) See you *Fuchur*

If you are really after liquid-effects like some people archieve with metaballs: Blobbies can properly help you... Perhaps they can, but their power is limited. But a really dynamic fluid system is not yet available for A:M. *Fuchur*

There is although the possibility to group and translate objects in the Cheoregprahie, but I think this is not animateable... The much better way is to use constraints, where you can let a character lay something down, etc. A tip for the future: Compensate-Button is your friend You will know what I mean, if you are learning to use constraints. (Short describtion to constraint to objects together...: In chereography-mode: 1.) Align two objects how you like them to be aligned, for example a hand near a ball. 2.) Go to the first object and rightclick on it. 3.) Choose "New Constraint->Translate to" -> your mouse will turn into a picker. 4.) Activate the compensate-mode (-> it is most likely located at the top of your screen in the same toolbar as your translate/rotate/scale-manipulators are located. The button looks like a leg built of boxes.) 5.)Go to the second model and click with the picker on it or use the "target"-attribute of the constraint in the PWS/Attribute-window. 6.) Move the second object around and you will see that the first will follow. *Fuchur*

I dont know how it really goes, but I think, that the Prop isnt touched at all... I think A:M renders the Polygones somehow and because of that, it can render it well. If you import it to a mdl, A:M tries to change the polygones to splines and that makes the problems. The advantage of that: You can change the geometry and use bones, etc. on it, because A:M "knows" how to deal with splines&patches, but not with polygones... *Fuchur*

Somehow like a Rancor... nice thing! *Fuchur*

It has many advantages to render first to a TGA-sequency, because you wont loose anything when A:M shuts down or anything else is happening. And you can use the uncompressed data to use other compressions, etc. *Fuchur*

Okay... an *.mdl-file is a file to save models. That is right. BUT you can although save a model in a *.prj-file if you want, and this is the standard-way A:M does it. (*.prj-file is the project-file, where everything will be saved in the standard-way, IF you dont import other models, actions, etc. or save a model out of it...) An *.mdl-file has some disadvantages and some advantages: pro: - You can go and use the same model in another project - You can save certain backups. - You can better share your model. con: - IF you use your file in another project and you change it in the other project, that will although have an effect on the first project. - You should make some backups now and than. If you now save your project like this: "Project1_a.prj", "Project1_b.prj" and so on, you dont save the *.mdl in different files... that means... if your *.mdl gets anyhow corrupt, your model will be lost. If the model would have been embedded, you would have saved the model in different project-files and you could go back to one of the backups and start from there again. -> That means a higher hd-requirement but it is much saver. EDIT: -> Open the PRJ in A:M by loading it as a project. Right-Click in the PWS on the model you want to use and choose "Save as" *Fuchur*

Maybe it is a problem with the stand-by or screensaver? Maybe A:M doesnt handle that and so it is unexpected and will result in some strang things... *Fuchur*

You even can download the stuff from A:M with any version, but you need a dongle. Dongles are available as a USB-Drive- or as a CD-Dongle... One of them is neccessary to run A:M. (You dont have to leave the CD in the drive, if you started A:M, but you need it, when you start.) To chare your stuff, there are several different possibilities... one of the best would be the network-harddrive., but that can be more expensive... An even easier and cheaper way is, to make a LAN and allow your lan-partners to write and read on your harddrive. This is possible in windows and I think on a Mac it should be easy to. For this, both computers have to be on, but it will cost just a few bugs for the ethernet-kabel/maybe a second ethernet-card(costs 20 Bugs or something like that). Another one is, that you use an USB-connection... you will need a special cable for that (it wont work with a normal cable) which costs about 30 Dollars. There will than be a virtuell drive, where you can put the data on (size depending on your harddrive and the size of the files you transfer), or you can do it like with a LAN. You could of course buy a server and set it between both computers, but that is very expensive and not neccessary... Have a nice start with A:M and welcome in the community... *Fuchur*

I didnt have any problems on my AthlonXP 2000+... It's a great idea, a good cameratracking but the most important: a very skillful presentation. The music is very good chosen. *Fuchur*

Ever tried to make a asteroid? Lets say, it would have a high patch-resolution-sphere and now you want to deform it. There are two possibilites to make that, and one is the distortion-mode. (The other is the soft-translate-tool for CPs). Or lets say you have a toon-car. Now you want the care to stretch and deform. YOu could now try to deform it by hand or with the standard-scaletools, but the distortion-box will be more efficient and faster for that. *Fuchur*

