PA Challenge - Character/Environment - YemYam

#101

here it is

#102

another shot

#103

Hmm!!..avoiding facial detail with a helmet eh?..Interesting character though.
Two levels of smoothing does not necessarily mean low poly…how many polygons do you actually have in that?.
B.T.W…is this an entry piece?

#104

Been working on the lab quite a bit but nothing good to show yet. Takes a ton o tweakin to get the lighting right in da environment. Took a little break though and kicked out a test animation for the spida bot.

Very rough but gives me an idea of what camera shots I can use and what I need to clean up. I want them to be very agile and quick (the better to run up and chop you) so this test has him in a full gallop (DivX codec required).

Click here for spidabot animation TEST

spidanimat3.jpg700x400

I am also close to having some test animations for the spida chick and will post new lab shots soon too.

Thanks for all the feedback, comments/crits/questions welcome as always.

#105

lol Yemyam - stampede! Looks like a full gallop on that spida! very nice though, but I’m thinking if it would’nt be better with induvidually animated legs? And a fast paced crawl, more horrific when it comes out of the shadows… then it stops and lowers it’s body towards the ground… anticipating the big jump - and the final kill!!! Aaaargh!!! :slight_smile:

Ehrm… well I was imagining a little… but what do you say? :rolleyes: It’s looking very nice the way it is, and it’s kinda cool with the bouncing motion… but I wonder if it’s so “spider” like? Well just an idea…

#106

Thanks Epatnor, yea, I am going to have a sequence like that, I think that will be sweet. This one I am working on is when he initially charges out of this tunnel in the lab. I fixed it where he isn’t so bouncy and his legs are alternated so even though he is still in a full horse gallop he appears a little more spida like.

Click here to view the new SPIDA TEST

Spida chick is boned and her animation will be soon to follow. Also, lab is getting close to showable status so sometime this weekend. Let me know what you think peoples. (oh yea, DivX required for above .avi)

#107

Very nice on the texuring- its like matrix meets freddy krugar :slight_smile:

   Nice job on the legs' animation!  Only crit would be to kinda bob the head like a horse does in synche withthe legs so it looks like its more massive w/ more momentum. And maybe just a tinny bit slower? Cannot wait to see the final composition!

See You,

Farley13

#108

Looking fantastic!
The mood you are creating, even in the tests is very cool.

On the animation front. I understand that it is just a test and that Multi-Peds are one of the hardest things to animate. But, I think I can offer a suggestion. To get that creepy spiderleg walk thing happening you should off set the timming of the legs even more.
Not just the left and right side, but each one. I saw a paper on this somewhere. I am sure I dl’ed it once. I will try and find it for you.
Keep up the great work.

#109

I’ve been following your work since you started and you’re work is exceptional. The animation on the spidabot needs a little more work. You’ve got the spidabots legs all synced together in a bipedal walking pattern. Spiders don’t walk that way. Try offsetting the animation on each leg to get a more “spidery” walk cycle. Keep up the incredible work!

#110

Thanks for comments everyone. I know it needs some serious work, this is the first animated character I have done. The only other thing I animated was a little electric chopping machine and that was all fk’d. I’m just getting a little rushed and panicked trying to finish the full animated short for the challenge. I’m going to search the net for some reference, I’m sure if I had an animation or video of a real spider walking I could nail it better.

Thanks for all of the feedback, I will have more posts late tonight/early tomorrow!

#111

Wow take it easy take a deep breath. I’m actually amazed that this is the first character animation you’ve done. I think for what it is now it shows great potential. I think the comments about the legs are correct but also the sense of weight is missing on this character. But you should be proud because even for a test it really looks great right now. Keep it coming.

#112

Here’s a little lighting/animation test for the spidachick. This is not a shot that I’ll use in the film but more of a gratuitous 360 shot to see how everything is coming. I’m going to fix the spida bot animation next then continue with the lab.

Click here for the SPIDACHICK animation test

(1.8mb DivX .avi)

spidachick10.jpg700x350

Thanks for all of your feedback it helps a lot and I appreciate it.

