3rd Party Programs, Utilities and Products
Resources for use with A:M
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37 topics in this forum
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- 5 followers
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This addon exports the following from Blender: Polygonal meshes converted to a patch-based representation in Animation:Master's .mdl format. The exporter tries to maintain good continuity, preserves UV mapping, and has an option to add "whiskers" (Add tails check box in the file export window) to extend discontinuous splines. If the mesh is associated with an armature, the bones and skin weights. Constraints, limits and all other rigging relationships are ignored. CP groups from vertex groups. Vertex groups named after the bones of an associated armature are skipped. Optionally, CP groups named after assigned materials (Group CPs by mate…
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 1 follower
- 15 replies
- 3.6k views
Three-Point Reroute This plugin redirects the spline flow as indicated by your CP selections. Wherever you want a spline to take a specific route, select three CPs in a row: they will mark the start, middle and end of the route stretch. You can mark multiple such three-CP series at once. Finally, run the plugin: Plugins | 3-Point Reroute. The UV layout and 5-point patches are preserved by the operation. Here’s a video of the plugin in action: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B___ge5IO2JdaHRLWWpId01Yc0E The plugin was co-authored by me and Hellraiser. He is a real C++ programmer who had no prior experience with CGI software development, and I’m the reverse. Now we’re…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 4 replies
- 154 views
I would love to know a list of external renderers that can import and render AM ainmation scenes.
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 4 replies
- 126 views
Hello, I found myself wanting to create material image matcaps for AM using images I found on the web. However, I found it time-consuming to create a .act file, integrate the image, and save it. So, I developed this small addon that parses a folder of images and creates materials alongside them. It works with four types of materials (Matcaps, Environment map, Projection Map, and Simbiont). To use it, select the folder where the images are located, choose the type of material you want to create, and click on 'Create Map Files'. LinkedMat.py
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 0 replies
- 120 views
Hello, here is another addon that allows you to rename bones in .act, .mdl, or .bvh files. The addon consists of three buttons. The first one lets you choose a .act, .mdl, or .bvh file to create a .csv file that contains a table with the names of the bones from the chosen file in the 'old names' column. You just need to provide the new names in the 'new names' column. To rename the .mdl, .act, or .bvh files, you will use the second button to load the .csv file (with the new names in the second column). Then, with the third button, you can choose the .mdl, .act, or .bvh file that you want to rename. CSV_Bones.py
Last reply by Malo, -
- 2 replies
- 121 views
Hello, at the beginning of my experience with AM, I didn't use libraries because I didn't have many files to organize. Now, I find them useful. As a result, I've created a small Python addon to run in Blender that generates .lbr files for AM by parsing a folder (and its subfolders). The .lbr file will be located at the root of this parsing folder, allowing you to move the folder without losing its links. To use it, simply name the file (if there's no name specified, it will take the name of the selected folder), then check the file types you want to include in the library. Select the folder, and voilà, the .lbr file is created in the folder. I hope this may be …
Last reply by Malo, -
- 0 replies
- 125 views
It is possible that the topic is not well placed in the forum, do not hesitate to place it where it is necessary. (THANKS) I remember when I started with AM, I used to search the web for rotoscope images to use in AM, which wasn't easy to find. Sometimes I had to render for each sides 3D objects, but it took a lot of time. Recently, I thought about creating a small Addon to simplify all of this, and that's where this little addon for Blender comes into play : The addon creates a folder where the files for AM rendering will be located. This folder will contain a .prj file, a model file, a preset file (.pre), and a subfolder with the rotoscope images. In the addon…
Last reply by Malo, -
- 0 replies
- 104 views
I am using Pinnacle as my composter. It is really easy to import, you just need to noodle it out for a moment. Saving you that moment if you are so inclined. Export your animation as TGA frames. With Studio open, switch to Import (1). Change to the Stop Motion tab (2). Set your frame rate to 1 frame image duration (3). Select the correct Aspect, Resolution, and Frame rate of your exported animation (4,5). Click Import File at the bottom (6). Select all the files in the windows file open dialog box that are your series. The import window will look like this, just click the Edit in Timeline button (1).
