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Hash, Inc. - Animation:Master

omoanime

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Posts posted by omoanime

    Got an offer to sell my Fish

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Robert,

     

    The most important consideration is not how long it took you to create the character but what rights are you transferring or granting to the buyer. Is he getting exclusive use of the fish for whatever he wants forever for $1000? Or, for $100, he has the right to display the fish on his website but nothing else.

     

    Your situation is roughly close to a stock photographer's. They shoot hundreds of pictures in the hopes of capturing an image that someone will want to use. If the image is very unique, they sell as "rights managed" and place a number of usage restrictions on the buyer. More common images are sold as "royalty free" and come with a lower price and less restrictions. You could visit a site like gettyimages to read their terms of use to get a sense of how this works. (This may also give sense of the price range to charge)

     

    In any case, unless the client is a friend or particularly compassionate, they don't care how long it took you to make the image. They have an idea of how much they are willing to spend and you and they need to negotiate to what is fair. But it is not fair to you to sell him or her your image for a lowball price just because they think is a web graphic. If that is the case, give the low price but lots of restrictions - IN WRITING AND SIGNED - to protect you. (do a written contract no matter what the sale price ends up being, okay)

     

    I have deal with these sorts of transactions for over 10 years. The best advice I can give is take your time, negotiate and contract properly. If you do so, it will all turn out okay in the end.

    Sorenson 3 codec and V11 Hair

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Bruce,

    Sorenson just released a new suite with improved codecs across the board but I doubt that they or any other major codec is going to give you both the quality you want and the small file size - it's simply a matter of information.

     

    Without having seen your image, I am assuming you have either a head of hair or a hairy creature. Since each strand may be in motion and is lit, there is very little room in your image for the averaging algorithms that codecs use to compress images.

     

    Ergo, lower the complexity, the algorithms work better. A high complexity tolerant codec like mpg-2 (used for DVDs) or pixlet (only available to a select few) would be the right choice but you still have large file sizes.

     

    HTH,

    Paul

    New CD data?

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    A "normal" looking male body (to compliment the Gala model, is my thought, but not meaning it has to be Asian or anime). The "Businessman" model (besides not being in the Library and therefore "hidden" from first time users) is not complete underneath his clothes and therefore is difficult for first time users who like to learn by taking existing models, manipulating them and then animating.

     

    I am going to try to build just such a man but since it will be my first figure model from scratch, I am not sure how long it will take. But once he is done, my intention is to give him away for first time and long time users to enjoy.

     

    Paul

    best way to decal a complex form?

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Hi All,

     

    I would like to know what approaches people take in decaling complex forms. My situation is that I want to decal a spacecraft that has a cone-like form. I tried flattening the model per Jim Tobin's excellent tutorial on flattening and decaling a face but I end up with a slight mismatch at the center seam.

     

    Do you flatten the entire object? Flatten it in halves? Pick and choose parts so that you end up creating the finished image with a collage of decals on the models?

     

    What has worked for you? What tricks or tips from experience can you share?

     

    Thanks!

    Paul

    COMPILING TARGAS

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    I like to use Quicktime Pro ($29.99 from Apple for Macs or PCs) for two reasons.

     

    1) It can make an image sequence into a .mov file for playback in Quicktime Players or a DV file for any NLE like Final Cut. Vegas, Premiere, Avid, etc

     

    2) When you import an image sequence, you can select a different frame rate, which is perfect if you decide that your 30 fps sequence is too fast, just choose 15 fps or vice versa.

     

    HTH,

    Paul

    Action Problems

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    I am afraid I don't know much about actions but I suspect that if you are applying an action and then also adding a key frame with a "custom" adjustment of an item the action affects, you will run into problems.

     

    Good - action causes eyes to blink while keyframe moves head - no conflict

     

    Bad - action causes eyes to blink plus a keyframe to create a wink - conflict

     

    Good Luck,

    Paul

    saving as images

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Models have to be rendered to be seen as images.

