oakchas
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Posts posted by oakchas
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T-Dogg, You're on!
This will allow us to use a alot of the features of A:M: Cookie cuts for the grille, bump maps, ooooh this could be fun!....
I'll move this roto over to the new thread in this topic. we could use some photos too, just as reference to get things right but the photos don't have to be roto views... this will work nicely.
I'll devote one hour a day to the work except when I'm off work(during those times real life projects interfere, and I have an odd schedule) but we'll "git 'er done."
It would be really nice if we could finish it in time for the mechanical contest, but let's not count on that... We'll just give it a good effort and finish it when we finish it.
This works for me, if you are sure of your commitment to the project!
Let's GO!
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user posted pix on Xtaz's tute are broke.. just a head's up...
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Rodger,
Thanks! I'll give that a go.
I haven't had much time of late... and I really would like to get this one down...
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Steve,
You are doing better than I could.
That said, will the wires here help?
Look at the spline efficiencies here! And, aren't they beautiful girls?
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Okay....
No rotos.
Whatcha got? What have you modeled in your other program? If it's all people, I'm gonna be in trouble deep!
But, if it's all you got, I'll try anyway, and we'll learn it together. My thinking here is that people, realistic people anyway, aren't all that easy to do. But, I think there are a lot of workarounds with A:M that we can use to make it happen. To say nothing of the plethora of tutes out there to work from.
And, when we're done, I think (hope) they'll look better than they did in your previous attempts (not because I'm a whiz at this by any stretch, but because two heads are better than one). And, if we do it out here in the open (in a single thread in this new users forum), we'll surely get commentary and advice from the real experts.
If it's not people, but animals, yikes! That can be tougher yet. No matter, it can be done.
Now, if you really want to learn to do something mechanical, we can do that instead.
So, pick an object (organic or mechanical) that you really wanna do.
I will place no limits on it except this: we must see it through to the end. Warning: In the end, you may hate the object... Not for the look of it, but for the work you put in it. It may seem a chore at times, you (or I) may want to quit. We will not quit on it 'til we are both satisfied that we have given 100% and it is the best we can do.
Some things are over done (like cars and spaceships, dragons and dinosaurs), but don't let that be your determiner.
Pick it, we'll do it.
Post your idea here, once you've decided what it is to be, we will start a new thread here in new users rather than WIP so that other newbies will see it.
Ball=your court... choose well, grashopper!
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I realize that A:M works best with genuine A:M spline models. I know that if I did manage to get a polymodel into A:M it would require a great deal of tweaking. Before I bought A:M I spent a lot of time trying to learn another program, and I would like to take some of my old models and "bring them over", so to speak.
I have had some difficulty with Mr. Walasek's (sp? from memory, probably wrong, apologies) DXF plugins, as well. But it was not really important enough for me to pusue further (tho I should).
That said, I understand that you worked hard to create other models in another program. And, I understand your desire not to lose that work.
Question:
Are these mechanical models, like cars or spaceships, something made of metal... or are they organic models, like people, animals, creatures, or plants.
Reason for question:
Modeling with splines (and the reulting patches) is so completely different from poly modeling in so many ways.
If you are really going to try to make A:M your 3D modeling, animating, and rendering program of choice, then it might be best if you "slip the chains" of poly modeling sooner rather than later.
A:M is really like "thinking outside the box" (a box is a polygon after all). But building with patches rather than polys allows you to make truly smooth surfaces (rather than faking them or averaging their surfaces as a poly program has to do).
So, building a box in A:M is simple: Make 6 flat patches. That's pretty similar to a poly program, no?
But wait! Make a sphere in A:M... oooh... Draw a curve and lathe it. 4-6 subdivisions, and it's smooth... How many subdivisions does it take to make a smooth sphere in a poly program? You may do it with as few as 4 or 6 as in A:M but the software will compute many more to make it appear smooth.
Tell you what.. I'm kinda renewing myself in my own A:M skills... So, load rotoscopic pix (top, side, front, back, bottom) of a mechanical model you made in your other program. Starting Tuesday, I'll try to help you model it in A:M... Only one thing.. We have to share the finished model files with the community. Oh, and one more thing, we gotta use V12, I haven't upgraded to 13 yet.
