NancyGormezano

I'm not sure which version of A:M started having "Create Material from surface" (works in 16b) Make a group with all the surface properties you want (color, etc), right click on group in PWS/"create material from surface". A new material will appear, then save the new material under whatever name you want. Use forever more whenever, wherever you want.

FAH-BUH-LUSCIOUS, Mark! Wonderful! I was so hoping it would peak your interest (and David's and anyone else) as a fun challenge. I started (failed) and was still fumbling when I gave up. I approached it sooooo wrongly. As I look at your rigging solution, one can see (perhaps?) how that sort of rigging might be used to actually simulate muscle deformations of a skinned creature? But I think your solution is most wonderful for it's simplicity and delightful using it for a mechanical looking creature. I'm still smiling when I watch your 2 movies.

I have been aware of this play, but haven't seen it. Yes, wonderful artistry & puppetry! I was fascinated by these strandbeest lifeforms because of their different mechanism of joint movement and that they were powered by the wind.

lovely new forms of life - Strandbeests Organization doing Kinetic-DIY creatures inspired by the above Image shows details for the leg mechanism (taken from strandbeest site)

I use windows XP sp3 - 32 bit and all versions of A:M play well with it. My favorite version of A:M to use so far is 16b-32 (fastest rendering for 32 bit OS, but I haven't tried 18 yet. ). 15j+ also works very well with XP

I don't usually use muhair. Not fond of working with it. I prefer the control and different looks one can get much easier with regular hair for the stuff I do. But Matt Campbell likes to use it. I would need to see your settings first. I don't see secondary color? I only see B&W? with overly bright specular look. Perhaps, (if you are talking about the shiny overly bright look), my guess (without seeing your settings) is that your hair emitter/specular render shader/muhair/secondary strength is NOT turned down from 100% to something else? Or that the surface spec size, intensity settings in the hair emitter are set too high?

Targa and EXR formats store color space in linear fashion. Other formats such as PNG, JPG and TIFF store color space as sRGB (non linear). There are exceptions with some formats but I'm not well enough into this to even speculate. Yes, this is what I believe it refers to. REF: http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini13.0/render/linear Apples and oranges going on here. I will talk in the lowest level I can to describe what I think is part of confusion, thus probably making it more inaccurate, but am happy introducing my own misconceptions as well. sRGB (of which there are multiple sRGB systems - ie apple, 1996, etc) is a color space model (math) - it is NOT linear - I take it to meaning it is defined by curve (not straight lines). Multiplying one side does not produce a linear straight line result. Graphically the RGB color space model is usually represented as a cylindar. However The L*a*b color model is said to linearish. Linear in this case, also does not refer in this discussion to the way data is stored in a file (ie 8 bits of red followed by 8 bits of green followed by 8 bits of blue) 8 bits is refering to how many bits of precision are allowed to define the red component, green or blue component in the file (thus 0-255). Jpg, tga, png store/have 8 bits/channel for each pixel of an image. I do not know which or if, new file formats allow for 16 bits per component (probably exr?). 16 bits I believe also refers to the precision in which the software (photoshop, houdini, A:M) uses the data when computing the resultant image (into the device dependant color space). sRGB is device dependant. LAB was created to be device independant. A TGA file is usually said to be either 24 bit or 32 bit - meaning that 8 bits are used for each of the RGB values (for total of 24 bits) and if there is an alpha channel then it is referred to as 32 bit , because an additional 8 bits/pixel is stored to define the transparency of the pixel. EXR file format and perhaps TGA file format (do not know about png, jpg, bmp, tiff) also allow specification of which color space model (sRGB, L*a*b, etc) was used to create the RGB data contained in the file. Additionally, the EXR file format from what I'm gathering also allows for almost unlimited expansion of data describing each pixel beyond alpha and RGB (eg depth, lights, etc) all contained in one file. So to say TGA and EXR store color in "linear fashion" makes no sense - other than perhaps you meant that the Houdini software interprets, computes, writes the TGA and EXR file with L*A*B color data coordinates (which is close to linear) and labels it as such. Whereas other programs normally write it as sRBG, unless you tell them to do otherwise, like photoshop (which can use any color model you tell it to use that you have defined on your system). And that's my 2 bits to add to the confusion for the day.

