v17 features?

[serg2]

Where can I find description the new features and additions to the new version?

[Fuchur]

Where can I find description the new features and additions to the new version?

 

They are available in A:M Reports. The most important once till now are:

- Snap to Surface for CPs (Retopology-Tool) useable with poly- and patch-models. > Polys can be imported as Props and dragged in a Chor to use them as reference, patch-models can be used in modelling and chor-mode.

- Now uses Intel-compiler and some other improvements > increases speed up to 15% for Intel and AMD-CPUs.

- UV-Editor-Improvements (multiselection now possible and advanced splitting of UV-patches)

- Many little improvements like "Animate"-Mode-indication, etc.

- Many bug-fixes.

 

More detailed informations can be found in A:M Reports, if you have access to v17.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[serg2]

Thank you, Fuchur!

[John Bigboote]

Wowsers--- some big ones... some smart ones. AWESOME!

[serg2]

I LOOOOOOOOOVE AM

I AM FANAT AM

[petokosun]

strange question . . . is V17 already on sale.

[Rodney]

strange question . . . is V17 already on sale.

 

Not yet. It has entered its Alpha cycle of testing.

After Alpha Testing comes Beta testing... which usually consists of a public release candidate... then full release for sale!

[Vertexspline]

Sounds like some really helpful features being added......to an already pretty nice version 16 ---AM rocks on.

[John Bigboote]

With the retopology tool and the MDD action export and improved import/export, A:M may become involved in more commercial workflows! Martin might disapprove, but the additional sales might make him think otherwise. Yeah, 17 will be GREAT!!!! 16 already is a wonder to behold and a real pleasure to work in.

[Malo]

Good news , thanks Fuchur for the informations .Thanks very much to Stephen Gross to still alive AM.

[Rodney]

Martin might disapprove, but the additional sales might make him think otherwise.

 

Based on his efforts in the past to improve and enhance A:M the assumption should be that he approves of any reasonable advancement.

The 'more sales' thing is an old theme... More sales mostly equates to an increasing demand for enhancements to the program, to documentation, etc. Be ready to put on your support and development clothes 'cause Steffen might need some help in the kitchen.

 

Many little improvements like "Animate"-Mode-indication, etc.

Little by little we are getting there. Folks have been asking for that one for awhile. That enhancement alone should please quite a few.

[Fuchur]

With the retopology tool and the MDD action export and improved import/export, A:M may become involved in more commercial workflows! Martin might disapprove, but the additional sales might make him think otherwise. Yeah, 17 will be GREAT!!!! 16 already is a wonder to behold and a real pleasure to work in.

 

I don't think that he would... in the end it is all about not using polygones. Use polygon-models as a reference but use patches for animation... that is all he has ever said and like that it is a tool that should not be too far from his original mind.

 

Anyway: It is a good day for A:M and retopology is a great tool. The UV-editor is the other big thing for me... the multiselection-support alone is so useful!

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[serg2]

it would be nice that retopology tool the same way have snap in extrude and lathe operations

[robcat2075]

it would be nice that retopology tool the same way have snap in extrude and lathe operations

 

There's an option to snap a whole mesh to a surface, also. You could lathe, then snap that to the Prop. I think.

[Vertexspline]

I think the retopology tool might be a real boon to help in modeling which for me sounds just great.

[pixelplucker]

it would be nice that retopology tool the same way have snap in extrude and lathe operations

 

If the retopo works anything like 3d coat then the lathe and extrude probably aren't applicable but instead you draw over the reference surface and I'm guessing simply stitch the patches together. This will be awesome!

 

Is this how it works in AM?

 

Any chance for Bias handle freezing? Be nice to be able to turn off the auto adjusting when doing mech models.

 

Also like to see visibility and lock icons show up next to the groups much like the roto shows. Would find that to be extremely handy on complex models with tons of groups.

[Fuchur]

it would be nice that retopology tool the same way have snap in extrude and lathe operations

 

If the retopo works anything like 3d coat then the lathe and extrude probably aren't applicable but instead you draw over the reference surface and I'm guessing simply stitch the patches together. This will be awesome!

