T-Dogg

Yes, that was the concept! However, I didn't have a perfect circle. What I did was model 3 basic building shapes... then I started putting copies of them together in a row. I scaled the heights on some and flipped some on the x-axis to try to make it look like there were more buildings than I had actually modelled. Then I selected the whole row and used duplicator. I ended up with a large pentagon shaped group. After that, I used the magnet tool and started distorting the buildings to give it that screwy look and again to make it look like they weren't all alike. I rotated the group in an action. Then I slapped a single 4 point patch in the middle that remained stationary. This was originally done just to hide the backs of the rotating buildings from the camera. It became even more useful though when I came up with the idea to decal the Bat-signal onto it. Hahaha! You're definitely right, Dhar! There are a lot of potholes, and I think even an occasional speed bump!!! All those superhero battles in Gotham definitely give the road crews job security! The original animation looked somewhat dead, so I went into the timeline and started slapping keyframes onto the Batmobile's y-axis translation. After that, I had to go back and put a translate constraint on Batman because I hadn't done it earlier!!! Using Paintshop Pro I experimented with some filters to create some different effects. There were 399 frames of animation, but PSP's batch processing worked like a champ. I ended up with a Black&White version, a sketch version, and a couple of others. I know I am probably doing a lot of things wrong in my processes, but I am still learning as I go. So any pointers you guys can give me on modelling, and animation as well, is always appreciated.

I needed a break from modelling, so I gave in to the urge to make some kind of animation using my Batmobile model even though it is still in an unfinished state. So I played around some and came up with a short looping animation of a night drive through Gotham City. I used the "Caped Wonder" model I got off the Hash ftp as my driver. I give thanks to whoever created and shared it. The animation is HERE for the time being. It's a 10MB Quicktime movie file using the .h264 codec. I probably should have added the theme song again and some car noises, but since it was just a quick bit of playing around, it has no sound. The buildings might look somewhat distorted. There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.... Wait a minute, that's the wrong show!!! Actually, I distorted things on purpose trying to convey some sense of the strangeness that is Gotham City. If the style looks somewhat hodgepodge, it's because I used ideas from the comic books, the TV show and even Hanna-Barbera cartoons... all thrown together in a 13 second loop. I hope you will like it. Maybe after I finish the car model I'll return to this project and add in some sounds and work in a few of my other ideas to give it a more finished look... but who knows?

Thanks Rodney! Things haven't been going as quickly as they first were, but I am still plugging along. I need to update my HA:MR file with the newer model. I actually need to play around more with webHA:MR and learn how to really use it. It's a great way to show off a WIP and let other modellers see exactly what you're doing, but we all know it has a lot more potential than that. I need to really tap into it so I can do something with it once I finish this model.

A few hours ago I decided to scrap those generic-looking rims and start modelling some slightly more detailed ones from scratch. I also finally got around to modelling the bat emblems. I am pretty happy with the way these tires turned out. [attachmentid=22099] Here's how they look on the car. [attachmentid=22100] It's really starting to shape up now, but there is still so much left to do. Sometimes I wonder if I might have bitten off more than I can chew with this project. But at times like this, when I feel like I've made some progress, it makes me feel proud and helps keep me going for at least a little while longer... until I start getting frustrated again. :-) I am going to try to finish the body and chasis and then get to work on the interior.

After a bit more tweaking.... [attachmentid=22096] Still not perfect, but better, I think.

I started working on the tires. I still need to add the bat emblems, but this is what I have so far. [attachmentid=22066] I admit, they aren't very detailed, but I think they look OK.

I finally have a small update to post. I reworked the windshield some. Then I copied it, flipped it, and reshaped it to make the rear window. [attachmentid=21892]

Yeah! Then you can convert it for space travel and do an A:M version of "Star Blazers"! I loved that show as a kid... still do.

The mascot contest is over and I am trying to go back and fix a lot of the mistakes I made on this character: My Losing Mascot Entry HERE is a short quicktime file. It uses the h264 codec, so you'll probably need the newest version of QT to view it. I need to add some bones to help with forearm rotation. I also need to do more with the hair and eyebrows. They just don't look right being flat when his coat is so furry. On the other hand, I might remove the fur and try toon rendering him. I may or may not go back and try to model the face differently. I've also been fixing the fur. In my rush to make the deadline, I forgot to tweak a lot of the hair settings. I've also been trying to fix the scenery and figure out why the ice hole area doesn't render correctly. Somehow I messed it up and now it eats up all of my RAM and I get an error every time I try to render the full scene. Hopefully after all is said and done, I'll be left with a finished character that I can really be proud of. I'll also have a lot more knowledge that I can use on my future characters.

