Gerry

I just noticed a few minutes ago that if I click on the page with the .wmv it will launch in a Mac version of Windows Media Player in a separate window. Not what I was expecting but it plays. It's not Flip4Mac though. I do have that installed somewhere I think. But isn't that for playing .wmv's in QT?

Thanks everyone! I am making one tweak, my boss thought the snail was a little too in-your-face and wants me to tone it down a bit. I'm going to, but I've also added links so folks can view the animations from 2007 and 2006. So if you stop back you can view the earlier ones, but they're in .wmv format so I don't think Mac users can view them. Just yesterday I downloaded and installed a .wmv Mac plugin, but I'm still not able to view them at home. Anyone know anything about this?

The way that object rotates when he picks it up is a little sudden and mechanical. I wasn't able to view the previous version.

There are also spheres in the library. Open up the library and drag one into a model window. Then be sure to click "embed all" under the project menu! And welcome to the forums!

Stick a fork in this baby, it's DONE! http://www.visualexllc.com/vlexholiday2008/2008Holiday.html Gerry

Hey, that's great fun so far! Your progress is amazing, great work and fun characters. I wanna see that spider scurry up the the title sign!

Nice!

Do a search for skylight rig. Someone posted a link to it just a couple of weeks ago so I could download but I don't recall what forum it might have been in. But I think that's definitely the kind of lighting you're looking for. Oh, and for lightening elements in a scene, don't use glow. turn on the ambience a little, maybe 20%, and it will lighten the model very nicely.

Make it bigger!

Danf, another good general pointer to keep in mind, especially when you're doing a lot of "save as"s with chors or models, is to periodically click "Embed all" under the Project menu. This is also important if you bring in a model from the libraries, because if you don't embed it in the prj, any changes you make will be to the library copy as well. I think. I could be wrong. But I've gotten into the habit of clicking "Embed all" a couple of times a day. It's sort of like rubbing a lucky horseshoe.

In the past I've found it necessary to rename the chor (or model) outside AM, or make a copy of the saved chor/mdl. Otherwise any changes you make in the prj will also be made to the chor even if you've saved it out. Danf, these things can get frustrating, believe me I know! Just have patience when they happen, and you'll never make the same mistake again once you've been through it.

How many passes are you rendering at?

When I saw the first color scheme I was tempted to say make it grayer, then saw the second one. But maybe a darker grey with a slight bluish/purplish tint for a bit more depth to the color. Nice start overall though! The vulture has a lot of character, and a FAT vulture speaks volumes!

Well, she IS wearing shoes!

EDIT: I took this link down.

Depending on the action and the nature of the scene, another option is that you can place as many cameras in a chor as you like. Once they're in there, you can cycle through them by just tapping the "1" key on the keypad. That's a good approach if, say, you want a closeup of a character's walking feet in the middle of a scene.

thank you gentlemen. John, as you can see I'm making good use of your snowflakes!

EDIT: I've taken this link down.

Because it's magic?

Nice tutorial Robert. I've bookmarked it.

Mark, here's a thread in the Newbies forum about Booleans. Might help you understand the options a little better. http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33429

Hey, that's some big news! I thought both objects needed to be closed. Mark, if you haven't worked with them before, you'll come to love booleans, they're a great tool.

I would also recommend that you subscribe to the Creative Cow newsletter if you haven't already. Lots of good AE tutes! You can learn a ton from them. Just looking at the one that came yesterday, there are these featured video tutes: Creating the "Sin City" look; Smoking Letters; Sci-fi Hologram in AE; Making Design Elements Grow. And it text tutorials: Making Lights Disappear Behind Objects and Reappear with Expressions; Morphing in After Effects.

that's a really impressive first outing! Sure, some rough edges but you took on a very involved project and actually finished it. That's huge!

Mark, I think you've hit on a perfectly acceptable solution under the circumstances. My only comment is that the ship seems to be heading "downhill" at the end of that shot. You may also be able to create an animated mask in AE to refine the waterline on the boat.