John Bigboote

And it's what a lot of people do using all sorts of different software's...go to youtube.com and enter 'CG hair dynamics' or '3D hair' into the search engine...

With hair...there are SO many factors involved, and a tweek on 1 will effect something you thought was just right in another box... Here are some random things I've learned: Preroll will effect the hair starting before the zero-frame in your chor. Without it, your hair will appear to 'fall' in the initial frames. I've not figured out the 'none' hair constraint... I'll use either 'spring' or 'constraint'. 'Constraint' seems to work better in collision-detection scenarios, whereas 'Spring' is good for loosey-goosey wet style hair. Raising the hairs vertex/points count helps for collision detection... The ultimate hair test...make a character... give him hair...put him in a chor and make him shake his head. Stand back and see what happens. The name of the game is test-dink-test-dink testtesttest. This is a new feature and not too many people are using it yet, consider yourselves pioneers setting-out across the Oregon Trail saying "Where can we get a map?!!! C'mon folks...a MAP!!!"

In my sample...I used the default settings, and I haven't really dinked with the in-depth tweekers. Muhair will pick-up the color of the light shined upon it... in the picture above I can see the effects of the MuHair...looks like it is working but not giving you what you expect. Maybe if you post an image of your hair property box and explain more in depth what it is you expect to see. Martin- No...same model at home for 13 years...

Looks good! If you click on the lower part of my avatar you can see an example(Queen of Hearts) I made using muhair...(warning: female nudity...) That sample also includes a force (fan) acting upon the hair...

Close the chor...reopen. If that fails...save, and restart the project. Hair grooming should be done in the model, if you want it permanently affecting the hair. Grooming can also be done in a pose or action...

The Xtra DVD comes with your 2007(V13-14) upgrade/subscription. Get your serial number and $99 and call Heath at Hash...the DVD alone is well worth the cost...

Wow MMZ! You really ARE 'the MAN!' (I'm gonna have to take back some of the things I've said about you...)

Aw MAN!!! I'll actually be in Asheville, NC that day! Not too far away! Family reunion for the week...don't think I could break away. Too bad, Something tells me Will cooks a mean hamburger!

I like where this is going... a couple commies... her skin is too oily, maybe dink with the specularity settings, a bigger spread, lower amount... I'd like to see her mouth make more of an 'Oh' on the "So"...like the lips 'purse' together further, almost to a kiss. I'm diggin it! Are you going to give her particle hair?

Sounds like your doing everything right. You could try saving the project, closing A:M and reopening... what version and platform ?

Much, much better! Man, we could have used that clip for the 'pass the ball' movie 2 years ago. (See A:MFilms...Pass the Ball) I would still like to see some more 'rearing back' anticipation before he throws the ball...and some timing reworking when he gets hit at the end...maybe after he gets hit his feet leave the ground and he slides back a foot or 2... Thanks 4 sharing!

Cool image! I LOVE the 'dead puppy' rule...it's SO right on... The WORST thing is when you have a creative team...then every one of them needs to make a change to justify their existance...can you use multiple dead puppies? HERE's another rule for you: "There are no rules in 3D animation...break them at your peril!"

I'm always good for an opinion...just not always a good opinion. Overall...yeah- it looks good! But seriously, you are obviously a 'pose to pose' animator...which is good...but on this animation I think you need to experiment with some of the timings in-between some of the poses. A cool thing about computer animating is it's like sculpture...you can just keep carving away at it endlessly. Thanks for sharing!

Good point RobCat... HEY! Where's your Avatar??? I've had an idea for some time that would alleviate your concern...it's a what-if: WHAT IF: A group of talented A:Mers got together and made a series of cartoons in a diffent manner. Everyone would collaborate on modelling a 'set' and a cast... let's for example use the old cartoon metaphor of a dog, a cat, a mouse and a bird all living in the same house....but it could be anything. ONCE the models of the actors and sets are finished, each collaborator would then set out on making a 2-3 minute cartoon using those props to tell a story of his own direction/imagination. When/If finished, you would have a campaign/series of stories featuring the same recognizable characters, which is far more marketable than a one-off. The set and characters could be very simple, and each director would have to follow common characteristics...such as one guy is meek, the other is brash ect.

There's something to be said for a story with a beginning, middle and end. Too many stories today are lacking any or all three. And slapstick? Man, you are speaking my language! I have an idea about three hot strippers who are smooth and beguiling under the stagelights but backstage are Larry-Curly-Shemp! Oooops! Now everyone has the idea... What Stephan needs...like a lot of us out there(here)... are CO-llaborators. Martin has the right idea I think. We need to band together into ever-changing groups and start attacking our ideas on a larger scale.

I like Matt's approach! Probably renders faster too...but where's the ketchup stains? yeeeaaauuchh! If you are looking for a NEW carpet look...hair may be overkill. Learn to make a 'tileable' pattern and use patch images and a simple bump....think BERBER!

Never considered that! THNXKS!

Feedback...sure! Great stylized model! What rig are you going to use? Is the raised area around his neck for fur? Was this model generated from sketched designs? I sure like it so far...can't wait to see the lioness. My only crit...after another look...would be that his 'snout'(nose) looks kinda long and 'doggish'.

All in 14??? Great! Makes me want to sing..."Puff, the magic dragon..." BTW... I recently was reading the words to "Puff, the magic dragon' and noticed they mention 'Sealing wax'. Now, I have noticed 'sealing wax' making appearances in other famous songs as well...like in the Rolling Stones 19th Nervous Breakdown... "Your Mother who protected you owes a million dollars tax-Your Father still perfecting ways of making sealing wax" What is sealing wax? Is it a British/Drug thing?

It looks to me like you got a lot done in a short time...way to go! Keep us posted on the progress as it developes.

That is one CLEAN piece of animation, Steve. I might just take your character's advice and give-it-a-go! AND- The price seems right too...

Yes, I've noticed this previously. COULD it be caused by a FPS issue...and because there are only 30 frames per second...the emitters can only logically be emitted in those small 'windows of emittability'. PERHAPS upping the FPS (Frames per second) and rendering out the scene in slow-motion (120 FPS...?) and then speeding it back up in post would be a workaround. OR better yet and less render intensive...change your project FPS to say...10X normal...or 300 Frames per Second... and then render-out every other 10th frame. If I get a chance I'll test this... or if one of you who are already in that zone could and post the results...that would be great.

Experiment-Experiment! IF- you can't get what you need, you may want to try a 'NON-A:M' approach...(dare I say?) -1 shoot or photograph REAL water and composite... -2 Try another app and composite it's render with your A:M work...

Do you mean 'Normals'? Open your 'options' dialogue and under the 'modeling' tab you will see a checkbox for 'show normals'...this will turn ON the little yellow check facing out at the center of each patch. These NEED to face outward. BUT Would'nt it be great if you could toggle this ON/OFF within the main interface without digging for it? Like a button... OR, is there a keyboard shortcut for 'show normals'? Y'know, like the way you can turn ON?OFF hair with the Shift-8.....? Maybe that was a feature request... not TOO ambitious I would think.

Standing Ovation!