Welcome A:M Users!

[phatso]

Spacecomics - thx for the offer, I'm a LOOOOONG way from doing the actual animation. Gotta finish the scripts and then do the sound track first. This is kinda a do-it-all-yourself project so things are slow. But I'll let you know when I get that far.

 

Rodney - so you too know the nice feeling when the cartoon light bulb comes on over a kid's head! Every year a coupla the kids come back from MIT or Caltech or someplace and tell us it was our class that lit the fire.

 

I'm just about done with the model of the boy's head, which has been a real %!+@# as I had no prior sculpting experience. There are plenty of anime-style girl models available, so that won't be a problem. I'll start a thread when I have something to show. Meanwhile I'm going back thru TaoA:M and then the boot camp. Like love, they're lovlier the second time around.

[phatso]

Note to the kids - I'm 16 years older than Rodney and they even had 'lectricity when I was a kid. That was when standard house wiring measured CXVII volts.

[Page 14]

Hello everybody,

 

After a long, long time away, I still haven't been able to shake my interest in Animation Master. I first purchased the software ... ohhh ... probably a good 10 to 15 years ago. I've tried several times to get up to speed with AM in the past but always have stopped due to frustration ... a good deal from trying to get through the tutorials only to see my computer lock up or crash (or something) before I could ever finish any of them. Or I would get lost when what I saw on the computer screen wasn't the same as what the book was telling me I should see. But as you see, I'm still here. Now that I have a new computer (Macbook Pro), I hope to give it another go, but first I want to wade through a few of these forums to kind of get my feet wet again.

 

My background is a mixture of computer programming, commercial art and computer graphics (and a little bit of architectural model-building). For what it's worth, I have about 10 year on Rodney.

 

At one point I hoped to make animation or computer modeling a career, but at the point of life I'm at, I think I'll settle for it being a fun hobby.

 

I would like to also mention that I belong to an AM group that meets in Chicago once a month ... although I probably haven't attended a meeting in a good 2 years due to not being an active participant. The Chicago group is awesome though.

 

Anyway ... hello all ... for starters, I look forward to exploring the different forum areas.

 

Bob (aka Page 14)

[Dhar]

Welcome aboard, Bob

 

Now that you have upgraded your computer, did you upgrade A:M? It has come a loooooong way. Today I've been modeling and animating on v13s, all day, it hasn't crashed once!

 

You are in for a treat!

[Page 14]

Thanks Dhar!

 

That's what I like to hear! I didn't upgrade this year, but I did last year. Heck ... I haven't even removed the plastic wrapping yet, so I suppose I should try that version before upgrading again, no? I imagine I will start with the first tutorial in the manual (again) and take it from there.

 

Bob

[Rodney]

We haven't heard much out of the Chicago group in quite a while.

I'm from Illinois myself (but only get back for the family visits these days).

I know there are several A:M users in Milwaukee too.

 

Great to see you are getting back into A:M Bob.

 

If you haven't dove into the new version yet you really should.

It won't surprise you as you probably already know what to expect.

It's amazing.

[phatso]

I've got version 12, which is a lot newer than the one that frustrated you. Even so, at first I would often get to where I would say to hell with A:M, this is too hard, I'm going to something else. Then I'd try another package and I'd be back to A:M in ten minutes. The other programs were 1) too limited to be useful, or 2) too hard to learn, or 3) too finicky to use, or 4) lacking the special A:M features I know I will want when I get really good at this.

 

Interesting to note, too, that the polygon programs all included fakes, fudges, workarounds and voodo to let them imitate what A:M's spline modelling does naturally.

[Page 14]

We haven't heard much out of the Chicago group in quite a while.

I'm from Illinois myself (but only get back for the family visits these days).

I know there are several A:M users in Milwaukee too.

 

Great to see you are getting back into A:M Bob.

 

If you haven't dove into the new version yet you really should.

It won't surprise you as you probably already know what to expect.

It's amazing.

 

Hi Rodney ...

 

Thank you for the response. I see you're living in Colorado these days. I spent 7 years there (1982-89). Very nice country! I haven't installed my latest version of AM yet (2006) but hope to very soon. There's so much reading in here that I'd like to get through first ... trying to catch up on things a bit. I'm enjoying it.

