Welcome New Users

[CRToonMike]

Actually I live in Walnut Creek, but still tour neighbor.

 

Good to be back

[Rodney]

I'll be going through TAoAM, already up to excercise 4. This book is a great way to refresh one's memory of this awesome program.

 

I do this from time to time myself... pick up TaoA:M and just start reading.

I eventually tire of it and put it down... usually thinking I've surpassed the lessons.

As I reread though I always find some new discovery... some new aspect or point of interest to get me excited about animation all over again.

 

Anyway...

 

It's great to have you back Mike!

[urthmaan]

hello all. im Jabari and have been exposed to AM since 2000. i have always been a fan of comics and cartoons, but my main creative focus has been music production. i recently decided that i want to make a serious go at trying my hand at animation, as its actually been eating away at me for quite some time. the present makeup of hip-hop really isnt fun and creative anymore, so i figured this would be a good time for me to start, i pretty much now just make beats for my own enjoyment. im giving myself a 2-year training window, hopefully ill be proficient enough that i can start my own animation studio. i was learning on my own through the various tutes and what-not, ive even purchased a couple of the Anzovin discs. now im thinking about doing the AM certs, which have really gotten my attention( once i figure out how to get started with those, gotta do more research ). anywho, i just wanted to shout-out to those here who still dare to dream in the 21st century and if the road gets too hard during your travels, know youre never walking alone. layta.

[Michael Sanders]

Hello... My name is Michael Sanders and I'm interested in learning how to animate (which explains why I'm here... Sheesh, is this the lamest introduction ever or what?!?!)

 

I started with my copy of v12 and tried the first tutorial. Ran into problems immediately - when I render, the model isn't on the ground plane. I cannot figure out how the heck to get it to drop on the y-axis so that the shadow meets the feet correctly. Whoa, until just now I don't think I even KNEW what a y-axis was!

 

Hope to learn a lot and produce some interesting work with this cool program. Oh, and in case it is of interest to anyone, I picked up the software at FOSE in Washington, DC back in March.

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

[Caroline]

Hi - I'm Caroline, about to start work on TaoAM.

 

I'm from Cornwall, UK, originally, but have landed upside down in Queensland, Australia (heat, venomous snakes, poisonous spiders.... love it).

 

I've decided to learn CG to keep one step ahead of my son, who thinks I'm past it because I'm just not interested in remotely shutting down his sister's computer for a joke.

 

Having obsessively printed out everything on the internet, I am really impressed by A:M resources, and am looking forward to striking a pose.

[RobArts Media]

Hey there, everyone.

 

I'm Steve Roberts, and I'm a newbie. Don't let the join date to the left fool you. I've been hemming and hawing over using A:M for several years, letting every small and pathetic excuse (not enough computer, not enough drivespace, no time, blah blah blah...) keep me from getting on the horse. All these excuses really were was just to cover up the fear or not being able to do something I've always wanted to do- make movies.

 

Well, while attending the various cons I usually go to this year (AX, SDCC) and see the A:M booth, I was going to let the aforementioned list of excuses hold me back from upgrading. As I was about to step away, I gave myself an ultimatum: put up or shut up. Since I'm usually 'the quiet one', I don't like being told to shut up. So this is me, putting up.

 

I'm starting off going through the TAoAM lessons, and I'm going to shoot for certification. We'll see what's next from there. Hopefully, it'll be a heck of a journey.

 

-----

Steve

[Rodney]

Jabari, Michael, Caroline and Steve!

 

Great to have you all here in the A:M Forum!

Make yourselves comfortable... no need to 'put up or shut up' here!

 

You've taken the plunge... now enjoy the journey.

There'll be rapids ahead before and after the calm waters but after the ride the sense of accomplishement and some facinating environs await.

 

Be bold. Make new friends.

Model, animate and explore.

 

You've definitely come to the right place for all that and more.

[Lolly]

Hi. I just wanted to ask when could i get a demo of the animation master?

[Rodney]

Lolly,

There is no demo version of Animation:Master.

