< Previous | Next >

BryceTalk Tips n Tricks Materials, DTE, Animation
May 13, 1999
Part 2 of 4
1 2 3 4

BryceTalk Tips & Tricks, May 13, 1999
Part 2

AuntiAlias: Calyxa, you're next!

Calyxa: is there an easy way to 'invert the alpha channel' of a procedural texture? or do you just have to tweak on it in the DTE and hope for the best?

Heather: !

Danoe: once it happened I figured it out...

AuntiAlias: hee hee hee!

Watto has just left.

AuntiAlias: Good Question, Calyxa.. and yes, I can answer that one for you!

It involves the DTE

and it involves using the filter for the composite texture

as you may or may not know, there are 4 possible filter combinations

1 for each of the 3 texture components

and 1 for the combined output

if you want to reverse the "alpha channel"

Blantyr disappears in a blinding flash of smoke.

AuntiAlias: you use the Filter with the little marker set in the 4th (right) position

Blantyr has finally arrived.

Calyxa: with you so far.

Watto has joined the party!

AuntiAlias: the filter to select is Clip a(X+B)

and

er.. there's no text entry for numbers... so you gotta drag the slider around until your settings say more or less this:

a = 1

b = -1

Danoe: man I wish I could go to B-Camp 99

AuntiAlias: those figures I gotta double check, and I can't type this fast and run a chat and play in the DTE

(multitashing, sheesh!)

Clay: LOL

Calyxa: ok, that's probably enough to get me where I want to go, thanks!

AuntiAlias: but I also discuss inverting the filter settings in the DTE chapter in real world bryce 2

Danoe: computers are and humans aren't?

AuntiAlias: the look of the interface is different

but the underlying NUMBERS are identical!

Juanaguru has just left.

JeffP: ?

AuntiAlias: uh.. now I"m scrolling back to see what we have in the way of a queue.. I see Antonio and Heather

and JeffP

so... Antonio, you're ON!

Antonio: hi

AuntiAlias: (if you have a tip, please type ! and if you have a question, please type ?)

Rodney: < and Rodney somewhere in there >

Heather: ?

AuntiAlias: the subject is materials, tho we've begun drifting toward DTE, too

Antonio: is there any way to get Bryce to open in a different aspect ratio other than the default setting?

AuntiAlias: you mean a scene, Antonio?

Antonio: I find myself using 35mm aspect ratio all the time

yup

AuntiAlias: under file menu, there's document setup

many different types of aspect ratios

Rodney: Default.BR4, Susan

Clay: yeah

Calyxa: in the same folder as the B4 app.

Clark/CDS: save as default.br4

AuntiAlias: this question has 2 parts.

Antonio: yeah, but I would like Bryce to open with 35mm as the default

is that possible?

Rodney: Antonio, set up the scene the way you want it to open every time

Clay: that's how to do it

AuntiAlias: and looks lik eyou know the answer to part 1

Rodney: and then save that scene as default.br4

AuntiAlias: so Rodney, go for it with explanation ;)

Rodney: Or default.br3 if you need to use B3D

Antonio: okay

lebby: ?

Clark/CDS: save in the Bryce FOLDER !!!!!

Rodney: sorry... just slipped out

done

AuntiAlias: Heather... You're ON!

Heather: My ! was I'm sorry I forgot to ? My ? is whether I missed anything between Bryce 2 and Bryce 4, since the 2.1 download isn't available (as referenced in BW2 book

Calyxa: you didn't miss anything important that's not in b4...

AuntiAlias: hmmm... I know that Bryce 2.1 was not available as a download (if the book said as much, then it's an error)

Heather: thanks - what a relief

ok, thanks

AuntiAlias: I rmembver that if you've got the windows version, you check the CD and there's an inventory number

if the last three numbers are 003, then it's Bryce 2.1

Danoe: ahh Heather is a fellow 2 - 4 jumper I'm not the only one...

AuntiAlias: and for Mac, I believe you get info and it'll tell you if it' sBryce 2.0 or 2.1

but...

as far as I know, there is no inventory of 2.1 cds for either version, so i fyou have 2.0, I don't think you can get an "upgrade" to 2.1 anymore : (

Danoe: ?

Clem wants to play too.

AuntiAlias: Jeff P! go for it

JeffP: Can we have some more discussion about the details of morphing textures in different channels at different rates?

Heather: !

AuntiAlias: Queue: lebby, Danoe, Heather.

Blantyr is off to save the world.

AuntiAlias: Rodney? Rodney? did you say you slipped outta here?

I can only tell you the theory of it, not that I've done it myself

but I would imagine that it would go like this

Rodney: no, my oot of turn postiung slipped out

AuntiAlias: oh!

