NancyGormezano

And I too am wishing you a very speedy recovery

I had a chance to speak with Keith Osborn a few years ago. He used the multiple model method to create the fast moving appendage effect. In A:M You could basically do the same thing by saving several copies of your model and either deleting or hiding the unnecessary parts of it in the various models. Then place them all in the same location in the Chor and go to work. Maybe I wasn't clear in my above post - but that is exactly what I was doing. I was using a wheel like action for the legs in the above post. Here is another example where I change the leg movement to be just back and forth (no wheel like motion). I did not use blur so that you could see more clearly what the legs were doing. And I did not zero the translate and rotate offsets at the end of the path, like I did in the previous post EDIT: To be more efficient, I could have just constrained the "whole model" to the path, and then constrained the two "legs only" model instances to the "whole model" (with translate, orient and offsets). I did not need the extra "legs only" instance. 7roadrunner0blurbackforth2passKeepoffsetsoren3LOOP.mov

Had to give this a try - I have always wanted to do a roadrunner type leg. But I wanted the legs/feet to look like spokes of a wheel. 1st animation is a 2 pass render with 20% blur 2nd is 2 pass with 75 % blur 3rd is Multi-pass OFF - 75% blur There are 3 sets of legs, and 1 complete model. 1 set of legs (leader) is constrained to a path, all other models are constrained to the leader (with translate and orient with offsets). All models have a looping action with repeat for the wheel action of the legs. If you need more explanation or want the project - let me know 7roadrunner2pass20Blursoren3LOOP.mov 7roadrunner75blur2passSoren3LOOP.mov 7roadrunner75blurNoMPsoren3LOOP.mov

I can also view avi's. I was just not able to view yours. The problem was the codec (xvid) that you were using for compression for the avi file. Rodney (windows) indicated he also was having a problem viewing. Mac people probably weren't having a problem. As Simon was able to view the original. Same goes for compressing the QT .mov files. There are many codecs to use: sorenson, h264 are among the better choices for .mov files (and probably mp4?). There are probably other codecs that are ok too. It goes without saying, (but I'll say it anyway): If you want people to view your work, then it's best to use the more common compression codecs and file formats (ie, those which work for the most people). If you don't care if everyone can view your stuff, then use whatever codec, file format you want. Nice vid!

I was able to view and hear the .mov file and I see that you compressed it with the Sorenson codec. That codec works, and the h264 codec is also a good one to use for compression, when uploading to the forum. I was not able to view the mpg version (qt player gave error message and said it is not a file that QT understands), so I couldn't even see how it was compressed, via the file inspector. The MS windows media player could read the file, but I could only hear the sound. It looked like it was searching for the codec, but never came back with one. Not sure if other windows user people are having problems seeing your videos, or if it just me?

I am not able to view your avi (win xp pro) with either the windows media player, nor the qt movie player. Not sure why, as the info from the properties do not tell me anything (have downloaded it). BUT I am able to hear the sound track What compression codec did you use? Is it really an avi? EDIT: I looked at the properties in the qt player and see that it is in "XVID" format - I am not familiar with that format (is that a mac only?).

YUM! - both terrific! Nice colors, lighting. I particularly like the first one as it expertly, creatively communicates and coordinates well with the music to produce a sweet mood with a story. The second one is also good, of course. Has a different, obviously more bouncey feeling. For me however, the music suggests more "bump and grind". Would be fun to see those letters dynamically suggest a stripper dance?

NICE! fun antic, well done, nice lighting! Thanks for the project. I downloaded your project and noted the use of Screen based AO and much to my surprise, ver18a/32 was able to do it on my computer! (thought I wouldn't be able to since I haven't upgraded my nvidia drivers in a billion years, unless it's not really using the nvidia capabilities?) And now to explore that feature further and see what all the settings do, as I only saw a slight change with occlusionish type shadows ...and hopefully as well, do some animation to add to this never ending Sports day extravaganza.

In this case you could just shorten your chor action length to 47 (your project had it going to 150ish), change the hold last frame to off, and set transition to next action ON. You can leave the method to replace. None of the actions now need to be added, nor blended since they now do not overlap. see first project. Also you did not need to create 4 different pirouette actions - you could have only 1 action and just change the cycle length to 12 or 6 or 4 or 3 and change your repeat to whatever you'd like. In the 2nd project I did that, and I also changed the ordering of the actions (by dragging in the PWS) so that the pirouette action A came after the chor action. I did not change the length of the chor action. Nor did I change the blend method. Cute idea. And of course, I am tempted to out-pirouette you (manana, no time now). Ballet__BunnySimonShortlenghtNohold.prj Ballet__BunnySimonReorderedPirouettaAonly.prj

I too searched the web and came upon this thread http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-49256.html One of the solutions proposed was this I have photoshop 6.01 so I've uploaded a zip file containing Targa.8BX from my system, found under program files/adobe/photoshop 6.0/Plug-Ins/FileFormats folder. Perhaps try this and see if that helps? This could explain why Corel painter isn't working either. Targa.zip

I use win xp pro 32. Maybe there is some common windows file? dll? filter? that is used by both photoshop and painter to read TGA files that perhaps is corrupted? I don't know enough about windows OS to say where that might be. I see that AM uses something called tga.iio

I definitely think there is something wrong with your system's ability to read tga files (maybe just those tga files with an alpha channel?). I don't think it's only a problem with photoshop. Your Corel painter IX does not look right either. All I did was OPEN (NOT import) Robert's file and I get an alpha channel in my Painter IX I also had an old copy of photoshop 6.01 (do not have 7). The alpha channel shows up as well.

