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I'll declare Giraffadon the winner. Hopefully, his topic choice will generate some interest.

<sigh>

Looks like I've been unable to interest anyone in this topic. If it's just a matter of needing additional time, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll drive a stake into its heart, and try again. Unless Snarky wants to pull my bacon out of the fire and suggest something that will generate some input.

<sigh>

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/noCheese1_zps34850bfb.gif[/imgzoom]

It is Biblical in its proportions:



Anim8or models/render.

Bump...

I'm becoming concerned that I've created another no-interest Blitz. So, I decided to extend the deadline, a bit, until June 15, 2014. And I decided to open up the topic a bit, to include another possible lighthouse I recently found, down Three-oh-Four's way. The Shark Island Lighthouse:









It appears to be an Australian National Park, and you can get a bit of a virtual tour at:

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/sydney-harbour-national-park/shark-island/picnic-bbq

No wonder Ben 304 produces such neat pictures. Whole thing reminds me of Myst. Images of the Ashland Avenue Lighthouse will still be gladly accepted!

Edit: June 7, 2014

Decided to do an Anim8or model of the Shark Island Lighthouse. Not quite accurate. Starfield from Bryce.

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/addOcean1_zps875a367b.gif[/imgzoom]

Thanks for all the comments!

@ Darth - I did pull in a couple of things along the way, but looks like I missed the important points. I took another look, just now, and found a sequence of seven frames that look good for the legs (no more cleaning soles of the shoes). It also seems to have the toes pointing in the right direction without my having to do anything. I'm still working on it, since the arms seem a bit messed up at the moment.

At one point in time, I thought I could do a reasonable walk cycle, but looks like I was wrong.

Edit 5/29/14:

I couldn't seem to get the arms to look right with that seven frame cheat sheet. Went back to eight frames (no tweening):

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/walker2_1_zpsac15e80c.gif[/imgzoom]

I also brought in the head as an Anim8or file so I'd get back the facial morphs (and smooth out the mesh). And, (@Cassiebsg) I added some points to "pop" out a kneecap, but I didn't bend the foot. I may have to do that, too, since it does sink into the floor off and on.

I seem to have lost some motion in the hair along the way. Earlier versions seem to be riding the shoulders. It wasn't anything I'd done, and I don't see any reason for it in the weight painting screens, so I'm at a loss. I'd like to get it back. It looked good.

Additional Edit:

Link to latest AVI

http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/jwalt10705/media/kbAVI1_zps23590d59.mp4.html

Still too fast, but in Media Player ctrl-shift-s slows it down a bit.

Seems to be a consensus that I've got problems with the walk cycle. I have worked on it, to the extent that all three of the posted scenes have variations. This is the latest incarnation:



This is a straight eight frames, without tweening. I've made use of a few more bones than in the previous versions. Rip it up.

but sometimes I think the amount of work you pour into the actual animation does not quite pay off... I have no idea how complicated it is to "rig a character", but apparently it takes MORE time than a nice (or decent) 2D animation

In the hands of someone who knew what they were doing, I don't know that there would be any time difference between the two. I still do a lot of bumbling around with animations, and this is aggrivated by my main internet connection still being dial-up, so complicated animations get boringly frustrating to upload/download. Armageddon, a long ago, suggested that I "tween the suckers." I rarely do, but I do realize that it would help remove some of the slideshow/time lapse results I've posted. I'll work on it.

I revisited my walkcycle, and I've also worked a bit on Scavenger's suggestions. Still not up to "snuff," but here it is:



I gave the head I'm using a couple of facial morphs. Not sure the morphs would be of use here, and in fact the face in the animation is a 3ds file, so the morphs are "missing" anyway.



Edit: Add link to download AVI of this. Tried to get her to pet the Unicorn. Still running too fast.

http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/jwalt10705/media/kbAVI_zpsf8e51712.mp4.html

Most of the time, they're static images. From time to time, the criteria might ask for animations. I have no preference here. You can animate it if you want, or not.

I suspect most of you talented folks are able to Google Images. Still, I found a few that might be "inspirational:"





Looks like the first "engine" is really a steam tractor, but it conveys the general idea.

Edit - Added these links:

Sorry for the "ad" nature of this image, but it might help visualize the workman's problem in fitting the spiral stairs to the house, or see Tillie and her lantern descending the stairs at night.



It looks like Gentry Brothers Circus, at its high point, had four shows traveling the country. This image of Elephants playing baseball is probably from the 1920s, but you can fudge it a bit, if you want to.

@ Cassiebsg - I'll work some more on my walkcycle. It doesn't, on its own, look too bad to me, but both you and Scavenger made comments that make me think I still have problems.

@ Scavenger - That was a wonderful response! Very insightful. Thanks for taking the time to do the paint-over. I actually planned on an interaction with the unicorn, similar to what you showed, but wanted to get her walking around, first. We get so focused on the walk cycle, that we lose sight on the other elements you mention. I'm sure your response will help more than just me.

I've been working on this, since I'm stalled out on the Motel Diner thingy (issue with the female's skirts misbehaving). For this one, I wanted to move the little girl from one area into the carriage/bed. I'm not happy with what I've got here - too much glide, too little walk. Thought I'd open it up for comments. Is the solution here, merely adding more of the walk cycle frames to the animation, or am I doing something else fundamentally wrong?



