Time in Motion.

I am a 3ds Max fan. I have been using 3ds Max for 10 years now. but i think that Autodesk may well have dropped the ball with the latest release of max (2009)

The main problem is the splitting the product into 3ds max design. whats the difference? According to Autdodesk max2009 ships with SDK whilst Design has a bunch of architectural materials and lighting tools

on paper its ok but here is the problem, there are fundamental differences between max2009 and design when it comes to UVw co ordinates on max primitives. This means that a number of things we take for granted when making or texturing models in max no longer apply in max design.

The purpose of a max primative is that it is a standardised object that you can use as a basis for a model or to test a technique By altering the method of mapping for the same primative across 2 pieces of what is essentially the same software (don’t forget, autodesks press releases never mentioned the new UVW layouts) by mucking around with something that was working fine they have added loads of new chalenges to solve ; especially if you do anything with texturing I am currently having to work out a series of workarounds for a number of scripts I have written that makes the assumption that primitives all share the same UVW layout

spent Most of last Night prepping a workaround which i need to test

With about 24 hours before meeting up with a director i have been working with I started to prepare some CD to hand off. But whats this? A whole scene is missing? AHHHH!!! no problem, just re make the scene from scratch but i really could do without the grief

The new computer arrived last wednesday, Its been a glorious week. but sadly I find myself cursing my laptop whenether i have to do anything with it How quickly my attitude has changed. Before the laptop was my work horse, now I wonder how i Ever managed with it 

Of course it is useful Like tommorow when i meet the director becuause I can guarentee he wont bring a laptop with him so it will be a good job when i open up my laptop and show off the stuff i have been working on in the critical 20 minute window before the battery runs out…

I have finsihed for the day and I find I am reflecting on an incredible day.

At 1.30 this morning, Police pursuing a car ended the chase in my street. The car the suspects where driving, crashed into a lamp post a few doors down before spinning at least 3 times, comming to a halt outside my house. one of the suspects ran down my drive, and across my back garden before being tackled by a police officer, through my garden fence. It was a pretty strange night. The Police had to retrieve evidence from the back garden.

When i read of stories of ‘have a go heroes’ I wonder what i would do if I where in a similar situation. Well now I know. I stumble around the house all befuddled , making sure everything is ok before stuggling to find a pair of shoes and and seeing whats going on. to be frank I would be a crap have a go hero which is kind of sad really. I would like to think that I was a moral , upstanding citizen who would not hesitate to do the right thing. but the reality is in a crunch i have all the quick-wittedness of a cheese sandwich. I couldnt even remember my postcode!!!

The plus side is that Have a go heroes types to get asaulted and/or stabbed by the irrational criminal type they are looking to apprehend and in the current climate of knife related crime, its not something i would welcome.

after that sleep was pretty much impossible for the next 3 hours. mainly because a bunch or workmen turned up to make the wrecked lamp post safe (and also I dont admit to being a little unnerverd)

fast forward to this afternoon, where there was a fire drill. So for the second time today I have been involved in an emergency services-related activity. and They say nothing ever happens n a bank holiday!

That said I am slightly nervous about leaving the office now incase i get hit by a bus or something and end up having to got to hospital in an ambulance! 

I am just finishing a 2 week vacation, and it seems like i will need a 2 week vacation to recover from it!

 I spent the majority of the time trying to do the house up. it is a mammoth task and wasnt helped by tradespersons who turned up late or asked the other project be bought forward to make their job easier.

You remember the film ‘revenge of the nerds?’ well I am calling bullshit on it. half a dozen scrawny nerdlings completely renovate a house with a robot to a cheesy 1980s track called one foot in front of the other. I am a nerdy guy and after 2 weeks of bashing holes in walls, standing up to my knees in paper and plaster and spending hours trying to get bits of brick out of my eyes the house isnt all done up. they did it in like 2 minutes and thats with takashii getting stoned and falling over!!!

One good thing about this vacation is today I am going to try and get a desktop PC today, this laptop I have had for the last 4 years has been a most faithful companion, and has traveled the world with me, losing a number 1 key a long the way. It is a little battle scarred but I still love it.

However, a lot of the things I want to do with software; in terms of using it and developing it are a little beyond it. So rejoice little laptop, here is a gold watch and welcome to part time service on the render farm and maintiaining this blog

 Also, my brother got married last week YAY!!!

i was best man and I hope he liked the speech, I had my hair cut off especially for the event. Its been a bit strange, for the last week I have been trying to pull non-existant hair out of the nack of a t shirt when i put it on, the sacrifices we make for those we love eh ?