Clams Progress

Jim Sachs · 03-06-2009, 12:49 PM

The clams are coming along pretty well. I've got the shells opening and closing, and am adding the blue "meat" now. Spent a few hours last night chasing a bug in which only the right half of the shells showed up on the screen. Finally tracked it down to a "2" which should have been a "1" buried deep in the .x file. That's the problem with having to hand-craft these model files. If only there were a proper Lightwave plugin which would save .x files with all the hierachy and custom surface normals intact.

It sure helps having an actual clamshell for reference.

clifdene · 03-06-2009, 12:56 PM

Great news. Many thanks.

jleslie · 03-06-2009, 01:03 PM

Hang on, that clam isn't blue?? (I never got the whole blue thing, does anyone have any pictures of the sort of blue clams MA3 is based on?)
John

Jim Sachs · 03-06-2009, 01:11 PM

The "meat" of the clam is blue (or green, or purple). It retracts when the shell is closed. They can close fairly rapidly when brushed by a fish, then open slowly.

Yodelking · 03-06-2009, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by jleslie:

Hang on, that clam isn't blue?? (I never got the whole blue thing, does anyone have any pictures of the sort of blue clams MA3 is based on?)John

I don't have the ones that Jim uses, but here's photos from Egypt:
http://yodelking.barbanet.com/photos...North/PA224651
http://yodelking.barbanet.com/photos...North/PA224678

Overlord · 03-06-2009, 02:35 PM

So, any timetable on the clam beta release?

feldon34 · 03-06-2009, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

Finally tracked it down to a "2" which should have been a "1" buried deep in the .x file. That's the problem with having to hand-craft these model files. If only there were a proper Lightwave plugin which would save .x files with all the hierachy and custom surface normals intact.

I'm sure with a detailed list of exactly what you need, a skilled Lightwave plugin author could write such an exporter in a few minutes.

Have you reached out to any in the Lightwave community with such a request?

Jim Sachs · 03-06-2009, 10:37 PM

Many times. No one but me seems to use Lightwave for DirectX development. They are all doing movies.

Tango · 03-07-2009, 05:03 PM

So the next project is MA3 the Movie, the sequel to Finding Nemo.

//Christer

Isabeau · 03-07-2009, 05:42 PM

Can't wait Jim

jleslie · 03-07-2009, 05:52 PM

The movie is kinda the whole point...!

Socrates · 03-10-2009, 09:52 PM

Jim Sachs · 03-10-2009, 10:21 PM

The clams are coming along slowly. I had a bit of a setback when my first try at animating the mantle (the blue part) failed. The "teeth" of the shell kept chopping through it. I'm re-designing the mantle now.

jleslie · 03-11-2009, 05:22 AM

Okay, I now get the blue clam thing and feel a tiny bit slow. The sides of the clams are beigey-greenish but hardly visible at all. The blue stuff is the inside which is sticking out much more than I expected and not looking all that inside-of-clam-ish (looks hard, not soft). It looked like blue shell to me, hence my confusion...
Whew...

clifdene · 03-11-2009, 06:40 AM

I am still confused. Perhaps the final version will clarify matters.

cjmaddy · 03-11-2009, 08:31 AM

Ahhh... I see! - or rather I do now but I didn't!

- I also didn't realise that that green and blue wasn't the shell!

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underw...ia/GiantClams/

Jav400 · 03-11-2009, 09:22 AM

The green and blue part would be considered part of the meat of the clam.

clifdene · 03-11-2009, 09:23 AM

If the green and blue bits are the insides it is little wonder the shells were "chopping through" them.

Jim Sachs · 03-11-2009, 09:25 AM

I had always assumed that everyone had seen clams, knew how they worked, and would be very critical if I didn't get the movement exactly right. Now I see that it will be more of an educational experience for most.

Jav400 · 03-11-2009, 09:42 AM

Since when has knowing anything about movement ever been a prerequisite for criticism?

