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yes. but if you delete the old "base", the groups "level0" through "level20" will be empty. this means, that no new cps can be added by the plugin (this is being fixed in a:m - thanks dan!). so if you want the plugin to assign the cps to the levels (to be easily able to assign hair), you'll have to add cps of the base to each level you want filled. selecting one cp is sufficient (have a look at my example project to see how i did it .. difficult to explain (for me) but actually very simple ..) the model is actually created in the MODEL. the action is just used to get the curve controls (and soon the target surface animation). so you can just select your tree, copy it and insert it into a new model in your desired project.

Okay, I have the project. So, I'm guessing after deleting Marcel's base and target, all I have to do is add a new base, assign it to the group named "base" in the pws, and just leave the rest alone, correct? Also, once the model is made in the action window, can I save that as a completed model, or do I just drag the tree model into the chor and add the action (so if I have a number of trees, I have to do this for each one..)? Thanks.

Hey Jim, are you using that cone from the project file for the target groups? Or are you creating your own?

Hi Greg, You should download the project file that Marcel posted. It has the correct groups and group names already created that allows the plugin to work. As of right now, you can't just create the tree without the correct groups and names already in the model file. You can delete the target shapes and create new ones to create different looking trees. I got a nice looking tree with delicate looking end branches that I like. I will post a pic soon, but can't get hair to render with any version of A:M right now. Grrrrr. Jim

I'm struggling with how to actually contstruct some basic models and where to put the bones to best effect. As an example, see the attached caterpillar...a VERY basic character, yet, when I take the bone ending right in the middle of his back, pull straight up to create a tall hump in the middle as he's crawling, the skin deforms horrible and creates very nastly flaps of skin overlapping and going inside of one another. I've applied smart skin and tried to clean up the kinks, but based on the amount of time it's taking to try and deal with this, I'm wondering if inherently I've approached construction and adding bones from a very inneficient angle. The character's primarmy means of movement it through just a single squeezing together and up in the middle, then expanding out and forward. Based on the images below, do you have general comments on wether I've added too many ribs, or not enough skin detail, or if the bones in the back should intuitively be done a different way to better effect.... ...sorry I'm so vague, I haven't used the product in almost 10 years, it's changed a bit and my already meagre skills are being testing sorely by only being able to work on the project in between my primary work. ...be gentle. :-)

The cereal project has been around longer....and it is a bigger project.... and just maybe I am getting a little bored with it... It will get done eventually. Anyway this one has tons of repetition (just change the camera angles slightly for each repeat) and is fairly short. A few minutes at most. There is only one more repeat after the end of the current animatic. He finally makes it to the roof and... well I will let you see the new animatic when it is ready. I was a little reluctant letting the cat out of the bag this early on but I think it will keep me motivated. Thanks for the kudos on the animatic! Those are kind of fun! Don't have to worry about all the details. Vernon Zehr

Finally figured out my digital camera problems. It seems my adapter, which is only about a month old, isn't working! Confirmed accessibility via Kinko's and bought a new adapter. Arrrgh! I was so focused on getting those pictures off the camera that I couldn't move on with the project. Talk about undisciplined... Here at last is an update. This one, for lack of a better term is called the Beastiary. If you look really close at the bottom of the screen you'll see a bunch of different colored images. They are pictures from the Zoo and museum. These pictures are to go in the black windows as images. If a close up is required, which I think one shot will require, that cage will have to have modeled creatures and environment to capture the detail. The Beastiary Test Here is an example of one of the cage placeholding images, courtesy of the Denver Museum:

Robert, Cool Character! But you'll have to add two more swords to have enough for all four hands! Don't know what might be the problem unless you have added multiple instances of the same model into the choreography. Do you have an action applied? What version are you running? You might save the project then test by removing things from the project until you discover the culprit. I would concentrate on the Choregraphy breakdown in the PWS first.

I do plan to texture it, decal it and fill it with water. I need a jug of distilled water for a project. (although I call it a milk jug)

When starting your first major project (one with props, backgrounds, paths, character animation, sound, etc.) remember that scale size is very important. You can always scale up or down in the coreography, but, this will bog down render times a lot. Its better to have everything to the right scale from the start. Also, things like materials, particles, image maps (decals) do not scale with the model. character animation (depending on how much you scale) might not work. If you plan on using an effect: Dust, Material Effectors, particles, it pays to experiment with these first so you can optimize what scale size to use. I worked on a project were the principle character was a fairy sprite. I made her three inches tall. I went to add particals (Tinkerbells flying-fairy-dust effect) only to find it wouldint work. Particals are governed by a: Emission Rate, Distance property (there are more than these two) that would not allow for the slowing down of the particals that I needed - the character was just to small. With the character at five six, the particals would float as I wanted. I had to rework EVERYTHING! to fit the new scale - work that took at least two months. Plan ahead, test, experiment, and you can save a lot of time. Kevin

