tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35130668962374469902024-03-08T02:50:13.911-08:00Machinima Journey begins with single clickklipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-44192554037089375272009-07-26T15:30:00.000-07:002009-07-26T15:38:28.113-07:00Old Tricks for New DogsOh the things we learn we never dreamed we would ever need to know. After far too long, I've finally gotten around to working on Rosentendo & Guildenwii (working title), a machinima piece based on a tennis theme.<br /><br />Actually I have been working on it for a while. I've bought 2 different tennis games over Steam, and figured out how to play them (as previously mentioned not something I would do otherwise).<br /><br />Today, however, I knuckled down to figure out what shots I needed and set to work with FRAPS. Before long I had enough clips to get started. I fired up Adobe Premiere Pro, imported the files, and thought I was cooking. That was until I discovered that the audio on 3 of the 7 files disappeared after 33 frames. Drag.<br /><br />Well, obviously, google to the rescue. Seriously, google is starting to scare me, the way it knows all that is known. But i digress. The point is that one quickly learns that A, fraps doesn't have its own forum, and B, the fraps codec isn't premiere friendly.<br /><br />clearly, a conversion is in order, and as Im on a budget, a free tool was a priority. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.virtualdub.org/">VirtualDub</a> is well know to the machinima community to so that was my first choice, and it did work. But the file sizes weren't so good and I didn't trust the ancient codecs that appeared on its default list of choices.<br /><br />back to google, and presto! <a href="http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley.edu/benrg/huffyuv.html">HuffYuv</a> pops up double-quick. Download, install, and I'm good to go seconds later, right? SORRY!<br /><br />Didn't work. But I've been learning. Could VISTA be the culprit? Google says, 'Youbetcha!'. But Google also says, 'wise man reads <a href="http://forum.videohelp.com/topic332208.html#1723154">forum post</a>, learns complicated method for installing codec!' And sure enough, after carefully following instructions, Premiere Pro is playing my clips, with Audio. But who knew I'd be learning how to authorize Administrator level installs by typing 'cmd' in the run-box and pressing Ctrl-Shift-Enter? Or even that I'm teaching myself Premiere, even though I already use Avid and Final Cut Pro on a regular basis? Complete the trifecta, I guess.<br /><br />Stay tuned, y'all for upcoming video.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-45723155253493534102009-06-13T16:39:00.000-07:002009-06-13T17:07:31.104-07:00I'm not a machinimator, but I play one on the webThis isn't strictly machinima related. However!<br /><br />A while back I found out about a neat program called '<a href="http://animata.kibu.hu/index.html">Animata</a>'. Nifty 2d puppeteering programming. Sort of like <a href="http://my.smithmicro.com/mac/animepro/index.html">Anime Studio</a>, but without the drawing tools, and performed live instead of keyframed.<br /><br />Anyway, I wanted to use it. Thing is, it was never written as a product for public consumption. The <a href="http://www.kitchenbudapest.hu/en">creators</a> used it for their own performance needs and afterwards decided to release it into the wild. So there's no support beyond the user group. Now admittedly, the creators are very active on that list, offering quick response to questions. But there's no manual, no readme, and just a few basic tutorials.<br /><br />The thing is, to do any actual puppeteering you need another application that can send OSC messages. Don't know what OSC messages are? Neither did I.<br /><br />That brings me to the point of this post. The internet. Or rather, how things have changed in my lifetime. My entire experience with Animata is conditioned on the tremendous role in my life of the internet.<br /><br />How did I hear about Animata? On somebody's blog. Where did I get it? I downloaded it. How did I finally figure out that I needed another program to act as a puppeteering controller? By posting a question to the email list. How did I figure out what OSC messages are? Google. Of course.<br /><br />But it doesn't stop there. You can't just download a OSC compatible puppeteering app.<br /><br />[<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Hold on a sec, let me google that to be sure. Dang, its seems that there's Touch Designer. I'm going to have to d/l that and check it out. Its a programming environment, but it sounds like its a much higher level environment than Processing, which is what I"m using. More on that in a moment. Touch Designer is only WinXP only, Vista with caveats, and I'm bi-curious mac and pc. So its not an ideal solution for me, but hey, its free (non-commercially)</span>.]<br /><br />To puppeteer with Animata, you've got to create something that sends appropriate OSC messages. I gleaned from the fora (there's that internet again) that <a href="http://puredata.info/">PureData</a> and <a href="http://www.processing.org/">Processing</a>, two open-source programming environments, are popular options. <a href="http://www.cycling74.com/">Max/MSP</a> is another, but it's proprietary and expensive. Once again off to the internet to download both PD and Processing. Take a moment, to consider the 'open source' movement, of which both PD and Processing are stellar examples. The internet is the oxygen that sustains it; without the internet, no open source software, shareware, freeware or donation-ware would be remotely possible. Certainly what I'm doing right now.