Hi, One question (ok a sub question too, so two technically!) about the explosion tutorial: Under step 1. Modeling, after you create a deformed sphere there is a step to export to DXF, then reimport the file. What exactley does this do? And what would happen if you didnt do this step? Thanks and keep up the great job on these tutorials!! -Paul PS Are you taking suggestions for future tutorials, because they are all awesome? If so here are a couple ideas: - A tutorial on how to import a Poser figure and get it to render correctly. I know these tutorials exist, but they all involve using 3rd party apps and are way too complicated, there has got to be an easier way. - Modeling a Fork or Spoon - Modeling a Fantasy Long Sword - Modeling a Greek style structure that surrounded water pools. You know the kind with the columns of marble with a slab of marble on the top like a catwalk attached to all the pillars?? If you want to see an example, although tut should be a simpiler form of this structure, maybe just 4 sides.... paste this link in a browser window: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=95004&Start=13&Artist=voodoo&ByArtist=Yes

Under step 1. Modeling, after you create a deformed sphere there is a step to export to DXF, then reimport the file. What exactley does this do? And what would happen if you didnt do this step? The export/import is done to improve the look of the spheres which are created when the atomizer is applied. If you don't take this step the spheres are just a little to blocky for my taste. You should try it to see the difference! New Tutorials - A tutorial on how to import a Poser figure and get it to render correctly. I know these tutorials exist, but they all involve using 3rd party apps and are way too complicated, there has got to be an easier way. Well dude, sorry to say I don't even own poser so I can't answer to this one. - Modeling a Fork or Spoon I've done the fork many times to teach other people. It was a tutorial that was provided with one of the versions of Raydream (I think CorelDream). Sounds like a good one to produce in formal fashion. I've thought about a spoon but never really tried one before. It's got to be easy though. A nice set of silverware would be a nice contribution to the CD too (hint hint hint!!!!). - Modeling a Fantasy Long Sword I've done buckets of swords. Go and take a look at the one I posted as comparisons to differenct lighting options when C2 was just released. I can do a second sword (the lightsaber being the first one). - Modeling a Greek style structure that surrounded water pools. You know the kind with the columns of marble with a slab of marble on the top like a catwalk attached to all the pillars?? This is a tough one in terms of the number of possible components and how far it can go. You mentioned that it should be simple and I whole heartedly agree. The lamp was pretty daggone long (too long for my taste) and I suspect that was true for everybody else considering I got almost zero feedback on it. I'll have to think about this one a little bit. One other note, it wouldn't break my heart if other people besides our standard tutorial contributors wanted to step up to the plate. Send me an IM and we can get you all hooked up! Thanks for the feedback Paul! -Kix

Thanks for the explanations on the DXF. That is a great trick! As for the tuts, thanks for the explanations on my ideas. I agree, come on people I know there are a lot of you out their so start soliciting ideas! ;-) -Paul

Kix, I liked the lamp tutorial very much because it made use of a variety of tools, not just focusing on one single thing like the Spline modeler. It's really nice to see how to make things come together in the "big picture" so to speak. Up to this point I haven't really offered feedback on any of the tutorials. I've only had Carrara for a little over two weeks and I'm jumping around so much from one thing to another just to see what it can do. I didn't want to bother the authors with my ignorance until I have a better idea what I'm talking about! Thank you for taking the time to make these tutorials and for making them available to us. If I were to make a request for a future tutorial, it would be something that puts the Vertex Modeler through its paces. The Spline Modeler is much easier to use and is (I think) far more accurate. But there are some things that I just can't get the Spline Modeler to do. I was hoping that the Vertex Modeler would be more flexible and would allow me to do what I want to. It seems like it will, but I just don't know how to do it. I've read Chapter 9 of the C2 manual (the Vertex Modeler) about 3 times now and still don't quite get it. But this is all probably a lot more than you wanted to know! :D Anyway, the only other comment that I have is that I like tutorials that can be downloaded as PDF files. That way they're easier to print and I don't have to flip back and forth between MSIE and Carrara (or whatever program).

Attached Link: http://www.irtc.org/ftp/pub/anims/2000-10-15/invmix.mpg

Howdy -- When I was first developing the explosion techniques that Kix has so aptly tutorialized, I used a few other tricks in animation. One was to use a squash and stretch deformer on the flame clouds; to do that would have meant applying two deformers to the same object, which while possible wound up taking enormous amounts of time for my machine to calculate. The answer was to export the cloud (which I originally created in the blubble or metaball modeler, as opposed to using a sphere) to the vertex modeler with deformer intact. I understand that's not possible in Carrara, so the export to DXF solution came up. (Actually, I hadn't known it was possible in RayDream until I happened on the feature one happy afternoon in 2000.) If you have a fast internet connection (or a lot of patience; the file's almost 5 meg), check out the link; it's to the internet raytracing competition which I'd entered in 2000 and developed the explosion technique for. You'll see a bunch of explosions deployed in animation. (I also wrote and played the music that's in the MPG.) It's also interesting to note how much a good sound effect will enhance the effect. The last explosion comes in three waves -- the nuclear burst, then the fireball, then the ship ripping apart; without the sound it looks cool, but the sound effect really makes the explosion seem much bigger. (I had more shots, but the IRTC limits your filesize, so I had to edit some of them out.) Anyway, hope this is helpful. - Dex

Wow, Very cool Animation. Yes sound effects make a huge diff. Thanks for sharing that. I am starting to understand some of the little nuances to modeling and rendering. It seems it is rarely cut and dry. Regards, -Paul

Hey Dex. I love the animation (and the music is pretty good too). What app did you use to add audio? Take care, Jim Z. a.k.a. Julian Boolean

Nice animations! I agree that sound brings SOOO much to the table as far as making it more real. Actually, I started doing production from the sound end of things, and now prefer the visual end! Go figure! ;>

Hey, folks -- sorry it's so long to reply here, but what the hey. I created the music on my stand-alone sequencer (Ensoniq SQ 1 -- I've had it since 1990, so it's pretty ancient.) I added edited the whole clip in AfterEffects, not because it was the best app for the choice, but it was the only app I had on my machine at the time that I could use. If I were to do this again today, I'd edit it (and add the music) in Premiere. The sound effects came from an effects CD (6001 sound effects or something equally cheezy), and I rendered the movie out of AE a BUNCH of times before I got the effects lined up precisely with the visuals. (In the first cut, there was actually a Poser shot, too, in which "the President" ordered the launch of the nuclear missile. I provided his voice. Alas, the shot was cut for time constraints. (You knew he was the president because of the cleverly placed presidential seal behind him.... And my presidential sounding voice, of course.) And Bluetone, I came at production from the visuals and have always found audio to be the most difficult and one of the most important parts of production. - Dex

I agree about that the timing of audio to visuals is tough. I usually did music, (band demos, songwriting demos, even a meditation tape once, that king of thing,) so the timing I always found easier before I started adding visuals to it! Now I find it easier adding the visuals to the audio. I think I speak for everyone, when I say we'd love to see the "Directors cut" if you finished it. Any chance?

Thanks for asking about the "director's cut," but I don't have it any more. I did that project on a machine at my former job [during off hours, of course ;o)], as part of my professional development time. When I left that job, the machine didn't come with me, so I had to purge it of all non-essential files. I didn't have a CD burner on it to archive the stuff; major bummer. The link to IRTC is the only copy of the animation I have access to at all, any more. - Dex