#Selfish!
55 messages in this thread
So just out of curiousity Ed (Winner of the Guinness Book of World
Records in FLIC Creation) Kellerman, how many megabytes of FLICS do
you have in the libraries? 🙂
<So just out of curiousity Ed (Winner of the Guinness Book of World Records in
FLIC Creation) Kellerman, how many megabytes of FLICS do you have in the
libraries? 🙂 >
10,560,464 Bytes in 58 files which have been downloaded 1111 times
(avg 15.2 downloads/day in Jan, 8.5 in Dec, 4.6 in Nov, 1.1 in Oct)
As long as you guys encourage me by downloading, I'll keep uploading!
I would like to hear, more often, what you (all) like and dislike, what you
would like to see, etc.
Ed – 58 files doesn't suprise me but only 10Mb does. Maybe you could
compile a list of the "Best Of Ed K.". Have you thought about
producing moving texture and opacity maps for 3DS users? Maybe you
could get with Chris Allis and become a developer based on the
production of a CD with a variety of moving flic maps. I don't think
anyone has done it and I imagine you could come up with quite a
variety. Just a thought.
< Have you thought about producing moving texture and opacity maps for
3DS users? Maybe you could get with Chris Allis and become a
developer based on the production of a CD with a variety of moving
flic maps. I don't think anyone has done it and I imagine you could
come up with quite a variety. Just a thought.>
Thanks for the idea! I've been looking for ways to pay for my new 6FG
and other toys. I don't know what texture and opacity maps are, but
I think I can guess. I certainly wouldn't mind learning. I'll wait a
day or two for Chris Allis to see your suggestion.
<Maybe you could compile a list of the "Best Of Ed K.">
Following is the answer I gave to a similar suggestion 4-5 days ago
("Freeform", available today, should be added to the list):
the following are my most popular updates (and their score – a
geometric average of the number of requests times the 1/4 power of
their size):
984 Plants swaying in the wind. "How to"
874 Simulation of 3D Waves with AniPro 1.3
770 3D Lava Flow (in 4 frames)
673 Sloshing Water
589 Bugs!
586 Fractal Tree #2(small)
512 Bucket Brigade
502 Fractal Tree #2 Note: This is the full-size version of Fractal Tree #2
small
470 Fractal Island #2.
The above list does not include newer uploads, since they have not
been available long enough to have been requested a significant
number of times. Some FLCs that should be in the list are not
because I didn't do a good job describing them. The following fit
these categories:
CIM World
Space Tunnel
13 Meg of Gold
Sea Plant
Fractal Pyramid
Ed,
>> I'll wait a day or two for Chris Allis to see your suggestion. <<
Chris doesn't frequent the forum that much, typically only when he's
alerted to something that may be of general interest to all that's
related to his department. I'd contact him as soon as possible
because he just relayed an open invitation to submit for developer
status. Thanks for the list, I'll definitely check them out. I'll
be in touch with some particulars.
Ed,
I just got a chance to see fractal tree #2 and the how to make
moving grass tutorial. I *loved* it. The swaying grass tutorial
is wonderful for all of you thinking of swaying underwater
plant growth…(john T!)…
jonas[adesk]
Thanks, I'll check it out!
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
John:
The record's stuck…
The record's stuck…
The record's stuck…
As far as I can tell your sending triplicate messages.
You may cause the scroll rate to jump up to only a few
minutes with your prolific output. <g>
Did you bag WinCis? I've taken to it but I'd like to
get info on WinNav.
Bob
Yeah, NavCis was being evil while I was out of town herding sheep with my dog
(no sh*t <g>). NavCis is excellent, and I don't use WinCis unless I'm looking
for stuff. It has a few bugs, though, as I'm finding out. Typical Windoze bs
mostly.
cheers, sorry for satanic multiple postings…
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Thanks, I'll check it out!
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Thanks!
I really appreciate hearing your opinion!
