rusty
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Posts posted by rusty
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/107148826036210/ This is my comicbook and animation page on facebook. I know we talk about promoting Hash A:M a lot and I am trying to do that with is page. I have a lot of people interested in buying it but I think some of you guy's works could push them into jumping in. Please join up and promote your works.
Kool! Sign me up!
Rusty
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Whoops...I thought you said 'mini tote'.
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I can't say I've ever seen a tutorial for A:M in any of the 3D magazines though I've often been able to transfer those tuts to A:M. As for what you're looking for there use to be an abundance of small 1hr project... in fact, unless they've changed the video tuts on the A:M site are almost all short projects like that. There use to be tons of A:M tuts on various user sites and Rodney use to maintain (or maybe just point out) forum sticky topics with nothing but tutorial links.
Hope that helps.
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What's interesting to me...although it's a simple thing...is how the material compresses (scrub through it). I can perhaps use this. Thanks.
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At work now will try to post project later actually pretty simple same material (perlin combiner) used for color (white and black with transparency and displacement with global checked on 32 patch sphere with two others as eyes
Cool! Maybe easy for you but I hardly ever mess with animated materials so I wouldn't know where to begin!
Thanks John!
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Hi John!
Been a while. Hope you are well and happy.
That's awesome! I'd like to use that! Care to share that project file?
You're awesome! You know, I used you're ideas and the others from the forum on the last scene of the
for the Northern Lights. I also used other tidbits from you here and there and of course you're in the credits. Thanks for your help over the years.Cheers,
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It should still work in 32-bit v16, which you can install and run with your current license.
Thanks!
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Hi!
Rather than continuing archeological dig through the archives, lol, I'll just ask: what ever happened to the Anzovin Setup Machine II? I thought I'd heard that it was being included with AM. If not, would my plug-in still work?
Thanks for any info.
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There is a brand new patch modeling tutorial currently linked from the startup screen by the ever talented Fuchur.
You mean at the start up of the A:M program?
If you have V17 (not sure of earlier versions) you can also go help->Introduction
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Very strange... you are sure that you did not use T for something in the windows-environment which could overwrite this?
Is this happening with Turn only or other things too?
Did you try to set the Keyboard shortcut to a different character (lets say X just to test it and make sure)?
See you
*Fuchur*
I'm going to restore the notebook to factory and start over... too many issues. Thanks!!
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Hi!
Thanks for the info! That helps.
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Its a work practise. If you embed, you have one copy that only you can work with of any element used in that project - and only one version - that projects version. So if you want versions of ANYTHING then your have to create versions of EVERYTHING - ie the project. Not a very efficient way of doing things and how on earth do you keep track of versions of individual elements within the project?
What is your resource pool? What tool do you use? What is your file system/method? What are your naming standards/file structures etc? If your library/pool is properly structured I can't see how it could get messed up - especially if you are using the right tools. It's a bit like software libraries. You check stuff in and out of the library and those tools typically control your versioning. This is how it worked in TWO and SO and I dare say these libraries may be somewhat bigger that yours and they were managed across a lot of users over the internet! (My copy of the TWO data pool is 10Gb while my copy of part of the SO data Pool - just the parts I worked on - is 5.5Gb)
Cheers
Hi David!
Thanks for replying. Good to hear from you again and I hope all is going well. I get the impression you don't like embedding but you had more questions than thoughts or suggestions. I wish I had the time to answer all of them but I don't, sorry. However, if you think back, I'm sure you were introduced to many of these things in 2005/2006 or there abouts. If not, I've discussed all of them in previous posts here.
Cheers,
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Hi!
There seems there maybe some confusion. The problem is still there and the same. It was a show stopper on my end. As someone actually asked(?!), this is why I started this topic.
That the issue works for others but not for me is far too strange. In a way this makes the issue not a problem (it's no problem to anyone else) but rather a quirk unique to me. Fortunately I have found a work around. I have a lot of work to do and no time to chase down quirks if I don't need to. For myself, if it works, it's good enough.
