Animating with Mikoto – part 2

There are four versions of Mikoto available on the internet.

From oldest to youngest they are 0.3g, 0.4c2, 0.4d and 0.4f.

• Versions 0.3g, 0.4d and 0.4f are available from http://ryot.jimdo.com/ (Click on "Downloads")

• Version 0.4c2 and 0.4f from http://mattaku.sa-ra-sa.com/ (Click on the link/square next to "Mikoto" at the top of the page and click on the images)

Version 0.3g is the only one that can do Morphing (change mesh size and shape) but sometimes it is not possible to run this version on a modern PC.

I will use the English version of Mikoto 0.4f available for download in part 1.

I can't find any English tutorials for Mikoto so online translation is often necessary to learn how to use the program.

I found all the following webpages by searching for Mikoto+Metasequoia or Mikoto+Metaseko or Mikoto 0.4f in an internet search engine.

The following web page is the official manual written by the author for version 0.3g but is still probably the best introduction to Mikoto.

• http://you-ri.s24.xrea.com/03g_manual/manual.html (Japanese)

A lot of Mikoto tutorial sites recommend a pictorial tutorial by a user named UMEMORI*69 but the website has disappeared.

Fortunately most of the tutorial has been preserved at the webarchive. Translation though is not easy since the Japanese instructions are part of the images and not text but the diagrams can be easy to follow once you have aworking knowledge of Mikoto.

• http://web.archive.org/web/20070916050438/http://umemori69.hp.infoseek.co.jp/umemori69_001.htm (Japanese) (Click on "Mikoto Tips")

More Japanese sites with Mikoto tips are:

• http://witchcraft-jp.sakura.ne.jp/mm/mm.html
• http://mattaku.sa-ra-sa.com/ (Click on the links/squares next to "Mikoto TIPS" at the top of the page)
• http://mclab.uunyan.com/e3d/rb2007.htm

The following French sites also have guides for Mikoto.

• http://www.maquettes-papier.net/forumenpapier/topic2948.html
• http://lesartstronautes.bbconcept.net/t27-intro-et-liens-logiciels (A step by step guide with links to the lessons at the bottom of the page) 
• http://graphimaker.graphforum.com/avis-de-consommateur-f50/metasequoia-mikoto-pepakura-t925.htm 

Another good way to learn is to study the *.mqo and *.mks files some users have released to the public.

Downloads are available at the following sites.

• CypherS TufT (Japanese)
• CypherS TufT Garbage (Japanese) Warning: some cartoon nudity
• http://witchcraft-jp.sakura.ne.jp/mm/mm.html (Japanese) (Downloads included in tips)
• http://mattaku.sa-ra-sa.com/ (Japanese) (Click on the link/square next to "Mikoto" at the top of the page and click the images)

Following hyperlinks on the Japanese sites can also lead to more downloads and tips.

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