[Missing Fundamentals Here????]

Maybe this will help me with some of the other questions I have been posting...

 

I am trying to just take a character (i.e. KeeKat) and lifting the right arm at frame 5 and the left arm at frame 10. I do not want the left arm to lift until after the right arm is done (frame 5). However, the left arm begins lifting at frame 0. I have tried to nudge the left arm at frame 5 (by the way, you can only nudge with the mouse cursor...moving by arrow buttons on the keyboard doesn't make it recognized as being moved) to set it in the same position as frame 0 but that doesn't seem to work.

 

I have done several of the tutorials but it seems that I may be missing some basics here.

 

If someone could just guide me through these basic steps, it would be very helpful.

 

Thank you.

[Copying and Pasting Keyframes]

If you have the "key model" "key skeletal rotations" and "key skeletal translations" buttons depressed it should work for ya.

 

Yep, those are all pressed as well as the "key constraints" and "key pose" buttons.

[Copying and Pasting Keyframes]

I am struggling quite a bit with the door stuck project. To begin with, the help file isn't doing much good. I am having a hard time looking things up. For example, if you put the word keyframe in the search for the index, there is not an entry for keyframe Kind of surprising when that is so fundamental to the program.

 

Anyway, my plan was to create Shaggy turning the knob back and forth and pulling back, which I did. These are represented on frames 0:00, 0:05, and 0:10 respectively. Then I would copy keyframe 0:00 and paste it at frame 0:15, copy keyframe 0:05 and paste it at 0:20 and copy keyframe 0:10 and paste it at 0:25 so that he would repeat the action. I thought it would save me a bunch of time but it doesn't seem to work. The first copy seems to work (0:00 to 0: 15) but the other two don't. It seems that the hands on the knobs don't move the right way for some reason (they barely move and the arms twist up). I know there is certain buttons that probably need to be clicked in the bottom toolbar but I am not sure which ones and I can't find any documentation on it (either online or in the help). I have tried a variety of settings and it hasn't worked.

 

I am pretty frustrated right now because this noob just can't seem to get any successes. I know the learning curve is steep and I am trying to be patient but with the little amount of time I get to spend with the software, I had really hoped that I could get more accomplished. I am a pretty skilled computer guy (obviously not with animation software)...I thought after watching the demos while I was waiting to receive the software, it was going to be a little easier than this.

 

Thanks for the help and listening to the "whine" of the day. Someday, I will be a great animator! Even if I am 50 years old (that's only 7 years away...ouch!)

[Do the Bones have Colors?]

In bones mode (bone icon), they have colors. But not in an action/chor in skeletal mode.....they should be gray there.

 

Thanks for clearing that up...I thought that was one of the problems with my nVidia card

[Do the Bones have Colors?]

I thought when viewing some tutorials that when I go to the skeletal mode, the bones should all be in different colors. When I load the door stuck tutorial on my machine, they are all the same color...gray???

 

I don't know if this this is a graphics card issue or a normal process...can someone please help me clear it up?

 

Thanks.

[Description of Button in Interface]

When resting over a button, it looks like a description of the button pops up for a fraction of a second in the status bar area (bottom left of the screen) and is then replaced with "For Help, Press F1".

 

Does anyone know how to make the description stay there so we can see what the button does?

 

Thanks.

[Post Order (Forum)]

Thanks...both methods work very well.

[Post Order (Forum)]

Hello,

 

Is there anyway for me to setup the forum so that when I click on a topic, the most recent response (post) comes up first instead of the initial response?

 

Right now, when I click on a topic, I have to go through all the pages (or click on the >> icon) to get to the end. With most forums, the last response pops up first.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Exercise 4: It's a Pitch]

Hello dave ,What is exactually the problem with your backround image?

If you can explain more we/someone may be able to help!

 

Jay

I would like to just be able to paste an image as a background, such as the stars, or a gallery or something. I am not sure where or how to do this (using an image that isn't in the library already).

 

Thanks.

