Fr3Drick Law Olmstead

We're using video layers to get the benefit of updating the PS files when the source images are updated. We're also still on CS6 so we don't have live links yet. Is there a Load Files Into Stack script that uses live link? It would be too bad having to place all those render passes manually.

It is a known problem. Luckily there are many ways of fixing it some of them are listed in this thread http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59862 there are scripts for it http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/reset-3ds-max-windows http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/give-me-back-my-dialogs this is also talking about the same problem http://3dsmaxfeedback.autodesk.com/forums/76763-small-feature-requests/suggestions/1066543-reset-all-windows-positions if you you look around you'll probably find even more. Google is your friend ;-)

Double clicking the layer while holding Alt will remove the lock and rename the "Backround" to "Layer 0". It's the quickest way to making the background layer editable that I know of.

I could not replicate what you described nor have I heard of this problem before however in my experience it's best to write a block (wblock) which will create a new .dwg file that you can then open as a regular file or insert as a block into any other drawing. Just make sure that your 0 Layer is set as current when writing the block as well as inserting it to avoid layer confusion. All objects in the block will remain on their original layers, just the block will reside on the 0 layer. You can explode the block after import.

Years ago I worked with Landexpert by German software developer DATAflor They are an Autodesk authorized developer and specialize in the landscape architecture field. Basically what that means is, their product is AutoCAD with a few feature built in that are mostly useful for landscape architects. From what I remember it was a very simple process, just a few clicks and it would import the terrain information from Google Earth right into your CAD drawing as a mesh. I found on youtube that demonstrates the workflow. As I mentioned the company is German, as far as I remember the interface was all in German, the video shows a Italian interface, I'm not sure there is an English version of it. There is a 30 day trial available which you have to request through an online form, on their all German website. Is this what you were looking for? Hope this helped a little.

Seems like the good people at Ikea are reading the CGArchitect forum http://gizmodo.com/this-new-ikea-desk-goes-from-sit-to-stand-with-the-push-1649608051

Chaos Group offers academic licenses for students V-Ray Academic license – 74 EUR/ 103 USD/ 64 GBP per license http://www.chaosgroup.com/en/2/vray_academic.html As a student you are eligible to purchase an Academic license at comparable low cost to develop and practice your skills and you will be able to receive all the support you need directly from Chaos Group. The license agreement prohibits you from producing any commercial work which you say you are not using it for that anyway.

It is 28 euros within Europe if it makes you feel any better.

Creating your own marble texture is a fairly simple process as well 1) Cloud filter 2) Find Edges filter 3) adjust Levels/Contrast to something more suitable 4) Gaussian Blur filter 5) new layer 6) Cloud filter 7) Difference Clouds filter 8) adjust Levels/Contrast 9) adjust layer blend mode and opacity There are tons of tutorials online many of them as simple as what I described above

This is a tutorial series on the 3ds Max Learning channel on YouTube Advanced Car Rigging in 3ds Max on DigitalTutors is pretty good too.

This might help http://viscorbel.com/rugs-and-carpets-3ds-max-vray-tutorial/

The video I mentioned is this http://vimeo.com/68971538 the tool that's being used is SnowGun Painter. I haven't used it but it looks like a useful thing when you are trying to make a snow scene. SnowGun Realtime and SnowGun are part of the same toolset which I would also check out. Definitely also check out Ronen Bekerman he has a bunch of Making of snow scenes.

Pete Draper wrote a book called Deconstructing the Elements (http://www.taylorandfrancis.com/cw/draper-9780240521268/) which I find to be an excellent source, although he doesn't have anything on snow in particular. He also has a YouTube channel, that should be pretty good starting point. Recently I came across a video that showed a tool to paint snow onto objects, I will post the link here when I find it again.

Also using a SpaceNavigator, be it in Max, AutoCAD, or Photoshop, I find the ease of navigation to be a great improvement over the traditional panning and scrolling/zooming, which leads to fewer repetitions and therefore reduces the likelihood of RMI. I've been thinking about getting the the SpaceMouse or the SpacePilot but I heard they were redesigning the SpacePilot and coming out with it later this year, so I will wait for that. Both of those have more customizable button, which reduces the need to move your hand back and forth between keyboard and 3dMouse. Instead of a mouse I use a tablet, again it is more comfortable for your wrist and you tend to keep a better posture while working. The downside of the tablet 3dMouse combination is that you don't have a hand available for the keyboard to use shortcuts, I try to get around that as much as possible by customizing my quad menus.

School is out for the summer, and it’s time to kick back, relax, and enjoy one another’s company. We’re excited to mix things up for this month’s AAUGA meeting. Instead of our usual formal presentation, we’ll be having a casual get together with several of Neoscape’s top-notch employees, who will be hanging out and answering our questions about how they work, what they love about it, and what they hope to see come to pass as the industry grows and evolves. Join us for what promises to be a great night on Thursday, June 26th at 7pm at John Harvard’s Brewery and Ale House in Harvard Square (33 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA). Because this event isn’t being held in our usual Neoscape headquarters, we ask that you please RSVP through the Eventbrite link below, so we know how much space to reserve. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aauga-boston-june-event-tickets-11905370283 Your AAUGA committee As always, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @bostonaauga like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BostonAAUGA and visit our website http://www.aaugaboston.com