Animation Key Framing & Transitions . . .

[a.quaihoi]

Ok, I should have been paying more attention to Dylan at Momentum, rather then dreaming about the beautiful Stephanie Giles ( Work Experience chick - while I was doing my " internship" ) . . .Ahem.

 

Can some one give me a quick break down of key frame animation in AM. For instance when I create a walk cycle according to the AM book, how to I translate this to another action ?

 

Also on walk cycles, if I have a walk cycle, how do I loop it JUST USING KEY FRAMING in choreography ? I have got this to work when I constrain it to a spline path - the cycle loops properly - when I adjust the keyframes - the walk cycle is accelerated - or 25 frames are stretched into say 3 seconds worth of walking cycle ???? Using AM 11, not 2008.

 

 

I have been told to break actions down into shots and use my editing and compositing skills - BUT - I would like to do a lot more in AM before doing extensive compositing - kinda like in Photoshop - where the raw image is better off the less you do to it in photoshop.

 

 

Also - what or rather what warrants the purchase of the new AM ? What does it do better then the version ( 11 ) which I am using now ? I have attached Freddy Foxx - my new creation . . . . not finished yet . . . needs teeth. . .a tongue to talk . . .and some other stuff . . . the AM Painting application looks good for this sort of stuff . . . .

[Fuchur]

All questions which are not fast to answer...

Since v11 there has been done much...

 

Featurewise have a look at this links:

New to A:M 2005

New to A:M 2006

New to A:M 2007

 

New to A:M 2008: Surface-Baking, NLE-Capabilities, new Fluidssystem.

 

Keyframe-Thing:

There is a repeat-option for each action. Set it to whatever you want to repeat the action.

Keyframes in the chor can be repeated with the pre/post-settings. (But this will ALWAYS repeat all of the keyframes. (-> Select a keyframe in the timeline, rightclick on it and use the pre/post-interpolation-options for that).

 

But usually repeatable actions are meant to be done in an action.

However you are able to export the chor-action as an action and reimport it to use it as a normal action-file.

 

You should have a look at the manual for more informations on the subject.

*Fuchur*

[robcat2075]

Can some one give me a quick break down of key frame animation in AM. For instance when I create a walk cycle according to the AM book, how to I translate this to another action ?

you mean "transition" to another action? see next comment...

 

Also on walk cycles, if I have a walk cycle, how do I loop it JUST USING KEY FRAMING in choreography ? I have got this to work when I constrain it to a spline path - the cycle loops properly - when I adjust the keyframes - the walk cycle is accelerated - or 25 frames are stretched into say 3 seconds worth of walking cycle ???? Using AM 11, not 2008.

 

in the tut link in my sig there is a vid on "Adding animation after an Action" that covers both some of your path constraint trouble and how to add new animation after an action.

 

Also - what or rather what warrants the purchase of the new AM ? What does it do better then the version ( 11 ) which I am using now ?

 

Numerous bugs removed. New rendering features like SSS and new cloth. Also some new plugins are not written for V11

[Rodney]

What does it do better then the version ( 11 ) which I am using now ?

 

v11 was awesome... but the current version of A:M blows it away. v11 is to v15 like night is to day. (Fuchur has provided excellent links... check them out.)

 

If more people had upgraded from v11 (5 years ago!) you'd be looking at a whole lot more features to upgrade to today.

 

Take the risk, see for yourself... only $79 a year.

Build yourself a brighter future with A:M today!

 

We really need to run an 2009 websubscription campaign.

If you are using anything earlier than the current version... time to upgrade!

[petokosun]

if this helps this is the only link i can give on keyframing

http://www.hash.com/two/RCHolmen/KeyFrameOptionsMP4.mov

[a.quaihoi]

Thanks for the help, will look into it, just on the Topic of the new AM, I have been told that Models created with the older version of AM apparently don't work in Am 2008 + ?? Is this the facts here ?

 

I do want to upgrade and also get the 3D Painting application as well when I get my new laptop . . .I wish Apple would hurry up and release the new 17" unibody macbook already so I can get my AM running on a dual OS system -- and mobile !!

 

Just another one while I'm on this topic - say when I get my new mac and I have two mac & windows running on it - when I get the web subscription can I install it on both OS's ? Whih would mean I would need two serial numbers, then what if I want also have it installed on my Dell windows box at home ? What then, would I need a third serial number ? ?

 

I have found that AM tends to crash more often when you use the CD in the drive as a serial key thing.

 

Hey I was just reading the flyer for the 2007 version it says " multicore/multiprocessor support " which is the question I asked in the tech forums, so AM is multicore /multiprocessor enhanced ? Or does it just mean that it can be run in multiple instances just the answers that I got back from the tech forums ? - Thanks Fuchur !

 

Thanks petokosun, just checked out the vid - now it all makes sense !

[a.quaihoi]

Hey where is the " the tut link in my sig" ? I am a noob on forums as well - kinda !

[a.quaihoi]

err . . . disregard that last question, just found it . . .

[KenH]

No. Older files work in newer versions. Even newer files can work in older versions, but you could lose the features built into the new version.....such as SSS. In saying that, I believe v13 onward files aren't backward compatible with before v12.

But your files would work in the 2009 version.

 

Not sure about the dual system, but I think something can be worked out with Hash seeing they're on the same computer. Another computer requires another subscription. Or you could get the cd version.

AM doesn't crash much anymore. I don't know how much the cd in the drive had to do with it. But the subscription doesn't require a cd if it's worrying you.

 

AM had multi core functionality in that version, but it's been disabled for the time being till things get worked out. It was causing more problems than it was worth......such as renders taking longer than with a single core or crashes with certain other software installed. It may (must?) be developed in the future to support other areas of the software.

But running multiple instances of AM doesn't cause problems and if you've enough ram, it'll speed things up.