Requests and Commentary

[Rodney]

Well... here we are in the new spacious living quarters of the Software Tutorials Forum.

 

Anyone have any specific requests for tutorials?

Anyone care to take on a challenge and help build the tutorials of the future?

 

Example:

I've long wanted to make a tutorial about putting three segments of animation together into one inside A:M. "Splicing in A:M" on the basic side, or "Film Editing" as a more complex set of instructions I guess you could call it.

There are several ways to approach this but I think perhaps that I don't know the best way.

 

-Rodney

[roylazarovich]

Great tutorials so far, watched them all and they are very informative.

I think I'd like to see some more wink tutorials about modeling, showing several modeling techniques, both basic and advanced, I think many users of this community can hop in and demonstrate their modeling technique so we can have a mix of all sorts of modeling approaches.

[Rodney]

So... a request for modeling tutorials.

 

Check.

 

I've added KenH's latest to the growing number listed in the pinned index:

Software Tutorials

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Working with Splines *New*

Named Groups

Avoid Creases in Modeling

Advanced Lathing Methodologies

[KenH]

Oooo....nice list Rodney. Thanks!

[Zaryin]

Yeah, I'd just like to comment on this whole forum and guys making these totorials. You rock !

 

Although I haven't looked at a lot of them, I assume everyone of them will be useful to someone.

[roylazarovich]

I've subscribed to this forum, I'd like to be among the first to get their hands on new video tutorials

 

I've just finished watching a great video tutorial by nyahkitty on boolean operations and 5 point patches, he did an excellent job.

 

I requested another tutorial from him, that will cover the techniques involved in keeping a mesh smooth, and eliminating pinches and wrinkles, I hope he'll do this tutorial, and I'd be very happy if you could put this subject in your request list as well, so other people might want to take a whack at it, it would be great to see several techniques by several users.

 

I know I'll be craving for a video tutorial like this because I got real frustrated today trying to make my little shoe model smooth without much success

[pixelmech]

I've learned so much in the past months, I think I'll try and put something simple together about modeling - it may be a week or so but I promise I will do it - Simple Modeling I or something...

[Rodney]

Thanks guys!

Feedback is always an important part of the tutorial making process.

 

If you find any particular tutorial useful or find mistakes or areas for improvement all such things can be used to update and improve future tutorials.

 

...and an extra special thank you to those that take the time to create a tutorial.

We know your time is valuable and we appreciate your efforts.

 

Thanks again.

[CreativeAustinYankee]

Two big areas that really can't have too many tutorials, expressions and the new v. 12 cloth system.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Steve P.

[Rodney]

expressions and the new v. 12 cloth system

 

JohnL3d is embarking on some tests of v12 cloth simulation.

Perhaps we can adapt his studies and put them in a tutorial. That would be nice.

 

Expressions more than perhaps any part of A:M may be a really good candidate for printable tutorials (i.e. PDF format).

 

If you haven't watched Hash Inc's Tech Talk on expressions...

Hash Inc Tech Talks

 

...and...

 

Expressions in Hash Animation Master by Sotiris Gougousis

 

That's an oldy but a goody!

[GAngus]

This has got to be the best forum I have ever seen at HASH.com.....

The WINKS are great although on the Macs can be a bit tricky sometimes.

The downloads here ALL come through as "index.php" which was weird at first.

(OS X 10.3.9, G4)

I now open them with BBEdit and see if they are .PK or .ZIP .PRJ and rename them accordingly, ..... then they work.

That's here on my end anyway....

but it's really so great getting all this new helpful information, I have never enjoyed AM so much lately !!!!!!

Thanks to all, keep it coming.

GAngus

[higginsdj]

I requested another tutorial from him, that will cover the techniques involved in keeping a mesh smooth, and eliminating pinches and wrinkles, I hope he'll do this tutorial, and I'd be very happy if you could put this subject in your request list as well, so other people might want to take a whack at it, it would be great to see several techniques by several users.

