Community Project: Phase 3

[mike33]

Hi all,

Some images of two WIP concepts. If the link doesn't work I'll post them again.
(At my day job Apples .me is shut down due to web security limitations.)

http://gallery.me.com/spottedskimmer#100053&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=4

1) A large Mecha Bug... a concept that I tried to keep simple but became complex.
2) A square Bug... a second attempt at the KISS principle...

The main reason for this post is to see if anyone else is working any designs...

The designs above are still being flushed out at coffee shops, lunchtime and home if time permits.

Cheers and I look forward to other peoples work.

Mike

[rtrowbridge]

Well I'm not creating a design, but I do enjoy following this thread. I loved your color sketch. There's something about a bug with a bug net I just find very funny.


Ross

[mike33]

Thanks Ross, I enjoyed making the bug with the net drawing... the pencil version is on my wall in my office at home. These new sketches have been fun to... I've enjoyed exploring how the bugs will function... probably a couple weeks away from doing a full up concept render.

The hard part will making them in EIM, hopefully if people like them someone else will be able to help out, not sure I'll be able to make in 3d the things my imagination visualizes. I'm still struggling with getting consistent time using EIM to get a good work flow going.

Cheers,

Mike

[mike33]

Ok Folks. The scene selection was bug scavengers. At this point we need to refine this scene. We could use ideas on:

1. The bug being scavenged.
2. The scavengers.
3. The environment.
4. The action taking place.
5. Base composition.

Let the ideas flow.

Is this Project Dead?

I'm still slowly working on my bugs and composition, just wondering if anyone else is?

In regards to tools, my plans for getting a new Mac and EIAS upgrade have been blown to bits by car issues, furlough days, and the threat of looming layoffs - :cry:

So my 3d work would limited to EIAS 5.5. and EIM 5 until who knows when...

I'll try to post something soon, struggling a bit with perspective and complexity of my, what was suppose to be, "simple" designs.

Cheers,

Mike

[richardjoly]

Dead? No way! It's alive and kicking!

Well, OK, maybe not kicking...

I will try to make a couple of things according to your drawings just to get the hang of it then I'll try to develop it further. I'm sure this project will slowly get up to speed as soon as more work start to show. Lets make it work.

[Vizfizz]

Sorry about my absence. Started on a new film and it pretty much absorbed all my time. Should be getting more free time soon after my team moves out on location. I'd like to see what folks have been working on.

[Gigayoda]

Can a new thread be opened with the consolidated assets concept and sketches? I've seen a few sketches but can't seem to access the design that was voted. I wouldn't mind modeling some bugs.

[mike33]

Can a new thread be opened with the consolidated assets concept and sketches? I've seen a few sketches but can't seem to access the design that was voted. I wouldn't mind modeling some bugs.

Here's the design that won the vote:

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=5573139&postcount=53

Here's the poll:

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=186&t=726101

And here is the community project phase 2 thread... with numerous designs,

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=186&t=706743

but I think the winning design above is the only concept so far for phase 3, except for my scribbles posted in this thread.

~Mike

[mike33]

Dead? No way! It's alive and kicking!

Well, OK, maybe not kicking...

I will try to make a couple of things according to your drawings just to get the hang of it then I'll try to develop it further. I'm sure this project will slowly get up to speed as soon as more work start to show. Lets make it work.

I just remembered I have pictures I took a couple weeks ago to, I'll try to post them tonight for a possible location of the "salvage" bug.

Also down here in the Ct River Valley, the bugs are finally coming out of their winter homes.
It really is quite amazing to stop and take some time to watch a 6 legged insect, with their large antenna, sniff around and look at this and that as they probably search for food.

To think they have a brain 1/1000th the size of my gray matter and they show so much inquisitveness... neat stuff.

~Mike

[mike33]

Hi all,

So this is the POV I'm working with, which is based somewhat on a cable box by my house see: http://gallery.me.com/spottedskimmer#100053&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=8

My image below, once its done, is to have a large bug stranded on the wires with small bugs out to salvage what they can. The story idea [based on the winning idea] is that an experimental bug has crashed and the companies competitors have their own micro/macro bugs out to get any or all of the stranded bugs technology.

My intent is to add the stranded bug to the drawing along with a "square bug" and leave space in the composition for other peoples bug designs.

How do people feel about the direction I'm going in for the community project phase 3?

It's probably going to be a week before I have another update...

Cheers,

Mike

http://gallery.me.com/spottedskimmer/100053/wip-POV-cablebox-drawing/web.jpg?ver=12405462020001

[ediris]

Has anybody decided on the look and feel of the still?

[mike33]

Ediris,

What you see in this thread is all that has been done...

As far as I know no one else has done anything with Kurts idea/design.

~mike

[ediris]

Ok, i dont get it how come these design won the vote, where was i? Oh well, what happened to redcode or mike design, what happened to the environment? i have trouble reading these design. If somebody can explain me what are these spiders and what are these lines and background image, is really a mess.

[richardjoly]

Well it's a sketch... We can see the belly of a giant bug lying on it's back with 3 legs bases at the top and 3 at the bottom of the image. It's head is on the left side of the sketch. Small "spiders" are busy scavenging the "dead" body.

This concept gives the possibility of team work on the giant bug and environment in addition to team and individual work on the scavengers. Even though this concept was not my first choice, I can see the possibilities it offers.

[Gigayoda]

With the approved "concept" will a refined sketch be needed? Or are we to model the bugs and hope for the best? I think the giant bug may be the real challenge since the innards have to be detailed as well as the exo-skeleton.

The bug reminds me of a giant scarab/beetle based on his post he just stated "A rusting mega bug is salvaged by newer, high tech bugs" What's your take guys?

I recall I liked yhloon mosquito/dragonfly concept.

