WIP: Environment for Short Film

[NeptuneImaging]

hello again, here are a few updates of the model that i am trying to populate with a lot of objects with varying levels of detail. I plan to add a few tables and also the soda machine that will play a vital roles in the film.

Any critiques and or suggestions would be very helpful. :) Thanks


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Rendernew1.png

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Rendernew3.png

[wind27382]

a little more information on the project would be nice so that we can critique it better.

[NeptuneImaging]

@ wind27382: This project that I call "The Soda Pop Kid", came about when I lost money in the vending machine, and I figured it would be something I can create. The environment will be modelled in Autodesk VIZ and brought into XSI to be rendered. I also wanted to create a believable child who can convey emotions and an environment that I can light realistically. At the moment, I am still trying to populate the scene with items suitable for the scene. I may add some wall lights for a more dynamic effect.

Character Details:

I plan to use high res texturing and ambient occlusion for the environment. THe characters will come later.

The film will be only five minutes long and I would love to make it an experience that I will remember. I hope that is helpful info. Thanks.

[mp5]

Add more light, it's too dark.
...
Nice models.

[NeptuneImaging]

@ mp5: Thank you. These models still need to be tweaked so that I can get the correct amount of detail...and the lighting I have in this current scene is only temporary. I am still trying to model wall light that add to the dynamic of the scene. :) Keep the crits coming. I will have more updates :thumbsup:

[NeptuneImaging]

After fiddling around with the renderable spline option in MAX (awesome tool and great timesaver), I made a table that uses renderable splines. I will also change both tables in the previous renders to match the quality and style of this new table....

Still not sure if I want to make the other tables like this.....but will give it a shot. THe vase is very generic right now with a DGS material as a place holder, and also the metal barring uses Lume Metal and the glass is just a blinn with a raytrace material....

I will post more as I continue.... :thumbsup:

Maybe someone can suggest a light I can use for wall lights.

thanks.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/GlassCornerTable.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, here are a few updates on the model of this scene. Starting adding in some lighting for the hallway. The lights are still WIP mainly because I plan on using GI from the hall lights. Still trying to figure out how I am going to arrange them and get the correct falloff...the shaders will be done in XSI.

About to start working on the new tables, replacing the ones I have now...going nuts with the renderable spline tool.

please, feel free to offer advice and critiques. Thanks...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HallwayRender2.png

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HallwayRender1.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Here are a few more updates on the glass table...still want to add things like mags and candy dishes. The metal bar have lume on them, may make it a DGS black if I think the couch will clash with it. And the glass is just a blinn with raytracing. I may want to model some of those garden things for indoor fountains, I'll see if I can somehow include it in the shot.

These are a few more angled shots. The couches are blocky to keep render times manageble....enjoy. Halo.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RoomRenderwithglasstable3.pnghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RoomRenderwithglasstable2.pnghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RoomRenderwithglasstable.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello again,

I have been up for days plugging away at this before my big weekend, trying to make some progress on this model. Now no one may have yet critiqued it, but I will press on with this model and see what I can get out of it. Here are a few renders that show off a brand new arrangement and also some lighting tests, which will help me place the light models in their correct places. I still want to get the lights to fall off realistically.

The light in the middle of the room will be the strongest light in the scene. The green object is the soda machine blocked out to be detailed...trying to figure out how to make it so that the details on it really stand out. The pillars are there to start off a very Chinese style room. May make the pillars cylinders instead.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RenderedandLit3.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RenderedandLit2.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RenderedandLit1.png

If anything enjoy the renders, and feel free to critique.

Halo.

[NeptuneImaging]

It seems not many are interested in this thread or WIP. Either I am doing a good job or lack of interest in my project, but with that aside, here are some more renders of the scene again. Just testing lighting and falloff so that when I place the light fixtures, they will be exactly how I want them. In the second render, I just have point lights in the scene with a 20 inch falloff set to inverse and the central light with increased falloff.

Next up will be the soda machine modelling and detailing after I get some well deserved sleep :)

Ciao

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RenderedandLit4.pnghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RenderedandLit5.png

[LabRat1]

Great to see the updates. I think that the glass table looks good, it will look great when it is reflecting things in the room. It should look great textured. Good luck!

[NeptuneImaging]

After listening to some Pavarotti this evening while I work (man he is so AWESOME) to relieve tension, I managed to create the soda machine that is going to be pivotal to the film. I did not want it to be high res or anything but it is something to show. I am going to send the model to XSI now to show some wireframes. (I hate how I have to do it in MAX) lol.

Feel free to critique. I will have more things to show....I am dying for some feeback here...lol

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaMachineRender1.pnghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaMachineRender2.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello again, after a refreshing day away from my computer and everything else, I have churned up some more modelled details. Now for these, I may have a huge problem with lots and lots of shadows, but hopefully it would not cause too many headaches. And I struggled in the design of this next detail...if anything, feel free to give feedback and thanks again :thumbsup:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/CrazyShadows2.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/CrazyShadows.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello again to another update and progress on the model that I am currently building. And this evening, I am posting two renders of the barrier that will be modeled in detail and shaders may be used. Also keep in mind that I am very aware of the shadow issues....too damn many, and plus the gate is not meshsmoothed. Any critiques or suggestions will be very helpful to me. Enjoy the renders. Halo.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/GateDetail1.pnghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/GateDetail2.png

[LabRat1]

Thanks for posting all your test renders, even when you know there are issues with the shadows. It gives us who are trying to learn an opportunity to see what issues arise and follow how you fix them. Those gates should look great when you smooth them!

