#All
15 messages in this thread
When reloading a project file that I was working on I found that the
"View Image" feature in all modes (Editor, Keyframer, Materials
Editor) ceased to function for all formats (gif, cell, targa etc.).
All I recieved on screen was a "blank screen" with no error messages.
Although the view image quit working the "view flic" works fine. If I
exit the program and reload the .prj file, same thing. If I resave in
either a 3ds file or a .prj file same problem. Resetting to defaults
or loading a different file clears up the problem for that project
but not for the problem project.
It seems the project file has been corrupted somehow but I have no
idea how. This problem I'm sure is related to "loosing objects" that
I continue to have problems with although infrequent. As near as I
can tell it seems to have happened after exiting and then the
following day retrieving the file with the surprize of a problem.
Has anyone had files somehow getting corrupted from perhaps a problem
even outside 3d studio? Any ideas would be appreciated.
P.S. The problem file was extremely simple. The earth turning with the
moon rotating around it, nothing else. Booth off the CD rom.
It sounds like the NULL display driver has been activated somehow.
That would explain why view image fails and view flic doesn't.
Gary:
Is the NULL driver information kept with a project file? I don't seem to have a
problem with other files. Can't say exactly how the display problem came to be
except it seemed to show up after saving and returning to the program.
Jerry
Not under normal conditions. If it happened after saving the file and then
reloading it, it's possible that the file got corrupted somehow. Without being
able to reproduce it here, I can only speculate.
– G
Gary/Yost Group/All Excuse the ignorance here, but I just returned from NAB and
saw many 3DS-type programs there. There were 3 main capabilities I took note of
and was wondering if they already exist in 3DS (very possible… its a huge
program) or as IPAS routines or as future features:
> Flexers (as in Wavefront's smart skins) smooth keyframed joint movement >
Metaballs (as in Vertigo's) globular unions by promiximity > Perspective
Matching (as in Topas's) for proxy-type raster file alignment -dave
> Flexers (as in Wavefront's smart skins) smooth keyframed joint movement
GY: Possible to do in IPAS.
>Metaballs (as in Vertigo's) globular unions by promiximity
GY: Danny Mercurio is working on an IPAS routine for this. There's a
demo in DL9.
> Perspective Matching
GY: Our version of this is the Perspective command in the Camera branch.
It allows dynamic perspective changes, while maintaining the current
framing.
– G
Gary; Thanks for the quick response. As a side note, I thought the gang
represented 3DS and ANI very well at NAB. I am still amazed at the power of
these products on a PC…. most everything else I saw there was on a Silicon
Graphics platform. I have heard rumors that 3DS and ANI will be ported to SG
systems… is this true? (no comment would be understood).
> Flexers (as in Wavefront's smart skins) smooth keyframed joint movement GY:
Possible to do in IPAS.
This would require us (me and my company) to develop a routine series to do
this, yes? (or are you aware of existing IPAS routines which already accomplish
this? (I hate re-inventing wheels). 🙂
>Metaballs (as in Vertigo's) globular unions by promiximity GY: Danny Mercurio
is working on an IPAS routine for this. There's a demo in DL9.
I'll check it out. Thank you.
> Perspective Matching GY: Our version of this is the Perspective command in
the Camera branch. It allows dynamic perspective changes, while maintaining the
current framing.
The functionality of "alternatives" permitted the raster file (GIF, etc) to be
viewed while geometry was being aligned. Are the proxy (See Background)
functions used as the equivalent for alignment in 3DS or is there a full raster
view capability during alignment that I'm not aware of?
Again, thank you for the responses. These answers really help us when clients
call in for comparisons and feature questions. -dave
While Autodesk doesn't usually talk about future releases (a touch of cynisism
here… <g>), they did drop the bombshell that the 3DS renderer will be ported
to SGI. This will be a render slave only situation, no user interface.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
/* While Autodesk doesn't usually talk about future releases (a touch of
cynisism here… <g>), they did drop the bombshell that the 3DS renderer will
be ported to SGI. This will be a render slave only situation, no user
interface. */
But what an increase in performance! Glad to hear it. Thanks. -dave
As John said, the 3DS/SGI deal is renderer-slave ONLY. That's it.
Re smooth joints… Our new skinning IPAS3 routine actually does smooth joints
beautifully. You don't get the cute FFD boxes around each joint, but you can
do great muscle effects by animating the joint cross-sections, and the skin
looks perfect.
Re perspective alignment… although not ideal, the 3-shade proxy view is
certainly usable for aligning geometry to the background. I'm sure we'll expand
the color palette in the next version, however.
– G
/* Re smooth joints… Our new skinning IPAS3 routine actually does smooth
joints beautifully. You don't get the cute FFD boxes around each joint, but
you can do great muscle effects by animating the joint cross-sections, and the
skin looks perfect. */
I'll make a note of it and add this to our list of IPAS routines. We work with
several gaming companies and they've been looking for this capability for some
time. Looking forward to working with it. Thanks!
