Analog Dreamer in A Digital Realm

[MJL]

I may get a little long winded, so please feel free to move on to a more interesting post.

 

I was a child in the 50's, watching Lassie and the Beaver in first run in black and white. My dad had one of the very first remote controls: Me. In Junior High in the early 60's I explored Time and Space with Heinlein, Asimov, and Van Vogt. I went to my first concert in 1965. The Beatles played the Memorial Coliseum here in Portland Oregon. In the late 60's I explored Time and Space in a different manner, and from the few high points I remember, I had a pretty good time. Pong became a sensation and "Asteriods" became astronimical entertainment at a quarter a pop.

 

When the digital revolution happened however, for some reason, I found myself in the resistance movement. I became a professional musician and enveloped myself in a cocoon of bars and guitars. I clung to my Vinyl, then my cassettes, tenaciously, scowling at the forced march toward the dreaded, impending 'Compact Disc'. When I stuck my head up for air a few decades later, I discovered that the Technological Tsunami was circling the gobe for the umpteenth generational time, and the world I once knew no longer existed. I capitulated. I converted. What I once resisted, I now embraced.

 

I now teach guitar at a local music store, and play weekend gigs. In my business, my computer and my cel phone are used as much or more than my musical gear.

 

You are most likely saying to your collected selves, "Fine. Ok. But why has he called us all here and why is he wasting our time like this?". Read on McDuff.

 

I believe that I may be the quintessential "Newbie". Animation in the manipulation of Imagery. Computer animation is the 3 Dimensional manipulation of digital imagery. But you must make the images before you can manipulate them. (For you hair splitters, we can strain at gnats and swallow camels in another thread.) Anyway, I figure that if we can get a Troglodyte like me up to speed, then the Miracle of Modernization could probably be bestowed upon just about anyone.

 

I have worked many years as a carpenter (Day Job) and have (had?) the knowledge and skill to build a house from foundation to Formica, to Furniture. I know about tools. In the hands of a craftsman they produce art. In the hands of an Artist they produce Inspiration. Searching these forums I have seen superb examples of both. Software is a tool.

 

A:M and it's possibilities have set my creative juices flowing more than anything since Susan Johnson in my Freshman year. (once again, another post). I have gathered from my forum reading that it is Martins intention to make A:M a comprehensive software, and as near as I can tell he is coming pretty darn close. (Sincere Thank You, Grand Poobah, for your vision and hard work. Humble Bow). I say pretty darn close because I have noticed from some posts that some of you use Photoshop for imagery refinement. Some use other programs like Corel and Gimp. I understand that these are programs used for the manipulation of digital imagery. I see some of the images (like the winner of this months contest, or any of Nancy's work) and I stand in absolute awe. I see some of the modeling posted (like the AT-AT WIP, or Vern's photo of Arnold at the Library ) and I am stunned. You folks have already forgotten more than I've learned yet.

 

I tried to follow the wonderful and simple layering tutorial by Darrin Mossor but my lack of understanding of Alpha Layers (Channels?) sent me into a tailspin. Layer, combine?, Composite?

 

My frustration stems from my own ignorance. I'm fairly certain that the information already exists somehwere in the forum. I've done searches but there is just so MUCH to search through. I thought that maybe, if I am having these frustrations and troubles, then perhaps I'm not alone. It is also an almost certainity that there will be others coming along after me that might benefit from my struggles and your kind help.

 

I thought that I would try this approach, Here we go:

 

Alpha Channels (Layers?) are they combined with an image or added as a separate image

 

Decals (Layered ?) - Textures (Layered ?)- Materials (layered?) Do you have to render first to see them?

 

Back drop? - Sky Dome? - Image?

 

Thank You All in advance for Your Time, Your Help, and Your Understanding. You each get a chocolate chip cookie.

 

I'm going to post this, and then I have to go get a new monitor. I can't get the green, pink, and yellow highlighter off of my screen . . .

 

 

Myron

[robcat2075]

Welcome to A:M!

 

I sense you have not completed TAoA:M yet. You definitely want to do that.

 

Alpha Channels (Layers?) are they combined with an image or added as a separate image

 

Digital pictures have "channels", usually 3. One each for the brightness of Red Green and Blue. They mix to make all the colors you can see. An alpha channel is a fourth channel that governs the possible transparency of the picture the RGB channels make. "Possible" because "transparency " suggests you'd actually want to see thru parts of a picture. SUppose you wanted to put the "S" logo on Superman. You could paint that in a paint program but the file you save is going to be rectangular and you just want the "S" to show up. The Alpha channel is used to indicate that everything but the "S" is transparent.

 

An alpha channel is a gray scale image but it doesn't add gray to an image. White would indicate solid and black woudl indicate transparent and gray anything inbetween. Photoshop can show you any channel individually and I presume other paint programs can do so too. Thew manual of any of those will explain alpha channels and how they handle them.

 

 

Decals (Layered ?)

 

"Layer" turns out to be a rather inexact term. A layer in Photoshop is not like a layer in A:M. An A:M layer is like an image plane that floats in front of the camera.

 

Decals are images applied to a model, like a tatoo or the Supeman S mentioned above. TAoAM #10 introduces decals

 

 

- Textures (Layered ?)-

This is a catch all term for any kind of detail that shows up onthe surface of a model

 

 

 

 

 

Materials (layered?)Do you have to render first to see them?

these are little programs that create details on a model surface, like the color of gold or the rings in a piece of wood. You do have to render to see them. THey are not created in a paint program. TAoAM #14 introduces materials

 

 

Back drop? - Sky Dome? - Image?

