When multiple layers of a scene need to be rendered to a farm, it is easier to save a separate file for each renderlayer that you wish to render and submit those files to your renderfarm. This handy script will create an .mb for each turned on Renderlayer individually into a separate  ”projects/scene/SUBFOLDER/render /” folder.

If each of these renderlayers where individually saved to seperate files that the farm would render,  troubleshooting renders that have problems or layers that have changed would be possible. It is easier when each renderlayer for the scene is submitted by itself to help determine where the issue might be.

If SUBFOLDER is  blank it will deposit the files into the project/scenes/render folder.

• Turn on the layers that you want to create files for
• Enter SUBFOLDER location or leave blank for  project/scene/render
• Press EXPORT Button

Set Driven Keys are such a Powerful and simple tool. I have been unable to find a comparable tool in any other application. The power of creating relationships between objects without the limitation that it must be a mathematical relationship is incredibly useful. Set Driven Keys are as simple as key-framing an object.

This tool allows for complex relationships to be created by simple keyframing. In addition, it doesn’t limit you to one object.

In this example using one attribute “Wing Flap” , one is able to control three seperate objects, and two rotational axis. Wings typically flap in a circular motion, not just up and down both wings and the body. With another atttribute “Wing Speed”, controlled by an expression, you can animate the butterfly to fly with only one attribute.

Let’s go into more detail.
A common technique to animate a back and forward motion, ie. wings flapping, is to use sin in the expression. Pick an arbitrary number like 20. Creating set driven keys that drive the rotation of the wings up at 20 and down at -20.

Using this technique, the animatable attribute wing speed can be animated up and down making it easier for the animator to focus on one keyable attribute. One keyable attribute controlling at least 6 rotations of three different objects.

This may seem pretty simplistic in nature but you would be amazed how many animators wouldn’t or couldn’t set this initial control up.

Latest and Greatest Edit

I’ve used Windows  ever since there was a windows (windows 3.1 anyone?) and before MS-DOS so I guess my feelings are pretty biased when it comes to comparing osx and windows. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that Macs are the easiest computers to use.

Mac is great for what the general user wants to do  these day, ie. pictures, video, emailing internet activities, and the basic stuff. What about “Power User” functions such as ……….SHOW HIDDEN FILES. You think that Apple would have nailed down there operating system tools, but recently I came across this tool called Pathfinder which is far better than Apple’s Finder and the interface is the same. It has an option to show hidden files among other great things that I wish finder had. It costs 40$ but if you don’t feel like spending money for something that should be included, then open the terminal app and type the following

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

Relaunch Finder (command+alt+esc)

For anyone who hasn’t seeen this amazing rebrand package that royale did for Discovery Channel, you need to watch more educational television!

 This caught my eye earlier this year and it stuck in the back of my head. I pondered how I would achieve this simple but amazing effect.

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Photoshop allows automation of common tasks through its action interface.  I have found it very useful for tasks that are used all the time. Things like saving images to a certain size and format, common image tasks from my 3d application like  getting alpha into the way I like to use it (layer mask), and recently making ID matte layer masks. Spending some time upfront to create these actions saves hours in the long run and frees your brain up for more creative tasks.

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Carnegie Mellon University has made available there huge library of Mocap Data

http://sites.google.com/a/cgspeed.com/cgspeed/motion-capture/cmu-bvh-conversion/bvh-conversion-release—motions-list has a list of all the available actions.

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One of the main reasons I love Maya is that it is ultimately customizable!  You can do things like customize the interface, create custom buttons that automate common tasks. Even redesign default behaviors of materials or rearrange attributes of built in shaders so that the interface makes more sense to you the user. I have reorganized the attributes of the MIA_material into more intuitive locations.

Autodesk has been refining the attribute window, while mental images has been adding features, and they always seem to leave me a bit disappointed in the organization of these attributes.  Why aren’t all the reflection attributes in the same place? BDRF attributes have there own category, that falls after refraction and translucency falls after BDRF, not after refraction. This shader is hard enough to wrap your head around without have to hunt down were the settings are, or when you tweak reflections, to be scrolling up and down between BDRF falloff and reflectivity. I guess I’m just meticulous!

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Unreal Editor has fascinated me for a long time. Being a huge fan of Gears of War, I hope soon to be able to review this training material. Gnomon is by far my favorite source for training material. Everything that I have seen in there series is either good or drop jaw fantastic. They have an entire library of video training for all the most popular software packages in the industry today! EVEN LIGHTWAVE ! Check these out!