Chapter: 3D Modelling and Animation

Topic: Textures and Image Maps

One thing I’ve mastered through trial and error is how to map textures – specifically bitmap images ? to extrusions in RED 3GL. It’s really quite simple, and to be sure I was doing it right after I figured it out, I did what some don?t ever think of doing?I read the manual. Hopefully this short tutorial will prevent you from having to dig into the book when you need to add a bitmap, movie file, color, gradient or other texture to an extruded object in RED.

http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=22974

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Chapter: Compositing Tools and Techniques

Topic: Masking or Rotoscoping

Paint strokes and masks in After Effects are both forms of vector paths, but converting one into the other isn’t always straightfoward. This tutorial shows how to take strokes from the Vector Paint effect, as well as AE 6’s new Paint tools, and turn them into masks.

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/kurkoski_tim/paint_to_mask/index.html

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Chapter: Compositing Tools and Techniques

Topic: Compositing Tips or Shortcuts

Everyone loves to read tidbits and tips to help in their workflow. However, not all of the quick tips and hints are long enough to deserve their own article. So, we present here some of those in one collection.

http://www.creativemac.com/2003/12_dec/features/8tips.htm

TAGS: bracket, trim, layer, up, down, shift, move, jump, start, end, zoom, in, out, workspace, active camera, point of interest, view, Secret, schecret, shift, preference, cache

Chapter: DVD Authoring

Topic: Menus or Navigation

A very comprehensive outline including: Standard Menus vs. Layered Menus; Motion Menus – Compositing / Looping with Highlights; Aspect Ratios between Compositor and Photoshop; and Basic Scripting with three project examples.

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/alex_all_menus_dir/alex_all_menus.html

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Chapter: Keying

Topic: Keying DV

The key to a good composite is successful integration into the background image. Sometimes you may have a very bright background or be keying from a DV camera, which nearly always results in imperfections because of the choke or screen blur effects that are necessary to achieve good edges. Light wrap, or light spill, is a very handy in these situations. In this tutorial, John Starr Dewar demonstrates an easy way to achieve light spill with a little bit of pre-composing. At the end, John also shows you how to simulate volumetric shadows using Trapcode’s Shine plug-in.

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/dewar_john/light_spill/index.html

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Chapter: Titling

Topic: Glows, Blurs, Rays or Streaks

A Shine-like burst of light from behind the characters as they animate in position. The shine layer slides along the characters and changes in color. Ayato’s tutorials are very advanced. Because English is his second language you really need to know After Effects moderately well to follow all the steps. Some additional plug-ins are needed, but most are available in demonstration form.

http://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e/ae40_e.html#

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Chapter: 3D Modelling and Animation

Topic: Scripting or Expressions

In a followup to last week’s simple guide to using XPresso in Maxon’s C4D, this week we’ll look at the practical advantages to XPresso in 3D animation production. While C4D has made the ability to script attributes very easy to understand, it remains an overlooked treasure in the current standard package. The use of drag and drop techniques is all one needs to start accessing the advanced controls.

http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=20348

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Chapter: Keying

Topic: Lighting for Keying

Good lighting is essential for chromakey magic. In his 20 years of trial-and-error, Robbert-Jan has discovered numerous techniques that can assure you of chromakey success. Here are two dozen of his tips for lighting your next chromakey project

http://www.digitalproducer.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=22398

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Chapter: Business

Topic: Sales and Marketing

Somewhere along the line we got sidetracked into believing we had to focus on our profession.†† We forgot what people in companies†– engineers, scientists, accountants, product managers, vice presidents, lawyers, technical/customer support personnel, and yes, presidents — were supposed to do.† We got so wrapped up in our own status in the organization, our own feeling of self-importance — our title — we forgot what our real job was. The job?† Selling products and services and making a profit.

http://oceania.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=27891

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