#113

hey bro, I like the way you are going about with your stuff, I was not able to see the results of your avi for some reason but its probably my computer, as far as everything, what were you going to do with this project after this challenge is over, im curious… Also I like the idea, one thing that may help your character alot though, remember the movie Aliens, from awiles back, and the scene where they show the giant mother alien, well that room they had her and the babies in was the approach I thought you may be going by, it would give your character more of a creepier feel to her rather then everything being hightech and nicelly placed, just an opinion though. Either way, great work, looking forward to a completed project as im sure everyone else is as well…

shaun

#114

Hey bud, incase you didnt read it on my thread, I just wanted to post the response on yours so you get it, here it is…

HEy bud,

thanks for the reply, I totally agree with you as far as what you said, maybe I worded what I said earlier incorrectly, basically I was just making a statement to better the challenges. Im sure there are a lot of opinions out there as far as what these challenges are about and im open to them all, I was just writing my personal opinion on the situation wether good or bad, my whole purpose for joining this challenge is to learn and improve my skill if you know what I mean, nothing against using old models, it would just be nice if those people doing it would show wire frames or write a short decription on approaches etc. on how they did it. As far as this being a challenge, I agree everyone is here to make a stand and get there name out, you for one I have been very impressed with for I too have been watching yours progress from start to finish and all I have to say about that is DAMN! great job, I can see you have been putting in the time… As far as I know, there really isnt any prizes for this thing, so until they rename this challenge to CONTEST I will treat it as learning only and help to others. I appreciate you writing this, I dont know about you, but I know there are a lot of people anxious as to the final results, in a way it kinda gives you the butterflies in your stomch for a job well done. Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more or your work i the future…

I will post more updates soon btw…

shaun

P.S. you going to be joining the next challenge??

#115

Okay, that is one scary PA character! Love the part when the arms come together and the pincers where pincing!! If it were in the theaters I think I would quite a few popcorn in my hair haha…

#116

that character turned out well,Yem…love the animation…dont let it go to waste…do something cool with it!

#117

Shaun - No prob at all, I got your reply on both posts, I was just throwin my two cents in. I like to be mellow and positive (while my art is angry and evil) so I tend to not worry about what other other people do. I’ve got enough to worry about with me and how the hell I’m gonna take my skills to the next level. With all that said, I definitely understand your point of view.

Darksky - Thanks, I was worried non of my pincher work showed up in the test animation … the new one is much better.

Titan - Thanks for checkin in, yea, I’ve got the whole scene planned out. It will be a rough week but I will pull it off if it kills me.

This was a throw away test render but I thought I’d post it anyway. It shows kind of how one of the spida shots is going to be. I’ve done more on the lab but stripped it down before test render to save on time. The lab will be very dirty, torn up, broken crap everywhere, etc. Since it is an old underground lab there will be roots and dirt and stuff that has broken through the walls so it is going to be a big mix of beat up high-tech, low-tech, and organic materials. There will be real spiders and spiderwebs everywhere in addition to our two little friends that you already know.

Click Here For Spida LAB TEST

(1MB DivX .AVI)

I will post shots of the lab late tonight/early morning. I’m going to start on the roots and breaking/dirtying stuff up.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Questions/comments/crits welcome as always.

#118

thats looking sweet. I like the idea of the roots and real spiders and webs also. Just hope it doesnt kill you I would like to have you for a teacher next quarter:D

#119

uau! really complete work!!!

but that’s a pity! the video finishes in the more interesting :frowning:
Very cool movements of the “legs”.

I can’t wait to see more!

#120

Thanks blc and pabbloz. Yea, the render crashed right at the good part but it gave me enough info to fine tune the animation before I re-render that sequence. I passed out reading my son his bedtime comic so I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked but have a little something to show.

I took everyone’s feedback and tried to clean up the spida bot animation a little, it still needs work but is an improvement over the last one. I need to put this sucker to rest so I can focus %100 on the lab for the rest of the challenge so any final feedback on this guy is welcome.

Click here for yet another SPIDA BOT animation test