New Rules for the 2006 AVA

[Damelvin]

Man only 5 weeks! I was still doing tutorial book when i turned in our teams animation last year. I worked really hard at it even though I didn't know what I was doing half the time. Looked like crap but hey least i did it. This year I know a lot more about the software, but still only hit the very tip of the iceberg of what 3ds max can do. Wish I could get professional help from someone who really knows the software. I am going to be rushed to get everything done this year since I am by myself again. Also, was a frosh last year so less homework than this year so everything is going to be cramped. Our team only has like 6 dedicated kids this year. Anyways, I had one question about the theme. It pretty much means what I, or the team, is going to get out of robotics?

[Kevin Thorp]

Yeah - we've been having some discussions about the new theme:

"Ideas Realized – the process of visualizing what you want to achieve from being part of FIRST."

I suppose you can look at it short term (what want to achieve this season) or long term (what you achieve in your future careers).

[Damelvin]

I first thought the idea meant ideas you think of becoming a reality. Like the team imagines what the robot looks like and then builds it from taht idea. First idea for animation was now to future looks. Like I modeled my room just to learn more stuff about 3ds max and I am thinking of doing something to take it from now to the future. One of the team member's dad is a professional cartoon artist and he is going to help me storyboard and might get professional animators to help *crosses his fingers.

[Mahalis]

How strict are the judges likely to be with the theme? Our animation team already has a concept, a storyboard, and a bit of actual animation done, but it's more along the lines of "an idea being realized" rather than "the process of visualizing what you want to achieve from being part of FIRST."

[animator1]

How strict are the judges likely to be with the theme? Our animation team already has a concept, a storyboard, and a bit of actual animation done, but it's more along the lines of "an idea being realized" rather than "the process of visualizing what you want to achieve from being part of FIRST."

that is what we have too, i am thinking of just leaving it. To me it is still realizing an idea. and the vizualizing, in my opinion would be seeing how that is realized which is what an idea is being realized. Hope that isn't confusing.

[Mahalis]

Originally Posted by animator1

that is what we have too, i am thinking of just leaving it. To me it is still realizing an idea. and the vizualizing, in my opinion would be seeing how that is realized which is what an idea is being realized. Hope that isn't confusing.

Okay, good. Thanks.

[Walkin Stummik]

Originally Posted by Kevin342

Have you all seen the rules? Your team contact should have received an email from FIRST.

Notable changes this year:

• New deadline: Paperwork by Feb. 6, animation and storyboard by Feb. 13
• Must be in QuickTime format. No DiVX, Cinepak or any other codecs.
• You have 2 chances of going to final judging: winning a regional AVA or being selected by the Autodesk judges
• 3 National Awards: Championship, Honorable Mention (new) and Rising Star (Rookie)
• New theme: "Ideas Realized – the process of visualizing what you want to achieve from being part of FIRST."

WHAT!
"the process of visualizing what you want to achieve from being part of FIRST!"!!!
That was not in the rule book we got.
here i am 2 days before the animation needs to be submitted and i JUST found out that was what it might mean.

*Crosses HIS fingers*
OH PLAESE don't let the judges be picky
I'm going with the ideas becoming reality bit
I've got a anima of a robot trying to get to the Hardware store.
I just hope it flies.

[yixak]

[quote=Pat Fairbank]Just a clarification on the video compression: the file format must be QuickTime (.mov), and the codec used must be DV-NTSC.

That's not the way I read it. While I don't know Pat's qualifications (so he might just have the power to say, "Sorry, I don't think so"), I thought the DV-NTSC refered to the "Pixel-Aspect Ratio." Seeing it this way means that the next two lines of the codec regulations are not merely redundant, but simply narrow the field of codecs allowed while allowing each team to compress as they see fits their animation best. Seeing as there are other regulations that are independent of the codec (frame size, frame rate) I figured this wasn't a bad assumption, especially when exporting with the DV-NTSC format resulted (even after 6 hours of tweaking) in a file the five times larger than when using the H.264 codec with much, much worse image quality. Will this still get disqualified? (H.264 is neither cinepak nor a non-standard codec and we set pixel-aspect ratio to DV-NTSC with fps at 29.97 and frame size a 720x480).

[abroerman]

exporting with the DV-NTSC format resulted (even after 6 hours of tweaking) in a file the five times larger than when using the H.264 codec with much, much worse image quality. Will this still get disqualified?

I'll quote a post DLavery made not long ago:

Your animation will NOT be judged if you didn't read the rules and submit it in an acceptable format.

I have been perusing several of the animations that have already been sent to Streamline. Of the 51 animations I looked through, 24 of them - practically half of the entries - use illegal codecs, have improper image size, exceed the file size, or exceed the time limitations. Half of the entries are not in compliance with the submission requirements and are probably going to be disqualified by Autodesk. Based on past practice and what we have heard from Autodesk, they will be absolutely ruthless this year in ensuring compliance with the submission rules.
...
Some otherwise fine animations are going to be completely ignored because someone on the team made a stupid little mistake like using a MPEG-4, animation, Sorensen 3, or H.264 codec instead of the required DV-NTSC codec.

[yixak]

Originally Posted by abroerman

I'll quote a post DLavery made not long ago:

My point was, does anyone know (for sure) what Autodesk actually thinks. I understand that a lot of experienced people are saying that we shouldn't risk it, but there's also been an official e-mail posted that states that cinepak is acceptable, which is directly against the written rules, showing that even autodesk doesn't seem to have a straight response (the same e-mail spurred an argument over whether Quicktime was a codec). Essentially, no one seems to actually know the truth, some just have experience seeing past truths played out. I probably should have just sent a e-mail to autodesk in the first place instead of posting here then sending it the e-mail.