December 25, 2022 : Join the Team, Goten

Gohan lasted about 8 years. Piccolo is now past that age; and while it has been mostly running without issue, limitations are now starting to appear. Specifically, it is unable to update to Windows 11, and Adobe will be releasing an update soon that will no longer be stable with its current GPU. The HDD also crapped out this summer, which fortunately didn’t result in the loss of many files.

As such, I already planned for a new computer last December to happen this year (it was also beneficial to do it this calendar year for tax purposes). I originally wanted to do it this summer, but I got sidetracked. With Black Friday sales providing the impetus, I finally started the process and purchased the components:

There were several starts and stops… the biggest one being me buying laptop RAM (doh!), but I also had limitations on when I was able to devote time to the build. That said, I was finally able to finish things up. The end result? Goten:

A big thank you to Moridin for returning the favor and doing the leg work on this build. I haven’t had a chance to give Goten a spin and see how he runs. In fact, he isn’t set up in my pipeline yet – I still need to figure out where he will physically sit – but it’s only a matter of time before that happens. In the meantime, I’m please the process is over, and I can finally check this off my to-do list!

posted by Pi Visuals at 9:44 pm

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December 1, 2022 : Animation For Anyone Video Series

For no good reason, it’s been a while since I’ve worked on honing my animation skillset. Like anything else, it requires time and effort to stay on top of your game. Fortunately, I stumbled on Alex Grigg’s Animation For Anyone channel, which is a series of solid videos about animation. It is filled with explanations on theory as well as exercises. It’s great for beginners or seasoned vets looking to brush up on their skills.

His main software is Animate (which used to be Flash?); and while I’m not sure I have the time/desire to learn another piece of software, I keep wanting to dip my toes in the 2D animated pool and this could provide easy entry. That said, I think I would need to use a tablet – which my current setup doesn’t use.

posted by Pi Visuals at 11:30 pm

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November 13, 2022 : Kevin Conroy is Batman

Mark Hamill said it best: “He will always be my Batman.”

RIP 🙁

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:32 am

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October 23, 2022 : Books Of Yesteryear

Moving has a way of forcing one to Spring Clean… even when it’s October. In addition to going through old software installation discs, I also took a look at my book collection – focusing on books I keep as references for specific programs. It was quite a stroll down memory lane:

There were a few more I found after taking the picture, but obviously the collection was very Lightwave heavy. Most of these should have been tossed years ago, but some were referenced periodically back to when I was using the program. I ended up getting rid of the lot, but it was a nice sense of nostalgia seeing them all together. Then again, I also felt some disappointment in what Lightwave has become.

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:47 am

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September 30, 2022 : Me and Me – Early Sketches Uncovered

Things have been really hectic lately. Between a couple side jobs and moving, I haven’t had time to do a whole lot (insert violin music here). During the clean up portion of the move, I came across this loose sketch from Me and Me’s Pre-Production:

I am always a fan of seeing how a project evolves over time. This was probably done two or three years ago (for future reference, I should date my sketches). At this point, the script was probably firmed up, and I already went through several drafts of initial sketches and needed to firm up some design details… which explains the notes.

I keep a folder for each project that houses all of these notes, drafts, and sketches. I’m not sure why this was by itself in a drawer, but it was cool to come across. Maybe when I put it in the folder where it belongs, I will peruse through some of the other items in there.

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:10 am

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August 20, 2022 : This Weekend’s Top Movie? Dragon Ball Super, Of Course

The new Dragon Ball Super movie premieres this weekend, and expectations are that Crunchyroll’s first global release will take the top spot at the box office. This seems bizarre; but it is probably a mix of the weak box office lineup and the rise in popularity of anime.

Then again, considering the recent success of other anime movies combined with the Dragon Ball brand, perhaps it makes sense. I’m not sure I’ll watch it in the theaters, but it is on my radar so I’m hopeful I get to watch it sooner rather than later.

As a side note, I finally watched the Broly movie. Meh… at least story wise. The visuals were definitely solid. Here’s hoping Super Hero does a better job of merging the two.

posted by Pi Visuals at 1:14 am

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July 22, 2022 : Happy Pi Approximation Day!

The Silver Medal to my favorite day is here… Pi Approximation Day! The reminder that Pi is so great, it gets two separate celebrations each year.

If you want to learn something fun (and crazy), read about the Indiana Pi Bill. It’s a bizarre story of someone trying to pass a bill in the late 1800’s claiming he found a way to “Square the Circle” – something that cannot be done because of Pi’s inherent nature (i.e. it’s ‘transcendental’). Still, it didn’t stop someone from confusing others, wasting people’s time, and ultimately making a fool of oneself… and the state of Indiana. Good stuff.

posted by Pi Visuals at 11:38 am

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July 4, 2022 : Welcome Home, Genndy!

In a move that seems obvious for Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation, Genndy Tartakovsky signed an exclusive multiyear agreement with the studio pair. The article also mentions the premiere of Primal’s second season.

Anytime Genndy is creating original material, it’s a good thing. I was unaware of his current project, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, but I also want to see what else he’ll get to work on. The dude’s a workaholic.

Other fans have expressed hope he’ll resurrect his Popeye Animated movie or previously cancelled shows (specifically Sym-Bionic Titan). Whatever it is, sign me up!

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:08 am

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June 12, 2022 : Iron Giant LP Release and Fan Film

Always on the look out for all things Iron Giant, I saw the upcoming release of a 2-LP Vinyl release of the soundtrack (as well as a high res Digital Release):

Cool stuff indeed, but more interesting is a fan film I stumbled across. It takes place 40 years after the original movie:

It isn’t overly ambitious and has some decent CG elements. There could have been a little more audio mixing with Giant, in my opinion, as well as a few more nods and winks to the original movie; but overall it was a solid piece.

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:26 am

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May 14, 2022 : A New Dragon Ball Super Movie

There is a new Dragon Ball Super movie coming out this summer, which also happens to be Crunchyroll’s first global theatrical release. The trailer looks interesting for a few reasons:

First off, Red Ribbon Army (could be cool). Secondly, Gohan looks bad ass (he better). Thirdly, a lot of the animation sequences uses 3D – not just for the background and camera movements, but also the characters. This is the second Dragon Ball Super movie. The first was Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Battle of Gods and Resurrection F were considered DBZ), which I vaguely remember but didn’t watch.

Broly used 3D periodically, but it still predominantly kept with the 2D pipeline. I’m not sure if Super Hero is fully 3D, but it definitely uses significantly more. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the execution.

We’ll see, but I’m intrigued. Also, I need to watch Broly.

posted by Pi Visuals at 12:09 am

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