I want to second (or third, or fourth) the motion to encourage you to
build a set of animated maps. These things are very hard to build
for us lowly 3D graphics types. From what I've seen of your stuff,
you are in the running for all-time 2D master. (IMHO, to get good
results with 2D animation is MUCH harder than with 3D animation). If
you produced a CD with bunches of maps, I'd certainly buy one.
There are limitless possiblities – perhaps everyone could send you
some ideas. What immediately comes to mind is a set of maps to
animate gasses and liquids moving down pipes for industrial animation
use. These could be relatively small animated cels to be applied to
pipes lofted with mapping coordinates.
You mentioned you didn't know what texture and opacity maps are.
Where do you live? Perhaps you could visit some 3DS maniac or
"dealer" and get a show & tell. If you're anywhere near Oak Ridge,
TN, my door is open – come on in!
Animated maps are simply flics that are applied to an object in 3DS –
when the next frame of a 3D animation is rendered, the renderer will
get the next frame of the flic and map it onto the object. A simple
example might be a model of a TV set – the face of the TV could have
a flic applied so it plays during the 3D animation, regardless of the
angle and position of the TV in the scene.
There are a few things about animated maps that make them more useful,
but you already seem to me a master at them, things like making them
tilable and loopable. As far as tileable goes, you don't even need a
screen full – just one small tilable animated cel – 3DS will do the
tiling.
There would be a use for multiple versions of the same map, especially
for people who don't have AniPro, or don't have the time or ability
to modify palettes and colors – for example a shimmering map in gold,
blue, red, etc. There is LOTS of room on a CD!
An example of an animated opacity map might be a flic that starts out
as a white screen, then is gradually filled with random grey, then
black dots, until the screen is all black. When applied to an object
in 3DS, the object would appear to dissolve then disappear (white is
opaque, black is fully transparent).
Video transitions are another possiblity and would be valuable to 3DS
users in the Video Post module. If you can find someone with an
Amiga Video Toaster, they can show you a whole pile of creative
transitions for ideas.
If you could work with some card carrying 3DS maniacs to get an idea
what would be useful and make a pile of these maps, I think you could
easily pay for your monitor (and a new Pentium, a new color scanner,
a… <g>). PS: in case you missed it, read JE's message to JT
(#80251) for a quick list of possibilities.
What a nice invitation John and very inspiring too. Good suggestions
as well. I agree there's a lot of potential there. 🙂 And I don't
think Ed will have ANY problem filling up a CD. <G> Thanks for your
input.
My dungeon is open to any 2D or 3D maniac who happens to find him/her
self near Oak Ridge!
John,
<< Oak Ridge >> IL?
jonas[adesk]
Oak Ridge, Atomic City, in East Tennessee, near Knoxville, not far
from the Great Smoky Mountains, one-time home of the original Oak
Ridge Boys, site of Oak Ridge National Lab, and the place where the
Atomic bomb was developed and fueled. Great mountains, trees, lakes,
rivers, and people! <g>
Oak Ridge, Hmmm, Gotta a dungeon out there do you? What's in it?
All kidding aside, what's it like in Oak Ridge? I've never been
through that part of the country. What's the economy base? Always
curious what its like other places. Are you guys getting geared up
for the Super communications highway. I ask because of Al Gore's
interest in Communications.
>>what's it like…
It's great here – and I've lived north, south, and mid-west. The
crime rate is very low, the economy is good (hi-tech, research,
national lab, bio-engineering, environmental work, US government
facilities, etc.) Yes, much interest in the information network – and
my wife happens to be on the government end of this at OSTI (DOE's
Office of Scientific & Technical Information).
John,
Sounds like Oak Ridge has plenty going for it, and here you go giving
an invitation to all these maniac animators to come out and visit.
What are you trying to do, stir things up? <G> You couldn't have
picked a wilder bunch to come visit. IMHO. But then I guess you know
that 🙂
Well San Diego is getting hooked up to the SuperComm highway soon.
