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-   -   Clams Progress (https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4816)

Jim Sachs 03-06-2009 12:49 PM

Clams Progress
 
1 Attachment(s)
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

Quote:

Originally Posted by jleslie (Post 111602)
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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Sachs (Post 111599)
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

http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~presley/video...mbake-US-L.jpg

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! :o - I also didn't realise that that green and blue wasn't the shell! :o
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? ;) ;)

Bob 03-11-2009 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jav400 (Post 111724)
Since when has knowing anything about movement ever been a prerequisite for criticism? ;) ;)

Maybe this modified quote is more accurate. ;)

Jav400 03-11-2009 10:14 AM

lol

:TU:

cjmaddy 03-11-2009 10:21 AM

I'm afraid that my knowledge of clams and clambake is limited to Tommy Dorsey! :)

Elvis? :erm: ... ??? ... Who he? - must be one of the newer guys! ;)

feldon34 03-11-2009 11:02 AM

Operation Clambake?

jleslie 03-11-2009 12:12 PM

Okay, so maybe I'm stupid, but the clams in the current MA3 look nothing like any real clams I've ever seen, the blue part comes out further and at an odd angle, plus the shell is barely visible, hence my confusion. I assume this will all change sometime soon. I'll shut up now...

dwax 03-11-2009 12:19 PM

jleslie, where do you see clams in the current version? I looked all through the Beta9M and don't see any. Maybe I need glasses? :D

Rick Simon 03-11-2009 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwax (Post 111737)
jleslie, where do you see clams in the current version? I looked all through the Beta9M and don't see any. Maybe I need glasses? :D

The blue/green items underneath and slightly left of the crystal.

De Bobo Mon 03-11-2009 12:50 PM

I beleive these particular clams are the Tammy Faye variety :p

Jim Sachs 03-11-2009 01:09 PM

Just type "blue clams" in Google Images, and you'll get tons of pics
http://www.thelivingartaquarium.com/...rop%20clam.jpg

cjmaddy 03-11-2009 01:21 PM

Didn't any of you read my link? :) ... http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underw...ia/GiantClams/

Or look here? ... https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums...1&postcount=25 :)

Jim Sachs 03-11-2009 01:45 PM

Most of the clams in that link are about half-closed. I think people are confused when they see them fully-open. The clams I've used in the program are common in aquarium shops. They can be quite active, opening and closing rapidly when disturbed. Just passing your hand over them to block the light is often enough to make them close up. Then they take a little longer to fully extend so that almost no shells are showing.

Update: Having a pretty good day. Yesterday I got tired of doing Lightwave simulations of the clam motion, and decided to tackle the project from the other end - the programming. Since I dread that part so much, I find that once it's done I'm a lot more motived to finish the artwork and models. Anyway, now I've got most of the programming done for one clam, and my theory will obviously work. Probably one more day to tune up the models and graphics.

rctneil 03-11-2009 04:38 PM

that sounds like a beta is close!

Nicki 03-14-2009 04:21 PM

I am looking forward to the clams . They will be our first glimpse into the look and behaviour of the molluscs , inverts & fish of MA3 . It's going to be good .

Nicki 03-15-2009 09:32 AM

No messages on the board over night . I guess we are all on the edge of our seats with antici.....pation ( sorry a Rocky Horror moment there ) . Either that or there was something really amazing on tv last night that I missed . Nah , it's got to be the clams .

Clams , clams , clams , clams , lovely clams , wonderful clams .

( And now a Monty Python moment . British parents , what can I say ? )

Conrad Poohs and his amazing teeth .....

Jim Sachs 03-15-2009 10:14 AM

The basic clam theory is working, but it's taking a lot more tuning than I expected. There are two different actions that have to be coordinated. The shells rotate on their hinge point to open and close, but the mantle morphs. It's difficult to use the two techniques together so that the mantle rises up, then spills over the sides without passing through any part of the shells.

Marian Nichols 03-15-2009 11:20 AM

Ummm, sounds like a real challenge to me. I have been running the latest version and I am astounded with it. You definitely have out done yourself!!

lglasser 03-15-2009 05:55 PM

After reading many of your more technical posts, as a programmer (never graphics) from way back, I'm now getting a good feel for how much work has gone into this program.

Thanks!

rctneil 03-16-2009 04:19 AM

Do some users already have the clam verison as it sounds like it from some of the posts within this thread.

cjmaddy 03-16-2009 04:56 AM

Which posts? - We all have the clams. It's just that they don't move yet! :)

rctneil 03-16-2009 05:17 AM

Right, it just sounded to me like some people had the moving clams version. Sorry for me being idiotic.


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