newer than than newbie?

M

mayday

0
newer than than newbie?

well so far ive tried the hello world tutorial and cant add any material to the ball. I dont know where they get that map image from either so i just tried adding some other .jpg image. Anyway ive given up on that project 2 or 3 times now and same thing for the axe tutorial. I cant manage to manipulate the box into anything remotely similar to an axehead even after trying for over an hour. It seems as though there are necessary directions which have been left out of the tutorials. My eventual goal is to be able to create architectural structures with this [buildings, bridges] but so far seems hopeless. So far ive tried this demo and the form-Z demo, neither with much success. I havent used any time on the 8 hour sketchup demo yet mainly due to the high cost of the full version but from looking at the tutorials that looks like it may be the easiest to grasp... i dunno, im a newbie :|
 
thanks for the offer of help Frank. As i said with the hello world tutorial I cant add any material to the ball. I dont know where they get that map image from either so i just tried adding some other .jpg image. none work. As for the axe the screen cap shows one of my futile attempts at making an axehead
 

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2. Give the axe the basic shape... ummm ok?

in the pictures on the tutorial they just gloss over that like its simple.... actually its impossible for someone with my cheetah skill level
 

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Mayday-> You have to add the jpg to the color channel and not the transparency channel.

Regards,

Peter
 
thanks Peter

But i looked all over and found no sign of either the color or transparency channels and the tutorial makes no mention of either. Anyway i tried to add material again and this [6th] time it worked. I have no idea why. I didnt do anything different than all the other times

So i proceded to the animation portion and immediately ran into another road block."So we just click on the "Record" icon in the timeline control panel" it says in the tutorial but as you can see from the screen cap, my cheetah window has no "record" icon... wait a minute.. it doesnt even have have a timeline control panel:confused:

As i said earlier "it seems as though there are necessary directions which have been left out of the tutorials." :(

Peter.. i notice you have listed that you use sketchup... how would you compare it to cheetah? Bearing in mind that my objective is to create architectual structures rather than abstract stuff. I realize there would be a learning curve involved with sketchup as well but they have over 100 video tutorials which make it [seem] alot easier than this. Am i better off to just bite the bullet, pay the $500USD and get sketchup?

I'm getting more frustrated with cheeetah every time i use it

Greg
 

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keep trying

Dear Mayday

Keep trying, at first it all seems a bit strange, but sketchup and Cheetah work really well together.

A month ago I could not work how to get any sort of realistic output out of the sketchup models in Cheetah but now....

There are a lot of tutorials out there from other rendering softwares which use the same principle as Cheetah. Like any new program it sudenly clicks in.

Regards

Luke B
 

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sketchup and cheetah work well together?

But Luke, I'm trying to decide witch one to purchase and learn to use. Really not considering getting them both, so moving models from 1 format to the other is not something im contemplating. How about some links to those other tutorials from other rendering softwares?

Thanks

Greg
 
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The Map Image in the Hello Tutorial

Hello Mayday:

The map image used in the "Hello Tutorial" is found in the Animation folder in the Examples folder. It is entitled "earth.jpg." The Examples folder is one of the extra folders which come with Cheetah 3D when you download the program. So to repeat: Find the Examples folder. Open it. Find the Animation folder. Open it, and there should be the image entitled: "earth.jpg." (This is what came with Cheetah 3.0 and also 3.1 at least.)

Simm
 
ah hah!

ok i found the world map Simm, thanks. And i also found out what Peter was talking about when he said i was adding the .jpg to the wrong place. Who knew there is 4 :shock: 4 different spots where it says "texture" in the properties box. For an absolute beginner like me thats an easy thing to miss. The tutorial is not specific enough, especially since it is the very first tutorial! It should tell a person where to find the world map and to make sure that they click on the first "texture" in the properties box. And then it should give more details on the animation because i still have no idea why i cant make a timeline appear at the bottom of the cheetah window, i expect i'm doing something wrong, but what? O, and i still haven't gotten past step 2 in the axe tutorial:roll:
 
Hi, Greg.

time line bar is hidden. just click this icon on the toolbar at top, right side of the document window.

regards.

tg_jp
 

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i really thought i was gonna make it that time...

