rusty
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Posts posted by rusty
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Hi,
It's me again. I need to freeze a sprite system so a camera can move though it. Searching I found:
"Set initial velocity to zero."
Hmm... seems to me like in the chor you'd let the sprite system form then at some frame you'd 'set the initial velocity to zero' and maybe 'rate of emission' and 'spin' and ???? as well but this isn't working for me. Of course if I set these values in the material section... nothing happens in the chor (as one would suspect). However, sprite systems are tricky devils and I haven't played with them for many years.
Is there a way to do it? And pretend I'm a complete idiot and assume I know nothing (I need where, how, when and why). Are there any tutorials on this?
I've attached the prototype I'm working with: a zip with the project and the image (which may need relinking in the project).
Thanks for any help!
Rusty
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Hi,
In the book explosive charges that have been planted within the asteroid explode (due to an accident) almost killing our hero. In the trailer I show Adamarus (our hero) in a mining craft inspecting the asteroid then zoom out to show the explosion. It been pointed out by several people that I'm not conveying that (which is really OK for the most part) and it looks like the asteroid (one of many orbiting the planet) hits the planet (which is really far below) and explodes (which is not OK, LOL).
Suggestions, comments? Keep in mind I only have time for minor changes.
Thanks,
Rusty
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Definitely entices me to want to find out more about the book.
Although, in the first "bread" should be "breed." Unless that's some hip phrase I'm not up on. :-)
Whoops. Thanks.
r
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Hi all!!
From all the comments, all of which I agree with but, considering I have almost no time left, as a way to put forth my best foot on this, I'm considering the following:
1. Nuke the robot scenes.
2. Instead of using text blurbs to describe 'certain elements' of (just) 'book one' that I'm currently using, use blurbs to describe:
a) special and/or unique aspects of the complete story (all 4 books)
my own conclusions (salesperson huff and puff)c) the story that all 4 books tell.
The resulting text blurbs and there order in the trailer would be as follows (note: '//' indicate scene breaks):
1. A NEW BREED OF SCIENCE FICTION... // FOR THE NEW CENTURY
2. QUANTITATIVELY TAKING... // AN EXPONENTIAL STEP… // BEYOND ANYTHING BEFORE IT.
3. YOU WILL GO… // WHERE YOU HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE.
4. YOU WILL SEE… // THINGS YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
5. WHERE IT IS THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE… // TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND… // EVERYTHING.
6. WHERE SCIENTISTS… // HAVE JOINED THE ALCHEMISTS BEFORE THEM… // REPLACED BY SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
7. WHAT'S AT STAKE… // IS MORE SIGNIFICANT… // THEN ANYTHING BEFORE.
8. SPANS MORE TIME… // THEN ANYTHING BEFORE.
9. TRAVELS FURTHER… // THEN ANYTHING BEFORE.
10. THE TOTAL KILLED IS GREATER… // THEN ANYTHING BEFORE.
11. A SPECIES MORE ADVANCED... // THEN ANYTHING BEFORE.
12. THE LONGEST CHASE… // IN HISTORY.
13. THE LARGEST BATTLE… // IN HISTORY.
14. ONE OF THE GREATEST SPACE EPICS // EVER WRITTEN!
15. TWELVE BILLION YEARS AGO… // SOMETHING DARK… // ENTERED THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE.
16. THEY HAVE BEEN COMING… // AT JUST BELOW THE SPEED OF LIGHT… // PERFORMING INCONCEIVABLE ACTS.
17. AT LAST… // THEY ARE HERE.
18. AND AT LAST… // WE WILL FIND THE ANSWER TO,,, // WHY ARE WE HERE?
I can only use a small numeliminatese so I'm forced to elleminate most. Comments...?
Thanks!
Rusty
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Critique is in the mail, Rusty. I only mention it here so that it doesn't get lost in a spam filter or something.
Feel free to ignore anything I say. Although I hope some of it is helpful.
Weird. Haven't received it yet. I just sent myself an email, not there yet either. You can try rusty@znet.com --proceed the comment with about 20 underscores so I can pick it out quickly from the hundreds of SPAM I get.
Thanks,
Rusty
Resent it to the second e-mail address with twenty underscores preceding the comment.
Since I haven't heard back, I'll assume this one is buried somewhere in your e-mail as well, Rusty. I just resent again to both e-mail addresses. If it doesn't make it after three tries, then there is something wrong with your e-mail accounts.
