Alex, I’m sorry the publishing side of the book didn’t go so well.
But thank you for putting so much effort into this project. I can’t imagine how many countless hours you spent on this.
I can’t wait to check it out when I get a chance to see it.
Thanks again.
D
Tupac is still alive! 
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=26993
First of all sorry for my english, I’m russian. But I want to say a big big big thanks to you, Alex. I’ve been come across your guide recently and I was really empressed about how big you work is! And it’s a pitty for me that you couldn’t realize the plan you wanted with Gnomon, but everything that is done - for the better. 
Don’t be upset. Your work wll help many many people to fully understand the mental. And if you want to spread your guide with scenes and etc as much as possible, I’ll be able to share it in russian and kazakstan torren trackers such as rutracker.org and kaztorka.org. Hope it will help for more people to know about you and what you’ve done . And once again: thanks. You’re great man. 
Thks Daisuke, very appreciated…!:wavey:
Ash what baffles me is that you had that link ready on your desktop so I guess you relate somehow to him as well, either as a die hard fan or just as an hater…
To avoid going off topic here being this a 3D forum and considering that these are quite sensitive topics, will just share with you the direct link to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur
You might find it quite “ENLIGHTENING”…:rolleyes:
Ciao.
Alex
I guess I’m not the only one on this but, if the guide is as good as it seems, I’d pay a symbolic price for it without any problems so, at least, you’d be getting something for your work, at least something, not nothing at all. 10 or 20$ maybe?, I’d pay for that, for sure.
But hey, free is great too! 
I agree totally with joie. I would also be happy to donate a symbolic figure so that you atleast get something for your hard work.
And i am looking forward to the 16th to see your work, can’t wait :applause:
Alex,
Sorry to hear the deal with Gnomon fell through. I am eagerly awaiting the release of your manual.
I think you should seriously considering a paypal donation option for those that can help. I would be one of those that would be more than happy to donate.
Thanks again.
Just to clearify…, next time, don’t be risky, just ask for an amazing 3D model if you need it, just ask for it, you’ll get thousands of replies of people ready to let you use their models in a Gnomon DVD (including me!)
Holla Joie first thks a lot for the kind words and for your suggestion… really appreciate, even if in the past we had exchanged a few words online, remember…?
Anyway I often use raw 3D models from Evermotion because they are just great and because you really cannot model from scratch, every single 3d object in an incredible huge project like this one.
Since this project is focused on most of the Maya and Mental Ray lighting, texturing, rendering techniques and workflows, starting from the Maya 2009 release until the Maya 2012 Hotfix 1X64 version.
But as I said many times already, guess you know that every single raw 3D model imported in Maya need to be partially or entirely remodelled, to make it compatible to the evil “BEAST”…:banghead:
Ciao.
Alex
To be honest Withego, I think you should look into other publishing avenues. This doesn’t mean you can’t proceed with your current plan, but there are many other publishers out there and there is value in your research and work, monetary value. I too would happily donate as much as possible, as this is my field specifically and I have so much more to learn to nail photorealism on a quicker timeline…
…but have you been to a Barnes & Noble lately? There’s not much recent material on Maya available, even at the University of Washington Library. You’ll find some Maya 6 or 7 books, maybe a 2009 one if you’re lucky, and those are basically rehashes of the F1 Help files. Sometimes you’ll see another book, but then you look everywhere else on the shelves and every other application has five or six books covering each version! I’m just saying there are other publishers out there, and dealing with Evermotion directly is also possible I would imagine.
Perhaps look into it? Perhaps you already have, but I just hope you don’t feel discouraged because one publisher couldn’t get their shit together. And even if your research were sold in ebook format, it would also be worth publishing through Amazon or B&N or something! Just some ideas. I’d love to have your research for free, can’t say that doesn’t appeal to me, but work = pay, and you deserve to be compensated for your energy and time!
Hey
Alex
I went through each and every post in this thread …
It is really great that you are doing so much good for the cg community.
keep up the good work
Cheers and waiting to get my hand on the copy …
Thks Sho I know but apart from being truly exhausted by all the hard work done in the last
few months, I’m Italian and I treasure the values of word and honor most than anything else…
I promised something here on CGTalk back in 2010 and the moment to stand up behind my words, is just arrived…
Apart from Gnomon I didn’t even bother to contact other publishers, since that I promised already that if this project will be not be published by Gnomon…
Btw… I had recently a quick exchange of messages with the guys at Digital Tutors, in which I wrote: “I’m still engaged in talks with Gnomon, but you never know…!”