When you embed an object, it is stored within the project file. Therefore if you delete your project, you lose your model. It also takes longer to load and save the project file. Unembedding saves the model to a folder of your choosing. A good tip to make variations of a model is to unembed it first and have that as the "master model file". Now when you start a new project, you can refer to that model and embed it into the project. You now have TWO models....the master one and one in the project file. Changes can now be made to the embedded model without effecting the master model. If you unembed this altered model, be sure to save it to a different location to the default original.

From: scuthbert@comcast.net sydney Date: 2004-3-26 17:02:24 Does anyone know offhand why a cable hookup that regularly downoads around 300k or so defaults to roughly 15k when downloading the latest A:M update? It's not a horrendous issue, instead of a minute or so it takes 15 to 20, but I was just wondering... > ** Original Subject: RE: $$$ V11.0 Beta 4 $$$ > ** Original Sender: "Will Pickering" > ** Original Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 21:44:57 +0000 > ** Original Message follows... > From: WillP : Will Pickering : (Now Available) > > Windows versions can be found here: > http://www.hash.com/ftp/pub/updates/window...beta/am2004.exe > http://www.hash.com/ftp/pub/updates/window...eta/net2004.exe > http://www.hash.com/ftp/pub/updates/window...004-nethasp.exe > > ftp://ftp.hash.com/pub/updates/windows/am2004/beta > > http://www.hash.com/am2004 > > http://www.hash.com/htmlHelp/v11.0/Technical_Reference.htm > > V11.0 Beta now requires dongles to be programmed for year 2004. If you receive a hasp or "No Authorization" error you will need to have your dongle upgraded for the 2004 subscription. > > Contact upgrades@hash.com for more info. Run the http://www.hash.com/ftp/pub/updates/window.../rusinstall.exe to get your HASP ID#. After receiving an update code from support@hash.com you can use this utility to flash the HASP. > ----- Fixes since last Beta version.Added option to turn off drawing selected cps on top, in > Tools:Options:Modeling Improved selecting cps and splines. Trys harder to pick from the front.Drivers decals' images work even if the project is moved to another driveFixed markers on the horizontal ruler in side views drawing with wrong sign > {John Henderson}Fixed crash rendering shadows with hair {Shaun Freeman}Fixed crash with more that 19 stamps per patch {Larry Hatfield}Fixed multi pass blobbies {Jeff Lee}Fixed group coloring hook patches {Joseph F}Removed perspective view option from material views {Jeff Lee}Fixed camera rotoscopes always drawing on top in shaded {Nancy > Gormezano}Fixed shadows of moving lights for animations or multipass renderings {Jeff > Lee}Fixed specular color and ambience color in material window.Fixed linked lights geting saved in files that don't need them after they are saved in files that do {Nancy G}Fixed changing light shadow properties take effect first render.Added to Registry "GeneralUseOldColorDialog" with a value of "ONOFF", > defaults to "OFF".Fixed a pass through problem with collisions on Dynamic Constraints.Added Clear Simulation Data to Action Menu.Collision detection and other Dynamic Constraint Properties added to hair > systems.Changing Dynamic Container properties on Action while action window is > open takes effect.Expressions involving powers of time properties work correctly. > Added "Spring Type" for targeting of dynamic constraints. This is for Beta > testing, and may be removed before release. {Joe Williamsen}Make key, and copy key create correct values for scale when a scale channel > already exists but has no keyframes. {Bill Young}Spherical limits work in conjunction with kinematic constraint as long as > Support Limits = ON {splinesmith}Path constraints controlled by paths whose bones are animating, do not lag > behind. This caused problems for KFM export. {Tyler Lybbert}Tangents which are controlled by bones scaled to zero are handled correctly. > {Tyler Lybbert}Bones who are constrained to others, whose parent bones are scaled to zero > are handled correctly. {Tyler Lybbert} > Will > *** View Entire Thread @ http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showt...view=getnewpost > >** --------- End Original Message ----------- ** Download NeoPlanet at http://www.neoplanet.com