Rodney: Jeff, set up a 10 second animation

AuntiAlias: okay... you want to field JeffP's quesiton?

Rodney: create a terrain at frame 1

AuntiAlias: (we're talking Materials, DTE tips and tricks. If you have a tip or a trick, please type ! ... if you have a question --about materials/DTE, then type ?)

Rodney: go to the materials lab and load your first pic into the diffusion and ambient properties channel

and into the bump intensity channel

Kevin: ?

Rodney: click the + keyframe at the bottom of the materials lab

rvanderlippe saunters in.

Rodney: move your time slider to say 4 seconds

Jeffric is off to see the Wizard.

Rodney: load your second pic into the diffusion properties channel

move to something like 6 seconds and load pic2 into the bump intensity

(be sure and slap that + button at each change you make)

Clem: ?

Rodney: go over to 8 seconds and load pic 2 into the ambient properties.

Marco slinks out.

Rodney: The terrain will morph colors and bumps at different rates between the two pics. Can be cool

done

AuntiAlias: cool! thanks, Rodney!

Clay: neat!

Rodney: Thank Bill Ellsworth

JeffP: OK Thanks!

AuntiAlias: lebby, you're on!

lebby: Is there a way to resume an animation render from the point I stop it if for some reason I have to quit Bryce4? I'm attempting a LARGE animation and can't tie up the computer that long. :)

Rodney: I looked atone of his anims and figured out this hairy complicated way to do it

Clay: stop it on the middle of the render and save it

Rodney: and then he showed me this 1-2-3 thingy..

Clay: then when you reopen it hit resume

lebby: Thanks.

Mhyper: thanks Clay

AuntiAlias: Clay's answer assumes that you've set up render to pictures, not to a movie

Clay: :-)

Rodney: Clay, remember this only works if you're saving to an image sequence

Clay: oh yeah heheheh

AuntiAlias: which is about the only way to do it. Also good for splitting up animation with different machines

Rodney: noyt an animation codec

Hoot has finally arrived.

Mhyper: :(

Danoe: Aunti my Bryce2 cd is *-***-***-R-003 does that mean it's 2.1?

Clay: my bad sorry bout that:-(

AuntiAlias: Danoe, you're ON

Danoe: opps wrong button...

AuntiAlias: yes, Danoe

Danoe: well it's right above :)

AuntiAlias: was that your quesiton?

Danoe: ok thanks I'm done

yeah that was it...

AuntiAlias: heather's next, followed by Kevin, Clem .. and whoever next types ! or ?

Heather: I looked - it's not 003. But ok anyway. But maybe that's what I mailed the mail-in card for. :)

AuntiAlias: Heather.. go for it.. was that your question/tip?

Heather: yes

Danoe: I'm just taking in every bit of info I can remember :) (i'l be loggin this one :)

Calyxa: the mail-in card was for a windows version of the cd that came with the RWB2 book.

AuntiAlias: Kevin, you're ON! : )

Kevin: I am trying to use pictures of a real texture (for instance wood). I have edited the texture in Pohotoshop to make it seaemless but I am not able to tile the image well on created objects. How can i make the wood picture tile rather than stetch?

Mhyper: ?

MetaIan has joined the party!

AuntiAlias: If you have a tip for Materials, or DTE, please type !

Clay: ?

Calyxa: Kevin - click the blue button next to the pink one in the upper left of the texture swatch - then use the scale tool.

Rodney: Kevin, what application modes have you tried?

AuntiAlias: also, Kevin

Danoe: anyway it's been fun need to turn the puter over to the mother, so I'll ceatch y'all this weekend prolly...

AuntiAlias: make sure that you check the tiling options on the pop-up menu under the texture source

same menu that says WorldSpaec, Object Space, Parametric

Antonio: ?

Danoe: niters all

AuntiAlias: there are tiling options there as well on that menu

Danoe has just left.

Rodney: Parametrric and symmetrical tiling seems to work

Kevin: thats probably my problem

AuntiAlias: Queue: Clem, Mhyper, Clay, Antonio

Calyxa: but if the scale is set to 0, which is the default for a pict texture, the tiling won't matter...

AuntiAlias: Clem, go for it!

Clem: Actually I have a question and a comment. In rodney's discussion of the DTE and morphing textures it sounds like he was setting the chanels up to change at different rates. Is this close?

Kevin: ?

Rodney: True... and don't you have to go "up" in positive numbers to make the texture "smaller"...

Clem: !

Rodney: Exactly, Clem

AuntiAlias: (Clem, go ahead with your comment, too....)

Bryguy slinks out.

AuntiAlias: !

Heather has more important business elsewhere.

