PatMarrNC - all messages by user

2016/5/15 17:53:47
Extend or combine character actions tablets of that type are very popular among the users of conventional animation programs such as Anime Studio and ToonBoom studio, where characters can be drawn/painted, then animated.

There are some lower priced Chinese knockoffs that get good reviews, HUION GT-220 is one that comes to mind

It's on my wish list... but the older I get, the less time and enthusiasm I have for learning curves.

Nevertheless, you can safely put my name on the list of people who envy you for having a cintiq. ;-)
2016/5/15 14:52:35
Extend or combine character actions ikes wrote:
MrDrWho13 wrote:
Is that a CRT monitor?


No, it is a Wacom Cintiq screen


Ikes, how do you like your Wacom Cintiq? I've been looking at them, but the price has kept me from buying. That's the one that allows drawing directly on the screen while the picture is visible below the pen, right? Amazing concept for digital artists!
2016/5/15 14:19:12
2 middle buttons for moving sideways and verticall a more expensive solution is a spaceball controller, which is generally found in engineering or graphic arts shops where 3D modelling is done:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-Connexion-SpaceBall-5000FLX-3D-Drafting-Controller-Mouse-Programmable-/391188486724?hash=item5b14a69a44:g:CXoAAOSwu4BVk-jA

or

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1064050&gclid=CJz_8u6V3MwCFVglgQodmfAKpA&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876%2C92051677442%2C&A=details&Q=
edited by PatMarrNC on 15/05/2016
2016/5/15 14:13:22
2 middle buttons for moving sideways and verticall While we're on the topic of crazy outside the box ways to send key combinations to the computer, Here's a little gizmo I use in my music act to switch from song to song without taking my hands off the guitar:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FS3-P-USB-Triple-Foot-Switch-Pedal-Control-Keyboard-Mouse-PC-Computer-Game-/361502786970?hash=item542b3ec59a:g:B3wAAOSwoudW19nj

It provides 3 foot switches, each of which can be configured to send any keystroke, including combinations with control alt,. shift etc. You can use it for all sorts of situations where you need to work quickly when using software. And it's not all that expensive.
2016/5/15 14:03:11
Extend or combine character actions not a very convenient workaround, but it would accomplish the full goal if you felt like going to the trouble: You could use ALT-PRTSCR to capture each menu and your other screen capture program to capture everything else... then combine them in your video editor.

This is what happens when you decide to be a good guy and help people by making video tutorials: no good deed goes unpunished. ;-)

However maddening this may be, rest assured that your efforts and information are greatly appreciated!
2016/5/15 2:43:24
Wheels animation trick Rod, I spent most of this evening watching the videos on your youtube channel... wow... they are masterfully done! The one about LIFE GOES ON was particularly touching because it portrays my own life very well... I married my high school girlfriend, had a VERY happy life with her for 38 years until she was diagnosed with cancer. Then I spent a year trying to keep her comfortable as she died. Heartbreaking.

The thought you put into your projects is very evident, and none of the detail is pointless... everything works together to create the story you want to portray. Your clever use of workarounds and special effects is also quite a testimony to your resourcefulness and masterful ability to craft a story.

I doubt I'll ever produce anything remotely as powerful and compelling as any of your videos, but I like having your work as an inspiration. Thanks for all the contributions you make to this forum. My hat is off to you.
2016/5/15 1:07:25
Mobile Phone Action in the screen shot with the blue arm... what software was that?
2016/5/14 19:03:24
Extend or combine character actions Ikes,
thanks for taking time to make this tutorial... it makes sense to me now! VERY clever! Playing devil's advocate here... you could have applied the diving action to the original character and slid the action to wherever you need it, right?

But I can imagine situations where the complexity and timing of the character actions would necessitate something like this! Thank you for sharing the results of your creative exploration with the rest of us! You are very inventive!
2016/5/14 16:25:04
Alien Grey (Cow Abduction 2) in the interest of tightening up the intro (I'll have a shorter version to you sometime today) you can skip all the references to me if you want. You own the rights to the songs, so no explanation required. If you want to include a brief small font callout to my website in the final credits, that would be appreciated but certainly not necessary.

I think you are a REALLY talented guy, and I hope you take these original projects and develop them to the max. I can see you developing quite a following on Youtube or Facebook, to the point that you can sell ads and make money.

From the perspective of going from "really good amateur video" to "pretty good pro video" the last 10% of effort takes the longest. The old saying is "90% down, 90% to go..."

A lot of forums err on the side of praise to keep artists encouraged no matter what their level of accomplishment. This forum seems to be more focused on offering constructive criticism. There are advantages and disadvantages to that. Obviously it's more fun to read praise... but...

this forum has some real heavy hitters and the advice they have to offer could help you bridge that last "90%" a lot faster than trying to figure it out by yourself.

I'm in your corner Clayster... if there is ANYTHING I can do to help you overcome obstacles and find the success you wish for, just let me know.

From this point on, get in the habit of regarding criticism as guidance rather than as discouraging words. You have a great deal of potential, but all potential needs refinement in order to be fulfilled.

Write this date down. Its when the legend of Alien Grey began. ;-)
2016/5/14 14:40:30
Alien Grey (Cow Abduction 2) Wow Clayster, that was AWESOME! I think you've found your niche here! It really is reminiscent of the roadrunner/coyote videos from the 60s!

