@dams
been a bit broe, yah, been busy chasin dat paper.
Like u rightly said, some1 has 2 pick up d tab 4 any quality work, so we r working on creatin a financial cushion first. Only then can we artists collab effectively.
Dnt stray too far from d 3d train tho, albeit in d name of survival.
Cheers

@chronique
iv attended courses whose equivalent trumped ur charges, hav even bought single resources @ close to dat value. Trust d value of ur content n bill accordingly (altho reasonably) i wld pay 400k 4 a course if i believed d worth.
D challenge i think, is publicising who u r n wot uv done first. Dat will help doubters.

U also know we think from a pirates point of view, even a lotta of these 'free' online resources r ppls work, bought then illegally shared or plagiarised.
Professiomal video tutes rarely cost less than 500USD for mayb one part of five series..lol

3d skill is an international skill and shd b valued as such. Crude oil is not valued in naira, ppl.

@oyb.
hope we r nt derailing d thread focus.

Point om making is, u dont need an alienware or systemax to assemble a decent xter animation demo reel.

U also dnt need awesome, time/processor intensive renders to show ur animation skill.

Check out 11secondclub...some of d winning entries were playblasts from within d apps.

Yes, i agree that ur ikeja average lappy isnt ideal but im pointing out possible workarounds for our unique environment. If u have limitations, u can still get a good reel out wit average tools (n mad determination, lol).

I use a kickass workstation presently but b4 i cld afford it, i used ur average lappy. I therefore sought out d least processor intensive apps and adjusted my workflow to suit my machine.

Id animate very lo res models til i was kool wit d motions, i stayed away from latest releases of d apps (inspite of d hype)
we r constantly installin d latest apps thinking dats d key to great work. I only recently bought maya2011, prior to dat i still used version 4.5 (almost 8 yrs outdated) and it ran pretty ok on d average lappy.
D key is to optimise d workflow to ur limitations.
If i have a group scene, i revert to motionbuilder n animate d xters 1 at a time, substituting others wit primitives.
Motionbuilder will let u animate in real time wit d same scene n machine specs dat maya or max will not.
Its all abt thinking outside d box.
I think we r derailing d thread focus wit jargon, lol.

I dnt think d problem is dat we lack good players in naija, its dat they r too busy chasing international cash to post demos here just for bragging rights.
Even dis forum has a few worthy practitioners...and check it out, they rarely post or have time. Dats d mark of a good artist.

One of my major clients doesnt even need my animation on models, he just requests for the base motion on d skeleton (.fbx) n applies it himself n sends to b rendered. He gets d kudos prolly n i get paid...every1 is happy (i think)

PS..i still use motionbuilder 2009. Y wld i wanna complicate my life wit d 2012 release? lol. I cnt even afford it yet.

@oyb
lol. R u for me or against me?

Well, dats y i wanted to clarify wot we r specifically talking about.
If d issue is seeing a professional n worthy demoreel, then hi end workstations r nt imperative.

A screen grab from within ur app serves just fine.
Wot d pros will b looking for is d quality of d animation consistent wit d principles governing animation, not all d perks n effects dat wow d audience.
Ive been tested wher camera movt n textures were forbidden

Lots of 3d apps ,run on ur average workstations wit a decent card. Animation Master and even Autodesks Motionbuilder will give u real time playback even with ur Ikeja 70k lappy.

If d issue is a fully rendered hi res finished work complete wit sound, lol, dats a diff ball game.

So again, wot r we talking abt?

nice reactions.
I still like to establish some founding parameters for a meaningful discussion.

A well executed xter animation is different from a realistic or fantastically rendered animation.
So wot r we really talking about?

Wot constitutes a good xter animation?(in ur opinion)
can we differentiate good animation from good renders?
Can we assess a clip based on animation principles apart from directing n cinematographic decisions?