03-06-2009, 01:11 PM	#4
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	The "meat" of the clam is blue (or green, or purple). It retracts when the shell is closed. They can close fairly rapidly when brushed by a fish, then open slowly. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-06-2009, 02:32 PM	#5
Yodelking yodeler Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Staffanstorp, Sweden Posts: 294	Originally posted by jleslie: Hang on, that clam isn't blue?? (I never got the whole blue thing, does anyone have any pictures of the sort of blue clams MA3 is based on?)John I don't have the ones that Jim uses, but here's photos from Egypt: http://yodelking.barbanet.com/photos...North/PA224651 http://yodelking.barbanet.com/photos...North/PA224678 Yodelking - För god att kolsyra!

03-06-2009, 03:04 PM	#7
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Originally posted by Jim Sachs: Finally tracked it down to a "2" which should have been a "1" buried deep in the .x file. That's the problem with having to hand-craft these model files. If only there were a proper Lightwave plugin which would save .x files with all the hierachy and custom surface normals intact. I'm sure with a detailed list of exactly what you need, a skilled Lightwave plugin author could write such an exporter in a few minutes. Have you reached out to any in the Lightwave community with such a request? "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-06-2009, 10:37 PM	#8
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Many times. No one but me seems to use Lightwave for DirectX development. They are all doing movies. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-07-2009, 05:42 PM	#10
Isabeau Registered Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Dordrecht The Netherlands Posts: 14	Can't wait Jim Intel Quadcore Q9550 Club 3D8800 GTS 640mb DDR3 Kingston 2GB DDR3 Asus Extreme Maximus FSB 1600 3.6 TB HD's 24" Iiyama Prolite B2403WS 24" Fujitsu Siemens L2W 32 bit Vista Ultimate full version Xclio A380 twin engine ========================= Intel Core i7-920 LGA 1366 Asus P6T Deluxe 6GB Corsair XMS3-1600 DDR3 1 Saphire ATI HD4870 X2 2GB Creative X-Fi Titanium Corsair PSU 750watt TX Thermaltake VH6000BWS Armor+ 24" Fujitsu Siemens L2W 32" Samsung Flatscreen TV as second screen Windows Vista 64 Ultimate full version

03-06-2009, 12:56 PM	#2
clifdene Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: UK Posts: 168	Great news. Many thanks.

03-06-2009, 01:03 PM	#3
jleslie Engineer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,279	Hang on, that clam isn't blue?? (I never got the whole blue thing, does anyone have any pictures of the sort of blue clams MA3 is based on?) John

03-06-2009, 02:35 PM	#6
Overlord Registered Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 72	So, any timetable on the clam beta release?

03-07-2009, 05:03 PM	#9
Tango Registered Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 9	So the next project is MA3 the Movie, the sequel to Finding Nemo. //Christer

03-07-2009, 05:52 PM	#11
jleslie Engineer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,279	The movie is kinda the whole point...!

03-10-2009, 09:52 PM	#12
Socrates Sage Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: West Hills, CA Posts: 1,529	Bat rays? We don't need no stinking bat rays!

03-10-2009, 10:21 PM	#13
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	The clams are coming along slowly. I had a bit of a setback when my first try at animating the mantle (the blue part) failed. The "teeth" of the shell kept chopping through it. I'm re-designing the mantle now. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-11-2009, 05:22 AM	#14
jleslie Engineer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,279	Okay, I now get the blue clam thing and feel a tiny bit slow. The sides of the clams are beigey-greenish but hardly visible at all. The blue stuff is the inside which is sticking out much more than I expected and not looking all that inside-of-clam-ish (looks hard, not soft). It looked like blue shell to me, hence my confusion... Whew...

03-11-2009, 06:40 AM	#15
clifdene Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: UK Posts: 168	I am still confused. Perhaps the final version will clarify matters.

03-11-2009, 08:31 AM	#16
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Ahhh... I see! - or rather I do now but I didn't! - I also didn't realise that that green and blue wasn't the shell! http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underw...ia/GiantClams/

03-11-2009, 09:22 AM	#17
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	The green and blue part would be considered part of the meat of the clam. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

03-11-2009, 09:23 AM	#18
clifdene Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: UK Posts: 168	If the green and blue bits are the insides it is little wonder the shells were "chopping through" them.

03-11-2009, 09:25 AM	#19
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	I had always assumed that everyone had seen clams, knew how they worked, and would be very critical if I didn't get the movement exactly right. Now I see that it will be more of an educational experience for most. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-11-2009, 09:42 AM	#20
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	Since when has knowing anything about movement ever been a prerequisite for criticism? Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection