Model Citizen

What is wrong with these people!

As some know I am one of the rare people in the UK who do not watch TV. I have no aerial. I cannot receive outside broadcasts. I have been doing this for about 15 years.

I do have a Plasma screen linked to a DVD player, and that's it.
Every few months I get a letter from TV Licensing asking why I dont have a License when there is a TV at my property. i used to fill these in with long explanations about the quality of TV, how much more valuable my time was, how I have no plans to change etc etc.
After a few years though I just through them in the bin.
I've had countless of these letters over the years, 2 visits from the inspectors, who I might add have been perfectly satisfied that i am in no way breaking the law.....
But I've had it.

this week I got a letter from TV Licensing, I did'nt throw it in the bin this time as it was marked Urgent. Immidiate action must be taken.

I opened it and it explained how an investigation has now been launched against me!

I rang the emergency number, and after 5 mins of menus got through to someone:

Me: I've just had a letter saying I have to take immidiate action as an investigation has been launched at me.
Him: Can you give me the License number.
Me: I dont have a License. I dont watch TV or have the ability to receive it.
(my address is given and he gets my details)
Him: Yes, I see there is an investigation.
Me: (now getting angry) This is just harassment. I keep getting letters, people visiting, and now threats purely because I dont own a product that people think I should!
Him: I understand, I can stop the letters for a few years, but you'll still have an inspector visit soon.
Me: And what if I dont want to let him in? What are my rights here?
Him: You can decline him entering, but he has the right to get a court order to search the property.
Me: This is stupid, surely you have detector vans in the area?
Him: Of course we do.
Me: And as a minority they must be paying me visits regularly, so is there an entry on a computer somewhere showing I dont watch TV?
Him: No, I have no information on the computer.

Personally, I think the Detector Vans are a huge myth. I've never seen one, and I would have thought I'd be a prime target.

So, the conversation finished with me letting the Licensing company know with no doubt that this sort of harassment is completely unacceptable. I still await the inspectors visit, but weather to let him in....dont know yet. If it's the same guy as last time, who apparently made no record on the computer of his findings, he's in for an earfull!

And remember, what is the crime I commit that I get all this attention? I dont want a TV licence.
Can you think of any other product available that you get this much hassle for NOT buying?

There rant over. Now tell me....what would you do in my shoes?

A huge post this, but it's been a long adventure, and still not fully over.

Over the last year or so I've been putting together a spec for a new PC, which I now have, for the sole purpose of following my hobby in 3D artwork. If you think of the creation of this artwork as a process, then I'll explain the choices I've made and not made. Now I know there will be a lot of disagreement to my choices, but at least you'll see how I got there.

OK, so I bought the PC and straight away I bought a standalone programme called Groboto: Groboto

It costs $79 but I got $20 off just for downloading a voucher. If you have a 64bit system you'll need a couple of extra bits to get it to work:

First you'll need SP2: SP2

Then a small programme called Net 2.0: Net 2

Install those and it will work fine. It's a crazy little programme that makes geometric patterns with little "bots". There's some video tutorials that I followed and after that it's pretty straightforward. It really is a lovely programme for art, and the geometry can also be exported into other 3D programmes.

OK, now the main starting programme for me is Poser, currently on Version 7: Poser

It's a bit of software that creates and poses people, as well as robots, dinosaurs etc. It's great fun, but I've never really got on with the programme as a complete solution. When asked what it does, I usually come up with the very tacky answer of "it's a bit like dressing up dolls, but in 3D", I know a terrible explanation, and yet not wholly off the mark. The fact you can get some photo realistic images does'nt change that.

For rendering and compositing, until now I've used Bryce: Bryce

Bryce 5.5 is actually free at the moment for download. I'm on 6, but feeling the limitations a bit. Dont get me wrong, Bryce is a wonderful little package and responsible for me getting into this hobby in the first place back in the early 90's. Lately though I've wanted to take my renders to a new level (Brycers will argue that it can handle what I want) but I'm carrying on with my conviction. I've spent a lot of time researching and demo-ing, and just about finished my expedition for a replacement. So the question was now....which package to assemble and render in?

I'll just branch off here (no pun intended), to say I also downloaded the free Ivy generator programme from Thomas Luft: Ivy Generator

All you do is import an object and get ivy to grow on it. The export only saves the ivy, so you need to somehow put the object and ivy back together. I found that to place the Ivy and object together after the ivy creation was best done in the also free Daz studio, and then re-save the combined object: Daz Studio

Right, back on track... When I bought Poser, I managed to get it in a bundle deal with Vue 5: Vue

Now a lot of people do some wonderful images in Vue, but I have to say I found it a bit tricky. It has some fantastic features though, it can generate an eco-system of sorts of plants, cars, anything really. The demo shows a road being populated by cars in seconds, the same can be done with a mountain and trees! I've kept it on my system, but I was'nt comfortable with it being the final word...so I carried on looking.

I then got a lot of favourable comments about Carrara: Carrara

So, I downloaded the demo, it's very impressive, but when I looked at the Carrara gallery at Renderosity I was a bit skeptical: Renderosity

In my opinion it seemed only a few people seemed to be getting really good results from it. This makes me worry it's harder to learn than it looks. What is nice about it is that it has a Bryce type feel to it mixed with a bit of Vue. It's not that difficult to pick up, could probably stand being learned by experimentation, like Bryce, but... I kept looking. I then tried downloading the free Maya PLE: Maya

This now takes me into the realm of the "big boys", which could also be translated as "money, money, money" I followed the built in video tutorials and felt slightly more confident of attempting to learn one of the "higher end" packages. I'd tried Studio Max a few years ago, and did'nt get on with it, even with my "Book for Dummies", it was just so different from what I was used to at the time, so I never really considered this much loved application seriously.