Thanks.

I recall a warning that beginning a Blitz with a long reading assignment was not a good idea. Nonetheless, here it is. This is a bit from the book Chicago Medium Rare by Robert J. Casey (1890-1962). It tells about his growing up in the Chicago area in the 1900s:

----------

They were plowing up the last celery patch in Lake
View to make room for Weiblinger's saloon when Bad-News Tillie
moved into Ashland Avenue near Cornelia Street. Her advent
was considerably more spectacular than the unloading of Gentry
Brothers' Circus half a block down the street, and was reviewed
with unmasked interest by all the kids of the neighborhood and
most of the adults.

Tillie didn't bring any moving van filled with the customary
oddments of furniture generally revealed on such occasions. She
was more practical. She appeared on the scene seated by the side
of the driver of a steam roller behind which, on four stonemason's
trucks, was hitched a long, narrow, two-story house.
Tillie's possessions, whatever they were, remained where they had always
been inside the house. And nobody got a look at them until long
years afterward.

A moving crew got the house onto its waiting foundations before
the day was out. In this work they were greatly encouraged
by Tillie, who cursed at them with a spectacular vocabulary in
English, Polish and German. When they had finished she chased
away the observing children and retired through her somewhat in-
accessible front door via a stepladder. The spectators then moved
on to the circus which, after Tillie's show, seemed to be lacking
in savor.

Next day it became obvious that Tillie had come to stay. By the
time the mannerly little children had gathered around she had a
nondescript washing hung on a line in what was to be her back
yard, and bricklayers were filling up holes in the underpinning of
her house. Moreover, as determined by test, the ladder had been
attached to the house with wooden cleats. Public interest waned
rapidly.

The house, when it was permanently emplaced, looked like
what it was a large square box, badly in need of the coat of paint
it was never going to get. But Tillie had some eye for improvement.
Maybe she found it inconvenient to get in and out of the
place on a ladder. Anyway, at the end of the week a brewery truck
arrived at her address carrying a spiral staircase of rusted iron.
Afterward came workmen who argued for a long time with
Tillie about what they were going to do with the staircase. It was
too long to serve the front door, the foreman mentioned in two
languages. It couldn't be cut off with a hacksaw because it was
the wrong curve. It was going to look pretty ghastly no matter
what was done with it. And he suggested that maybe she might
throw the thing away and get somebody to make her some stairs
and a porch out of wood.

Tillie solved the problem with the directness that the neighborhood
was presently to recognize as her most charming characteristic.
"Run it up to the second floor and make a door out of the upstairs
front window on the east," she directed in German. "Then
you can nail up the front door downstairs. I won't be needing it."
The foreman translated this order to his workmen and thereby
let the neighborhood know what to expect.

"She's certainly going to have a fine-looking place," he men-
tioned to give the message a personal touch. And he was right
about that.

The result was something that people came from miles around
to see. The little children would linger for hours just to observe
Tillie making her exits and entrances. Unfortunately they were
never around when she emerged at night swinging a lantern in
front of her 200 pounds of bulk. John Spetti and Mike Mullen,
conductors on the Ashland Avenue car line, who were frequent
witnesses to this odd procedure, christened her place "The Ashland
Avenue Lighthouse." And the name stuck.

----------

So, how about picking something from those paragraphs and coming up with a suitable background: the circus come to town; the arrival of the house, the arrival of the staircase; a night scene of Tillie descending the stairs?

I intend to rip Snarky's criteria:

Concept: The coolest, most creative idea; the one that offers the best response to the rules and spirit of the Blitz topic.

Artistic Execution: The most technically and artistically accomplished image; the most successful expression of a personal artistic style.

Playability: The screen that would work best as an adventure game background (with possible interactions, walkable areas, exits, etc); a screen that would be fun to play.

So go forth, gentle souls, and Help me visualize Casey's words.

Edit: Deadline extended until June 15, 2014.

Thanks, Mr. Snarky, for an interesting Blitz. Also, thanks, all, for the kind comments and votes. I've got an idea for the next one, and should have it up in a bit.

Says Problem has a birthday, today, so best wishes and thanks for the cow.

Uhmm... I think there is a remote possibility that I drew outside the shape, just a little, so feel free to disqualify me if you must. Nevertheless, it was fun to do.

[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/adeelShop1_zpsaa8bcf63.gif[/imgzoom]

Hope all can find it in their hearts to forgive me. Particularly Adeel and Wolfie.

I didn't know that :/ sorry.
I didn't find in old thread.
Should I change it?

The shape is different.

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=48890.0

And Adeel was the only entry in that one, anyway. I shudder to think what he'll come up with for this one! 

And the winners are:

First - AprilSkies
Second - Bicilotti
Third - Babar

Thanks, everyone, for the submissions and taking the time to vote! AprilSkies, the Coloring Ball is in your court.

Is a top 3 thing normal? I'll just make things simple by adding my vote for AprilSkies.

First, second, third voting was desirable in this case. I'll figure it out, hopefully. Now to go find out what ex aequo means. 

Thanks, everybody, for the nice entries! No requests for an extension, so let us open the voting through May 10, 2014.