Exercise 20: Its getting a bit hairy

[pwaslen]

I added this one here, as there is not a thread for the hairy wookie yet

 

Name: Paula Waslen

 

Exercise Completed: #20 It's getting a bit hairy

 

Date Completed: Jun 26, 2005

 

I had a lot of challenges with this one. I couldn't get the color images to go on to the short hairs, only the long hairs. When I was switching the image to be Property Driven, about 20 entries for each property appeared in the drop down and I had to go through each of them to see which was the correct one (screen shot here). I'm not really too happy with the outcome, but hey, it's my first try.

[barkest]

lol - not too happy with the outcome - I am pretty new but would be very happy with the outcome if it were mine.

[pwaslen]

Thanks Barkest. The main thing I disliked was not being able to get a uniform color on the long and short hairs. The tutorial itself is very straight forward. You should give it a try (#20 in the New TAOAM pinned at the top of this forum).

[Rodney]

Thanks Paula!

I hesitated to add the new exercises (11.5 and 20 in particular) as I didn't think I'd have much time to spend with them. I haven't even had the chance to work through them myself.

 

With your permission I'll just add to your post to bring it into the rest of TAoA:M. Stay tuned for full integration of the new exercises.

 

Thanks again!

 

Congrats on completing the exercises too!

Your certificate is in the works.

 

Rodney

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Name: Jody Krivohlavek

 

Exercise Completed: Exercise 20

 

Date Completed: January 6, 2006

 

Instructor: AM Handbook, Video Tutorial and everyone that's ever posted to these forums.

(Been around since the Playmation days )

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement:

No pose, I'm too tired from brushing all that hair.

 

 

I was probably complete with exercise 19, but I felt 20 was kind of required, by me at least.

[Rodney]

I was probably complete with exercise 19, but I felt 20 was kind of required, by me at least.

 

I agree!

 

I still haven't finalized how we are going to recognize those who complete Exercises 11.5 and 20.

They are advanced exercises but very important to mastering the skills and technology needed in today's world of computer graphics.

 

For now I think it'll remain an image of the Wookie in the corner of the certificate.

 

Rodney

[JohnnyB]

Exercise 20: Its Getting a Bit Hairy

John Bailey

September 12, 2006

 

[attachmentid=20497]

 

Wow! That was a job. It slowed my computer to a crawl, and I've got a fast machine (Intel Pentium D950 Dual-core 3.4GHz w/ 4000MB Ram)! It was groaning over this exercise.

 

I couldn't get the two Hair Emitters to cooperate, so I just did it with one. If anyone knows how to make them work, I'd appreciate some hints.

 

JohnnyB

[Caroline]

Name: Caroline Begbie

Exercise: Exercise 20 - Wookie

Date Completed: 20th January 2007

 

It's a wrap. No - it's a wookie. But I have now graduated from TaoA:M! Yay. Thank you to all who helped me through, I appreciate it.

 

On the exercise, my computer does not like quantities of hair, so be warned - my future models will have comb-overs.

 

[Rodney]

Congratulations Caroline! You certainly made a great run at TaoA:M.

 

I've added you to the TaoA:M certificate list and with a bit o luck and movement on my part you should have your certificate soon.

 

I'll post your gallery page as soon as its completed.

 

For an encore I hope you'll move on to TWO (ABC is really great but not required).

Its a great way to collaborate with others while solidifying your TaoA:M experience in a production environ.

[mfortunato]

Name: Michael Fortunato

Ex: Exercise 20 - It's Getting Hairy

Date Completed: 01-30-2007

Instructor: Das Book

 

Comments: This is the last exercise in the TAoA:M. I have now completed all 20 exercises (including 11.5 ). I did it! YEAH! This is a brilliant way to learn the program. Thank you everyone for your assistance and encouragment. Thank you Rodney for all your help.