My comments are just my opinion, so they aren't necessarily valid and it's no great loss if you don't receive them. I'm sure you are getting enough input from other sources, making my assessment redundant.
david,
1st very hard to type/tumbled down a slope doing yard wk/mangled arm/dislocated fingers lol. read it yesterday/ but in er till late/doped up today... ok... thanks jerk ***just kidding*** you put lots of time in & i applicate it/most valuable review award for sure. really thanks!!
hurts to type lol
talk later
r
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Critique is in the mail, Rusty. I only mention it here so that it doesn't get lost in a spam filter or something.
Feel free to ignore anything I say. Although I hope some of it is helpful.
Weird. Haven't received it yet. I just sent myself an email, not there yet either. You can try rusty@znet.com --proceed the comment with about 20 underscores so I can pick it out quickly from the hundreds of SPAM I get.
Thanks,
Rusty
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Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I'm sure all of you know how can be too close to your work and not see the obvious. Your comments are helping a lot!
Rusty
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I think that looks really cool, Rusty!
For what it's worth, my first impression is that I'm more interested in the visuals than the story.Probably because the story pitch is a familiar one. Aliens come, give us their technology, we think they're good and then they turn out to be bad. Reading your summary clarifies that it's different aliens coming to destroy them, but the trailer leaves the impression that it's "V" on another planet. I would play up the hook, to better sell the story.
Clearly you've invested a huge amount of time in this trailer, I'm a little surprised by the plain-ness of the book cover. Is there not a way to use some of these visuals to create more compelling cover art? I grant you on a black and white kindle, it won't look as cool, but you'll be advertising it on websites that can show full color art. There are also quite a few people who read Kindle books on color devices.
I think, if I were browsing for books and I had the option to watch a book trailer, it would give me more incentive to consider the book, but like I said, while you have my attention, do the best job you can to pitch me on the story. In a sense, it's like the cover painting. A compelling cover painting gets me to pick up a book off of the shelf, but I immediately flip to the back and if that copy doesn't sell me on the story, it goes back on the shelf, no matter how cool the painting on the front was.
Thank you for your thoughts and the kind words! I guess you're right on the story but in the first part of my story it is what it is. Re the cover, LOL, what I really want is a completely white cover, the art/text only raised out of the white. I know that's not a good marketing strategy. I have some pretty cool spaceships I tried on the cover but fell back to simple. But, I'm always debating and thinking about that one. Call it style over common sense and proven marketing techniques.
Thanks,
Rusty
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WOW That was really cool, good job
Thanks for the kind words!
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I want you to compare it with anything Hollywood and professional studios put out and, if possible, tell me where I fall short. Please, tear it to pieces!
Where should I e-mail the critique, Rusty?
rrw4rusty@hotmail.com
Thanks!
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Hi!
I'm still working with the music but it won't change much. I'm still working on the brief voice but this won't change much. There are a few quirks to correct but this is the form for the finished product.
I want you to compare it with anything Hollywood and professional studios put out and, if possible, tell me where I fall short. Please, tear it to pieces!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yXteHySTok...eature=youtu.be
Enjoy!
Rusty
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Hi,
First I'm on AM V14c which probably won't matter in this case as this will probably be a memory exercise anyway.
I've rigged characters in AM 14c using TSM2 before just fine but this time I got an error when I did the rigger. I did the builder, the flipper but when I did the rigger it said "No System Found"??!!??
Anyone??
Thanks so much,
Rusty
Edit: BTW, I can't find a manual so I'm doing this all from memory which might be the problem.
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Hi,
Everyone has beeimmenselyly helpful! I think I've got it nailed (as well as I can anyway).
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rusty
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GOT IT!! HOORAY!!!
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If you don't want to see your character, set it to "flat shaded" and front projection. To get just the ground shadow, without the ground.......set the ground to both
"front projection" and "receive shadows only" to ON Use PNG and see if that gets your layered image. Oh and make sure the shadow buffer and alpha buffers ar set to ON.
William
So, based on the real intent of the feature, LOL, I have placed another copy of the model in the chor to receive the shadows from the original model. No luck yet but I don't know where the front projection is supposed to go, (using a normal scenario) it would seem like it would go on the ground (in my case the copy of the model I want to receive the shadows). Anyway toying with all the variations on options, settings and output format (btw jpg can't work for this as jpg's have no alpha channel).
Rusty
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Hi Rusty...
Try Jpeg and PNG format. Alpha seems to have some querks.
Use the EXR output also because it has a nice shadow buffer.
I did several things here really quick... You need to also set the "front projection" to on and mess around with it.
William
Hm... I only have one model in the chor and I want the shadows it's casting on itself. A problem? I'll turn front projection on anyway if I can.
