Fishman

Looks like the old star field screen saver! Not being an expert in sprites(or space travel for that matter) I would suggest the following: 1) Use a smaller, brighter sprite or at least one with a brighter center 2) Decrease the frequency of the emitter (I think that is the right term). Unless you are flying into a globular cluster the density of stars would be less. 3) You are on the right track using the velocity of the sprites to give the illusion of speed. Good Luck! Scott

Despite the distance and the fact that this is the internet, consider this a back thump and "Good Job, FREEMAN!" I agree the the render quality is extraordinary. Any willingness to share tips and secrets with the masses? Scott

I loved it. Already downloaded and saved for repeat viewings and showing to friends. My favorite part is the shampoo bottle's mouth. I have no crits, I'll leave that to the experts. Most Excellent! Scott

When my wine glasses fall over they break! Looks good. I'm in no position to criticise, but I do have a question. Is there wine in the glass to start? It looks like there is, which would imply it would spill out. That would seem to me to be world class animation stuff and hardly expected for a first effort. If it is a wine glass that doesn't break or spill, then I want a set of those! Good work! Scott

Actually (due to being cheap) I will be receiving AM2003 (EBay) for Christmas. Still has me tingling with anticipation though. Winning the upgrade would be a fine birthday present (January) don't you think? Good luck to all entrants! Happy Holidays! Scott PS: I love my member number - 4321

Rodney, I would like to be eligble for the contest. I have a question. I am getting AM for Christmas, so I will be an owner shortly. I have posted before (Gumby and Pokey models done in AM98 Demo). Am I eligible? Counting the days till true splining. Scott (aka Fishman)

Being a complete newb, I will only add my asthetic comment. I like the front of his right shoulder and the back of his left shoulder. BTW, I have seen several mentions of the cogs shoulder rig. What is the history/meaning of cogs? Love the Tony model! Fishman

Glad to hear that the kids are safe. I think that your character will make it interesting for them. Keep up the good work. Will you be adding any comedic elements into your animation? Pratfalls, accidentally touching hot pipes, or the like? What a great use for AM. Be sure to post the finsihed product or at least some clips.

Not to be picky, but as I learned it in school, nuclear fission is the whole process as described below (I grabbed this out of an on-line encyclopedia). Nuclear fusion is a different process that (to my knowledge) hasn't been commercialized yet. If you are going to be teaching kids, please teach them the proper terminology. "In physics, fission is a nuclear process, meaning it occurs in the nucleus of an atom. Fission is when the nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei plus some by-products. These by-products include free neutrons and photons (usually gamma rays). Fission releases substantial amounts of energy (the strong nuclear force binding energy). Fission can be induced by several methods, including bombarding the nucleus of a fissionable atom with another particle of the correct energy. Usually the other particle is a free neutron moving at the right speed. This free neutron is absorbed by the nucleus, making the nucleus unstable (much like a grocer's pyramid of oranges becomes unstable if someone throws another orange at it at the right speed). The unstable nucleus will then split into two or more pieces. These pieces are known as fission products ..." Please don't take this as a flame, I'm just hoping that the information that you present is accurate so that if any kids go back and start quizzing their teachers they get consistent answers. Now back to the topic! The other comments here were quite instructive to me as a newbie animator as well.

It just hit me, you said he was used in nuclear fusion. Isn't it fission?

Ok, but remember, you asked for it! Your lip synching looks good. If your character will be moving around then I'm going to suggest arms and legs. If not arms and legs, then I would consider hands and feet (There are lots of characters out there with hands and feet not connected to the body). This way he can point at stuff and move around in a believable way. I think that the feet can be fairly generic and his hands can be the cartoon three or four finger type. I think the ARM has a fairly simple to follow tutorial for making a cartoon hand. I tried it and found it fairly easy to use. You could even grab a hand from one of the predone models and use that. If you want to go over the top you coiuld have him wear a hard hat and safety glasses, but I think that will cause him to lose his charm. Besides, he's the hazard! Final thought. I like him gray, but I'm wondering if he should glow. Maybe that would be too distracting.

Checked out your project website and the story seemed to be pretty good. I like the presentation in verse. Agree with the comments that the boots look better than the original feet. New monster textured reminds me of a potato! Not a criticism, just what it reminded me of when I first say it. Since he lives underground, maybe it makes sense that he looks like a potato. Could you post both characters side by side? I'm just curios how similar they look. You may want to have other characteristics other than the color and texture to differentiate them. Best way to tell would be to look at them side by side. Keep up the good work!

Pokey Render

Gumby Render

Here's Pokey

I first posted my Gumby model in the New Users Section, but I think this has become a Work in Progress. Here is Gumby! Comments and Criticisms appreciated. After I am happy with the model, I will begin Rigging

Looks good! I assume your charachter is a fuel pellet?

The thing that strikes me most about it is the stark difference in color. The colors in the picture are very subdued (due to the light) and the tower is a very bold red. The other is the scale seems off. Do some searching on Front Projection Mapping, I think that is the term for what you're trying to accomplish. Also, work on your lighting. The light in the picture is very subdued. It seems to be an overcast day based on the shadows (which are very soft.) Match the angle of the sun and perhaps go with a more stone color for the tower. Another angle to try to match is the camera focal length. If you know the focal length of the camera used to take the picture, then maybe that will help match the depth of field as well. Another thing I just noticed is the doorway. Does it have a door or is it open so that you can see inside? If you can see inside, then perhaps it should be dark in there. Disclaimer: Not the comments of an expert.