I know it was required...

but it really sucks...

:P

wonder if I have to use 3ds max studio to make the animation?... 'cause most of my teammates onlly know how to us Maya. They are only asking us for the exported video, right?

We are often finalizing our robot in the last week as well. But we dont change it that much and we can often model the new design before the builders build the actual robot -- They do usually have a sketch so they know what to build themselves.

If the robot changes too much- Oh Well! No where in the rules does it say the Robot is required or that it has to be the actual or exact version of your finalized design.

I will be contacting Autodesk about the codec issue as well. They are asking for trouble by not specifying exact settings. Who ever thought it was uncompressed is mixxing it up with last years rules and autodesk figured out halfway through the process that that would never fit on a CD.

It was an excellent tip to work with uncompressed files untill you get your final animation- then output compressed version. Don't work with compressed files- it will effect the quality of your final renders and compression.

3D STUDIO IS A MUST- NO MAYA- NO LIGHTWAVE- NO NOTHING

I'd be more than happy to answer questions as best I can. If its gets to be too much for team 74 I am willing to help any team as well. Especially with advanced concepts and approaches. If I dont know I will definately get you going in the right direction.

skline@sunrisenterprises.net

We are well underway and have our concept, storyboards and script- so we dont need or want to steal anyone elses ideas- Your secrets are safe with me!

basically for all of the remaining teams that didn't ask for help earlier, please ask your question in this thread. There were alot of teams that asked for help and many send emails every day. so having new teams email me takes more time. Don't let that discourage you, just a small reminder that things will be a little slow, that's all. And anyone that wants to help me out, you can email me.

hope that everyone survived week 1.

3dsmax vs. autodesk
 

Hello, Hermione from 692 here (and new with animation). What exactly is the difference. Do you use one to put the animation in and the other use to help with creating certain characters? I don't know, I'm very very new with this so. Lets just say i need lots of help with animation. And for the tutorials should we go over the autodesk tutorials or 3dsmax or both? An explaination of both programs and what they are used for would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :)
Hermione

Autodesk is the company which makes 3d Studio MAX, the software you use to create the animation.

Re: 3dsmax vs. autodesk
 

If you havent done this before you have to start with the tutorials and do them soon! With out a basic understanding of tools and function of the program noone can help you much. We can assist you but nothing will make sence if you dont speak the same language.

Good luck. If you are focused you can get through all the basic tutorials in a week or so. In the mean time try to get a concept of your animation and draw it out. I'd keep it simple since you still need to learn the software. Then you can alternate between trying to make a little progress in the animation and trying to get through some more tutorials.

I have my team doing tutorials from the second the software arrives- since we have 3-other versions of the software they actually started a couple months ago. The one member we have remaining from last year was able to get to some of the more advanced stuff. So do what you can for now then get cranking on the animation the times a ticking

to make things easier...anyone that has never used max before...don't count on being able to learn right off the bat by having us answer small questions...that would take you the entire season and then some. PLease just start with the tutorials. I've said it beofre and i'll say it again...90% of your questions are easily answered there. You wil aslo learn the program very quickly.

thank you.

so does anyone know where to find massive amounts of people for like a crowd or audiance or something?

our little secret is that we will maake one person, and then change the apperance alittle bit and then use crowd, from character studio.

Depending on the look and feel you want- you can also try video footage- Grab a camera and get a bunch of people in your school gym and shoot away. But if 3D crowds work better for you the previous post should do just fine.

team_78:
"PLease just start with the tutorials. I've said it beofre and i'll say it again...90% of your questions are easily answered there."

tutorials.... wonder which one u talking about?

any tutorial. Most question that are asked here are more easily answered in tutorial books or reference books. And anone who says that takes to long...a newbee to animtion buzzed through the books in 2 weeks and is now in charge of character animation.

I agree- You cant be helped if you dont have this foundation. The software comes with a lot of tutorials that will take you from "Starting the Tutorials" to actually creating objects and rendering and such.

OPEN THE BOOKS- Have the tutorial CD handy 'cuz you need it!

All my guys got through the main tutorials in a couple weeks as well- so I concure.

Good luck.

that id unless of course other people have the books or the books don't help....inventor....tried to do the book just confused me. 3ds max has a great tutorial book but i haven't read through all of it yet cause someone else is doing that now.....


we have a team with one person who knows what they are doing.....

yay...