Ciao.
Alex
Hehe, I remember well thiego.
I know what you’re talking about. I have bought some evermotion models and found that I had to remodel much more than I thought, so, at the end, the benefits of using their models was the same as doing it myself (change evermotion with any other 3d models shop and it’s the same BTW).
Holla guys one last thing… Since I always call you with your name, could you please just call me Alex insted of withego?
That is just my nick…!
Peace…
Hi Alex,
well, what a disappointment with those guys. But they lose, because a guide like yours is a must have for any artist in 3D. So, even is a free copy I want to compensate for your work, time and effort that you put in this project.
Tomorrow is the big day.
[color=white]Holla Ciro
[/color]
[color=white]As promised
On Tupac Amaru Shakur Birthday Anniversary, I will start to release a portion of the Ultimate Maya and Mental Ray Archviz Guide Tutorial Guide assets
[/color]
With a few compressed and watermarked copies of the main 5 Parts.pdf docs, as well as some of the latest very informative Acrobat Pro X Portfolios.pdf docs.
But first
To show me your appreciation and as a little tribute to the Legends mother, I will ask you to check this link just as a reminder on real values such as integrity and respect that nobody should ever forget:
http://www.youtube.com/user/2PAC?blend=7&ob=5
And before to share the links to some of the main Tutorial Guide assets, would like to post a few pics which are just an update of the pics posted in the A Few Maya 2012 And Mental Ray 3.9 Iray Pics
thread:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?p=6961019#post6961019
I just added to the already huge Maya production scenes, the highpoly 3d characters [color=white]used to replace the Rocketbox Libraries assets.[/color]
To demonstrate that using Maya 2012 in conjunction to the Mental Ray (IBL) Environment Lighting and (PR) Progressive Rendering String Options, with the Mental Ray 3.9 iray render engine algorithm…
Is possible to render millions of poly’s from the main Maya Render View, in one “go” and without crashes…!
In the first render image output with the (IBL) Environment Lighting and (PR) Progressive Rendering String Options, used in conjunction to the Mental Ray 3.9 iray render engine algorithm in CPU mode
The main light contribution is provided by the Mental Ray “mia_physicalsky” lens shader node, with the sky “Multiplier” value raised to the input value (8) and the (IBL) “environment lighting scale” String Option value set to the input value (1).
Link to the high rez version:
http://www.samui3d.com/FINAL_RENDER_3D_PEOPLE_SKY_MAYA_2012_IRAY.jpg
In the second render image output, the main light contribution is provided by an (HDR) “High-Dynamic Range” 32-bit image…
Connected to a Mental Ray “mib_lookup_Spherical” environment shader, which is connected to a “multiplyDivide” utility node, with all the “Input 2” values increased to the input value (8).
Please note that the (IBL) “environment lighting scale” String Option value, is raised to the input value (8) as well.
