B-Movie Entry: James Gaczkowski

[saeDubai]

Welcome :)

[harmless]

Thanks! Good luck to you and to everyone here. This should be a lot of fun :)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264336594_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264336594_medium.jpg)

This is a volcano concept for my piece. I am going to do a lavaman that attacks a city. This is the volcano that he comes from. The video will be in color even though this image is black and white.

[Staszek]

Nice start!

GL

[harmless]

Thanks! good luck to you too Staszek!

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264374443_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264374443_medium.jpg)

This is a concept for the lavaman emerging from the volcano.

[amir jahanlou]

Nice concept, i am not sure how you are planning to pull it off, in 3D i assume it'll take a lot of dynamics dev! well, it's looking good anyways, keep it up!

Amir

[Yongkiat]

Very nice... I can feel the wraith of the Lavaman....

[harmless]

@amir jahanlou -- it will probably end up being a combination of things like metaballs on particles, sph fluids, and animated displacement. it will be fun to develop!

@Yongkiat -- I was thinking of calling it "Rise of the Lavaman" or "The Fury of the Lavaman". "Wrath of the Lavaman" has a nice ring to it too :)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264460920_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264460920_medium.jpg)

A person takes a picture of lavaman. Lavaman vomits fire on him.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264580127_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264580127_medium.jpg)

This is a test of lavaman made of up metaballs. The motion of the animation looks promising but the mesh doesn't. I would definitely have to do several layers with this method. I will post the video soon.

I am now moving on to sph/fluids. I hope it will give me a better looking mesh.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264610529_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264610529_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

This is the video test of the first metaball setup. I think this might work. I will definitely try layering the effect which should help the mesh look better.

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107811)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264611340_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264611340_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

Same as the last post, but this video has a 4:3 aspect so the embedded player should work now...

This is the video test of the first metaball setup. I think this might work. I will definitely try layering the effect which should help the mesh look better.

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107813)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264611837_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264611837_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

Trying to get the embedded player to work with the video...trying a different codec now...

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107814)

[harmless]

I can't seem to get the embedded player to work. I didn't think there was anything else to check for besides 4:3 (like 640x480) and .flv

I guess I will try again tomorrow. I am not sure what I can do differently to get the video to embed.

[harmless]

By the way, you can download the .flv locally and watch it. It's only about 1 mb for the whole video. I will have to do some more tests to figure out why the video isn't working in the embedded player...

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264618055_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264618055_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

I hope the embedded video works this time...

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107823)

[Staszek]

i watched video by saving it ( player didnt worked )

cool test!

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264632594_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264632594_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

test to get embedded video working

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107843)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264635155_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264635155_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

test to get embedded video working

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107848)

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264635459_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264635459_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

still trying to get any video to embed...
this time I am uploading the 640x480 flv from xp instead of vista. I am running out of things to try!

If anyone has any ideas please let me know!

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=107849)

[harmless]

Wow! Tim from Ballistic Media fixed it! All the videos that I have uploaded work now.

Here is the relevant thread if anyone is interested...
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?p=6325040#post6325040

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264675997_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264675997_medium.jpg)

This is adjusting the amount of lava. There is a low res proxy mesh under the lava. I am now going to try layering the effect and post the results.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264718884_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264718884_medium.jpg)

This shader should get me what I need. It will animate outwards to keep the lava flowing. I will have to check the scale of the noise against the shot once everything is placed together.

I have most of the story done so I should be able to knock out the rest of the key storyboards soon.

Hopefully I will have a video test of this shader soon. This is still basic. I will add in the eyes, effects, final mesh, animation, and there will be a lot of work in post production.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264787090_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264787090_medium.jpg)

Software: Houdini

This is a test of the lavaman with a shader. It is missing facial details of the mesh and effects. From this point I am ready to do lavaman shot work.

I am going to produce the rest of my storyboards now, then I will be able to start constructing my shots.

Play Video >> (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/b-movie/player.php?entry_id=108028)

[Staszek]

Test looks great.
I like very much this slow lava movement and extracting density of drops ( behaving very well )

[saeDubai]

Wow, this Houdini thing is pretty cool, never worked on it, as a matter of fact never even opened the app, but should give it a shot sometime after the challenge..... looking good ! keep it up!

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264946100_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264946100_medium.jpg)

Storyboard for opening sequence.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264981130_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1264981130_medium.jpg)

Another storyboard from opening sequence.

[harmless]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1265025018_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/27/19319/19319_1265025018_medium.jpg)

view of city, lighting and thunder

[adib]

Nice lava test,and the ideea is great! Keep up the good work!

[icegene]

Wow, I like the lava test. Quick question though, are we going to see its eyes? I'm a bit curious as to how it'll look like with the moving lava and stuff.

Best of luck!

[harmless]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

@icegene--yes we will definitely see lavaman's eyes. It'll should be pretty simple to accomplish. I use particles that are skinned together as a mesh surface. Houdini has the ability to subtract a volume from this surface, allowing me to carve out eye sockets. Then I can add in whatever glowy eye things I'd like.

I have a lot of shots to do so I am just gonna go for it. The lavaman should be in one of the shots I will be working in about 2 weeks. Maybe I should test it before then...hmmmm :)

[Thiago-Pires]

Great idea! All the best!

[borisignjatovic]

You got very good simulation there. Congrats!

Imagine this in motion with all the little pieces flying around. Fantastic!

Good luck m8!

[chino01]

As everyone says, idea is good and simulations are great...
Good luck improving it...

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