As Kamikaze already said... are you sure your book and the examples of it are for v12? V13 has a new file-format and you cant load v13-files into v12. There is for example a chapter which will handle OpenEXR-Images but v12 doesnt have this feature... Maybe the others doesnt have that too? Did have a look at the CD in your file-browser manually? Was there a *.mdl-model with that name? *Fuchur*

You need to activate the custom-size-feature. There you will be able to tell A:M exactly how big your output-image/animation should be. Type in what you need and do it again. Best would be, to render TGAs out and than make an animation of it with a cut-program or with A:M. That will give you full resolution without losing any quality and you can play with the compressor-settings. It is possible, that you need to activate the "advanced"-option at the rendering-settings under the OK-button. *Fuchur*

To let you know: Shaded-Mode uses Polygones to view your geometry... So, if you hit the page-up/page-down-button, A:M will increase the amount of polygones for the shaded-view, which makes your surfaces smoother, but although will decrease the performence of A:M while modeling, animating, etc. The amount of slowing down is estimated by your graphiccard. *FuchuR*

You can peak your splines... that will straight them up, but you will loose the smooth look... the better way is to use the bias-handler of the splines, which will give you a better control, a smooth look but more hand-work... Peak-Mode can be found, if you select all the splines you want to peak and click at the peak-button... -> at the right of your modelling-window... a button which has 3 red Points on it... next to it, there is the smooth-button, which will change to smooth-mode again. Bias-Handler can be turned on by clicking on the bias-button at the top,, where you will see a button which has yellow-handlers around a green button. Click on any (smooth) CP and bias-handlers will appear. move them as you like... and try out the shift/ctrl-button... *Fuchur*

In smaller companies, where most often just one or two persons have got 3d-skills, they need a alrounder... In the larger once, the need specialist with great knowledge of their sector... As most of the people who work in the 3d-industry are employeed at middle or small companies and only very few people (in comparision) work at the larger studios, it is wise to have a good base in all of the skills you need to make something in 3d. *Fuchur*

This is something many people run into... One way is to create a new chereographie-action for the drinking. (If I am not wrong, there is another to, but I think this is the easier one) Go to the model of the knight and then to its action-subfolder. There you can see all the actions and a chereography-action. To make a new one, rightclick on the action-folder... there will be something like "new->chereography-action" or so... The actionstart/end and time-position can be setted at the properties of the actions, or what i prefer, in the timeline-window... There you will find red squares which can be moved, scaled, etc. These tell you, how long your actions will be effecting the model, etc. The second chereography-action you created should be set to start right behind the first one. THan you have to select the second chereo-action. That will activate it as the one you want to edit now. (-> a green sign next to the action in the pws will tell you that) That should help you to start... next thing you will jump into is the transition of the actions... ask again if you have any questions about that... In the end: Path-Movement IS working... you just have to know how... *Fuchur*

Just to mention it: The extrude-tool is at the right side of the modelling-window. It is next to a button which looks like a vase.(the button you are searching for looks like 3 green points and 3 red-points which are connected...) -> the shortcut for extrude is 'E' You will see, that it is not always usefull to extrude something, because the continuity of splines can suffer of that... I wish you a nice time with A:M and that strange but very interesting looking character-design. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Here is always someone who will try to help. *Fuchur* (it's quite early in Germany )

SubPixelDisplacement is introduce by A:M v13 and will do exactly what you are after... for skin you could although use Normal-Maps ore Bumps, if you dont get too close to the skin... For a SubSurfaceScattering-Fake you should ask aaver... He made a very nice candle which looks like light would shine through the surface and illuminate it... I couldnt find the thread where he described how he did it so... maybe he can direct you there... *Fuchur*

Just a question: Since I am not an US citizen and dont have a credit-card... will PayPal or something like that be excepted? *Fuchur*

There is a revolution going on... I know it... The Tiger is going to bite us all! *Fuchur* PS: Just to be clear... I am not from scandinavia... ->germany

GIMMY MORE! Wow... amazing... really amazing stuff boy! What is it? A movie or a series? Cant wait to get my hand on the full version.... *Fuchur*

Very very nice! I like the feel of it and the ideas... *Fuchur*