[NeptuneImaging]

@ Labrat: Thank you...I am very happy that you are learning at the process. Hell, even I am learning something as I design this. This morning, I had to redo the gate because I had trouble smoothing it the way it was...and later on, I will add the banister which will go around the sitting area....

there will be more...stay tuned.

[NeptuneImaging]

I have been away for a while, taking a little break from this project, but now I am back to working on it. After moving the Models from Max to XSI, this the stage where I am at. I still want to add more shaders, and elements and start texturing the models.

Right now I am still trying to fix the lights the way I want them to be since the wall lights are going to be instanced and certain shadows cast strangely. Also I am going for a colour scheme that is remotely inspired by Chinese Architecture, mainly red and black.

Any critique and suggestion would be good. Thanks.

Halohttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/XSIHotelRender2.jpg



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/XSIHotelRender.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

New angle of the render. Need to fijnalise the shaders.http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/XSIHotelRender3.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

With advice from other artists, and taking some time off from this, I have decided to show some solid renders and some scene wireframes to show off the details of the objects in the scene. The first two renders are shaded Lambert renders with the Physical lights still intact within XSI. For some reason, they are so damn light when I use PNG files....maybe I should stick to Targa files.

...at this stage I want to focus on Modelling and then I will focus on lighting...also objects like light fixtures, couches, and Yin Yang barrier are still unsubdivided to keep things quick and flexible to work in. After some edge weighting, I will convert them to SDS.

The light fixture in the center of the room is a placeholder for a better setup...since I want to go for a chinese style motif. Maybe a few laterns in the bathroom area with some mood lighting with set the mood, that I am going to show next (although it is not in the film, it is there for modelling exercise)


here are the renders that I want to show with Lambert Shading and just lighting to see where I want to go...the shaders from earlier renders are still there. After all of the modelling, I want to UV map the scene for texturing.

If anything, please enjoy the renders and I look forward to your crits. Next stages will be for modeling only...


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderwithsoftshaodows1.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderwithsoftshaodows2.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderShadedWireFrames3-1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderShadedWireFrames5.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderShadedWireFrames6.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderShadedWireFrames7.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderShadedWireFrames8.jpg

[stuh505]

Hey, this is starting to look nice :)

Just tell me you're not going to use all those horrible raytraced shadows in the movie

[NeptuneImaging]

@ stuh505: Horrible raytraced shadows? LOL. I am going to get rid of them using FG and GI, but Shadow Mapping is not out of the question. The PNG files make them look brighter than they really are.... I will post a GI render of the scene in a little while to see what happens to the lighting.

I will keep you all posted

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, after being away plugging at this, I am almost certain that this is the lighting I am looking for. Here are two renders that I have been working to better as I want to add some more elements into the environment. The lighting is seemingly what I am looking for but I will have to adjust the fixtures so that they don't cast those nasty shadows.

If anything, I look forward to your critiques.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderNewLightBox3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderNewLightBox4.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, everyone, sorry I haven't posted here lately, but I have working on lots of other things as well as updating my hardware. This is the latest render (well, an old one) of my home project that I am getting ready to texture and set up for the characters. This latest render is using a DGS shader for the whole scene on every object. here are still things i need to tweak but I am getting there. Here is a few things that I have been doing with the models.

GEOMETRY:

-- All objects that do not need insane detail has had their polygons reduced for simplification of UV's and SDS

-- Any repeat geometry of minor detail such as rivets and bolts have been merged into one whole entity. Example 100 separate bolts are now one object. Also any objects that will look similar such as light fixtures will be instanced to improve performance and manageability.

-- The entire hotel was once one whole object, now broken off into five pieces for the ease of texturing.

-- Objects that have edge detail will be weighted to show hard edge detail.

LIGHTING/SURFACING/RENDERING:

-- Every object now has a DGS shader applied. Since most of the scene is inspired by Chinese art, nearly all of the objects will be glossy in some way.

-- Issues with hotspots involving Physical Lighting has been resolved.

-- Will move from a full FG/GI solution to GI and Ambient Occlusion to save on render time.

-- Textures for things like the hotel chunks will be 4096x4096. Might be needless but will be worth it since I am going for great details like grit and wear and tear.

-- For rendering marble surfaces, i think this is a good time for me to learn how to use the render map tools http://www.xsibase.com/forum/YaBBImages/smiley.gif and bake a marble surface to a DGS material which I hope works.

-- Area lighting may or may not be used depending on render test since my shadows with full GI seem to disappear. Will trying to figure out a blend between GI and ambient lighting to see what works.

If anything, once I get my hardware updated, I wil continue this project film steam

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRenderDGS3.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Okay, after a whole month or so, here is an update to my project as I try to look for the right feel. Since this is a kids movie i want to find a good lighting feel with warmer colours. This is done in XSI with the D2S Light Shader. The first render is set at 6000 for temperature, and the second one at 5000. More to come. Would love to hear some feedback.

Thanks
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRender1NTSC1.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRender2NTSC1.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello again, just posting a third lighting test for the scene here so see which color works best for the light. And I will be using Ambient Occlusion just to further the effect of the GI. And sorry for the noisy GI, wanted te render to be a little faster. I hope to hear some feedback....thanks

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HotelRender3NTSC1.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hi....before the new year begins, i have some stuff that I want to show, showing some progress on my project (although it seems no one has taken interest in it). The next few renders are some progress shots that I am sure about doing now. Mostly shading until my new hardware arrives for texture painting. In this render, I am using Area Shadows which was a miracle to render...also I changed the shininess of the pillars as well...