<br /><br />As it turned out, PureData wasn't working on my mac. Off to the forums in search of help. Alas, this time I was foiled; no help was forthcoming. I was bummed because I really liked the look of its graphical, rather than text-based, programming metaphor. Ah well, Processing was the winner. I can only handle learning one programming language at a time anyway. And though I used to write code all the time, and used to have pretty decent C chops, object-oriented programming is rather mystifying. It was just a theoretical construct back when I was stuffing <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.atariarchives.org%2Fmlb%2F&ei=JDo0SsXpLuWetwfBv4i3CQ&usg=AFQjCNGA_0-0aeyoH6SsYBfEuEHwfwDwGg&sig2=IW5ouhWcIFBGaf4dnPhVbg">6502 machine code</a> into the memory (a whopping 48KB; my 4GB laptop has 87,381 times more memory!) of my ATARI 800 with POKE statements!<br /><br />Anyway, back to puppeteering with Animata. So I know that I should be able to write an interface for Animata using Processing; first thing I have to figure out is how to send OSC messages. Back on the internet, I learn about and download an OSC library for Processing. After much pulling of hair, a query to the mailing list set me straight (there was a typo on one of the few tutorial pages for animata), and I was able to control bones and joints in Animata using the mouse in a Processing app.<br /><br />So now I'm cookin'! Next brilliant idea is to use my midi keyboard as a controller. Now I have to figure out how to use midi from Processing. By now I'd gotten good at this combing the internet for this sort of stuff, and in fairly short order got it all going on. Of course, I had to download a couple more libraries for Processing <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> update Java on my mac, but I got there!<br /><br />From here there lies a fork in the road ahead. On one side I can start writing a midi implementation, which would be cool because that would allow me to use midi sequencers to help control the puppets' animation. On the other side is motion tracking; creating a system to control puppets through a video camera. I'm starting with the midi; its easier code to write, and I really like the idea that off-the-shelf sequencers can help me animate!!!<br /><br />The video camera idea sounds incredibly cool. The <a href="http://vimeo.com/706938">reverse shadow theater</a> example on the Animata website is terribly cool, but after doing a bit of internet searching I suspect that it will suck up a lot of my psychic resources. There's something called <a href="http://www.infomus.org/EywMain.html">EyesWeb</a>, but its Windows only (see above), and non-trivial.<br /><br />Meanwhile, today I crossed the first hurdle. I wrote a Sketch (that's what programs are called in Processing) that translates key presses on my midi keyboard into skeleton animation. That opens the door; all the main conceptual obstacles have been cleared. Learning Processing woud have been impossible without the internet. Not long ago the only way to have learned a programming language like this would have been from a book; today I can use the awesome online <a href="http://www.processing.org/learning/">documentation</a> available at Processing.org.<br /><br />[<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Seriously, if you're interesting in good website and documentation design, check out the site. the language is fully documented and cross-referenced with code examples that execute </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">in-browser. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">What an asset when trying to figure out how to do stuff with it!</span>]<br /><br />The next big step is to really master Animata, which, as I mentioned comes with no documentation. (I think I volunteered myself to start a wiki about it.) The rigging process in particular is challenging. Stay tuned!klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-28131624633177637502009-04-19T18:20:00.000-07:002009-04-19T20:49:40.466-07:00Hairpin Learning CurveGetting a PC has really jump-started my machinimaking. It would be nice to be able to use my Mac for all my needs but that's just not the case.<br /><br />For example, I've been working on a piece with tennis as the central metaphor. While I admit I didn't do an exhaustive search, I wasn't able to find a suitable tennis platform on the mac. Ideally I would have liked to use TopSpin3, but that is still console-only. Buying a console is definitely not in my budget. TopSpin2, however, is cheap on Steam. Plus buying it though Steam saved me a trip to GameStop.<br /><br />Now I've actually got to learn how to play the game, and curse the luck, play it well. Oh, and I've got to start combing game boards to see if there are any hacks for removing the HUD and other onscreen graphics. In short, I need to know all there is to know about T0pSpin2 in a hurry. And here's the rub. I'm not particularly interested in the game - for its own sake at least. Shazzbat!klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-11324498408947364882009-04-04T09:24:00.001-07:002009-04-04T09:39:58.510-07:00Tempus fugitYeesh! Has it really been four months since I last posted an entry?