They're already advertising it on TV, which I think is odd. One of
the primary reason is the Super computer Lab at UCSD, which is one of
five in the country, so we may be next door virtual reality neighbors
before you know it. Curiously, at least I think so, the Cable company
and the telephone company are working together to make it happen. The
Cable company says it already has the bandwidth to do it. They're
just completing a five year program of upgrading the existing cable
and my place has already been re-cabled. I don't think this was what
they had in mind when they started the project. And the telephone
company is also completing the main trunk of its fibre-optic network.
The most interesting part to me is how this all came about, which was
as a result of a mandate by the Federal Government to reduce RF
transmissions from Cable by 1994. Because of this the cable company
had to up-grade the whole system, and as a result it can now handle
the communications traffic. Off on a tangent I know, but I find it
all very interesting and I'm sure you wife has some real insight into
it all.
-JE
<O 2D Wizard, Ed,
I want to second (or third, or fourth) the motion to encourage you to build a
set of animated maps.?>
What a nice way to start the day!
I think it's important for you (all) to know that I was starting to wonder if
my work was worthwhile (defined as an activity that results in money or
recognition). When 1993 ended I had only received feedback on my uploads twice
(in over six months).
Thank you again, David Taffet and John Tissavary!
Adding requests for feedback, to the descriptions of my uploads, did
not help. The current flood of uploads you've been seeing from me,
is the result of my cleaning out my disks (some stuff to CompuServe,
the rest to tape) in preparation to move on to other activities. I
already have installed IMAGINE, Corel, Deluxe Paint, Visual Basic,
WordPerfect, Excel, PageMaker, etc. I have sent a proposal to IMAGINE
(never got an answer). I am in the middle of writing a proposal to
Corel (I am a COREL R3 Wizard also: >), to see if they wanted to hire
me to help get MOVE moving. I was also working on a proposal to
Electronic Arts (I am a Deluxe Paint Wizard also – look at LCIM.ZIP
an animation done four years ago); judging from the latest examples,
Electronic Arts still doesn't realize that their program is an
Animation Program). I requested and got the file formats for WinCIM,
and have started writing a shareware program, using VB, for searching
WinCIM files by content (that's why your LIST.ZIP program got my
attention). In addition I have accepted work as a pen and ink artist.
Wait, there is more: I have contracted to teach a class in
pneumatics. I have been pursuing (through the Ideas & Inventions
Forum [CIS:INNOVATION] and The Entrepreneur's Forum [CIS:USEN]), the
marketing of an electric portable car jack (prototyped with hydraulic
components used for opening convertible tops).
I was done with an article describing how to use worksheets to compute
temperature distributions (using the cells as finite elements, whose
temperature is the average of the temperature of the cells surrounding them).
But, I just thought of a nifty idea to add to the article: to capture the
gorgeous 3D contour graphs of the temperatures (alt-print screen) after each
iteration and use them as frames in an animation that shows how the procedure
converges. Boy, would that show another great use for Animator!
But, not to worry, my priorities have been reset (to their default values), and
I will continue to dedicate considerable time to AniPro (and 3D studio, if can
finagle a copy somehow)!
:LECTURE ON.
But there is a lesson for everyone here. For me: don't put all your eggs in one
basket. For you:
well, ask yourselfs – if someone is spending time uploading work, and not
asking for money, what is she expecting?
:LECTURE OFF.
Ok. Back to the exciting stuff. I'd like to encourage everyone to send
as much information as possible about what they need (at least until
I get 3D Studio and find out by myself).
John ( I am corresponding with 3 Johns in this thread!), I appreciate
the invitation to visit you. I think I'll do that. It's time I used
my car. Bought it new, one and a half years ago, and have not driven
it 8000 miles yet (I get PC withdrawal symptoms if I'm away more than
half an hour [my last car had Velcro pads on the steering wheel for
my Atari { if people can use car phones while they drive, then I
should be allowed to … }]). I have to find out first if a trip I
have planned to go to Miami (end of March) is still on, in which case
I could combine visiting you then. Looking forward to lots of fun.
