First Eggprops Promotion

[Wegg]

Eggprops is now offering Video Tutorials. Yay!

 

There are currently three available. Rigging, Joint Constraints and Geometry conversion between A:M and L<cough>wave.

 

We won't talk about that last one.

 

BUT! The Joint Constraints video is quite cool. It walks you through how to use bones and constraints to rig things like knees, the webbing between fingers and even a woman's breast!

 

I have made a video only quicktime preview for it <here>

 

 

The Rigging tutorial is also very helpful. It shows you the basics of the 2001 or "Eggington" rig.

 

AND!!! to help start things off. . . we are going to offer a special promotion. From now until March 1st, if you purchase any video tutorial on eggprops, you are then entitled to a 20% discount on the materials collection.

 

Thank you everyone who has purchased products from us so far and. . . happy splining!

[ChrisThom]

I'm not being a smartass or anything when I ask, but with all respect, what does your video offer that others don't (with the exception of "how to rig a boob")?

[Wegg]

I'm not being a smartass or anything when I ask, with all respect, what does your video offer that others don't (with the exception of "how to rig a boob")?

Well. . . in all honesty. I don't know. I haven't ever watched any other videos.

[Pengy]

I'm confused...If I buy a video tutorial and say 5 of those awesome materials I get 20% off the total of the materials? Your only charging like a couple bucks each for the materials right that's a great deal!

[pixelmech]

I think a valid point is brought up - what does your tutorial offer that others don't? $19 seems a bit hefty for a tutorial of this nature, since I don't know how long it is or how comprehensive it is. Also, there are similar video tutorials (or html ones) online for free - quite a few of them.

 

I'd be more inclined to buy it if the price was like $6.99, and if I knew more about it. I don't know if that sounds too cheap or not, but I'd rather sell 100 tutorials at 6.99 than 10 at 19 bucks.

 

The 20% offer is nice, but some people may not want/need materials.

 

Tom

[Wegg]

I'm confused...If I buy a video tutorial and say 5 of those awesome materials I get 20% off the total of the materials?

Yes. . . you would get 20% off the total.

[Wegg]

I think a valid point is brought up - what does your tutorial offer that others don't? $19 seems a bit hefty for a tutorial of this nature, since I don't know how long it is or how comprehensive it is. Also, there are similar video tutorials (or html ones) online for free - quite a few of them.

 

Well again. . . I haven't ever watched any other video tutorials so I don't know. But. . . I do know for sure that to compare a video tutorial to a HTML tutorial is about the same as reading a review for a movie. . . or WATCHING the movie. There really isn't any comparison. Whenever I am learning a new program. . . I always find the fastest way to learn it is to watch someone use it for a little while. Written tutorials just don't do it for me. I need to get a "feel" for it. Ya know?

 

if I knew more about it.

 

Each video is around 20 minutes long. They are encoded in the On2 codec. They are instantly downloadable upon purchase. . . and. . . I dunno. What more do you need to know?

[Dalemation]

Wegg, the demo QT doesn't display for me. I have the On2 codec installed. Any idea's?

[wwoelbel]

I have seen several of Billy's video tutorials and can say that they are pretty darned good. Do they have something better than the others? Maybe. Maybe not. They offer Billy's team's insights into the topics discussed.

 

On a bit of a rant seeing as the rant section appears to have vanished -

 

A pretty large chunck of time and thought is spent on getting AM "accepted" by the unknown corporate ani-weenies. Wouldn't having a rich after-market of support and add-ons help make AM a "real" product? How much are training videos for Inca or SoftGarbage? Hundreds of dollars or more and people are buying them up like crawdads in mardigras.

 

To Billy and the other folks that have products to sell - make your price fair and I'll buy it or rather continue to buy it. I have most of the products from most all of you. I have yet to feel cheated.

 

Bill

[Wegg]

Wegg, the demo QT doesn't display for me. I have the On2 codec installed. Any idea's?

unzip this file into your C:\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime folder.

[pixelmech]

I'm not trying to slam his product, don't misunderstand me. Knowing that it is 20 minutes long helps (I would put that in the description, Wegg), and I would also put what concepts are covered, e.g.

 

- Rig a shoulder

- Rig a elbow

- Rig a ...boob

 

etc.

 

I'm not familiar with other 3d products and what they offer, the only thing I have to compare it to is the Hash videos. I agree that a Video demonstration is more worthwhile.