AuntiAlias: Queue: Mhyper, Clay, Antonio, Kevin, Clem, AuntiAlias

Clem: My comment is that for web page backgrounds (a single image) set the render sise to 2:1 the reduce the image to 83%

Cricket is off to save the world.

AuntiAlias: what pixel dimension are you aiming for?

Rodney: Clem, why?

AuntiAlias: (that question is for Clem)

Clem: It works good to set the atmosphere of a web site if it is used on an opening page

Descendere has joined the party!

AuntiAlias: got an example URL for us, Clem?

Rodney: But why the scaling manipulation?

AuntiAlias: if so, type it here!

Clem: http://www.thechilishop.com (just done

Rodney: I mean, rather than just setting up the render for the dimension you want in the render setup dialog?

AuntiAlias: perhaps this belongs in the "more than 1 way to skin a cat" category....

Clem: Scaling manipulation for 15 inch monitors

AuntiAlias: let's move on to MHyper...

Mhyper: In ML, I activated the B componet (accident) and couldn't find a way to delete or remove it back to A. any way around or doI have to hit "x" leave and reenter again?

dawn: good question..

AuntiAlias: it stays there for as long as you're IN the Mat Lab....

Calyxa: just click the 'slot' at the far left end of that row.

AuntiAlias: whatever is APPLIED to the object (i.e., is clicked in one fo the properties areas) will appear again when you come back

Calyxa: the tex will still show, but it isn't being applied... and when you come back, it won't be there.

AuntiAlias: but you don't dismiss an unused texture source by unclicking it from the properties section

so, yes, it disappears when you leave and come back

lebby slinks out.

AuntiAlias: (assuming that you leave by X/¯ versus leave by going to DTE and back. in which case you haven't left)

Mhyper: thats just getting deeper... thanks :)

AuntiAlias: Clay! You're on!

Clay: Is it in the works, in the creation of BR5, to be able to import and map QT or mov files as textures? can't remember from the Mr. Lauer Q&A......seems like that was asked.

MetaIan is off to save the world.

AuntiAlias: well... as the only official representative from MetaCreations here.. --esp now that Ian just left-- this question will have to suffice with one of those answers that goes, "we have it on our list"

Hoot is off to see the Wizard.

AuntiAlias: I can't say for sure what's coming in future

Rodney: <hmmmm..... Infinity's Child clips driving the bump channel.... interesting...>

AuntiAlias: (whether I actually know the answer to that or not)

but...

Clay: okee doke:-) done

AuntiAlias: your desire/request has been NOTED! :D

Clay: LOL

AuntiAlias: Antonio

xochi: <and seconded>

Antonio: Any tips on how to make artificial structure/building textures ala Blade Runner buildings/Star Destroyer textures. I use many textures made by Eric W, but I'd like to start making my own. I'd rather use textures and not PICT files.

Mindscenes is off to see the Wizard.

Ringo: Clay, .thanks that was my question from the conference...<smile>

Clay: :-)

AuntiAlias: Anyone have an answer for Antonio?

(tho I've seen Blade Runner, I don't know it well enough to have visual for what you're referring to)

Clay: use Illustrator

Calyxa: the only thing that comes to mind is to start with 'techno' noise in the DTE

Clark/CDS: Bryce Camps DTE class

Clay: to make neat terrain grids

xochi: scan in photographs

AuntiAlias: oh!

okay.. I got it now

Clay: to put on buldings

AuntiAlias: another thing to do.... use techno noise, use either minimum or maximum 90 mode in noise editor

Antonio: no photos

MonkeyT: Take apart the existing ones and examine the components. Practice, practice, practice.

Clay: greyscalea are highly underused sometimes

AuntiAlias: (you need to have more than one Octave for that mode to work)

desdanova is off to save the world.

Clem: ?

Antonio: photos mak ethe files way too big for my liking

AuntiAlias: there is also square noise and triangle noise for interesting linear-type effects

Antonio: hmmm

xochi: use tiny portions that you then tile in pghotoshop

Clay: lottsa routes to take:-)

Calyxa: fractal stone can also be good at 90 degree angles.

KK22 wants to play too.

Antonio: cool

AuntiAlias: Queue: Kevin, Clem, AuntiAlias, Clem

Antonio: sound like there's a lot I can try

Clay: yeppers

AuntiAlias: there's ALWAYS lots you can try! always! :D

Antonio: ok done Tanks

Calyxa: I'd suggest picking apart the existing presets in the DTE to learn from them.

>>>> Next up: More Tips, DTE in Terrain Editor, and an Intermission BryceTalk Survey

< Previous | Next >

Opinions expressed in this BryceTalk Event belong to the individuals who stated them;
they do not necessarily reflect the opinions and position of MetaCreations, Corp.