<br /><br />Sadly, yes. But here I am again. The big news is that I've finally reacquired a PC, and thereby the ability to run some key machinima apps I'm interested in: iClone, GTA IV, Steam, Machinimation Studio, Far Cry, and others. Sims, Spore, Top Spin, to name a few.ada Psyched!<br /><br />So stay tuned to this space. I've got a clutch of short scripts to get done, and even a few bigger projects.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-74183670376711826842009-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:002009-01-08T15:55:11.415-08:00The Devil's PlaygroundI've been neglecting my blogs, and that's because I've been neglecting my machinima.<br /><br />As usual, the root cause is too many distractions. In my defense, some were calendrical: the holidays rolled through like a typhoon, both in my work and family life. Nevertheless, just as I'm starting to get the hang of Blender, along comes <a href="http://animata.kibu.hu/index.html">Animata</a>. And all the while Im working with SketchUp and MovieStorm and Studio Artist. Oh, and PhotoShop, Illustrator, and AfterEffects, too.<br /><br />These last three I'm actually pretty handy with. But mostly as a sort of 'swiss army knife' toolkit. I'm not as good creatively, using them as design tools rather than problem solvers. Of course this is a reflection more of my lack of design talent, but that's why I want to spend more time with them, to try up my game a bit creatively speaking.<br /><br />Then our economy (and the world's) has this little hiccup, I'm sure you've heard of it, which has left me with more unbooked hours than I'd like. Well, idle hands are the devil's plaything, so I've decided to make use of my new found free time to tackle some of the larger projects I've been neglecting for too long. This being the 21st century, the obvious thing to do is to blog about it. <a href="http://abookisborn.blogspot.com/">Et voilá!</a> - my new blog.<br /><br />I wil not be neglecting machinima entirely of course, so do stay tuned here for updates.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-89053508983520041492008-11-22T17:23:00.000-08:002008-11-22T18:32:04.724-08:00Lights in the distance: oncoming train or approaching daylight?Many people have discovered the joys of Google's <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">SketchUp</a>. I've been teaching myself how to use it, and I'm constantly surprised at the how easy it is to use. Particularly in comparison to Blender and Wings3D, the 3D apps I've also been working with. More on the choice of app later.<br /><br />It really is a piece of cake to whip up some 3D geometry in SketchUp. For its intended purpose - a tool for 3d artists to quickly sketch out ideas without having to deal with drudgerous process of traditional modelling - it is a phenomenal success. It ought to win an award for its human-interface design. The golden cherry on top is that there's a FREE version, which has almost all the features of the pro version. Alas, that pro version lists for $495. Youch!<br /><br />Not surprisingly, one of the most important <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/product/whygopro.html">features</a> has been left off. That feature, of course, is the ability to export a 3d model that's useable in other 3d app's. Equally unsurprising is that the internet provides <a href="http://forums.devshed.com/game-development-141/converting-sketchup-models-to-3dst-519710.html">workarounds</a>. I'd like to share my own workaround. It has its flaws, but it works.<br /><br />All it entails is downloading the Pro version of <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/download/">Sketchup</a>. The Pro version has a trial feature which is unusual. Instead of limiting the number of days it will work (typically 30), or disabling the ability to save work in progress, or watermarking or whatever, Google limits the trial user to 8 hours of use. You can spread those 8 hours out indefinitely (I'm over 15 months so far), which is nice. Now here's the trick. Google allows you to have the FREE version and the Pro version co-existing on your system.<br /><br />So to convert your SketchUp models to Wavefront (.obj) or 3DSMax (.3ds), simply create the model in the free version, the open it in the Pro version and export it from there to the format you want. It's taken me about a minute or less to open and export the relatively simple models I've created so far. At that rate, I should be able to create perhaps as many as 480 models! And if I was really trying to conserve time, I suspect I could pack my SketchUp file with lots and lots of models, export them all as a batch, and use Blender or Wings3D to split them apart.<br /><br />I've had mixed success with textures. I successfully exported a model that was created entirely within the Pro version directly to Unity, complete with textures. However, I tried today with a model created with the free version and I 0nly got the geometry. This maybe because I am using version 6 of the Pro Version and version 7 of the Free one. I'll keep noodling at this problem, and hopefully I'll find a solution.