 

Bob

[Page 14]

I've got version 12, which is a lot newer than the one that frustrated you. Even so, at first I would often get to where I would say to hell with A:M, this is too hard, I'm going to something else. Then I'd try another package and I'd be back to A:M in ten minutes. The other programs were 1) too limited to be useful, or 2) too hard to learn, or 3) too finicky to use, or 4) lacking the special A:M features I know I will want when I get really good at this.

 

Interesting to note, too, that the polygon programs all included fakes, fudges, workarounds and voodo to let them imitate what A:M's spline modelling does naturally.

 

Hello "phatso",

 

I first became interested in Animation Master because it was one of the very few affordable 3-D animation/modeling programs (that I knew of) that would run on a Mac. I'm thinking that I bought it sometime in the early 90s. I did a LOT of research back then and was impressed with what I learned of Hash. Along the way, I bought a few video (and CD ?) tutorials. I've found that there has always been a great support group associated with AM (administration and users alike) ... even way back then ... which speaks volumes for the quality product that AM is. And that support is probably the main reason I keep coming back. This is a great little community ... and seems to be growing.

 

Bob

[Rodney]

There's so much reading in here that I'd like to get through first ... trying to catch up on things a bit. I'm enjoying it.

 

Tell me about it!

 

I've been using A:M since 1998 and some days I feel I've barely scratched the surface of what Animation:Master makes available to us.

The first few years I had little time to devote but learned a lot anyway. The middle years I was just trying to find my way... lurking.

The last three years I've spent many enjoyable hours helping others get through the rough spots and learn to find their own solutions.

Now there is Tin Woodman of Oz to get everyone up to speed quickly and gain experience creating a feature film.

As I near retirement from the military its nice to know that A:M provides all the tools I need.

 

In some ways Animation:Master has changed a whole lot. In other ways Animation:Master is still the same.

There is such an extensive feature set available in A:M we can design our own solutions tailored to our own needs.

The workflow is still incredibly intuitive as is A:M's ease of use.

 

Hash Inc continues to be a leader in the industry despite limited resources and the saturation of cheap (and even free) products in distribution channels. Other software has worked hard to catch up. Some have gobbled up the competition and added new flexibility and features to their products. They've had to lower their prices dramatically and pay closer attention to 'little' companies like Hash Inc.

 

The A:M Community is indeed growing and A:M users both new and old are joining in the fun.

Some users have retired and gone fishing. Its sad to see them go.

There is a place even for retired guys that prefer fishing in the A:M Community.

Keep in touch will you?

 

These A:M Users from the past have important stories to tell and their experience tells the tale.

Their insight, interest in the process of computer animation and their knowledge is important.

As is yours.

 

Just as there once was a large group of people that thought they could never master that new fangled contraption called the personal computer there is a growing number of aspiring animators with an keen intrest in mastering the animation that can be produced on that computer. With Animation:Master they will learn it and many will learn it well.

 

Projects like Tin Woodman of Oz are designed to accelerate the learning process through daily practice in the art of animation.

TWO won't be in production forever so I encourage everyone to take advantage and get involved.

 

Regardless of the path we choose to follow, be it fishing, animating, teaching others how to do it or simply appreciating the art of animation, take the time to enjoy the interaction with other aspiring animators. You'll get frustrated from time to time but you'll be really glad you got involved.

[MikePett]

Hi Rodney and all.

I have been a user since the software was called apprentice and ran only on amigas. I have been banging around the lists a good while too.

 

Currently I am an animation professional working in the L.A. area. I have dabbled in and played with Animation:Master over the years and had a lot of fun and now I think it would be good to really get a mastery of 3d animation. To that end I am going through TAoA:M and then Boot Camp.

It's been slow going but I am restructuring my time use and should see better results. I would like to be completed by the end of the year.

 

Yours in 3D,

 

Mike

[Rodney]

Currently I am an animation professional working in the L.A. area.

 

What an absolutely wonderful thing to be able to say.

I hope your experience has been as rewarding as it has been challenging.

 

I can only imagine (and read of) the changes that have transpired since Apprentice.

As great as I'm sure the tools were at the time the ease with which we can now transition between modeling, texturing and animation must be a real treat. I'd imagine some things probably remain the same as well.

 

Your experience and any commentary you care to share with regard to TaoA:M and Bootcamp and the world of animation will be most welcome.

 

Its great to have you here with us Mike!

