JHV
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Posts posted by JHV
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Here's the method that I'm using to create a sphere (and where the whole project goes bad)
1) File>New>Model (8 lathe cross sections)
2) Place CP at 0 and -5cm (5 cm diagonal)
3) Lathe
4) Delete top CP group
5) Select all CP's (ctrl-A)
6) Rotate 90°
7) Select half the CP's (5) on left side and copy (ctrl-C)
8) Select all CP's and delete
9) Paste half circle (5 CP's) into workspace
10) Move group 1px to left using arrow key
11) Select CP and lathe sphere (select bottom CP)
12) Draw bounding box around lower group of CP's (bottom 8 CP's)
13) Zoom in until corner boxes are visible
14) Select corner box and scale in X axis
15) When X axis approaches 250% - 300% CP's lose control
I am using Open GL and have nothing else running but A:M. This does NOT happen with the same technique/procedure in Ver. 10.5, nor did it happen in any of the previous ver.11.0 that I have used.
My system is a P4 1.5Ghz Running Windows 2000 Professional. 1 GB memory ATI 9600 card with latest drivers. I have nearly 1 TB of storage space on this machine.
Again, I have not experienced any of this in prior versions of A:M.
Reikster, I have not received the file that you sent. (My email is jhvdigital@hre.com)
I'd like to say that it's the forums that make A:M. The knowledgebase here and willingness to help is the best in the business.
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I did a complete fresh install of V11.0t and made sure that mirror mode was off (I've been bitten by that one before). Unfortunately, the problem persists. This is, as you can imagine, very disheartening as A:M has such great potential. I've battled all the instability issues that I've read others speak about and thought that I had pretty much solved most of them (Spontaneous crashing being the worst offender). This new problem,however, makes the program virtually unusable. If you can't manipulate CP's then the modeling process becomes irrelevant. I'm perfectly willing to accept operator error and occasional glitches in software, but having a major malfunction present itself after nothing more than an upgrade is totally unacceptable. I'm open to suggestions and hoping that this will be something that I can solve. I'm a little upset that I can't revert to a previous version (unless I'm not looking in the right place), as this particular problem was not apparent in v.11.0r
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I just installed the version 11t update and am having a real problem with manipulating the CP's in a model. If I create a sphere and lasso a group of CP's and try to stretch them (grab the top group of CPs and try to expand them in the X axis in order to extrude the top into a handle shape [think eyeball on a stalk]) The CPs will go completely out of control and fly off 1500cm or more. This has never happened with any of the previous versions that I've used. Needless to say, it's difficult to work with CPs that are unable to be controlled! I tried to constrain them in the X axis and that does'nt work either.
I went back to version 10.5 and the problem does'nt exist in that version. I'd be happy if I could install 11r again as that was fairly stable while 11t isn't for me. Is 11r still available, and if so, where?
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I've had to re-install A:M due to some issues that I was having. I did a clean install and everything seemed to go fine. However, when I attempt to launch the help files, I get an error message saying that help failed to launch. I've copied the CD files to my HD, and in the process of the re-install (when ver. 10.5 is initially installed) the help files will appear. It is only after installing ver. 11.0t+ that the help files seem to have disappeared. Am I forgetting something or do I ahve another problem?
Anyone else have this problem?
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John:
With the talent that you possess with A:M, learning MAYA won't be the horrible experience that you may be dreading. Yes, MAYA has a steep learning curve, but there is more than enough documentation and assist books out there to make the process less painful. The new version of MAYA has some interesting additions that specifically address the learning curve problems that are so well known wiht the program.
The other point is that diversification is always a good thing. YOU increase your currency with the addition of another skill set. You become more valuable to your employer as well as to yourself (and potential NEW employers) if you can jump from one program to another and deliver results.
The Fact that MAYA is "industry standard" has little to do with its ability to deliver a "better" product. Case in point is in the Video editing world. For years the only way you could get a job as an editor or assistant was if you knew AVID. AVID is STILL the "standard" although other programs are proving to be equally effective and "professional" if not actually surpassing AVID as an editing choice. FCP has huge potential and lots of stout bona fides. VEGAS 5.0 is an amazing tool and is being developed strongly by SONY (in addition to their XPRI NLE). Even Adobe is becoming a tool to be reconed with with Premier PRO. The problem is inertia. That which was, still is and there is a very strong resistance to changing methodologies even if the new technology surpasses the old.
Just remember that you can't be a one trick pony in the business. Learn as much as you can about everything that you can and you'll become an invaluable asset to anyone you work for or with.
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I guess my frustration stems from losing a model of a compelte Hi-Helix Supercharger compelte with animated internals (did I save it as a model....NO). When I selected the entire model and inadvertantly hit extrude AHHHHHHH! 10,000 additional splines....Oh well, it made an impression on me for sure. I'm usually more careful than that, but everyone gets bitten once in a while.
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8 seconds from the time I pasted the link in my browser until it began to play on my machine. PC 1.5GHZ P4 1GB ram Cable connection.
