Trying to make a character(or anything)...VERY lost...

[shajinja]

So I saw this program at the anime expo last week and I thought it was pretty cool so I decided to buy it. I came home, installed it, and proceeded to create a model.(that's where you're supposed to go right?) And in the 3 hours I spent trying to figure things out, all I could figure out is how to make an oval! In my frustration I was tempted to throw the disk out the window(though considering how much I paid for this thing it's good that I didn't...) people tell me to look at the manual but here's the thing: ALL I GOT WAS THE DISK! I thought it would be okay because the guy at the booth said there was a website (this one) with video tutorials....none of which give me a step by step tutorial on creating a character. can anyone help me?

[itsjustme]

You could try here or here.

 

Hope that helps.

[aen916]

I did the same thing years ago, and everone told me the same thing, go through the tutorials first, they really will help you. and take your time, don't get let yourself get to frustrations edge. I been trying this for years and I see some people work and am just in awe, and don't be afraid to ask specific questions up here.

[shajinja]

I think that stuff is a little too advanced...thanks though. Are there any video tutorials you can recomend? or something that tells me what does what?(like what a "spline line" is?)

[Eric2575]

Wow, - that's the catch word for for the time being - no manual? You can find the PDF version right here: http://www.hash.com/2007web/reference.htm

Download it and start doing the tutorials. That's what I did and they really help a beginner. I'm a bit beyond the oval now, but I still have lots to learn If you love creating something from your thoughts and ideas, keep at it, cause this program can do some amazing things. Amazing? ...who would have thought that a capsule could do such an amazing thing...??? Oh god, that commercial will never go away!!! Never mind, I'm ok now

 

If you're gonna stick around this forum, you'll run into some off-beat humor along the way...just a fair warning

[itsjustme]

Try these tutorials:

 

Basic Splinemanship

 

Continuity explained

 

Understanding Gammas

 

Hope those help.

[shajinja]

Ah... A MANUAL!!!! Thank God! Thanks a bunch for the help (and offbeat humor?) everyone!

 

 

 

I'll post up any other problems if they come up

[Kamikaze]

Hang in there!, it may seem slow going at first, but this software is much more user friendly than most if not all other 3d programs....

[Rodney]

Shajinja,

One of the constraints to the new websubscription is that advice in the Newbies and TaoA:M sections hasn't really caught up with the times. Everything posted there assumes the Newbie has the physical book, The Art of Animation, in hand. This of course is an outdated assumption.

 

In the future I hope to refine both Newbies and TaoA:M forums to take advantage of digital access to the manual and Technical Reference but to do it right will take time. Right now time is something I don't have available. I try though.

 

For anyone looking in... take the time to download the manual and the technical reference.

Both can be found here: ftp://ftp.hash.com/pub/docs/

 

Start working through the manual (TaoA:M) one page at a time.

Do this and you WILL be successful.

All the intial frustrations will evaporate and you'll find yourself having a great time.

 

Come on Newbies... we are all in this effort together. Lets help each other get through it.

Together nothing can stop us from reaching our goal.

[phatso]

You'll find that TAoA:M does not begin with modelling, which is a good thing. If you had to learn to model before you could do anything useful (as with most programs) you'd be working for years before you got any payback. TAoA:M starts you out with animating pre-built models within the first half hour. You can learn to model while you're also learning to animate. Cuts lots of time off the learning curve.

 

You want to go thru those TAoA:M exercises. You do, you do, you do.