OutPost - VFX challenge - LightFreeze

[LightFreeze]

heres a rough wireframe and a quick test render
http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/PodTest1Wire.jpg

any thoughts or potential problems with the main image would be appreciated


Im thinking the cloud shadows might cause some headaches


http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/PodTest1.jpg

[LightFreeze]

A scribble of some ideas
http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/scribble.jpg

[Mangled Poly]

HArd to tell whats going on in your wire but i like the backplate!

[Integer]

}{ey, yeah indeed a nice backplate

a little comment..
I see you are making some kind of of dam in the right mountain?
but why should there be a lake in front of it? Usually the lake is behind the dam and then floats though it :-)
like this:
http://good42.freeyellow.com/Img/hideout/other01.jpg

[LightFreeze]

my fault for the very rough scribble heres a noted one
http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/scribble2.jpg

beginning to think that the scale on the backplate is not suitable, unless my aliens are about 6m tall

maybe I could just remove all the trees

[CourtJester]

The cloud shadows don't have to be a problem.. you can approximate them with a negative light, at the same location as your sun, with a noise texture on it. OR, in Photoshop you could draw out where you think the cloud shadows are and apply that as a post layer. At least the overcast lighting allows yo uto use very subtle settings for those, rather than harsh shadows of a sunny day.

If you are going to do a camera projection, really need to match cloud shadows *exactly* and your geometry won't permit the post effect to work, then do this: Set up your projection using your actual scene camera, then put another camera where the sun is, and "see" where the cloud shadows are from it's POV, and hand-paint a shadow map for a negative light (or perhaps apply it direct to your sun source).

A really nice source shot, too. good luck!:thumbsup:

[LightFreeze]

thanks for the tips CourtJester but you threw me with the `negative light`
does that cast shadows or remove light, is there a difference? Ive confused myself now:)

I had thought of lightening the shadows on the backplate and then putting in new ones which would be matched on the ground and model geometry but not having done anything like that before I dont know if it would work

[LightFreeze]

done a small camera motion test
here (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/movtest4.avi) you need DivX to view it

[CourtJester]

Negative light is simply a regular light with negative intensity... so it subtracts its color from the scene instead of adding it. If your app supports texturing a light (so it works like a movie projector) you'd probably get better results simply by painting the shadows and putting it there instead, now that I think about it more.

But then, you are zoomed in rather tight in that motion test.. if that's what you have in mind for your final framing, it may not matter, as there is only one significant cloud shadow in it... so you wouldn't likely need to match shadows then, just approximate them.

[LightFreeze]

Thanks for the input again CourtJester

The tightness of the zoom will probably depend on how much geometry I get in the scene but nothing is set in stone yet

[Mangled Poly]

coming along well!

[LightFreeze]

heres another anim test with a different camera motion (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/movtest6.avi)

I have also removed all the trees from my background so that the scale of the buildings isnt obvious, its a bit rough but it gives you an idea of what it will be like
http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Etive-NoTreesLightenSml.jpg

[LightFreeze]

decided to change my concept to a more organic type of complex with the thought that they could just grow an outpost from local materials so heres a pic
http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/TreeTest.jpg

and heres (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Treemovtest.avi) a DivX clip

still needs a lot of work and theres some errors in it but what about the train should it go?

[illustrativ]

Yeah this one looks good nice work. Lets see more.

[LightFreeze]

Thanks

any comments are most welcome


How do you split the thread into pages as this is getting kinda long?

Another question

my skills at this are quite basic but whats the best thing to work at to get more realistic images, textures? or lighting? or is it really the mix that works the best

[LightFreeze]

How do you split the thread into pages as this is getting kinda long?

is that irony or what? :)

[illustrativ]

i think its the Mix, you seem to be way further then me with ur work, im still preparing my models and havent even modeled the mountains asyet. Are you using Lightwave for this challenge aswell?

