Update for the day :-
[img]http://www.plop.info/CGT/DM/Env_4.jpg[/img]
I need to get sculpting some rock formations into the GB den and applying some loose rocks around the entrance. Also for the final render I will most likely use internal DOF.
Not happy with the DM pose, left hand looks cack handed and also not sure about the Surfboard entrance (maybe an impression of speed will help)!?
Hi Scott - I’m a huge Dangermouse fan so it’s been fun watching your progress!
Few things on your composition, in the cartoons Penfold is substantially smaller than DM, almost half the size. He looks a little large in your scene at the moment. It might look more dramatic if you have DM & Penfold actually riding a wave, so you could curve the sea water up towards the left of the image.
Also in the cartoon Dangermouse apparently had severe liver problems, as the white of his eye is actually yellow…
Thanks Alex, wow you certainly know your DM background! Thanks for that link, the proportions certainly were out!
I did contemplate the wave effect but I didn’t think it would work! However a little input pushed me to try it and I think I could make it work. Makes sense as a perfectly calm sea just looked sooo wrong.
Wyatt, the legs are about right, I used the reference as a background template to base my model on. However in the initial stages I did model DM a bit on the tubby side!
Here’s the latest, I couldn’t resist and it’s too light to be playing Far Cry 2. Initial water test, still needs some work and I don’t want to go too mad as I don’t really want to alter the camera view too much, maybe go from a 35mm to 28mm shot, we’ll see…
This is definitely cute. Love the cave thingie! Do you intend to add breakers of some sort to the wave?
Great to know you’re still working on this. Your latest update looks very cool.
DM’s pose looks rather stiff though.
Cheers!
Thanks guys,
Yeah I’ve come back to it after a long break, having to learn 3DS Max amongst the nice weather and lot’s of cycling 
@Richard, I’ll try and add some jet wash to the back end of the board if that’s what you mean. I want to keep the sea relatively calm as big waves would mean me changing lot’s of elements for the final scene, ie. very little BG as I would have to concentrate the camera on the characters riding the big wave.
Good to be back anyway, and Felix I’ve loosened up DM a little, he now has some flappage on the ears, a bit C of G (Centre of Gravity) friendliness.
cheers
A quick render (no GI) at the bottom left, started to create the wake left by the board, I think I’m going to invest a little time into using gradients/weightmaps driven by a slope to try to texture the crest of the wave, a subtle effect of course.
[img]http://www.plop.info/CGT/DM/Env_7.jpg[/img]
edit
Here’s a quick weightmap test driving the reflection, the sea is using Fresnel reflections otherwise. I still haven’t got my head 100% round layered masks in modo, so more to come and hopefully better and more realistic results…
looking good …
not being a surfing dude, but it looks a bit odd with DM standing at the front of the board, especially with the nose up on it. unless there was a lot of weight at the other end, jet pack for example, he should really stand a bit further back.
definitely need to try and get a few white tips on the sea though, bit of spray would look cool as well.
wish i was making as much progress … i.e. more than none.
Lol, Inspired Idea. It be nice to have penfold clasping onto his leg or head, hand over eyes, maybey a shark fin or two. Very toony. Great work.
Glad to hear your learning max. If you need any help grab me on msn k.
Here’s a 100% crop from a 1920x1080 render, 10.3M poly’s coming in @ 8m 2.4s, not bad considering I haven’t optimised for this res, normally 1000x5?? renders come in about the 1m mark. Plenty to optimise me thinks, I’ve had enough for the day as the shader tree was getting on my nerves!
Easier to see a few problems anyway :o) I really need to get the board UV'd and polished with some Zogs' sex wax...
Simon, I know what you are saying as I wondered about the postioning of DM, I’m going to stick with it, it’s shot at 1/4000s :op Penfold has lost his footing…
Rob, I might try the Shark idea, as I could prob have Penfold really moritified by the thought of being eaten by a shark. Penfold was meant to be grabbing onto DM’s lil’ finger but I forgot to do that part!
I do have to get Greenback into this scene, I’m thinking that he’ll be hurtling the bombs (soon to be lit) towards the pair coming in. We’ll see how it pans out as maybe he shouldn’t be doing his own dirty work!
[img]http://www.plop.info/CGT/DM/DM_Surf.jpg[/img]Yeah it is shocking considering the characters only equate to 153k poly’s. Everything with exception to the leaves are subD’s, I’m displacing the geometry without optimising the displacement ratios!!!
A few screenshots down you can see just water/board/sand and cave coming in at 2.5M at 1000x res.
A change in the mood :-
Unfortunately the bombs are showing up the bounce card!!! The splash is a preliminary test, I’m also using 3 bounces instead of 1 for GI calculation.
Danger mouse is the best!
Very cool diorama Samartin, gives a nice contemporary look to the character but retains the 80’s essence !
Your scene is coming along well - I really like the way the water looks. The Greenback cave is clever, too.
I can’t say anything except that you’ve done an incredible job putting your characters together. This scene is looking amazing with the water and the cave. Great job man!
-Rage
Eric, Cindy and Joel,
Thanks for the comments, appreciated. I have finished with DM and Penfold now, well the final scene anyway, I’m not adding Greenback in as I want to use him in a classic environment of his own, also the same goes for Colonel K.
So here are the final images :-
A bit of PS work to adjust the levels and to add glow effects. Now I’ve got to dream up a Greenback scenario and Colonel K (and get rid of his clumpy beard)
Looks very nice, I love how modo renders, Im gonna have to look into it at some point. Hey any chance you can make it to a meetup in london on the second of may?
Me, boone and some other 3d mates will be there, anyone else whos in london is welcome to come. Ill post details at some point on my thread, sorry to hijack, great work. Ill definatly be voting for this in one of the categorys…