For the main tonemapping process, the “mia_exposure_photographic” lens shader node is used in conjunction to the “Render View” panel “Color Management” controls…
With the “mia_exposure_photographic” lens shader node “Gamma” field, reduced to the value (1) to avoid tonemapping the output image twice…
As suggested by the guys of the Autodesk product support team in the Spikes in the 32 bit renders with HDRI thread, at the very informative Maya Station website:
http://mayastation.typepad.com/maya-station/2010/01/spikes-in-the-32-bit-renders-with-hdri.html
Link to the high rez version:
http://www.samui3d.com/FINAL_RENDER_3D_PEOPLE_IBL_MAYA_2012_IRAY.jpg
Back to the main topic
Please note that the Acrobat Pro X Portfolios.pdf docs enclosed[color=white] [color=white]in the main “Docs” folder, are copies of [color=white]the original uncompressed [/color][/color]Acrobat Pro X Portfolios.pdf docs [color=white]from the main Tutorial Guide.[/color][/color]
[color=white]In the “Docs” folder I have also included the simple 3D_PEOPLE_BINDED_MAYA_2009_SP1A Maya 2009 SP1AX64 scene, with a copy of the highpoly 3d characters created using Maya Poly, Subd, Nurbs, Fur and Cloth
[/color]
[color=white]Used to replace the Rocketbox Libraries assets, rigged using rigid skin binding with lattice flexors and posed using inverse IK with standard Maya materials assigned, as well as some old Denfo custom Maya material. [/color]
A screenshot of the highpoly 3d characters from the [color=white]3D_PEOPLE_BINDED_MAYA_2009_SP1A Maya 2009 SP1AX64 scene:[/color]
Link to the high rez version:
http://www.samui3d.com/3D_PEOPLE_BINDED_CAPTURE_1.jpg
[color=#ffffff]Here we go… I will give you a choice to download just the compressed and watermarked copies of the main 5 Parts.pdf docs, or the entire [/color][color=white]“Docs” zipped folder with all the above mentioned assets
[/color]
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/INTRO_2009_SP1A.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/PART1_2009_SP1A.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/PART2_2009_SP1A.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/PART3_2009_SP1A.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/PART4_2011.rar
http://www.samui3d.com/Docs/PART5_2011.rar
[color=white]Btw… You will notice that I have also provided the “FileTextureManager” mel script utility, as well as the “SPONZAMAPFILES2009” folder located under the main “Docs” folder…[/color]
[color=white] [/color]
[color=white]The “FileTextureManager” mel script utility is a great tool to fix the file textures broken links, which in this case are the links to the file textures located in the main “SPONZAMAPFILES2009” folder. [/color]
[color=white] [/color]
[color=white]Just a couple of mouse clicks and the file textures used in the 3D_PEOPLE_BINDED_MAYA_2009_SP1A Maya 2009 SP1AX64 scene, will point correctly to the “SPONZAMAPFILES2009” folder…[/color]
In the “Docs” folder[color=white] I have enclosed the 3D_Characters_Fur_Attribute_Maps_2009_SP1A as well as the 3D_Characters_Fur_Equal_Maps_2009_SP1A folders, with the Fur Attribute and Equalizer Maps .iff files required by the Maya Fur feature applied to the 3d characters.[/color]
Once extracted just place these [color=white].iff files in the furAttrMap and the furEqualMap folders, located under the main Maya Project directory on your drive, or else
[/color]
[color=white][/color]
[color=white]Set the Maya Project directory to the downloaded “Docs” folder and Maya will create automatically the furAttrMap and the furEqualMap folders, just go on place the .iff files in these new folders. [/color]
[color=white][/color]
[color=white]Please remember that these assets are just a small portion of the main Ultimate Maya and Mental Ray Archviz Guide assets, [color=white]just to get you acquainted with the several [/color]Maya and Mental Ray [/color][color=white]lighting, texturing and rendering techniques discussed in the Tutorial.[/color]
[color=white][/color]
Actually the main assets are the (100) Maya 2009, Maya 2011 and Maya 2012 scenes and in particular the (60) “200 MB each” production scenes, which are very complex piece of machinery…
With Maya and Mental Ray Render Layers and Passes as well as Custom “Label Pass” Framebuffers and Render Layers “Overrides”, that should be used in conjunction to the main 5 Parts.pdf docs.
Plus loads of Plug-ins and Mel Scripts as well as the original (600 MB) “SPONZAMAPFILES2009” file textures folder etc, etc…
Guess that all of these assets should keep you busy for quite a long time, if you think that this huge Tutorial will be useful to spare you long years spent in front of a screen, of course…!:shrug:
[color=white][/color]
[color=white]Hope you enjoy the summer reading and your feedback will be greatly appreciated, even if I will not change any asset no more… Since that this is the final version
! [/color]
[color=white][/color]
[color=white]Enough is enough…!:wip: [/color]
[color=white]Peace
[/color]
[color=white]Alex[/color]
[color=white]“I rather die young then die old and broke, that’s why I stay drunk and I constantly smoke”[/color]
Hey Alex, thank you very much for your contribution and I look forward to reading this guide, as it was much needed in the community. I’m sure all your hard work and effort will pay off.
Thanks Alex:
Very generous of you to share this. Looking forward to reading it over the coming months.
Hi Alex
and a big thanks too :applause:
I just finishing downloading and start reading. Can I post the feedback here?
Thank you and thank you