 

Issues: I had an issue with this exercise I'm hoping someone can explain. As you can see from the screenshot, when you create the Properties Driven item for either the diffuse color, density, direction or length, you are given a list of every one that has been attached to a decal. But you cannot discern which body part it's a part of. I had to start at the top and click on each one till the hair length or color changed. This was ridiculously time-consuming. I figure I just did the exercise incorrectly. Anyone have any thoughts on how I can streamline this process for the future? or is that the way it's designed? if so, has this been addressed with version 14?

 

- Michael

[Rodney]

Michael,

First, congratulations are in order.

I blinked and it seems (to me) like you completed TaoA:M in a day or two.

 

Now its time to take what you've exercised here in TaoA:M to the next level!

 

Issues: I had an issue with this exercise I'm hoping someone can explain. As you can see from the screenshot, when you create the Properties Driven item for either the diffuse color, density, direction or length, you are given a list of every one that has been attached to a decal. But you cannot discern which body part it's a part of. I had to start at the top and click on each one till the hair length or color changed. This was ridiculously time-consuming. I figure I just did the exercise incorrectly. Anyone have any thoughts on how I can streamline this process for the future? or is that the way it's designed? if so, has this been addressed with version 14?

 

I'll have to check but I think this is the same issue that occasionally gets in the way of assigning constraints.

I've found in those cases that holding the SHIFT key down allows selection of the target.

I'll make a note to check it out and will report back here.

 

Unless I'm mistaken an announcement on TaoA:M certificates is about to be made so... stay tuned!

[mfortunato]

Thanks so much, Rodney. Truth be told, it took almost a year ti finish. i started back in March of last year. I had gotte through nine or ten of the exercises when my computer crashed and I had to get it fixed. I lost all of the work I had done previously, but the finished results were still up on the forums. So, I decided to redo a few of those I had completed before and continued through to the end.

 

I aslo have to thank Colin fir his excellent head modeling tutorial. Cooper was a joy to model, Colin .

 

I have now begun animation boot camp. As i complete a few of the exercises I will post them and I will (hopefully) help others by posting my critiques of their work.

 

Thanks again.

- Michael

[Rodney]

Michael,

I look forward to seeing your Bootcamp work.

As you get the time study and learn more about the Squetch and FACE rigs too.

 

 

Its looks like you've defined a proper trajectory for success already.

Anything I can do to assist in any way... just say the word.

 

Now get out there and show your stuff!

[jmf3d3d]

Name: Jeremiah M. Faries

 

Exercise Completed: #20: Its getting a bit hairy

 

Date Completed: Feb 14, 2007

 

Remarks: Happy Valentine's day .... and sad farewell day . For this exercise, I had the same trouble as Michael and others... I iterated through the properties list while looking at the emitter in the workspace to see when the property was added to each emitter. I was beginning to sense a pattern but can't articulate what it was. I'm sure there is something I'm not getting about how to do that. However, as I already know, the more you work trying to solve problems the more you actually learn. So, I know much more about hair now than if it had been a breeze. I'm looking forward to using hair in future projects but I'm even more motivated to upgrade my computer equipment.

 

I think I've done 'em all including 11.5 (thanks to Michael Fortunato for starting the thread). TaoA:M was a great learning experience. The fact that Rodney (and others) encourages us to get goofy and have fun actually adds a lot to the learning experience. I'm sure, I could have finished this faster if i just stuck with the book versions... but that's kind of missing the point of doing animation in the first place. I guess I'm off to bootcamp and I may even offer some meager service to TWO although that's a little intimidating... I think it would be great to experience what needs to happen in that kind of production). Thanks to everyone who commented and helped make this worthwhile!

 

 

 

(So Rodney... now what? )

[aj2]

Name: Al Jolly

 

Completed Exercise :20 Its getting a bit hairy

 

Date Completed: Feb 23, 2007

 

Wow i have learn so much over the winter ,,,, Love every Minute..

 

On to Boot Camp!