 

I know I'll be craving for a video tutorial like this because I got real frustrated today trying to make my little shoe model smooth without much success

I wouldn't get too hung up on perfectly smooth surfaces - particularly when learning a new appliction and methodology. You can get close with good modelling techniques and if you want the 'perfect' finish just apply the Porcelain material (making sure your normals are all pointing in the right direction - out.

 

Small blemishes won't be seen once materials are applied and it's all going to depend on the lighting anyway.

 

Cheers

[KenH]

In saying that, there's no reason why the surface shouldn't be smooth before all that.

[trajcedrv]

Rodney, seven, KenH - thank you for the tutorials. Most of things I already knew, byt some repetition never hurts...

 

I just want to say that I really, really appreciate your generous efforts for the community... Having said that, you shold also know that thank yous are rare all over the world this days... just kiding, but you have one more thank you from me!

 

I think that this tuts will be from incredible value for the begginers... in time, perhaps, you should think about collecting them to one place in some organized form...

 

Drvarceto

[Rodney]

Tracje,

Thanks for the Thanks!

 

you should think about collecting them to one place in some organized form...

 

You mean... like here?

Software Tutorials Index

[Slipin Lizard]

I'm totally new to AM and working through the book. I'm using version 11.1, and a couple of tutorials I would like to find would be:

 

-how to make 3D text using the text wizard thing or whatever people are talking about. (the only tutorial I found so far made text by bringing in a image file of the text and creating splines around it by tracying. Looked very tedious and the results were less than desireable.)

 

-how to make a planet earth. There are two types of planet earth I would like to be able to create. The first is just creating a typical, realistic 3D "Earth as seen from space" model. In Maya this was done by mapping an image texture to a nurbs sphere. The second type of planet earth I'd like to make is sometimes seen on news type shows. Its where the land mass is all opaque and the oceans are all transparent. As the earth spins around, you can actually seen through the oceans areas and see the back side of the land mass that is currently rotated away from you.

 

If someone could steer me in the right direction for these it would be great!

[Rodney]

Slipin,

Well... 1 out of 2 hopefully will count.

 

Tech Talk #6 "Font Wizard" - Ken Baer 38 Megabytes

 

There are also some good write-ups here in the forum on Font Wizard usage.

Here is one: Font and AI Wizard discussion

 

Concerning planet/earth creation... one of the best way to create one would be to locate one that is made already and dissect it. I believe there should be several earths on the A:M CD. If not we can find you one as most of the planets should be represented on the upcoming Extra CD.

[Slipin Lizard]

Thanks Rodney... that font/logo tutorial was just what I was looking for... tell me more about this bonus CD that you mentioned...

 

Thanks again..

[Rodney]

Slipin,

You can read a lot more about the Extra CD Project here:

A:M CD Communiity Project

 

Some of the earlier posts in that area confuse the v12 CD with the Extra CD (Heck... we were all confused!) but we are moving forward with what is sure to be a great collection of resources.

 

Who knows... with a bit of luck and a little more than wishful thinking it might be in everyone's hot little hands by SIGGRAPH.

 

Thanks for the interest.

[brainmuffin]

Rodney, you might want to think about adding some basic rigging/constraint info in TAO A:M. It might not be a bad idea to have certified A:M users now at least a little of how a skeleton goes together...

[Rodney]

Rigging and constraints has just moved on to my interest list.

Hopefully others more knowledgeable than me will lead the way here but I'm all about sharing what I learn.

 

Any experts in rigging/constraints care to team up for a tutorial or two?

[seven]

Sonofpat has done some good instructive tutorials:

http://www.sonofpat.com/Tutorials.html

 

I have been thinking of WINKing a bit from his ideas.

He is using some nulls I believe...

But I think WINKing on the 2001 rig seems better because more are using it.

Inserting some fan-bones in the elbows.

Rigging hands are there any tutorial on that?

 

Willis mouth rig I would also see a bit explained.

itisjustme are coming with a new face rig and a tutorial.

His face rig is a bit complicated... why not start with something simple?

Keekat giving him some more Relationsships?

 

I have done so many tutorials. I am hoping on somebody else...

[johnl3d]

Rodney you are doing a great job pulling this together. Thumbs up!!!