Think about it, and let me know here, Mr. Dogg. Heck, I'll even try to use the conversion plugins to bring it over... but we gotta do it "straight" in A:M as well. That way, we learn together and share the experience.
Fair enough?
Let me know.
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But really, with simple models like this especially in A:M, you are not "far from building" your own models...
Look at the TAO A:M booklet that came with the software... there is a tutorial in there on how to build a fighter plane... and there is a video of it >. About the middle of the page (exercise #10)
Now, the Zip file is 93 MB, so you might want to let your pc download it over night... or download the smaller chapters and work on it a little at a time... It's not as hard as you might think! And real planes tend to be "curvier" than "space ships" so real planes are harder to build...
Have fun... and give it a shot!
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Wow Greg, wish I had this connection at home.. loaded instantly here at work.. and continued to play thru without stopping to catch up!
Look forward to the synched sound.. It's really noticable for me in the alien song "mov" and the "building of" segments.
I think this is a T1 connection. BTW
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Here's the bump map that I used on a felt fedora (hat).
[attachmentid=17016]
right click, save target as...
hope it helps, though it may not be dense enough for the jacket. And the jacket may have a weave pattern that would be visible up close.
That said, if you're going to animate him, you won't really need this fine a texture, as he'll be moving all the time.
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Anyone know the settings for "High-Definition" rendering (ie. 1080, 2K, 4K)?
Standard/ pixel wXh/ FPS/ additional info
HDV 1080-50i/ 1440X1080/ 25 FPS/ PAL(interlaced?)
HDV 1080-60i/ 1440X1080/ 29.970 FPS/ NTSC (interlaced?)
HDV 720-25p/ 1280X720/ 25 FPS/ (PAL) progressive scan
HDV 720-30p/ 1280X720/ 29.970/ FPS (NTSC)progressive scan
That's the defaults on a video editing program I have for HD
HTH
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You could make a bump map in PS, and apply it as a decal of the "bump" type in the flyout in the properties of the decal in the PWS.
I assume the jacket is a felt like material? I have a bump from the fedora I modeled a while back I can upload it for you tomorrow if you like.
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You are doing great!
Ear lobes (or at least the lower ear attachment) are a little funky looking.
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Yes to bug shaken (not stirred)!
Still wish the screeches were higher pitched, bot otherwise sound/music is good.
One little crit.. you can't tell after the flashes if the bug has moved or not, but the first bug with screeching shows a bit of mo blur... and I would expect the bug to be still at that point.
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Greg,
It took 12 seconds for me for the cloth sim to open. As it started playing, it was stuttering so I pressed stop and waited a few minutes for it to load ahead. It then played fine.
It took 5 seconds for the "demo" demo to load the opening screen. it did not play right away, but after a few additional seconds, I started it by pressing the play button. it started playing, but stutteringly. so I waited for it to load more.
I'm on a 3.4 GHz Pentium 4, MS I.E explorer 6, Windows xp home sp 2, on slow DSL (256)
And Greg, I love how you can make running AM appear so easy! It really is like the magic you do! When you get behind the keyboard, magic happens!
Thanks for the vids!
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Dhar, I think you're right.
Final resolution being the resolution he will use in the contest looks like wide screen HDTV, or could be close to panavision. Where before the view was cropped a bit.
If I recall correctly, Russel was pushing his computer to its limits (memory wise) so rendering the final scene in layers, one layer at a time, is an economical way (memory wise) to render a scene, where it is composited (each layer merged into one in photshop or A:M s own compositor.
The grey background will be transparent. In the shadow pass, the darker than the background greys will be slightly less transparent than the mid grey background.
He could also have done a specularity pass, which would have had lighter shades of grey towards white, being less transparent and obscuring what was below with white specularity.
At least I think that's a fair explanation... not as good as what Yves would do... but passable (maybe)
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Okay,
I took the liberty of assembling some script fonts together.
The problem with script is that in many upper case fonts the Ls and Zs do look similar. Much has to do with the pen stroke.
As a calligrapher's nibbed pen is on the downstroke, it tends to make a broad stroke naturally, unless the nib is held at an angle (look at the difference between #1 and #5, where #1 has the nib held almost to the same angle as the diagonal stroke on the Z. In #5, the nib is perhaps a brush, but if it were not it would be held more parallel to the top and bottom edges of the paper).
