Ramón López

Well, thak you for your answer, I have been looking for that Expression solution over the forum but (although I have learned a lot of other things meantime ) I have not been able to find it... I have found (instead) THIS curiously "similar" post form 2004 but nothing more related to this Toon and Expression issue, I'll treat to study now some After Effects expression with which I modified the layers opacity based on the camera distance to see what can I make sense of it, anyway any info related with all this it'll be very welcomed cause, unfortunately, I don't know so much about Expressioning into A:M... BYE!

Hello, I'm treating to render in Toon mode and I think I have put all the correct setting in the Rendering Options, Camera, and Model Surface Properties, so Lines are showed in renders but I have some Scale Compensation problem or something like that, cause when the camera moves near or far of the model, it seems like if the Toon line always maintain his... same width??? So when the camera is near, the lines show very "thin" and when the camera is far the line is very "thick", and... How can be possible??? Well, as I say I must be missing something cause it's simply not possible get a decent/coherent line all the time in this way, so... HELP! And thanks

...oOops! It seems I talked too much soon... Well, it seems that "Frame" feature only works to me in the realtime preview cause when I treat to export it I get the same video as I still has, I mean, no time changes ...And I'm experimenting some visualization problems (totally white videos, i.e) and exceptions playing with the time of my *.mov's... Well, as I said I'll continue experimenting to see what more I can get but it seems like if the the first steps be resulting a little bugy... hmmm... maybe the problem could be that I'm using video files intead images? But... I shouldn't be a problem for an NLE feature, isn't??? Well, I'll try to play with some image sequence to see the difference and can get some conclusions... BYE!

Ey! Thank you for the replies , and yeah I was trying to import *.mov files but finally it seems that all could be due to codec issues cause I have REcompressed right now one of that videos and it seems to works fine, I must to make more tests to be totally sure cause is a bit rare that all that videos failed in the same way but at least I've been able to play with this new GREAT feature and I only can say one thing... I LOVE THAT Frame* OPTION!!! :D * That which it's possible to Re-time the videos in that lovely way...

HI! Now that I have my v15.0 Subscription , it seems that I have found new energies (or I think so...) to continue with Animation:Master after some weeks of... rest? So (of course) the first thing I have wanted to try is that NLE posibilities but it seems that any video file I treat to import is consider as a static image, I mean, one frame... and I have tried with several video files and changing all that timing parameters into the Rotoscope property, so... I don't know if something is broke or if I am really missing something weird... but I remember that in some v15 Beta I was able to import a video file, drag it into a Camera placed in a Choreography and can play it with any problem... And well, as I like to be as sure as possible before Report something, I have a little question: some of you have been experimenting something like this in your v15.0 Web subscription versions? THANKS & GREETINGS!

...HELLOoO!!! I've tried it but that I don't know is if I'll have done it in the right way cause anything (including that GetTime() funtion) I've tried to add to that other Rand() one, finally directs me to the same "Missing a Right Parenthesis" or that other "Error syntax in the expression" advise, so well known for me... or as latelly, where I don't obtain any advise neither result... And well, it's clear that the real problem here is I'm limited to the "trial and error" technique cause I have not much information about all this functions nature and his combination ways... I have found some examples where that GetTime() is used and I've tried to take advantage of it in many ways, Transform.Translate.X = Rand(7*GetTime()), Transform.Translate.X = 5*(Rand(10/GetTime()))*100-50, Transform.Translate.X = 0.2*(Rand(7*GetTime())+Rand(13*GetTime()))), or whatever... without any other result but the error advises, no errors but no results, or in the best cases amplitude variations in the Graph movement but NEVER wavelength/velocity variations... So well, is there really some place where I can learn this kind of basic things about Expressions? I mean, how they must be exactly combined and how must I exactly use that "()" (and with what others) simbols in the right way? It'd be very nice cause in the A:M help I have a little description of the functions but nothing more... And well, THANK YOU very much for still be there and over all for the other one help! I think I'm going to study your proporsal carefully cause it seems really interesting and then I'll coment impressions , BYE!

Well, hello ...I've been searching and I asked this question too into another post without very luck for now but I think the reason could have been it has gone unnoticed there, so... I'll try new luck here. I'm treating to take advantage of Expressions in general for some automatic movement tasks and specially of that command called "Rand()" but I have a doubt about how could I modify his "temp", do you know how I could get more quick or slow variations with that Rand() value? I mean, I know I can vary the "Amplitude" in this way Rand()*100-50 (in example), but I can't figure how could I vary the "wavelength" to control the velocity with that random movements are generated... Hmmm, it'd be very usefull and I hope it makes sense, well THANKS in advance!!!