 

My only other question is: If I am using The Setup Machine - is it worth buying one of your tutorials on rigging?

 

Tom

[dingo]

I think this is a great product, and it's good to have different tutorial videos out there. Different people have different learning and teaching styles.

 

The price is great! And as someone pointed out beats competiting software's training costs. You could even charge more.

 

Also it's good to note that Eggington HAS used A:M in a production environment and completed some cool projects. So any knowledge they make available is a good thing. Those aspiring create their own production companies would do well to listen to people that have done it.

 

I guess I get a little annoyed when people always whine about how other's work should be free or close to it or they won't buy it. Putting together a video tutorial at a reasonable price is work, and deserves compensation.

[Wegg]

My only other question is: If I am using The Setup Machine - is it worth buying one of your tutorials on rigging?

On rigging? No. From what I understand Setup Machine does the rigging for you. You just have to comply to their naming conventions. For Joint Constraints. . . YES. Think of Joint Constraints as the smart skinning stage of your character's construction. Setup Machine just ignores all that information and just looks for the bones/nulls/whatever it needs to make the rig for you.

 

I think.

 

I'm pretty sure.

 

I'm 99.9% sure.

 

maybe 99.98. . .

[wwoelbel]

From what I understand Setup Machine does the rigging for you

 

TSM sets up a control rig for you. It doesn't set up the intermediates, fans, cogs, or other tweakages for you. I don't think that would be possible. It would require too much knowledge of *how* you built the mesh. Watching the eggprops, anzovin, and studio45 (are they still around?) videos as well as the running through the cogs tutorial from 3dartz gives me a well rounded understanding of rigging and the insights to be dangerous before I hand the model to TSM to finalize. IMHO TSM is well augmented by the additions made possible through the knowledge gained from these sources.

 

Bill

 

[edit]Oh yea... Thats what billy said already

[cfree68f]

I can honestly tell you that the video is well worth 19.00 or whatever they are charging. I bought a vid on rigging from them a few years back.. it might be the same one.. not sure.. but it taught me more about the subject than the several $40.00 to $50.00 books I bought.

 

As with anything you buy from Wegg.. I don't think you'll be sorry with the results.

 

If you are.. let me know.. if I think you have a valid point.. I'll take back my endorsement.

 

C

[Dalemation]

QUOTE (Dalemation @ Jan 31 2005, 01:05 PM)

Wegg, the demo QT doesn't display for me. I have the On2 codec installed. Any idea's? 

 

 

unzip this file into your C:\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime folder.

 

 

 

Aha! The On2 codec I had installed was dated 2001! The new one worked fine thanks. The video looks excellent from the short snippet there.

[zacktaich]

I think a valid point is brought up - what does your tutorial offer that others don't? $19 seems a bit hefty for a tutorial of this nature, since I don't know how long it is or how comprehensive it is. Also, there are similar video tutorials (or html ones) online for free - quite a few of them.

 

I'd be more inclined to buy it if the price was like $6.99, and if I knew more about it. I don't know if that sounds too cheap or not, but I'd rather sell 100 tutorials at 6.99 than 10 at 19 bucks.

 

The 20% offer is nice, but some people may not want/need materials.

 

Tom

 

Some A:M users... always expecting everything to come free (or REALLY cheap).

 

I think you way overestimate how much wegg makes on these. If he made it 7 bucks he wouldn't necessarily sell 100. Something tells me he doesn't sell anywhere near that on his awesome materials, which are only 3 bucks.

 

Zack

[larry_b]

I'd be more inclined to buy it if the price was like $6.99, and if I knew more about it. I don't know if that sounds too cheap or not, but I'd rather sell 100 tutorials at 6.99 than 10 at 19 bucks.

 

Hi:

 

I'm sure if you talk to Billy he MAY gladly sell you 100 tutorials for $6.99 each. You'd have to talk to him about that..

 

In the past he has sold me Bulk props at some form of savings

-Larry B

[Wegg]

 

In the past he has sold me Bulk props at some form of savings

SHHHHhhhh!!!!

 

Don't go telling the world I'm a sucker!!!

 

<sigh>

[KenH]

Don't go telling the world I'm a sucker!!!

He's not....he's only telling this forum.

 

Seriously though, bulk savings makes sense for both parties.

[Parlo]

hey, I remember when I first got the intermediate bones tutorial. Everything I needed to know them was in that tut. Talk about a watershed moment. Even with the advent of cp weights I still use the simple techniques that Wegg describes through out my models. What with this and Hash's new tech video on cp weighting, there really isn't anything much else to know about intermediate bones and mesh deformation.