These could be any flat or hemispherical model with an image of the sky decaled to it.

[Caroline]

Great explanations by Robcat, and the best advice of all - do The Art of Animation:Master exercises. There's a whole forum dedicated to it.

 

This helps you be able to articulate specific questions - it's really hard to understand or ask questions when the whole 3d thing is so shadowy.

 

Further reading:

 

Alpha Channel discussion

 

Layers (with examples of alpha channels)

 

Texturing for Dummies (generic, not A:M specific)

 

Yves' learned tutorials on Skylights/alpha/materials

 

But first of all, and most important - work through all the exercises of TaoA:M, and if you post your work in the TaoA:M forum, we may encourage you on the way

[MJL]

Robcat and Caroline,

 

You are correct. I have not completely finished ToaA:M. Although not posted, I have gone through ToaA:M thru Ex 15. Glancing through the remaining exercises it appeared that they covered the some of the more advanced features of A:M. I'll go back and finish those and post them this weekend. But I'm not sure how they will affect my questions on surfaces.

 

Exercises 10 & 11 touched on Decals and rotoscopes using specific pre-form parts, but from what I've read in the forum it is possible to manufacture layered and "textured" decal "images" for surfaces giving more depth and realism to objects and models.(S O Cauldron, Eric Camden's Tank & Mohawk Mini-Mart).

Exercise 14 touched on Marble-ing but I'm willing to bet the rest of the Chocolate Chip Cookies (Have another, by the way) that it barely scratches the surface of what can be done with Materials with A:M.

 

This new series of forums that have been started are incredibly great, and will be extremely illuminating in their various areas. I guess what I was referring to in my post was stuff that people have already learned from using image enhancing, graphic design, or perhaps web design software might already have been familiar with prior to coming to A:M. When I first started with A:M a couple of months ago I didn't even know what I didn't know. I'm starting to learn what questiions to ask and that IS a start.

 

Earlier this week I started going back through ToaA:M and posted Ex 1.(RE-Hash).

 

Rob, thanks for your specific answers. Just knowing that Layer has a different definition in Photoshop than it has in A:M clears up a lot of flak. and as usual your other specific responses pierce to the point.

 

Caroline, Thank you alway for you encouragement and suggestions. Be sure that your suggested reading will be devoured anonce.

 

Thanks again for your your responses. Have some more cookies.

 

Myron

[Rodney]

I believe that I may be the quintessential "Newbie".

 

Yikes! My status feels threatened Myron.

 

Doncha know that when it comes to quintessential "Newbies" like highlanders there can be only one?

 

Um... tell you what.

I'll flip you for it.

 

You go first.

[Caroline]

I started in 3d only to help my son through grade 11 & 12 (turns out they didn't do any 3d), and I knew absolutely zilch, so I know where you're coming from.

 

Even though I still feel I know nothing compared to all the greats in this forum, I have learned so much this far, mostly by doing tutorials, and reading everything I could at internet cafes while hanging about waiting for people.

 

Just understanding 3d space on a flat screen is something completely different.

 

Take baby steps, and study one part at a time.

 

For example, with materials, go read everything in the old material forum, search google - other programs refer to materials as 'shaders'. Check out links for 'Materials' at http://hashlinks.wordpress.com/.

 

And of course, ask questions here.

[MJL]

Heads you win, Tails I lose. I don't know what size shoes your wear, Rodney, but I'm sure that they're too big for me to fill.

 

Here, have a cookie before they're gone.

 

Thanks,

 

Myron

 

P.S. Rodney, Where and how do I turn the Alpha Channel on for rendering?

[Caroline]

I'll have that cookie, thank you.

 

To make your black sky blue is here (under Buffers):

[MJL]

I'll have that cookie, thank you.

 

To make your black sky blue is here (under Buffers):

 

 

Thank You Caroline, But what do I change to what? (Next time Oatmeal)

 

Myron

[robcat2075]

Where and how do I turn the Alpha Channel on for rendering?

 

in your pic it looks like it is on. The alpha channel is making the blue sky transparent so all we see is black.

 

Turn the "Alpha Buffer" OFF , like in caroline's pic and no alpha buffer will be created, so the camera background color (the "sky") will show up.

 

An alpha channel in A:M will make transparent any part of the image that is not a model . The camera background color (set inthe camera properties) is not a model, it's just automatic filler.

 

The ground plane, the plate and the cookies are all models and the alpha channel leaves them opaque.

[NancyGormezano]

Hi Myron (thank you for your PM, made my day, I'm a sucka for flattery)

 

Your image that you rendered and posted before actually looked like it had the alpha buffer turned on (see dialog I posted) - as the sky/background was black (meaning that nothing was rendered in that area). You would be able to take this image into a 2D paint program and composite it with other backgrounds - as well as in A:M (using a composite feature - I believe)

 

To turn off the alpha buffer - ie render the background/sky color in those areas where no models get rendered - you would expand the buffer options in the render to file dialog - try rendering again with alpha buffer OFF.

 

Only certain file formats have the alpha buffer option: targa, png, quicktime, etc - Avi's do NOT have the alpha buffer option