Anyway, I ordered Carrara 5, mainly because I got it second hand for a song (I think most users are anticipating version 6), but felt uneasy almost immidiatley afterwards. I know, talk about being a wimp! Anyway, my wife, who is my greatest supporter, said if I'd spent so much money on my new system I should get the best software to produce it. So, at this moment in time, Carrara is yet to arrive, and I've not gone with Maya, but with Cinema 4D: Cinema 4D

All it took was a glimpse again at the Renderosity gallery for this product to make me think this was the one.

I chose this software also, because I got a little bit further with the demo than I expected, and also because there is some software that can bridge the gap from poser to C4D in much the same way as Vue can handle Poser files. Interposer: Interposer

It costs $150 (not bought it yet) and can create, pose and texture Poser models straight within Cinema 4D. Also, because I'd made a bit of money selling some models, I also bought Maxwell Render: Maxwell Render

I've heard a lot about it, and seen some nice renders with it, and I'm hoping it will be pretty easy to use. (Not arrived yet). I think it will just open up a scene from C4D and render it with it's powers.

Other than that, I'd also read a lot about ZBrush 3 after starting a subscription to 3D World: ZBrush

So I ordered that too. It sounds like a 3D sculpting tool, in much the same way that I sculpt for real with Super Sculpey, so if there's a chance to make my own 3D busts etc I'll give it a go. What a spending spree! It's pretty daunting too, as I have a lot of software to learn and a huge investment to make work.

Last but not least, I've just got Terragen: Terragen

It's a free programme that a $99 registration fee can fully unlock. I looked at both this landscape generator and the well respected GeoControl: GeoControl

But I got on a lot better with Terragen so picked that one. I liked it over geo due to the ability to place the camera anywhere within the scene and, hoping the unlock works, render photo quality images from the software. There's also a list of plug-ins on the site to take it into other programmes, again, including C4D.

And now the final part of the process, post production. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator: Photoshop

Available as part of the CS suite and again on order. This can make corrections to colour channels and curves, add effects and resize artwork. Illustrator can add some lovely vectorisation to your images. I use them at work every day on the Mac and they are indispensible. Adding backgrounds, effects, also, if there's something that you just CAN'T get right in a pose or render, then Photoshop can usually sort it out too with a little trickery.

So when it's all arrived I have the tall order of learning it all and making it work. Some I know allready, some I've never tried in my life (currently no available demo of ZBrush!) I hope to have something good to show for this huge investment (thankyou Standard Life shares!!!), if I can't keep an eye out in the free ads (joke).

Plans for the future? Well, I still have Interposer to buy, but when I'm finally in a state to start spending again I've also been looking at Wacoms range of Graphics tablets: Wacom

And maybe I'll intergrate my own brushstrokes into my work.

I recently cleared out my modelling room to add an office to it and decided to wean my collection a bit. The kits to be sacrificed to space are the Maschinen Krieger/SF3D/Ma.K kits I've collected over the years. So here's the list:


All kits are 1/20 scale in original packaging.

Box Name:                Kit Name:                Price £:

SF3D Original                Hornisse                30
Ma.K                        Fledermaus            30
Ma.K                        Krote                30
Ma.K                        Fireball SG            20
Maschinen Krieger            Racoon                10
Maschinen Krieger            Heinrich                10
Maschinen Krieger            Kauz                    10

OK, now the next list are kits that have all been started (not by myself I add) and thus will all need a little care and attention to bring them to a state your happy with. Because of this, I have marked them at exactly half the price I would sell if they were in good condition. The condition does not affect these kits being completed to a normal standard, but they will need some attention.

SF3D Original                Jerry                    15
SF3D Original                SAFS                5
SF3D Original                Konrad                5
SF3D Original                Fireball                5
SF3D Original                PKA                    5
SF3D                    Figure Set 1            5
SF3D                    Figure Set 2            5


And to end with I have the Tamiya Pit Crew that some people like to customise to 1/20 figures/pilots etc. £5


Please feel free to make your wishes known as to which kit(s) you would like but I reserve the right to give first call to anyone who wants to buy the complete set for a reduced price of £150 (full price would be £185) so I will wait a while for such a buyer before committing to smaller sales.
These will be advertised elsewhere too.


Payments can be made by PayPal
Postage will be calculated on actual weight and destination. If you would like to upgrade postage to a carrier service that can be arranged.

Please feel free to PM me or e-mail directly to faraway.pictures@virgin.net

Pictures of kits can be viewed at this website: http://www.maschinenkrueger.com/mdls.html

 

Update: Well that was quick....ALL SOLD! 

I've just bought a crazy little programme called Groboto

 

 

It makes some incredibly complex 3D shapes and patterns, and is also quite fun to learn.

 

I also managed to get $20 off buy just asking for a coupon at the site!

 

Anyway, if you have a 64bit OS like I have you'll need a couple of extra bits to make it work.

 

First go over to Microsoft and download the SP2.

Here

 

You will then need Net 2.0

Here

Install those and it will work no problem! 

 

Just to let you know, there's a lot happening at DAZ at the moment.

Not only can you now get Bryce 5.5 FREE! but they've just unleashed there newest version of Daz Studio, again, free.

If that's not all you can get some figure packs free too including V3 A3 M3 and even the Mil Dragon.

 

Definatley woth a look.