rusty

I'm not sure I understand your question. Perhaps it is this: why am I attaching a head model to a body model? If so I'll give you the 'medium' answer: Writers and publishers won't pay much for book trailers and so I can't afford to build character models. I must instead use a set of 'virtual actors' from which clients must choose. If they want a custom character, it will cost them. Virtual actors are just bald un-textured heads fully rigged with expressions and flattening poses. Everything else is separate, prebuilt and 'snaps on' to the basic head. Everything below the neck is wardrobe: pre-built, 'Snap-on' outfits. The 'outfits' them selves have Snap-On texture decals and pose controlled additions. Shoes are also 'Snap-on'. Hair is the same--prebuilt hair-dos (all white, no color) with 'Snap-on' pre-developed colors. All interchangeable. Same with face maps: pre-developed face maps for color (white, tan, black, brown, yellow), scars and character age (how many wrinkles). Do to standard head construction you also get standard decaling ( or flattening) poses and therefore, standard mask shapes (granted not in all cases) and so almost all 'Snap-on' elements are interchangeable among all 'virtual actor models' though gender and head shape demand some separation. But I digress...There's a whole lot more beyond 'virtual actors' but this is a topic I can discuss all day. It would mean that an entire cast can be assembled in a day or two. I've been working on all this for 11 years. I'm close to having the processes all nailed down. All of it centered upon and using A:M. If I can't use AM there's a huge part of my life wasted. It makes me dizzy how much I depend on AM. Connecting the head to the "wardrobe" is one of the last things to nail down. r

Neither am I--that's what makes this impossible. However, I had one thought: I'm using the 64 bit version...are you and Nancy? Rusty

Regarding the issue in this post, are any of you using the 64 bit version of AM (AM_64BIT017G.exe)? Thanks, Rusty

I appreciate your offer to help. I really do. And I would (and may) gladly accept your help--beyond this problem I could desperately use some help. Using A:M to create book trailers (regular work with good income if done right) is right there at my finger tips and I'd probably need to hire many from the forum to meet demand. I've been working towards this for 11 years. decent one, for my own book, was a spectacular success within the writing community ("best trailer I've ever seen", "Jesus how can I get one", "what does it cost")! Of course the last is the challenge. However, the bottom line regardless of absent targets in the screen shot I happened to send and regardless of what bones were used, is that 1. I have tried this over and over again for a week and before saving I got exactly what I expected to get but, after saving and reopening, the constraints (both still there and with the same targets), did not work. 2. At least three other users did not see this problem at all, and I'd bet no one else would...while I on the other hand, on two different PCs, with two separate installs and with two different licenses (both of course belonging to me) consistently did not work. In my 11 years with A:M this is the 3rd time for this same anomaly. Think about that. What are the only ways such a thing could possibly occur? "...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" Understand, this is a bad month for me; our dog who we love like family is dying, I have two torn rotator cuffs which, every day, grant me with a ridiculous amount of pain, oh... etc. etc. Forgive me for unloading on you--I'm at the want-to-scream and tear-out-my-hair end of my rope. I need a least a couple of days worth of very DEEP breaths. No one should be talking with me right now. ;-( r

Well, it doesn't work on my desktop either. I've tried saving in a chor. I've tried embedding/not embedding. I've tried using intermediate bones. I've tried renaming the models, the bones, the project. There's no rhyme or reason. No hope for a fix. I will not spend two months redoing the models especially with no guarantee that anything will change. It's hard enough without stuff like this. Honestly, I'm so disgusted with everything right now that I'm just going to put animation away for a while.

Well, I'm flabbergasted but somewhat relieved but totally confused. I opened the test I posted (which definitely failed when I posted it) and...today, it worked. How this could happen is beyond me. I reconstructed the entire thing and it failed (see attached). However, I did realize that there's a difference I didn't mention--though I do not know how it could affect anything like this. When I put the project together (in every case but the 'test' I sent), I'm on my notebook but all the files are on my desktop--I'm going to a network drive via a wireless network. The test project was saved locally on the C drive of my notebook but as I said, it failed before posting it and just to make me crazier then I already am, worked this morning. I will definitely test it on my desktop later today (all files will be local) and see what happens and let you know. And, to be just as crazy as this problem, I'll recreate the test project and see if I get similar results (i.e. fails one day, works the next). Also, I'll look into the unnamed folders. I certainly do not want to rebuild the models but perhaps I can get into the model file with a text editor and look for anything weird. Thanks so much for your time...an hour after posting this the thought occurred to me 'watch, it will work when robcat tries it' but tossed out that idea immediately as totally crazy.... I think it's karma for all my sins. Cheers, Rusty

robcat, I've attached the project file and a readme Word document that explains the project file (both in zip file). Thanks, Rusty Head_Attachment_Test01.zip

Hi, I'm not sure this is a bug or a restriction or due to a model creared in an eariler version or model corruption or perhaps the way I'm doing it. Anyone seen, know anything about or have a work around for chor constraints that won't work after you save/close/reopen. These constraints are from one model to another model to bones deep within a char rig. This is a huge deal with my current project and any help from the community would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! Rusty