     

    Use the screen capture ability of your computer (print screen key on a PC or command + shift +3 on a Mac) to grab a screen shot of the model in the model window.

     

    If you are doing this so you can create a decal, make sure that your model is at 100% scale (check the number in the lower right hand corner of the A:M screen. Click on it to edit the scale)

     

    HTH,

    Paul

    Animating Photographs

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Sorry, I didn't mean to imply I wouldn't use photoshop or PSP to create additional masks/bitmaps. Just that I don't have AE, so would be using A:M to perform the actual animation. (In fact, I wonder if it isn't possible to better the effect by using A:M; e.g., maybe having the character bitmaps stay perpendicular to the camera eye as the camera tracks lets you do more camera movement without looking cartoony).

     

     

     

    Ron Burk

    Ron,

     

    I agree with Rodney that this might be one of those rare occasions where, though A:M is capable of doing what you are asking, it is not the easiest tool for the job.

     

    The article you cited did not mention After Effects, it mentioned Final Cut Pro. Any mid to high end video app has all of the tools you need to achieve what you want and there are other options as well.

     

    I worked as the Creative Director for an educational materials production company and the effect you desire is one that we have used many times. Ragnar is correct in saying that is the same as the Disney MultiPlane camera.

     

    Step One: Acquisition

     

    Scan your source material into Photoshop. The resolution is dependent upon your end target and purpose. You mentioned that your source material is Ektachrome slides. Go get a decent dedicated slide scanner or go to a production shop and have them scanned at 1200 dpi, minimum. That will give you enough pixels to enlarge the image to 720x480 (DV Video size). If you plan on a transfer to film or have images that you are planning to do a big zoom in on, you may need to scan those at an even high resolution. Remember to save your raw scans in a separate file from your working copies and, if you decide to use a video app, in Targa format.

     

    Step Two: Compositing

     

    Use the photo editor of your choice (GIMP, Photoshop, Corel PhotoPaint, Macromedia Fireworks, etc) to create the layer elements you need. If you are separating a single subject from the background, make one version where he is masked out (like the tutorial you mentioned before instructs) and then create the background layer you want as well. Depending on what you planned move is (ie: move from right to left where the main subject is moving at a different rate from the background elements), you may need to fill the "hole" behind the subject, as you may catch a glimpse of the main subject still in the background - a "ghost" or deja vu moment. The reason that doing this in a video editor or in Flash is easier that in A:M is simply because, as I understand what you are attempting to do, you are really only moving in 2 axes - the X and Y.

     

    The Z axis - moving in towards the center and out is a pseudo axis. It is actually just a scaling function and any of the video editors with key framing (Vegas, Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, etc), compositors (After Effects, Apple's new Motion, Combustion, etc) or vector animation programs like Flash or Toon Boom Studio can easily handle the inbetweening for scaling.

     

    Think of it this way. You have two sheets of glass. On the front sheet (S1), you have your main subject and on the back sheet (S2), your background material. Both sheets are parallel to the camera. As you move S1 closer to the camera, along the perpendicular plane it becomes bigger - that is scaling. If you were to leave those sheets standing in place and then made your camera circle the sheets, as soon as your camera left it's parallel relationship to S1 and S2, your camera would reveal that elements are 2 dimensional. So, unless you planning a scene in which it begins as a 2D flat image and transitions into a 3D one (which could be very cool and something A:M is perfect for), you may find your self spending more time trying to keep all elements in proper relationship to the plane of the camera, lighting, etc in A:M.

     

    But if you want to do this in A:M, it is doable. Just follow the same compositing advice above. You will need to address lighting as well, something that the editors/compositors/vector programs either don't offer or will require extra effort for but that too is a potential advantage to using A:M for the project (if you want to add a spotlight or an explosion, for example).

