I Need Two Things, Maybe You Can Help! (Revised 3/18/09)
Posted March 17th, 2009 by Howard Tayler**I’ve found what I need. Thanks for your interest.**
I need two things, and I’m sure there are schlockers out there who can provide them. Yes, this is a call for help. A “bleg,” even.
1) Somebody local to us who can tutor Sandra on InDesign for a couple of hours. Specifically, she needs help laying a mostly-text book with a few illustrations. She’ll need this help in the next two weeks.
2) Somebody with enough digital modeling and rendering experience to do a set of rotations for me based on line art I provide. I need this in the next seven days if at all possible. Yes, there will be spoilers in the line-art. Stop drooling.
If you can help with any of this, email schlockmercenary@gmail.com.
Explore posts in the same categories: Blegging
March 17th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Now, more than I ever, I wish I had of learned how to use a 3D modeling program, like I’ve often thought about. Ah well, good luck with finding someone Howard.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Howard, I’m not local, but I’m perfectly happy to try tutoring on InDD via instant messenger or by phone.
Laying out a straight text book with a couple of illustrations is pretty straightforward, provided it doesn’t need to do cross references or page jumps or any of the horrific things I need to do to make one of our layouts work.
Email me directly if you can.
March 17th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Long shot, I know, but I just ran across this on youtube yesterday (in fact it’s the first link from the smutto cooking lessons): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZr7dnf9DI4
Whoever did that certainly seems to know enough 3D modelling to pull it off.
March 17th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
As if *you* need to do any blegging, Tayler. Heh. The mere mention of your need will have multitudes of Schlockers scouring the internets for useful tidbits of data.
March 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
As someone who has a moderate amount of experience with 3D modeling, it’ll be a big help if you give some idea as to the nature and complexity of the piece you want modeled. Is it organic? Mechanical? A spaceship? A robot? Does it need to be covered with lots of little widgets and greebles or is its surface smooth? If it’s “alive” can it be in a very basic pose or does it need to be posable? I realize you can’t necessarily answer all of these questions without giving a lot away, but I kinda feel like you’ve done the equivalent of asking “Could someone do some art for me?” without revealing if you need a little 4×5 sketch or the Sistine Chapel. :)
March 17th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I built the Kitesfear the other day…If I can’t do it, I won’t BS you. It kind of depends on what kind of gadget it is, but I’m willing to take a stab at it. I build starships in Second Life for fun.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I’d be tempted to give it a go, simply because I need the practise. But I’m no where near that good (and frankly HATE texturing models)
March 17th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
So as ArdRhi says, knowing what sort of 3d model you want would help. Knowing the time horizon would also be nice, as I work for a solar manfacturing startup, and free time is . . . . not a commodity, if you catch my meaning.
I have a solidworks2007 package I can throw at the problem.
I have been converting an un-dimensioned isometric single-view of a starship for Starwars the roleplaying game for my friend . . . complete with interior. . . and having rough dimensions on the line art will make things much easier and increadably much faster.
if I think it’ll take more time than I can manage before your deadline, I’ll pass.
-dan
a
March 17th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Howard, I’m pretty sure that Tracy Hickman was just joking when he said you should use a rendering program to make your characters three-dimensional (in episode 23 of Writing Excuses http://www.writingexcuses.com/ ). Really :-)
March 17th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Have you tried using Teddy?
www-ui.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~takeo/teddy/teddy/teddy.html
It’s free, and you can convert 2-d sketches into 3d models in real time.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
if it falls through with everyone else i can do the 3d for you but i probably can’t do it in seven days. also i doubt you will have to get as far down the barrel as me. still it is an option.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Spaceships, textures not necessary. Wireframes would work.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I’ve never posted before, but I guess I’ve got the skills, the time, and I’m local.
I took a InDesign class last winter and TA’d the class in the Spring. I might be a little bit rusty. But I am local, not so busy, and willing.
March 17th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Here’s a mailing list chock full of people experienced with InDesign. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/adobe-indesign/
March 17th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
I know this is neither of the things you asked for help on, but:
I think I have a name for this book of _SM_ — “Good Help Is Hard
To Find”. :)
March 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am
I can switch to wireframe view with a keystroke. :)
March 18th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hi Howard.
You know what might work for you re’ ship rendering is a
Quicktime VR object file.
Basically the same object rendered from incrementtal angles
and saved as a MOV. You ‘play’ it in quicktime, and use the
mouse to rotate it.
Rather rushed example here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mmngc1ondim
Not small (About 45Mb) – I never seem to have the right codecs
on my machine :-(
March 18th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
@csadn I already have a much better title in mind.
March 18th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I’m jealous. I’m still trying to get past the tutorials for my 3D modeling/rendering software (TrueSpace by Caligari). Want me to do the math for an n-Space Scale-Rotate-Translate? No sweat! Draw a straight line without a ruler? No way. I guess I just need to practice.
March 18th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Uh…ruler? Oh, you mean the inches/pixel scale display? Why would that help you draw a straight line? I thought you just needed to pick a couple of endpoints.
Back on topic, if the models are just for reference then you could just make them out of Q-tips and some kind of sculpting material (probably not caviar). It would be fun and maybe you could paint them and post pictures when you had some free time.
March 18th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Does today’s strip presage more Drones from the Partnership Collective eating a nice dish of Blam?
March 18th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
MikeWilliamson: Nah — too obvious. :)
March 19th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Maybe so, but shooting lawyers never gets old.
March 19th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Is it my imagination, or is that the recently deceased Brad in the front row?
March 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
That’s Nick.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
@richv You got the free version of trueSpace 7.6, which is now a Microsoft freebie product? They did the same deal with Virtual PC for Windows after buying it from Connectix.
All the trueSpace videos and tutorials (even for 6.6 and older versions) are now free downloads too.
Now if only they’d release Conversions Pack 2.1 for trueSpace 6.6 for free. CP 2.0 is incompatible with tS 6.6. CP 2.1 is no longer available to buy!
March 19th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
No; I have TrueSpace 6. I didn’t know MS had acquired TrueSpace. I’ll be sure to get 7.6 and all the tutorials. Thanks.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Lawyers, bankers and politicians. I can laugh at that for days.
I’m simple and petty some ways.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:00 am
MikeWilliamson: You couldn’t be petty — you look nothing like The
King. (No — the Living one. :) )
March 24th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Howard: When you get your 3D model done see if you can visit this site: http://www.shapeways.com/
:-)