* The issue is closed--I'll spend more time on it and don't expect anyone else to. I thank everyone who spent time and energy on it and value the suggestions and comments I received. I appreciate the help and inspiration I get from this this forum more than I can tell you--it's way cool. If, in the run of this topic, I've upset anyone, it was certainly unintended--I am truly sorry and I apologize but beyond that, well, I don't have time to chase down quirks.
On a personal note, I helped others on this forum for many years but not done so lately which is not fair. I realize this and will try to 'give back' more.
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Thanks Nancy and everyone else. Those are good compelling arguments and one's I hadn't thought of.
Questions:
* So you never save the project, just the chor?
* In many cases I've collected all the models I need but have not placed them all in the chor yet, what then? Or how do you do it differently?
Oh, oh...wife calling with a 'honey do'... more later.
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I was introduced to the concept in TWO. In Projects you tend to store everything in the Prj - its the default. By playing with Chors, everything has to be saved out as it's own element. In the world of reuse/libraries etc, using chors forces you to save out each element. If you don't - you lose it/them.
Of course you can still use Projects as a container of individually saved elements - nothing wrong with that - but in the end, it is the animation that is the 'master' and that is the chor.
Cheers
Got me with that one! If I have a project and every thing's embedded, when I save the chor it saves one .cho file. Nothing else is saved. If things are not embedded then, yeah, each item is saved out whether you save the project or the chor.
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Here's another thing to look at - when I examine your project in notepad - I see constraint references to HiResWilliam_KhakiUniform1011...where in A:M PWS I only see the name HiResWilliam_KhakiUniform101
Suspicious?
Do you have another model named HiResWilliam_KhakiUniform1011 (or at one time were working with it) and exchanged that model?
I now have no idea why it works for anyone.
Wow... yes the 101 is a version number. I'll take a look, fix it if needed. And depending on what it is, maybe it doesn't work. Thanks!
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I recall vaguely that you said the files are on a shared network drive? We don't have that setup. Perhaps something is going screwy with that in that you think you are accessing the new file and you're not really, or there is something in that embedded gawdawful mess of a project with a zillion constraints that the file paths are messed up, and you can't really tell what anything is accessing because it's all embedded?
Oh no...but point taken though I fought that demon long ago. No file within the pool is ever linked or even embedded in a wip file. I have simple ways of checking this (I just disconnect the pool).
But the really screwy thing is for you to keep doing the same old same thing you've been doing and expecting a different result.LOL...its not screwy if I'm getting what I want! I love my setup!
You must start simplifying your project by eliminating things until it starts to work for you to track it down, or else change your work flow. It may be a bug, or it may be your work flow, system configuration. Since it doesn't fail for me (or Robcat, or Rodney), we can't eliminate anything.Yes...but no. I have a work around (I make copies of the models and don't embed them and it works) and no time to break it down if I don't have to. I regret posting the 'ultra' version of the uniform I did--it has some extra stuff built in to control parts of the shirt for 2 close up shots I need. I've tested the simpler hi-res and low-res models and I get the same thing (so weird).
Perhaps, start with getting rid of that hair constraint action, and those odd looking empty folders. Eliminate the geometry. Then look at getting rid of all those shirt pocket path constraint relationships, smart skins, etc...get it down to bare minimum where its still consistently failing.Never on the hair constraint action! That's what gives me snap on hair-dos and snap on hair colors (intermixable dos and color across all my virtual actors)! The folders, for the moment are irrelevant as I'm going to totally redo the head except for the mesh.
eAND another thing I am dimly remembering: there was some very weird, esoteric bug in A:M with file naming? bone naming? that no underscores or dashes or something like that are allowed. It caused A:M to break, but it wasn't obvious...and it's not clear why, nor if the bug still remains.Thanks. I'll watch out for that.
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Hi,
I'll chime in here... as most of the older crowd knows, my eternal and by now wornout and tired old goal is to produce animated book trailers and to have any hope of doing this I must be able to produce animation as cheaply as possible. My animation skills, after 21 years of messing with 3D animation are perhaps fair. Mo-cap is an awesome tool for me.