[MikeLapointe]

My name is Mike and I'm a newbie. This is actually my first forum post ever, not just on A:M, but I'm really looking forward to getting involved in the community and working through TaoA:M and the exercises. I've enjoyed reading the forum posts so far, seems like a good group of people. I started with v10.5 a few years ago, but a slow computer at the time really made it difficult to keep up. I did complete the exercises back then, but I'm looking forward going through all of them again to relearn.

 

I'm 30 and work at a small environmental engineering company in Canada. The reason I've upgraded to v13.0 and want to get back into A:M is that I see a lot of use for some animated training videos for the sort of work I do. That's the long term dream, we'll see how it materializes; right now I'm looking forward to really learning A:M as a hobby, and we'll see how good I get at it and where it goes. The idea of helping out with TWO is definitely interesting, so I want to work towards my TaoA:M certificate right now.

 

Anyhow, hi everyone. -Mike

[Rodney]

Another Mike!

 

I suspect there are quite a few A:M users like yourself that have used A:M for quite awhile yet not frequented the forum.

Its always great to see people discover the forum.

 

There is a lot to get involved with here in the forum and you'll find a whole lot of others with similar interests as yours.

The resources you find here will benefit you greatly and help you meet your goals.

 

Welcome!

[Xero]

OMG I'm on the A:M forums! Awesome!

Hi everyone,

I'm about to buy Animation Master in few minutes and I'm can't wait to take it out for a spin. I'm no stranger to 3D apps though. I've been modeling off and on for a couple of years now using a wide range of software from the more expensive programs like Max and Maya to the free stuff like Blender. I did some research on A:M and it looks just perfect me in terms of features, affordability, easy of use and not to mention the awesome community of users. Anyway I'm glad to be here.

 

P.S. anybody know if there's a downloadable version available with my box order? I don't I can wait for it to arrive in the post

[phatso]

xero - A:M won't run without an actual CD in the drive. This protects Hash from lost revenue due to unauthorized copies. It also protects users in that the write-protected program can't be corrupted, virussed (is that a real word?) or accidentally screwed up by the user.

 

Clean your house, do the laundry, sort paperwork, write a letter to your mother, do the things you've been putting off. Once you get it in your hands you won't be able to pull yourself away from the screen long enough to do anything else.

[John_TrueBlue]

G'day Rodney.

 

Long time no see, you probably dont remember me...lol

 

well its been over a year since i played around with AM, i had been using AM, on and off since V3, the latest one i have is V12 yeti, if my memory is correct.

 

the reason i hadnt used AM for so long i wont get into but i had gone and learnt another program which i will keep using.

thought ide load up AM again and have a bash at it again, man i have to learn this all over again, thought the memorys would come flooding back to me and ide be on my way.

It took me a few minutes to remember how to rotate the scene...lol

 

im not expecting to relearn it all but just dabble ones again.

One thing i did mis is the simplicity in animating in AM compared to this other program i use.

 

oh well time to flick through the pages of TAOAM.

 

JTB

(aka John_TrueBlue)

[Veehoy]

Hi, everyone. Not shure if I should call this an introduction or a reintroduction, probably the first since I haven`t been posting much , despite visiting this place a lot. Enjoy lurking in the shadows to much, I guess.

Purchased AM several years ago, and upgraded a couple of times, but haven`t gotten past the occational dabbling attempts. Reading through this thread made me realize I wasn`t alone so I decided to give it another go, maybe this time I`ll actually get something done.

[Rodney]

Long time no see, you probably dont remember me...

 

Heck no John, I remember you well.

Great to see you again.

I'm trying to remember if I still owe you a TaoA:M certificate though...

 

Veehoy,

You definitely aren't alone.

If we could just find the time to apply what we learn... and not forget what we learn... we'd be golden.

 

Pull up a comfy chair and make yourself at home.

You're with friends here with very similar goals.

[Soulasith]

Hello all, I recently got A:M and started through the manual. I'm looking forward to learning all of A:M and what I can with it. As I get more exp. with it. I love animation and all the possibilities it holds for the imagination. Also looking forward to picking up some technique and advise from you veterans of A:M out there.

 

Soulasith

[Stewie]

Hey all,

My name is stew and i have had A:M for a couple years now, finally having a chance to explore!

I am directing an indie film and will need it for a few CG scenes.

[Caroline]

Hi, Stew - Welcome to the forums - I'm looking forward to seeing how you use A:M in your indie. Mixing it with live action?