 

Is this how it works in AM?

 

Any chance for Bias handle freezing? Be nice to be able to turn off the auto adjusting when doing mech models.

 

Also like to see visibility and lock icons show up next to the groups much like the roto shows. Would find that to be extremely handy on complex models with tons of groups.

 

Yes it works like that. In short:

1.) Import a Prop (for instance an OBJ) into the chor-window.

2.) Create an empty model in the PWS and drag and drop it into the chor too.

3.) Good practice is to make everything but the empty model in the chor unpickable.

4.) Now select the model and go to the modeling-mode in the chor.

5.) Click on "Add Spline" and activate "Snap to Surface".

> Now you are ready to go.

 

You can now create splines as you are used in A:M by clicking on a point visible on the mesh below. (for example the OBJ, but doesnt have to be one). A:M will determine the position of the mesh below an put the new inserted point on it. If you select the point again and move it around, it will slide over the surface of the model.

 

This is possible for polygon-meshes and for patch-surfaces. That means, you can not only use it to "import" very polygon-intensive models but you can although use it to model for example cloth on your patch-based characters, etc.

 

It is very handy and I will surely do a video-tutorial on it in future...

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[HomeSlice]

Also like to see visibility and lock icons show up next to the groups much like the roto shows

I don't think that would be possible. You can assign one CP to several groups, so what happens to the CP when you show some of those groups and hide some of the other ones?

[pixelplucker]

Wouldn't it hide that cp?

What would be the purpose of a shared cp?

[Fuchur]

Wouldn't it hide that cp?

What would be the purpose of a shared cp?

 

Many, like for example saving a certain selection while having the surface-attributes of another one for a overlapping group, etc..

But the most important reason is: Try to give a model two different colors. how do you define them next to each other, if you are not allowed to use the border-cps in both groups?

 

But the whole purpose of locking/hiding is really easy in A:M. Use the "Select connected" and "Invert selection" features to hide stuff... it is really not that hard. Other programms are many times more difficult there than A:M is.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[robcat2075]

Simplest case, two adjacent groups will share CPs on their common side. Lots of separate groups will have CPs in common.

 

I think Group locking and hiding would be one more thing for people to lose track of and not know what's going wrong.

 

 

 

Any chance for Bias handle freezing?

 

Interesting idea, I don't know it the math of splines allows it or not. Basically the bias handles are normally parallel to a line drawn thru the two neighboring CPs. When you "adjust bias" you are making an offset from that original default, not an absolute direction like you do in a vector program such as Illustrator.

 

A new data element would have to be added to every CP to somehow make the bias handle ignore its natural inclinations and instead stay oriented to... the model bone? Another bone? World space? Something else?

[pixelplucker]

I was thinking more along the modeling stage rather than texturing. I think it could be implemented and keeping the existing hide/unhide lock/unlock buttons that would over ride and reset the group controls.

 

I like the workflow in AM but there are small things I miss that I have become so used to using from other programs that would make this really sing. Stupid little things like the above, universal gizmo to manipulate selections rather than relying on modifier keys.

 

My biggest request is some way of locking bias handles so once you get them the way you want they stay that way. I think I spend more time fiddling with handles and re-adjusting them than actually modeling and texturing. A lot of unnecessary tweaking imo when it comes to mech modeling.

[Fuchur]

My biggest request is some way of locking bias handles so once you get them the way you want they stay that way. I think I spend more time fiddling with handles and re-adjusting them than actually modeling and texturing. A lot of unnecessary tweaking imo when it comes to mech modeling.

 

Jep, I can feel your pain there... that one is bothering me too often, especially if you need to move your CP afterwards and the bias-handlers go crazy... I always thought that there was no real way of doing it in another way, but if there is, this would be cool!

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[robcat2075]

For now, do you bias adjusting last and you'll only do it once.

[Rodney]

Jep, I can feel your pain there... that one is bothering me too often, especially if you need to move your CP afterwards and the bias-handlers go crazy... I always thought that there was no real way of doing it in another way, but if there is, this would be cool!