Thanks everybody!
Yer welcome. 🙂
DT
How about credible water maps, with the surface at various angles to
the camera? Water is always a hassle. Have JKJ show you how texture
maps (animated or otherwise) can interact with bump and opacity maps.
You could work wonders after a little experimenting. I'd probably buy
a CD of your animated maps, too.
What do you mean: probably?!!
What do I mean, "probably"? Well, I'm a professional understater, just pursuing
my trade. <g>
Ed,
Been following this thread a bit, and have seen some of your work here on
CSERVE. Great stuff! Sell the car man and get 3D Studio, you will find that
your withdrawal symptoms will kick in at around 10 min as opposed to 30.
Yes, I think a CD of animated maps would be quite useful and timesaving. I
myself do not have Animator Pro and taking the time to make my maps is always a
hassle. I think you should add some video capture or digitized video (whatever)
to your animated map collection. I have used some animated maps from the 3DS
World Creating Toolkit for various purposes, and of course, when I just want
one frame then I simply render one frame of the animated map and save as a
still. Someone mentioned WATER. Yes, need water!
Screen transitions were mentioned too. I always have to stop a production and
create a few screen transitions. I have made some like venetian blinds, and
three bars sliding in opposite directions, etc. I will upload these if you care
to see them for an idea or use. Make them WHITE (255, 255, 255) on BLACK (0, 0,
0,) at maybe 512×486 with 1.266 aspect ratio then they can be used in video
post very easily. I always have needs for animated maps. I made a few for
lights such as led's or light flashing pushbuttons. I currently have a need for
a sign that uses several bulbs to pruduce different words. I have made a few
for laser beams that shoot and glow then dissapear.
I do not know if ANI PRO has transparent capability or not as I have never seen
it, but SMOKE of various kinds is another animated map that would be useful.
I have a need for something thatis probably more in the realm of IPAS
programming. Dunno if you are a programmer or not but I would like to be able
to create a filmstrip, like a filmstrip, and run a flick on it, such as the
filmstrip rolling and the flick playing on it. I know I am not articulating
that very well and I somehow don't think it can be done with ANI PRO unless the
POCO language allows for something like that.
I recently had a need to make a CD disc but could not get the bloody mapping
right. I thought I saw one one here once but have not been able to find it.
As I said, if you can incorporate video I would do a directory of video
animated maps, I for instance have set my camcorder up to my ocilloscope and
digitized a few frames of a modulated signal. Did the same with a spectrum
analyzer, those maps can be applied to a scene where one would want those
signals showing on a CRT or something. (I have a scene with a wall to wall
computer of some sort and there are many lights and modulated signals etc and a
panel of colored lights) but it took DAYS just to prepare.(Still is not
finished)
Well, I am not out of ideas by no means, just out of time, good luck with the
project and if you care to see a couple of animated maps created with 3DS
lemmeknow.
Merlin G. Farmer
Crystal Cave Animagix
I am guilty as charged of not providing feedback on your stuff. When
I first got AniPro, I spent a lot of time playing – piles of fun and
HARD to do amazing stuff. Then I took off running with 3DS and only
use AniPro now when I have to! But the power it has. I wish I had
Kellerman's book, the "Guide to Doing Amazing Stuff with Animator
Pro." <g> I could spend a year just exploring the (greatly
under-utilized) POCO power.
>>worthwhile work…
A clergyman I greatly admire and respect recently defined success as
"the pursuit of worthy goals." !!!
The spreadsheet capture idea sounds interesting. Could you automate
that with the Windows Recorder or Norton Batchrunner (update
spreadsheet, capture, switch to a graphics pgm, paste, save
frame…)? BTW, it is possible to do this in 3DS. I've made several
animated scientific data plots by calculating a set of surfaces and
morphing in 3DS. I had to write a program to convert an array of
numbers into a 3D surface mesh, but that was pretty easy.
