Texturing and importing

So that model I was talking about. I textured it and imported it. Now I am even closer to filming some more. Thats's pretty much it. But I am going to try my best to work on The Battle for Axis Mundi as if it is a project for school, because I seem to be able to work pretty hard on those. I figure I ought to be able to have at least same amount of dedication for my own personal projects as I do for those that are assigned to me. Cross your fingers.

Yay 3D

So just now I actually made something in 3D! Yay! I love 3D! I should do this productivity thing more often. So anyways, it wasn't animation, but the start of another model. I know that I started another model around this time last year, and I only just finished it to the point where it can become a part of the film a few months ago, but I'm really thinking I'm not going to put as much time into this. In fact, I might even say that I am completely finished modelling it. Yes! I am completely finished modelling it. No if, ands, or buts about it. I will now simply texture it, import it, and film it! And there will be PROGRESS!!! MUAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!

Frame by frame

So I got my walkcycle animation set up to be properly synchronized with all the particle effects and other RCT3 factors that I can't directly control (not always an easy task), and chugged out 150 frames/5 seconds of final footage! Woohoo!

It kinda seems sad that I am celebrating over getting just 5 seconds of my film done, but hey, at least I am making progress.

In other news, my college classes continue to be ten times more fun than regular schoolwork. Using Adobe Illustrator, I am tracing over the robot sketch that I posted a while ago. I'll post that when it is finished.

Productive Procrastination

So I just finished some really productive procrastination. When I was going to be working on a paper, I worked on the walk-cycle and got it to a presentable-enough-to-film-it level. And now I can work on my animations more this week, unless a boatload of unexpected stuff happens, because I just finished the paper! But I think I'm going to go to sleep now.

Practical animation

I remembered something I read a long time ago today. It had to do with computer animation. It was one successful animator's specific workflow (can't remember who it was). Basically, he animated the body first, completely ignoring the legs, and then animated the legs after he got the motion he wanted with the body. I remember thinking that it was a really good idea to try once I started animating stuff. I had forgotten about it until today. That's what I've been doing, and it seems like it might work. I've got the body animated the way I want, and I've only just begun to see if I can get the legs to follow along in a believable way, but I am hopeful. It really does make sense to do the body first, since shots in films tend to focus on the face/head first, the body second, and the legs might be included if the shot is wide enough, but they are almost never the center of attention. So why let them define your animation? Well, that's exactly what I had been doing up until now... I was animating the legs first, and it was making my character look completely weird. Even if I don't get the legs looking completely perfect, though, I think I will still be able to use this animation. The particular shot I want it for doesn't actually show the legs most of the time anyways (surprise, surprise!).

"Swimmingly" <---How things are going.

My laptop is still gone (I sent it off last Wednesday), so I am about to head to the edge of campus where the Digital Media Center is located. I saved all my Axis Mundi files to my external hard drive, so I can continue to edit using premiere even though it is gone. And yes, I bought Premiere even though I have access to it through computers at school. I like to be independent, sue me.

Anyway, I have to say I am loving the workload as a Digital Media major. This past week the first 4/5 week work cycle completed it's first go-round. So far it is quite a bit easier than high-school. I don't have classes on Friday, which gives me extra long weekends unless I have papers to write, which I don't this weekend. So I'll be able to work! I think it's obvious that everyone wins in this situation. I get to go to college to make movies, and learn how to make better movies, and you get to watch my movies! Yay!

College

So I moved into college today. Besides that I worked a little bit on some music, because that's what I felt like doing after I got back from doing all the college things that I felt like doing. I have a little longer, so I might work some more on figuring out what is wrong with my vertex groups. We'll see how that goes. I will probably post immediately once I figure out what's wrong.