[Rodney]

Thanks John!

 

Great contributors are behind the scenes in this effort.

We've got your space reserved for your laboratory too!

 

Not sure what to call it yet...

 

A special thanks to the following for really getting us going.

Hash Inc! (Couldn't do it without you and your excellent software and server space)

Seven (For getting the Software Tutorials Forum moving)

Vern (For creating and maintaining the A.R.M.)

 

..and to everyone for their continued patience. We have a long way to go!

Your ideas and innovation help create ever better ways of learning 3D with Animation:Master.

[oakchas]

Rodney,

 

I surely appreciate your efforts... undying/unending as they are...

 

As an oldster, who hasn't upgraded yet (to a version that will work on my current PC)... I have been downloading tutes like mad... your compiling them into an easily accessible space is above and beyond... As is the entire Hash community...

 

Now, soon I will be getting my hands "dirty" again... and all of these tutorials are poised for my dissection... Ooooh, I can't wait....

 

Sincere Thanks!

 

Charlie

[Rodney]

Thanks Charlie,

Knowing people will put these tutorials to good use makes this process even more enjoyable.

[Rodney]

General tutorial information for consideration follows:

 

 

 

I've been working with Seven (and others) offline to further explore the world of tutorials.

 

I think many of us share a need for tutorials in various forms and distibuted by a variety of means.

 

When I think of tutorials it depends on the day what type I like best.

 

Publishing

Video tutorials are an excellent means of showing detailed step-by-step click here... click there instruction. The downside is the large file sizes especially when sound is included. Other benefits... caputure and share. A demonstrator's talent is readily apparent.

 

Edited Video tutorials are an improvement on the raw video tutorials.

Editing takes time and this format is often seen mostly via paid tutorials.

The Anzovin CDs are a good example of these.

 

Wink, Camstudio, Camtasia etc.

Camtasia is the preferred format of Hash Inc but the drawback is that of cost.

As I recall it runs about $200 and people that use Animation:Master as primarily a hobby aren't likely to invest the money. The quality of these tutorials is high and make for excellent instruction.

 

Camstudio is hard to find as the company no longer supports the free distribution of the program. For those that can find it tutorials can be produced with quality close to Camtasia.

 

Wink is the current preferred program for 'user created' tutorials in the Tutorials Forum. It is free which is it's greatest but by no means only advantage. It doesn't have native sound support but innovative minds in the forum have supplied a means to add sound to Wink tutorials via a secondary swf interface. They require the Flash Player to view and allow easy editing of text and basic navigation within a tutorial. File size may be it's greatest advantage over other formats. It can also produce PDF and HTML (webpage) tutorials from the same project files.

 

Webpages are the legacy tutorial format that still enjoys popularity. The wide variety of formats allow for personalization but also make standardization difficult.

Web-based tutorials primary disadvantage is one of availability. If the tutorial is no longer supported by the author or distributor links to the tutorial are broke and less than useful.

 

PDF (Acrobat Reader) files provide print ready formatting withcross platform compatibility. It allows the author to control the look of the printed product in ways that other text based formats cannot.

 

There are other formats as well but those are the primary ones currently being explored.

 

Distribution

There are probably three primary means of distributing tutorials Online, print and digital CD/DVD.

 

Online tutorials are immediately accessible and easy to distribute.

A connection with the interet must be maintained unless the tutorials are downloaded and maintained in digital format locally. Search, indexing and editing functions are usually easy to implement.

 

Print tutorials can be found in magazines, books and self published/printed from their original digital form. The tutorials are highly portable but lack automated search and indexing capabilities. While they can be annotated they cannot be edited without being tranferred to digital format or reconstructed/recreated.

 

Digital CD/DVD can store large quantities of data in a portable form but require an interpreter in the form of a viewer in order to access information.

 

All media forms and distribution methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In order to maximize availability of information a mixture of media and distribution should be explored.

 

One of goals in the Tutorials Forum is to get information to those who need it in a timely manner, with accurate and current information in formats that will remain accessible and available for as long as possible.

 

We solicit all who are interested to help us in this effort.

 

Thanks!