This is issue #164 of the Dogwaffler of the Moment, our sporadic newsletter about Project Dogwaffle.

November: Thanksgiving - Black Friday - Cyber Monday





This edition and other issues of the newsletter can be found here with more content:
 https://www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/newsletter


We have a few exciting bits today:

- Next webinar with Digital Art Live?
- Curvy3D v4 is here!
- Howler build 43
- Upgrading from Steam?
- New tutorials & videos
- On Sale! our Black Friday / Cyber Monday promotion
- Art Contest: FAIRY WORLD
- And last but not least: Read this!? Silver Squirrel

Thanks for waffling and howling, and we wish you a very good Thanksgiving holiday.


Next Community Webinar with Digital Art Live?

December 8 - Mark you Calendars


Details to be announced as we get closer, but generally speaking:

This webinar will have more focus on tools for Animation and working with Video clips.
In other words: We'll go beyond the paint program. We know that Howler and Artist are, at their code, paint programs. Howler does go beyond though. EVen Artist as 3D landscape rendering, and animbrushes, and tons of FX filters and compositing tools. Howler goes beyond the still image though. Howler animates. Howler moves.

If you do 3D work (Blender, Carrara, Lightwave, Curvy3D, etc...) and want to composite things with images and videos from Howler or other sources, be sure to join. Howler is an effects box, wth many tools to let you enhance your video clips that may come from real footage or 3D renderings, and hand drawn content too. Batch scanning, frame by frame creation,... it's all part of the Howler universe.


So what's it about?

So, PD Howler 2020 includes a number of tools to work with animated content, such as image sequences, or video clips, by applying filters across them, for post work. It also can help with creating traditional frame-by-frame animations, and compositing your work, doing motion estimated interpolation (super slo-mo), image stabilizing, and lots more.

We'll take a look at some of the many features:


The Basics: how you should store it
- storing an image
- storing an animation
- using a stored animation as animated swap image, animated selection, animbrush

Frame by Frame editing
- trim some frames at the ends
- selecting and working with blocks
- Make it bounce - pingpong

Hand-drawn animation
- bouncing ball
- the onion skins (light table)

Transitions with motion estimation - animated cloudy background from two images
- Make an animation loopable
- make it seamless

Animated Filters
- Timeline Editor with keyframes
- A look at Filters > Animated
- Starry skies
- Wiggle Warp
- Tunnel
- neutrons
- motion prediction module
- particle editor

Diving in:

The Frame Painter - telling a long story with just a few images
- multi-frame scanning
- frame painting

PuppyRay rendering - short landscape fly-over or panoramic sweep
- Load a subset from an AVI
- crop to selection + resample to even dimensions
- Motion Prediction Module: make it last longer / run slower

It's all in the (anim)brush
- Brush keyframer
- astronaut drifting through space

Other topics, if time permits:

Advanced Curve tool - Rotoscoping

Compositing with Green/Blue screen - by swap, by image sequence,...

Some useful resources:
https://youtu.be/bbRAsPoX4mo
https://www.hollywoodcamerawork.com/


So When is it?

It will likely be held Sunday December 8, at least that's been the plan for a while now (though as of this writing we didn't see the December calendar of events so can't confirm 100%). That's life, including digital life. Sometimes things get rattled by reality, and life happens. If it slipped, no worries, it will probably be rescheduled. If you have questions, ask. We might also create companion tutorials, new videos, in support of your specific queries....

In the meantime, also check their other upcoming and recent webinars, including some great stuff on ARTificial intelligence coming end of November.

https://digitalartlive.com/events


 

Update!

https://digitalartlive.com/event/pd-howler-discover-powerful-animation-on-a-budget/


Note: If you register, you'll receive a discount code for PD Howler 2020 at 55% off.
 
 


It's here! New Curvy 3D  - new version 4!


It's been a while since we have seen great big news from SImon at Curvy 3D. Well it's time to break the silence.

Version 4 of Curvy 3D is now available. Check www.curvy3D.com

Imagine drawing a curve or two, and turning them into 3D objects just lke that. At the core, Curvy3D is based on the idea that you like to see the shapes by their contours, their sections, their profile curves. It's a bit like drawing 2D curves, but then seeing them evolved into 3D shapes. Then you can merge and blend them wth others, sculpt away and add bump maps, displacement maps and more.

If you've been wanting to try a 3D sculpting tool, they have a launch promo that takes off around 25% the regular price.

Curvy 3D has a great set of tools. It even has had a connection to Dogwaffle for a few years now. But even if you didn't have a compatible version of Dogwaffle, Curvy 3D is a create companion to add more content from the 3rd dimension. If you're a graphics artist, an llustrator, or especially a game developer and want to create concept art as well as 3D models that will be part of the game, you should give Curvy3D a try.

Here's a promo video:


https://youtu.be/jYvv1L6RIZ4 
 




Keep this in mind: Curvy3D is being developed by the same person as who also runs Aartform Games, at www.Aartformgames.com - It has been developed with that in mind, with the need for great tools to quickly create and shape the stuff that goes into the games: characters, clothes, furniture, vehicles, weapons, you name it.

In short: tried and tested, Curvy3D is made for creating 3D content for games and lllustration. A great sculpting tool. A 3D doodling tool. It's as simple as that. And it's rather on the affordable side.