/* Re perspective alignment… although not ideal, the 3-shade proxy view is
certainly usable for aligning geometry to the background. I'm sure we'll expand
the color palette in the next version, however. */
For what it's worth, I really enjoyed the "alignment-planes" used to align the
geometry too. Current 3DS interface relies on eyeballing, which seems difficult
for some of our users. Having a rectiliniear reference plane set with which
alignments to key features in the proxy/raster background image could be made
seemed to help tremendously. So many features, so little time! Thanks again for
response on this. I know our clients will appreciate the info. -dave
Dave,
<< Current 3DS interface relies on eyeballing, which seems difficult for some
of our users. Having a rectiliniear reference plane set with which alignments
to key features in the proxy/raster background image could be made seemed to
help tremendously. >>
I'll take this as a R4 wish. (6 days left for your(everyones) wishes )
jonas[adesk]
>> (6 days left for your(everyones) wishes )
Before you started accumulating wishes, Gary asked us to save them up and
e-mail them to him on April 1. Is there any need to do that now, since I
imagine you have the complete list so far?
>(6 days left for your(everyones) wishes )
So I mentioned this before, but object collision/detection/avoidence, etc,
would surely be the biggest thing missing (next to Skin — but we'll get G's
IPAS routine for that in another month or so). Gary seemed to indicate this
would be available sometime (I guess as an IPAS) but since we have no official
word, and since it wouldn't come from the Yost Group, I'd rather have it as R4
— isn't this such a necessary part it should be part of the package (rather
than relying upon the good graces of a third party developer who may or may not
get their act together in a year or two)?
Besides, Gary, the program's so perfect now you're going to have a tough time
figuring out anything to do in the next 18 months.
/* I'll take this as a R4 wish. (6 days left for your(everyones) wishes ) */
Holy cow! I didn't know we were under the gun! Yeah, here's a few we'd love to
see:
1> color control for Preview in Keyframer… right now its blue, it would be
great to control (with RGB slider or equivalent) the exactly color of the
background for masking, compositing, and even VERY quick storyboarding
capability with GIF background pasting. One user even wondered if a GIF
background could be used where blue occurs for a VERY fast grey-scale flic
maker.
2> add to the tutorial an exercise on vertice matching… for example, how to
morph from the capital letter A to the capital letter B using an internal PFB
font. Many users are disoriented with the definition of Morph and do not
understand how to get basic shapes lofted from 2D shaper into 3D world and
morphed into one another. Trying to match up the vertice count is quite a
trick. Any insights added to the tutorial would do two things: explain the
techniques of vertex matching and clarify morphing's requirements.
3> Full gif or proxy image type icon instead of boundary box/cylinder/sphere
for mapping adjustment. Many times, users try to place a Decal material and
have nothing to go on except trial and error in placing the map properly on the
object. Even a proxy image of the raster file when placed on geometry would
speed this process along. Several other progs I have seen bring the map in and
move the geometry over IT for mapping alignment. A "box" isn't enough
sometimes, especially if you're counting on clipping the raster image by the
geometry.
4> More options on ARC for 2D shaper instead of just center/start/end. Example:
3-point, start/end/radius (chord construction),etc… finding the centerpoint
isn't always easy with existing geometry.. chord construction by arc endpoints
happens all the time. Ditto on circles: centerpt radius, 3point, diameter,
tangent/tangent/radius.
5> Range spheres (similar to show-cones) for permanent references of fog
(atmospherics), attentuations, etc. (controlled by toggles) for light/camera
6> This next one is tricky to describe, and may already be possible… that's
the trouble with wishlists is that you're bound to ask for a few things which
are already in there! <grin> Ability to key-control multiple objects. For
example, to shift two objects' keys on rotation, we need to do each object
seperately. If a "group" of objects could be treated with one slider (on copy,
move, delete, etc), it would make repetitions, deletions and overall treatments
of unlinked but related objects easier.
7> Cylinder mode in Materials Editor. We have cube for Planar, we have
spherical for Spherical, somehow cylindrical got left out and it makes a world
of different. We're talking about the material windows on the top and the View
Cube/Sphere option.
8> Control over Construction line length. Display/Construct uses an AutoCAD
like full viewport-wide crosshair style. It would be WONDERFUL to have some
degree of control over the crosshair lengths so that we wouldn't have to
overlap all objects on same construction planes when placing origins.
9> PCX formats added… map materials, etc.
10> Finally, multiple line text creation in 2D shaper. Line-by-line seems
cumbersome, and even an ASCII import option would be great.
These are generated by our user group sessions on 3D Studio, by fax surveys
through NAAUG, and by several 3DS trainers I work with. Any response on these
would be appreciated. Please be patient with us if some of these wishlist items
are already in there. Please point out where info can be found on these
features if they already exist.
Thanks. -dave