oakchas

Help! This is getting funky. I'm trying to model this case. I've tried porcelain to smooth it... with a .2% setting on the normal weight in the attributes surface (I've tried going up to 100% and places in between, and that's worse)... I'm still getting kinks. I've tried other methods of modeling it and the compound curves are killing me, no matter what I do. It looked better in older versions (like 11.1 t)... but v 12's seem worse. I think it's me... but so much of it has come out good, I can't quit... any suggestions out there? I've tried Jin's (Waheed's) method... I've tried Rodger Reynold's. I know I can do this, I've done such things before... Here are some pics so you can see what I'm getting. I don't really want to post the project 'cause I wont't learn much if somebody fixes it for me, but I really would like some suggestions... I've messed with the magnitude on the splines causing the kinks... I'v even messed with alpha and gamma... I'm stumped. this is the chor shot [attachmentid=16322] this is the shaded from the modeling window [attachmentid=16323] this is the shaded wire from modeling window. [attachmentid=16325] Thanks for your suggestions

very nice... Wow! hope I can do as well some day.

also known as an angel's (or God's) thumbprint.

very nice! Hard to imagine bags with human attributes... but well done! (however, she's not my type!)

If I'm not mistaken... David is covering more of the features that are available in the newer versions since 2002. Like the ones I list below. If you haven't upgraded yet, you're missing out on some fantastic stuff. 12 has great Radiosity... 13 has AO and more collaboration features, Sweeper (Duplicator wizard on steroids).. and just generally good stuff. 13 is the year of stability, too. Martin prolly won't send me a commision check, since I don't work for him. I agree with you about David's book... I'm waiting for it to leave the publisher (which may already be).

all very nice models! I like the tub, but I like the blocks of wood it's sitting on better.

Look forward to seeing the tutorial, and thank you for the rest of the information... So, after measuring, you offset cps by placing them in XYZ space, or just use the roto and place by "look and feel"?

Jin, Don't quit! The forum has been a bit slow lately.. not as many posts... Spring has sprung and all that... I am looking at your elegant, low patch modeling for another type of mechanical drawing that has many compound curves like your cars... So please, keep posting... everything we share here can benefit many others even if unrelated to your topic.

Absolutely Very Nice! I'd really like to see tutorials on your methodology... For example: Did you work from CAD drawings? Did you convert from another format into A:M? Did you use mechanical dimensions (placing CP's at XYZ coordinates)? On the cut out disc brake rotor on the dual disc setup, how did you get the outline of the disc to show? I'd like love to use A:M in exactly this type of drawing for a different avocation/hobby. Making plans and assembly instructions... using A:M for not only the illustrations but perhaps even animating the assembly. Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing! Hope your answer to Martin is yes!

okay, why can't I play the .swf file? I have Dl'd the latest flash player... but windows still does not recognize the file? It's me, I know it is... but, help?

ooooh, YES! curl them fingers in! whoa! MR. Nasty!

A very "zen" office! I really like the concept! I have to agree with Yves, (in your animation it really stands out) It looks as though it's about to rain... just a shower, mind you... but has a slightly gloomy look as though there are storm clouds behind the camera.

I like the render more than the sketch. I think you might leave him all white (or bone colored) to make the exoskeleton look more "skeletal," with "meaty bits" (musculature and tendons) showing at the joints. Kind of like the opposite of the cute little "mouth" puppy.

Russel, I guess my complaint about the eyes is the non-roundness of the pupils. And their asymmetry. I understand that pupils and irises are not perfectly round... but I would like to see the character's right eye match his left a bit closer, as the left pupil does not look so irregular. Also, to me, the blue feathers look like painted brushstrokes done in PS rather than modeled. That said, you are doing a much better job than I could on this... I am enjoying the progression, and the fact that you are working (doing workarounds to bring the concept to fruition) with a somewhat limited hardware platform...

BRAVO!

I'd like to see more refinement in the eyes of the model... and there's something about the color combo... but I gotta say I really am impressed with this whole project... I hope I can do as well some day.. Interesting that the CG talkers aren't picking up on the A:M references... They seem to think you're working with polys. Keep up the great work. Between this type of work, and the TWO movie... A:M will get more notice. It's all good!

Zach... You SUK! Now, before you get offended, you have to realize that on other forums, when one posts "gloats" (over new tools/toys acquired, or a beautiful project completed)... that is generally the answer given... and indicates the jealousy of the respondent who wishes he were as good/fortunate... So, to reiterate, YOU SUK... BIGTIME!

