zandoriastudios

New model of Tar, I think that the character is really starting to feel 'right'. It feels good to be back-to-work in A:M

I'm glad they invented the Huey (keeps me from thinking about it...)

Photoshop?

I studied Aikido for 5 years!--I thought I would slip some in

Yeah--the shield is really like a little buckler. And I think the language for this might just be "RAARRRRGH!!!" (kindof translates as "get him!"). The subtle thing [that I don't know if it will come across] in the boards, but maybe it will in the film: To the viewer, and the bandits, the vultures are symbols of Death (for Tar)--but when the fight is over and the vultures descend on the bandits, it is a little twist of fate: The vultures maybe just follow Tar because he is their meal ticket! ....Death follows him.

Storyboards, Scene 1 http://wp.me/pjM7W-4j If anyone wants to leave feedback on these opening scene storyboards, that would be cool and helpful (where the drawings are crude, keep in mind that it only has to serve as a visual note for me, since I am doing it all)....

If sprites won't work, how about just an Layer object of a film clip of real flames?

Found a different .EXR plugin that would let me make an alpha in the .exr:

yep, 127 I tried another experiment, this time doing black and white and a series of grays between 126-129 (still using an alpha, so I can see the undisplaced surface), this time a targa: But still the middle squares displace the surface.... I don't understand I tried Robert's EXR, but to save with an alpha I had to reduce the bit depth...you can see that the 127 gray area still displaced the surface. but the 32 bit EXR behaved properly (but the color 127 is unchanged)!

the transparency is to help me see the undisplaced surface, next to the gray spot...

that WAS what the numbers gave me! Are you positive that your surface isn't being depressed slightly? I am doing a test with a 149 and 128 dot on a transparent .png, should see NO displacement (one one of them)...I will edit this post in a moment [Edit] Here is the dots shown as a color map 128 As Displacement 149 As Displacement It seems to me that either the 128 or the 140 should have shown no displacement...But obviously that is not what is happening. Thoughts?

I see that Photoshop gives me 149 as the number for 50%gray 0 for 100%black and 255 for 100%white. But why is that the case??? ( I always thought that 128 was the middle value)

Darktree Textures are like that (and it has a node interface), and those materials (simbiont) work in A:M

This is one of those things that went off my radar a few years ago.... I'm working on the Tar of Zandoria stuff exclusively now (not even accepting any comissions), so I don't know when/if I will get back around to this.... I did suggest it to Lee in another thread where (i thought) he was looking for ideas for a short...Ken already made a troll. If you make a fairy, then it is really just one set and some props, and ready to go... What about it Lee?, do you want to direct/produce this? it already has concept art and storyboards

I hope not...Each little section/scene seems like it will only be a few minutes..maybe 20 minutes for the whole episode? [i guess it might start to get out of hand...]

More sketches: http://wp.me/pjM7W-47

Very nice modeling! Good tip on hooking into the 5 point, and it looks smooth.

http://zandoria.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/monkey-wizard/

Are you going to upload them to AM:Films?

I uploaded some .movs, but they aren't playing any sound after conversion....

I use BULB lights for the skydome.

FYI: when using multipass, AM jitters the the light position between the passes based on the WIDTH property of the light. This feature happened after the era of Yves' skylights or John's Skycast, so you may not be aware of how it changes things: Try this: a simple 9 light skydome with bulb lights with multipass--You would expect to see the overlapping shadows with so few lights (and that used to be true), But with multipass the jittered positions of the lights create the same effect as you would get by adding additional lights to the skylight rig (equal to the actual lights x the number of passes!).

More Hyenas....Ninja Hyenas!!!

It's hard to believe that I've been off of the grid so long! The "lost worlds" thread had some neat stuff in it--not lost, but I definately am leaning in a more cartoony direction now... I still have more sketches to develop the look, then I will start modeling (and re-modeling...) the things that I need for the story. no need for a special forum...I am going to blog my work-in-progress.

Hyenas: Tar encounters these guys as he comes out of the desert. They have already ambushed a caravan and made-off with the chicks [for nefarious purposes to be revealed later]. Tar will meet the caravan survivors right after this fight...