...Yeah! The tutorial seems to me like a "little" advanced in some aspects that I must study with more calm but I have been trying and definitely the blur effect was very accurate, other issue could be talking about the render times, but well, you don't get something for nothing... And well, another thing I'm thinking about all this is... what would do you think about something like a "Multiplier" into the Model options to can control how DOF afect to it? It won't involve the use of any pixel level/post effect and could be an easy and very quick way to can get more of less blurred objects in the scene without any inconvenient, isn't? And well, as we have seen it can result in to a very interesting uses and results... Only a though for now, but if you like it I could turn it into another one more "Feature Request" in seconds

And HERE is an interesting tutorial that I have just found when I was not really rearching for it yet , well... just in case someone still be interested, BYE!

Well, I'm still happy you be there in any case, thank you

Hello! Again... Well, finally I think I could be missing something cause it can't be possible, I mean, anything I try fails in one or another way... The fist way, you know, the explained in the first posts, where an Expressions were applyed to the Ease value of a Path Constrait in a bone to another one, never have works to me and it seemed to me the more simple and logic... And well, the second way I have been trying, treating to use a "New --> Propertie --> Percentage" in the Model to can "attach" the ease value of my Path Constrained Bones by Expression, only works until I close the project, then it seems that Expressions path have change and nothing works until I relink the Expresions one by one and so... Ufff... Although I must admit that in this last case could be my fault cause I know practically nothing about how that Percentage Properties must be exactly applyed, so I copuld be misunderstanding someting here, anyway... why could be the cause that it works first and not when I reopen the project?? Well, and what I wanted to do it's only to can control several Path Constrained bone positions changing the Ease value of one of them (cause I need a bone per point...) or if that can't be posible by a Percentage slider or something... but it seems that Contraints values ans Expresions can't work together or something weird... Really, I was treating to get it work by Expressions casue it seemed to me the most easy and quick way and can play with all the math posibilities at the same time is always an advantage, but I think I am wasting too much time with it and if someone have any other idea I'm all hears... And well, here I have "simulated" by other technique the kind of uses I'd like to do with such a solution: Several_PathConstrainedBones_Controller_001.zip And well, HERE is the that last version of the project that I prepared for the video, I wanted to attach the other versions (the real ones where the problem happend) but I have been overwriting and that is what I have now, oh... but even here, if you try to drag the Percentage Slide nothing will happen cause the Expression Path issue too, but well, although have not much to do with the other ways, I have preffered to uppload it just in case you want to take an eye... Well, THANK YOU for/if any help! PS: BTW (and talking about Expressions...) do you know how I could get more quick or slow variations with that Rand() value? I mean, I know I can vary the "Amplitude" in this way Rand()*100-50 (in example), but I can't figure how could I vary the "wavelength" to control the velocity with that random movements are generated... Hmmm, it'd be very usefull and I hope it makes sense , well THANKS too! And sorry for the long post... ... ConstraintToPathEase_Example_001.prj

Oh, I think this issue is really making me mad... I've tried all the possibilities (or I think so...) in my entire night without any results, well, or that is worst, I got some results but they were missed once I closed my projects and open again... like when, in example, I've tried to apply the Expresion to a "Percentaje Propertly" instead to the other Constraint Value and it seemed to work, well, at least until I closed the project and open again... then the Expressions are still there but something must be wrong in the path (or somewhere) cause nothing happen when I change the Percentaje of that "linked" Propertly and I returned to the first state... uf, what a mess, sorry if I can't explain it better but I'm too much tired now even to post an example, but you must believeme (hope I be wrong...) if I say something very strange is arround all this issue, I mean, treat to add an Expression to a simple Constraint value... Well, I'll continue testing in the evening but if some of you have some idea or correction it'd be very welcomed , THANKS!

Oh, Thank you! Jeje, heyvern made me curious about that cause I was not exactly sure what he was refering and now that I still know I really like it , it make me think there could be much more uses for a feature like this that I could imagine at first, and really it can look fantastic... Very inspiring!

Well THANK YOU again!!!

Of course! ConstrainEaseValue_ExpressionErrorExample.zip As you can see, I'm only treating to control the second bone "Constrain to Path" Ease value with the fist bone one, but I don't know what more I can do to avoid that persistent error... although I admit that is very probable I be making some basic mistake as in other similar occasions, or I hope so... Well, and THANKS for your interest!

And... I coudn't be more grateful! You seem to have one solution (or even several) for each problem, so THANKS to you and to heyvern for all that ideas and suggestions like that one in the physics case that I'll try as soon as I get more practice in that area... Ah, that I want to try as soon as possible is that random movement to see the results even with textures, I think there must be possible to apply some kind of expression (oh, that other great area...) that I remember have seen somewhere to simplify and make more interesting the process, hmmm... I think I'll continue testing in that direction rigth now, CIAO!