[PF_Mark]

Name Mark Allan

 

Completed exe. # 20 It's a bit hairy

 

Date Completed May 30 2007

 

Hi guys I am an TaoAM Graduate form 2004 and I have been working on the TWO Project for 18 months. I have a scene assigned to me 2_01_54

 

Wip thread for scene 2_01_54

 

Check it out So in this scene I have to assign Hair to the Mop and control it's motion during this scene. Which I have very little knowledge of how to accomplish this at the moment. So the way to do this is to go back to ToaAM and work with Rodney and Friends and learn the basics of this affect then start experimenting and posting WIP's which will get me some advise and in time I will learn how to control this affect and complete my TWO scene at the same time. I encourage everyone to continue ToaAM with Rodney then complete Boot camp with Rodney and friends. Then work on TWO I have and I am learning lots and having a great time!

 

So here is my take on exe # 20 It's a bit Hairy

__20_Hair_2.mov

[Rodney]

Wow Mark. That's impressive.

Very nicely done!

 

It's nice to have you back in TaoA:M. It feels a bit like old times.

I have to say that TWO looks very good on you.

You've really come a long way since TaoA:M Exercise 1.

[PF_Mark]

Wow Mark. That's impressive.

Nicely done!

 

Thanks Rodney this is the result of all the help you and the rest the AM community special thanks to Robert Holmen aka Robcat2075. It's not my best work I just through this together I just had to see this hair Move!

 

I can't say this enough guys stick with it and learn and have fun!

[PF_Mark]

Ok here is what I am submitting to my Director it uses the same technique learned in this exe. Once you but the model with hair into the chor you get a brushing icon I then brushed the hair at different poses. With a little care and patience this is what I have what do you guys think?

2_01_54_take.mov

[Chrury Sanson]

It's so neat to see TWO-ers using what they've learned. (Even if it was several months ago. )

 

Name: Me

 

Exercise:#20-Hairy

 

Date: Today.

 

Comments: Well, I was going along, getting near the end, and I'm like "meh, it just doesn't look like fur". Then I get to the last page of settings and BAM! Talk about a difference!

 

I decided to not add the second set of images for the 'short' emitter diffuse color (it was getting way too repetitive) and, instead, went into the emitter properties and gave it a nice dark color.

 

 

I'm off to flocks for the finish!

[Caroline]

Almost there. Going great guns. Chewy's definitely going for you.

[playerktw]

My system didn't like Chewie, wasn't going to wait the two days it would take to pose him, so here he is.

 

 

Kevin Woods

Exercise 20

10/23/07

[BUDDHABUCK]

All and all it looks good.

Maybe a little more combing on the arms.

You should take the time and pose him.

Keep trucken

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My system didn't like Chewie, wasn't going to wait the two days it would take to pose him, so here he is.

 

 

Kevin Woods

Exercise 20

10/23/07

[Caroline]

Hair (and other particles) can be very heavy on the system - if you want to go ahead and pose him, you can press Shift + 8 to turn the particles off/on while you pose him.

 

When you come to render it, in the Advanced Render dialog you can then turn the particles on for the render - remembering to turn it off again afterwards.

 

He looks good as is though!

 

Congratulations on making it all the way through.

[playerktw]

Thanks Keith, Caroline. Have to give posing a try. Looking forward to continuing my education of AM.

[BUDDHABUCK]

Absolutly, we are all hear to help.

Take care

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Keith, Caroline. Have to give posing a try. Looking forward to continuing my education of AM.

[mouseman]

The problem that Paula and Michael had ... I have it too. Has anyone gone ahead and posted a feature request?

 

ETA: I reported it.

[number]

Exercise Completed: Exercise 20: It's Getting a Bit Hairy

 

Date Completed: Nov 28, 2008

 

Instructor: Manual, forum

 

Comments: I was a bit skeptical about the overall results until a changed the last emitter settings. Wow, what a difference in the render. Render times are down now. I'm working on a small animation, but this will take about 8 hours! Still image, included. I guess I'm all done here.

 

 

 

[TheSpleen]

Congrats to you number!