D western world has tons of crap out there too, for those of u throwin unfounded statistics.
Im nt makin xcuses for us,s/ware cost is not an issue. All high end s/ware have free learnin editions. U can still make a sales pitch wit watermarked renders, so piracy is not an option.

I know a couple of good xter animators but its more profitable to farm our services to foreign studios. Most buy d intellectual property rights from us so we dnt get credit or publicity (just cash)

organise a short animation challenge here wit some renumeration n see how good or bad we really are. D challenges to creating completely finished output r enormous, its not always d limitations of d xter animator alone dat causes shortage of worthy samples.

Wow, long post

pick a particular reel n objectively outline ur observations, so d discuss can b focused.

Ur remarks r too generalised.
Dyu mean 3D artists on dis forum or everywhere uve met?
Nairaland 3D community is hardly representative of d tip of d 3D iceberg in nigeria.

Besides some threads r titled to stimulate interest n readership.
Well, awaiting clarification.

@reezer
for real?!!
My remark was obviously a response to d post irrespective of whose name. If u allow ur id to b used for malicious posts den my mistake is to b xpected.

Berate ur chap for both using ur id and an inappropriate response. Ill ignore ur negative comment.

nice.
Aside from d typo. i feel ur product font cld b beta. D product name doesnt leap out @ u, unless dats intentional.(mayb a more sans serif font dats simpler n bolder)

D color choice in d second suggests 'milk' not 'fruit'.

D juice pouring image is d major visual appeal, so keep it as free from clutter as possible, id shift d product name slightly away from it.

Writing d 'orange flavor' in blu n white has me a lil uncomfy too. U know u gatta use orange n black na, lol
beta dan average tho. Good job

@reezer.
Reactin to ya response will b wasted breath.

@OP
wot r ya machine specs n wot specific graphics card r u using? autodesk has a list of certified cards dat they recommend. D issue is peculiar to ya machine and most likely card related. u can install in a diff machine to confirm.

Ur workaround d problems is brilliant tho n is d preferred method for most pros.

it should...rasterise any effects on any layers in photoshop (if any) before u import.

Im mo interested in getting u to do it urself, so if dats an option, we can discuss it here.

Do u intend to do any further editing in corel?
Wot specific elements r not present when u import...r they effects like embossing?

wot exactly do u mean by converting?
Corel will import work done in Photoshop by default.

Well, there arent enuf proficient animators for u to be particular abt their base, artists move wit d projects.

Call 08023289217 if u wanna talk,
ur post suggests a lack of knowledge abt d process tho.(my opinion)

kool, but i doubt ull get responses from d meaningful professionals.

Nuff said

dis section combines video, photography, 2d art, 3d art, animation, d list goes on,

Segregate d sections for specific awards, then d exercise may remotely have merit/credibility.

aseye may nt inspire a fotografa, bt inspire a 3d animator. D logic upon which d awards r based is flawed.
Unless u want us to play along for meaningless fun, lol

dig up n read responses to last years attempt (which ddnt happen, i may add)

history serves to guide our efforts

lol, was a silly idea last year, and is still a silly idea dis year.
Last years feedback shoulda been a pointer.

well, lets not derail d topic of dis particular thread completely. We have already digressed a bit.

U cld open another thread on d subject and throw it open to a wider audience.
I would share my thots and opinions more fully there.

cheers

my schedule is pretty tight most times, but if u can set up d studio i can kill a few hours whenever im in ur vicinity.

I cant guarantee doing it from my end.

Its beta tho to help artists inculcate the habit of paying for quality tutorials.

bro, it doesnt have to get petty or messy
I said pls disregard if it doesnt apply.

U can simply say, its original work n forget it

If u check d post, i ddnt actually say u were pirating.
At worst, it was cautionary.

I can comment any way i choose tho, its a public forum. U can respond or ignore as u wish.
Dat said, we r on d same side tho.

I dont own a bb, and tho addressed to u, d post applies to a larger audience

well im reading about u offering various resources for a fee, and d photoshop essentials thingy.