Well, although I love Expressions, it seems that always I try to take advantage of them something is going wrong, so I think the best thing I could do is treat to joint all my headaches in an only one theath, and... well, here in the first: In this case I wanted to resolve my pourpose by Relationships but for some reason it seems I can't add a Relationship to a Constrain value... So I'm treating to apply a simple Expresion from one value in a Constrained bone to another one in to another Constrained bone, I mean, one value is managed by another similar value, at first sight it seems nothing could be wrong, isn't? But as you can see here... ConstrainEaseValue_ExpressionError_01.zip ...is what I'm obtaining all the time, the "Syntax error in the expression" pop-up window so well known to me cause I don't know too much about Expressioning (yet), to be honest... I suspect that the problem could be related with that resultant Path ..|..|..|Bone1|Constrain to Path "Shortcut to Model1 / Spline #20".Ease but it's automatically tipped and as I can't see where could be the problem... could someone tell me what am I doing wrong this time? Well, sorry and thank you very much in advance!

...Ehhhh!!! THANKS & Sorry! I wanted to post before but I couldn't avoid start to experiment with that exciting idea! Well I'm not totally sure about if this method could be applied in all the situations yet of if it could cause some problem in combination with other features (physics, in example...), but that I can ensure for now is that's incredibly cool!!! And well, I must do much more tests to see how it could be improved and can discover all the "hidden" possibilities! For now, I've been doing some simple test with Scale sub-frame changes treating to see what kind of results and "interact" level could be possible, well, the results are not totally "perfect" yet, and I don't really know what level of "perfection" can be achieved with this method but definitelly this seems to me like a very promissing starting point Test001_SolidBlurredBall.mov Test002_TexturedBlurredBall.mov Well, as you can see blurryness of the second one is not very "accurate" but I think better results can be possible with other "sub-motion" combinations, I neither know yet what results be possible with other "irregular" forms or shapes differents to a ball, you know, for scale reasons, but well I still must experiment with translation instead... ah! and HERE is the project just in case you want to experiment too and tell me if I'm really in the right way or not, meantime I'll continue investigating different situations and blurring possibilities , CIAO! ... BlurredModelTests_001.prj

Thanks for expose your ideas guys! I think I'll try that gradient one just in case, althought if finally I have to use composite for this (as I afraid...) well I'll do it, but I only wanted to be sure I used up completely all the other (possible) possibilities... It seems that all this was finally much more complicated that I could imagine at first and now I think to know why, althought (OTOH) I can't avoid to think too how cool could be can apply some kind Post Effect to a model or layer in the same way they can be added actually, in example, to a camera... you know, to get results directly and with the advantage of can make any change at any time with total liberty... And, for several reasons, I'm not asking for a feature like that in to A:M, but can't avoid to desire that could be possible in general , BYE!

Ey, THANK YOU hey! And yeah, all that have a lot of sense, and sometimes it seems like if I still be thinking in 2D terms, like in my Anime Studio days, you know ...it have been a long time with it and in some aspects like this one it seems difficult to change my whole mindset, so meantime I'm still missing features like can apply post effects to Models or CP groups for example... but I imagine things so "basic" like that in 2D terms can be difficult talking about 3D... Well, but as you say, it seems that in some or other way it must be possible to "fake" and I'll continue investigating about it treating to aboid (as far as possible) the layer inporting way for workflow reasons... And yeah, I was basically treating to get "out of focus" objects but independently of camera settings or their situation, something more like an own propertly to can exagerate or freely change that own "blury" over time without much sense, hmmm... have you seen that Woody Alen picture where Robin Williams plays that "out of focus" actor? Well, that could be the idea, but not epecifically applied to any project by now... Well, and thanks again for the help & example , regards!

Ohhh... I see... But is it normal so much complication for a simple (and so basic) blur/fuzzy effect??? Really it's so complicated get something like that into the same 3D application? I wonder, cause I don't really know... and if the answer is "yes", well, no problem () but I really hoped that I was missing something... Anyway thank you for the suggestion! ...Ah! And well, the... ...way seems to "simulate" the effect but I can't get exactly the spected results cause the edges have still like too much sharp, although it's and aproximation at least... so THANKS!!! And now I'll continue experimeting with this although any other suggestion it'll be welcomed as well

Hello, another newbie question ...Well, that's all, I've been looking for a surface option or a material with no luck... Do you know how could I add some blur to an object or a group of patches? There must be a way, isn't?? Well, I hope... THANKS!

...Ey! I missed that last one, THANK YOU too! Really mixing all that info I can get the soft shadows that I was looking for , now it seems I'll really need a little more power to can take advantage of all this...

Then... now is when I start to be really-really interested!!! You can't imagine how happy makes me know you are working on this kind of usefull solutions, and now... well, here you have another impatience and interested guy , so good luck with the project and thanks in advance for all that effort and hard work, BYE!

Ohhh... I can see it now... And it seems more like an Expression CP limitation than a bug, cause I can't see the way to acces to each axis separately, I mean, as opposed to bones there is no way (or I can't see it) to can use an expression called "Translate.X =" for CPs as you suggest , so if I decide to report it, finally it should be more like a Feature Request than a Bug Report and probably it'll never arrive... Again I'd love to be wrong, but now I'm almost sure that actually there is no way to get it... Anyway, THANKS to make me know! And, of course (and again), for all the other invaluable help