 

I wish I was smarter when it came to knowing the ins and outs of the modeling tools we have available to us. Your discussion reminds me of Emilio (the guy who programmed the Sweeper plugin and another plugin called Set Bias). When it came to Bias tweaking Emilio was fearless and with that he had an incredible confidence that allowed him to create shapes in a matter of seconds that frankly I don't think I'd ever be able to make. The sad thing is... for me... the tools he used most often were the exact same tools we have available.

 

When struggling with Biases its often good to know what your workflow is because that alone might be enlightening. We should share our workflows more often here in the forum because I know we'd learn a lot. That's the closest thing we have to sitting behind someone who is a real master at these things.

 

As I recall, Emilio would almost never grab ahold of a Bias Handle with a mouse, rather he would type in the Bias settings in the properties panel... arrowing around the interface and using shortcut keys like crazy. In the end all of his surfaces where super smooth and his shapes approached perfection. It just left my head spinning, wondering how in the heck he learned to do what he did.

 

If you are not using the Properties Panel and Named Groups to organize your Bias Manipulations I recommend looking into that. Also, if you've got some area of your mesh perfected lock that to prevent inadvertent changes.

[Vertexspline]

Rodney- I could sit behind Robert or Fuchur and watch them for days and still be about where I am --but at least I would know that I was doing things with the right workflow. Smiles.

[Rodney]

I could sit behind Robert or Fuchur and watch them for days and still be about where I am --but at least I would know that I was doing things with the right workflow.

 

What's especially cool about watching someone else is that even when you know something thoroughly other people have a way of demonstrating a method you've never seen or heard before. The benefit some of the old masters (Eggington, Avalanche, Anzovin etc.) had was that they were often in a place to look over other peoples shoulders on a daily basis. You might just be walking by and see something cool and say, "Hey, how the heck did you do that?!" and they'd show you. Online its hard to determine what we already know... harder still to imagine what we don't know.

 

Also, we tend to forget a lot of things too.

I had a vague recollection of adjusting Biases in Action and Choreography windows but trying again just now... it didn't quite work as I recalled.

 

Over the past few years local User's Groups have died off a bit... everyone is busy and it takes time to get together. Those are always great events to share ideas and workflows. We are always looking for good excuses to promote users Groups here in the forum so if anyone is interested in that angle just say the word. Meeting in person is always ideal but these days we do have some pretty amazing tech at our disposal that might also work. User's Groups have historically been location oriented but online it seems to me that 'theme or area of interest' might be the primary motivators. For instance, there is no reason why someone couldn't start up a Modeler's Group. Next year I'll be back in the states so... look out John Lemke... Milwaukee/Chicago needs a Users Group!

 

v17 is on it's way... I know I'm excited about it!

[mouseman]

I could sit behind Robert or Fuchur and watch them for days and still be about where I am --but at least I would know that I was doing things with the right workflow.

Over the past few years local User's Groups have died off a bit... everyone is busy and it takes time to get together. Those are always great events to share ideas and workflows. We are always looking for good excuses to promote users Groups here in the forum so if anyone is interested in that angle just say the word.

I've so wished I could find a local collaborator where we could work on things in the same physical space. I bought a couple of copies/subscriptions for people without a lot of success (at least towards that goal; one of them ended up taking those skills and moving to Second Life and creating/selling models there).

 

I've had a few really good experiences with pair programming, and I'm sure that there is the possibility for similar benefits with animation. From the observer's point of view, TheSpleene and MJL collaborations have been a huge success, though I have no idea what their process is.

 

What can be done with technologies like Skype and repositories (SVN, GIT, etc)? I meet with a lot of resistance in general when I suggest trying out Skype with people, but I think that some day we'll use those kinds of tools more for collaboration. Things as simple as what timezones people are in and what days/evenings they have available become important.

 

It would be fun to find a collaborator to work on the Rear Window project. I'm going to start a thread over at the Community Projects forum asking who would be interested in doing so.

 

Edit: The post is here.

[Shelton]

Rodney, at the Hash Bashes is where I learned a great deal about the program. Just like you said you see something and they would take the time to show you.