[Stewie]

Hi, Stew - Welcome to the forums - I'm looking forward to seeing how you use A:M in your indie. Mixing it with live action?

 

yes. i am modeling a set of scales, having some major issues getting it to act like scales too! Ugh.

 

I have also modeled a wedding ring and am not sure if i could model asphalt cracking, but i'll try.

[phatso]

Stewie - welcome home. Major problems making a scale work right? Post the project here, and the family will give you all the advice you could need to solve the problem.

 

And your mom says to eat your vegetables.

[Russell]

Hello. I'm Russell and I just received my AM a week ago. I retired last year from EDS where I managed large UNIX infrastuctures for major US companies. I started in computers as a graphic artisit in the mid 80s but soon found myself a computer techie. I have always wanted to get back to graphic arts and most specificaly animation. Now that I'm retired I wish to indulge in my long time aspiration hence the acquisition of AM.

 

I have been working my way through the projects in the manual. I keep returning to excersie 6 "The door's stuck" to try and resolve a major problem I have been experiencing. I will create a path for Shaggy from offscreen left to just infront of the door. I assign the action of walking to the model of Shaggy. The animated character "Shaggy" walks neatly onto screen and pauses in mid-stride before the door. So far OK. I then advance the frames by 5 and position Shaggy standing with both feet firmly planted in a standing at rest posture. In addition I move the right hand to the door knob. At this point I will run the animation to see how the motion flows and, to my consternation, Shaggy no longer walks from off screen but instead slides along on planted feet. I have tried "holding last frame" setting "Transistion to next action" with no success. I would appreciate any help in this problem.

 

Thanks

 

Russ

[itsjustme]

I would appreciate any help in this problem.

 

Welcome to the community, Russ! To solve your problem, it would be easier if we could see the Action file...you can start a thread somewhere like the WIP section and post it there.

[Russell]

I would appreciate any help in this problem.

 

Welcome to the community, Russ! To solve your problem, it would be easier if we could see the Action file...you can start a thread somewhere like the WIP section and post it there.

 

Dave

 

I posted the file in Newbie Forum topics.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Russ

[anim8orman]

Hello all -- I started 3d modelling and animation over 13 years ago. I have used programs like Lightwave 3d, Ray Dream Studio, Poser. I took a hiatus for the last several years as I started working in IT (gotta pay those bills, you know?) I recently decided to get back into 3d and chose Hash because the support network seemed to be exceptional. I've found that to be the case for sure! I'm going through my exercises now and hope to be submitting entries to the online challenges before long.

[adamSpline]

Hi All,

 

Just thought I would introduce myself on the board. About 10 years ago I started using Hash3D and then Animation Master. I kind of got out of it for a while and started focusing on graphics programming. Well, I have recently gotten back into Animation Master from a hobbiest perspective. I hope to gain some insights from others.

 

-AdamSpline

[ptahhotep]

Hello

 

I haven't bben on this site in a very long time! Life has just been keeping me very busy and not being able to learn the program ( I have A:M 2005 - I know, its like a dinasaour compared to the latest version, but I feel like a newbie anyway! So I'll start with that and work my way up to the current version, or I might stay with the version that I have, who knows).

 

I am going to seriously schedule time between everything else to FINALLY learn this program.

 

I do have some questions:

 

I have recently moved, and I discovered an old manual of A:M - Animation:Master Handbook by Jeff Paries the copyright date is 1998!, I also discovered A:M Tech Reference Version 11. Are these still good for me to use to learn A:M 2005?

 

When I have finished my first animation, where can I post it to get some feedback?

 

Where do I go to get questions answered and get help when I'm stuck?

 

I guess that these questions have been asked by everyone who comes here, I appreciate the learning experience.

[Caroline]

I have recently moved, and I discovered an old manual of A:M - Animation:Master Handbook by Jeff Paries the copyright date is 1998!, I also discovered A:M Tech Reference Version 11. Are these still good for me to use to learn A:M 2005?

 

The best way to learn A:M is The Art of Animation Master, and do all the lessons, and post your animations from them in the TAOA:M thread. When you've finished, you even get a certificate! I finished that, and I still refer back to it when I forget how to do things like particles, or poses.

