Roll Call - Chicagoans

[richmondlu]

Everything sounds great to me.

 

I think i would be able to get this expensed for training purposes so i think the four hours will work for me.

 

I would say Feb for me getting a lot of jobs that are going to be finishing up in Jan.

 

Also some Architects would like to come to these meetings as well as a learning tool for them especially up here in Milwaukee where this whole 3d thing is very new to them. They thought arch viz was still done with markers, and colored pencils.

[Tommy L]

we need a leader! On a circuit basis maybe?i think this is a great idea, but some-one needs to nominate themselves some initial responsibility or this idea wont have any legs, i am not going to throw my hat in at the moment, but once things are up and running i would happily take a role.

[mtutaj]

I wouldn't mind helping get our group off the ground.I don't want to have to do all the work,but I have time to get things organized.. I also have a lot of vender contacts in Illinois & WI that could possibly help us by sponsorship and demo's. but its just an idea..

[Munz]

Just saw this Thread, I am very interested in a local user group. you can count me in, plus another guy I work with (if anyone is counting)

 

The main programs I would like to discuss are

3d Max

Mental Ray

Vray

Combustion

 

I think focusing on Architectural Visualizations would be smart.

 

I live in the south loop, so downtown chicago is best for me but I will work with the group on where we can find a location that works best. I think you can reserve rooms at the Library as one idea.

 

I was part of another user group a while back and it seemed to work well that one or two (etc) people would volunter for each meeting to present something to show the group...then we would talk about if people were having problems with something we could try as a group to solve them...etc.

 

Munz

[Munz]

Oh, I would also suggest sundays 1-5 as a time to meet. Not to early for those out late on Sat.

 

munz

[mtutaj]

I have talked to the Autodesk Combustion/Toxik person that does the demonstrations, and he is all up for demoing how the integration with max and combustion can help us out. He's helped me out alot the past few months.

 

Mike

[Munz]

I would love to see a demo about how to use combustion and max together better.

 

munz

[jophus14]

I really hope this takes off. There is so much competition on these boards that some people don't like to give up "secrets" of techniques and ways of working. I think this is a good way to build a stronger bond not only as cg artists, but as forum users and chicagoans

[Munz]

First, we need to find a place to meet with a projector and that is free.

 

Second pick a date and time.

 

After that we can decide what we will focus on at the first meeting.

 

Any ideas for a free place to meet?

 

Munz

[mtutaj]

Just got an email from Jeff.. At this point I'll take the Bull by the horns to start getting things organized. please email me directly with any type of contact info along with what software you use so that I can start putting things togeather, I agree the first meeting could be in January but need things a bit more organized. Please email

chicago at perplexedmedia dot com.

 

Let me know if there is anything else we are looking for.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike Tutaj

[Aaron2004]

I'm in also...another northwest indiana dude

 

I would kind of like a weekend event as well...like a Sunday as mentioned before....but I'll go no matter when it is.

 

Thanks to who-ever heads this up!

 

Aaron

[mtutaj]

aaron2004 send me an email so I can get your contact info. use the address I posted above.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[landrvr1]

Great idea for this group. I was bummed that I didn't hear about the Max9 demo!! How did everyone that attended hear about it? I'm a card carrying (ie, registered) Max user, but I got nothing!! Whaaaa.

 

Let's not forget about Adobe. Combustion? Bah. Production Studio Premium all the way!

 

I know some guys that visit this forum that work at my old firm - SOM. I could check and see if they wouldn't mind hosting some meetings at the Skidmore offices across from the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue? Big conference room with projection. Lemme know.

[Munz]

Any new thoughts on this User Group?

[jophus14]

I'm still highly interested. Maybe with the new year we can start getting this thing rolling.

[Jennifer]

Hi All,

 

I know Tom has the info, but we do have an Autodesk Animation User's Group for the northern Illinois area that started meeting last fall. It is for Max, Maya and Motion Builder users, although my area is max, and some Combustion, among other things. There are no limits on topics.

 

The next meeting is Thursday March 15th from 7-9:30PM in Schaumburg, at the Hagerman offices by Woodfield. http://www.hagerman.com/Contact_Us/Schaumburg_Map.htm

 

If anyone is interested in information or to get on the mailing list, please email me at jenni at 4dartists.com. Autodesk is picking up the tab for pizza, but you must RSVP so I know what to get.

 

We are moving the meetings around a bit to help with those that are closer to Chicago, etc. The next meeting after this will be at the LNA offices (or nearby), sometime after the NAB. http://www.lnainc.com.

 

Have a great day!

[Tommy L]

Jenni, you need to respond to email. I wanted to come but didnt know where it is being held, cant make shaumberg im afraid.

[Tommy L]

Bumpety-bump, cheque book and pen.

[Aaron2004]

Where's this standing? I'm still interested! Let's get something together.

[Munz]

Jennifer O'conner has already started a user group, the Northern Illinois Animation User Group. It seems like everyone that is interested in a user group should come to the next meeting she sets up. I am sure she will post something here again next time there is a meeting.

 

munz

[Jennifer]

Sorry I missed your email - I check throughout the day, but sometimes things get lost.