If anything I am looking for some feedback to see what some of you think. Feel free to throw in some suggestions and critique. I look forward to hearing it. Thanks :thumbsup:

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/sodapopkidsodamachine1.jpg

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/sodapopkidnewhallrender1.jpg

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Tonemapped_test.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Oh, and a couple of notes about the next stages. I broke up each piece to texture them separately at 4096x4096 res for full detail before I shrink down the textures to 2048x2048. Also I am going to be using normal mapping on the surface to add such extreme details like grout and paint chipping....with layers of paint.... I still have to make sure that the Normal Maps work on a DGS surface properly...

[NeptuneImaging]

Hi, I have come back with a little update (more on the way), I still wonder why however I have not gotten as much feedback on this from anyone, but I have been working on the textures and everything...I just started on the Normal Mapping which is my primary focus for all of the objects. I am still working on trying to get the wall as bumpy as possible to avoid the look of uniformity using a procedural texture which will be baked into the normal map... each texture was painted in Photoshop and converted to a normal map using nVidia's Normal Map filter in Photoshop. I was going to use Parallax mapping but the Normal Map should do the job quite welll...

Below are some settings that I used to render these frames which are going to be used in Widescreen Format.


AA Min/Max: 1, 2
Sampling Threshold: .005, .005, .005, .005
Filtering: Gauss 3, 3 ( I love how it makes my renders look soft)

All textures are at 2048x2048, and both the hallway and the lounge are packed into their own UVs.


If anything, I would love to hear your advice and critique. This is a work in progress...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-Normal-Map-ang.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-Normal-Map-Ren.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello all, I am back again after working on this thing like crazy, but here are a few rendered updates while I still plug away at this project... It is also unbelivable that no one has critiqued my progress or anything...either I am doing well, or things have not caught your interest... anyhoo... here are some renders. I still need some help with tweaking the bumps on the paint shader since they look icky as hell...

Also the images have been adjusted so you can see all the details...thanks.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Test-Render-new11.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/screentest-HD1080i.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is a small update...still getting used to the Architectural shaders...for some reason, my objects are not casting their shadows...will be fixed in the next update

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Test_RenderMIA1.tga.jpg

[beccabaldwin]

I think it would add to your scene a lot if there were some difference in the textures. Right now about 90% of the scene is smooth and shiny and it really screams 3D. Unfortunately I associate any scene that has an overabundance of shiny things which have tons of reflections as being done by a new 3d artist, and I'm not sure if that is the impression you are wanting to give..

[NeptuneImaging]

I think it would add to your scene a lot if there were some difference in the textures. Right now about 90% of the scene is smooth and shiny and it really screams 3D. Unfortunately I associate any scene that has an overabundance of shiny things which have tons of reflections as being done by a new 3d artist, and I'm not sure if that is the impression you are wanting to give..


OH WOW!!! Cool, a artist from Blur...this is so great to hear from a pro :) ...i am trying to find some variance in the paint textures by painting different surface types. The tiles are shiny like that based on a design that I saw for a chinese style room. The paint has been quite challenging for me trying a procedural and a phototexture approach, but i will keep working on the paint...it is so tough. I hope to get this right soon...

What do you suggest for the tile floor?

Thanks :thumbsup:

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TestRenderMIARendertwo.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TestRenderMIARenderOne.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TestRenderMIARender.jpg

Hello again, here are a few updates that involves trying to tune the bumpmapping and paint so it would not be so wet and bumpy. A little later, I am going to try and paint a vase texture but I haven't found the way to go about it...

Any suggestions or critiques will be great...

thank you.

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, here are some updates as I continue to plug away at this model. Just a render with bumpmapping only mixed with Ambient Occlusion. Still need to fix the shadows in the scene.

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/BumpmapangleAO1.tga.jpg

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/BumpmapAO1.tga.jpg

[Farfalo]

Nice, I like it. I'll have to keep tabs on this one :)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey Farfalo, thank you for the feedback. More updates on the way...?

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is some work on the bump mapping...still in progress. I am going for a stucco look with a glossy paint overlay.

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Bumpmapprogress1.tga.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Bumpmaptest1.tga.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hi, here are some more updates for the bump mapping. I think this is the look I am going for. In a bit I am going to work on the hallway paint and continue painting textures for the other objects. Reflections on the floor will be softened up...

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Bumpmap1WIP1.tga.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/BumpmapWIP1.tga.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Bumpmap21WIP1.tga.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

After plugging away at this for a while and near completion, I can now post the possible final look of my short film... this single frame was composited in After Effects... I would love to hear some feedback... right now, i need to desaturate the wall texture... more to come

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda-Pop-Kid-FINAL.jpg

[VanillaChicken]

I have to say, when i first saw this thread months ago i had little hope. but you really turned it into something great. That last room especially, the lighting looks amazing. Great job exceeding my expections! Oh and i guess i missed everything after you made the railings, it seems that that's when you really found your stride. i haven't been hanging around here much. Anyway great job again.

[NeptuneImaging]

I have to say, when i first saw this thread months ago i had little hope. but you really turned it into something great. That last room especially, the lighting looks amazing. Great job exceeding my expections! Oh and i guess i missed everything after you made the railings, it seems that that's when you really found your stride. i haven't been hanging around here much. Anyway great job again.


Hey there, I thank you for your reply. It has been a long time since I have started this thread and I have been working ever since. I am going to some more stuff later this evening when I have it rendered. The lighting was the hardest for me because I had to try different methods. And btw, there is no GI. Just using point lights...

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, here is another update from a different angle...in this update the walls on the texture have been desaturated so it is not so red this time. And that plant in the hall has been a pain to texture...the pot has been easy to shade, but the leaves are hard...