 

However, the older manuals are still very good as a secondary resource. I say secondary, because where things have changed, it may be confusing if you don't already know how to do them. I do refer to the Jeff Paries 2nd edition (2000, I think).

 

When I have finished my first animation, where can I post it to get some feedback?

Post them to The WIP Forum.

 

Where do I go to get questions answered and get help when I'm stuck?

Here in the Newbies Forum. Post a new thread, and if people know the answer, they are happy to help. However, most of the questions have already been asked, so try searching first, with various keywords. Tip - If you use more than one keyword use the + character, for example +particles +tutorial.

 

Welcome - the learning experience will be fun.

[ptahhotep]

I have recently moved, and I discovered an old manual of A:M - Animation:Master Handbook by Jeff Paries the copyright date is 1998!, I also discovered A:M Tech Reference Version 11. Are these still good for me to use to learn A:M 2005?

 

The best way to learn A:M is The Art of Animation Master, and do all the lessons, and post your animations from them in the TAOA:M thread. When you've finished, you even get a certificate! I finished that, and I still refer back to it when I forget how to do things like particles, or poses.

 

However, the older manuals are still very good as a secondary resource. I say secondary, because where things have changed, it may be confusing if you don't already know how to do them. I do refer to the Jeff Paries 2nd edition (2000, I think).

 

When I have finished my first animation, where can I post it to get some feedback?

Post them to The WIP Forum.

 

Where do I go to get questions answered and get help when I'm stuck?

Here in the Newbies Forum. Post a new thread, and if people know the answer, they are happy to help. However, most of the questions have already been asked, so try searching first, with various keywords. Tip - If you use more than one keyword use the + character, for example +particles +tutorial.

 

Welcome - the learning experience will be fun.

 

Thanks Caroline! I'll get on the first lesson right now, wish me luck!

[playerktw]

Hello! I am beginning again with AM and thought I would introduce myself to the forum. I purchased AM about a year ago and got through about half the TAO manual, then I got side-tracked.

 

I've been learning about the world of CG and have practiced with several 3D packages, Maya, Cinema 4D, Carrrea and Poser for example. I'm coming back to AM because I believe this platform will give me all the things I want to do without the steep learning curve or expense of some of the other programs. Looking at some of the work that's been done with AM I am impressed with it's abilities and the end results.

 

I am enrolled in an online school, AnimationMentor.com and I am familiar with the Maya animation features. I find AM's rigs to work almost as good as the much more expensive Maya system. I'm looking forward to learning AM and getting to know my fellow AM fans on the forum.

[Dhar]

Welcome aboard playerktw.

 

I'm a big fan of Animation Mentor and look forward to see how you will apply what you learn here in this forum

 

Heck, you may even teach us a couple of tricks of what you learn

[jzawacki]

Being that I was fingered as a newbie.. I thought I might as well pad my post count with a post here.. I purchased the software for a new company I started for presentations and probably eventually commercials, if I make it that far. Hopefully my skills will be 1/10 of what I have seen people here creating.. Though, I'm sure they won't be near as fun.

 

I still can't believe I own the software VeggieTales used.. Having a 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter, it's one of my favorite shows to watch with them.

[Rodney]

Being that I was fingered as a newbie.. I thought I might as well pad my post count with a post here.. I purchased the software for a new company I started for presentations and probably eventually commercials, if I make it that far. Hopefully my skills will be 1/10 of what I have seen people here creating.. Though, I'm sure they won't be near as fun.

 

I still can't believe I own the software VeggieTales used.. Having a 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter, it's one of my favorite shows to watch with them.

 

J, (sorry I don't know your real name)

 

Rather than let you down easy...

 

Veggie Tales was created by one of those competing software programs although it would have looked as good with A:M too.

 

Truth is that several of the animators at Big Idea at the time were A:M users and prefer it for personal use. If they could have used A:M at Big Idea I'll bet they'd have loved that too.

 

As Big Idea couldn't keep up with the demand for Veggie programs, there was an attempt by at least one company to get into Veggie Tales production of offshoot programming with A:M created content. Unfortunately, this was just before Big Idea's bankruptcy.

 

There are some animation tests and a short music video made with A:M still floating around out there on the internet. Several can be seen via A:M Films too.

 

The good news is that you'll find A:M to be quite up to the challenge of creating your commercials. A:M is all that and more.

 

Good luck with your projects, welcome to the A:M Community and get your kids ready to watch TWO!

