Project Ethel (27.05.14 – 07.01.16): Pages 27-32

September 14, 2018December 27, 2025 | Paul Greer

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Seven. Notes and workings for particle interactions on a surface in Autodesk Maya. 🌊 🔬 💥

riggingOne — Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Eight. Mind map in rigging, to help understanding of animation process ahead of projects with prehistoric reconstruction. 🕷 🦕 📓

Notebook Ethel, Spread twenty-nine. Garbage writing, cars in car parks and the view from the rear window at South Parade. 🚗 ✍️ 📓

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Eight. Mind map in rigging, to help understanding of animation process ahead of projects with prehistoric reconstruction. 🕷 🦕 📓

Notebook Ethel, Spread twenty-nine. Garbage writing, cars in car parks and the view from the rear window at South Parade. 🚗 ✍️ 📓

Notebook Ethel, Spread Thirty. Garbage writing, unfinished Fudge story with thumb nail illustrations. ✍️🖼💀

Notebook Ethel, Spread Thirty-One. Garbage writing, short stories and illustrations. 👹 ✍️ 📓

Notebook Ethel, Spread Thirty-Two.
Mind map on rigging models in Maya and drawing of snacking child (artist included).
🧒 🕷 📓

Installing Arnold Single License Server Model flexnetserver Systemon an Apple Mac OS Render Farm.

August 22, 2018August 29, 2018 | Paul Greer

As of version 5.0.1 Arnold requires that the license server is using the Autodesk flexnetserver system instead of the RLM system previously used by Arnold.

I have just switched the render farm over to this system and had some trouble getting all the required information I needed in one place as many instructions have a certain amount of assumed knowledge.

So here is various instructions gathered from different parts of the Autodesk support site and placed in ONE list, with a few comments and additions here and there from myself.

1. Download the installer

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-network-license-manager-for-mac-os-x.html

This will be installed on the server computer.

You will need to be on Apple macOS High Sierra 10.13, Apple macOS Sierra 10.12 or Apple Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.

2. Reveal the hidden folders and documents in your Finder

You will need to do this to be able to see some of these folders where the installation is taken place.

Open Terminal found in Finder > Applications > Utilities.
In Terminal, paste the following: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES.
Press return.
Hold the ‘Option/alt’ key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.

3. Obtain a license from Autodesk

You can do this by logging into your account on Autodesk.com and going to “Manage Products and Downloads” and selecting “Generate A Network License File”from the Arnold drop down menu.

It’ll ask for the MAC address and name of your machine.

You can get the MAC address by going to System Preferences, click on NETWORK, choose WIFI from the list of connections, then click on Advanced and then select Hardware.

The MAC Address is displayed here.

4. Install the flexnetserver software on your server

In Finder, go to the Downloads folder and double-click nlm11.14.1.3_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.tar.gz

In Finder, double click nlm11.14.1.3_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.pkg to run the installer

Copy your license file to /usr/local/flexnetserver

I had trouble with this as my admin did not have permission to look inside the “usr” folder.

So, post intsallation, I moved the flexnetserver folder onto the root of my Hard Drive. Consequently I had to adjust all subsequent addresses from /usr/local/flexnetserver to /flexnetserver.

5. Start the Server

Open a terminal

Start the license server. Copy this line of text and paste it into the terminal window. Then press ENTER

/usr/local/flexnetserver/lmgrd -c /usr/local/flexnetserver

(in my case Where the first address is the location of the flexnetserver file and the second is the location of the license file.)

This is the command that run to start the license server after you restart the computer.

6. Test the Status

Type this into a terminal window.

/usr/local/flexnetserver/lmutil lmstat -a -c /var/flexlm/adsk_server.lic

Where the first address is your flexnetserver adress (see above) and the second is the location of your license file.

7. Convert any text files you make into PlainText

In TextEditor go to “format” and select Make Plain Text.