Hash Inc does have a 30 day money back guarantee.

 

Visit their contact page for more information if you want to call to find out more about purchasing options:

 

Contact Information

[Lolly]

Thanks, i have sent them an email. The main reason i asked was because i live in south africa and it is a expensive product for me. Lets see what happens though.

[TrippinOnAcid]

[attachmentid=21560]Hey everyone!

 

I’m having problems with exercise 10: FW-190 Fighter, i have followed the instructions to insert the rotorscope of the front of the aeroplane. All i get is a white grid box in the middle, but it does show the plane in the properties panel.

 

What am i doing wrong? can anyone help plz?

 

thanks

 

Craig

Screen_shot.doc

[Rodney]

Craig,

First, welcome to the A:M Community.

Glad to see you are working your way through the manual.

 

Concerning the white box...

This is most likely related to your graphics/video card.

Some cards will just need to be updated to the most current drivers while others may need to be replaced.

 

One thing you can do first is check to see what driver A:M is using in TOOLS/OPTIONS.

Look on the Global Tab at the bottom left for 'Real Time Rendering'.

You should see either OpenGL or Direct3D.

Try one... try the other.

You can switch back and forth if some things work better while others not as well.

 

Ultimately it might be your card... that is always a consideration.

Others here in the forum may be able to steer you in the right direction should upgrading/purchasing a new video card is an option.

 

To save some money I'd first visit your graphics card manufacturers home page and download the most recent driver.

 

Rodney

[Lolly]

Hi all. Maybe someone help me or can suggest something for me. I would love to learn animation master but the problem is i live in south africa and the price is a little steep for me. Do you guys ship your product to south africa?

[itsjustme]

Hi all. Maybe someone help me or can suggest something for me. I would love to learn animation master but the problem is i live in south africa and the price is a little steep for me. Do you guys ship your product to south africa?

 

I'm not a Hash employee or representative, but I can tell you that I know of at least one user in South Africa...as far as I know, he had it shipped there.

[Lolly]

Hi. Thanks for that. Are there any south african out there

[eazail]

Hey whats up, I'm new here and hope to get good at this program. Where can I update my AM to v13?

[Caroline]

Hi, eazail - link to the A:M 13.0m Installer is:

 

Link to A:M 13.0m Installer

 

I look forward to seeing you in the New User's forum doing TAOA:M (The Art Of Animation:Master)!

[MARIEG]

DEAR RODNEY,

 

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP?

 

WE HAVE JUST TRIED TO INSTALL ANIMATION MASTER AND WHEN I DOUBLE CLICK THE DESKTOP ICON THE PROGRAM OPENS AND THEN SHORTLY AFTERWARDS CLOSES, HAVE YOU COME ACCROSS THIS PROPBLEM BEFORE

 

BEST REGARDS

 

PETER & MARIE

 

 

Welcome to the New Users forum!

 

The idea behind this forum is to provide help and support for users who are new to Animation:Master and are going through the Art of Animation:Master tutorials. We encourage you to post your Works-In-Progress (WIP) from these tutorials to this forum. You will learn a lot from the feedback you get.

 

As moderator of the New Users forum I'm here for you. You could say I come with the box.

I'll be here to answer basic A:M questions but the entire community of A:M users is here for you too. They'll guide and encourage you as you explore the world of animation as only they can.

 

New users are welcome to post to any of the forums, but this is the place to ask basic questions and work through The Art of Animation:Master. Everyone here started out as a beginner, so don't be shy. You will soon see how amazing the A:M community is.

 

There are a lot of great things ahead in 2006. For instance, did you know:

You can get a certificate after completing the exercises in The Art of Animation:Master.

You can demonstrate the principles of animation in the A:M forum's Animation Bootcamp.

You can study and explore all the tools Animation:Master provides to help you create the worlds of your imagination.

...and now you can even learn to model and animate while collaborating with others like you in a full movie production; Tin Woodsman of Oz!

 

Being an aspiring animator has never looked so good.

 

For those that have graduated the title of 'New User' you too are most welcome here.

