What is Rigging?Rigging is the preparation of a model for animation. It involves linking things into a hierarchy to make movement easier. This hierarchy is set in a way that movement of the parent will affect the child. My thoughts on itI give it a hard time a lot, but my experiences so far in the year hasn't been bad. The problems I encountered occurred when I tried to rig a biped. I think it could be easier, not needing to go through the skinning processes. I just wish I had more time, because I could find out what my problem is, and fix it. But, because of time, I have to skip it and move on to my project. Would I suggest it?It depends. For animating complex models, yes. It makes your model easier to move around and animate. But, for anything else? No, no, no, no, NO!! Save yourself the time from this waste of hours. While trying to figure out your problem, you will more likely than not create a whole new problem, meaning you have to be almost perfect throughout the WHOLE process.
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What is the Curve Editor?The Curve Editor is a feature in 3D Studio Max that allows you to view your animation in lines. Different lines represent the different Cartesian coordinate (X,Y, and Z) values. There are also different lines for different transformations (rotate, position, scale). How can it be helpful?The Curve Editor shows the values of your animation using the keyframes. So if you have a ball move up and down at frame 50 and 100 respectively, you can see the curve created in the Position Z option on the left roll out. Here, you can change the movement of the ball. You can change how high it goes, how fast it moves, or get rid of the animation all together. To change how fast it moves, you can select a peak/dip and change the tangent. There are many types of curves, but to make the ball look like it bounces, you can set the tangent to "Fast." What is the Dope Sheet?The Dope Sheet is a feature in 3D Studio Max that lays out every keyframe for every position, rotation, and scale for every frame. How can it be helpful?When trying to move certain keyframes to different places, you can use the Dope Sheet to see every keyframe and move each one. When trying to figure out a problem with your animation, you can go to the Dope Sheet and find any inconsistencies in your keyframes and fix them. This could solve some problems when it comes to weird animation things like non-smooth transitions, jumping to weird positions, etc. How have I used these features?In animations, I have used these to fix problems with inconsistent camera movements. I also used the curve editor to change the way the camera moves. I used the curve editor to make a super bouncy basketball in the below animation. What are Lights?Lights in 3D Studio Max illuminate the scene. It provides better light than the default lighting. They are accessible under the "Create" panel, under the "Lights" tab. My first thoughts about LightsThey are overly complicated. There are settings that should be defaulted to on, in my opinion, but aren't. There are settings that completely throw off your light. There are even settings that don't seem to do anything. I believe that Autodesk should do more to make these less complicated than they are. What are Cameras?Cameras are artificial views made by the modeler to move the view of the audience around a scene during an animation. It can also be used to get a specific view for a picture. They are accessible in the "Create" Panel, under the "Cameras" tab. My first thoughts about CamerasI like cameras due to their accessibility. Instead of having to go through all of the panels to make a physical camera, you can just press Ctrl+C to make a physical camera of what you are viewing right now. They also give you a chance to give your audience whatever view you want. How are we using Lights and Cameras?In class, we are learning the types of lights and cameras available for us to use. We are also learning how each work with each other to create a more realistic scene. Below is a work that I made using a physical camera and a few lights. Do I like Lights and Cameras?Most lights, I am completely fine with. But, the Sun Positioner/Skylight are some that I disagree with, as they should be settings, not objects, in my opinion. But, I love cameras due to their flexibility.
First ImpressionsThe game clearly have a liking for new players. if you have never played, now is a good time to start. Yes, there are many very good players, but matchmaking puts you in lobbies with those of your skill. I have been playing the game for over a year. I started when Fortnite Mobile came out on iPhone in March 2018. It was fun because I was paired with other mobile players, who have a huge disadvantage against players on PC or Console. The game has taken some turns, for better and for worse. I liked the game the most from early May 2018-mid July 2018 (Season 4). It had very many fun features, like Hop Rocks, the Double Pump, and the Jetpack. My thoughts nowBack in early January, they added a mode called "Pop-up Cup", which allowed players to compete for points. Features of this cup were different of those from the regular game modes. For instance, there was a feature called "Siphon," which granted you 50 total health/shield per kill you were credited for. It also dropped 50 of each material: wood, brick, and metal. Also, materials earned from farming were boosted by 40%. After being asked to add it into the regular game modes, Epic Games (the creators of Fortnite) added it. Everyone was happy with it. The game was so much fun to play. Although it did cause problems in Squads and Duos, it was so much fun in Solos. A few weeks back, they took it out, as they believed it added too much competition to the game. I disagree with this, as there was still the same amount of competition in this mode as there was in the competitive mode. Epic has been known to listen to their community and make decisions based off of what the community asked for. Even though the community has been begging for the return of these glorious features, Epic has not listened, and everyone is mad. I do believe that this is a mistake on Epic Games' behalf, as there would be no Fortnite without the community. Out of 10?I would give it a solid 5. Season 4 was a 9. Season 5, with the removal of the double pump (carrying two pump shotguns and switching between them every time you shot to get past shotgun delay), began the decline of the game. It just feels like since Season 5, they have made a way of ruining every season of the game. Season 5, as I said earlier, was ruined by the removal of the double pump. Season 6 was ruined by this game mode that replaced the regular called Fortnitemares, which had zombies that would gang up and attack you if you came within 50 meters of their "crystal." Season 7 was ruined by a game mode like Fortnitemares called Ice Storm, but Ice Storm had less zombies attacking you at once. And finally, Season 8 was ruined by the removal of Siphon and the Pop-up Cup features. The reason it maintains a 5 is because the game is still fun. I give it a 5 because it has the potential to be much more fun.