Check it out, see the impressive artwork, the galleries, learn about the new tools coming with v4.
Try the free demo, and above all, grab the full version while it's on sale. You could make it a great gift for someone you know.

We too had some experience with earlier versions of Curvy 3D too, check www.thebest3d.com/curvy - ok, so that page is a bit old - in need of updating is a better way to describe it.





Build 43 of Howler 2020

 
We're releasing a new build for Howler 2020.

The media browser now keeps a history list of recently used brushes so you can easily switch between them no matter what category they came from.



See below (videos and tutorials) for more details - or also check information here: https://www.thebest3d.com/2020


If you're on Howler 2020 through Dan Ritchie directly, you'll get a notification email in coming days.

If you're on BMTmicro, check your bmtmicro account to redownload the product. If you can't find it, let us know. Contact Philip at www.thebest3d.com/about

If you order Howler 2020 now new such as for the Black Friday promo, build 43 is what you'll get.

If you missed the Thanksgiving promo but have an earlier version, no matter how old, enjoy this discount coupon for 50% off: 

   discount code = MMXXL

This code will be good through the end of the year.



Upgrading from Steam?

 
If you got PD Howler or PD Artist or even PD Particles on Steam, you'll probably be aware that we haven't had updates to v12 nor to v13 there. Version 2020 won't be there for the foreseeable future. We say foreseeable because we're always hopeful that something may change, but for now we've hit a snag and can't make updates there. So we want to make it possible for you to upgrade nonetheless. There have been a lot of significant changes and additions of features in version 12 and 13. If you agree it's time to move up to Howler 2020, wait no longer.

Use this code if ordering on our bmntmicro store.
discount code = MMXXL

Or take advantage of the Black Friday / Cyber Monday promotions for even better discounts.

 
If you missed the deadlines, no worries, we want you to upgrade and enjoy it, to continue waffling and howling. Contact us. Or order at www.squirreldome.com directly for the benefit of Dan Ritchie, the creator of Dogwaffle. 

If you have friends on Steam who also are interested, don't keep this a secret. Let them know, or announce it on your socal media channels.

New Tutorials & Videos

 
Check the Youtube channel for recently posted tutorials and sample videos:

https://www.youtube.com/pdhowler


Build 43 of Howler 2020 has this new feature:
a history of recent brushes in the media browser so that you can easily pick your most recent favorites

https://youtu.be/mikIQCse3Rw

Howler on Sale!   Black Friday / Cyber Monday promotions


All this week in fact, and through Cyber Monday (and a day or two beyond), we're offering an automatic 60% discount on PD Howler 2020 and PD Artist 2020.
This is automagic, no discount code needed.

check https://www.thebest3d.com for details.

Or order directly here:


To order PD Howler 2020: 
https://secure.bmtmicro.com/servlets/Orders.ShoppingCart?CID=1836&PRODUCTID=18360038
(regular price $79, now around $32)


To order PD Artist 2020:
https://secure.bmtmicro.com/servlets/Orders.ShoppingCart?CID=1836&PRODUCTID=18360039
(equally strongly discounted)


Tip: You will also want to compare with what the author, Dan Ritchie, is offering directly, as t may be an even better discount.

https://www.squirreldome.com



Fun with Howler:

What does Black Friday look like on a foreign planet?

Black Friday



What does Cyber Monday look like?    https://youtu.be/pNVEE9X9MOQ


New Art Contest: FAIRY WORLD


Hosted by Pixarra:

Exciting New Digital Painting Contest in the theme of "Fairy World"!

Lots of Great Prizes Valued at over $1400 from Pixarra and our Sponsors: Akvis, TheBest3D, Renderosity, Spirit, Flying Meat, Nevercenter and BeLight Software.

It's Free to Enter.

Submissions are accepted from November 6 to December 20.

All fantasy creatures, fairy tale characters and magic are welcome!


Enter here:   http://www.pixarra.com/competition.html

Final Words - Read the Adventures of Silver Squirrel



Looking for a gift to give? How about a book?

Here's a word from the creator of PD Howler's Project Dogwaffle, and writer of the adventures of Silver Squirrel. If you like to read, read this:


I would also like to take this opportunity to announce my latest book,
Silver Squirrel and the Princedome of the Hill, in which Silver 
Squirrel is chosen to save a castle-like city built by deer, which is 
now under siege by a pack of wolves.  If you like a good read in the 
vein of Watership Down, and Narnia, every purchase
 helps keep Howler development going.  Visit Silver Squirrel at http://squirreldome.com/Silver.htm


Silver Squirrel in Uneasy Pieces review When we last left Silver Squirrel, the eponymous odd-duck hero of Dan Ritchie’s debut novel, he and his intended mate, Sandy Brown, had just escaped the enigmatic predator known as The Hawk.
squirreldome.com

As always, thanks for Howling, and please let others know about us.  Don't keep us a secret anymore.  Your help really... helps... a lot!
And was we said before, every order keeps Howler development going, so it's a win-win!  Silver Squirrel is a hero who solves his problems with love and forgiveness, and changes the world in his own unique, rodenty way.
These are the Silver Squirrel Ebooks that are currently available for sale:


(illustration painted in PD Howler: )



With the holidays around the corner, these make great gifts.
Visit Silver Squirrel at http://squirreldome.com/Silver.htm


And that's it, for now.

Thanks again for waffling and howling!  

Team Dogwaffle


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