I would encourage you to get 3DS as soon as possible. With the
creativity you obviously have and your knowledge of animation, I
think you would be a first class 3D maniac!
Scrounge a color laptop with a trackball, hook up a cellular phone to
CIS, jump in the car and hit the road! I have a tentative trip to
San Fran in early May and a probable trip to San Diego the end of
May, but so far March is stay-home month. Let me know any dates as
soon as possible and I'll ink in my calendar. Can't wait!
JKJ
<I wish I had Kellerman's book, the "Guide to Doing Amazing Stuff with
Animator Pro.">
I was thinking of writing a book, but didn't, because of the
following:
– Why don't I see Animator books in the bookstores anymore (I still
have two books I easily found three years ago). I suspect it's
because they are not profitable.
– I've uploaded FLCs that are clearly educational, e.g., "Plants
Swaying in the Wind, How to," "Color Cycling, How to," and seen them
uploaded less than 50 times. This implied (to me) that volume would
be small for a new book also.
What would you conclude? There are few things I would enjoy more than
writing a book. Writing "How to's" is one of my favorite activities.
I got hooked after being payed $1000 ('78 $s) for the article "APL
and Graphics" (and the Anniversaru cover) for the September 78 issue
of Byte. BTW, at that time I used a (monochrome) Tektronix display
with 4096×4096 resolution. I've been waiting for color refreshable
displays to reach that. Yes, it was not refreshable, you had to clear
the screen manually, But the resolution, that was nice. (Is it a sign
of age to reminisce about old times?)
Back on the subject. I also considered, and discarded, the
possibility of producing periodic tutorials that would include
documentation and a diskette, possibly downloadable as shareware. But
again, I couldn't see enough volume to make it worthwhile. A rough
calculation, considering that free tutorials are downloaded 50 times,
quickly made me drop the idea. Am I wrong?
You are wrong. WRITE THE BOOK!!! As a multimedia instructor I know
that there are a lot of teachers out there who would kill for your
information. Try contacting Mike Kopf at Goodheart-Willcox
(708)-333-7200. I think they were interesteed in an Animator Pro book
not too long ago.
Also, mosey on over to section 11, Educational Issues and drop Wayne
Hodgins a message CIS 72137,1460. Wayne is with the Learning Systems
Group at Autodesk and he may be interested in curriculum materials.
Jeez Ed, where did all this encouragement come from? <g> Isn't it
nice to know that people have noticed and appreciate your skill and
knowledge. 🙂 I agree with Steven BTW, if you can find the time to
write a book, DO IT! (Now if I can only get organized… I know I had
a proposal around here some where… who was that publisher?) As far
as I can tell, tenacity and persistence is the name of the game. Both
qualities you obviously have.
Hmm!
I've had more time to think about your suggestion. You certainly believe in it!
I still don't understand what's wrong with my argument. Why haven't the old
books been updated and put back on the shelfs?
I've got a couple of irons in the fire now, so can't do anything right away. I
am placing your suggestions in my "TODO" list until I find out about those
irons. I would really enjoy writing the book!
Can the teachers, you mention, use the educational FLCs I've done, (plants
swaying in the wind, or how to do a flag with text, waving in the wind). I
would appreciate your opinion, and can send them to you if you have the time to
look at them.
Ed,
You do have a valid point. I don't know why the earier books have not been
updated. I can make two guesses however:
First, publishers have only recently become convinced of the existence of a
market for 3DS books and now they're poping up all over. It may be that the
first Animator books led the market a little too much and the publishers a
slow in coming back to it. I think that they will.
Secondly, Animator Pro is a little long of tooth and people may be waiting to
see if a 2.0 ever surfaces before committimg resources to a new book.
Personally, I feel that Animator Pro is one of the most underrated and
underused programs on the market. It deserves better than its current status
as an obscure cousin to 3D Studio.
