Wow, that IS good. And it's handy that we're so close, too.  The goal is for a specifically and exclusively Cinema 4D usergroup-- no other topics to wade through to find what you need, and everyone involved is likely to have some constructive input on one's problems. Is it possible for us to get a little encapsulated area on the wiki? I gotta say, though, most medical illustrators are not going to be ok with the creative commons license, if I understand it correctly. They are extremely protective of their work. If there is a place where images can be uploaded and viewed for critique, I'm thinking that it should be password protected in order to even see the contents. That will make users much more comfortable with participating.
 
Cameron
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">jeremy swan
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 11:03 PM
Subject: Re: [SCIART] C4D users group

Cameron, your timing is serendipitous.  I'm days from launching a 3D wiki for the purpose of sharing techniques, collaborating and distributing models of bones, etc.  The wiki will be hosted by UMBC and we'll have unlimited storage.  The contents will be backed up daily to 8 different hard drives in two buildings every day and weekly.  I have a list of 50 people interested from SIGGRAPH molecular and medical animation birds of a feather events and I planned to announce the wiki later in the week.

It's my ultimate goal to also use this as an anatomy and physiology atlas and to share images under a creative commons license.  I also hope artists will be able to use the forum to advertise and I'm interested in pursuing grants from the NSF to pay artists a stipend for producing work.

The wiki will allow uploads and downloads and it will be password protected.  It will be available at www.biovisualization.com by the end of the week.  Contact me if you have any feedback.  I'm about to start with the layout, so this is an important time to influence the direction.

Jeremy Swan
www.jeremyswan.com


On 9/4/06, Cameron Slayden < [log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi folks,
 
This email has been sent to the AMI list as well, so I apologize if some of you receive it twice. A few of us regular C4D users have decided to coalesce into an interacting group, with the intent to share techniques, info and inspiration. Cinema 4D has a smaller user base than 3D studio Max and Maya, and as a result it is more difficult to find inspiration and industry-oriented advice. Also, the kind of techniques required to reach solutions can vary wildly between 3D packages, so we are creating an active user group in the interest of furthering the quality of scientific/medical animation created in Cinema 4D. There are already a number of fantastic forums online for Cinema 4D, but cartoon vikings and racecars are more prevalent on them than biomedical/scientific animation, and it is rare to get a critique from anyone who knows about the subject matter we animate. I also understand that a number of animators already have a few other professionals they keep at hand for inspiration, critique and assistance. This users group is meant to be a larger version of that, as well as a showcase for our artwork and a networking venue-- it is much easier to outsource to artists using the same 3D platform, so that all files can be shared without import/export limitations.
 
The nuts and bolts of such a group are still in the works, but I'd like to get an idea of how many might be interested.  If you are, please email me off-list so that I can begin compiling a mailing list. Feel free to invite anyone who might be interested in a scientific animation C4D users group to email me as well-- all skill levels are welcome, students and professionals alike.
 
Cameron Slayden, M.S.
Medical and Scientific
Illustrator and Animator
Cosmocyte, Inc.
Ellicott City, Maryland
(202) 747-6337
[log in to unmask]