Your models are all so good, (LOVED the double-hammered-dog-whomper and each of the devices your alien character tried to use)

The final scene in which a compressed alien rolls past and leaves the carton of milk was somewhat unexpected but totally enjoyed!

I think it was a good decision to put subtitles for the alien's conversation... otherwise you'd have to make his voice more easily understood, which wouldn't be as funny.

Rocque's voice acting for the cows was also good, easy to understand and full of personality!.
There were a couple of comments made by the dog that I didn't understand, even after going back a couple of time to listen again.

I think the opening theme needs to be shorter, so I'll remove one verse. Better yet, maybe it would be good to have each verse used as two separate intros so you don't have to use the exact same one every time. If you ever make a full blown 30 minute compilation of Alien Grey toons, then the two verse version would make more sense, but in a 7 minute production, using 3 minutes for intro and outtro seems disproportionate to me. Since you tend to make a lot of short episodes, you definitely need a shorter intro theme. (I'm on it. )

Once again.... EXCELLENT job my friend.. and VERY entertaining! Keep up the good work!

----------------------------
after a few more watches I have more comments.

I take it you're using HitFilm for the effects? Like the portals that open between universes? (Very cool). You have used a bunch of interesting effects in this, it will take me a while to wrap my head around what you're doing
edited by PatMarrNC on 14/05/2016
2016/5/14 14:05:57
Extend or combine character actions Great idea! Without knowing where you changed visibility, it's hard to guess what you did... to me it looks seamless. I'd like maybe not a full blown tutorial (although that would be nice) but at least a little background on what actions were combined and where the switch was made.

One of the new additions to the User assets uses a similar trick to switch between two wheelbarrows (one attached to a character, and one free standing)... the end result looks like the character pushed a wheelbarrow to a certain point then walked away from it. In reality the wheelbarrow attached to the character gets turned OFF while the freestanding one gets turned ON!

Very clever!
2016/5/14 0:11:20
Workaround to simulate falling water that looks AWESOME Rod! You are doing some very cool stuff!

(Being a big ol' dummy myself, I'll need the step by step explanation...)
2016/5/13 16:04:25
Oh gosh I have feedback .. yes, to support UrbanLambs post:

I just emailed Jamie about zip files and he said they are not allowed.

As a workaround for providing a collection of textures, he suggested applying them to characters and putting the characters in a set.
2016/5/13 14:17:29
Oh gosh I have feedback .. thanks for the info about the zip file! That could turn out to be be one of the keys to making small purchases work!

I think I'll contact Muvizu and ask about the ability to post a zip file of OBJ models as long as they aren't downloads from some other 3D asset collection
2016/5/13 13:24:27
Oh gosh I have feedback .. MrDrWho13 wrote:
I'd like to add that £2.99 is a bit steep for a texture in my mind, but that might just be because I'm a cheapskate.


I agree. I haven't explored the store's uploading options yet, so I don't know where they have the pricing thresholds set, or exactly what can and can't be uploaded.

It seems to me that the ideal situation is to keep the prices high enough to justify the "per transaction" fee, but low enough to justify the purchase. In the case of textures, I'd be more inclined to spend £2.99 on a collection of textures. Is it possible to upload zip files to the store?

If so, any thoughts on what number of textures might justify a 2.99 price tag? 5? 10? 20?
2016/5/13 13:16:04
Oh gosh I have feedback .. The thing that I would be most likely to spend money for is an editable OBJ file. That way one purchase could be repurposed into multiple uses... for example, a dog's head attachment could be edited into a number of different breeds. Even for users who might not want to model from scratch, it's fairly easy to edit something that's already the right size and basic shape.

Does anybody know why Muvizu stopped allowing models to be posted? I'm guessing it was because people were posting ASE versions of models that they downloaded, and somebody else owned the rights to it.

The project I'm working on to create OBJ files for all the characters is an example of something that could be useful to a lot of users, but won't be sellable in the store. Bummer.
2016/5/13 2:10:26
Oh gosh I have feedback .. I like the demo video idea. It shows much than even a bunch of still shots could ever show.

edit: I just got what you mean by "a slot for a demo video is in order". If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that the upload process prompts the user for a video in the same way that it prompts for a picture. I agree, that would be great!

in the meantime, though, it's always possible to put a video on dropbox, youtube or vimeo and post a link to it in the description.

Considering the fact that Muvizu doesn't host our animations (which is the best ad for their product) , I'd be very surprised if they made the decision to host demo video. But I'd love to be wrong about that!
edited by PatMarrNC on 13/05/2016
2016/5/7 3:34:15
Wheels animation trick above and beyond the turning wheel, I like the parallax movement between the foreground and background scenery as the truck drives past. Did you make all of those layered scenes?
2016/5/6 22:42:03
Wheels animation trick looks great rod! You'll...um... be making that available in the store, right? (wink wink nudge nudge)
2016/5/6 13:51:44
Anime Studio Pro 11 sale til Dec 1st mysto wrote:
I bought Anime Studio Pro 11 when they had it on sale a few months ago. For the price they charged you can't go wrong!

I agree! And it's great to know somebody who shares two of my hobbies!
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