Simon Edmondson

Robert Thank you. They were improvised to test the space and webcam setup a couple of months ago and a friend has recorded a 'ska' version of the music to animate to. Swan Lake is no longer in copyright ( I hope !) and it will be fun ( I doubly hope ) to get clothes pegs doing ballet or attempts thereof. I might go even greyer in the process too... regards simon

David and Robert Thank you for your replies and examples, I shall follow them up this evening. I'm trying to develop a big project that will take most of next year or more to do and will need to use Excel to keep it under control. The Ex sheets were to be used in that and in future AM work. As I've barely used it ( once five years ago ) finding out how to use it for the ex sheets seemed a good intro to learning a bit about it? If it was possible to do in Excel, rather than on paper, that seemed a better, tidier way to do it ? The immediate use for the ex sheets is for a stop frame idea using clothing pegs, to animate them against a music track. The idea was to analyse the track, and go through on the sheets marking where the beats fall and the sections start and finish, then start to work out the moves appropriate to that, noting them along the way. I guess that could be done in AM but the computer used for the stop frame doesn't have AM on it. I also need to get more organised and do less improvising ! Pegs_.mov This was a test from a few weeks back with the sound added afterwards. A friend has recorded a fresh, guitar based, version of the same music and that is what will be animated to. I hope... regards simon

Thank you for your reply. I tried google and youtube, as you suggest, and found several sources. I was particularly interested in doing it using Excel as, I need to learn how to use that for a developing project and ,if done that way, it might prevent me shredding paper ( and hair ) in the process ? regards simon

I have no experience of using full exposure sheets, but begin to feel that I should be using them. I have been trying to follow an article on AWN about setting up a spreadsheet in Exell to make an exposure sheet template. Only slightly more experience of spread sheets, mean that its proving awkward. A few questions if I may, Can anyone kindly point me to a resource on how to use x sheets and how to set up and use them in exell ? I will be using it with AM but the immediate use is for a Stop frame project as a means of getting familiar with the process. regards simon

Mark Thank you for your reply and the info. I shall follow it up later. Its mainly the 64bit AM that I'd be interested in using but theres some stop frame software that is of interest too. regards simon

Mark Pardon my ignorance but, is Parallels a native Mac program, I've never heard of it before? I moved over to Apple with the advent of Vista but, like you, there are some aspects of AM I would like to use under windows. regards simon

Robert Thank you once again for your reply and helpful observations. Much appreciated. I think the problem with the walk (?) is because I had used linear as the interpolation setting for the foot controllers ar regular point to try and avoid foot slippage. I've redone the walk today ( anything to avoid housework ) and hope it has addressed that problem. I confess to not seeing it clearly at the moment and need to come back to it refreshed later. I went back into her falling off the swing and made the bump down more sudden and will post that later. This is a clearer version of the walk. regards simon Ray_Walk.mov Still avoiding the domestic duties, here's a render of Winona's movements, with revised bump down, Winona.mov

I think this is the final version of this brief. I may do another swing brief when returned from holiday. Any critical feedback welcome. If the dialogue gets done, it will be She "So " ? He "It's over..." regards simon Swings.mov

Today's revisions. This is a side view rather than the original camera angle because the movements are more apparent in it. Following Mark's suggestions the last chain and seat movements have been modified. ( did spot some seat /mesh penetration, just as the render finished, and that has now been corrected - honest ! ). Ray's walk away has been completely redone although there's not a lot of it in this camera view. I will render the original view so the differences are more apparent. Any critical feedback welcome regards simon Just noticed Didn't frame burn this one. Apologies. View One. Noticed hand misplacings, Damn !!! View_One.mov Swing_One.mov

Mark Thank you for your reply and feedback. I had wondered about that. Originally it was even bigger, as were the second and third 'hits' when it swung back. Will scale it back again later today. regards simon

Revised version of Winona swinging. No curve changes on the figure, only on the swing. Not happy with the final chain movements but still working out how to do that. Will have to redo the hand placements too as the curve changes have altered the positions they were pointing to. Hey ho ! simon Swing_One.mov

Nancy Thank you for your reply. I didn't know you could do that in QT? Will have a look later. the default gives the second and I used to count on from there using the curser keys. The swinging files were only done adjusting the curves on the central pivot point, so I didn't get bogged down chasing all the other parameters. Having got a slightly better idea of whats involved I will try to adjust the curves in the original today then get onto the walking figure. There was some secondary movement in the chains on the original but it may not have been apparent from that camera angle. This is a side view of that with a head turn added at the beginning. Haven't recorded it yet but the dialogue may be, "So. What ... '? "It's over." regards simon Swing_One.mov