I have every mo-cap file from truebones (well, as of 2 years ago anyway). I have the free utility bvhacker which allows you to view and do some tweaking on the bvh files. When I have a scene to animate the first thing I do is review my library of bvh files for anything I can use. Hooking up the bvh files to the Anzovin rig is not that hard and pretty intuitive. I haven't done it in a long time and I pray I documented how I got it to work somewhere otherwise, LOL, I'll be at square one of figuring it out again.
Sometime in the dim past I posted and insane example of one of my character models doing a hip-hop dance using a bvh but I can't seem to find it.
Cheers,
Rusty
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Hi,
Okay...when did you people move from saving mainly the project file to mainly saving the chor file?
Why did you do this?
What advantages does this have?
Is there really 'any' difference besides the .prj and .cho file extensions?
What else is there to this?
What else, if anything, are you using chor files for?
FYI: I have only used saving chor files for large models that exceed what I call the workable patch limit--once you pass a certain patch count (at least in V14) response time becomes unworkable.
Cheers,
Rusty
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Hi,
I want to know more about the pros and cons of embedding resources in a project (and therefore embedding in the chor).
For myself, I have since my own 'dawn of time' with A:M embedded everything, always. Why?
Dependability and minimizing loss is always my first priority. And, probably around 10 years ago I started embedding everything for that reason alone--I seemed to have less problems doing it this way. Part of this was that separating the current ongoing work from the resources I had on disk isolated and protected those resources. I ran into situations where A:M crashed, my PC crashed, there was a power outage, I screwed things up and could not undo and this as often as not messed up resources on disk I'd spent hours perfecting. Oh, I backup, backup, backup everything incessantly still...I lost more work if I had resource files simply linked into a project.
Model development mirrored the above--saving the model then embedding it while working on it provided automatic protection of what I'd accomplished so far.
Then came the need to consolidate. If I moved a project file or sent it to someone else...everything (except images) was all in the project file nice and neat.
Then came my resource pool. Reuse became central to everything I did but resources in the 'pool' could easily become messed with unwanted changes when I was just looking for something and I forgot to embed (once I decide on using a resource it is copied to the project folder...again consolidation...everything used for a project is in the project's folder). At first I made everything in the pool read only but... this was a hassle when I wanted to add a new model to the pool or update the library files. So, my personal workflow became open and immediately embed it.
But best practices change and regardless of everything above, if it makes more sense to not embed, or, even more important, if it makes things more reliable and reduces loss...I'll do a 180 on how I do things.
Please let me know your thoughts, experiences and your own rational on this topic.
Cheers,
Rusty
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Hi Nancy,
I hope this finds you well and happy. Thanks so much for your time and effort spent on my problem.
I just watched Rusty's video - and differences that I notice is that he is on Win 8 and I am on winXP pro. I assume Robert is on Win 7, do not know Rodney's OS nor platformGood eye! But, I'm getting the same results on my desktop which is Win7. :-(
The constraints look like they should work in Rusty's video. However I also notice the way he opens the saved project: from the list, rather than navigating to it with File/open. Maybe it's grabbing the wrong project file on his system? But yes, again, the constraints look like they should workNo, it was the right file but I tried opening it though A:M... same same.
I also would suggest choosing embed all before the FINAL save of the project, just to be safe and superstitious.Actually I usually do this. Not in a project as simple as the test I posted--I know I embedded each model. My issue is the importance of doing the embedding as soon as I bring anything into the project. This has to do with the way I do things, with protecting the resource on disk--either the existing version or the static version in the resource pool which I do not want changed--and...either auto save or the manual saves which I do quite often. If I don't embed it as soon as I open it, I could make an unwanted change, have an AM or PC crash that could affect the resource or, somehow corrupt the project and then save accidetally impacting the resource on disk.
The other practice which is a MUST that is not being done, is that if Rusty intends on switching the body model's and heads later on when he gets this working, even if models have same skeletal system, then he should rename the "shortcut to headmodel" to HEAD, and "shortcut to body model" to "BODY" before doing any of the constraints.Constraints have been known to break if this isn't done, in previous versions. Do not know if that is still true in ver 17.