Teachers can definitely make use of your FLC's. I have delivered multimedia
teacher training for Autodesk in the past and a common request from many of
the instructors is "Where can I get good tutorials and other curriculum
materials for 3D Studio AND Animator Pro?" I have been remiss in not down
loading your flics sooner, but I have been tied up for the past few months
negotiating and writing a 3D Studio book myself. Expect the download count on
many of your files to increase by 1 soon after I finish this message.
Steven
>>market for an AniPro book?…
I wouldn't know. I certainly would buy one if available, but then, I have a
severe case of book lust! There is so much to the art of making art with
Animator that some fresh ideas would be welcome. I even stole a copy of
Multimedia Explorer once and did the tutorials there – I think they are much
better than the business oriented tutorials that came with Animator Pro. As
far as doing anything with this graphics stuff to make money, I've been
moderately successful in avoiding that. <g>
I, too, spent the better part of the late '70's in front of a Tektronix storage
terminal – writing FORTRAN simulations and graphics stuff. At home I had a
6800 SWTPC microcomputer, and soon as I got my hands on a graphics board ($700
for a 256*256 2-bit grey scale!) and wrote some 2D stuff & 3D wireframe
routines, I was permanently hooked. Now, 3D, color, shading, SHADOWS! Yikes,
I'm going into cardiac arrest…
Sept 78 BYTE: HEY!!!!!! I just pulled 9/78 BYTE off the shelf (I save
everything) and found your article: APL and Graphics (by Eduardo Kellerman,
V34/0284, IBM Corp, page 40)! Digital spirograph, huh? This is amazing. You
forgot to mention you did the cover of BYTE that month – signed and everything
– you are a genuine celebrity! Believe it or not, I actually remember reading
this article when it came out. Your graphics in Figures 3 and 4 make it look
like you spent time with Escher – this explains a lot – no wonder you've turned
into a color-cycling tile-the-plane with motion maniac. <g>
In honor of the moment, I'm uploading a GIF I made in '92 with 3DS that was
inspired by the cover of Hofstadter's "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden
Braid" – one of the first things I built with with AME. Now I'm imagining the
background tiled with color-cycling worms.
Yes, you be sure to come and visit. We'll get out BYTE Volume 1, No 1 (I told
you I save everything <g>) and have a little old-timer's celebration.
JKJ
Well, looks like we have a lot to talk about!
But, I don't think I can make much sense at this time (sunlight is starting to
reflect of my screen, and the TV is starting with kiddie shows, where did the
time go?).
I just finishing uploading something I mentioned before. A FLC made out of
screen-captures of a 3D graph, as EXCEL iterates and the graph changes. Really
neat! Looks like an animal breathing!
You got me beat, there was no way I could have kept all the issues of my
magazines. I start throwing away every other one eventually. But I have lots of
early, or first issues. I claim not to throw away anything (assuming kitchen
scrap didn't count), but I guess, you're making me reconsider what the phrase
means.There is hardly room to walk through my house as it is!
While you've got your 78 Byte's out, I did another cover and article that same
year, in April. Those were the only two I did for them. They wanted stuff on
fractals next and a review of Mandelbrot's just published book (I was playing
with Mandelbrot then, I had seen his fractal on the cover of Scientific
American and called him up with a couple questions. That started a 4-month
project. I was satisfied when I came up with a simpler fractal than the one
used on the cover.). I got a letter from Mandelbrot when I left IBM in July of
last year ("are you leaving IBM, or is IBM leaving us").
I just got the file on the above (see I keep everything too). I was talking
about the April 78 issue of Scientific American. Rambling along, my Scientific
American collection goes back to the 50s, and I got the bound volumes from
the IBM library as they were done with them. I keep a 4-Meg index to Scientific
American on my PC. It has got to be the best magazine ever!
Well, I hope the above makes sense.
I'll download your file tomorrow. What triggered you to draw it in '92, so long
after the book was published. Color cycling worms! Inspired by my color cycled
bugs?
What's AME (besides, maybe, Assoc. of Mech. Engineers?),
Of course, Escher is one of my future animation projects. Guess, now it won't
be a surprise. A guy climbing up the steps and never geting anywhere, that's
going to be a challenge.