Pls disregard if its not applicable, and reread my post carefully. I said 'unless d resources r original, '

for those of us in d creative arena, its a big deal.
Its my personal crusade, no offense intended.

hi ugo, i know wot i have to say may nt go down well wit some of ur fans, but, its got to be said.

Piracy hurts us all, no xceptions.
Unless its ur original work or bought legitimately from proper sources, duplicating and distributing other peoples resources is wrong!
U can continue posting links to free stuff available online, but tread d line between wanting to help and aiding piracy carefully, its a small world.

Good job on some of ur threads.

@ladanski
you r missing d point, bro

refer to adamuW's post

can help in d art/animation depts if a clear brief is provided, and d task isnt time-intensive.

well, unless mobility is an important factor, i wld also suggest u buy a desktop as opposed to a laptop.

They r cheaper, easier to upgrade, and have better support resources @least in this part of d world.
They also have better heat sinks so handle stress better.

U can google Systemax or Alienware pc's and lappys to get an idea of lappy specs. Check out autodesk for a list of certified videocards n select one dat is available in ur locality/affordable.

I bought a SYX UG-2 from Systemax (syx-1080) it cost 2200 usd plus shipping. D lappy equivalent was almost 3000 usd. It uses nvidia geforce gtx 460 and ive neva seen a game it cant play or settings that it cant take.

lol, dat particular system is just a glorified typewriter, no offense
definitely not a 3d- machine.

most integrated chips are not really suited for demanding graphics work.
even with the latest drivers u will at most support pixel shader 1.0, and limited OpenGL capabilities.
and u need at least 2.0 to run maya relatively effectively.

u need a system with a dedicated video card,
check autodesks certified video cards as a guide when upgrading to a better card.

u cld possibly get an external compatible and improved card, and disable ur current onboard one (in ur system bios)
u might need to use a monitor tho, after d upgrade,

i wld suggest just getting a system better suited to 3d work generally.

well, while memory is definitely important, ur video card needs to possess some other capabilities to run viewport 2.0 or high quality rendering.

Does it support shader 1, 2 or 3?
Is it fully compatible with Direct X11? ,, and d list goes on,
Dats y different cards with d same memory rating cost differently or handle differently.
U need to know d specifics of ur card in d 3d world.

Post ur card type or browse its capabilities.
Theres nothing wrong, Maya has already pointed out d problem, lol

@in2gold

certain details cannot b outlined here, but loosely, d job involves developing grahics for a series of stories for post-primary students.

D duration for this particular project is 2 months.

Several other projects exist, and vacancies for permanent positions r also available.

@jimmee

d project is already ongoing, but vacancies still exist in d workforce (d target is approx. 30 professionals with varied skills) to ensure d besr possible output.

Dis recruitment will most likely end in a fortnite, effective 2day (judging by d current response rate).

The project core is located in portharcourt and accomodation will be provided for out-of-towners thru out d project duration.

Working from remote stations outside portharcourt is also possible in exceptiomal cases. However periodic trips to portharcourt will still b required in such cases.

Thanks for ur interest.

@in2gold
your reservations r justified.
D only way of dealing wit them is thru direct contact so u can get all d relevant information n decide 4 urself.

I am not posting renumerations here because it will vary, depending on d artists skill level, but i fully understand d impact adequate renumeration has on ones state of mind and by extension, creativity.

Any more interested artists can drop their details here, to be contacted.

Thanx again 4 your interest.

a bit of background info may help us understand the meaning of d pic.

@velo

thanks for ur inquiry.
if u can sketch, or colour with photoshop, you are welcome.

the project is not software-specific

sketch artists, pencilers, inkers, digital painters needed for an immediate project.

proficient artists who r interested can respond to this thread, and drop their contact details for immediate contact and further information,
or call 08023289217 (Okey)
or mail imagix_studios@yahoo.com

proof of competency will b required to b shown by interested artists, as well as an on-site demonstration of ability.

thanks