<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm incredibly stoked. The ability to go from quick and easy modeling in SketchUp to interactive rendering in Unity (which I am now more confident than ever will prove to be a useful machinima engine) is a big step forward for me.<br /><br />So why Blender and Wings3D? Simple: they're free! Admittedly, <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=7635018&siteID=123112">Maya</a> offers a personal learning edition, but I still didn't want to deal with it because I don't want to have to deal with the watermarking - I want to be able to create real, usable output. Moreover, I have no ambitions to pursue 3d modeling as a career, so the fact that its' an industry-standard app means nothing to me. Now, if there were a PLE for 3DsMax, I might reconsider, but gMax doesn't really cut it (being PC-only doesn't help its case much, either.) Also, since I'm a complete newbie with 3d apps, I am not put off by the alleged 'idiosyncratic' user interface of blender. In fact, I quite like it - much more than Wings3D, for example.<br /><br />As an extra bonus, Blender includes a game engine. I doubt that I'll ever make use of it, since I've got Unity (which opens Blender files natively), but hey, you never know!<br /><br />Meanwhile, as I googled around a bit while writing this, I've learned that AutoDesk, publisher of BOTH 3DsMax AND Maya, has acquired <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=12022457&siteID=123112">SoftImage</a>! So that puts AutoDesk in control of all of the industry-standard 3d apps. Frankly, that makes me want to use an open-source app just to be contrarian! Also, I couldn't find any mention of a 'personal learning edition', which used to be available for XSI.<br /><br />So blender and wings3d it is, for me at least.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">UPDATE</span>:</span> So it seems that Softimage <span style="font-style: italic;">does</span> provide a free version. Its called the "Mod Tool". You can find it <a href="http://www.softimage.com/products/xsi/industries/games/mod_tool.aspx">here</a>. Hmmm. Might have to reconsider! Of course, when I tried to actually download it, I got a 404 error. And I couldn't determine if it was a pc only or cross platform program. Anyone out there know the answer?klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-38172213490936112152008-11-22T08:29:00.000-08:002008-11-22T08:53:35.434-08:00Just don't call me Twiki!After my recent stint helping <a href="http://machinima.org/">AMAS</a> to organize the <a href="http://festival.machinima.org/">2008 Machinima Film Festival</a>, I got thinking about other things I might be able to do to help out. It occurred to me that the Academy could use a good wiki.<br /><br />I promptly googled <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=wiki+hosting&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">free wiki hosting</a> services, and set about creating one. I hadn't gotten very far before my age-addled grey matter reminded me that a <a href="http://www.mprem.com/e107/e107_plugins/ewiki/e107wiki.php">machinima wiki</a> already exists. It couldn't tell me where though, annoyingly, but eventually I found it again at <a href="http://www.mprem.com/">mprem.com</a>. There's some really good stuff there. However, a lot of it is out of date, and there are some pretty big gaps in the content. So I gleefully set about adding and updating where I could.<br /><br />Classic procrastination. Finding something else to do when I should be teaching myself MovieStorm (hats off to ShortFuze for putting out a Mac version! Hint, hint, Reallusion), Blender, Wings3d, SketchUp7, StudioArtist, Anime Studio, VirtualStage, and in particular, Unity. Oh well. At least it's useful procrastination.<br /><br />In my previous post, I invited the machinima community to volunteer with the <a href="http://machinima.org/">AMAS</a>. Well, here's another way to help, that ironically doesn't involve the Academy. Why not contribute to the <a href="http://www.mprem.com/e107/e107_plugins/ewiki/e107wiki.php">wiki</a>? Just don't call me <a href="http://gilgerard.tripod.com/bedebede.wav">Twiki</a>!klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-8163183902229732702008-11-08T17:09:00.000-08:002008-11-08T17:28:19.886-08:00So long and thanks for all the films!And so, another Machinima Film Festival is in the can.<br /><br />Does it make sense to use that old metaphor anymore, 'in the can'? Admittedly, it is from the movie business, but it has an anachronistic whiff about it. What might be more appropriate in the digital age? Backed-up? Archived? TAR'ed? Off-loaded? Printed? Saved?<br /><br />It's interesting that I struggle to find a metaphor from the computer world that works as well. I think that has something to do with the fundamental mutability of digital media. It's never <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> done. The whole point of digital media is that it can always be reloaded, re-edited, remixed, re-used. Gone is the raw physicality of celluloid, and with it its inherent limits and obstacles. Gone is the visceral satisfaction of the unambiguous moment when, for better or worse, you know that a project is done, completed... in the can.