     

    Good luck and post stuff in the WIP section so that people can chime in with help and commentary, if you decide to go the A:M route.

     

    Paul

    Art critique

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    There are a couple things you can do to help improve your chances of getting more useful information. One is to state right up front that you want a critique and what level you want it at. “Please rip apart” will get you a much different response than “What do you think?”. If you are looking for information on a very specific aspect of the work (like your models, or your lighting), say so. This won’t guarantee a response, but it will increase the likelihood of one.

    I did request feedback and did receive some very kind and helpful comments. I just am happy to see that something I have been hoping for and have suggested - off of the main list to select individuals - has begun to appear.

     

    I do agree that it is probably best for critiques to wait until after the voting period closes. It is only fair.

     

    Thank you for your response and I welcome any comments - harsh, thoughtful, insightful, glowing or otherwise, you or anyone else may want to share about my early first effort with A:M. You can view it at this link:

     

    http://www.omoanime.com/wip/attacker.lasso

     

    Please be rest assured that I am a tireless promoter of A:M and it's community. I am simply following a choice that is best for me at this time in my 3D learning process. I am not at point where I could honestly offer myself to a studio like Anzovin nor can I quickly pound out an image for a contest that I would be satisfied with. But that is my problem.

     

    Thanks,

    Paul M.

    Art critique

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Thank you Paul for taking the time to give such a thoughtful critique. It is simply one of the best ways to learn and grow as an artist.

     

    I chose not to enter any future Hash contests or share any of my works in the forum because I could not get honest, well-reasoned responses beyond "looks great" but your posting has me rethinking that that decision.

     

    Please continue and encourage others, especially your Hash Fellows, to offer their views as well.

     

    Paul Melia

    OT: Quicktime Pro

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    I know this is off topic, but I know some of you have to have used Quicktime Pro.

     

    I'm trying to save my video in the sorenson 3 codec, but when I do, it drops the audio and I can't find how to fix that.

     

    Anyone?? Help, please. :blink:

    Generally the audio problems happen when the format of the audio is outside of Quicktime's specs, so to speak. If possible, make sure that your audio is in a standard Quicktime recognized format: preferably an .aiff or .wav with the proper desired khz. Also, try make sure that your video and audio have the length, different lengths sometimes throw a wrench in the works.

     

    If the problem still persists, a work around is to encode the video and audio separately and join them later by using the "add track" function in QT Pro.

     

    Frank, your divx avi is most likely using an mpeg1 encoded audio track. I have run into that problem numerous times in the past. There are a few apps out there that will convert the file for you (some free, some not) or you can install the DivX.com quicktime plugin and see if that will play your file.

     

    HTH,

    Paul

    New Computer system specs

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    I just ran an informal bench with the OSX version on my mac:

     

    systems specs: G4/533 dual processor ATI Radeon 9700 1.5GB RAM

     

    A:M for OSX rev 0

     

    FPS: 16.5 on average (high 27, low 6)

    frame 97 11:29 (A:M in foreground)

    frame 98 12:53 (A:M in background, render panel minimized to dock)

    frame 99 10:52 (A:M in background, render panel not in dock but pushed below the bounds of the monitor)

     

    still way behind the classic render speed... but I would imagine that once things are sorted out we can expect some optimizations from randy. It also tells me I should get a new computer :)

     

    -David Rogers

    Dave,

     

    What files did you test against?

    I have a 15" PB 1.25GHz/1GB DDR SDRAM/ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64MB DDR SDRAM that I would be happy to run your informal bench mark on using AM 10.5 rev 2 for comparison.

     

    Paul

    Sound Effects

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Thanks a lot

    By the way, is it better to use wav files or mp3 files?

    wavs or aiff (if you are dealing with macs) are better as they will have less compression. If you have access to a mp3 to wav convertor (there are plenty of programs, free and not, that do that), you can convert an .mp3 to a wav file but the quality will suffer.

