EPISODE 4: ON A RAIL

After numerous delays, here is Episode 4 at last. This one is clearly a step above the previous ones in terms of production quality and I hope everyone enjoys it. This episode has nice motion blur, mobile camera shots, scenic backgrounds, and more action than the previous 3 combined. This was originally meant to be Episode 5, but since the numbering is arbitrary anyway, it may as well be 4. I've switched the video hosting to filefront since I wouldn't have enough space for this on my student account. As always, there's the Youtube versions, but for this episode especially, it's worth getting the high quality copies.

If you missed my previous post, I was griping about how much time this took for things that I think could be expediated. For that reason, I'm putting the series on hold until I find a faster way of producing these. I'm not going to be aimless; I do have some ideas, they'll just take me time to research. I'll make another post here once I've started up again. Until then, don't wonder when the next episode is coming out because it's on hold for now. And finally, to engage in some shameless hint dropping, I DO have work right now, but it will not be steady, so the future is uncertain, though the same could be said for everyone.

High Quality version (92MB)

Youtube version (streaming)

Prelude

Well I was originally planning to wait until I released the next episode before I made another entry, but I keep getting requests for one despite answering questions in the comments (I don't have a forum). First off, Episode 4 is getting close to done, I plan to have it out in less than a week. It's an obvious step up production-wise from the others and so far I'm pretty pleased with how it's looking.

That said, working on this episode turned into somewhat of a negative experience for me. It feels like I'm wasting so much time setting up the scene, animating mundane things, and constantly working around the bugs and shortcomings of the Source engine. While I did have some help on this one, I didn't see the workload savings I was hoping for. This episode will span multiple maps and I invested at least a month in simply creating one of the maps. What it boiled down to mainly was that most people weren't able to spare the same kind of psychotic time devotion to this that I was, or that communication wasn't very good in that I would have to explain things in such detail or correct existing work that it would be faster to do it myself. Ultimately I think it's a safe estimate that I ended up doing about 95% of the work on this episode.

The reason I don't update more frequently is because I don't want dozens of updates and no progress to show for it. I'm becoming very frustrated with the production rate since mine is horrific. Machinima is supposedly a time-saving medium, but so far I'm not seeing any of it. For these reasons, after I release Episode 4, I'm going to put the series on hold until I find a better way of producing these. I'm convinced there are better techniques out there, since I think most machinima makers don't seem to have the same kinds of problems I do, which makes me think I must be doing something wrong. I'm going to explore different options after I finish this and I will probably have to learn new software in order to do so. Right now, the process is simply too time consuming for me to keep it up for much longer the way it is. As it is, in making the first 3 episodes, it was essentially a solid burn where I just sacrificed my free time in order to make it happen. To put it in perspective, I'm an avid movie fan and I've only watched 2 movies since I stated making this in October. While that's not a hardship or anything, it does discourage me from wanting to make more of these episodes. I feel like most of the time I spend on these episodes is the result of not having the right tools or resources for what I'm trying to do, so this is what I'm going to focus on in the future otherwise the work/production ratio will be too much for me to want to continue doing this in the future. The best analogy I can make is that I feel like I'm trying to cut down a forest with a hatchet and I want a chainsaw.

Status update

Well I've been getting a few requests for an update, so here's what's going on. I didn't make the contest deadline, I ran into too many delays. I'm still working every day on getting the next episode out, but it's just much more involving in terms of what I'm doing. Without spoiling anything, here was my original plan for the next two episodes:

-Episode 4: Should completely rock, I won't be able to top this one for a long time
-Episode 5: Still pretty damn cool (I think)

That's changed since then, since I've mainly been developing episode 5, so that will be the new episode 4. As for the original (confused yet?) episode 4 idea, I still plan to do it, but I'm thinking about postponing it, just because it's going to take forever and a day to animate. I have no shortage of episode ideas, so I may work on something I can produce a little faster first. On top of this, I've been approached by a couple people about different projects that sound promising (I won't reveal who, they're all hush-hush), so that may steal more of my time away.

On top of this, I'm going to be moving soon, which means I'll have to start job-hunting again so I can hopefully find something better than flipping burgers. So, I'm going to be pretty busy, but getting the next episode out is still my top priority outside of reality. I have NOT stopped working on it, and will finish it as soon as I can, even if that may be another couple weeks. If you really want these things to come out faster, try and harass somebody you know who really understands Source (the engine for Half-Life 2) so I can get some help with the animating. Again, thanks for watching!