What is UVW Mapping?UVW Mapping is a texturing technique used to wrap a 2D image on a 3D figure. It allows you to customize the view on the face, allowing you to move the face across the image you are using (referred to as a map) and change what you see on each face. Ups of UVW MappingSome advantages of UVW Mapping include:
Downs of UVW MappingSome cons of UVW Mapping include:
My Opinion of UVW MappingI will only use UVW Mapping if I have to. If I can get away with using the standard material editor, I will use that instead. UVW Mapping is just too tedious for me to use if I can get a similar result with the regular material editor.
OverviewPokémon Crystal is an RPG that came out for the GameBoy Color in 2001 in North America. The player is playing as a 10 year old boy or girl who has been asked by Professors Elm and Oak to go on a journey to complete the pokédex of 251 pokémon and to fight off the evil Team Rocket from reforming and taking over the world. Your goal is to defeat all 8 gyms, the Elite 4, and the Champion to become the Champion of Johto and Kanto. PlotYou start in your house. You are sent to get a pokémon from Professor Elm lab, as most 10-year-olds are. You can choose between the grass starter (Chikorita), the fire starter (Cyndaquil), or the water starter (Totodile). You then travel to Mr. Pokémon's house to deliver a parsel given to you by Professor Elm. At Mr. Pokémon's house, you receive an egg from Pokémon. You will also receive a pokédex from Professor Oak. He will ask you to catch every single pokémon possible to catch. Once you do this, you return to Professor Elm's lab to deliver the news to him about the egg. You then advance to the next route, where you are given pokéballs. After that, you can start challenging the gyms. But, an unknown person steals a pokémon from Elm's lab and comes to Violet City with you to fight you. Depending on what you picked, the stranger's pokémon will have a type that is super effective against your's (if you chose fire, he would have water; if you chose water, he would have grass; if you chose grass, he would have fire). Once you defeat him, you learn his name and can proceed to the Pokémon Center to heal your pokémon and head on to the first gym. The first gym is a flying-type gym, and the leader is named Faulkner. Every time you defeat a gym leader, you earn a gym badge. Along the way, you will battle Team Rocket, an evil organization that uses and exploits pokémon to their own advantages. They were disbanded a few years back, and are trying to reach out to their old leader, Giovanni, using the Goldenrod City Radio Tower. They will try to stop you getting to the Pokémon League, and try to annihilate everyone who gets in their way. Getting through all 8 gyms, you reach the Pokémon League and fight the Elite 4, a club of strong, high class trainers that love pokémon. After you beat the Elite 4, you will face Lance, the champion of Johto. Defeating the champion means you become the champion. My thoughts?I enjoyed it a lot. I enjoyed playing it, the storyline, the challenge of getting to the end, and the overall feel of the game (music, controls, etc.). I thought the game was very well thought out, along with its counterparts, Gold and Silver. Points of RNG when it comes to battle are pretty annoying though, but it wouldn't be a battle if there weren't a challenge to overcome, even if it was luck. I do love the RNG out of battle though. There are chances of encountering certain pokémon, or even encountering an alternately colored pokémon (a.k.a. a Shiny Pokémon). For example, the pokémon Rattata is normally purple, but it's shiny is green. The odds of this happening is a 1/8192 chance from random encounters. There is a special animation (called a sparkle) that occurs when one of these is found/used. Probably the best idea that Game Freak (creators of the Pokémon games) has ever had, in my opinion. Overall rating: 9.5/10.