Don't you hate it when one of your PCs is having a ridiculous problem like this and you make a post to the forum praying for deliverance but... no one replies! Well I'm going to reset my new Alienware notebook anyway...all kinds of weirdness and I suspect its because I hated Win8 and added all that free software to make it look like win7. Win8 would be great if you had a friggin touch screen! If I wanted an iPhone I'd buy one, LOL! Rusty

Hi Robcat! Did you report this? It's not a big deal. I added the pdf files (TechRef.pdf and TAOAM.pdf) to Tools which is even better; only one click. BTW, I can't tell you how often I've wished I had enough money to hire you (or anyone who's good at rigging) to do my rigging for me, LOL! Rigging is such a chore for me. Cheers, Rusty

Hi, How do you get the AM help files to work with the help menu in AM? I've downloaded them placed them (zipped and unzipped) in the AM folder...what am I doing wrong? Thanks, Rusty

Hi, This is very strange! On my notebook (btw, I don't have this problem on my desktop) if for example I hit 't' for turn, the icon comes 'on', the mouse cursor changes correctly but turn doesn't work. If I select the turn icon, it works. Same with other tools. Has anyone else encountered this? Any ideas on how I might fix this or what I might try or how I might trouble shoot this? Thanks! Rusty

Abso-F'ing-Lutely! You go programmers!

Hi, Hate to ask dumb questions but are you supposed to place these files in the am program directory so that am sees them? thanks, Rusty

I'm told that I 'need' to create the half dozen phony glowing reviews on Amazon that the author and his family and friends can generate. I'm told everyone expects these and writes off the first half dozen of so to this. I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to do this. I'm probably a fool but, for me, cheating makes things hollow and meaningless. My syfy is not going to be the 'best' thing anyone ever read but, I think it's entertaining and a good read and, if it isn't, then I probably need to know... you think? r

Hi, Sorry I didn't reply to this earlier... I could not get logged in for a while...??? Here it is for those that want it. It's in mobi format which works on Kindles. If you read it please leave a review on amazon (link in orginal post). Enjoy, Rusty

I'll give you the kindle version of my newly released science fiction "The Spiral Slayer-Book One: Encounters" if you have a kindle, will read it and take the time to post a review on Amazon.com. Post reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Spiral-Slayers-E.../dp/B008STATCO/ Cheers, Rusty

If you have a kindle and will read it and post a review on Amazon, I'll give you the kindle version. Rusty

Yippee! The paperback version of "The Spiral Slayers - Book One: Encounters" will be available on Amazon in 5 to 7 days. Versions for Nook will appear in February. Work on "TSS - Book Two: Countdown Armageddon" is well underway, estimated publication is for the Fall or 2013. Get a sample at http://www.amazon.com/The-Spiral-Slayers-E.../dp/B008STATCO/ See the Animated Book Trailer at http (created with A:M) at //www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ3Gk4Fto0o Happy New Year! Rusty

May this year bring awesome inspiration, improved expertise and awesome animation to you and A:M! Rusty (User since 2002)

Hey... I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. Thanks for the video tut! This is bound to help me in the future! Rusty

Hi robcat! I found another way...make 10 in chor/export model/import model/new chor/multiple copies=9/arrange/export chor as a model/and so on. But, what and/or where is 'PostExtrapolation'? Thanks, Rusty

hi, Any one know a simple way to repeat 11 frames of an automated decal back and forth for 20 seconds? There is no repeat I can see. Thanks, Rusty

Out-Fing-standing!! Thank you.

I like the lensflare, composition! Would prefer the satelite to be more shiny metalically. If going for realism, then I would prefer the earth to look more "blue marbley" I found the larger glow (atmospheric ring) interesting, eye catching, but a bit too large (too deep) relative to the earth size. I found the tighter smaller "atmospheric ring" strange, felt too solid. I will guess that you might have either composited, or used a separate transparent model positioned in front of earth? or used "planet glow" shader (or something like that). Hi Nancy... nothing about composition or glow or the planet glow-shader (nice, but doesnt create exactly that look but is always a little more toony). But the model was a good guess... I created a flat ring out of patches, painted a transparency-map (a simple gradient from black to white). Then I attached it using a patch-image to the patch-ring. I had to rotate the patch-image of some of the patches, but finally it worked out quite good. After that I created a bone for it facing away from the earth. It had to be place at the exact 0/0/0-point so it could easily rotate around the earth without hiting it.. In the chor, I used an AimAt-Constraint to always aim the ring at the camera and like that I got a quite nice, controlable glow around the planet. Using the color-value of the ring-group, scale one of the ring-splines and changing the percentage-value of the transparency-map it is now possible to increase / decrease the glow, adjust its color and adjust its strength. The cool thing about it: It doesnt effect the rest of the planet. Glow itself would always make the surface too bright for me, so this was an easy but quite effective way to do it. The hard edge around the surface of the earth is something I could not get rid of... I tried to fade the transparency-map-value from black to white to black, but somehow I could not get it to work exactly as I wanted... anyway it looks much better than glow itself and is easier to control... so this solution only is useable with spheres, not with anything else as long as the camera gets animated. See you *Fuchur* Wow, this sounds exactly like what I need! You lost me a little of your description of how you did it--is there anywhere I can get more information on this technique or see an example? Thanks, Rusty