8. Set up the Server so that it automatically restarts.

Copy the contents below and save the file on the Desktop and call it: profile.txt

/usr/local/flexnetserver/lmgrd –c /usr/local/flexnetserver/adsk_server.lic  –l /var/flexlm/adsk_server.log

(Note: the above command assumes that your Autodesk software license file name is adsk_server.lic and is located in /var/flexlm/ folder. If your license file name and location is different, please adjust the command accordingly. The same assumption is made regarding debut log file, /var/flexlm/adsk_server.log.)

Open a Terminal and type:

cd $HOME

Type the following and the file will be moved from your Desktop to your HOME directory and renamed:

mv Desktop/profile.txt .profile

Type the following and confirm that there is a .profile file in the folder:

ls -la

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Select your user and finally Login Items.
Click the + symbol on the bottom. In the dialog window, click on the search bar on top-right and type “Terminal“. Double click on the correspondent result. Eventually, Terminal will be added in the Login Items list as shown below:

Reboot your computer and if this shows up in the Terminal, it’s working. You can also open the Activity Monitor (View > All Processes) and confirm that the adskflex and lmgrd are running.

9. Creating the Environment Variable for the Client Machines.

Make sure that you correctly set the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE variable:

An Environment Variable is needed for Arnold to verify where to pull a license from. This needs to be done on the workstation where MtoA will run.

Use a text editor to create a flexlmrc.txt file. Its content should look like this, except with the name or IP address of your license server:

ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@MY_SERVER_HOSTNAME_OR_IP

If the license server is on the same machine as Arnold, 
your flexlmrc file will look like this:

ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@localhost

Save the txt file anywhere on your machine. Open a Terminal window and type open ~ (Mac) or nautilus ~ (Linux) to open your Home folder, then drag and drop your flexlmrc.txt file there.
Then type cd ~ to move your terminal to the Home folder.
Finally type mv flexlmrc.txt .flexlmrc (Mac) or mv flexlmrc .flexlmrc (Linux) to make the file a configuration file.

This file can now be copied to the Home folder of the other machines in your farm.

That’s it. Run a simple test and check for watermarks.

Secrets of Brain Health – (Electric Dreams)

Video | July 6, 2018December 27, 2025 | Paul Greer

This is a two minute extract of Secrets of Brain Health presentation at We The Curious Digital Dome, 2nd July2018.

At BDH we worked with scientists at Clinical Research and Imaging Centre the University of Bristol, taking the raw data from 3D volume MRI brain scans and, using MEL scripting and Maya turning it into usable, but accurate models of thought patterns and brain activity that could then be treated and rendered in Maya and Cinema 4D to create these visualisations.

Project Ethel (27.05.14 – 07.01.16): Pages 18-26

June 25, 2018December 27, 2025 | Paul Greer

Notebook Ethel, Spread Eighteen. Me trying to mind map and plan my website. You can see the ongoing result at the #linkinbio. A work of art is never finished, apparently. 🕷 📓 🗺 — Notebook Ethel, Spread Eighteen. Me trying to mind map and plan my website. You can see the ongoing result. A work of art is never finished, apparently. 🕷 📓 🗺

Notebook Ethel, Spread Eighteen. Newspaper clipping of Raphael’s Head of a Muse, some copying of that image and the beginnings of a mind map on fluid dynamics. 👁 📓 🗺

burningfpNotebook Ethel, Spread Nineteen. Horse drawings, daises, diary notes (text obscured). 📓 🐴 🌷 — Notebook Ethel, Spread Nineteen. Horse drawings, daises, diary notes (text obscured). 📓 🐴 🌷

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty. Morning Pages writing exercise and drawing my comic book character Fudge (see more of him at #linkinbio). 🌳 👹 ✍️ — Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty. Morning Pages writing exercise and drawing my comic book character Fudge. 🌳 👹 ✍

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-One. Documenting a two day journey from the West to the East and back again (full story at #linkinbio). Drawing from the window of a train, cars in traffic, route plan and garbage writing. 🚗 ✍️ 🚂 — Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-One. Documenting a two day journey from the West to the East and back again. Drawing from the window of a train, cars in traffic, route plan and garbage writing. 🚗 ✍ 🚂

