The Animation SIG

News

- The next evening meeting of the group on will be held on Monday 15th September 2008 from 6 - 7.15pm.

- The following topics were considered at our August meeting

• Myles reported on a program he had discovered called Animation-ish The software, developed by Peter Reynolds, is suitable for children and adults who have little confidence in their drawing ability. It is inexpensive and worth considering for budding artists to use

• We further discussed the pros and cons of importing transparent AVI's for use in Anime Studio. Yahya suggested we experiment more with using the chroma key effect to convert files.

• Myles showed another delightful "Simon the Cat" animation, which can be viewed on YouTube

• Pat gave a brief demonstration of the use of Poser7 primitive props to create a 3D coin.

• We drew attenion to the wealth of information which can be accessed at home, through the databases of the State Library of Victoria. All you need is a free membership card.

• To inspire us to create, rather than just think about creating,Yahya read an Australian poem he had come across. Yahya suggested we set aside time at future meetings to develop a story idea/script which can develop into a team effort.

Daytime Workshop Time - We have combined the daytime workshops with the Cool 3D group. The meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month. - The next workshop will be held on Wednesday 20th August from 10am -12noon.

Below is a book review kindly supplied by Major Keary

Essential Blender

Reviewed by Major Keary

The Essential Blender has been compiled by The Blender Foundation and printed/distributed by No Starch Press. Ton Roosendaal, who originally created Blender and who is now Chairman of the Blender Foundation, describes the book as "the official Blender guide". It is designed to cater for 3D novices through to experienced Blender users. However, raw novices should be aware that Blender is "intended for professionals and others motivated to become 3D artists"; it is not the 3D equivalent of a basic 'Paint' program. Blender is open-source and the book comes with a companion CD that contains version 2.44 in releases for a number of operating systems, including Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Solaris, Freebsd, and IRIX. The book opens with information on the installation of Blender and a concise introduction to 3D. It then progresses through Blender's various tools and their application. Each of those chapters begins with a 'hands-on' tutorial that presents the reader with a detailed how-to description of each particular process. The tutorials are followed by a discussion that explains technical issues. This is not just about how to use the tools, but describes the techniques essential to getting good results. Extensive use of illustrations contributes greatly to making the text easy to follow. The graphics are all monochrome, but quite sufficient for the purpose: learning how to use Blender, and serving as an ongoing reference. Recommended to anyone who wants to get into serious 3D animation; an essential resource for those who already use Blender; and well worth considering as a library acquisition for its plain-language explanation of 3D animation. Roland Hess, ed.: The Essential Blender
ISBN 978-1-59327-166-4
Published by No Starch Press, 371 pp. + CD, RRP AU$79.95 incl. GSTNo Starch titles are distributed in Australia by Woodslane; if you cannot find Essential Blender in your usual bookshop it can be obtained from http://www.woodslane.com.au