John Bigboote

If it renders fine, then it might be your video card setting... like maybe time to update the driver. You can try switching from Direct3D to (whats the other option?) under the tools/global tab, sometimes that jars it back into working right.

One thing that did occur to me, as later I was trying to do more of the face- is that you will still need good modeling skills. 'Tracing' the polygonal base is a great start, but it will only get you so far. You will still need a plan, know how and when to use 5pointers, hooks etc. This will not automatically make great modelers out of newbies... the challenges of patch modeling are still right there.

Good catch. Fixed it, thanks Rodney!

That sounds like a great idea, but UNfortunately- I think it defies how this feature works. From MY limited exposure, I have noticed that the 'Snap to Surface' tool- which is the underlying new mode behind the 'retopology' feature, only works in a PROJECTION manner... meaning- whatever surface lies behind the point(or group of points) to be applied as retopologized data, from your immediate POINT OF VIEW- will be where the points will be reassigned to. With this in mind, it is hard to see it working in a cylindrical manner. HOWEVER, I have not tested your idea yet. COULD WORK! but I doubt it.

No doubt. This feature should prove to be the biggest modeling innovation to A:M since the distortion mode (or add your own fav) If properly promoted, it could add to both sales and userbase- as A:M is now officially bridged to the polygonal software packages. This will become the answer to many peoples problems.

On closer look, it appears my 1st suspicion is right. This may just be a limitation of the feature. So, denser/higher polycount models will work better... OR if you have a polygon editor app you could open the poly model and delete the backside of the head and this should then work just fine.

It's entirely up to the 'one'... that would be a main object of such tool, I am just showing other features available to it. The grid method might be more suitable to mechanical modellers, like if you were doing the fender of a car, hood, or entire vehicle. Here is the screen-cap of the problem I am having... perhaps I will submit this to A:MReports.

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40992&hl= Hey Russ- I made a quick 'illustrated' guide that will show you a little more about the new 'SNAP TO SURFACE' tool.

But I do see there is some further work to be done to the tool. As I make the mesh denser and retry the 'Apply Group To Surface' feature, I notice it gets confused as to WHICH surface I mean, and about half the CPs place themselves at the BACKSIDE of the head. COULD BE the normals in the POLY model need to be checked to see if they are all facing outward... could be that A:M simply looks for the closest poly intersection in Z space, and finds a lot along the backside of the head. I see it would be useful to have a polygonal editor available when working with this tool, possibly.

AND, as I further play... I see I can delete my CP's and make a grid and apply it (via projection) to the surface as well! The denser the mesh, the better the results!

Now as I look into the model, I see only my splines- I can play a little 'connect-the-dots' and get my A:M patches! THIS TOOL IS GREAT!

As I draw- I can see the resulting splines closely laid upon the polygonal surface! JUST WHAT WE ASKED FOR!

Now it's time to start modeling! I make sure that the new 'SNAP TO SURFACE' button is ON, and click ADD CP and start laying splines.

Next, I made a new model- dragged it onto the choreography in the PWS, and locked the other items. I switched from Chor mode to Modeling Mode (F5) This will conclude the prep-work... I am ready to start modeling!

SO- Here is the polyonal model in the chor as a prop. I centered it on the XYZ grid and sized it up a little, and deleted the ground. I see the teeth are separate and off to the side, it would be nice delete them for this demo- but will save that for another app another day.

Next, I booted-up my V17alpha2. Thanks to A:M for letting me be a tester on this, I will post bugs- but haven't found many yet. Initially I made a mistake, and made a new model and tried to import the model into it. It bogged at 20% and I reread Fuchurs instructions and realized I needed to import the poly model as a prop DIRECTLY into the choreography, as shown.

Hey Gang, I finally got a chance to try out the new V17 Retopology Tool, and I think it is pretty well thought feature. Kudos to Steffen! I know at this time V17 is in alpha and a lot of people don't have access, but will eventually and here is my 'illustrated' guide to getting the tool up and running. I started with Fuchurs useful instructions from the V17 thread: 1.) Import a Prop (for instance an OBJ) into the chor-window. 2.) Create an empty model in the PWS and drag and drop it into the chor too. 3.) Good practice is to make everything but the empty model in the chor unpickable. 4.) Now select the model and go to the modeling-mode in the chor. 5.) Click on "Add Spline" and activate "Snap to Surface". > Now you are ready to go. Here is my journey down that road, with notes: FIRST OF ALL, I needed a polygonal model so I went to TurboSquid, signed up, and browsed their free models. I wanted an OBJ but ended-up with a 3DS, didn't matter. Here is the link to the model I grabbed: http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/polygo...head-3ds/265937

Hey thanks... it's a job where I was going to do a 'multi-plane' zoom back in AE with AE's clumsy 3D camera... and decided, 'what if--- I do it in A:M instead- then I could apply the artwork to actual 'spherical' hillsides and get some extra added dimension to it...' it is looking good in MY opinion... but will be a surprise to my client, so anything could happen. ON THE GOOD SIDE, it is a 'full HD' job at 1920X1080, and the provided artwork is HUGE, and A:M V17 is handling the task sans-hiccup!

SWEET! Dig the new 'animate warning' indicator! This will save a LOT of grief!

I have found that you can also delete all the mocap keyframes and capture a new sequence ... but 'save as' is a good practice.

Jason- are you using Mr. Bones software?

GREAT technical animation... but I really like the 'monster' boogie-woogie soundtrack!

Turn off the 'Make Xwing Forcefield' feature... it's located near the 'Make Dragon' button.

COOL! Is that using A:M Track? GREAT TEST! (next time---longer!) the only thing... it kinda seems to me that the sound is coming a little early to the lip-action.

Very likeable!