I have never encountered problems with this... and of course if you change the resource name in the chor you lose AM telling you (in the name) what resource it's linked to so I actually and purposely avoid changing chor link names. I exchange low-res for high-res models on a regular basis and have never had a problem...but I'll keep this in mind.
I also wonder if there is some confusion as to what's being embedded where, as it is now possible to embed things in a chor, and not just in projects. And materials can get embedded in models. Ugh. Too confusing. I never embed anything unless I intend to archive it, or share a project with someone else (like now). You never know what's using what and where, unless you check the status of the component.Ah...my work flow is just the opposite and for many reasons but I'm starting a separate topic on the pros and cons of this--I want to reevaluate my practices. Not embedding 'everything' would be a huge change for me...not necessarily a bad change but a basic one. However, reliability and minimizing loss are always my top considerations.
As for differences in Projects and chors: Yes I only work with chors and rarely ever use a project (but I don't do netrendering). However, in past there were quirks/bugs with chors not saving certain items (eg Fog rotoscope maybe and other things that don't come to mind). Also the path to the particle systems files are saved in same folder as current or last saved project, even tho the paths are accessed in the chor.This is so interesting. I only use chors for complex models requiring the combination of multiple models (at a certain patch count models become impossible to work with due to response time). This would also be a huge change for me but again...my top considerations and all always dictate my choices.
BTW, with great excitement I tried saving the chor but, dag-nab-it, my constraints still failed. This entire thing is not possible! Every time I open that project and move that bone and the head doesn't move a dizzy wave of unreality washes over me! How can it work for everyone but me? This is not POSSIBLE!
Cheers,
Rusty
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Ah, perhaps I can learn something I don't know here...exactly what would NOT be embedded?
Any external file that is introduced to the project file later can be expected to be unembedded.
This is why we can safely have some files embedded while others are not embedded.
I think we are chasing tails here.
But I don't want to leave this variable dangling.
As suggested before it isn't necessary to embed everything.
I was simply suggesting that if your desire is to embed everything then you should be sure to 'Embed All' just prior to saving.
There are other reasons and considerations for when and why to embed and these have probably evolved. This is pretty important to me but this is the wrong thread so I will start another. This thread is to figure out why my damn constraints are failing!! I must get them working dudes and dudettes! ;-)
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I know that for TWO we used chors exclusively with all models external and were still able to constrain things to other things.
Dependability and minimizing loss are the most important goals for myself in workflow decisions. Best practices change. I would like to know all about this change (a change to me anyway) to using chors. It seems they are used instead of project files. Why?? What started this? Was reliability a factor? What are the advantages? What else, if anything were you using chors for...models?
All this should be a separate topic, this may already exist. If not, what would be the best forum?
Rusty
Kurkis Book Reviews are one of the most respected
in Off Topic
Posted
Hi,
I'm in total shock. The 3 lonely 5 star amazon reviews I've gotten (all awesome) were made by readers that I know just enough to suspect that they might be blowing sunshine up my butt. However, The Kurkis Review I paid about $400 for I knew would be brutally truthful. When I received it I wated over an hour to open it so the Zanax I took would have time to take effect and I could prepare myself for all my delusions to be torn down. Prepare myself to take the negative comments as something to help me improve.
Their review of my first book is simply unbelievable. Few books by established writers get a Kurkis review this fantastic. No criticisms at all. In fact nothing but incredible phrase. Damn!
11970322_Williamson__The_Spiral_Slayers.pdf
I posted a Kindle version on this forum as a gift to all my fellow A:Mers. I can post a Nook version as well if requested. There's also a paperback available though you'll have to purchase this (I think I make $.35 cents per copy on the paperback so I can't make you much of a deal on this puppy).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Spiral-Slayers-E...tmm_pap_title_0
Most have seen the book trailer:
I want to again thank everyone on this forum who helped me put this together.
Cheers,
Rusty