     

    If you need music, you can try one of the band in a box solutions (like band in a box or Apple's GarageBand or Soundtrack) or you might want to take a look at www.freeplaymusic.com

    Imported Movies Look Bad

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Thanks for your comments Wade. Did you watch it in Windows Media Player, or take it into a NLE - the movie looks fine in Windows Media for me too, but the problem I have is when I bring it into AVID (1:1 uncompressed). I guess I need to know if it's my editing software, or if it's in my rendering.

     

    The fact that I can make it look good in Windows Media does me no good at all if I can't make it look good on a VHS tape.

    Do you have interlacing on or off when you perform the import? The images coming out of A:M should not be interlaced, as far as I know, but if Avid thinks they are, then that could be a cause.

     

    Also, what are you viewing this on? A NTSC video monitor or a computer monitor? It looks to me that the legs of the radio tower and the pattern of the grass might cause noise and shimmer on a video monitor because of their size.

     

    I have not had the opportunity yet to download your file and test these guess - sorry.

     

    Good luck,

    Paul M.

    AM Users To Meet In Philadelphia.

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Should I bring food? Is there a coffee shop nearby? Will there be smoke breaks or should I wear a patch? Someone needs to invent a caffeine patch...

     

    3 and a half hours is a long time without caffeine and nicotine.

     

    Vernon "sleepy already" Zehr

    Uh Oh, Rich.

     

    I think Vern has seen through your smoke screen and is starting to realize that the Philly meeting is actually a health intervention for him.

     

    :P

     

    Just kidding - sounds like great fun and, if I can swing it, I might try Amtrak-ing it down from NYC.

     

    Paul M.

    Render Farm

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    I find this interesting. Why is the Athlon rendering faster?

     

    Are Athlon faster render machines than p4 if both machines have the same ram and processing power?

    I don't know if this could be a factor but according to this New York Times article, Intel admits that they have hit a thermal wall with the HT P4 and that it perform slower that older Pentiums, PowerPCs and Athlons in certain cases.

     

    Since rendering in A:M can be CPU tasking, I would guess (and this is a very uneducated guess) that this may be the cause of the difference.

     

    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/business/17intel.html

     

    (if you are interested in the article, you should probably read it soon, as the times will probably be making this a paid archive article soon)

     

    Paul

    A:M Competitions (was: "A:M Films Submissions")

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted · Edited by omoanime

    Hi Gareth,

     

    I was told by Steve that you can use a video app for basic functions like edits but you can not add elements - laser beams, footage from other sources, etc and, though he did not say this specifically, I took it to mean titles as well.

     

    So, a fade to black, crossfade, wipe (basic edit/transitions) would be okay (but confirm with Steve).

     

    But as Ken said, why not do the titles, etc in A:M? It's not that hard.

     

     

    (if you visit the link to the tutorial in my footer, you can see my entry in the recent space animation contest and see how I assembled it using Final Cut. I did add credits done in After Effects after the contest was over to the movie)

     

    HTH,

    Paul

    Rendering .tga's or .mov's???

    in (2003-2004)

    Posted

    Tad,

     

    You can bring in the TGAs directly to iMovie (I have tested this with iMovie 4) by highlighting all the files, such as a TGA sequence made by A:M, and then dragging and dropping them into the timeline or clip bin of iMovie.

     

    Unfortunately, they will all come set to iMovie's default 5 second length per image, so you will have to go through and manually adjust the time length for each frame. To avoid this, use Quicktime Pro to make DV movies of the sequence.

     

    The next thing is that iMovie will want your images to 720x480 (DV frame size.) If you render smaller, you will end up with an image that is center in the field or scaled in an unpleasant way.

     

    As for 24 fps, iMovie does not have a way to adjust to a 24 frame per second rate. I, being more comfortable in a Final Cut/After Effects space at the moment, tend to animate at 30fps/720x480 in A:M.

     

    HTH,

    Paul

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