 

Here is the latest update on a meeting:

 

The next meeting of the Northern Illinois chapter of the Autodesk Animation User's Group Association is this Thursday, August 30th, 2007 at the MasterGraphics offices in Rolling Meadows.

 

Map: http://www.masterg.com/map-rolling-med.html

 

Pizza and networking begins at approximately 5:30PM, and the meeting will start around 6pm; please feel free to come at any time. The meeting concludes at 9pm.

 

Pizza, and the meeting space, will be provided by our friends at MasterGraphics.

 

Huge SWAG Update

 

SWAG, or 'door prizes', are going to be exceptional at this next meeting, so you'll not want to miss this one!

 

Autodesk has provided some great prizes:

 

• The outstanding book "Elemental 2: The World's Best Autodesk art". We'll make it available before the drawing so everyone can get a look. Clean fingers only.

 

• CG Academy "Intermediate Rigging Set" training for 3ds max, covering 14+ hours of instruction on four DVDs.

 

• "Full Body IK" introductory training DVD for Maya from Autodesk.

 

• "The Aesthetics of Cameras" introductory training DVD for Maya from Autodesk.

 

• Awesome new max/Maya/MotionBuilder long-sleeve tee-shirts (small and medium)

 

But yet, there is more!

 

Another bonus door prize will be two tickets to Six Flags Great America, good for any day of the 2007 season including Fright Fest, courtesy of 4D Artists.

 

We will have the drawing for prizes around 7pm, starting with the book then letting each winner choose their prize from the tee-shirts and DVDs. We'll have a separate drawing for the tickets, so that all people interested in going have a separate chance at those.

 

The Meeting

 

We have two new members that will be presenting at the meeting this Thursday: Phillip Miller of Larson & Darby Group in Rockford will be talking about the development and history of 3ds max. Although Phil is new to this incarnation of the User’s Group, he has deeps roots in the history of 3ds max. Phil worked at Autodesk and had 3ds max, as he says, “under his wing” from before R1 through R5. He was eventually VP of Products for Discreet and also managed Discreet's Software and Animation Business Units which covered VIZ, Character Studio, GMax, Reactor, Plasma, mental ray, Combustion, the foundations of Impression, and even Flame and Inferno.

 

In his spare time he co-wrote the book "Inside 3d Studio, Release 3" and "...Release 4", and wrote the book “Inside 3D Studio MAX Release 3”, along with contributing to others.

 

After leaving Discreet he headed a start-up company, then ran North American business development for mental images, then was lead for Macromedia products in the merger with Adobe and the introduction of CS3 Web Suite. He is now back to his in the Midwest and back to his architectural roots as a principal architect at Larson & Darby Group in Rockford.

 

Phil has offered to donate a vintage tee-shirt from the 1995 SIGGRAPH 3ds max Release 1 launch! We’ll add that to the SWAG prizes and everyone will have a shot at that.

 

Stephen Gabriel, M&E Application Engineer from MasterGraphics, will be telling us about some of the things he saw at SIGGRAPH a few weeks ago in San Diego, where he had to suffer through the clear skies and 70-degree weather, and had to sit through Master Classes and endure the amazing new products and technologies bombarding his senses. Hopefully sharing his experiences will be healing.

 

And then, of course, there is you! Please bring in demo images and animations, work-in-progress, and so on. Have a tip or technique? Share it with the group. Too shy to get up front, then post it on http://www.the-area.com.

 

As always we’ll take questions from the group. I also have some things prepared on mental ray and the daylight system, exposure control and Arch & Design materials.

 

Max, Maya and MotionBuilder 2008 Launch

 

Join other users in Chicago on September 11th for the Autodesk 3D Launch Tour. To find out more and to register, visit http://www.autodesk.com/mini-sites/melaunchtour2007/

 

Share and Share Alike

 

Do you have a recent book, magazine or training materials you would like to share with someone else? Bring them in and give them to others that can use them! DVDs and CDs need to be the originals, not copies. I’ll be brining in some recent issues of 3D World magazine, free to a good home.

 

Missed SIGGRAPH?

 

In addition to what is on the Autodesk site, you can download videos of the SIGGRAPH User's Group meeting at http://www.retrostylegames.com/temp/vids/

 

September Meeting

 

We already have a date and location for the September meeting in Chicago (insert amazement here). The meeting will be Thursday September 27th at the IMAGINiT office in Chicago. Their address is 55 E. Jackson Blvd, near 290 Expressway and the Art Institute.

 

August Meeting

 

Again, this next meeting will be in Rolling Meadows at MasterGraphics:

 

Map: http://www.masterg.com/map-rolling-med.html

 

If you have any subject you would like to present to the group, or just talk about a project, please let me know! Please feel free to bring any modeling / animation / rendering problems, and images or animations you would like to share with the group; you can also put images in the photo Gallery at http://www.max3ds.com, and attach reasonable-sized animations as message attachments in the forums.

 

Be certain to RSVP to jenni @ max3ds.com if you are coming!

 

Thanks, have a terrific week, and we'll see you Thursday!

 

Jenni