Roger
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Posts posted by Roger
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No kidding, not sure how much they use per year but seems like 35 trillion gallons would hold them for a while.
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I read online somewhere that something like 35 trillion gallons of rain fell on Texas. Does not even seem possible for that much ran to fall, too bad we can't pump some of that to California.
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Hello all,
I'm looking at getting a new keyboard, and I've narrowed it down to 2 similar models, one with numerical keypad and one without. I don't do a lot of number-crunching/spreadsheet stuff, but I've noticed when I do it is nice to have the numerical keypad.
I don't recall using it much with AM, but before I lock in my decision I want to make sure I'm not missing anything with regard to some super-productive modeling method (or other feature) that relies on the numerical keypad.
What is your opinion? Do you use the numerical keypad much with AM?
Thanks in advance,
Roger
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It looks like Microsoft has given up on Windows RT.
Both the Surface3 and the Surface 3 Pro are full Windows machines now. That is good.
I guess the primary difference is the the 3 has an Atom processor while the 3 Pro has i-series processors?
Yes, the non-pro is a little smaller screen-wise and has an Atom cpu. The Pro has an i-series CPU and has a 12.5" screen.
I had been looking at a Surface Pro but ended up getting a refurbished Helix as at the time, I was able to get the Helix for about 1/4 the price of a similarly specced Surface. My only beef with the Helix is I keep expecting the Windows button to work like the home button on an iPad (it doesn't, quite) and the power button is tricky to use to turn the device on and off due to size. The Helix also has the Wacom pen which has been fun to sketch with. If the Helix was a bit bigger (12.5" with edge-to-edge screen instead of the large bezel it has) it would be just about perfect. It is a little too narrow as is. It is not quite like looking at an 8.5x11" sheet, more like a 6.5x11.
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Sure, an insect is good too. Lots of potential there, since there are so many types. That would be fun.
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I would do a flower. I'm not sure my splining is up to snuff for a recognizable Thor.
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I went and saw the new Mad Max movie last night and I think they must have spent nearly every penny on the vehicles in the movie. Without spoiling anything, this is very much a reboot and not tied to the previous movies in any way, other than the basic setting. It was fairly simple plot-wise but the action and stunts were absolutely over-the-top. They didn't use any CG for any of the car stunts, everything was an actual physical car doing its thing. The only things I think might have been CG were some fire effects, possibly the dust storm (although I think the initial shot of it may have been done with a cloud tank, it is hard to say) and wire removal.
If you want an idea of the level of craziness: there is what appears to be some sort of modifed military vehicle with guys beating drums on the back of it, and a 12 foot high wall of speakers on the front with an elevated stage and some guy playing a flame-throwing guitar. Throw in a muscle car on tank treads and 2 '59 DeSotos that have been welded together and put on monster truck tires and you have examples of some of the more interesting vehicle mash-ups.
While you don't go to this type of movie for Shakespeare quality dialog, the characters are pretty fleshed-out and some of the more minor characters have interesting character arcs. Tom Hardy is a believable (if mostly silent) Max and Charlize Theron plays a mechanical-armed raider seeking to atone for her past.
I saw the 3D version but wasn't overly impressed by the use of 3D, so I don't think much would be lost seeing it in 2D. This is definitely the type of film that deserves to be seen in a larger format, though, such as IMAX.
All in all, I'd say it is worth a look. They left it open for further films, assuming it does well at the box office I'd say we haven't seen the last of Max Max.
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Speaking as an average AM user, Renderman is probably over my head (at least for now).
And I'd have to agree that Robcat is most likely correct for the reason people get frustrated with a given renderer.
Lots of people go with whatever the default setup is for lighting or a very basic setup and then wonder why they have poor results ( lighting is something I struggle with and lighting a scene properly is a discipline in and of itself).
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Yes, the Alaska Permanent Fund. I believe even Arch Republican, Tricky Dick Nixon at one point floated a proposal for a basic guaranteed income.
I think in the next 20-30 years we may need to seriously consider that as an option. Self-driving cars and trucks will wipe out a lot of employment, and I think automation will continue to wipe out unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.
I think it is unlikely we will see true artificial intelligence in my lifetime (I could be wrong, though) but if you could shrink something like IBM's Watson to something that would fit in the average corporate server room, I could see that automating things like a lot of paralegal type work.
Continued improvements in the above areas could result in permanent 20-30% unemployment in my lifetime.
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Is that an English sheep dog?
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This guy did a pretty in-depth analysis of the economics of Star Trek:
https://medium.com/@RickWebb/the-economics-of-star-trek-29bab88d50
Seems to make sense except, of course, no mention of exactly HOW they get to that post-scarcity economy.
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You may want to check out Brother laser printers. I frequently see them on sale in the range of $50-$100 (usually around holidays).
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I can confirm that AM will run on a system with an Atom, as I have an Atom-based netbook that I put AM on. It's just a bit painful.
The newer quad-core Baytrail Atoms or the upcoming Cherrytrail (darn Intel code names) might be more tolerable, but I think a standard i3 or i5 desktop or even mobile cpu would blow the doors off even a quad-core Atom. Still, amazing what a few hundred $ buys these days.
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Hmm that's odd the link didn't post. Anyway, it is a link to a Japanese (I think) not-so-short film called "Doggy Poo", a story about a dog poo that dreams of greater things.
Very odd, but cute in its own way.
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I can't believe I made it through all 30 odd minutes of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=argbjMdueug
Has to be the strangest "uplifting" video I've run across.
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Ya know... life is funny.
I just got a message last night from my daughter's school and the superintendent/caller's name was Fiegel.
I don't recall ever hearing that name before but this topic made me think... hmmmm.... I have heard that name before... I wonder...
It seems that Frank Fiegel was a native of Chester, Illinois which isn't very far from where I am.
I even visited there before (and was a little disappointed that popeye wasn't plastered all over the place).
At any rate, I'd say the odds are very good that this Fiegel is related to that (Frank) Fiegel.
Quite possibly. Six Degrees of Popeye? I guess it really is a small world.
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I 'tattoed' Frank Fiegel at his left arm
LOL yes you did, I totally missed that.
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Apparently the character of Popeye was based on an actual person: Frank Fiegel, a sailor and local tough guy that E.C. Segar knew.
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That is really good. Did you use this as reference?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/popeye-realistic-drawing_n_1967839.html
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Transitions between the different vehicles are clever.
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Link?
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Thought that some of you guys might be interested in this:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant?ref=nav_search
Apparently they are doing an Ultima Underworld sequel (sans Ultima).
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$120 per month is a bit steep for a hobbyist. I don't want to start another argument about software subscriptions. Some people like it, some don't. I guess the way I look at it, is even were I to buy 2 AM subs every year, it is still cheaper than the alternatives.
And cheaper than the historical alternatives, where you'd pay $15k-$30k for the software and then a maintenance fee in the low 4 figures.
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When I worked at Nortel they upgraded everyone's desktop PC and lots of old stuff got thrown out. I salvaged some hard drives and cases but ultimately it was all too obsolete to be useful.
When I worked at a Montgomery Ward store they had a rule that any damaged merch, even slightly damaged, had to be thrown out. It couldn't be marked down and put on sale. They didn't give a reason but I presumed it was to discourage empployees from damaging something to get it marked down.
That makes sense, I guess. It just seems crazy that companies destroy truckloads of merchandise every year.
Submit your Insect Contest Image - Last Call... Monday!
in Contests/Challenges
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Well I think I'm going to have to settle for "honorable mention" as I've got about 7 or so hours to work on this, seeing as I got a late start and have to use v12 as my current copy of AM is expired.
Wish me luck.