Last reply by g3ellis, -
- 5 replies
- 850 views
I have this model from turbosquid, and I tried to outrun the skinny lines of the verts by rendering it in toon setting. What I wondered about is the patching of a squad with a centerpoint. The rendering wants to make it a pyramidical shape, but for some reason there always appears a square over it. I know there is a way to patch a five edged subject, but is there a way to delete the square above the five pointed object? MOD EDIT: Forum member Wildsided suggested using a Blender tool to de-triangle the mesh. See later post.
Last reply by Madfox, -
- 3 replies
- 104 views
Does anyone here use Lightwave ir Blender....just bought Lightwave and got a bunch of books for Blender....they have many more users and books than Animation Master does? Has anyone else thought about switching? VID_20230113_194653_01.mp4 VID_20230113_194653_01.mp4 VID_20230113_150341_01.mp4
Last reply by Vong, -
- 1 reply
- 114 views
I get ads on Facebook for AI noise reduction programs. I tried one on A:M Radiosity renders which have noticeable noise (speckling). It's pretty good. Better than Photoshop noise reduction. You'll need to click on them to see it at 100% to see the original noise clearly. Notice the loss of reflection detail in the wheel...
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 3 followers
- 46 replies
- 7.5k views
A:M importer for Blender This add-on imports Animation:Master models into Blender. The following happens during model import: Patches are converted to polygonal meshes without any subdivision. This happens only for explicitly saved patches listed in the file; if your patch is stamped, it will come through. Faces are not created for implicit patches. If you need to make a surface from your edge net, use Blender's excellent family of Fill tools. Hooks turn into regular vertices. A:M bones and nulls turn into Blender bones. CP attachments and weights are converted to vertex weights. For hooks, weights are copied from their hook bas…
Last reply by nemyax, -
- 0 replies
- 88 views
And another past topic... "3D Photo maker" is really "Stereo Photo Maker" Here is an archive of Stereo Photo Maker installers. This is the very useful program I was recalling for creating 3D images from stereo pairs. http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/stphmkr/ @KingVidiot
Last reply by robcat2075, -
- 20 replies
- 231 views
Hello - I'm trying to import an .obj model of a building I purchased from Turbosquid. I usually have no problem importing .obj either as a model or a prop into A:M. This specific model crashes A:M consistently at about the 80% mark of import. Can someone help me? I'd prefer to have it imported as a .mdl rather than a prop so that I can add bones to the door, etc. I'm running A:M v.19.0k on a Mac OS 10.11.6 ollivanders_wand_shop_obj.rar
Last reply by cribbidaj, -
- 1 follower
- 26 replies
- 5.3k views
Export Transforms This plugin exports the transformations of all bones in a model over the time range you specify. It works in a WYSIWYG fashion: you record only the final state of the animation from the current choreography, and you don't have to pre-bake anything. This is useful for bringing animation from A:M to render it elsewhere. The transform data is written to a custom binary format with the .xform extension. Import of this format is supported for Blender by this importer plugin. The format is also trivial to support in other software if you write the necessary import code (or get someone else to do it) for your program of choice. The format's data structures are…
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 7 replies
- 1.2k views
This topic is for everything related to interchange of data among 3D programs. This forum has a few tool-specific discussions going, but there's no "catch-all" topic for sharing such knowledge. I'd like to start with this little curiosity: https://heimlich1024.github.io/OD_CopyPasteExternal/ It's a very simple idea: "Copying" means converting geometry in your source software to some text in a custom format and writing the text to the system clipboard "Pasting" is the reverse—reading the system clipboard and converting the contents to geometry in your destination software Essentially it's import/export, but with the clipboard instead of files. My first reaction wa…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 reply
- 1k views
this is really fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZcYvrbKWJc#t=9.273854
Last reply by Fuchur, -
- 1 follower
- 28 replies
- 3.6k views
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/ Interesting... slightly hobbled full version of Black Magic's Industrial strength compositing software being made free. A shot across the bow to Adobe, the Foundry... etc
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 1 follower
- 111 replies
- 4.9k views
I'm considering doing a .mdl exporter for Wings. It might be based on Howard Trickey's old plugin, or it might be done from scratch. I've recompiled Howard's plug against the latest Wings, but it crashes during export. And even if I manage to update it enough for it to work, the latest .mdl version it supports is 9.5. I'd like some information about the current version of the format. Clearly, there's no official specification, but maybe there have been efforts to reverse engineer the format by people who have followed A:M's evolution.