[Rodney]

Yes indeed. Congratulations are in order!

 

Take a moment to reflect, breathe deeply, hold your breath in... breathe out slowly...very slowly... and relax.

 

Savor this moment well.

You are destined for greater things.

[number]

Thanks Spleen and thanks Rodney.

 

A real, positive experience all around. Thanks all around.

 

I created my own hair on a simple model and animated the wookie.

 

ex_20_animated.mov my_hair.mov

[Rodney]

There are more than a few people that will be envious of what you've already accomplished there with hair.

 

The basic lessons you've learned throughout TaoA:M will serve you well.

(From the looks of it they already have!)

[TNT]

Exercise 20: Meet Furball

 

The fur and the hair didn't want to look quite like they went together.

I messed with some of the settings and this was about as good as I could get them to blend.

 

[Rodney]

He looks perfectly furry (and hairy) to me!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[TheSpleen]

YAY YOU!

[TNT]

Thanks guys.

 

I am really glad I stuck to completing all the exercises and did not let myself get side tracked.

I learned a lot I did not know was there,

I learned some things like Newton is not impossible to apply or understand,

Image maps can do HUGE amounts of work for you, bumps, hair color , hair length, and on and on.

If it seems like there is an easier way, AM probably has one you don't know about yet.

Booleans can be mastered.

 

 

I think stretching beyond the exercise to accomplish something in my head without a roadmap always taught me the most.

Thanks for all the encouragement along the way and thanks for suggesting trying to go a little farther on each exercise.

 

Rodney,

Does this mean I get a new title to go with my certificate?

I mean, these days you can't get a raise so you got to take what you can get.

 

Thanks again,

[Rodney]

I think stretching beyond the exercise to accomplish something in my head without a roadmap always taught me the most.

 

Very insightful. I hope others are paying attention!

 

Does this mean I get a new title to go with my certificate?

I mean, these days you can't get a raise so you got to take what you can get.

 

Hmmm.... you certainly deserve a new title.

You've got several titles now. The problem might be which one to choose from.

The most recently awarded; TaoA:M alumni!

 

Congratulations!

 

[TNT]

I think stretching beyond the exercise to accomplish something in my head without a roadmap always taught me the most.

 

Very insightful. I hope others are paying attention!

 

Does this mean I get a new title to go with my certificate?

I mean, these days you can't get a raise so you got to take what you can get.

 

Hmmm.... you certainly deserve a new title.

You've got several titles now. The problem might be which one to choose from.

The most recently awarded; TaoA:M alumni!

 

Congratulations!

 

 

I like that title.

[Rob_T]

Well that's it.

 

It isn't the best fur I've seen here (not by a longshot) but it looks as the lesson intended. I had some funny issues with the images assigning to the emitters. Sometimes when I added the new images to the image folder to color the hair it would change the color of the hair. Other times, actually most times, I had to go down to the emitter itself and the image would be unassigned and I had to click on it and select the image for the color to actually change.

 

It was random and wierd as it only automatically changed the hair color on the face, head and two other groups. The rest of the groups had to be manually assigned for both emitters.

 

Also, no matter what I tried I could not get the Hair Length Maps for the hands and feet to work. I did them several times over thinking I must have missed something. Each time there was a wierd jumble of links where the property selection should have said "Length." I followed the directions each time but nothing resolved the matter.

 

I had to shut the hair off towards the end. I magine having a hairy wookie in your model window is like having a cat and five people (with full heads of hair) in it. The last few changes to the particle emitters were taking about 15 seconds for the computer to accept so I just shut them off.

 

One thing that does concern me. How do you animate with fur and hair without being able to see it properly? The render preview was a joke in this exercise as it didn't come close to representing the way the final image looks. It makes me wonder how Nancy does those wonderful, feathery, furry, flowing, multicolored animals of her's without a NASA supercomputer.

 

I guess the trick is to get your model set the way you want it before you try and animate it and then render and pray.

