robcat2075

Lovely work, as always!

ah... DL-ing it now. thanks.

In no particular order, here are the entries, finished or in progress that I'm aware of so far... number got it mouseman (still rendering, that's ok) got it NancyGormezano(where's the final version?) got it JohnL3D got it dblhelix (still in progress) got it Gerry (still rendering) got it tbenefi33 (still in progress) got it wedgeeguy got it TheSpleen(where do I find the final files?) got'em thefreshestever wip? thejobe got it glenn (can i get all the frames in one zip?) got it me (still working) JohnBigBoote aka Matt Cambell (in progress?) got it fae_alba (in progress) got it is there anyone I've overlooked, missed, or forgotten or still working in secret?

something must be missing from the URL. I get a 404 error.

Look at this near the top. Lathe it with 8 cross section. domeCrossSection.mdl

lathe it and don't try to make the top CP exactly in the center. leave a tiny hole at the top.

If you're going to use refraction, model your dome so it has thickness like real glass would and not as a single surface.

You're probably correct but (full disclosure) all these renders are from v13. In 2009 when I tried opening my usual "outdoor sunny day" project in v15h, global illumination was not working as expected and since A:M is being supported by one programmer working for free in his spare time, give it a quick test in v16 if you're up to date on the subscription and see what happens . Or if you can post the test case I'll try it .

One more thing , Ralph... before you start explaining keyframe animation, watch my screencam tut on "Keyframing Options". I don't recommend you show it to your students to start with because it's a bit too much information, but beginners will almost certainly punch wrong buttons without realizing it and it's important for you to be on top of this so you can know why they are getting unexpected results and know there's a reason for it.

Roger, if you can make a test case, say, with just that one panel that shows the render problem in AO that would be a good AMReport thing.

What was the splining difference between the two sides? Or is the problem that there is no difference? Great looking beast.

This post has two video tuts. Modeling a simple missile and making it fly! http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=338964 (But don't skip the tutorials in your TAoA:M booklet )

I'll suggest this revision for quicker gratification and more logical flow: - make and save an object (something very simple like a lathed vase or a missile) I think it's more fun initially to model something yourself even if it's very simple Like this: QuickCGMissile.mov - make the object follow a path in a chor and save the chor QuckMissilePath.mov - how to pose a premade model (Actor) and use the pose sliders (If the model has the "Dynamic Pose", ignore that. It's a bad example of a pose slider) (stress using the (R )otate manipulator for turning bones, don't drag the tip) - how to work with keyframes and create a short keyframe animation (something simple like a character standing up from sitting on a box) - how to render an animation to create a movie (show them how to choose a codec so their movie isn't 50 megabytes) No, but you will want to show them how to save something so they can use things they made on a previous day.

explain that some more??

Short answer to this is "Yes", Ralph. Robcat, correct me if I'm wrong here. I think this is Ralph's main concern. In the past I've recommended "Embed all" as a general, overall good practice, but I've been corrected on this advice, and I think saving each element into a separate, user-created directory makes better sense. If i have a model loaded into my PRJ and then i alter the model, the model, the Objects folder and the PRJ get a star by their name to indicate there are unsaved alterations at this point. If then i do a PRJ Save or Save As, the altered model gets automatically saved over the old MDL file. The stars go away. If you don't want a future PRJ save to cause an overwrite of a loaded model, save the loaded model with a new name. This true of other assets you may load like actions or chors. This is fairly new behavior for A:M. PRJ saves didn't always force saves of its unembedded elements. I use PRJs with everything embedded when I'm developing something with some complex situation involving experiments in both the model and the chor. Like maybe I'm rigging a model and testing it with some odd lighting situation in a chor. By embedding both and saving PRJs incrementally I know when i go back to a previous PRJ version that a specific model version will be correctly paired up with a specific lighting situation I tested it with without having to locate and load multiple files. If either turns out to be a winner i can always save them out separately later. When we did "The Tinwoodman of Oz" most of the experimenting was done by the time we got to animating, so we just saved chors for our animation and let them handle loading the needed models.

May all your wings be dark!

A PRJ can either save actual assets (like models) or just file paths to them. It depends on whether the item is "embedded" -If you have a PRJ open and then start a model from scratch and then save the PRJ, the model will be saved as part of the PRJ (the model was embedded) -If you have a PRJ open and then start a model from scratch and then save the model and then save the PRJ, the model is still a separate MDL file and the PRJ you just saved contains a path to that file. (the model is not embedded) -Similarly...If you have a PRJ open and then import an existing model and then save the PRJ, the model is still a separate MDL file and the PRJ you just saved contains a path to that file. (the model is not embedded) -However... If you have a PRJ open and import a model, you can force it to be part of the PRJ by going to its properties panel and switching "Embedded" to ON. Now when you save the PRJ it will contain the model. The original MDL file you imported still exists on your drive, however. A PRJ can have any assets be embedded or not. You can tell if any model is embedded by looking at its icon in the Project Workplace>Objects folder. A tiny floppy disc icon appears on it if it is saved separately from the PRJ. Likewise for Materials, Actions, and Chors. Images and Sounds are never embedded. One more thing... When you load a chor it will automatically load (or prompt you to find) all assets it needs even if you haven't loaded them in the PRJ yet. This is convenient. And another thing... when you "Save" any asset it overwrites whatever was saved under that filename before. "Save as" allows you to choose different filename to avoid that. Save your work often under filenames with incrementing numbers and then if some disaster happens you can go back to some recent version and pick up from there.

try 'uncompressed" for the codec?

Interesting find. I guess it's a violation of the unwritten "four corners per CP" rule What if those edge patches were independent of the faces and only appeared to share splines with he face patches?

Yay! 8th graders using A:M! Get them while they are young! If you ever have questions, this forum is the place to ask. I've been using A:M for maybe 14 years and I don't think I've ever used the Library. It's an interesting ease-of-use idea but when it doesn't work it's quite complicated to figure out why.

He looks fab! Damn, those are short legs!

It semi-depends on where you drop it on the screen. If you drag the model from the Objects folder to the Chor in the PWS, its model bone should be placed at 0,0,0

What if he were dragging the steering wheel behind him so it had a clearer silhouette? Or rolling it in front of him like a hoop? (not easy)

In A:M, Motion blur is set as a percentage of the length of a frame. For the same percentage setting, Motion blur for 12 fps would be twice as big as for 24fps with "step 2".

I have no experience with the ed version but... You could test that by making an obvious alteration to a model on the server and see if the change is in the same named model when you load it on a student station. (Of course, you made a backup copy of this model before you changed it ) Or you could make a change on a student station ans see if that appears for anyone else. I'm going to guess that students do not all access the same location or they would be overwriting each other's work. If you on a models name in the Objects folder and do "Save As" you will get a stamdard Save dialog that shows the folder you are aimed at and investigating the path at the top should tell if it is local or reaching across the network. This adds a layer of uncertainty that I dont' know much about. I realize there are some tuts written that make explicit reference to the Library, but it really isn't necessary to use the Library to access any file for A:M. A:M can open and save files withe the same File>Open maneuvers that other programs do. Aside from the File menu you can on the Objects folder (in the PWS) to navigate to and import models, You can on the Images folder to import images, and so on for chors and just about any other asset that woudl appear in a folder in the PWS. You can on and "Save As" any asset that appears in the PWS also. I realize that may require a bit more PC smarts and focus than some 8th graders have, which may be why there's a Library, but standard computer folder navigation works in A:M.