[LightFreeze]

yip LightWave is me fave

[illustrativ]

Me using Lightwave and Wings. Nice combination i have to say. Hey for some texturing tips u should read http://www.secondreality.ch/tutorials/materials/wornmetal/wornmetal.html its not Lightwave Specific, but for the photoshop part i think its a good tutorial, that is what i learned to texture from.

[LightFreeze]

thanks for that illustrativ

heres a new (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Birds.avi) update which brings a little life into the clip

C&C wellcome

[Arioch]

Wow, very nice. :thumbsup:

[BlueCougar]

I like that it looks really good. Looks like the resolution on your image isn't holding on the ridge

[LightFreeze]

Arioch Thank you

Blue Cougar I see what you mean and Ill see what I can do, thanks for the crit

[CobraX]

LIghtFreeze, those birds look really good!!!

:D i wonder how you made them!

Looks good!

:) Keep it up

[LightFreeze]

Thanks CobraX but the real credit should go to Christian Bloch for this tutorial (http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/tutorials/animation/flocking_birds/index.html) as my birds came from his ideas

[LightFreeze]

came up with this idea (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Mv8b.avi) last night

its a bit rough and needs tweaked with maybe some particles but Im not sure if I like it

what do you think??

[BlueCougar]

Great IDEA!:applause:
The only thing I would suggest is to slow down and simplify the movement to give it greater mass so it feels more like a huge spaceship.

[azazel]

I had a strange impression that Your scene is uderwater... probably due to these white particles looking as bubbles, and overall fluidity of the camera motion....that was my impression ;) strange because landscape is definitely not underwater.....

Slowing it down, to make the ship biger, is a good idea. And maybe a bit tweaking on the material, I think bit less saturation, but I may be wrong ;)

[LightFreeze]

good thinking BlueCougar I will try that

the more I look the more I see what you mean Azazel, I think the divX encoding adds to that impression as well ( it seems to almost have thermals) and the bird movement is not quite right

mmm... lots to do

thanks for the input

[LightFreeze]

heres a new (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Anim_3.avi) anim which is just for crits on the movement of the pod, Im not sure how to give an impression of BIG

any suggestion?

make it slower maybe?

[ChristophZollinger]

Very harmonic.
But you know, that you have got only 5 seconds for an animation, don´t you?

[LightFreeze]

yes
but which 5 seconds thats the thing ;)

[illustrativ]

Hey LightFreeze i need your help, with mapping the image plain and how did u create a 3d version of your mountains. Help!!!

[LightFreeze]

If you give me some more info I might be able to help better

but check you are using front projection and not planar

use at least 2 cameras, one as the projection camera and the others as the viewing cameras

the geometry is just a guesstimate of the landscape when you put the image into the background in modeler although if you need a more accurate geometry you could approximate it and then use the image as a modeling tool to make it that bit better

this tutorial (http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/tutorials/rendering/camera_mapping/camera_mapping.html) gives you the basic techniques which applies to most camera mapping

hope this is of some help

[dark_lotus]

Very Cool! :thumbsup:

[Andi]

Hi LightFreeze!

Your underwater world is a realy great concept! :thumbsup:

I've a suggestion. Maybe the turbines should start bevor the pod is released, and the pot shouldn't move downwards when released. Pod has to start slow because of heavy mass. The rotation along the y-axe might be too much. An addional very slow animation along other rotation axe should give more mass. I suggest changes of 30 degrees in about 3 sec.
Well, but thats only my suggestion.

Andi

[Sven7]

WOW, your organic idea has BOUNDLESS animation potential.

If you were comfortable with IK you could slightly 'bob' the heads.

Just a thought.

-S

[LightFreeze]

thanks for the comments guys

heres the final outpost (http://lightfreeze.users.btopenworld.com/Outpost.mov) movie


and here is where (http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/lightfreeze/) the still is hiding


just for the record its not supposed to be an underwater scene

[Sven7]

DUDE,

That is a most incredibly thought-out complex of events.

Noice dissolve of the pod....

Good sound, too.


:buttrock:

-S

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