<br /><br />In any case, the Festival is over. Though I was crushed that I was kept away at the last minute, it was by all reports a success. Great movies were shown, awards presented, issues both lofty and quotidian were discussed.<br /><br />The Machinima community owes a tremendous debt to Friedrich Kirschner, whose indefatigable commitment to the Festival made it all possible. Without his enthusiam, ingenuity, and willingness to forgo sleep for days and weeks, I can assure you there would have been no Mackies, no panels, no Festival. My hat's off to you, Friedrich!<br /><br />Friedrich made sure that the Festival's overarching goal was always to nurture and encourage machinima filmmakers. To give the community an opportunity to slap themselves on the back and feel good about what we've accomplished in a year or two of toil.<br /><br />It was disturbing, then, to stumble across libellous commentary on the internet that the committee is biased, that we are paid lackeys of major game companies, that we arrogantly, arbitrarily and wantonly disqualify films from the competition. Even though I know full well that this sort of thing is endemic to the internet itself, and that every community deals with issues like this, it was troubling that these wild allegations found receptive readers, and few critics.<br /><br />Let me encourage anyone who'd like to see things done differently at the festival to put their money where their mouth is and volunteer. We were woefully short-handed this time as last time. Everyone involved gave up nights and weekends, forsook the company of family and friends, all without pay, for months on end. No offer of help would have been refused.<br /><br />And it's not too late to volunteer now. The <a href="http://machinima.org/">AMAS</a> can do a lot to support and promote the machinima community. It needs resources to do so - time and money - which it is chronically lacking. The folks at AMAS all have day jobs, so the time available for Academy activities is limited. Why not lend a hand?<br /><br />In the end, we all had a great time. Sneaking up on a robot turned out to be one of life's hidden pleasures.<br /><br />So 'til the next fest, keep machinimating.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-47640853363756697152008-10-10T15:09:00.000-07:002008-10-10T15:39:47.470-07:00Machinimation?So, typically, I'm the last to hear. I just figured out that Fountainhead Entertainment, creators of Machinimation Studio, have merged with (been absorbed by?) id Software. It seems like all of their FAQ pages for Machinimation have gone by the wayside, although they're still in the Google cache.<br /><br />What a bummer. Of all the machinima interfaces, UI paradigms, whatever - theirs was the best that I've seen. Why?<br /><br /><ul><li>Real-time interactivity. Characters could be puppeteered by the a group of players, LAN style, or by the director, working alone. Game engines like HALO etc can only be played in multi-player mode. There is no director-puppeteer option, which is the only option in iClone, MovieStorm, and Antics. These engines still don't offer the real-time interactivity that Machinimation does. Of course, it looks like iClone3 will have this kind of puppeteering capability. I'd love to check it out. (Hint Hint, Reallusion!) Games like Half-Life and UnReal offer something in between, but only for those with heavy-duty level-editor and scripting chops.<br /></li><li>Camera paths that are fully editable. No need to have a player act like a camera, no need for hacks to remove the UI or HUD from the players screen. Antics/iClone/MS have something similar. The visible path in Machinimation is cool though. Just wish there were a focal length/field-of-view option.</li><li>Animatable lights. They are limited, but they're there.</li><li>Renderable output. No need for FRAPS. Don't get me wrong, FRAPS is a truly awesome tool, and I am a proud licensee. But I like knowing that once I've constructed a scene to my liking it will output just that way. I don't have to hope that my actors will hit their marks just the same way. I haven't seen it, but apparently the SaveGame feature of Halo 3 offers the same functionality by allowing for a free camera after the fact. MS offers this, but on my mac version the rendering is FLAKY. To be fair, I've only rendered the tutorial scene so far, but oy vey! iClone2's renderer is useless - you basically have to use fraps. Hopefully this has been fixed in a update. Anybody want to fill me in here?</li></ul>So the long and the short of it is that I'm sad to see it go. I wish that someone would update the idea with a new engine... Unreal 3, dare I hope? It can't be denied that Machinimation has some serious shortcomings:<br /><ul><li>Image Quality. Its Quake 3, so its quite out of date. It looks it.<br /></li><li>Limited animation. Gesture (!!!). That's it, just 'Gesture'. Run, Walk, Jump, Shoot, and 'Gesture'. Not exactly channelling Thespis, is it?</li></ul>Neither of these relate to the interface, and could all be fixed by implementing it with a modern, licensable engine.<br /><br />So, Fountainhead, if you're listening... you've got a product with market-dominating potential in Machinimation Studio. Now is the time to bring to market!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >please?