[fae_alba]

Hello All,

 

I'm not a real newbie, but my level of knowledge and skill with A:M qualifies me as one (at least I think so). I started using A:M back in '02, but have been away for the past 3+ years complete my BS degrees (I'm a 44 year old colleg grad, yippee) and paying for my oldest's college bill (ouch, and does anybody need a Fine Arts Major Intern?). Anyway, my daughter (The College Kid) is the reason I'm back. Seems she's taken a liking to animation and illustration. She's gunning for an internship at Disney (long-shot) and is boning up on Maya (its what they use, can't help it). But I dusted of my copy of A:M 02, and looked at the advances made on the product, so I bit the bullet and upgraded.

 

So I'm back,and looking to squeeze in some modeling and animating time in between two jobs, life, and so on.

[jzawacki]

Rodney, Ouch.. that hurts.. Can I get some ice for my marbles?

 

I saw the A:M Veggie Tales videos available on the FTP site and thought it was what they used. I mean.. they looked identical to what I remember seeing on TV (the test one, I have MythTV so now I will have to compare).. Oh well.. I still have two cars with Hydros.. you can't take that away from me. (I had the same feeling buying A:M as I did when I drove home the first time with hydraulics installed in my car.. Disbelief that I actually own it.)

 

BTW, my name is James.

[Rodney]

Rodney, Ouch.. that hurts.. Can I get some ice for my marbles?

 

I saw the A:M Veggie Tales videos available on the FTP site and thought it was what they used. I mean.. they looked identical to what I remember seeing on TV (the test one, I have MythTV so now I will have to compare).. Oh well.. I still have two cars with Hydros.. you can't take that away from me. (I had the same feeling buying A:M as I did when I drove home the first time with hydraulics installed in my car.. Disbelief that I actually own it.)

 

BTW, my name is James.

 

If you think that hurts... just imagine being a guy who spends thousands of dollars when he could buy A:M for a whole lot cheaper to do the work.

 

I still feel a little bit like I'm opening the A:M box all over again for the first time every time someone posts here for the first time as a new user. Thanks to you guys and gals I get to remember what it was like all over again!

 

Welcome to the A:M Community James.

Its great to have you here.

[Rodney]

Paul Harris!

 

I thought I had seen your name popping up again in the forum.

Its great to see you attacking animation again.

 

Very cool that your daughter has aspirations in animation too BTW.

 

Shhh... don't tell anybody but there is still time to get involved in 'Tin Woodman of Oz'! It would be perfect for a father/daughter team. Working on TWO would also let her know if that's really the path she wants to pursue in the future. (but you didn't hear any of that from me... Shhh.)

 

Edit: I changed 'attack A:M' to 'attack animation'.

Didn't want you to get accused of anything illegal.

[fae_alba]

Paul Harris!

 

I thought I had seen your name popping up again in the forum.

Its great to see you attacking A:M again.

 

Very cool that your daughter has aspirations in animation too BTW.

 

Shhh... don't tell anybody but there is still time to get involved in 'Tin Woodman of Oz'! It would be perfect for a father/daughter team. Working on TWO would also let her know if that's really the path she wants to pursue in the future. (but you didn't hear any of that from me... Shhh.)

 

 

Rodney, how are you? Been a long time since I've even given myself the luxary of working on animation stuff. It'll still be a challenge to find the time, but I'm committed (or perhaps should be committed!) to doing it. Father/Daughter team? Perhaps down the road, but right now she's trying to find that elusive internship to satisfy graduation requirements. She's a great concept artist, and I am working on some ideas that she will be doing for me, so you'll be seeing her influence here soon enough.

[Rodney]

Father/Daughter team? Perhaps down the road, but right now she's trying to find that elusive internship to satisfy graduation requirements. She's a great concept artist, and I am working on some ideas that she will be doing for me, so you'll be seeing her influence here soon enough.

 

 

I'll be looking forward to that.

 

(My daughters are quite artistic too but I think they get that more from their Mom)

[fae_alba]

Father/Daughter team? Perhaps down the road, but right now she's trying to find that elusive internship to satisfy graduation requirements. She's a great concept artist, and I am working on some ideas that she will be doing for me, so you'll be seeing her influence here soon enough.

 

 

I'll be looking forward to that.