Windows versions can be found here: 2004 CDROM (Orangutan) dongle (HASP) Version Multi-User Dongle Version Beta FTP area V11.0 Features V11.0 Online Technical Reference V11.0 Beta now requires dongles to be programmed for year 2004. If you receive a hasp or "No Authorization" error you will need to have your dongle upgraded for the 2004 subscription. Contact upgrades@hash.com for more info. Run the RUS Utility to get your HASP ID#. After receiving an update code from support@hash.com you can use this utility to flash the HASP. ----- Fixes since last Beta version. Added option to turn off drawing selected cps on top, in Tools:Options:Modeling Improved selecting cps and splines. Trys harder to pick from the front. Drivers decals' images work even if the project is moved to another drive Fixed markers on the horizontal ruler in side views drawing with wrong sign {John Henderson} Fixed crash rendering shadows with hair {Shaun Freeman} Fixed crash with more that 19 stamps per patch {Larry Hatfield} Fixed multi pass blobbies {Jeff Lee} Fixed group coloring hook patches {Joseph F} Removed perspective view option from material views {Jeff Lee} Fixed camera rotoscopes always drawing on top in shaded {Nancy Gormezano} Fixed shadows of moving lights for animations or multipass renderings {Jeff Lee} Fixed specular color and ambience color in material window. Fixed linked lights geting saved in files that don't need them after they are saved in files that do {Nancy G} Fixed changing light shadow properties take effect first render. Added to Registry "General\UseOldColorDialog" with a value of "ON\OFF", defaults to "OFF". Fixed a pass through problem with collisions on Dynamic Constraints. Added Clear Simulation Data to Action Menu. Collision detection and other Dynamic Constraint Properties added to hair systems. Changing Dynamic Container properties on Action while action window is open takes effect. Expressions involving powers of time properties work correctly. Added "Spring Type" for targeting of dynamic constraints. This is for Beta testing, and may be removed before release. {Joe Williamsen} Make key, and copy key create correct values for scale when a scale channel already exists but has no keyframes. {Bill Young} Spherical limits work in conjunction with kinematic constraint as long as Support Limits = ON {splinesmith} Path constraints controlled by paths whose bones are animating, do not lag behind. This caused problems for KFM export. {Tyler Lybbert} Tangents which are controlled by bones scaled to zero are handled correctly. {Tyler Lybbert} Bones who are constrained to others, whose parent bones are scaled to zero are handled correctly. {Tyler Lybbert}

Thank you all very much..great advice so far,plz keep em coming. Another 1 I've thought of and has saved my bacon is to name groups as you progress through modeling. I found myself a few times moving something I had just modeled into place to check the size or orientation and then not being able to get back at it. When a group is named click on and that lovely bounding box appears and then no problem to move it again. And once you've got it set right then you can just delete the group in the project workspace (pws) and you're good to go.

Doug, These aren't part of my project and are intended for my demo reel. I realised that spending so much time animating one project in it's associated style, I wasn't doing enough of the kind of work that would really help me develop my character animation skills. This is becoming my main focus (other than commercial work).

Parlo - Are these part of your project or are they just for exercise? Just curious. Doug

Great tips Zach! Didn't know all those.... Q: If you make 2 separate groups with the one patch and set the surface properties of each group differently which group will take precedence? A: The group furthest down the hierarchy line in the PWS(Project Work Space) Also, the best way to make a clean patch is to draw a line and extrude it. Then you can shape it. Here's what support says when you only have 2 groups: "when you've only got two items, drag the one you want to re-order, directly on to the groups folder"

this couldn't be more true! (Check my sig) It all boils down to this - don't be disappointed if the first thing you try doesn't come out exactly as you wanted it to. Most advanced users would say pretty much the same thing. The key is to learn from each attempt or project, and take that into the next. You can't expect to produce stella work immediately but the more you try, the more goes you have at it, the better you'll be. Don't be afraid of making mistakes (as long as you save often!) - The more you fall over - the better practiced you'll be at standing up.

My advise is to try to read all the posts..I would say list mail but not everyone has that now. I have tried to read every piece I could and download and save whatever sample projects models etc that people offered. You might think that something you read does not pertain to what your doing now but you might need it later. The other thing is to not be afraid to try to do something. Your computer will not explode if you goof up a project and usually you learn frm your mistakes. But of course you have to a general understanding of how everything works so yes read the manual , do the tuts. and have fun. I usually post simple projects so feel free to visit . Now I'll have to get links to all the version 10 to 11 projects I've posted that would help. old site http://www.geocities.com/johnl3d/ current site http://johnl.inform.net/ johnl3d latest tut posted http://johnl.inform.net/pages/toon.swf.html

This may have been answered already, but what are the advantages of having two bones per CP? Why not just one? I'm not very experienced with rigging so I'm very curious about this. Also: Does it make it tedious to animate? I imagine picking the right bone each time could be a pain in the neck. Great job, that character has a lot of personality, and I wish you best of luck on this whole project. Zack T.

