Enchanted Forest - Character - dmcgrath -T

[ZrO-1]

Do you mean it would be coming out of the monitor screen and onto your desk? If so I think that's a really cool idea. It should be really interesting to see how you do it.

[dmcgrath]

No actually, I am revising it a bit. I want to make it part of a book. The pages being opened. The picture will be coming alive out of the book. Some leaves and top of the tree I think will be reaching out as well. I will model the book also. I got the idea reading a Terry Pratchett novel called "Guards, Guards". His books are some of the best resources for ideas for funny fantasy stuff.

[dmcgrath]

heres a quick photo comp

[dmcgrath]

Kind a cheezey model so far, but I hope to rectify that mostly with texturing. I think thats where I am going to spend most of my time.

Wireframe...

[ZrO-1]

OK, I like the fairy-tale book idea better. Good start with the modeling. I'd push and pull some of the isoparms around to give the model some more depth and character.

[dmcgrath]

Another Quickie update...
I went for more modeling, the texturing won't do what I want, so I'll model a little more.

[dmcgrath]

anuter 'un...
I call him "Old Man Tree"

[ZrO-1]

:D hehehe that texture looks a bit like corderoy. :D

[dmcgrath]

I was jsut posting on your WIP a second ago, funny.
Yeah, the Texture is going to be randomized alot more.
I'm going to make some bark falling off the tree also.
Fortunately, we have alot of time here.

[dmcgrath]

More Texturing.
I need Leigh the "Texturing Godess" to post some crits here,
hehe

[dmcgrath]

And more Texture and modeling fun.

[Howard Day]

Well. It's a good start. You're gonna need a lot more variation in the bitmap to make it look convincing. I'd say go with procedurals, but that's just me. :D Also, you can still see the seam where the different maps line up. It's about twice as blurry as it should be...

[leigh]

Hey dmcgrath :)

Okay, firstly, I have to ask you something - is this model actually finished yet? Because I really think that your model could do with some more detail :bounce: We have 6 weeks for this so you have plenty of time to go wild and experiment with modelling. As someone else also mentioned here, you really should push and pull some of those polys around to make the surface more uneven.
With regards to texturing, well, I always say that texturing shouldn't be done until the model is 100% complete. Also, I'm going to guess that you don't have any photographic references for this. You need to research everywhere until you find exactly the right look that you want to have - that way your textures come together much faster, and more focused and efficient.
The actually images you are using here could indeed work, but you need to work on your placement. I think the best way to go would be to do a couple of UV unwraps and place the textures more precisely so that you do not get any of those strange curves happening.
But I really do think that before any of that, you should really get some more detail in there :thumbsup:

[dmcgrath]

Thanks on the input. I am going for more detail in the tree than what is shown here. I'm really just trying to get used to modifing textures in MAYA. I thought about going procedurals, but I don't like the look so far. I am using some photo refrence, but I want to go for a book character look.
The hard part for me is trying to make the tree guy show up as my character. He and the scene around him are going to eventually be mapped onto a page in a book. Only some of one branch, and the two forward roots are going to be
"truly" in the 3D perspective.
But, like you said Leigh, we have a lot of time for this one.

[dmcgrath]

Heres another tree entirely. Done up in polys this time. I am actually liking it better. Thanks to Leigh for suggesting more modeling. I am about half- way done with the old man right now.

[dmcgrath]

a little more, it's time to start on the book in the scene. I've put bones in his root so I can move it around for the right effect in the shot.

[dobermunk]

Nice haunted face!
I'm not quite behind the arm / root yet.

[dmcgrath]

The arm/ root thing is what is actually going to be reaching out of the book itself. Should I have him reaching for a cookie or something?

[dobermunk]

Well, I really enjoy the idea of the tree reaching out of the book. I think the root has to be more suggestive of a hand, maybe with an elbow as well - and the pose has to help convey this action - like, the eyes looking towrds the target, the one eyebrow rasied, etc.

[dmcgrath]

thanks dober, thats what I was thinking as well. I will definately have eyes looking in the direction hes going to be reaching. And I do have his eyebrow up somewhat, but maybe not enough yet. I need to do the book and then I'll have a better image to show what I want to convey.

[dmcgrath]

New update, a little pshop quick-comp magic thrown in there.
I still need more trees and grass. A little tweaking on the textures also.http://www.spatiallight.net/cgtalk/bookComp.jpg

[Jac]

Man, that is a very cool idea.... Enchanted forest comes to life... I'd hate to be the parent reading that one to my kid :D I look forward to seeing more!

[rolhionjs]

The main idea looks excellent ! :)

hope to see updates soon ! :)

[ZrO-1]

I think you need to shrink the frame of the picture on the page so that the root can actually extend outside the picture and onto the paper of the book. That would help a lot in showing that it is reaching beyond the image.

[hypercube]

Looking good..great concept too. :thumbsup:

One thing that might help I think is to stage it so he's more in the middle of the paper/picture, so the arm could actually break the edge of the book..that and a shadow cutting across the page, and desk or whatever the book is resting on would really help sell it.