</span>klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-78030938392980402312008-07-11T15:37:00.000-07:002008-07-11T15:56:19.858-07:00How to do it! Machinima, that is.Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a rank tyro machinimist. That's why I am very interested in FAQ's and tutorials that more experienced creators have made to help out people like me.<br /><br />Initially, I was excited to come across a 'how-to' article called <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Machinima">How to Make a Machinima</a> at a site called <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page">WikiHow</a>. But then I read it.<br /><br />Take half a minute to read it yourself - that's all it will take - and you too can apparently know how to make machinima.<br /><br />I'm old enough to remember that Monty Python already covered all this. Have a look:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tNfGyIW7aHM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tNfGyIW7aHM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-73181421311154162692008-07-07T22:00:00.000-07:002008-07-07T22:14:42.874-07:00Unify'd Field TheoryWork progresses on our little tennis project, and this has refreshed my interest in <a href="http://unity3d.com/">Unity</a>, which I remain convinced has tremendous potential as a machinima tool. But its been over 6 months since I worked with it regularly, so I'm rusty. To make matters worse, the tutorial I was planning on starting on, the FPS tutorial, no longer exists on their website! There is a new, much larger, 3D platform game tutorial, however.<br /><br />I have been warming up by reading the documentation. I have to admit though, it does make me feel old. I learned to code at a time when object-oriented programming was a theoretical construct in research labs in California, when there were no GUI's, when you POKE'd machine code directly into physical memory addresses, when programs where stored on <span style="font-style: italic;">cassette tape</span>. Anybody else remember those? So the elegant object-oriented architecture of Unity is a bit daunting to an old salt like me. Where are all the BNE's, JSR's and Gosubs?klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-19152751321178906172008-07-04T09:27:00.000-07:002008-07-04T13:45:36.910-07:00Wiither machinima?Big props to <a href="http://www.thisspartanlife.com/">Damian Lacedaemion</a> for his help moving my first machinima piece from concept to reality. I am trying to make a short using the Tennis game on the Wii. Damian graciously offered me the use of a Wii, as I don't have one, and helped write the script, too. (He may even appear as voice-talent.)<br /><br />Of course, I learned an object lesson in the endeavor, one that D was trying to tell me - you gotta be playing the games to really be able to make machinima with them. Here's what happened. I have only played Wii Tennis once, about 2 years ago. I got an idea for a script that would go with a one-on-one tennis match, and according to my perforated memory, the Wii would be a hilarious medium to use.<br /><br />Now, any Wii fans out there are way ahead of me already: there is no singles game in Wii Tennis. Its all doubles only! We'd already recorded the voices by the time we got to capturing footage, so we were kind of up a creek. To make matters worse, there doesn't seem to be any way of controlling which avatars the computer picks when you play in single-player mode. And in double player mode the screen is split - not much good for machinima, methinks!<br /><br />So its time to think on our feet to come up with a solution. Rest assured we'll find one, and the film will be a blockbuster, don't doubt that!<br /><br />The experience has been instructive, and the film's not even done yet! It has called to mind again the central problem of Machinima with a capital M. Can it be a form for general-purpose film-making, or will it forever be limited to game-related stories?<br /><br />As a middle-aged filmmaker whose only real experience with 3D videogames since the days of Missile Command, Asteriods, and Defender (the kind you need quarters to play) was Castle Wolfenstein and Doom, I harbor a desire that the real-time power of 3d games can be harnessed to serve any story idea, or at least any <span style="font-style: italic;">class</span> of story idea. In particular dramatic narrative. I would certainly like to see that happen.<br /><br />On the other hand there is a school of thought that holds that that is a foolish dream; that instead, filmmakers should find in games inspiration for stories that are suited to them. Don't try and force a square peg into round hole, in other words. Before my recent mano-a-mano with the Wii Tennis engine, I would have dissmissed this idea as self-limiting, as a rationalization of shortcomings.<br /><br />Now I'm not so sure. The problem for me personally, though, is that I don't really play games as a hobby any more. This leads to a more serious problem, which is that I'm not really an active part of any community of gamers. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and if one hopes to make films with videogames one needs a group of gaming friends. Nevertheless, I have come around to seeing machinima a little differently thanks to my conversations with <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Damien</span>. <span style="font-size:78%;">(sorry about the typo, Damian! -K, 7/4)</span><br /><br />Instead of bringing the expectations of traditional media like film to machinima, look for ways in which machinima can create new forms. If we expect Machinima to be able to make dramatic feature films, we may well be disappointed. Similarly, if machinimists make something new but we're looking for something that's familiar, we're likely not going to appreciate it for what it is.<br /><br />So there's something to mull over. Next time: toolsets, puppeteering, and animation.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-12661796510946328222008-07-01T15:34:00.000-07:002008-07-01T15:44:43.039-07:00Excuses, ExcusesSo, since my last post I've been knee-deep - nay, up to my eyeballs deep - into cutting my first feature-length project: <a href="http://www.newyorkstreetgames.com/">New York Street Games.</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.newyorkstreetgames.com/"></a> What a great documentary this is going to be, even if I say so myself! I'm very proud of the work I've done on this film, which really has been far beyond what an editor normally does.<br /><br />All the work on the film has definitely distracted me from my 'machinima' ambitions. In particular I stopped teaching myself Unity. I still really believe that this platform has great potential for machinima, and now that the Machinima Festival is coming back to town, I am reinvigorated. So stay tuned to this space - I'll be bring you some fresh reports on how I go with <a href="http://unity3d.com/">Unity.</a>klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-89804963036373934322008-01-12T18:22:00.000-08:002008-01-12T18:56:47.543-08:00Sketchup and Unity?Sure! Why not?<br /><br />Why, if you only have the free version, of course! The free Google sketchup has no exporters; you can only save to its own format, the 3D warehouse format. However, just today Overman turned me on to a new possibility - 3DXchange:<br /><br /><a href="http://z-studios.com/blog/2008/01/10/google-sketchup-into-iclone/">http://z-studios.com/blog/2008/01/10/google-sketchup-into-iclone/</a><br /><br />I haven't tried it yet, because I haven't got windows on my mac yet, but I sure hope that if it will convert Sketchup to iClone it'll also convert to Unity. Unity has a very robust set of formats it imports seamlessly.<br /><br />That said, I have tried exporting a model from my 8-hour trial version of Google SketchUp Pro into unity and that worked FINE. So if 3DXchange doesn't work, then an alternative would be to find someone who has the pro version and ask/pay them to convert my models for me. Because truth be told, SketchUp is <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">really fast and easy</span></span> when it comes to building 3d!<br /><br />Otherwise, still just slogging my way through my many new programs: Unity, StudioArtist, etc.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-92102000345843805672008-01-02T13:40:00.000-08:002008-01-02T13:49:57.367-08:00A Quiet Start to Dos Mil OchoEarly New Year's Eve I was watching Univision's (or was it Telemundo's?) broadcast from Mexico City, and I just love the sound of 'Two-thousand and Eight' in Spanish: Dos Mil Ocho. So that's what I'm calling this year, by the by.<br /><br />The days up to New Year's Eve saw a flurry of purchases to make the tax year: Unity, Anime Studio, Studio Artist, GroBoto. With Parallels Desktop, I hope to have my other key machinima tools, iClone, CrazyTalk, Antics, FRAPS, up and running soon. I've also been adding a bunch of OS/Freeware: Blender, Bryce 5.5, etc.<br /><br />Incidentally, I have belatedly discovered the joy of blogs and rss feeds. Not just because I've started writing one, but because I finally went and got myself a tool for keeping up with all the blogs out there! (Props to Thinking Machinima, Free Pixel, 3DFilmMaker, gTOON, Machin-X, Machinimoo, Overman, and more. Keep up the good work!)<br /><br />The challenge now is to get myself organized. My day job is keeping me busy with a very big and demanding project, so I am going to have to really start budgeting time in my day for working with all my new toys, and to write and develop my scripts.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-45849395943312655652007-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:002007-12-26T08:22:45.679-08:00Ah, the holidaysIndeed, the festive season has kept me quite busy. I've also had to work some, as the landlord has this odd obession with getting a check from me every month. As a result, I've <span style="font-style: italic;">thought</span> more about Unity than actually <span style="font-style: italic;">practiced using it.</span> Oh well. In any case, I'm going to buy license this week so I can deduct it in my 07 taxes.<br /><br />Did manage to tinker productively with the cameras; however, I need to spend more time grokking the scripting.<br /><br />otee has recently posted some new tutorials that the user fora all abuzz about. Can't wait to check them out.<br /><br />In other news, got a copy of Parallels Desktop. I hope this will allow me to install iClone and crazytalk on my mac. I'll let you know!