Last reply by rasikrodri, -
- 2 replies
- 618 views
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=59&t=1266777 Paintstormstudio just 19$ and livelong free updates. Handles psd files and is like a mixture between Painter and Mangastudio
Last reply by jakerupert, -
- 1 follower
- 14 replies
- 2.2k views
This script is deprecated. It has been incorporated in the MDL exporter addon. I've knocked together a tiny Blender addon that makes an A:M-ready version of an object in Blender. Here's a quick before-and-after (click for a larger image): How to install the script: Open Blender's User Preferences window and go to the Addons tab. Click Install from File and specify the downloaded .zip file or the unpacked .py file. Enable the Mesh: Animation:Master Middleman addon. To make your changes persistent, click Save User Settings. How to use: Select the object you want, press Space and type "A:M". Click the resulting Make A:M-Ready Mesh menu item. You can assig…
Last reply by nemyax, -
- 0 replies
- 472 views
Interesting new technology development for illustrators: http://www.live2d.com/en/news/euclid_development
Last reply by jakerupert, -
- 1 reply
- 456 views
Natron : open source compositor release v1.0 Open source, cross platform, node based compositor Natron releases stable v1.0: https://natron.inria.fr/natron-1-0-0-stable-released/ release notes: https://github.com/MrKepzie/Natron/...n-1.0.0-release
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 16 replies
- 522 views
Hi just preparing to move to live in another state, and I am looking for a job. ***I am about interactive plugins*** Any way, I was updating my programming resume I remembered about the plugin tests I did. So I fired up Visual studio 2012, and converted a plugin I was experimenting with, I called it AM Bevel. It was about an idea I had of manipulating and dividing splines interactively, because I really like interactive things instead of generating things and if it did not work pressing undo and generating again. The plugin still has some code to write, but basically you select a full spline in a model and run the plugin and with some sliders you adj…
Last reply by rasikrodri, -
- 14 replies
- 613 views
Larry Gritz posted this message today indicating that Open Image IO (OIIO) is pressing forward in their support for Open EXR 2.0: Emphasis added. I'd pay money to be able to program like these guys do that are developing Open EXR 2.0 support. Heck, I'd pay money just to understand it a little more...
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 7 replies
- 496 views
Hey Folks, Great News! I dont usually get this excited!!!! This is the best Animation Software I have ever used. I hope you find it useful because its FREE and Available Right now in any WebBrowser. CHeck it out. Tell mr Bones Sent YA!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6t_lPkbSCw Visit http://www.truebones.com and press the cloud image!!