[Chairoscuro]

What with this and Hash's new tech video on cp weighting, there really isn't anything much else to know about intermediate bones and mesh deformation.

Yes there is, COGs. The last word for mesh deformation.

 

David

[NickHutson]

Congrats Mr. Colin Freeman. Via your avatar You've turned the hero into a dancing pansy. Or maybe thats what you were going for, sort of a Tick sort a thing. Anyway no offence.

[Eric2575]

Wegg, the demo QT doesn't display for me. I have the On2 codec installed. Any idea's?

unzip this file into your C:\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime folder.

 

 

I just downloaded the latest version of Quicktime and the latest version of On2. I still can't get the movie to run. Have no trouble with other movies on my computer. Any ideas? I'm thinking if I can't get the preview to run, I might have the same trouble with the tut.

[Mike Hart]

I've bought some Eggprop tutorials, in the past, and they were very high quality and had excellent information.

One of the things that many video tutorials have is bad sound quality.

While this has not been the case with any of the Eggprop videos, in my experience, I wish the sample movie had a sound track as this is often the key difference between video tutorials.

Many of the tutorials cover the same material, but, if you can't understand or have to struggle to understand what the teacher is saying, it's not as good as one that is easily understood.

Again, all the Eggprop tutorials I've purchased, have been well worth the price and have been well produced.

[larry_b]

 

It would require too much knowledge of *how* you built the mesh. Watching the eggprops, anzovin, and studio45 (are they still around?) videos as well as the running through the cogs tutorial from 3dartz gives me a well rounded understanding of rigging and the insights to be dangerous before I hand the model to TSM to finalize....

 

 

Hi wwoelbel:

 

Studio45 (mark thompson) is still around.. I just talked to him and he still has a few available even though he isn't really doing much advertizing. They are old, but still EXCELLENT. To ask about ordering,

 

his tutorials were around $30 when he was back around v9 and 10. He is selling them for $14.95 to $19.95 each! If you are interested, send him an email at mark@thompson45.com and tell him I sent you.

 

Some of the tiles he had were basic modeling, Basic maerials and texturing, bones and relationships and character design CDs.

 

The character design was more of a drawing tutorial and done in live-action (of a paper and pencil). Still great casue it teaches all kinds of drawing techniques and drawing mainly in a static 'rotoscope' pose and even teaches about scale and drawing the front, top, and side views of a rotoscope.

 

About arguing about prices and things, there are a few ways you can look at it. Either self taught (and slow learning) or schooling (and pay but get fast learning) so:

1. Struggle along at your own paceor

 

2. Go to animation mentor (or other schools) and pay $$$ per course and spend a small fortune

3. My choice.. Stop squeeking and fork over a small fee to educate yourself off of others and spend a very small amount to learn. Then setup a self paced course.. Need to learn modeling, get a modeling cd, book, or whatever.. need to learn about rigging? get a rigging tutorial.. and so on.

 

anyways, back to work

Larry B

[Eric2575]

Dear Eggprops:

 

My order status is: Queued

 

What does that mean?

[patrick_j_clarke]

It's sad when someone at Billy's level comes on here and people question whether or not his tutorials are worth $20!

 

No wonder Hash has a hard time getting people to upgrade each year for $100.

 

I don't mean to be harsh, but, $20!!!! Good golly most Poser people spend that on a new dominatrix outfit each month!

 

I have bought Eggslice and Skylight from Eggington and have been very pleased.

 

Everyone could learn $20 worth of info from Billy.

 

How in depth is the [cough] version? P.M. me if you don't want to post that info here.

 

- pjc

[Rodney]

 

Billy hasn't posted concerning his site in quite a while but hopefully everything is still operational.

 

Glad to hear that Studio45 CDs can still be purchased. I had feared they were no longer available. Always good to have as much instructional material available as possible. Thanks for that info Larry.

 

 

Rodney

 

Edited: Because I apparently can't read...

Edited October 15, 2005 by Rodney

[Wegg]

Dear Eggprops:

 

My order status is: Queued

 

What does that mean?

 

Did we get this sorted out Eric? Wow this was an old thread for you to dig up. Usually a Queued order is something that the eggprop storefront is waiting for payment on. Like. . . if you had sent a cheque to Paypal or something odd like that.