Mark Thank you for your help. I tried your suggestion and it worked. Here is the file with the frame numbers on. swinging4.mov Normally I render to single frames myself, as it can be a bit aggravating if a power cut happens or something else intervenes on a log render. Because these were only taking 10 mins or less it seemed a worthy short cut... regards simon

Mark and Rodney Thank you for your help. I think I must be misunderstanding because the problem is still occurring? This is a composite of the settings used. I wondered if it might be because Mark rendered to TGA files rather than mov ? So tried that and it seemed to render the sequence but without the frame count in the top corner. It rendered the name of the sequence but did not change the count of the frames as they went through. Which is what I was expecting. Its set to smtp in the tools might that be a factor ? I will try that again . regards simon

After encouragement from Robert, Mark and Rodney, and watching Robert's video, thought it best to have a go at editing curves. This is the starting point, using the spacing suggestions in the Richard Williams book. No editing of the curves swinging_001.mov This is the second. Same motion but with keyframes deleted and keys shifted in the graph for a smother curve shape. No editing of the bias handles. swinging_002.mov This is the third Same motion and key positions as two but the curve shapes have been edited with the bias handles. swinging_003.mov This is the fourth Only three key positions,. The two extremes and the mid position. The curves were edited with the bias handles swinging_004.mov This is the project if anyone wants to play with it ? Swinging.prj Its taken me a while to get used to the X,Y,Z coordinates but, what is the rotation around W that appears in the graph editor, white line ? regards simon

Something that helped me (with the curve editor as well as many other things) is learning to setup and test simple projects first. Isolation is the key to reducing complexity/variation; 'Eat that elephant one bite at a time, don't try to swallow it whole'. It is considerably more difficult to analyze a curve editor full of lots of things moving than it is one solitary object. Then through testing of each variable one at a time (or in simple combinations) it is easier to interpret the results. I believe Robert hit upon this element of isolation in his video. Rodney Thank you for your reply. I haven't had a chance to look at it properly tonight as I'm trying to set up a new computer and co ordinate the cables so it doesn't look like a wrestling nest of vipers... I thought what I might try is to just use the swing and start with the main pivot then work out to the other links in the bones chain ? The vipers are a bit calmer now so, I'll get onto it tomorrow. regards simon

Mark Thank you for your suggestions. I shall follow them up this evening. I find the curve editor a bit daunting, in the same way I found using a text editor to look at at prj file daunting.There is so much information and its not clear what it all relates to. Robert made a tutorial on that which helped so I will have a go at the curves. too. I have the Jeff Lew DVD and he deals with curves on that, its finding the time to watch and digest that's the problem. I've got to get the house sorted out before going on holiday next week, although that could just be me making excuses ! regards Simon

Robert Thank you again for your help. I will try to address the curves over the next couple of days. I've been putting it off a bit to be honest because not sure which curve to edit and the effect it has. Have started to use linear interpolation on the foot controllers at strategic points to avoid slippage but, will have to bite the bullet now. The idea was partly in response to Rodney's comment about two figures moving in opposition. He dumps her, she slows down as she reacts, then falls forward onto her hands in sadness, overbalances and slips off, as he walks away. Have added a couple of head turns towards each other since that render, but will try to sort that after having a bash at the curves later today. regards simon

This weeks brief, still in progress. Just spotted the framing error in top right corner for a start ! The detail on Winona's ( blue figure ) face is yet to arrive and the hands on the swing section of Ray ( red figure ) still need adjusting .This is mainly concerned with timing and movement. Any critical feedback very welcome. simon swing.mov

I read "The castle" when I was at College, as a friend pointed out that the TV series " The Prisoner" was partly based on it. Read 'Metamorphoses' some years later and got on with it much more.( possibly reached the age when 'ready' for it !). We live in times Kafka would readily recognise but thats a debate for another time and place. Are you going to have any other figures in the setting or is it alone in its environment ? regards simon

Robert Thank you once again.I'm downloading the two files now. Will have to look at them tomorrow as I've got to get a few things done before sleep. Thank you. regards simon

Tore That is a terrific set of images. Love the textures, lighting and staging . great work. simon

I would make a video out of it so you and other people could see what to look for and what to fix. If you could send me the problem version and the last version that didn't have the problem that would help make hunting easier. Make it a PRJ with the models embedded. Robert Thank you for your help once more. Here is the project file saved with all the relevant bits embedded, a bit embarrassing as it still in progress. The version of the chor marked T2J is the most recent and was done after the version with the wayward bone relationship, "Seesaw Jump T2G". Its on the RB 17 figure and the right foot controller has become a child of the right elbow FK. There are other problems but they are down to operator error rather than a bug in the interface. regards simon _Wayward.prj