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IS there any way to default the undo to unlimited? This is possibly one of the most frustrating things I've found in A:M. It is just too easy to "forget" to set the undo and naturally, the minute that you do, you'll make a mistake and not catch it until you're 21 levels down (LOL). If you could just default it to unlimited, you would be assured that your ancient memory isn't trapped in the "#%!*#$@ I DID it AGAIN!" syndrome.
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I would say that in my experienc, the tarpcode plug ins that are indispensible would be Shine, 3D stroke, Starglow and maybe Particular is you want to do Explosions and particle effect quickly and effectively. Peder Norrby is a very savvy guy and builds really well thought out plug ins. If you have AE, you can do many of the same effects, it's just that the Trapcode plugs work seamlessly and more easily than the Adobe effects.
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So the window would be a separate model in itself?
Great Forum!
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Noticed the same thing. tga_0 is a blank file that will not display. tga_01 is fine.
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Looking for some ideas as to how to create light emanating from a window in a skyscraper. I'd like a soft glow effect where it appears as if the light is inside the building. It doesn't have to be very strong, jsut something more realistic than just white rectangles on a dark background.
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Looking at the last animation before the side view, I'm still not getting the sense of a "tunnel". This could be because of the shortness of the clip, but I think that the camera needs to be animated to travel "Through" the tunnel. I like the blue ball at the end of the tunnel, it's very organic looking, but the sides seem a little sparse.
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I regularly review software for a major industry site. My primary job/interest/focus is Digital Video and Video Production. In that, I use many different packages to implement various production requirements. Prior to discovering A:M, when an animation was needed, the project was either animated with various "High End" packages,outsourced to a professional animation house, or labored over in certain 2D packages that had basic animation capabilities. Since my discovery of A:M, most of the "High End" packages are gathering dust while the learning curve of A:M is being accelerated in house here at JHV Digital. I can tell you from my own experience, that you CANNOT spend your money more wisely than getting A:M and spending time here on the forums.
If you are coming from traditional backgrounds, you may find the A:M interface/workflow to be a little "odd". The manual that ships with the program is less of a manual and more of an exercise book. That said, there is extensive documentation on the CD that DOES cover many questions that will come up while using the program. Some of it is well hidden, but it IS there. Moreover, there is a huge base of user tutorials available here and on places like Sherwood's Forest and the A.R.M. Yes, some of the links are dead, but there is certainly enough material out there that is easily accessible for you to make the A:M experience seamless and enjoyable.
Bottom Line? BUY IT!
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Thanks Ken, Yes, the Big A was active. Pose didn't work, but Larry B's suggestion was just the ticket. Thank you Larry!
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Ken:
The Big A Icon? can you give me a hint as to where that is?
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I'm having a problem keyframing transparancy in a chor. I'd like to have the model be completely opaque at the beginning of the chor and slowly become more transparant in order to reveal inner workings. I can't seem to get the transparancy value of the model piece to accept a keyframe in the chor. The model is made from various components and it is only certain parts of the model that need to become transparant.
I'm going back up into the model from the chor and setting the transparancy value, but it isnt' translating into the chor.
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Very fluid. The muscle just behind the leg seems to grow disproportionally when he lowers his head. Now all he needs is a tiny set of arms.
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It's a real bonus John, to have someone be able to kickstart my brain! I'll have to pick yours a little more when I get started on those sprites. The way I have them now, they emit like a guy with a bad prostate!
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I had to cheat a little and get this animation done. It's a little rougher than I would have liked, but it still works for what it is. I did use the blobbies in the shutoff segment, and would have liked to use them in other places to describe the fuel flow direction. Even better would probably have been using sprites, but I'm still unclear on how to get them (sprites) to behave properly.
Thanks to Johnl3d for all his advice and guidance, and to everyone else who gave me tips.
http://hre.com/jhvdigital/videoclips/colorsystem.rm
Quicktime format;
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I had thought about using arrows to indicate fuel direction, but I think that if I can get the blobbies (or sprites) to work, it will look great.
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Thasnk John:
The problem I'm having is that the program will not allow me to bring the material into the action. Drag & Drop doesn't work. I can create a new action and bring in the fuel injection model which has the blobbie material applied to it, but I can't isolate the material in the timeline or action at all. I have the window set up as you illustrated, but stil no luck.
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I can't get the rate of emission to keyframe. I've tried in the chor, and by creating an action, but adjusting the rate of emission value seems to have no effect. What am I missing here?
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rate of emmision is the key
OK, so I adjust the rate of emmissions via key frames and I can turn them on or off correct?
Here's the animation (6 seconds) after being rendered last night and today.
http://hre.com/jhvdigital/videoclips/pumpblob2.avi (just under 2 mb)
CP Problem with 11t
in (2003-2004)
Posted
I'm going to install ver.11.1 and see if that will solve the problem. I've spent the last day or so tearing everything apart just to be sure that it's not a problem that I caused in some way. (the only thing that I did was to install 11.0t+ which just doesn't work for me.)
Thanks for the help, I'll report back if I have any luck or not.