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Two. Mind map getting to grips with some serious understanding of the render engine #Arnold, soon after we began using it. Also eye doodles. 🕷 👁 🗺 — Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Two. Mind map getting to grips with some serious understanding of the render engine Arnold, soon after we began using it. Also eye doodles. 🕷 👁 🗺

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty- Three. More horses, and my attempt at the Ivan Brunetti drawing exercise in his “Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice”, it goes: “Using your sketchbook and a pencil or pen of your choice, spend 3-4 minutes drawing a car. Then, start over and draw it in 2 minutes. Then 1 minute. Then 30 seconds. Then 15 seconds. And then 5 seconds. Draw faster at each step-that is, draw the entire car within the time limit. Repeat this same process for four other subjects: a cat, a castle, a telephone, and self-portrait.” ✍️📓 📞

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Four. Mind map on the Autodesk Maya Bifrost system, dynamic and fluid simulation software. 🌊 🖥 🕷

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Five. Another Ivan Brunetti exercise from “Cartooning: philosophy and practice”: “Pencil out a grid in your notebook, enough to contain 100 small drawings.now spending no more than 5 seconds per drawing, let your stream of consciousness guide you, drawing whatever comes to mind (don’t stop to think about it).” I went back and inked them after. 📓✍️🖼

Notebook Ethel, Spread Twenty-Six. Mind mapping notes for the content graphics of Countdown To Life. Ideas, concepts, storyboards, techniques. 📓 🕷 💓

Goodbye Uncanny Valley

Video | October 17, 2017May 24, 2018 | Paul Greer

Interesting video essay by Martin Lockheed on the recent developments in CGI and the repercussions on art and narrative forms.

“Like magic, crime, and power, CGI works best when undetected.”

The Secrets Of Your Food

Link | February 24, 2017June 1, 2018 | Paul Greer

At BDH we made some pretty delicious graphics for this series on the chemistry of food.

Michael Mosley and James Wong reveal the physics, chemistry and biology hidden inside our food. They travel the world in a culinary adventure to search for the origins of our favourite foods and using specialist photography and CGI, they take us on a journey inside the most sumptuous food, right down to the molecular level.

You can see a promo here featuring some of the work we did.

Watch out for the tongue and tastebud sequences ;-).

9pm Friday 24th February (This evening) BBC2.

Converting a Displacement Texture to Polygon Geometry in Arnold.

Aside | February 9, 2017June 1, 2018 | Paul Greer

Replacing the “displacementToPoly” command previously useful in Maya.

Go to Arnold/Utilities/Baked_Selected_Geometry. This will export from the scene as an OBJ that should match your Catclark Subdivision level. The process can take some time.

You then have to import the OBJ back into the scene.

Countdown to Life wins the RTS

Aside | November 29, 2016December 27, 2025 | Paul Greer

Top news for Team BDH! We have won the National RTS Award for Best Digital Effects for our work on Countdown To Life: The Extraordinary Making of You.

Congratulations everyone, a massive team effort on this one. Up against some pretty stiff competition as well.

The judges said:

“This was a stunning entry, with the success of the whole show entirely dependent on the skill of the Effects team. The textures and liquids they created were so realistic that the jury felt completely immersed, forgetting they weren’t watching a real embryo. An extraordinary piece of work.”

You can see the full list of winner here, and some examples of our work here.

“Countdown To Life” nominated for the Digital Effects RTS Award

Link | November 3, 2016May 23, 2018 | Paul Greer

Great news.

You can see the full list of nominees here.

Excellent work and congratulations to the rest of Team BDH. The final result was a perfect blend of many peoples work, modelling, rigging, sculpting, rendering, lighting and compositing with the BDH signature analogue elements.

Fingers crossed for the 28th.

(You know, it’s the one with all the babies.)