What is Papers, Please?Papers, Please is a game made by Lucas Pope. It is about a character (you) who was picked by the Arstotska October Labor Lottery to work as border patrol. Your job is to allow or deny people access to Arstotska based on the information they give you. GameplayYou start out with only passports. As the game goes on, it gets more complicated. At the end of the game, you have about 10 documents to sort through and find discrepancies. If you let someone through who has a discrepancy, you get a citation. You get two citations as a warning, but after that, you are fined for each discrepancy after that. You are paid after each day of work. Fines are taken out of your paycheck. You must feed your family and have heat. If you ever run out of money, you lose. But, there is a group in the game that tries to bribe you to let their people in. If you are caught with bribes, you lose. Once the game ends, you get a password to the "endless modes," where you can go until you get a citation or you could go until you reach a certain amount of correct entrants. What do I get from it?Yes, I know. It is a silly game. There is, for example, a man who will never come in with the right stuff. He will always try to bribe you, or convince you to let him in. That's a silly thought. But, this does let the player see how hard it is to be a member of border patrol on any country. There are certain instances where people's papers are not right, but they have to come in "for a funeral," or "to see [their] son for the first time in 40 years." Because it's a game, we don't feel bad. In real life, if this were to ever happen, we would feel bad, because you just kept a mother from seeing her son. Is it a good game?Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. One Million times yes. It is an amazing game. The gameplay is amazing, the educational part opens eyes to the difficulty of this occupation. It is $9.99, and I suggest that you get it. The aspect of being able to step into the shoes of one of these workers, to see how hard it is to deny access to ones who need to see family, is eye-opening.
My TroopI am a part of BSA Troop 461. We meet every Tuesday at Epworth United Methodist Church. We do Merit Badges, Scout Skills, and Fun sessions (we would go to Sky Zone, Triangle Rock Climb, and other places like that). I have a lot of fun in this troop, and I don't plan to leave until I am forced out by age (after 18). I plan to become Eagle by my Senior Year in High School, but I have one more year after that to get it, as I will only be 17 when I graduate. How I let it connect to schoolAt the beginning of every meeting, we say the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath, Scout Law, and Outdoor Code. I will only focus on the Scout Oath and Law. The Scout Oath goes as followed: "On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, to obey the scout law, to be helpful at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight." I try to follow this oath not only at scout meetings, but in public. I eat healthily, get plenty of rest, and I try to help the world out the best I can. We also say the Scout Law which is: "A scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent." We try to live these 12 adjectives as best we can, without trying to stop. I use these in school, whether it is in class, with friends, or with others. I strive to make myself the best person I could possibly be. The Game Design Merit BadgeTo obtain the all wanted Eagle Rank, I have to obtain 21 merit badges. 13 of those are listed as "Eagle Required," but that does not fit the bill. The Game Design Merit Badge is my way of getting work done outside of class to enhance my game design knowledge, while knocking out one of these 8 badges needed for Eagle.
What was the game?Pokémon Alpha Sapphire is a remake by Game Freak of the game Pokémon Sapphire, which is a main game in the Pokémon series. It is supposed to almost replicate the game, but has some differences to fit with the audience now. What does the game consist of?The game consists of a story line that travels around a region/country called Hoenn. It followed a specific order of routes that you go through to get to specific cities. In some cities, you would challenge the gym in that city to try to earn a badge. To finish the game, you'd have to get eight badges. After you earn eight badges, you go to the Pokémon League, where you will fight four incredibly strong trainers in a row. After you beat all four, you will face the champion. This is the same as all other Pokémon games. How is Pokémon Alpha Sapphire different from other Pokémon games?Although Pokémon Alpha Sapphire is very similar to the other Pokémon games, it is also very different. Pokémon Alpha Sapphire included a thing called Mega Evolution. Mega Evolution occurs when a "mega stone" (different for each pokémon) is given to a pokémon, and a "key stone" is given to a trainer, and the mega stone reacts with the key stone. This causes the fully-evolved pokémon to temporarily evolve into a more powerful version of itself. Pokémon Alpha Sapphire also includes unique gameplay experiences, and different types of ways to hunt for different types of pokémon. Did I enjoy it?I enjoyed it a lot. I loved its gameplay, its "random-number-generator" aspect, and its decision-making aspect. Me being a Pokémon fan, I have already enjoyed other games, like Pokémon Sun, Pokémon X, Pokémon Gold, etc. But, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire is my favorite out of all that I've played.
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AuthorI am Chance Gildart. I am a Junior in Digital Design and Animation II at DSA. Categories
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DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools.
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