Critique and suggestions are always welcome.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Passtest2_00000.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, I have another small update for you... this time, it is a soda can that Is being created for the scene. There is still work to be done on it like adding the barcode and other details. For the sake of speed I rendered only the can by itself....the back details are there for aesthetic...

more to come


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaCanDetail.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaCan1.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is another render with the background elements...still trying to figure out how to do a depth pass so I can make a promo render...the can is still WIP...I have to add a map for anisotropy and normal mapping for the top of the can as well...

Note that i turned off the shadows in the scene for speed reasons.

As always a critique is welcome....

more to come.


http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_Promo.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello, here is a small update on the scene with this next render showing the picture frames that are written in chinese. The frame on the left says "Neptune Imaging" and the second one says "Polygon". If there are any native Chinese speakers surfing the forum, I hope they can help me confirm its accuracy. And I have to go back and desaturate the textures after a recent crash wiped out my settings...

more to come.

HaloANimator

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_New_Promo_Secondary.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Here are some more renders of the scene: both of them being picture renders that i am trying to detail... more to come. Crits welcome./


http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Chinese_Pictures_Close_Up.jpg

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Ink_Painting.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello again, here is a render capture of the tapestry in the scene...it is not going to be in the shot but i figured I would texture it so it makes it look lively...please feel free to give me critique and advice... thanks

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/New_Tapestry.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone...after many months of toiling away at this, and many challenges to create my first real environment, I can safely say that I am finished with the set of this short animation and I can move on to the human cast. Please feel free to leave some critique and feedback so I can make my experience with my work remarkable.

The comps below were done in After Effects, and i am still trying to find a look that will work for the tone of the film.

Again, thank you...and I will post the character here...



http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda-Pop-Kid-COMP-1.jpg


http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Comp_2_00000.jpg

[boeserWolf]

looks exellent ... keep it up :eek: :applause:

[phix314]

Very amazing work. Can't wait to see the final product!!

Although I gotta say, this def took a turn. I thought from the start it was going to be a simple room, not a 5 star hotel lobby in Beijing ;)

[NeptuneImaging]

Very amazing work. Can't wait to see the final product!!

Although I gotta say, this def took a turn. I thought from the start it was going to be a simple room, not a 5 star hotel lobby in Beijing ;)

Wow, that was very unexpected. Thank you. I can imagine a Chinese architect looking at this right now and saying wow.

I was afraid this was just going to be a simple room too and after it evolved the buzz is amazing. I struggled a while trying to keep the room from looking barren and empty but I did it...I kicked ass. Now the next challenge is to make sure the character matches the same quality as the room.

I will post a WIP of the character in its own thread. Will also post some more renders of the scene

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, after a little bit of time away from 3D, I have been working on a few sketches (not my best stuff, kind of rusty) for my kid character so i can start some modelling, but of course with everyone's help, the drawings can be improved on.

Now, I am posting some face shots and some clothing concepts... there will be more on the way... but feel free to offer advice, jabs, critique... thanks in advance.



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Head-1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Head-2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Head-3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-Clothing-Conce.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Body-Model.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Clothing-Front.jpgHere is some more concept art for the character...I am looking for a look that best suits the character and I would love to hear your thoughts on the character...

Thank you

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, I am now starting work on the kid character based on my sketches that I made recently... right now I am posting some progress shots and hoping to get some feedback. I am going to start on the ears as soon as I get some reference...

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIP3rd.1.png
http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIP4th.1.pnghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIP5th.1.pnghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIPFront.1.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello, i have been working a bit more on the head model and I am looking to get some feedback about the model and some things I want to fix... i also want to create the neck muscles by altering the flow of polys (although it is a kid) just for reference when I create other character in the future...

If anything, I would love to hear your feedback...

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/The-Kid-Renders.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/The-Kid-Head-RenderEdgeFlow.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/The-Kid-Head-RenderFrontFLo.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/The_Kid_Head_Hero_Shot.1.2.jpg

[NelsonIzq]

The enviroment looks awesome HaloAnimator! I wanted to know if you could share what technique you used for the stucco on the walls? I'm currently doing a townhouse for a client that needed a stucco exterior. Is it just photoshop with a nice bump map?

[NeptuneImaging]

@ Swisher: Hey, I simply used HD Textures and brought them into Photoshop to integrate them into the bump map and diffuse map by importing each texture image, shrink them to fit the UV's and brush away the parts I don't want. I actually use Normal Mapping on my environment textures, by converting my bump images to Normals using CrazyBump... :)


On the diffuse texture image, you can blend the bump map by using either screen or overlay with a low opacity... :)

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-ModelWIPSolid.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-ModelWIPCheong.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-ModelWIPWireRe.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda-Pop-Kid-ModelWIPFullBo.jpg

Hey, after a few days of plugging away at this...I have finally created a model that will be used in my scene. The character is called The Kid and this will be the main protagonist in my short. The things I am still working on is the Mandarin Collar shirt that still needs some more detail like seams and the collar... I am not sure if i will add buttons to the shirt since it may not work with the cloth sim. Also the pants need some detail too...like inner seams and some wrinkles although the pants will also be driven by cloth sim...


Any critique on shape and anatomy will be helpful...

thanks


HaloAnimator

[Freefall]

It looks great man. I've been following this thread for a looong time and I'm really enjoying the progress that you're making. The environment has improved a lot of the months and it really does look great now.

Your character looks great too although the proportions seem very very different from your sketches, personally I think he's too tall and that you need to adjust some proportions to make him look more 'kid' like.

Like you mentioned yourself you still need to add some details to the clothing, I would love to see a render with the cloth sim turned onto see what it will look like. Are you going to take the model into Zbrush or not?

Keep it up, really want to see more :)

[NeptuneImaging]

@ Freefall: Yes, I am kind of looking at this kid like he may be too tall... in the camera view he looks normal size... I am using the User view to do captures so it may look skewed. As for taking the character into ZB, I am going to save that for another character because I don;t want to go overboard with wrinkles and stuff like that... I could easily just shorten the legs on her to make it more child like.