Thanks for all the effort!!
Rusty
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Hi Rusty- Are you setting the 'shadows only' option on your object itself?
I wasn't!! Got all excited but, darn, it still didn't work.
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Hi!
I've never used shadows only but now it can really help me! So, I researched it, did what I thought I needed to do but I'm not getting it to work.
Settings Tried:
Render to TGA and then to .mov
Buffers:
Alpha=on and tried off
Shadows on
Render Options:
Quality Final
Shadows on then tried off
Everything else off
Nothing in Alpha buffer or RGB channels
I opened the TGA in PhotoShop CS3 and the .mov in After Effects 6.5.
I'm using AM V14c
Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Rusty
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http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41325
just posted this recently in Tinkering Gnome
or here is another version I just played with with the animated material changing speed and direction
Hey John,
I don't know if it's my trying to load your project files in V14c and things are going wacko or what but I cannot figure out what you're doing to get the boiling surface effect. According to the project file which maybe scrambled, you're doing stuff I didn't even know was possible! Like:
1. You seem to have a driver up in the model which is animating the material's translate-Z from 0 to -9.68 over 30 frames. I didn't know you could do this let alone how.
2. You seem to be using the same material twice on the lotofpatches model on the inner group, is this right?
3. In the chor things really seem wacko... under groups only material1 shows up animating sine:scale-Z(500-548 frames 0-30) but this is the only thing that looks normal... later in chor-action1 I see separate entries for material1 and material1(2) (see next item 4) and then again under another 'groups' (expanded drivers) I find material1 listed twice seemingly doing different things!
4. There are other key frames for the material's Z translation but I can't find a source for them (if that makes sense), they run frames 0-30-60 and the values are something like 0, 20, -40something (with no source, the exact numbers are not shown anywhere).
I am so confused, LOL! I feel like CP30 in Attack of the Clones when his head gets put on a battle droid! I was actually able to render newcolorplus.prj in V14c and although the 'radiation' aurora does not work the boiling surface on the inner sphere does work. I would just take this and use it but things look so wacko that I do not know how to expand the frames out to about 8 seconds or make it loop-able.
My eyes are crossed from looking at this project file and I'm going to take a break and get a strong drink.
Fantastic stuff your doing!
Rusty
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this is another approach using an animated material on another shell over the planet
Hey John,
If an image dblue036.jpg (of something close to that) is actually used in the project file can you include the image in the zip and repost it?
Thanks,
Rusty
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With all that abnormal shaped lighting stuff Robert and I were talking about in a previous thread, what would happen if you made the light a klieg, applied a dots rotoscope to it and turned on volumetric and had it go along some crazy path? Am I making any sense?
Yes, perfect sense. In the space shots tiny streamers rose above the main curtains and this might create those.
Thanks!
Rusty
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Wow dudes!!! Lot of fantastic ideas!!! It will take a day or two to work through all these (I'm on V14c and can't open some .prj files). I may combine all of them!
Thanks!
Rusty
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This isn't quite what Rusty is looking for in his other thread but I'll show it none-the-less... a fly-over of the Aurora curtain effect.
Basically two gradient combiners are used to fade out the top and bottom and in the middle is a turbulence combiner, stretched vertically and animated in the chor to move through the mesh of the curtain to give it the undulating look.
PRJ done in v17 but it will work in earlier versions
That's KOOL! If I can figure it out (I'm on V14c and probably can't open the .prj file) I'll likely use it!
Rusty
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Seems I didn't add reflectivity in the above clip.
So for my own education, added 50% reflectivity, along with 50% transparency to globe, which made render times shoot up to 31 secs/frame. When I ramped the transparency back down to 0, render time went to 11 secs/frame (still with 50% reflectivity), as expected. Transparency is always a killer.
Forgot to mention I also added roughness to globe (in clip above as well as in this one). This clip has a slightly better look. Obviously could refine this, ad nauseum. So I'll stop now before I puke.
Thanks so mputtingr puting out (oh that sounds bad... err...) the effort!! I may run with this but right now I've been able to copy what John's done... pretty simple once you see what 'kind' of material you need to use.
Rusty
I need to freeze a sprite system...
in Work In Progress / Sweatbox
Posted
THE PEOPLE ON THE AM FORUM (YOU) ARE TOTALLY AWESOME! LOOK AT ALL THE EFFORT AND TIME FREELY GIVEN. l am in bed using my wifes new Nook Tablet (amothers day gift) which is new and still awkward--can not view mov , bummer. When pain pills hit l will go to my deskutop to see them and respond properly!
R