Your encouragement, experience and insight into Animation:Master are an essential ingredient.

My thanks to you for your continuing support.

 

Introduce yourself to the A:M Community and find out why purchasing Animation:Master was such a really great idea.

 

Rodney

[Rodney]

Peter/Marie,

 

I see that you are using Windows but I'm not sure what version of Animation:Master.

For older versions of A:M it may be that you just need to install the DLL files required to run A:M.

These files are usually contained in an installer called 'v14Stuff_All.exe' and can usually be found on the Hash Inc FTP site (ftp://www.hash.com Windows Installers). Change the version number for whichever one is appropriate.

 

You may have already got A:M up and running by now so I'll wait here to hear more from you.

 

Let us know how your fare!

Rodney

[goodguy20k]

I'm not exactly new to Animation Master, but I'm new around here.

 

My brother got AM99 way back when under a student discount, and I loved playing with it. Then we got AM2003, or something like that. All the better. Now we have AM2005 (and I'm drooling over '06 and even more, '07!). I've got that animating bug, and have set off on a project...

 

Then I realized half way through that it might be a good idea to brush up. So, here I am. 7 years of Hash under my belt, and hittin' the beginner trail.

 

I'm just here for the certificate.

[rbjohnsn]

Welcome to the New Users forum!

 

The idea behind this forum is to provide help and support for users who are new to Animation:Master and are going through the Art of Animation:Master tutorials. We encourage you to post your Works-In-Progress (WIP) from these tutorials to this forum. You will learn a lot from the feedback you get.

 

As moderator of the New Users forum I'm here for you. You could say I come with the box.

I'll be here to answer basic A:M questions but the entire community of A:M users is here for you too. They'll guide and encourage you as you explore the world of animation as only they can.

 

New users are welcome to post to any of the forums, but this is the place to ask basic questions and work through The Art of Animation:Master. Everyone here started out as a beginner, so don't be shy. You will soon see how amazing the A:M community is.

 

There are a lot of great things ahead in 2006. For instance, did you know:

You can get a certificate after completing the exercises in The Art of Animation:Master.

You can demonstrate the principles of animation in the A:M forum's Animation Bootcamp.

You can study and explore all the tools Animation:Master provides to help you create the worlds of your imagination.

...and now you can even learn to model and animate while collaborating with others like you in a full movie production; Tin Woodsman of Oz!

 

Being an aspiring animator has never looked so good.

 

For those that have graduated the title of 'New User' you too are most welcome here.

Your encouragement, experience and insight into Animation:Master are an essential ingredient.

My thanks to you for your continuing support.

 

Introduce yourself to the A:M Community and find out why purchasing Animation:Master was such a really great idea.

 

Rodney

 

Well, to introduce myself it can best be done by looking at my first and only personal website(http://mysite.verizon.net/rbjohnsn) built with Dreamweaver. I first saw Animation Master at a computer fair in Santa Barbara, CA. I was awed at the graphics achieved “ “ on a laptop with only 500K of ram. NOT, it was impressive though.

 

As I needed something to take up my spare time while taking care of my mother I bought AM. I found the program fascinating with its ability to generate 3d graphics, as long as it didn’t crash! LOL I think most of you can relate to that, which uses a home computer. The resources required for a final rendering is unreeling. That is when I realized why a production is sent to IBM, or HP to be rendered.

 

I am a self-taught engineer, no degree, and just the title from Raytheon coming up through the ranks, only to find out the title is meaningless without the skin sheet to go along with it. My background was electronic hardware, but a hobby with computers. I built my first one in 1977, and taught myself Darmonth Basic. When I found out the program I wanted to run required more memory, all of 12K, I translated it to machine code. Wow that program ran fast in 4K. Ever heard of crazy 8 Code? It was offset Octal. It really messed over people’s mind that worked in Hex code.

 

Because of this hobby my last job in my career was certifying software for the Airlines with a company in WI called Avista Incorporated.