I don't know what EXR - a file format, has to do with Linear color space - unless you mean that it allows a data record of sorts for 16 bit (or more?) color data representation (as opposed to 8 bit) ? From what I understand (using the term "understand" very loosey-goosey) the L*a*b color model (or CIELAB) allows one of the better systems for representing the perceivable (for humans) color space, sorta linearly. From the wiki: And yeah - gimme my paints, pigments...much easier to understand ...

your link didn't work for me - perhaps this is what you want:

FALSE The values that Steve gave for his diffuse color of 253, 227, 185 are the Red GREEN Blue values (not Red BLUE Green). Those numbers do not represent a percentage of red green blue ...color is not linear. Usually is talked about in the additive sense of light (see this linkfor discussion of RGB). This is not an easy topic, but no need to fret. It is easier to talk about color in terms of HSV. (Hue Saturation Value) - the RGB values can be converted into HSV. see here for ONE method of code conversion algorithm for some RGB space, as there are multiple RGB color space models. I think of it as picking the Hue first, then how saturated it is (how much pigment?), then how much white is added. When you look at the color pickers for photoshop, painter, A:M - you can get an idea of the relationships between the different color models. There are also CMYK, Lab, et al color models Here's a nice juicy link to discussion of HSV (HSL). Have fun. Yes the surface diffuse color plays into the SSS, along with extinction values and density. But my biggest question is with the 1/2 extinction distances for the RGB & relative density of SSS samples (v 16b), ie just how is that used in the computation of the SSS? To me it's always been trial and error. I'll note that 17g has added "extend distances" (and I haven't looked at 18 yet), presumably to correct some artifacts?. I did do some testing awhile back - but conclusion I came to was SSS extinction values, density values chosen also depend on size of model, surface "thicknesses" and lighting setup as well, and one's tolerance for render times. I don't have the patience (still on 32 bit version).

I am not aware of how to pick where the seams go using bitmap plus. I've never used the tile map feature - so that might be it? But I doubt it. Bitmap plus tries to maintain the pattern of the image without introducing distortion, so it picks where the seams go in order to do this, as opposed to patch images and decals which always have some distortion, unless the shape being covered is a true plane, cylindar, sphere. You might try making her lumberjack shirt less form fitting (like in real life). Or playing with repeat counts, size (or scale), and even maybe the bitmap line shift property? (probably only effects the repeat seam in Y direction? not sure). Just like in real life, the flatter the shape being fitted, the less need for "darts" and irregular sewing pattern shapes. Lots of seam matching problems result in real life in order to fit the model shape. Go for a boxier look, or pick a different image for her shirt pattern, where the seam might not be so obvious?

fascinating interpretation of the Klein bottle! Has always been mysterious to me. Finally the mystery is solved!

I usually use Bitmap plus material for fabrics. Using John's shirtpatch.tga image, I created a bitmapplus material and modified the repeat count depending on what you might want, and set seamless=ON. I assume you know how to make bitmapplus material? (if not see image). All you need to do after creating material is add the image (under Bitmap) and change repeat and seamless. Ignore everything else for now.

Looks wonderful, great texture!

wonderful! love it, so clever. You are always a source of inspiration

the project definitely has radiosity turned on (but toon render is not turned on)

perhaps there is a memory leak going on? I am going to guess it MIGHT be because you are rendering with the Q mode button rather than rendering to a file? and that your system has run out of memory and is swapping back & forth between disk? I always use render to a file for quick checking, especially for LONG sequences - ie 9 secs seems long. Ie where is your system putting these results if you haven't named where to put them yet? memory? Don't know how apple does it. Also close & restart A:M. Do you still have problem?

