Hey Guys

[Rob_T]

I know it's been awhile. Bruce and Ken have been helping me with a little project I've got in the works and I've been a little busy as well. I drove across America and I now live in San Diego. I'm going to school at Platt College San Diego and I'm learning Graphic Design (for an A.A.S.) and either animation or video compositing (for a B.A. which will bring my college degree count to 4).

 

I love Animation but the siren call of After Effects is pretty hard to resist. Fortunately I'll be taking at least some of both. After that I have to decide which one I want to specialize in.

 

I've actually shown some of the stuff I've done in A:M to some of the 3D professors and the consensus is I have a rather huge leg up on the other students already. And since I'm twice most of their ages it's a wrinkled, arthritic leg but up nonetheless.

 

I'm still doing Remedy 3 days a week:

 

www.remedialcomics.com

 

and I've still got some pretty big plans for my little comics company.

 

So I got a new computer. A real monster. 4TB of storage, 16 gigs of Ram and a video card that cost almost a grand by itself. I'm updating all my software and moving a lot of things around. A friend whose wife works for Adobe got me the CS5 Master Collection and one of my future professors will be providing me with free copies of... ahem.... competing animation products.

 

So I wanted to install A:M on my new machine. I've got a lot of assets I've built up over time and eventually hope to bring together in a Remedy animated short at some point.

 

I can't really afford an upgrade right now. Soon I hope. 16 sounds amazing.

 

But at the least I was hoping to get 15j on here. I went to the updates page and the posts are still there but when I click on the download links for the CD version I get a page not found error.

 

If anyone knows where I can grab the most recent 15j update I would be grateful.

 

I hope all you guys are doing well. Thanks.

[Rodney]

I'm headed out the door at the moment but wanted to say 'Hey!'.

 

Every once in a while I drop in to see what is up with Remedy... you know I'm a fan... glad you are still plugging away!

 

Anyway, great to see you and hear what you've been up to.

If someone wants to know how to set things aright... show 'em the remedy.

 

Later...

[robcat2075]

try this

 

eh... dont' bother with those other 3D things... twice the buttons for half the result.

[Rob_T]

Rodney and Robcat to the rescue as always. Thanks guys.

 

Robcat do you have any idea how frustrating it is to learn how to use Illustrator because of Animation: Master?

 

It's a resource hog. It locks up and crashes (even though I'm using 5.5 at school) and it can't do anywhere near what I can do; novice that I am, in Animation: Master. It's insanely frustrating. Yeah it has some tools and does some stuff that is difficult in A:M (but not impossible). But just using the pen tool and trying to manipulate points in 2D when I'm used to being able to rotate around and stuff drives me nuts.

 

And it has a couple 3D tools that really don't even come close to A:M.

 

As for the competing products... I agree with you to an extent and it's one of the reasons I'm considering Video Compositing instead. That said... companies don't look for animators who can use A:M and not those other products. And as much as I like A:M I never felt like I really knew how to use it. The Tao was a really great introduction and I've done some things I'm very proud of but there's so much more to the program and I'm not there. One thing I've learned is that by learning one version of a type of program you progress your knowledge with all types of similar programs because they do similar things.

 

Like when Dreamworks came to the school they don't use a competing product. They use a proprietary one called Emote. There's no way to learn it if you don't work there. But if you know the competing products then it's just a matter of learning the inter-phase.

 

Like for example... loading a rig. I suck at rigging. SUCK! And I never really got the hang of loading and then modifying a rig. It's sooo complex. And if I end up going into animation my hope is to get some instruction and hands on in that kind of thing. And skinning. And particle effects. And materials. And SOOO many others.

 

Anyway, it really is great talking to you guys again even though I occasionally bump into you on Facebook Robcat. And Nancy too!

 

Thanks again.

[Rodney]

do you have any idea how frustrating it is to learn how to use Illustrator

 

I do. That's why I prefer Coreldraw.

Actually, it's probably more of a 'first learned, best remembered' thing. Once you learn something its hard to unlearn that and learn again. Persistence does pay of however and even old dogs can learn new tricks.

 

Not everyone is going to be good at everything and certainly not everyone is going to be great at A:M.

That's why you want to get to know some of these talented people... one never knows when the right ship will sail in.

 

 

Like when Dreamworks came to the school they don't use a competing product. They use a proprietary one called Emote. There's no way to learn it if you don't work there. But if you know the competing products then it's just a matter of learning the inter-phase.

 

PIXAR is much the same way. Their primary program for animation, Marionette, is propriety and exclusive to them as well. We are in the in on that... our proprietary means to animation being the one and the only... Animation:Master.

 

Okay, that's enough slogans and catch phrases from me for today.

 

For what it's worth 'Remedy' would make a fine live action series. But, you'd probably have to CG that crazy cat. I don't see any other way.

[Darkwing]

do you have any idea how frustrating it is to learn how to use Illustrator

 

I do. That's why I prefer Coreldraw.

 

 

 

THHHHAAANNNKKKK YYYOOOOUUUU!!!!! *hugs Rodney* Do you know how many people scoff at me when I tell them I prefer Draw over Illustrator? (rhetorical question )

[Fuchur]

do you have any idea how frustrating it is to learn how to use Illustrator

 

I do. That's why I prefer Coreldraw.

 

 

 

THHHHAAANNNKKKK YYYOOOOUUUU!!!!! *hugs Rodney* Do you know how many people scoff at me when I tell them I prefer Draw over Illustrator? (rhetorical question )

 

It is not that hard to learn... just different.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Gerry]

Hi Rob, nice to see you back here!

 

We are serious power users of Illustrator at my day job, and I often wonder how I would go about teaching it to someone. It's completely unintuitive and more a matter of "once you know how, you know how". I would have a problem just explaining the text tools to a beginner, and the beginner would have to have a seriously open mind!

 

Probably the best way to learn this or any other app is in a group setting, like a studio or classroom where everyone can swap tips and shortcuts. And I remember a couple of tricks that CorelDraw had at least ten years ago that Illustrator still doesn't have! Still, it comes down to whatever tools you are given to work with.

[HomeSlice]

and one of my future professors will be providing me with free copies of... ahem.... competing animation products.

After learning those other products and realizing that something is hard, *not* because you don't know how to do it, but because the interface is a clunky prehistoric mess, you're going to beg your professors to allow you to use A:M.