I'll look over your later again tomorrow to see if I missed anything.
(I guess my definition of tomorrow needs to change also, I just realize I've
really meant later today when I've used the word).
Ed
I used to love BYTE (in the 'old' days) before they turned into another
computer products review magazine – packed with mind-stretching stuff, neat
algorithms, and real hardware how-to articles. (Kilobaud, too) I don't even
waste time reading it anymore.
I found the April '78 issue. I remember programming the "Serendipitous
Circles" algorithm myself. I could't find the original 8/77 article :(- maybe
it's in the room I can't get into without a forklift. <g>
The GEB was inspired as an exercise with the 3DS booleans. I was trying to
make solid objects formed from individual letters, such that as you rotated the
object, the view thru the object would form different letters in succession.
(Start with a solid extruded letter, place another one in the same space but
rotated somewhat, then calc a boolean intersection.) Unfortunately, I could not
at the time get 3DS to successfully complete the booleans required. Then I
tried using AME (Advanced Modeling Extension) for AutoCAD, which is far more
suited for this. I had remembered the book cover (couldn't find mine at the
time) and decided to use their (artistic) idea as a test of the process. Let
me know what you think. One thing I found out pretty quickly is there is a
huge space of possible letter combinations that are unusable due to the
geometry.
BTW, have you seen Schattschneider's book "M.C. Escher – Visions of Symmetry"?
It has reproductions from Escher's notebooks and all of his symmetrical
drawings, a lot of them never published before. The book tries to explain why
and how Escher developed his art. Well worth reading! The guy would have been
even more of a wonder with a computer. (On the other hand, he might have spent
so much time installing software and getting video drivers to work and never
doing anything noteworthy.)
JKJ (book reviewing again)
Where is your GEB GIF?
Since the sysops have to go thru each upload when they get time, they may not
have gotten to it yet. I'll send it to you directly – check your email.
JKJ
>> a probable trip to San Diego the end of May…
Make sure you are out here long enough to stop by and visit! Only an hour
away, freeway close!
Greg Pyros
That's a great idea, John. Moving texture map libraries would be wonderful. I
like making my own, but usually it takes too much time and I settle on a single
bitmap, instead.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
Hey John, if you've got some ideas for Ed pass em along. I'm with you,
I make my own, but often I don't have the time I'd like to put into
them. Ed seems to be very prolithic in the creation of FLC's and I'd
bet he'd really get cooking on it. I was thinking of things that were
loopable like water; which could be fountains or lakes or waterfalls
or oceans, or liquids like out of a bottle, and fire, exlosions,
rippling gold, glints, neon laser beams, sparkles for backgrounds,
light streaks, gas nebulas, pulsing glows…. it could be quite a
collection. Not to mention a myriad of transition effects.
-JE
Ed,
have you got any commercial work out of your animator pro skills? From my
memory banks I seem to remember something about screensavers. I downloaded an
electric millipede which the kids down the street really liked.
Martin – I don't know if you've got the time but it might be a great
collaboration project, and your photo-realism skills would be a real asset to
the concept. FWIW
John,
>> I don't know if you've got the time but it might be a great collaboration
project <<
I'll have to read back through the thread, because I don't remember which
project you are talking about, sorry. Time is a little short at the moment
since I'm commuting up to LA and working 10 hour days up there. I've been
turning down quite a few paying projects because of my current workload. If
it's a fun project, it might be interesting to dabble in.