[ediris]

I am not an illustrator, but i think a better drawing could make things easier for everyone.

Richard: I know is a drawing but as Gigayoda suggested a refinement of the same is needed. We dont have the final look of it, we just know that the spiders needs to be mecha spiders, but the environment i really dont know if it should be in a nature environment or an industrial environment or a good combination.

Can somebody take these concept and redraw it?

[mike33]

My attemp at following Brians Directions and take Kurts concept and keep it moving within the same type of idea...:

1. The bug being scavenged. [red hue]
2. The scavengers. [my scavanger is dark blue hue, left lots of room for other designs]
3. The environment. [a cable box on a wire, background not deteremined yet]
4. The action taking place. [bug begins to scavange]
5. Base composition. [see attached picture]

If this concept holds no interest I'll stop here. It's intent was to get the conversation for this project moving again.

I like Yhloons Bug also, and think it would be a great scavanger.

~cheers, Mike

http://gallery.me.com/spottedskimmer/100053/wip-cablebox-drawing-rev2/web.jpg?ver=12407118310001

[richardjoly]

Thank you Mike for the effort, it's keeping this thread alive. Your concept drawings are excellent, please keep at it. I took the liberty to "sketch model" part of the rear leg for the fun of it and get me going in the project. This will prove very interresting.

Ediris, I remember you suggested interresting environment in the beginning. Could you find the time to suggest some more according to the winning concept?

We will need a place to store reference images and the sketches. How is this usually done?
We need more ideas about the environment,
We need better concept sketches to get the ideas flowing,
We can start a texture bank and an overall color scheme,
We need illustrators, modelers, texturers... Keep it comming guys, lets get some input in here!

Inspiration:
http://www.rdnmultimedia.com/eias/83061443.fLDAKtTU.aaweaverantsattack.jpg
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/560/D/47/D4794_1.jpg

A study on Mike's critter's leg:
http://www.rdnmultimedia.com/eias/Mike_Leg_Study.mov

[ediris]

Sure Richard but the wining concept is view from top but i could suggest Altamiras Cave located in Spain.

Or the Guacharo cave located in Venezuela.

I do not know it al depends what type of environment, could be nature or industrial but i love nature so those are my propositions.

The third could be train rails where they all hang around at.

Thanks,
Edgard.

[richardjoly]

Sure Richard but the winning concept is view from top ...
Yes I know... I wonder if Kurt would mind if we keep the scavengers subject but use a completely different view to illustrate it. Best idea is to do as Mike does: develop concepts and discuss...
I kinda like the idea of the railroad... It would help define the size of a highly complex and detailed dead bug against a well known reference...

[plsyvjeucxfw]

I was kinda surprised that my quick sketch actually won. (I think three people out of five voted! LOL).

Anyway, no - whatever you folks want to do is fine. I think Mike's sketches are better than mine (nicer line quality and better forms), and that your (Richard's) leg model is top notch!

[mike33]

Thanks Richard and Kurt for positive comments... I'm trying to work consistantly this year at improving my drawing skills

I have more sketches I'll try to post soon. I've continued to keep drawings slowly moving on this project.

I think in regards to the environment we need to consider the size of the bugs and how much will actually be seen beyond them. If we are looking at Nano size mecha bugs or normal Size Mecha bugs there's a lot of everyday things/stuff that's just going to get lost in the background because it's going to be to big... maybe a search on Macro photography images would be the next place to look. I'll try to do some more research this week.

I do like Ediris's cave idea... I was on vacation in Austin, Texas USA over the last week and we visited Inner Space: http://www.myinnerspacecavern.com/photos.php on Sunday. I haven't looked at my digital pictures on the computer yet, if anything interesting comes out I'll post it.

In regards to your leg study Richard, that's cool. I love conceptualization and the concepts that come from concepts as the designs get worked out. I'm really hoping that when this project wraps up we can see one of the bug designs get animated. No easy task based on my views of real bugs... their movement can be quite complex.

Well back to the day job... it's funny how when you go on vacation to get away from work, when you come back it can be more stressful then the day before you left because you need to catch up with everything...

Cheers,

Mike

[mike33]

...

I think in regards to the environment we need to consider the size of the bugs and how much will actually be seen beyond them. If we are looking at Nano size mecha bugs or normal Size Mecha bugs there's a lot of everyday things/stuff that's just going to get lost in the background because it's going to be to big... maybe a search on Macro photography images would be the next place to look. I'll try to do some more research this week.

...

A link regarding macro bug photo's:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/macro+photography+insects/Puddinmoon/Insects%20and%20other%20Macro%20Photography/DSCN5173daddyLL.jpg?o=0

and a couple others:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/macro%20photography%20insects/koppiekoppie/Macroday/20060806_Macroday_Insects02.jpg
http://www.thomaslaupstad.com/bilder/maur800.jpg

The issue I'm trying to point out is the depth of field. It is something we need consider.
Do we create the image from a camera POV... or do we work from a mechanisms POV.
I think a Mechanism POV would be the better perspective.

Another item is lighting. You can see why Pixar used so much pastel colors in A bugs Life. The light is so different at that level of being. I believe somewhere in the A bugs Life DVD they talk about this... a good excuse to watch the DVD again.

Last item for this post is some cave environment reference photo's I took at Innerspace Caverns in Texas, USA. See:

http://gallery.me.com/spottedskimmer#100056&bgcolor=black&view=grid (http://www.me.com/gallery/#100056)

I think a cave setting could be interesting, maybe the scavanged bug could be partially buried in the mineral deposits. Lighting could come from either a hole in the cave roof
or from a man made/or mecha bug made object(s)... I like a natural light setting, with possible light reflection from pools of water, plant life, other minerals.

That's it for today... Cheers all.

Mike

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