I'm sorry about my late contribution to this thread, but I've not had my email machine up and running for a while, so didn't get Rodney's request. When modeling Keekat, I was given a maquette (small clay statue) of the character. His mouth was wide open, and in all the reference images I was given his mouth was also almost always wide open. So I decided that to maintain accuracy I would model him with the mouth open and enough splines so that his mouth could be closed, and we could get plenty of other "smiley" expressions out of him. The revision of Keekat you see now is many generations away from the original mesh. His original feet were more like that of Bugs Bunny in design. After feedback and other reference I made them into what you see now. There was one point where his tail went from thin state to a more club like tail and back to thin again as they felt the club tail was to "aggressive" looking for the character. The same thing happened with his teeth. No teeth, teeth, no teeth. I can't take credit for the eyes. The original eyes were designed in a different way. The final eyes were created by I belive Jeffrey Dates while he worked for Real F/X. They were a much simpler solution for toon eyes than any one at our studio had thought of using for the project. The nose when from a capped extrude to a distorted sphere to preserve the specular better. It's these kind of revision reworking that people often don't realise can happen. After the model was "finalized" for its basic look I went back through and adjusted bias handles (At the time thought to be a "No no") to help keep the character looking clean; however, care had to be take to ensure that splines weren't going to pop in poses because of this. David Boutilier did the original facial poses, and ensured popping wouldn't happen. Raf Anzovin and Robin Johnson handled most of the rigging set up and smart skinning of Keekat. The rigging of the Paw island characters is what eventually led to the development of the setup machine. We used an interesting technique to eliminate the axis issues with smart skin at the time, and it's still probably the best solution for people using older versions of A:M. instead of relying on one bone for smart skin rotation we created a second smart skin bone thats roll handle was set at a 45 degree offset to the original smart skin bone. This bone was used to coerect the overshooting that would occur when two of the original bone axis were moved in equal amounts. It would be difficult an not very useful to describe the entire process out; however, to try and explain this in a easier fashion, most smart skin movement happened on the x and y axes. If we draw a square on a piece of paper we can see that the distance from the center of the box to the edges there is a uniform distance. Now if we drew a line from the center of the box to the corners we would see a uniform distance as well, but this one is much greater because it is the intersection of the x and y axes added together. Now take another box of exactly the same size and place it at a 45 degree angle to the original box but with a shared center point. With these two boxes overlapping you can see that drawing a line from the center of the boxes toward either boxes corner now runs in to the other boxes side first. This is exactly what the second smart skin bone did. Instead of giving us 4 locations to evaluate smart skin from it gave us 8. Not perfect circular uniformity, but closer than a square... Funny... the old smart skin was actually trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. As far as surfacing went, Brian Prince (At the time from Eggington) did the surfacing. The base model for Keekat was later adapted by William Egginton for use as Allie another Paw Island character. This shows that some models can be recycled in some circumstances. After the Paw Island project fell through. The Keekat model found it's way through several versions of A:M, and I'm pretty sure has seen a few more rigging incarnations than Mike's, but I'm not 100% sure. I know the base A:M rig has changed several time, but I'm not sure if any changes happened after Keekat was added to the collection. I hope this helps people out, if there is more information people would like to know please feel free to ask.

I just sized the bitmaps down and changed them to jpgs so they weren't too much to download. Here's an earlier version of the project before applying the TreeZ Wizard.

i will try. i suspect it probably has to do with the ids of the cps (of the base spline). since the example project has had some revisions, the cps might have mixed up numbering. you could try deleting the base and redrawing it in one go (so the cps get ascending ids). i think, this will probably align the patch images. if not, i might look into a generic solution that aligns all the patch images of a selected arbitrary mesh.

Thanks for the proj Ed(it asks for tgas but you gave jpgs). I see you've altered the thickness parameter. I don't get how that effects the tree. Does it animate it or does it take it into account when you activate the plugin? It doesn't seem to do anything that I can see in your project. Can you elaborate please? Thanks.

Made the leaves with a hair system. Added the bark using patch images. Unfortunately, they didn't all line up properly. Feature request! Marcel, any way to make that happen? That would make texturing super easy. The leaves are all a single hair system. Amazing how powerful and customizable this thing is. If anyone wants to play with the project, it's available here. It was made in beta 3. C'mon beta 4! Papa needs some shadows.