Martin – I was suggesting to Ed that he create a moving texture map and opacity
map CD, and thought from your comments you might also be interested. Ed likes
the idea, and I thought your combined knowledge and skills might be mutually
beneficial if you were interested. Course you'd have to bounce it around with
Ed but the range of skills you guys possess in this area would be a hard
combination to beat. And would put you in the developer category with all its
attendant benefits, not the least of which being financial renumeration. <G>
I'd love to get into it myself but FLC's are not my strong suit. (I'm not sure
what my strong suit is… recognising talent? <g>) I think you can imagine the
possibilities. 🙂
-JE
John,
>> I was suggesting to Ed that he create a moving texture map and opacity map
CD <<
I hope he does, but I don't think I'd be interested. I'm pretty much dedicated
to game work, for now, and a little dabbling with writing on the side. Now, if
I could just give up sleep …..<g>
Martin,
>> Now, if I could just give up sleep…. <<
You'll notice by my posting I have! I mean there's only 24 hours in a day,
gotta use 'em! And I'm still not getting it all done. Too much screwing around
on Compuserve I suspect. Gotta cool it. (But I'm having so much fun 🙁
-JE
Well, I think I beat your posting time! And its all your fault!
I've been taking care of the details of your proposal. And, a few hours ago I
decided to give textures a try. I just signed on to upload a FLC with the
results of that effort. The file name is TEXT01.ZIP.
I'll be sending you details of what I've been doing regarding your suggestion.
(I was jesting before, I usually stop playing when the sunlight starting to
reflect off my tube gets my attention).
Ed, the glint off the monitor from the rising sun usually knocks me
out too! Sound like you're pretty jazzed about the idea or do you
always stay up till the crack of dawn? <g> Better watch it, I've been
noticing more and more Vampires and Werewolfs, here late at night!
And there's a dragon slayer hanging around somewhere too. I look
foward to the details and the TEXT01.zip when it gets uploaded.
<do you always stay up till the crack of dawn?>
I usually do. I try to fight a tendency to play 30 hr. days but occasionally
I'll stop later and later and up skipping a night. My typical up hours are 1PM
to 7AM.
You may know (from my other notes) that I do all my stuff at home. It's
surprising the amount of extra time that gives me each day.
John, have you gotten a chance to look at TEXT01.ZIP. It may not be anytthing
like what you need but who knows?
John,
>> You'll notice by my posting I have! <<
What's your secret? I need my 8 hours sleep most nights.
Martin,
>>What's your secret.<< A good 3DS project will keep me up for days. <G>
John,
>> A good 3DS project will keep me up for days. <G>
Oh yes, that's when I stay up for several nights too <g>.
<have you got any commercial work out of your animator pro skills? From my
memory banks I seem to remember something about screensavers. I downloaded an
electric millipede which the kids down the street really liked.>
I have been working on FLCs for a screen saver, but that is not nearly enough
to keep me busy. I would like to find other commercial work. John's suggestion
is great, and I will pursue it!
I was disappointed by your latest message, regarding your not being able to
participate in carrying out John's idea. I would have been honored to work with
you. I learn a lot from your messages, and am always amazed at the breadth of
your knowledge. I've wondered, often, how you can find the time to help so many
on CompuServe.
Working with you must be a lot of fun. I couldn't believe how long the thread
"Martin Foster is back!"
was active when you returned from you recent vacation.
Ed
>> I would have been honored to work with you. <<
Gosh Ed thanks, you've said such nice things about me I'm lost for
words……. Well for a moment at least <g>. I really don't see
where I could contribute to a cd-rom other than suggestions. I have
no previous cd-rom publishing experience and can't see myself making
texture and opacity maps – I do have a large collection of 3d Studio
flics, though. I'm pretty much committed to 10 hours a day game work,
plus 2 hours commute, plus 2 hours to Asoft, plus 1 hour to my wife
…. doesn't seem to leave much, since I need 8 hours sleep. I've
contributed flic and mesh files to a few cd-rom collections before
(Danger Hot Stuff I & II and several others) and never been paid or
seen anything in the way of new business. Cd-rom's seem to be a bit
of a giveaway item these days. If you've been around here long
enough, you may have seen calls go out for people to "donate" their
animations and/or meshes to some book project or other for "exposure"
and "credit", and they seem to be largely ignored.
I don't want to discourage you from continuing your fine efforts, but
I really don't see myself fitting in – other than making suggestions
on the public forum.