News about CP

Aloha, here a few minor updates. First off, the April Fool's Day thing went pretty well; I got multiple emails of people asking if the series was over.  For those of you that missed it, you can check it out here.

Also Chris Fischer sent me the subtitles for Episode 3, but I'm getting too lazy/busy with other stuff to re-edit these, so I'm releasing them as is. They're not entirely accurate nor color-coded, but they are subtitles and mostly accurate. Here's the link:

Episode 3 subtitles

Also, for those of you emailing me about voice actors, I've already got several requests and I haven't gotten to my scripts that would need more voice actors yet, so I unfortunately don't need help there right now. The exception is if you can do a really good impression of characters from the game (specifically Barney, Kleiner, G-man, or Breen). Go ahead and contact me about voice acting then. I won't be making any episodes with them for a while, but I'd be interested in writing something in the future.

I am working on Episodes 4-5 simultaneously. Episode 5 will be done first, but unfortunately I'm submitting it to another contest, so I won't be allowed to release it until after it's over. I'll release Episode 4 as soon as I finish it, but that will be a while since it's pretty complicated animation-wise. What I WILL say is that BOTH these episodes are going to ROCK. Seriously, 1-3 will look completely tame compared to these. So expect a BIG jump in content for the next two.

IKEA KITCHENS 2007

Are you dreaming of creating a living kitchen, where you and your family and friends could gather and do things together? We have everything from mobile, free-standing kitchen units to flexible wall-mounted systems with doors and drawer fronts in many different styles and materials. They can be completed with interior fittings from the RATIONELL series to make maximum use of the space in cabinets and drawers. We also have worktops, sink units and mixer taps. With our smart wall accessories and lighting solutions your dream kitchen will be complete. All at a price that will make you happy.
LINK

20-20 Kitchen Design

Quite simply, 20/20 is the best kitchen and bathroom design tool on the market today. This program boasts technical advantages that streamline the pricing and ordering process and make the design “come alive” for our remodeling clients.

Here's how it works. Ordering cabinets can be a complex process. Not so with 20/20. Most cabinet manufacturers’catalogs are built right into the 20/20 program. This enables cabinet dealer to price complete kitchens - both stock and custom cabinetry - with the click of a button. This makes designing, pricing and ordering much more accurate, convenient and fast. In addition, every manufacturer has a different abbreviation used for labeling cabinets. This is called “ nomenclature. Manufacturers require the specific nomenclature for each cabinet to place an order. With 2020, MyHome is able to print out the exact nomenclature and to know which cabinets are available. This cuts down on both mistakes and waiting time.
20/20 is also makes remodeling come alive by allowing the designer to create a three-dimensional color image of what the new space will look like. With other programs, creating a 3-D color rendering takes a very long time. With 20/20, it's fast and easy for the designer to produce an amazing graphic enhancement of the finished product. Your remodeling consultant can produce detailed floor plans, elevations, renderings and 3-D color images to assist in your decision-making process. For example, if you would like to open your kitchen into an adjacent space, you will be able to visualize the renovation well before demolition actually begins. 20/20 also is a great tool to help you to decide if you are happy with the layout or would still like to revise the design.
LINK
Note:download the list of links from this link .

Complete Home : How to Guides

Volume 1
3-Way Switches.pdf
Annuals and Perennials.pdf
Asphalt Drives.pdf
Attached Decks.pdf
Attracting Birds.pdf
Basic Decks.pdf
Biological Pollutants in Your Home.pdf
Board Fences.pdf
Brick Walls.pdf
Broken Windows.pdf
Building Driveways.pdf
Caulking and Stripping.pdf
Ceiling Fan Hookups.pdf
Ceiling Tile.pdf
Ceramic Floor Tile.pdf
Ceramic Wall Tile.pdf
Chain Link Fences.pdf
Child Safety.pdf
Chimes and Doorbells.pdf
Circuit Breakers.pdf
Climate Control.pdf
Clogged Drains.pdf
Closet Organizers.pdf
Clothes Washers.pdf
Combustion Pollutants In Your Home.pdf
Concrete Mixing.pdf
Concrete Repairs.pdf
Concrete Slabs.pdf
Concrete Walkways.pdf