 

Steve

[pixelplucker]

I'm thinking that locking the bias handles might not be so hard. If you open the properties menu you will see the numbers change when moving the handles. To lock those should be possible through that menu which would keep those values exact. Maybe even have a short key for that purpose.

 

When I model I keep the handles hidden and fiddle with them last but sometimes you need to adjust them as you go along. I have found in some cases especially with long splines that they would change after cfa or extrude and I end up tweaking double the number of handles since mirror mode doesn't work on bias handles and moving them isn't undo-able.

 

On another note, are there going to be any auto riggers in the new version similar to TSM2?

Some sort of auto boning and cp assignment might make a great add-on to AM for those that want to take it to the next level. I had an idea of a system that would create bones from the user defined pre-made joints that have all the transform data already set.

[robcat2075]

I'm thinking that locking the bias handles might not be so hard. If you open the properties menu you will see the numbers change when moving the handles. To lock those should be possible through that menu which would keep those values exact. Maybe even have a short key for that purpose.

 

Maybe I don't understand what you are wanting. Are you wanting the bias handle to stay motionless even if the neighboring CPs are moved?

 

Keeping a CP's bias numbers constant won't keep the bias handles pointing motionless.

[Rodney]

On another note, are there going to be any auto riggers in the new version similar to TSM2?

Some sort of auto boning and cp assignment might make a great add-on to AM for those that want to take it to the next level. I had an idea of a system that would create bones from the user defined pre-made joints that have all the transform data already set.

 

There are no autoriggers headed for v17 that I know of, perhaps in v18 or so?

Does anyone know if some of the code from TSM is available to explore?

There was an effort to build a node based rigging system outlined elsewhere in the forum (If I can find it I'll move it to the Users Development forum)

 

If you've got specific ideas you definitely should share them as they might provide a missing element to something readily implementable.

A:M Reports is of course the best place to launch a new feature request but if you are simply wanting to develop the idea there is the User Development area also. There we can collect a treasure trove full of ideas awaiting that inevitable day when A:M has an army of programmers at it's disposal.

 

I'm thinking that locking the bias handles might not be so hard. If you open the properties menu you will see the numbers change when moving the handles. To lock those should be possible through that menu which would keep those values exact. Maybe even have a short key for that purpose.

 

I'm trying to understand how locking of Bias would work (not how it would work in the interface... got that... how it would work with adjacent spline continuity). It seems to me that the act of fully locking the Bias (too where the adjacent splines would not be effected) would create a situation where the remaining CPs could only be adjusted vertically and horizontally. This constraining of the movement of CPs is already available via shortcut keys.

 

Could you possible 'fake' a video that demonstrates your desired goal?

There is no doubt that every CPs Biases could be locked but it's not clear what that effect would have on the rest of the model outside of options already available.

 

If this is the first time you've opened the Properties panel and adjusted Biases there I'd recommend some further experimentation as you may already be able to accomplish your goal through a change of workflow.

[Fuchur]

Easy: Make a spline that looks like a quadrat with round beveled edges. To do that, you need to adjust bias-handles to form a straigt line between the corners.

Now grap two corners (so 4 cps) and move them away. If A:M could now keep the splines between the corners straight it would be great. Would be very helpful for mechanical modelling.

But this is not as easy as "keeping the bias values". They are kept... they would have to change in a way, that they keep the shape... I imagine that be much harder...

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[R Reynolds]

Now grab two corners...and move them away. If A:M could now keep the splines between the corners straight it would be great.

In cases such as this, my suggestion for a bias handle "lock" would be to have the ability to force a handle to always point at a selected, adjacent CP.

[pixelplucker]

Keeping the handles from auto adjusting can also be useful when subdividing a spline. Make a circle and if you subdivide one segment "y" key the circle deforms.

 

That make sense?

[Fuchur]

Keeping the handles from auto adjusting can also be useful when subdividing a spline. Make a circle and if you subdivide one segment "y" key the circle deforms.

 

That make sense?

 

Yep, I asked for that already... it is like stitching with the Y-key.

Stitching itself is already possible so... Shift-Click in Add-Mode will give you that... it is not possible with the Y-key for now so...