I actually do really get the impression he's reaching out of it right now, but it's a real eye-tricky thing. Maybe render it stereoscopic :D

[dmcgrath]

Thanks guys for the help. I drew this on the bus, a little better staging (thanks to Hypercube)and I added the hand coming out of the top of the book. I am also getting my film developed right now, for the background picture. I think that the change in angle of the book will help the root pop out of the book better

http://spatiallight.net/cgtalk/treehand.jpg

[ZrO-1]

yeah, that's the ticket! That'll look sweet. :thumbsup:

[Scott Harris]

ha ha scare the kids!

[dobermunk]

Nice idea, with the tree branches coming out up top...
I think there's something with the framing that needs to be adressed: the tree is reaching out at something, but not the camera. So the composition might profit by alluding to what this is. How big is this book in relation to a child? how big is the tree?
And important: what is the tree's goal - what's he reaching for?

[Sangotten]

Hehehehe

I like that idea!!! that is really original, the tree looks really good except for the root, that one could use a bit texture-ing detail. I'm really looking forward to see this one finished!!!

Great job:thumbsup:

[dmcgrath]

I am going for another update soon, please be patient.
I'm messing with alpha channels in MAYA. That is taking its toll on my brain and my time right now.

---To Dober: This isn't really a malevolent tree or anyting. Just magical, and he want's to get out of the book. I'm afraid my sketches dont really do justice to the final image already in my head, but I will do my best for you guys.:D
---To Sangotten: I agree with the root also, the texture is temporary, and I will change my mind a couple more times anyway.
I am praying I can finish this a little earlier than the deadline because I am moving and losing my DSL connection. I might have to run back and forth from my school and post this stuff.
Thanks again and I'll have something later today for you all to enjoy.

[OZ]

FWAAA!amazing idea!very good tree expression!i love that face man!:buttrock:

[dmcgrath]

another composite, sorry no background yet. Soon!!!
The quality is low due to a problem with linking to my server, I had to put this down on CG's server.

[Iguiniz.X.]

I see you have put a flat image on the page.
wouldn't it be vooler if the three in the image would be the original 3D moddel. now it looks a bit weard with the upper branches. it is like the pop out the papar and taht they don't decent from th tree.

well keep it up and I Like it :thumbsup: :wavey:

[hypercube]

Cool, working a lot better. I agree with Iggy though, what might work is if you make the full 3d scene, then render it from the same angle, then projection map it onto the book so it becomes flat, but still has the right depth..then you could blend between the two as needed for the final image. Not sure if that's a good explanation or not. :) Keep em coming..

[dmcgrath]

You are close hypercube.
I did render the treebody and background in a different scene, then I made them a texture on the book page. The root is just compped in post (for now), and the upper part of the tree just sticking through the book(also for now). I think I can do something along the lines you and Iggy are suggesting. My initial idea was to make it a flat image with only pieces of it sticking out above and below, and then cheat the depth in the image. But I am always open to change if it looks better in the end.
Well, back to work...

[levin]

why dont you just model the book with the branches sticking out? and then paint on it. that might smooth the transition.

also the branches might look better if they extrude more in the Z-direction , not just upwards, and you might want those roots to creep along the pages... better yet, add a table or something horizontal where the book rests and make the roots dig on it
add foreground elements and make the branches creep all over it
that would be cool!

[dmcgrath]

I thought that I'd have a better update, but I have a problem...
It's a WIP so maybe I could get somebodys expert advice on a
MAYA related matter. I figured out how to take an alpha channel and paste it to a nubrs plane, thus making these neat little leaves here. But the shadow it is casting is still a [] squarish [] plane. Probably something in the connection editor I'm missing, any ideas fellow posters?

[chadlychoo]

looks good so far! I do have to agree with the others about the transition but alas I have no suggestions on how to go about it. :shrug: Anyways I love the story book concept!

[H2600]

I think you might be getting weird shadows because you are using shadow maps instead of raytaced shadows, I don't know anything specific about Maya but its probably just a little check box that you have to tic.

[ZrO-1]

Yeah, with the shadows, what you need to do is either increase the shadow's depth map resolution and the number of rays or switch to raytracing. One or the other will fix your shodow problem.

[dmcgrath]

Thanks guys, that is working.:bounce:
My next post should be nearly the finished stuff. I moved recently so I am on a dial-up internet connection until the 28th, soon I will have something. Until then...

[dmcgrath]

Here is the latest, I am trying a couple different backgrounds. Rendering my model into a real picture.

[ZrO-1]

that's looking pretty darn good! nice job.

[dmcgrath]

This is also going to be my final image. I need a better rez image in the background, but, I have other projects pending. I learned alot though, that counts the most.http://www.spatiallight.net/images/BookComp_2.jpg

[dmcgrath]

I take that back, This is my final image, a little less comping in photoshop, and more tweaking in MAYA. Plus a little of the paint effects for grass on the pages, abd the effect of the hand reaching out of the page. :)


http://www.spatiallight.net/images/FinalForest_1.jpg

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