In an "Old English" style of font, the Z's are made differently (example #2).
Another problem with upper case script is tying one letter to another. They are not meant to do that, and we have only contrived solutions like Ken's to tie them together with additional curls.
Legibility in a logo is very important, at least until the logo is commonly accepted as the icon for a product (3M is a fair example, though maybe not the best).
So, select what you think looks best from the styles shown, or stick with Will's, which is quite legible, fairly unique, and looks like it might easily be made of tin (besides which, selected by the GPB).
[attachmentid=16823]
My 2¢, not worth much here, just some thoughts to consider.
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Zaryin,
Yep, that might help. Kens still looks like an L with an added curlique.
Oh, and creative visions...
here's the link to where I copied your question:link
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Creative...
Here's a link I found on the ARM... linky, click me!
look in the tutorials section of Learning Animation Master for more.
Hope this helps... else post your graphic as I mentioned.. and tell us what you want to do with it.
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You asked:
I am a new user of A:M and I'm having trouble importing Illustrator files into A:M.
I have done this:
plugins>
wizard>
AI>
then browse to my file, adjust the settings, but nothing happens.
Can you guys give me a hand?
what are you trying to import into A:M? The AI wizard is mostly for importing AI vector files into A:M in order to make them 3D. It will extrude a shape created in AI, but it will not take an AI graphic that appears to be 3D and make it 3D... (if that makes any sense(
Post the graphic here as a jpg, and expand on what you want to do with it.
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Heiner: That looks more like OL to me than it did before. Sorry, just fact.
Creative visions...: try the new users forum. Repost the question there... I'm sure you'll get help... these guys are working on a movie.
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Well, i got part of it right! whooda thunk a pig squeal? Bat echo location.. cool, something else I wooden a thunk of! You did a lot of work on that SFX...
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Pretty close... on the voice... I don't have my editing software yet...
but I'm looking for a sound... Curtis, your's sounds like a (prey)bird call with machinegun fire clicks...
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Mike,
Overall, I really like what I've seen so far... looking (again) from a consumer/viewer standpoint. I dont' see anything that I can critique.
That is not to say anybody else is wrong... just that I don't have enough experience tearing stuff apart and searching for the little flaws that don't make it work.
And the cloak rigging... WOWOWW whew! that haddabe a lot of work! I really want to see that move! (I don't see enough of it in the animatic) I like the characters so far, and the toonline/anime style...
I hope I can do as well.
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Cory,
I agree with Ken, That should show in the HASH booth!
It looks great! I like the musculature/tendons showing at the joints (though they look a bit tubular rather than sinewy especially at the fingers)!
Sound would be "more greater!" I'm thinking something high pitched rather than low growl... Something like fingernails on a chalkboard; a screeching (makes you shiver) kind of sound... everybody hates that noise, and it sends chills to most folks where a sinister lion's growl-like sound is overused.
Man, I hope I can do as well when I start work on my monsters.
good GREAT stuff, keep it up!
BATMOBILE PROJECT
in Showcase
Posted
This topic will contain the modeling efforts of T-Dogg and oakchas on an old style Batmobile.
Basis for the project:
T-Dogg is new to A:M, having learned some 3D in another (ecch! polygons) program.
oakchas has used A:M off and on for years, but is trying to rebuild his skills.
We'll be doing this in ver 12 as Charlie (oakchas) hasn't yet upgraded to V 13
But, I will before this project is complete, so maybe we can light it using AO, and use some of the cooler new features in v13, too.
T-Dogg chose the subject, the vintage Batmobile.
So, let's get started.
Here's the roto that T-Dogg supplied:
[attachmentid=17111]
First thing I'm gonna do is make a new directory in my hard drive and label it Batmobile project. Then I'm gonna copy this pic to it. Then I'll split the graphic into equal sized views in a photo program to import into A:M.
All progress shots and details having to do with the creation of this model will be posted here.
T-Dogg don't forget... if you save the model in V13 I can't work on it... 12 is forward compatible, but 13 is not backward compatible!
And heeere we go!