 

Chewy gives me the thumbs up for completing TAO. It feels both like I just started and like it has taken forever.

 

Now on to Remedy!

[Rodney]

Chewy gives me the thumbs up for completing TAO. It feels both like I just started and like it has taken forever.

 

Not only were your exercises well executed your play by play and the supreme effort you put into going beyond the basics will provide great insight into the workings of A:M.

 

Congratulations Rob!

[Rob_T]

Thanks Rodney. Everyone shares the credit for this job well done. I had a lot... a LOT of help. My situation with the artist on my web comic, wanting off the project, has me in a place where I have to focus on my own stuff for awhile. But I hope, through that process I learn enough that I can come back here and offer some help and insight to those who come after me. I'd love to rewrite a few of these tuts with a little more clarity and detail.... once I understand what to clear up and what details I should add.

 

I also hope you guys don't disappear on me now that I'm graduated. I want to have something substantial to show for Connecticon (starts the last Friday in July so I have about 7 weeks) and I'm probably going to need more help and guidance than ever before.

 

Where is the best place for me to post questions regarding my projects? Newbies forum? I have 2 scripts that I'm hoping to complete for Connecticon. The first is related to my Webcomic "Remedy" and the second is related to someone else's webcomic who did me a big favor. The first is longer and much more important. The second will only get done if the first is well in hand.

 

Yes, I'm ambitious. We'll see how that works out for me.

 

Fortunately, I'm out of work so I have loads of time when I'm not sending out resumes.

 

Big shout out to my A:M Force Jedi Master Robcat. Couldn't have done it without you man. Thanks.

[robcat2075]

Chewy's hair looks like mine on a high-humidity day. Yes, hair is a drag on the CPU. Mostly you animate with it off and do a few tiny test renders along the way to check things. Use hair sparingly, if at all, on your first characters.

 

Congratulations on making all the way thru TAoA:M, Rob!

 

I had some doubts at the beginning there, but you made it.

 

Do the TAoA:Mers still get a certificate, Rodney?

 

 

Now that you know something of these tuts you can jump in and help the next guy or gal who shows up. I hope we get some more, it's been a bit sparse lately.

 

 

I also hope you guys don't disappear on me now that I'm graduated. I want to have something substantial to show for Connecticon (starts the last Friday in July so I have about 7 weeks) and I'm probably going to need more help and guidance than ever before.

 

Seven weeks isn't much time. my advice is to pick out some small subset of your project that is doable in that time, like one character

 

 

Where is the best place for me to post questions regarding my projects? Newbies forum?

yeah, newbies, unless it fits well in one of the topic forums.

[Rodney]

Do the TAoA:Mers still get a certificate, Rodney?

 

There is currently no one in charge of the certificate program so the short answer is 'Yes, but...'

I hope to take on the job again myself in the future.

For the present those that wish to have a certificate should make their wishes known here in the TaoA:M Forum and (if possible) I'll find a way to allocate the time. Creating the certificate isn't difficult if the logistics (computer access, etc.) are in line.

 

RobT

I also hope you guys don't disappear on me now that I'm graduated.

 

We are a lot more difficult to get rid of than that Rob!

[Timekiller]

Exercise 20

 

Well, I have been working on this one off and on for two weeks. It took me until today to figure out how to add the fur pictures to the emitters directly (the instructions in the book do not seem to match what needs to be done in version 15i). Anyway, he is a little shaggier than I wanted. I am also not sure where the white spots are coming from.

 

I am pretty happy with most of my results in the exercises. I will play with this one a little more because I would like to at least figure out where the white is coming from. His shaggy hair is just a matter of time, and I am pretty low on that right now. I am looking forward to working a little on my own. Trial and error seems to be the best way to learn this program.

[robcat2075]

I will play with this one a little more because I would like to at least figure out where the white is coming from.

 

The specular color setting?

 

 

I am looking forward to working a little on my own. Trial and error seems to be the best way to learn this program.

 

Trial and error is fun. Ask questions if you get stumped.