And here is the video for the cloth sim

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_013f42e5.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=013f42e5.flv)


Here are some more progress shots of my character, mostly focusing on the clothing and detailing areas like seams and stitches... here are some renders of only the shirt and one with the fully dressed character... The shirt will be procedurally animated with cloth sim and major details will be added with Normal Mapping. In the newer shots, the collar has been shrunken to fit to the characters body...


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidModelWIPShirtFrontRendere.1.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidModelWIPShirtFrontSolid.1.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidModelWIPShirtFront.1.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidModelWIPShirt.1.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidModelWIPShirtFrontRend-1.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hi, after doing a little modelling of facial expressions, I have a few more tests that I would like to show... this time, it is the kid's emotions.... I would love to hear some feedback since I have never really done this extensively...

I will still model some more shapes to convey other emotions...afterwards I will start on the skeleton...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_b05081e5.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=b05081e5.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_f329bb7c.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=f329bb7c.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_29131c3d.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=29131c3d.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_ed51ee12.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=ed51ee12.flv)

Looking forward to your feedback... thx

[Lordstormdragon]

...that it's beautiful! Aside from desaturating the red walls, it's looking great. Realistic, but still artistic. Good work!

[NeptuneImaging]

Thanks a bunch Storm Dragon...here is more


After a long way with this character, I have been working on the Kid's blendshapes trying to convey emotion that will be used in the short. Also there are some shapes that are there for practise and self training. Right now, the eyes and lip shapes still need some work but any help will be wonderful so I can make the shapes something sweet.

In my next few updates, I am going to work in ZBrush on the clothing details such as stitches and slight wrinkles, and some of the thread details... if anything, I would love to hear your feedback on the facial shapes.

Thanks

Kashif R

[NeptuneImaging]

Here are some updates on the kid that I am working on...i just started to do the texturing for this recently getting accustomed to painting textures and so on...

THe image I am posting is only the diffuse map on a phong shader...i will work on the Skin Shader once I get to that point... in the next few updates I will also be working in ZBrush on the cloth details to generate normal maps and textures...

In the meantime, i would love to hear your feedback...http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIPSKinTexture.1.pnghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Soda_Pop_Kid_ModelWIPSKinTextureSide.1.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hi... just posting a few updates on my kid model, just showing some of the skin shading I have been tuning... some of them will be controlled by images such as the back scatter weight and specular weights.... i would love to hear your opinion about my skin texturing too.... I am kind of new to this.

thanks

NOTE: Images rendered at 16/9. So it will look squished on our displays


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TheKidHeadSkinTestSide.1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TheKidHeadSkinTest.1.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, here is some more progress on the kid model...still working on the skin...i may end up using hair generation for the eyebrows if i can't get a good painting of it. I am already aware the ear needs some work, especially the lobe... since it will be covered with hair, I will work on ears the next model I build.

The red of the ears is done on purpose to see how far I can take it...


If anything I would love to hear some of your feedback and critiques... thanks.


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Head-SkinTestHD.1.jpg

[cooperunionstud]

my only critique is maybe you should get some real caligraphy to replace the ones you currently have. The look like computer type and not caligraphy. Chinese people would never fram a computer type on the wall.

[NeptuneImaging]

my only critique is maybe you should get some real caligraphy to replace the ones you currently have. The look like computer type and not caligraphy. Chinese people would never fram a computer type on the wall.

Hey, thanks...

I am currently working on that being as I am not very experienced in that area...was thinking of actually painting the calligraphy myself in my own style... going to give that a shot... thanks:thumbsup:

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey here is a new update... right now I am working on this cloth model and I hope to get it to a level of detail suitable for a chinese silk design... will work on the silk fibers and everything so it looks good... current polycount in ZB3, 3.86 Million polys...

Looking forward to your feedback... thanks

Kashif R.

http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Shirt-ZB-Threads.jpg


http://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Shirt-ZB-Detail-1.jpghttp://www.xsibase.com/forum/attached/Shirt-ZB-Threads.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello Everyone,


After taking some time off from this project to relax and plan some more cool stuff, I have some renders/screencaps that will illustrate my current progress. The last shot is a capture of the face that I will be animating... in the state of the picture, it is just a jaw bone with a shape for anger on the forehead.

For the silk, I happened to stumble upon Atyss' Oren Nayar XSI shader and I loved the results of the shading for the silk. All of the thread/fiber detail was done in ZB3 for convincing detail and normal mapped at 4096 (shrunken down to 2048 for final renders). Thinking about adding other spec details like butterflies or roses all over the clothing but not sure if I will need it later...

Right now I am thinking about using control splines for the face but after reading about facial rigging, it makes me want to learn a bit more about it. If anything, I would love to hear your feedback, jabs, or any advice that would be great...

Thanks a bunch Kashif

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-FULL-CLOSE-HEAD2-RE.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-FULL-CLOSE-RENDER1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-FULL-CLOSE-HEAD-REN.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-FULL-RENDER1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/FacialTest1.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone, after a few weeks of tackling this challenging scenario of getting cloth onto my character...some feedback would be cool :) I am still tweaking this simulation until I get a result that I like.... Thanks. More to Come...


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_CollarShirtTest.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=CollarShirtTest.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TheKidHairTest0.png

hey everyone, here is some new progress... I am working on the kid's hair getting used to using BHairy. I am trying to get a style for the character going but for some reason, I am not able to brush the hair using the Proportional modelling tool to move points... so I am forced to move knot points... if anything, I would love some feedback and maybe some advice to optimise the hair..