Volume 2
Control Vegetable Pests Organically.pdf
Controlling Turf Pests.pdf
Copper Pipe.pdf
Deciduous Trees and Shrubs.pdf
Deck Covers.pdf
Deckscaping.pdf
Decorative Paint Finishes.pdf
Dish Washers.pdf
Disposal Trouble.pdf
Divider Walls.pdf
Door Locksets.pdf
Drill Know-How.pdf
Drip Irrigation.pdf
Drywall Joints.pdf
DWV Systems.pdf
Electric Hot Water.pdf
Energy Efficient Lighting.pdf
Evergreen Trees and Shrubs.pdf
Extending Electrical Service.pdf
Extending Existing Wire.pdf
Exterior Painting.pdf
Fine Finishes.pdf
Flat Roof Repairs.pdf
Flowing Gutters.pdf
Flush Toilets.pdf
Foam Back Carpet.pdf
Foundations.pdf
Fuse Failures.pdf
Garage Door Openers.pdf
Gas Hot Water.pdf

Volume 3
Grass Carpeting.pdf
Greener Grass.pdf
Ground Covers.pdf
Hanging Ceiling.pdf
Hanging Doors.pdf
Hanging Shelving.pdf
Hanging Wallpaper.pdf
Herbs.pdf
Home Composting.pdf
Household Hazards.pdf
How to Miter.pdf
Indoor Air Quality.pdf
Indoor Pollutants.pdf
Install Bathtub.pdf
Install Plank Flooring.pdf
Install Recess Lighting.pdf
Install Shower.pdf
Install Track Lighting.pdf
Install Windows.pdf
Installing Glass Block.pdf
Installing Sinks.pdf
Installing Thermostats.pdf
Insulate an Attic.pdf
Insulate Side Walls.pdf
Insulation - How Much Is Enough.pdf
Interior Painting.pdf
Lavatory Put-In.pdf
Lawn Fertilizers.pdf

Volume 4
Laying Bricks.pdf
Laying Shingles.pdf
Leaky Faucets.pdf
Lightscaping.pdf
Making a Water Garden.pdf
Modern Stains.pdf
Molding Magic.pdf
Mower Tune Ups.pdf
Nails and Screws.pdf
Organic Flower Gardening.pdf
Organic Lawn Care.pdf
Organic Vegetable Gardening.pdf
Outdoor Wiring.pdf
Paint Appliers.pdf
Paint Problems.pdf
Parquet Squares.pdf
Patching Plaster.pdf
Patio Doors.pdf
Phone Hook Ups.pdf
Picket Fences.pdf
Picture Framing.pdf
Plan a Bathroom - Install Toilets.pdf
Plan and Install Kitchen Cabinets.pdf
Plants for Dry Climates.pdf
Plastic Laminate.pdf
Plastic Pipe.pdf
Plugs Cords and Sockets.pdf
Pool Care.pdf
Prehung Doors.pdf
Pressure-Treated Lumber.pdf
Pruning Trees and Shrubs.pdf

Volume 5
Rail Fences.pdf
Railing and Steps.pdf
Recycling.pdf
Removing Finishes.pdf
Room Dividers.pdf
Roses.pdf
Router Know-How.pdf
Safe and Secure.pdf
Sanding Abrasive.pdf
Selection and Use of Hand and Power Tools.pdf
Selection and Use of Wood and Plywood.pdf
Setting Stones.pdf
Shingles and Shakes.pdf
Shower Doors.pdf
Skylights.pdf
Spraying Paint.pdf
Stairs and Landings.pdf
Starting a Lawn.pdf
Steel Pipe.pdf
Stop Wood Rot.pdf
Sump Pumps.pdf
Suspended Ceilings.pdf
Switches and Outlets.pdf
Tiling Floors.pdf
Underground Sprinklers.pdf
Upgrade Kitchen Cabinets.pdf
Varnish and Enamel.pdf
Venting Attics.pdf
Video Hook Ups.pdf
Vinyl Floors.pdf
Wall Panelling.pdf
Wall to Wall Carpetings.pdf
Water Conservation.pdf
Water Quality In Your Home.pdf
Waterwise Gardening.pdf
What Is Radon.pdf
Window Insulation Film.pdf
Wires and Wiring.pdf
Wood Joints.pdf
Download Complete Home : How to Guides
LINK