robcat2075

ambience is a surface property of a model or a "group" in a model. Check the Help menu for more info on that. This is where a link to the tut would be helpful. And indication of where he says that.

If you want the shadow as a separate file you can use "shadow buffers". As noted you will need some geometry in the scene to catch it. in the shadow options for that geom set it to "shadows only" and enable "alpha" and "shadow buffer" in the render options. you will get a file that looks black, but the alpha channel will have the image of the shadow. For compositing. You will need to render twice. Once for the ball. Once for the shadow.

This list will show all models currently in the PRJ, even ones that have just been created and not saved to a file yet. An unsaved model will have a default name like "model 1" but it will be in that list. I prefer dragging the model from the PWS into the chor, but then you have to explain what a PWS is, where it is, where the objects folder is...

could you give a link to it and point to the steps that you are having trouble with?

Welcome to A:M! One of many ways.... right click in the chor window>import this will show "other" and then a list of models currently loaded. pick from that list. If you want a model that you haven't loaded yet, choose other and it will open a dir window to browse for the model you want.

perhaps the muhair shader is just too shiny for old-person gray hair.

The 2008 rig is fine but it won't be easier to install than what is already in Jeff Lew's models. Just don't drag the arm bones. If you do , hit ctrl-z and undo it. Rotate the arm bones. Don't drag them. Just rotate them. Select the bone. Just click on it. Calm down, don't move your mouse while you're clicking on it. just click on it. then hit r to turn on the rotate manipulator. Use the manipulator rings to rotate the bone. Don't drag the arm bones.

Are you trying to get the shadow of the ball or the underside of it that is darker than the topside?

What is your refresh rate? on the PC it's continuously reported in the lower-left corner. Jeff Lew did speed up his vids to show his process faster, but by "paging down" appropriately you ought to get at least 8fps which more than responsive enough for posing. What are you getting?

You should make an AMReport of this, showing the different results you get with different versions of A:M.

That's a very promising first time out!

the hair just seems way too bright for gray hair.

You can constrain objects to the camera, just like you can constrain bones to each other. A "translate to" and "orient like" constraint will make an object stay with the camera

I've tried 3 time to get it to play but it doesn't. If you post a quicktime you might get some notes.

What are you rendering to? The only Quicktime codec that can hold an alpha channel is "Animation". The codec is set in the "compression " settings. (Avoid "Animation" for all other purposes, however. It makes huge files.) Targas can also hold an alpha channel. I don't use FCP, but I know After Effects can ignore an alpha channel if the import settings are not right/

I should also note that if you just want to get your character rigged with a good rig, look into one of the ones on the Rigging subforum such as Squetch, TSM2, 2008, "lite"... All of those have the essential rigging challenges already solved for you and are more robust than my Simplest IK leg. But if you're just experimenting to learn more about it, that's fine too.

An Euler constraint will set minimum and maximum rotation limits on each axis on a bone . However such a constraint isn't used on an elbow in most rigs as the constraints that enable controlling the arm prevent an elbow from bending backwards anyway. In other words, no matter where you place an IK hand the rig always aims the elbow in the right direction. My "Simplest IK Leg" vid show the concept for a knee. If your Arm is an FK arm you just pay attention to which way you're bending the arm. But if you need to limit rotation of a bone, Euler constraints will do that for you.

She probably won't be back to school until Tuesday, after MLK day.

I did that in V13. I also tried using the transparency on the ends of the hair but it gave them all a dark tip rather than make them fade out, so instead I tapered the thickness to 0.01 (0 isn't possible) Here's the PRJ of my test. frame 00:13 is a good frame. See what you get. haritest02B.zip

yes. just at the start. The rendered inset shows the transparency effect softening the roots.

Eager to hear your discoveries!

I have one suggestion on the hair... if you make the root of the hair do a quick transition from transparent to the intended hair color, it has less of the abrupt doll-hair look. On the bumps I have no idea, but would any of the bump alternatives like normal maps or displacement possibly give a better result with SSS?

Here's one that someone gave me a while back. It's been a long time but I think the .trb files need to be installed in A:M (dont' ask me where) for the material to work. camo.zip

Exercise 16, "Smoke, Wind and Fire" in TaoA:M Just take out the fire.

I may be completely off base here so take this as a guess. As far as I know this is now accomplished by Multipass. This is not the same thing. The option I referenced is intended to NOT anti-alias edges. It's not about creating a result that does the same thing as anti-aliasing. It is intended to leave them jaggy so that there is none of the halo-producing transparency that you would normally get when you use a single color key as a basis for transparency in a GIF.. I found it. It is accomplished now with the "Alias Edges" post effect.