 

Now I would like to learn this most daunting software Animation Master, to support my retirement. Thanks to the Xwife it isn’t worth much. I have programmed in over seven computer languages, and find AM a very challenging experience. Most of all the results are very gratifying.

 

I have posted my creations at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...eoid=1439391128.

[Amaroqwlf]

Hello everyone.

 

I am something of a new user. I got A:M in 2004 which is the version I have now and I've dabbled off and on with it. I turned 17 a month ago and I will be going to college in a few months but I'd still like to master Animation Master. I've always been quite amazed with the quality that can be achieved ever since I saw my brother's animation teacher's model of an old man with all the muscles in his face included. I just graduated on Wednesday, and, even in the event I get a part time job, I hope I'll have enough spare time to actually improve my meager skills (if one can call them that).

 

I'd say my biggest challenge is working up the patience to follow through with my vision. In most everything else I do, I get instant gratification when I learn. Art is the only thing for me that actually requires practice (even foreign languages I see good progress with each hour I spend learning it).

[Larkelf]

For 4 yrs. now, I’ve been working on and off with various animation applications and for 4 yrs. I’ve become more dazed and confused. It’s not nice to confuse elves, especially this close to Christmas. I selected this application for its ease of use, price and its community support.

 

Building fire breathing Computers, CGs and Animations are just a hobby of mine. My RL work sends me all over the U.S. and consumes a good portion of my time. I hope to get up to speed on this fine application and contribute more to the AM Community.

[dirtydog]

Hi everybody bought animation master about a month ago, exploring all aspects of software, i will now be aiming for the TWO project, as it has to be the best learning curve. My main aim is to develop content for train sims and also develop my own using beyond virtual game engine. I have already exported an AM character with walk cycle into BV, looking good. Also every aspect of the 3d world.

[Rodney]

A belated welcome to you all posting here!

I'm excited for you as you move into the world of computer animation.

 

Ask questions, answer others that you know, work through TaoA:M and make yourselves at home!

 

Rodney

[mutantlizard]

HEY! Im new here just got on. I have been playing a little with animation master I made my first model and I was wondering how I post it to make it so ppl can see and criticize and give tips and stuff.

[the_black_mage]

HEY MUTANT!!!!!

[Todd157k]

Hi y'all. I'm not totally new to AM but still wet behind the ears. I've been working with it for a few months now. I didn't finish all the exercises because I got tasked with making a whole movie! ya, right. Anyway, I figured I'd learn what I need, when I need it. I know I won't need a flock of birds or waving flags and since I'm rendering in Toon, I can make a lot of boo boos and they don't show up. LOL. I'm at a point where I need to work on the Interlace however it seems to take the rendering from 4 hrs, to 18 hrs. (avi 720p) for every 14 secs (largest chunk I can seem to do without crashing). yippy. I've learned a lot by "diving in" but the process is sometimes frustrating. I'm searching for more info on 'smoke' too trying to get my character to smoke a cigarette. I have 8 mins of a 70 min movie after 6 months! lmao!

I may not post a lot here at first because I'm trying to GET information. I really don't have any useful input just yet. Only my work-arounds which I'm sure everyone else already figured out. I can hardly wait til my movie is completed. The list of credits will have 1 name for every aspect of the movie. (take THAT pixar)

I do have a production company lined up for my movie once completed. I'll let everyone know when I'm rich and famous... and bald from pulling out my hair!

[Caroline]

Hi, Todd, glad to hear you're following the dream!

 

There's a good discussion on cigarette smoke here:

 

Cigarette Smoking

 

and of course the smoke exercise in the TaoA:M.

[Graham]

Hi

I am a retired mechanical engineer and have seen many changes over the last 20 years with the use of computers for CAD work. I have always had an interest in animation and purchased AM 10.5 several years ago but due to time never really got into using it.

My interest is to make mechanical animations rather that animals or humans.

Never having really got into AM properly should I consider upgrading before getting too far into the version I have?

I use a simple 2D animation package at the moment but find that I can not get the surface textures as good as I would like.

 

Kind regards

Graham Easton

Lancashire

England