Last reply by mrbones, -
- 5 replies
- 517 views
I found these very useful thought Id post these here for new users like myself Keyboard short cut stickers for new users
Last reply by fae_alba, -
- 1 reply
- 314 views
found this for those in need of a movie editor to compliment AM I have not tried this cause I'm on a mac but it does look very useful especially for cutting audio to your tracks it supports multiple lanes (always a plus) http://www.lightworksbeta.com/ and a little tut hope this helps j
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 6 replies
- 775 views
Hi! I was recently browsing the forum and I came across this program: AM Terraform I quickly rebooted onto my windows partition and loaded it up. I then created a quick terrain and exported it as a A:M Model. Then switching back to my Mac side I booted up A:M and loaded the model. First of all the model is 63mb. So after about 10min of intense processing and loading A:M opens it. It runs at 1.5 SPF in wireframe and about 25 SPF in shaded. When I go to raytrace it takes about 30 seconds to "calculate" the patches but after that it goes quite fast. Im thinking of using a proxy model to get the shaders right and then swapping and rendering. Should be interesting…
Last reply by John Bigboote, -
Hello don't exactly know where I should post this but this seems the most logical place... I have been researching the abilities of the Mac OSX program X-Grid . I am sure a lot of have heard this. I have noticed that is a great program for computer rendering over local or internet networks. BUT... to get it to work properly you must have some scripts (Applescripts and/or Unixshell commands) to get it to work properly. As more of a cool idea/feature for A:M I thought that it would be cool to somehow include scripts or a method to use A:M with X-Grid. I hope it's nothing of a pipedream or something like that though. More of a thought.... Photoman
Last reply by photoman, -
- 2 followers
- 9 replies
- 612 views
Hi! I'm trying to convert an A:M spline object to POV-Ray and have a few questions regarding the file format. First of all, some backgound information: The spline I'm trying to convert has 12 control points, starts at 0 seconds and ends at 100 seconds. The number of keyframes varies among each point from three to seven. E.g., not all points on the spline have the same number of keyframes. Since not all points have the same number of keyframes, I interpolated linearly between the *existing* keyframes in order to arrive at the missing ones. I am guessing that the translation coordinates contained within CHANNELITEMs get added to the spline model coordinates i…
Last reply by HomeSlice, -
- 1 follower
- 34 replies
- 758 views
FitTo Plugin Beta testers wanted! Windows only. I don’t know how to make it work on a Mac. I would welcome any testing on this plugin, and comments, and suggestions on how to make it better. (A better name for a start!) FitToBeta.zip What this plugin does: Conforms clothing to a figure. Give your model a change of clothes easily. Before: After: How to install: Unzip FitToBeta.hxt from the zip file. Exit A:M. Place FitToBeta.hxt in the Hash hxt folder. This will probably be C:\Program Files\Hash Inc\V15.0\hxt on Windows. Start A:M. How to use it: 1. Place a figure and an article of clothing in a choreography. 2.…
Last reply by Caroline, -
- 0 replies
- 315 views
I was wondering if there will be SDK updates for the newer versions of Animation Master. The SDK folder on the ftp site is gone. There's no SDK sub-forum for the new Forums. Is an SDK still being actively worked on or supported? Thanks for any info on this subject
Last reply by FretboardOfFury, -
AM TerraForm 1 2
by MSFlynn- 2 followers
- 88 replies
- 7.4k views
Some of you old timers might remember GridWizard. Well, I've returned to rewriting it in VB using Visual Studio 2005. I've changed the name to AM TerraForm (620kb Self-Extracting File) This is not a plugin - it is a stand alone app that saves to the AM v11.05 .mdl format. This is the first beta release. Currently, you can create flat grids and landscape meshes from imported .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .png and .wmf files in 1, 4, 8, 16 , 24 and 32-bit formats. .png supports transparency but I haven't tested it yet so I don't know what will happen. Not all of the interface controls or menu items have functionality. There is a Help file but it doesn't install…
Last reply by Rodney, -
- 7 replies
- 863 views
anyone knows a good CFD software for win+mac? i'm searching for a good CFD solver. i'd like to create an interface between a:m and the solver, but as of yet i didnt have as much luck .. OpenFOAM looks very good, but they say its only feasible to be used on unix flavours. ideally the software should be a c++ library package to solve cfd problems, to avoid too much hassle for the a:m user. also: i currently have not much of an idea how those simulations work. how fast are the calculations? what grid sized will produce good results? how well do these simulations perform for sub-frame advances (multipass!)? anyone has wishes or ideas for the a:m …
Last reply by aaver, -
- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 495 views
Hi all I was decaling one day and my surface maps were stretching out funny on complex shapes. I remember when I worked with Polygons I had to creat UV maps that conformed to the shape of the object. Is there a way around that with A:M so I can place accurate textures on my A:M models? Is there a process for painting on a decal and keeping everything aligned? Technodandy
Last reply by zandoriastudios, -
- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 538 views
In response to the "Math algorithm for distance between 2 CP ?" thread in the SDK forum, here is a PDF file of this 1995 paper printable on one landscape letter-size page. ApproximatingSplineLength.pdf
Last reply by ypoissant,