 

(My daughters are quite artistic too but I think they get that more from their Mom)

 

Erika's talent certainly doesn't come from me! Her sick sense of humor perhaps, but not her art. That too comes from her mother.

[Shamrock12]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am definitely a newbie, I literally just installed the program!

 

I've never actually done animation before, I'm currently in college learning about graphic design, illustration, layout and web design, but I've always wanted to do animation, so when my cousin, PF_Mark, told me about the program I had to give it a shot.

 

Looking forward to doing all the assignments!

 

Shamrock_12

[Rodney]

so when my cousin, PF_Mark, told me about the program I had to give it a shot.

 

You must realise... this makes you A:M royalty by bloodline alone?

 

Any cousin of PF_Mark (or aspiring animator for that matter) is most welcome here.

Let the fun (and animation!) begin!

 

Welcome!

[Shamrock12]

so when my cousin, PF_Mark, told me about the program I had to give it a shot.

 

You must realise... this makes you A:M royalty by bloodline alone?

 

Any cousin of PF_Mark (or aspiring animator for that matter) is most welcome here.

Let the fun (and animation!) begin!

 

Welcome!

 

Hi Rodney!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome... I just hope that I live up to my noble lineage!

 

After some troubles with my models only appearing from the waist up and an email from

PF_Mark I think I have figured it out enough to post Exercise 2... do we post #1 as well?

[gnarayan]

Hello all,

I'm new to Animation master!! Nice to join you all. I have recently finished a certification program in Maya. I'm looking forward to learning this one too.

[Rodney]

I think I have figured it out enough to post Exercise 2... do we post #1 as well?

 

Please do. If you skip one we get all confused.

 

My suggestion for additional credit/experience with Exercise 1 is to experiment and explore the various rendering settings. While you'll get into these later in the TaoA:M manual there it'll help to know what to look for.

 

Don't be afraid to test out the possibilities!

(but... um... keep focused)

 

Most of all... have fun.

Animation may be work but fun is what this is all about.

Whether you make a million $ working at Pixar or stick to your own creations, don't ever...Ever...EVER... forget that.

[Rodney]

gnarayan,

Welcome to the A:M forum and Animation:Master!

Let the fun begin.

 

Yours is an interesting situation.

If you apply the end state of your recent experience in Maya toward A:M you'll easily excell with A:M.

 

The good news... you should make the transition easily.

As you already know (you bought the program after all) A:M is an all-in-one animation solution. Apply what you've learned and chart your goals and make yourself at home here in the forum.

 

The bad news... A:M isn't like other programs (this is good news if you gain mastery of the difference).

If you try to use it like other programs you'll find frustration at every turn.

Set yourself up for success from the beginning and don't wander too far off course. Remember the goal... stick to it!

 

One of the surest ways to set yourself up for success is to learn A:M's optimal workflow. The best way to do that is to work through the TaoA:M manual.

After working with Maya this will seem TOO EASY... but stay with it. You'll be glad you did and you're work will quickly show it.

 

Again... welcome!

You've definitely come to the right place.

 

Apologies for where my words sound more like advertisement/preaching to the choir. I don't know much about your experience and goals up to this point. Its meant to be encouragement.

[Shamrock12]

Please do. If you skip one we get all confused.

 

My suggestion for additional credit/experience with Exercise 1 is to experiment and explore the various rendering settings. While you'll get into these later in the TaoA:M manual there it'll help to know what to look for.

 

Don't be afraid to test out the possibilities!

(but... um... keep focused)

 

Most of all... have fun.

Animation may be work but fun is what this is all about.

Whether you make a million $ working at Pixar or stick to your own creations, don't ever...Ever...EVER... forget that.

 

Hi Rodney,

 

As soon as I posted that I found the place to post #1... I got a little ahead of myself When you say the various rendering settings you mean shaded, wire and shaded, wire etc? Or am I thinking of something else? I will give it a try tonight! I figure that I will test the possibilities, but my first priority is getting to #6 or 7 so I can help out on the movie. Then I will start playing a lot more

 

So far I am having a lot of fun... except for when I accidentally deleted exercise #3 and had to start over. That was a Maalox moment I like the problem solving involved in it all though. Eventually I'd love to learn how to do the modelling, that looks like a blast, but I'm glad to be learning how animation works first... not sure that I will ever be making millions, but who needs millions? As long as I am having fun, get to be creative, and can someday stop renting from my mother... that's good enough for me!