John Bigboote

I'm... gonna hafta play with that one... I'd like to see 'softer' bodies. Very enlightening, GREAT STUFF, Gerald!!!

Hey Paul! Yes, I intended that to happen- I tightened-up the front and back focus controls at that point... making a shallower DOF.

Here is a full-frame at 720 X 486 resolution.

I set one instance of A:M to render (16 passes) overnight WITH Ambient Occlusion... this is the result thus far- you can see at about the 5 second mark where the AO goes away(not rendered yet) I will 'up' the AO effect and number of passes and let her render over the weekend. I would use NetRender but there is that trick you gotta employ to get your DOF settings to stick... I'll just render it in 3 copies of A:M instead. candleAM.mov

yup- the render queue/options panel had 'ON,ON,ON,ON right down the line. I should give it one more try (thanks Rodney) with Ambient Occlusion...

Thanks Paul--- it is ALL A:M too... including lens-flare and DOF effects.

Yeah! And I would love to see other people's embellishments .

Most people who do 3D are also video software users. The main software right now for composting and editing HD and beyond resolutions is the Adobe products. I would recommend getting a graphics card off their list so you could take full advantage of the CS6 playback enhancements in After Effects or Premiere... ie the CUDA and Mercury Playback Engine. Adobe lists graphics cards on their site.

I always just say 'yes' to that.

That links us to a .max file... not all of us have 3D Studio Max to convert it to a 3DS... since you have 3D Studio, can you try converting it to an obj file and try that?

To finalize this 'CANDLE' obsession with me, and make good on my threat... the project is now available in the Contributors Cue. Here is the link to the final animation: http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showt...t=0#entry376016 HERE is the link to the project in the CC. http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=43698

HERE is how the candle finished-up once I pulled the plug (stopped dinking) on it. The project file is available in the Contributors Cue for the interested. http://amfilms.hash.com/video/5299/Candle Wow, A:M Films did a number on it... 4X3'd it. Ow. HERE is the link to the project in the CC. http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=43698 candleAM.mov

Not an expert... it sounds like you may have imported it as a prop- uneditable. Did you import it into a choreography -or into a blank model...? -IF you importred it into a chor- it will be a prop, if you import into a model (make a fresh new model, RMB/import...) then it should come in as editable geometry. Might take some time on larger files, let it work.

Yes, I just gave it a try on the light behind the candle that was 'pushing' the SSS and it didn't appear to have any effect at all beyond zero. I think that shows that SSS is an 'additive' effect and can't be used inversely.

Thanks guys... Rodney- I do have the flame as a separate model- so it was not a problem to turn OFF shadows for it. Keeping everything as a separate model is helping for the light lists too. Tomorrows render should be final-vinyl.

STILL not happy with this... my flame model is casting shadows, flame would not cast shadows- would it? I have blue set as the 2ndary color of the flame gradient but because it is 100% transparent... you don't see it too much. I also think the entire flame sits too high on the wick... oh- the wick now has a wonderful displacement material on it... good idea, Nancy! I plan to generate this project when done to the Contributors Cue... when done, ha! This stuff is NEVER done! You don't ever really finish something in 3D... rather you run out of time or simply 'pull the plug' on it. candleAM.mov

Yeah! I am enjoying seeing how you are going about staying true to your drawing style(awesome) into 3D. On your mystery rider... I like the skin tone on your original art better than the orangy 3D... he looks... burned- dare I say. Glad to hear you are going to be okay. I do a lot of burning too, to get rid of yard debris. I take it slow and let the flame do the work. A nieghbor does it the other way... he'll douse the gasoline and motor oil on it AND THEN use a leaf blower to stoke it up... I call him 'born to be wild'- because in the old Steppenwolf song there is a line... "Fire all of your guns at once and explode into space..."

I was able to see it at home, I LIKE IT! Hope the band makes good use of the video. He is a talented guitar player... what is the story behind thet 4 string cigar box? I dig the way he plays 'Can't be satisfied' an ol Rollin Stones staple and he pays homage to Brian Jones's slide work really well. I dig this stuff!

Ah! Interesting... I might just have to try that out...

Too weird... Youtube won't show it for me- says it is 'unlisted'- only those with the link can see it... but I HAVE the link! I WANNSA SEE IT!

yeah- there's a lot I didn't like about that one... also the way the wax at the bottom of the candle was way over-lit. I've got another render in the soup now. Photorealism IS a carrot on a stick!

Now I see it as unlisted.

Hey- check the youtube privacy setting there, Gene- it says it is private. Change it to 'not-listed' if you don't want ininviteds or public if you don't care.

Forgot- I rendered a sequence with flame! candleAM.mov

Yeah... weird, right? I did a little flame, animated it with a distortion box... and am now rendering a sequence- frame 1. (5 passes) OH- another trick... i made a gradient material for the flame... the top is yellow with a glow, the bottom redorange with 95% transparency. I have become a BIG fan of this gradient trick.