<br /><br />Happy new year everybody!klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-76836257016796939092007-12-20T07:25:00.000-08:002007-12-20T07:28:45.932-08:00First goal: camerasI've set myself a small challenge to get started. I'm going to try and set up several fixed cameras in the default "Island" scene that unity opens into, and script them so that the view switches to the camera that is closest to the first person controller.<br /><br />I'll let y'all know how that goes.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-84712651561177385802007-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:002007-12-17T16:59:04.136-08:00Why Unity?Why did I decide to focus on Unity?<br />Well, first of all, it runs on a mac. That was a big deal, because mac is my primary platform. I need to use Final Cut Pro in my work, and so I need a powerful mac. Budget and space constraints prevent me from investing in a powerful windoze machine.<br />Secondly, it looks good.<br />Thirdly, the GUI and development environment are very nicely integrated with lots of drag and drop support.<br />Fourthly, I can publish as many copies of the game as I need to give to my puppeteers and camera crew free of charge.<br /><br />Also, I haven't yet studied this, but the literature suggests that Unity has good support for outside 3d apps, so I hope to be able to use low cost or free 3d (read Silo, Milkshape, Blender) when I absolutely need it, or more likely turn to 3d artists knowing that I don't have to worry too much about what 3d app they're using.<br /><br />Finally, my biggest hope is that the scriptability will allow me to add some puppeteering functions not available in standard games that will help me make characters more interesting.<br /><br />Wouldn't you know it, but just today I learned about something called dim3 or dimension3d from Klink! Software. A <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">free</span></span> 3d game development system. I'll be checking that out, too.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3513066896237446990.post-80092130005945388362007-12-16T11:06:00.001-08:002007-12-16T11:46:26.533-08:00It all begins (again)I've been a machinima afficionado for several years now. A relative newcomer. More specifically, a complete n00b: I haven't created any machinima beyond the tutorial stage. I've experimented with Half-Life, HL2, UT2004, The Movies, GTA Vice City, IClone, even Machinimation - which I really like, by the way.<br /><br />A complex of factors have held me back. First and foremost, inertia. I'm a middle-aged creature of habit who has to work to pay the rent, so I've had to battle my lazy inclinations.<br /><br />Secondly, isolation. It's been hard to connect with a community of machinimists. This is down to a number of reasons as well. I'm not much of a gamer any more. When I was my game-playing peak, the games were called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Missile Command</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asteroids, Defender, Tempest,</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Choplifter, Rescue on Fractalus,</span> and so forth. I enjoyed <span style="font-weight: bold;">Castle Wolfenstein</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doom</span>, but that was really the extent of my experience with FPS's. Never any multiplayer or online experience. So I didn't really know anyone who gamed in any major way.<br /><br />Another major reason that I never really connected with a machinima community was the fact that I was globetrotting, in a way. I spent most of the 90's away from my home town of new york. So work and travel kind of usurped time I might have spent on my filmmaking interests.<br /><br />A big part of machinima's appeal to me is its low threshold of participation. A half-decent computer, one or two popular games, and an internet connection is all you need. Yet ironically, I still find it easier to make traditional films - shot on film, even. This is because I understand it and I know how to find people to help me. Whether it's writers, actors, camerapeople, etc, I can assemble a crew in under 48 hours and be shooting in no time.<br /><br />Also, machinima lends itself to certain styles and genres, not so much to others. Drama is challenging in machinima because it's so hard to nuance an actors performance. In this respect traditional puppetteering is far more expressive. Alas, most of the stories I want to tell are dramas. Similarly, machinima is most accessible if your story can be told using the stock assets provided with your game. If it can't you have to master the art of content creation - 3d modelling, level design, character animation, texturing, etc. That I can tell you is a daunting prospect for an aspiring machinimist.<br /><br />So there it is - I've spent years wanting to make machinima, thinking about it, but not doing it. Well, I've finally decided to change that. I'm going to buy otee's Unity for the Mac. Did I forget to mention that I was a mac user when I got interested in machinima? Machinima tends to be heavily windows-centric, alas.<br /><br />And that's the starting point for this blog. I'll be documenting my adventures in machinima using Unity. I hope you'll stay tuned.klipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00049464307509074647noreply@blogger.com0