Paul, This may seem a bit of stretch... but I noticed that occasionally in A:M, my keyboard shortcuts weren't working. I have a wireless mouse and keyboard. The keyboard is on a sliding shelf under the desktop, while the mouse is on the desktop. The reciever for these units is on the base under the flat panel monitor. The culprit for me? My mouse hand and pad were just enough more interference that the reciever wasn't getting the key inputs... new batteries solved the problem after moving the mouse pad and my offending meaty maw of a hand wasn't enough. If you don't have the luxury of these wonderful battery operated gizmos... then that ain't it... But, If you do (and if I were paid by the word) we would both be happy!

What Robert said (Especially about using The art of Animation Master {AKA TAO A:M} which is the book of tutorials that came with the software) PLUS... A good bunch of tutorials on how to use Rotoscopes can befound here: http://www.colins-loft.net/CoopPreview.html These are based on a human... but the techniques are the same. You need pictures of side views and front and rear, as well as the top. These are loaded in the corresponding views in A:M, and you build your splinage around them by tracing. And that is the easiest way for you to do it. And also, the first link given by Robert is particularly great brcause you can use the body lines to trace from... that's a very nice resouce for you.

Yep, I'm way early with this one, so there isn't much to crit now... I'm starting on the case (under the cover where the strikers come out and around the dustplate for the keys). The compound curves are killin' me. No, I had a guy take pics of all sides and angles of one for accurate rotos, but this other pic was high enough res for me to read all the keys... there weren't any or {}\| back then And I'd forgotten that most simply had commas above and below on one key, same with period. I didn't think the letters were indented any? is that what you mean? Like the W would actually be engraved into the surface of the key? I do have the circular indentation around the letters on the keys. I'll double check that... and I think I'd have to use ver 13's displacement to do that. I'm going to add the lip around the striker hole, as I did around all the key holes and where the bottom of the striker cover meets the top of the case. Thanks for lookin', guys.. now, I'm back to splinin! Here's an update.... and a wire [attachmentid=15545][attachmentid=15546]

Okay! The guys at Hash Inc. saved my model... but I was in the process of rebuilding anyway. So, here's the progress so far. [attachmentid=15509][attachmentid=15510] 1. The lighting's not right... But I've got to relearn a bit with the switch to v 12 from 11... apparently the lights are brighter now (the render doesn't indicate that until the render is complete and you click in the screen, then it gets washed out. 2. Decaling is accurate and maybe a bit much (higher res than needed). 3. I haven't aged it yet... this is what it looked like new. I've got a roto (but not from this angle) included here as a reference to compare against... (Heck, many of you, having never seen a typewriter, may wonder where the "windows" key is ) Any suggestions at this point? Especially about the lighting?... I'll post updates in this thread as time goes by.

Colin, He's looking great!... I assume the areas you are going to fix have to do with the bicep ring and the "watchband" seam? The bicep ring always bothered me... I mean it's sorta triangular shaped so that it follow the curvature along the side of the bicep, and that seems normal. But what keeps it there? This is just a thought but shouldn't it compress the skin, just a bit, at the bicep and maybe the back of the arm? I notice that the geometry of the ring goes through the skin in this posed render, and I'm assuming that's wone of the things you're fixing... but don't fix it too much... something's gotta hold it in place on the arm. Don't know how to do that, but I'm sure you can figure out a way.

I like the original... I think the top used in the original was like one of those that you wrapped a string around and launched by hand... However, I think the top should have jumped when it hit a groove in the floor (the seam between two boards). And, I think it should have bumped into the walls in the corner. I would like the original to have a feeling of conflict ... Is it just chance that it bumped into those blocks just right, or does the top have a mind of its own? To me that (mystery, unknown) would have been more entertaining. Going the way you are proceeding means that you believe the top is sentient... Knows what it's doing. I like that, too. It's just that the possibility that anybodys' top might have a mind of its own is appealing. Now, given your change in the top... these are hollow tin. There will be a bit of tinny echo when it hits something. In the original, the sound of the top is identical to the sound of the block falling. The sound of the top hitting the floor needs to be "sharper" (it has a point to spin on) and heavier (it must have more mass than the block to affect it so). Since the block has a flat side which it lands on, it needs a bit more muffled hit... this is tiny... but it displaces air when it approaches the floor (kind of a whump instead of a thump) The new top is bigger, and though hollow probably has more weight than the blocks. However because it is taller, the top will strike the blocks on its underside... this could make for some interesing gyrations. I really liked the original... I thought it the most believable of the bunch... Not that animation has to be believable... well... that's another topic... Carry on! I look forward to the update!

Hmmm, is it pickable? must be spring...

Yes it is. Look for more info in the Radiosity forum.