Hi Nancy, The reason you don't get the cp # in the manipulator property box is because you are selecting the cp by dragging or lassoing around the cp in the model window. If you just click on the cp, you will get the cp #, and the x,y,z values will be the absolute coordinates of the cp (as opposed to being an offset from group pivot when selecting the other way) Hope that helps. Cheers! Nancy Silly me! That helped! Thanks!

I recognize that you haven't finessed the details yet. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I thought you were opening this up for feedback, short discussion? If not, then I'll wait to hear what you come up with. IMO, I don't think it's necessary to have visual unity. As for me, I really don't like being tied to someone else's set, unless I like it, or unless I can modify it. I want to be free to choose my own camera angles, choose my own lighting ('cause I want REALLY short rendering times). In the “Guard Dog Global Jam” effort (being sold here), Bill Plympton asked seventy animators to re-animate one shot from his short "Guard Dog". The animators were allowed to use any style or technique as long as the dog character was recognizable and the length of the scene remained the same to keep the soundtrack in sync. IMO, in that effort, the different styles might have been a distraction to the telling of the story, but it was fascinating to watch the wonderful, creative variety of styles. (not all clips were in at that time as far as I can tell). Thats a good clip to get a handle on all the different styles. This "sports competition" exercise doesn't have a story, so continuity shouldn't be a problem. Perhaps the theme could be a trashtalking "war of the worlds", where the competition(s) are waged from all different places, eg CaliforniaLala Land, Britoonianville, Fishtankia, etc. And I might choose to challenge all competing worlds to a "chocolate pudding throwing contest"! or some such silliness. I'm looking for ramping up the creativity, diversity, absurdity quotients in the visual imagery, as well as allowing for those who might choose to compete more conventionally, in conventional venues.

The above was edited to what I would feel comfortable with for the basic ground rules/requirements. The following are additional requirements: FPS =24 and resolution/aspect ratio of 16:9 (800? x ?, ? x ?). Not tooo big a resolution, to make rendering times too long, nor file sizes too big. Use whatever render style/settings you want as long as aspect ratio and fps are consistent across clips (even that can probably be flexible) Use whatever sounds/effects you want. Do your own background/lighting or use someone else's who might want to donate a setting. For me, I prefer to keep it simple, with less restrictions, less hurdles, that might encourage more participation. In addition to traditional sports events, one can come up with their own unlikely, crazy sports events/ideas. Any person who wants to be the editor can choose however they want to transition between the clips, and whatever sound clips they want. This should NOT be regarded as a showpiece for A:M software, but as an individual learning experience and an individual's showpiece.

Hi Nancy, The reason you don't get the cp # in the manipulator property box is because you are selecting the cp by dragging or lassoing around the cp in the model window. If you just click on the cp, you will get the cp #, and the x,y,z values will be the absolute coordinates of the cp (as opposed to being an offset from group pivot when selecting the other way) Hope that helps. Cheers! Nancy

reminded me of someone running/hopping through a bed of hot coals...like in: ow...ow...ow...ow...ow...etc etc

How are you getting the cp# to display? I suspect you are not selecting the cp in a normal way? I don't get a cp # when I have "show manipulator properties" on and I just select the cp. I only seem to get a CP # right after I do an extrude, and I suspect that those x,y,z values in your display are offsets, and not absolute values for the cp. (That doesn't explain why you are not able to input a zero, but I'm guessing there is some overflow problem. duh)

bleck - so sorry to hear you are still displaced, hang in there!

oh that is FUN! fun fun funnnneee! As for "wind" - perhaps if he was made out of cloth, he might flatten to look like a human shaped sail?...and then if a force were applied, from behind? er...no..then that would be his exhaust system (oh, come'on...someone had to say it)...with little puffs of smoke...

The problem that I was experiencing (ver18-32, PC) seems to have been fixed in 18a: decals were not showing up at all in real-time, but would render fine using opengl3. In ver18a-32, they now show up in real-time. However I am still experiencing crashing if my model has decals and I try to use opengl (not opengl3). Happens in both 18, 18a. So makes me wonder: Have you tested the use of both opengl and opengl3? - don't know if that is an option on mac.

It looks like when the "sails" are attached to the side of the beest (see about 1:36), they can power the legs. But any "sails" at the top (in this video) look like they are only for artistic effect?

And the lite rig (and lite face) also uses a similar scheme for exporting from an action to position the control bones. For me (for either 2008 rig and literig), it took some brain cell rewiring to remember the steps - ie which poses to turn on/off for re-exporting, and what the pitfalls were. translation: At the time I hadn't formalized a process for myself, so that I could remember it easily, and I was mixing both rigs, along with my own tweaks (which also further complicated the process).

here is one mechanism (see uploaded image): looks like the cloth catches the wind, which then drives the crank shaft, which drives the legs image taken from here I thought? I also saw another mechanism such that the wind gets channeled/funnelled into an upside down plastic pop-bottle, and that it then gets amplified when it re-emerges from narrower opening, to drive the cloth? or something like that - but I am unable to find that example. Yes, serg, thanks for the link. Another clever mechanism for the legs - that example in the youtube looks simpler (for me widdle brain) to perhaps rig in A:M. As for simulating the dynamics automatically in A:M? uh....

The real life kinetic creatures built using the same structure as the strandbeest do not require 6 legs to balance. View video here. They only have 4 legs. Perhaps if the body (of the A:M model) was swayed side to side (as in the video with the card board models) it might look more balanced as it walks.