[Exercise 4: It's a Pitch]

There is power in the Alpha Channel!

 

Rodney

I have been able to get the result I was looking for by using an alpha channel...took a little experimenting

 

I still need to investigate the background issue to see if I can do all the work I am planning entirely in A:M or I may to use other programs as well to get it done.

 

I amk just trying to do a "proof of concept" right now to make sure I am going in the right direction. Obviously my biggest challenge is going to be learning A:M and creating the characters with the right movements and lip sync...think it will be a while yet!

 

Here is a quick example of exporting with the alpha channel and using it in another program.

 

EDIT: OK, for some reason my file won't upload...

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Dave

[Exercise 4: It's a Pitch]

Hello KurryKid,Welcome to A:M.I think you are going to have a blast using this software.

I have only been using A:M since december 05(Christmas present to myself).I had a quick flirtation with a 3d

program called blender 3d before using A:m but never really warmed to it.As to your question about adding backrounds,you will find a brief snippet in Exercise 2:Chorus line which will give you the basics of adding a backround for your models,a stage in this instance.As for adding other models to other scenes when you do them all i can say is experiment.You will find great things on your librarys in the cd also check out other areas in the forums and again Experiment.

If you get stuck just shout! theyre are a great bunch of guy's and gal's here in the community who are only to willing to help you.

 

Jay

 

I can see how you can add something that exists like a stage that is already predefined. I am interested in how you add your own images / backgrounds. It doesn't look like you can just "import" an image. There must be a process you have to do to get it "ready" for the software.

 

I also want to be able to add a "green screen" behind the character so I can import it into another program and replace the background. This just needs to be a single color swatch for the background. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks for all the comments...I am really looking forward to getting up and running with A:M.

 

Dave

[Exercise 4: It's a Pitch]

Very nice Jason.

You are a force to be reckoned with.

What you put together for Exercise 4 is one of those scenes that makes me want to see more of the story... what going on? Who is he? Where is he?

 

I like! Great job!

The glowing is an especially nice touch.

 

Nice baseball diamond too!

 

I am just beginning but I want to learn how to add in backgrounds...at what point in the tutorials do we get to learn how to do that?

 

Great job Jason...how long have you been using A:M?

[Render Help]

Must of been something I had changed in one of my files...I am able to render today.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Render Help]

Does anyone have a tutorial or any other kind of help for rendering (to file)? Granted, I have only been using A:M for 1 day but I can't seem to get any of my rendering to work. It seems pretty straight-forward but for some reason if I render a tga file, it just comes out completely white with nothing on it. If I render a movie (i.e. Quicktime), it is just pure black.

 

There must be something I'm not doing right.

 

Thanks.

 

Make sure you are not rendering with fog enabled in your otions.

Also make sure you are looking through the camera you want to view your scene from, before you render to file.

David

 

Thanks for the comments...I have checked both of those options and they are OK. I can render a tutorial (from the CD), it just won't render after I do a tutorial and try to render it.

[Render Help]

Does anyone have a tutorial or any other kind of help for rendering (to file)? Granted, I have only been using A:M for 1 day but I can't seem to get any of my rendering to work. It seems pretty straight-forward but for some reason if I render a tga file, it just comes out completely white with nothing on it. If I render a movie (i.e. Quicktime), it is just pure black.

 

There must be something I'm not doing right.

 

Thanks.

[Licensing Question]

You can install it anywhere you wish, but in order to start the program you'll need the CD in there. Once the program is started you can take the CD out.

 

You need the CD to start the program EVERYTIME? I haven't seen that before...that's going to get irritating really fast

 

I am anxiously awaiting the program...I ordered it yesterday with next day shipping. However, unfortunately for me, the 4th of July is probably going to delay it for me. I was hoping they were open today at least so they could get it in the mail.

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

Dave

[Licensing Question]

Does anyone one know if Animation:Master allows you to install it on both a laptop and desktop? Most applications allow this nowadays...I just wondered if Hash was following the trend?

 

Thanks.

 

Dave