Thanks for pointing out that i need to click the clock in the corner tg [why didnt the tutorial say that?]. Unfortunately once again I'm stuck at #9. As usual, the tutorial is missing important info on how i get my cheetah window to say "rotation . X" where it shows in the tutorial. the bottom of the screen cap shows what my cheetah window looks like. At least i assume thats the problem, clicking on the record button does nothing

Greg

P.S. i wonder if anyone out there might offer some advice on how to shape that axehead?
 

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Hi,

To show kayframe view or F-curve view, you have to change layout with selecting 'Animation' at layout selection on Toolbar or change layout manually (check help file User Interface -> Window Layout ).

[ why didn't the tutorial say that? ]
Click to expand...
I think timeline view is already visible by default, so I am not sure why it is hidden.

tg_jp

p.s. about axehead modeling, unfortunately I can't explain in english. :sad:
but it needs very few steps, you try to use only transform tool but scale tool for it.

anyone know good movie capturing app for OSX other than SnapZX?
 

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Hi Mayday,

Well Sketchup is a great way to model, but it lacks in renderquality (if you want a realistic image). I don't know what kind of endresult you want. If it's realistic images, you can go with Cheetah. After some trial and error and asking at this forum, I bet you can make the most beautiful models in no time. On the other hand if you want to "sketch" and research buildingshapes, I think Sketchup is a better way. I still find it hard to accurately model in Cheetah. But maybe I'm just lazy... And with Vectorworks 12, it's also possible to export 3ds files. So I can model my building in 3d from the Cad program and have it rendered and textured in Cheetah. Anyway, if you have any more questions, you can always ask here!

Regards,

Peter
 
Hi Mayday.
I tried the axe tutorial the first time and had no hang at no point.
I made an animated GIF for you. Save it to your disk and run it via Quicktimeplayer, to watch it step by step. I would like to take you by the hand, but can just offer email, gifs, jpg-tableaus but no videos so far.
I´m really a bit surprised ´bout your experience. I´ve tried tons of apps (ok, there´s no Sketchup in my portfolio) and own a few. And even your impression is so different, I´m modelling now things within minutes and that´s not because I´m a highlevelskilled3didiot; it´s because Cheetah3d comes clear, ergonomic, easy and offers so much capabilities with an sometimes approach of a toy, but look at all these fantastic renderings in this forum; can we all do this with lego? It´s a tool, not a toy and first of all it´s fun. No app creates a dream by one controlshiftleftmouseclick:)
So please try again and again and ask and ask. In one week you will smile at your beginnings, laugh a week later on and scream the other week why you should´nt have known this/that.

With kindest regards,
Frank



BTW: Is there a free tool to record the screencontent to disk while working with the mouse and pulldownmenus? Ooops. Same question as tg_jp.
 

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keep trying

Dear Mayday

Frank is right, keep plugging away

I have tried most of the 3d apps and cheetah is about the cleareest most powerfull modeler and rendering app for a Mac that wil give results like the ones in the gallery

Just over a month ago I couldn't work out how to make glass reflective !

Regards


Luke
 
But tg_jp....

tg_jp said:
Hi,

To show kayframe view or F-curve view, you have to change layout with selecting 'Animation' at layout selection on Toolbar or change layout manually (check help file User Interface -> Window Layout ).


i couldnt find either user interface or window layout in the help manual. I did read about the timeline, key editor and F-curve though. In the examples they show there is a small key or in F-curve mode a small graph at the bottom of the key editor. My cheetah window doesnt have either the key or the graph and i cant find anywhere that tells me how to make them appear?

the bottom of the pic is what my editor looks like... i notice in the hello world tutorial, in step #9, in the pic attached to my last post there is no small key though? I dunno... gets more confusing all the time

Peter... i suppose i would like as realistic of an image i can get, but at this point i'd be happy with a cartoon axehead... so hopefully with Franks gif i might be able to figure that out at least. I'll try anyway until someone explains how i make the small key appear... hmmm reflective glass you say Luke? sounds like a moonshot to me at this point:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 

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seriously guys.. thanks for the help..

but im quickly beginning to think the axehead is a moonshot for me. I think my temperature has risen to the fever point in just the last 15 minutes while i try manipulate that thing. The transform tool is bouncing all over the place, individual cubes are turning red than back to grey and when i try move anything it all goes out of whack. I cant even make anything close to what frank has in only the 2nd frame of his gif. Think im gonna have a drink then go use some of my 8 hour sketchup trial

Greg
 
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