Thanks

[cooperunionstud]

I Say, Sculpt The Hair As A Bunch Of Poly. It Will Be A Nightmare To Animate It Without Some Scripting

[NeptuneImaging]

I Say, Sculpt The Hair As A Bunch Of Poly. It Will Be A Nightmare To Animate It Without Some Scripting

@ cooperunionstud: LOL....i totally agree with that...luckily this hair I am using will automatically animate when the character moves but the render times are extremely high and I have never modelled hair before, not with poly strips.

Here is another hair test with a second layer added...after getting some reference on hair generation this is the next test I put together. I am thinking of adding a third layer but the render times are already extremely long just the hairs alone...I clocked in over two hours for a single frame up close.

Hello Again, here is a second hair test... trying to work on getting as many layers to build

Some feedback would be nice... thanks :P

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TheKidsecondhairtest0-1.png

[cooperunionstud]

If you want to make an animation, 2 hours is probably too long. However maybe you have an access to an render farm and this is not a problem. Think about it, with 2 hours a frame. You are limited to 12 frames a day. And at most. 360 frames a month. LOL that is if you keep the computer running 24/7 for a month. 360 is about 12 seconds of animation. And that is just rendering alone. So if hair is adding that much to your render times. I say get rid of it. and work on the animation aspect and fine tune the story. Because in the end that will be more important. In-addition, your character is pretty stylized and you can get away with not having realistic looking hair.

[NeptuneImaging]

If you want to make an animation, 2 hours is probably too long. However maybe you have an access to an render farm and this is not a problem. Think about it, with 2 hours a frame. You are limited to 12 frames a day. And at most. 360 frames a month. LOL that is if you keep the computer running 24/7 for a month. 360 is about 12 seconds of animation. And that is just rendering alone. So if hair is adding that much to your render times. I say get rid of it. and work on the animation aspect and fine tune the story. Because in the end that will be more important. In-addition, your character is pretty stylized and you can get away with not having realistic looking hair.


You make a valid point... I have managed to get the times down to about 24 minutes a frame with the shadows turned off and only the hair alone rendering...i am going to experiment with creating polygon hair too.. and see what I get...

[cooperunionstud]

what kind of computer are you rendering this on?

[NeptuneImaging]

what kind of computer are you rendering this on?

I am using a Pentium 4 3.2GHz Dual Processor (with HT), 4GB of RAM, nVidia 7600GS.

The hair takes so long to render because i have my scene with high AA just for the hair alone...

And here is a quick mock up of a few hairstyles that i could possibly use....

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Head-For-Hair-Styl.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hello,

Here are a few updates...been working on the eyes and skin some more. Also figured out how to do the eyebrows... If anything i would like to hear some opinions and feedback before i get started on the character's animation.

Also can some explain the strange looking shadows on the character's shirt?

thanks. Here are some renders...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Skin-Test-2-120.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Skin-Test1.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Skin-Test-3-120.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

And here is some hair!! :)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/The-Kid-Skin-TestWithhair.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone,

Here is an update for my kid character, starting to get a feel for animating again. During this process, I did progressive captures to see how my cycle look. The one I am uploading now is the near complete walk cycle (It looks robotic right now) which still needs some tweaks and other nuances like relaxing the fingers and smoothing the leg motion.

If anything I would like to hear your critique and suggestions to smooth out the animation. NOTE: The clothing will be simulated on top of this....

Thank You

Kashif C. Riley

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktest16.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktest16.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is another version of the animation...a little smoother than the last...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktest17.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktest17.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone (and happy holidays)...

Here is a cloth test on the following animation that I did recently, still trying to get the cloth to stop reacting so violently to the characters motion. In this video, my cloth settings for the shirt are untouched, just fixing the TIME WARP value to get the simulation to look correct in scale. In this video, the value on the time warp is set to .5.


More tests to come


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidClothrelax1.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidClothrelax1.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is some more animation. After a few tests, I adjusted some timings and poses, and also added a cloth sim test. Some critique will be very helpful...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktesttake31.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktesttake31.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktesttake30.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktesttake30.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktesttake33.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktesttake33.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, after solving my biggest problem yet, I managed to get the cloth sim working on the pants...let me know what you think...


Thanks, enjoy

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktesttake44.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktesttake44.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheKidWalktesttake45.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheKidWalktesttake45.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, I am posting a major update for the evening before I get started on the animation for the scene. Most of today was spent preparing the passes for the scene, making sure each element worked properly. There are going to be a total of 15 passes, including a glow render for bloom lighting. I may end up rendering at a higher res but I will see what transpires. Currently rendered at 720x486 Widescreen

In some of the passes, the objects are not completely overriden like the eyebrow polygons, and the eyelashes. Also the shadows and Final Gathering are not comped until I can figure out a way to get them rendered better and fast.

Anyway, I would love to hear some feedback on the images given... more to come.

Now off to enjoy a broadway musical of rent...

Thanks

Kashif

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TheSodaPopKidCompFinal_00001.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/DiffusePass_00001.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SpecularPass_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/ReflectionPass_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/RefractionPass_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/AmbientOcclusionPass_00000.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Some more images

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SubsurfaceDiffuse_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SubsurfaceEpidermal_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SubsurfaceSubdermal_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SubsurfacePrimarySpecular_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SubsurfaceSecondarySpecular_00000.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/HairPass_00000.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Here are some more passes that I did not post before....later on, they will be become area shadows....by breaking up the passes, rendering the Area Shadows would be easier. The following images are straight raytraced...