Interesting - a bit dark. Not sure if you are looking for it to look like feather? matcap shader is usually used for simulating lighting for different materials. So normally images used have specular highlights in image. But I'm all for using stuff not how it's normally intended! Maybe you might want to try your model with a Bitmap Plus material also? I took your image of feather - brightened it some, and then used it in Bitmapplus material (repeat 4x4, seamless=ON) EDIT: added a matcap'ed material using the brightened image (1 x1 repeat, seamless ON, but probably does nothing) to show the difference in how the materials look

You probably want to have the arms in IK - and you would constrain the Hand (or IK hand controller, not sure what it's called in 2008 rig) to the null. Do not constrain the forearm

Thanks Steve, KJ, John, Robert! KJ: I have trouble supressing my own personal style, so I decided, I won't! I do not have any ambitions to go commercial, so it doesn't matter. But I do appreciate the clean, simple styles (suitable for magazine layouts, web design, product development, etc), that I am seeing from other participants. John: There is always something to be learned, sparked, inspired by studying the works of others. That's the main reason I am following/doing the Design 101 course. New ideas can't help but get triggered, and the same happens from following people on this forum as well, you included. I find that I can steal..er...get something from just about everybody, regardless of their level of expertise. Robert: My goal was not to be realistic, but to skirt the edge. So I guess "the cake" worked this time! Thanks. The thing I don't like about the course is that I am not finishing these images to my satisfaction. I could go back to them, of course, but don't feel motivated once I've submitted them. There's stuff that needs a-fixing. And stuff that needs to be added, subtracted. Normally I tweak tweak tweak ad nauseum, & try to look at it with fresh eyes the next day. But in this case I'm just pushing them out the door, so that I don't take over 1 day (let alone 1 hour! ). Can be uncomfortable, but also can be freeing. This week (5th week) is supposed to be a resting week (no new assignments, just review of people's work). So I will probably do some new models that I wanted/needed for the last 4 week assignments and use them eventually, somewhere.

Everything is using the wonderful matcap shader with image that I got off the tubes of a chocolate candy. Cropped to area of interest, didn't even spherize the cropped photo. The cake is a tamborine model that I had (minus the noisemakers), the flowers, creatures are reused from other projects of mine.

Thought I would start a new topic (instead of spreading it around), to post my homeworks that I've been doing for iversity.org's Design 101 course, using A:M. These assignments are not supposed to take more than 1 hour. hoo hah. So I've been trying (rarely succeed in keeping to 1 hour)...and I've been using models that I already have, modified, recomposed Most people are using photos, hand drawing, other media - quite inspiring. I haven't used A:M for all my assignments - but thought I would share here. Some of these were posted already in other threads...so bear with me.

(just noticed this post - missed it somehow) Thanks again Yves - "Newman and Sproul" - wow - that takes me back - I still have my copy (1973, first edition, less than good condition) bought in 1978. Sometime back (2011) I had looked it up on Amazon, to see what it would cost today. I'm sure it was a glitch, but made me chuckle. They valued a used/good condition one at $16,292.68 plus $3.95 for shipping! I also still have Theo Pavlidis: "Algorithms for Graphics and Image Processing" (1982). I think I'll go see what Amazon is charging today.

Yes that is snappier - And I do get some sense of momentum when he uses his arms to transition to standing. However, the thing that bothers me mostly with this exercise is that this guy starts with his knees on the ground, before he gets up (and also when he was lifting the heavy sack). Guys only? might be able to do that, maybe without something to lift, but it's quite difficult (and almost impossible for me, without using my hands to push myself off) - hurts my toes! But to do it that way and lift something heavy also? No way, I say. I would think he would start from a squat, like a weight lifter would. Never with his knees on the ground.

Nice links, Rodney! This one in particular on page 16 of the pdf is appropriate for lifting a heavy object - gives some nice key frames