I found Worley.trb here: Yves' Worley.trb I haven't located the other ones. The ice material seems to work without them anyway. Thanks markeh! I'll definitely try those settings out. They look similar to what I had tried to copy from 3D World. The settings they listed were: Duffuse Color: White or pale blue-grey Diffuse Strength: 100% Glossiness: 85% Specular Color: Lighter than diffuse color Specular Strength: 100% Multiple Specularity Through Opacity: Off Ambient Color: Dark blue-grey Ambient Strength: 53% Opacity Strength: 35% Reflection Color: Lighter than Diffuse colour, darker than Specularity; alternatively, use an image Reflection Strength: 30% Refraction color: White or light grey Refraction Strength: -100% Refraction Index: 1.309 Lighting Model: Glossy (Plastic) Remember, those settings were for a different program, but some of them were the same in A:M. Other times I kinda guessed. For several settings I didn't have a clue so I just ignored them. What I came up with looked sort of similar to the ice material that was listed on Black Mage's link, except mine seemed brighter. I hadn't touched the specular size or density though, so I'm going to use your settings.

Thank you so much Balck Mage! I am definitely going to give it a try.... as soon as I finish downloading all these wonderful materials. That's a great link! EDIT - I noticed the website says this: The following textures and turbulences are necessary in order to use these materials: * Worley.trb (par Yves Poissant) * AMC_Crackle.trb (Enhance A:M) * AM_fBm.atx (Enhance A:M) Unfortunately, all the links are broken. Are these files still available? If so, where can I find them?

Can someone please tell me some good surface properties to create ice. I have been experimenting on my own, but I can't get it to look right. I was trying to adapt the ice settings in the current issue of 3D World magazine from Daz Studio to A:M, but I got confused because some of the D|S settings are named differently than the A:M settings. I decided it might be best to just ask people who specialize in A:M what settings they use. So I am asking... What settings do you use? Any help would be gratley appreciated. Thanks!

I just did a quick check. That model is indeed a v13 model. It won't open at all in v12.0w but does open in v13.0j. Sorry.

I wish I knew, Jeetman! Hopefully all is well with him. I have a question for those of you who have viewed my HA:MR file. Currently my winshield has 2 surfaces for the glass. Would it be better to just have one? I wanted to give it a little thickness, and I also read somewhere that glass models should have 2 surfaces to get better reflection or refraction or something..... but when I turn on transparency for my glass as I have in the newest HA:MR version (I think transparency is set around 65%), I get wierd patterns in the glass.

Me too, friend. Me too.

I'm basically just modelling right now and not really doing too much with the other settings, so it's probably not set to be transparent. I'll try to remember to change that next time I update it. So far I've really only added some of the red stripes as the mood has hit me. Thank you so much for the kind words! It helps keep me going on this project when I feel myself getting pulled in so many different directions.

Thanks for the info, robcat! I had actually used this before, but my scene only had one object in it at the time, so I thought it was pretty much just opening that object up in it's regular modelling window. Now I have tried it again and I see that it is much more powerful than I had realized. It actually opens up the entire scene in a modelling window, no matter how many objects are in it. This is just what I was hoping for!

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that modelling can be done in A:M's choreography window. Is this really possible? I've tried but all my CPs always end up disappearing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I posted an updated version on my website. Hopefully it is working now.

I solved my issues with HA:MR. It should load properly now with no errors.

Thanks, Homeslice! Yes, it is just a partial model right now with no interior or wheels. Even on the standalone HA:MR viewer the model opens in a very strange view. You can click on orthogonal view and it will work fine even if you go back and click on perspective view afterwards. I'll send Ken a copy of my model and see what he can figure out.

I've only had A:M for about 6 months, myself. I'm still not very good at it, but I feel like I'm improving a lot. I completely agree with what the other posts say about starting a WIP thread. I've learned so much from other modellers looking at my work and giving me advice. The folks on here are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, so be sure and take full advantage of their expertise! I get discouraged sometimes too, or I find myself in a rut that I don't know how to get out of. At times it feels like I am running into a brick wall and as soon as I finally break through it, I hit another one. What helps me is that I am working on a couple of different projects right now. When I get frustrated with one, I switch to the other. I've found I also do better when I listen to music while I work. (Remember, once A:M starts you can take out the CD and put in any other CD you like.) Hang in there and don't give up. We're all in this together!

Here's just a tiny update. Really it's also a bit of experimentation, as well. Instead of posting pictures like I usually do, I thought I'd try to use Hash's new HA:MR plugin so you superior modellers could actually look at my model in full 3D and give me some good advice on how to improve things. Here's the link: Batmobile HA:MR Test Please let me know if this works for you, because I have had ZERO luck using the plugin myself where other people say it works great. As always, thanks for your time and assistance.

You guys are right! It's not really half a bubble, but it is certainly more convex than what I have modelled so far. Here's a picture: [attachmentid=20370] My main concern at the moment is getting the frame to fit onto the body. Then I will fix the glass and hopefully make it look right.

In between working on my entry for the next Hash contest and the rest of life's adventures, I am still trying to find time to work on this project. I finished modelling the front windshield. I took artistic license with the rotoscopes, but once I tried to put it onto the car body I realized that my license had been revoked! So now I am in the process of making it fit properly. It's coming along nicely though, I think. Here's a picture of how it's going so far... I even remembered to turn on perspective mode this time, too : [attachmentid=20345] It's just a matter of bringing the sides out some and lining them up right. Once I get the front finished, I am hoping I can just copy it and flip it for the back. I know the back windshield is longer, but it shouldn't be too hard to reshape it.