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidSoftShadowChannel.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidSoftShadowBack.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/SodaPopKidSoftSecondaryShadow.png

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone, here is just a quick rough animation that i am putting together this week....started off with the kid walking and discovering the dollar on the ground (in yellow)... maybe someone can help me with the animation where she is turning to go after the dollar she sees...i already know how choppy the animation is...still roughing it out

Here is the rough capture. Some help and advice would be very helpful... thx

http://www.mediafire.com/?9c0rn3lmanx

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, getting ready to post some new stuff here that I have been working on. I'm quite surprised that I am not getting a lot of feedback for this, I don't know what I could be doing wrong. But anyway, I am posting some of my animation progress...going to spend time on the first five seconds of the animation...going to see how smooth i can get it before moving on to the next stuff. Any advice or suggestions will be awesome to get the animation the way I want it. I had loads of trouble of trying to get rid of popping frames and getting in some "ease ins and outs".


if anything, I would love to hear your feedback (i have not animated in a long time)

Note: this is only three seconds of animation, the rest of the start is for the camera cuts and cloth simulation pre-roll frames.

enjoy....more to come

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_walktake15.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=walktake15.flv)

[HyMz]

Looking good :)

The only odd thing i can see in your animation is the momentum of the body.
Almost feels like the motions don't overlap if you know what i mean.

Yours is like

step.... body move... step... body move....

but imo ( i'm not that much of an animator ).

...body move.....body move....
.step..........step........step...

Hope that makes any sense :P

[NeptuneImaging]

Looking good :)

The only odd thing i can see in your animation is the momentum of the body.
Almost feels like the motions don't overlap if you know what i mean.

Yours is like

step.... body move... step... body move....

but imo ( i'm not that much of an animator ).

...body move.....body move....
.step..........step........step...

Hope that makes any sense :P

Not exactly, can you elaborate on this

...body move.....body move....
.step..........step........step...


I could delay the center of gravity when the legs move...i am still playing with this

[HyMz]

It feels like the entire body comes to a halt when the feet is planted on the ground.
It doesn't flow right sort of speak, the animation of the legs and arms are good, no comment on that it's just it seems a bit robot like at the moment.

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is another update on my walk...trying to get some looseness in the arms. And legs...I may end up increasing the speed of the legs to counter the speed of the arms...we'll see in the next update :)




http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheSodaPopKidWalkTest.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheSodaPopKidWalkTest.flv)

[colarn42]

Should be a cool project when this comes together. I checked out your walk animation there, and there are definitely a few things missing that will help with it. When you walk, and take a step, your hips shift lightly. It just looks like your legs are going forward, and your arms are going forward, and your body is staying completely forward. You need some side to side rotation of the shoulders and hips. As in when you step with your right foot, your hips will rotate towards the left. As you know already when you step with your right foot, your left arm swings, and in conjunction with the rotation of your hips, your shoulders are going to rotate as well, but in the opposite direction. So..


Step with right foot, hips go with the step. So hips rotates left.
Left arm swings forward, and rotates towards the leg that is stepping. (In this case your shoulders rotate to the right)

http://forums.cgsociety.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=123075&stc=1
They counter balance eachother, and brings more life into your character. Mess around with the rotation of these things and I think you'll find a more lifelike walk. Not extreme rotations, otherwise he's going to look like a model walking down the catwalk.

[NeptuneImaging]

I will definitely keep tweaking this animation...before when I twisted the collarbone controllers, it looked like she had a swagger... so I cut down on that a little. Maybe I should add it back on a little considering it is hard to read...I can also post a front render so you can see it fully....

[NeptuneImaging]

Here is another update on the walk cycle from the front this time. I think I have the shoulders and hips pretty dead on in this one... but the clothes are hiding the hip movement a little too... but if anything critique away. In the coming weeks I am going to build up the piece a little more as well... I want to also add the kid looking around and everything to then see the dollar on the ground...which will need some acting out

in the meantime here is a capture from the view port

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheSodaPopKidWalkTestFront.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheSodaPopKidWalkTestFront.flv)

[HyMz]

Much better, just losen up the arms a bit now and you're there :)

Good job!

[colarn42]

Much better, just losen up the arms a bit now and you're there :)

Good job!

I agree 100%. That looks a ton better than before. Just a little less stiffness with the walk and I think you got that one.

[NeptuneImaging]

@ Hymz: I will definitely try to get rid of the stiffness in the arms...but for some reason it will not let me bend the lower arm. I may have to check my IK settings and see if a constraint is causing me grief.


@colarn42: I definitely agree 100%, once I get the arms to look right, I will be ready to move on

[Canadianboy]

wow great progress! The environment looks 100x better and the characters are coming along great. Keep up the good work I look forward to seeing more! :applause:

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey, here is a small animation update...not sure how much looser i can get this character but it looks like i am on the right track. Did some walking today and I saw that my arms move slightly in front as well, so I added that in. For fun, I did some cloth sim on the character...I hope you like that too...will do the cloth sim last...

more to come...enjoy.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheSodaPopKidWalkTestTweaked.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheSodaPopKidWalkTestTweaked.flv)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_TheSodaPopKidWalkClothsim.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=TheSodaPopKidWalkClothsim.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, just a small update on this project...been sick the last few days so trying to get back into the swing of things... here is a test render of the character's skin, colour corrected in photoshop (because I hate 8-bit images)

please critique away...more animation to come


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda_Pop_Kid-Skin-SClose.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Soda_Pop_Kid-Skin.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Some-New-Scenery3-180.gif
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Some-New-Scenery2-180.gif
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Some-New-Scenery-180.gif


Hey everyone, just dropping by to post some stuff on my project. I dug up the script for my short and decided change the scenery just a little bit. I made the scene different and a little smaller then the old one (which will be an Arch Viz Project instead) so that there is more focus and it is easier to manage.