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[bubba]

Not to start a flame war, or anything like that, but will Stephen be able to do a Mac version of v17? I know he had some issues with the last version of Xcode, but with the release of the 4.2.1 is everything ok?

[Fuchur]

Not to start a flame war, or anything like that, but will Stephen be able to do a Mac version of v17? I know he had some issues with the last version of Xcode, but with the release of the 4.2.1 is everything ok?

 

No, Xcode 4.2 isn't working, but he doesn't have to use that one. The version before that is fine with the current Mac-OS...

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Rodney]

I rediscovered the information Emilo Le Roux had posted regarding the reason why he programmed his Set Bias plugin. It seems that in A:M doesn't give access to both In and Out Alphas and Gammas in the CP/Bias Properties panel.

 

In the image attached he suggests that to create the outer bending in of the umbrella we have to select the CPs individually in order to type in each parameter. Using the comma to select the whole spline will adjust all of them the same (when the opposite values for each must be input in order to obtain the symmetrical curvature.

 

I've added the umbrella model where I typed in the Alpha and Gamma settings manually. I think I got them all...

The sad thing here is that I still don't fully understand the nature of Alpha/Gamma setting with respect to Bias. The same settings that would push a spline outward with -15 would push it inward as I went around the circumference of the umbrella.

 

I never purchased Emilio's Set Bias utility so I don't know what all he incorporated into it.

UmbrellaTop_BiasTesting.mdl

[serg2]

Emilio wrote plugin Animated Noise.

It would be nice to have such a built-in plug-in AM

[Rodney]

Emilio wrote plugin Animated Noise.

 

Serg,

Does that plugin still work with A:M?

 

(Was that the Wave plugin?)

[serg2]

Rodney,

I tested the static plugin (noise.hxt) on AM v11.

The site Emilio was the announcement of an animation plugin, which he planned to put up for sale.

And I think that was the video how this plugin works.

[Rodney]

Thanks Serg,

I guess Emilio never released that program beyond it's initial test phase?

 

For completeness's sake here is a link to where Martin asks Emilio why he needs to program the Set Bias plugin. Emilio responds and explains about the ability to access the In and Out of both the Alpha and Gamma settings, whereas in the properties panel we only have access to one of them. Martin sees the utility of it and thanks him for his efforts in creating plugins for A:M.

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7989

[John Bigboote]

I remember hearing about a new version of Newton Dynamics that featured a 'rag-doll' simulator among other things... will V17 incorporate this new Newton? (Slap me if I am asking way too much, I tend to do that...)

[John Bigboote]

SWEET! Dig the new 'animate warning' indicator! This will save a LOT of grief!

[NancyGormezano]

I like your "hills" matt!

 

And the new animate warning as well!

[John Bigboote]

Hey thanks... it's a job where I was going to do a 'multi-plane' zoom back in AE with AE's clumsy 3D camera... and decided, 'what if--- I do it in A:M instead- then I could apply the artwork to actual 'spherical' hillsides and get some extra added dimension to it...' it is looking good in MY opinion... but will be a surprise to my client, so anything could happen. ON THE GOOD SIDE, it is a 'full HD' job at 1920X1080, and the provided artwork is HUGE, and A:M V17 is handling the task sans-hiccup!

[bubba]

Any word on if the Adobe Illustrator plug-in will be upgraded to handle the CS format?

[Fuchur]

Any word on if the Adobe Illustrator plug-in will be upgraded to handle the CS format?

 

I don't think that will happen... why do you need that? You can save to the AI 8 format from any newer version (including CS5) and it will work very well.

All you have to do is to get rid of groups....

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[pixelplucker]

Any word on if the Adobe Illustrator plug-in will be upgraded to handle the CS format?

 

I don't think that will happen... why do you need that? You can save to the AI 8 format from any newer version (including CS5) and it will work very well.

All you have to do is to get rid of groups....

 

See you

*Fuchur*

 

I'm surprised CS works. I typically use old Illustrator 7 because there is so much bloat in the cs series. There are all kinds of issues with the live feature that may be a problem. I know my cad software doesn't like cs much and I have to down save the files.