The new setting is the waiting area before entering the dentist's office. I am still looking to paint newer textures and add a plant in the scene. As for the kid model, I may change her clothes to make her more modern, like put her in a sun dress...

If anything, some feedback on this would be very nice...

Now I am off to celebrate my birthday...


Thanks

Kashif

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, here are a few updates.... just trying to get a feel for the scene... some feedback would be nice... thx

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Some-New-Scenery30.gif
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/Some-New-SceneryFINAL-180.gif

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey everyone, just posting some progress shots here. The shirt is floating because it will be simulated by cloth... more to come

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/WIPProgress2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/WIPProgress1.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, just posting some of my progress on the blocking phase of my animation...I am having some issues though with the character bending down to pick up an object, namely a dollar and I am wondering what I could be doing wrong, especially in the bone mechanics. I am still blocking in the shot but really need to make sure that she is moving properly...

I also tried to do the same motion in real life and came up with this one... let me know what you think and what i can fix

thanks in advance

Kashif



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_AnimationPIckingup.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=AnimationPIckingup.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, here is a render of my kid on her tippy toes reaching for the dollar shot...I had a good laugh at this while I was animating, so I am posting this shot of my kid on her tippy toes, hoping to share some of the look of how my film will look and checking out the soft shadows to see how well they work. I would love to get some feedback on this as well...

hair/cloth is not present in this shot


thanks,

Kashif

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/TippyToes.jpg

[NeptuneImaging]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_drink1.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=drink1.flv)

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates, been busy animating and trying to get things done for other stuff, but here an animation capture of this kid drinking her soda proudly. After I finish this one off, I am going to go back and add all of the inbetweens, the facial animation, and then cloth sim with rendering being last...

Any critique will be helpful...I will happy when I am finished with this...

thanks

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all...I am trying to get back into the groove of animating my character and I need a little push in the right direction to get the feel of my character... I just started tweaking the first part of the walk cycle and I am trying to get more snap into it...I am also offsetting keys to get the effect I am wanting... even with the video reference, it is not as fluid as it was before... been playing Call of Duty 4 to try to get inspired, but it is not working...

anyway, I hope someone can give me the pick me up I need...

thanks a bunch... here is the animation I am trying to tweak... sorry for the bone capture...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_Walktest2.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=Walktest2.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, i am so glad to get to this stage of my project where the animation is somewhat done. Now here is a character only capture of the scene where I am trying to loosen up the body and I need a fresh pair of eyes to see what I don't see...

Like on the feet, they don't feel natural to me or fluid. Like each footstep is four poses a piece, four frames apart, and I am trying to get it to be smooth as possible. And i keep finding things like duplicate keyframes in the fcurve editor that I did not put there.

Well, any kind of feedback and suggestions to better my animation would be nice... thank you in advance. Your advice would be very helpful...


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_CameraTestTake3.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=CameraTestTake3.flv)

[NeptuneImaging]

Hey all, here is some character animation, kind of struggling here on this trying to get everything looking correct and balanced and smooth. Maybe someone out there can tell me what I am doing wrong so I can correct everything.... thanks. Here is a rendered animation test


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/th_AnimationTest.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/JamesRayder2026/?action=view&current=AnimationTest.flv)

[coldside-digital]

Hey there.

Really nice work you have here. I have a couple of suggestions, considering you seem desperate for any critique lol.

Your walking animation in the last video you posted is still a bit jerky and somewhat noisy. Have you tried doing rotoscoping? In other words, videotaping yourself walking, then animating your character to match it exactly? You may not use that particular piece of animation in the final cut, but it could help you to understand the movements better.

Some of your camera angles and shots feel a bit off place. Remember to follow the rule of thirds, and to try and keep your character in focus. Do some reading up on composition. I feel like your camera moves come to a stop too suddenly. Try adding some sort of floaty animation, like a slow put steady steady-cam shot, so that the camera never really comes to a stop.

I feel that the hairstyle needs to be more feminine. Before she was wearing a dress, I thought that she was a he. Maybe give her some "pretty" eyelashes as well.

Regarding her skin, I feel it is a little too dark. Try brightening the texture overall, and see what it looks like. Also, the epidermal pass you posted makes me think that the particular texture you're using is the wrong color. I'm under the impression, from looking at various making of's and tutorials, and my own playing around, that it is meant to have a blue tinge. Don't quote me on it, but it may pay to do some research in that area.

The overall look and lighting of your scene doesnt feel very child friendly. I recommend letting some sunlight in there, maybe changing the color of the walls, if this is meant to be a "kids" animation.

And on the story side: Why oh why would there be a soda machine in the dentists waiting room. That stuff is bad for your teeth ;)

Looking forward to any updates and hope I was of some help:beer:

[Dmaxer]

Great job , how long you been working on this ?

[NeptuneImaging]

Wow, I am surprised someone responded to this one...

@ DMaxer: This took about two years to make. I decided to stop working on it because my software was constraining me. But I may go back to it after all since XSI 7 was released.

@ coldside-digital: Hey, man, thanks for the reply. After reading it, I am definitely thinking about going back and finishing this up. The hair and skin are a definitely top priority, now that I have XSI 7, I can do it. As for the animation, I am still learning how to animate so that is a must.

As for the soda machine, you'll be surprised, some dentistries are in buildings with multiple floors so I was kind of promoting good oral hygiene. When she loses her dollar, it actually makes it even more funny now that she is broke and can't buy a soda. I will definitely remodel the character to more "kiddy" proportions, and the wall textures, I will make them more "kid" friendly. She is about 11 years old...

I hope to return to this project soon


Stay tuned

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