Artefact 2 - Normal Maps

Research Outcome

[Research Project] 3DS Max generated Normals & AO with Specular produced from Diffuse vs. nDo2 generated Normals, AO & Specular.

*This is no longer my active Blog - please go to cdawilliams.tumblr.com for all recent work*

Live Client Underway!

Warehouse Lighting (unfinished)

Fifth Context Image

Fourth Image for Context

Context Image 3

Second context image

Having to upload here then link the url to my tumblr account because it doesn't seem to like uploading images.

First Context Image & Tumblr Account!

I am going to give tumblr a try. I like it's look and simplicity and it's very easy to see whats going in.


The address is cdawilliams.tumblr.com

Oh, and here is my first context image as promised!

Simulated Client Project

Updated Money

I got a lot of good feedback on the money but out of the bad, the most recurring comment was the fact the band keeping the money together was too white and made it look fake.

In attempt to rectify this I went back into photoshop and amended the original image. By adding a new layer with a crinkle style image on, and inversing the colours I came up with the new money band. Hopefully this one will add more to the realism than the previous.

Simulated Client Checklist

The simulated client project is now all planned out, and to help make it flow as easy as possible I've constructed a list of all models needed to produced for the final piece. I'm not going to post the list but like the previous post, I'll put up some stills on this post for some tasters.

Images below, off to do some more modeling!

Test Render for Simulated Client Project

Just a teaser for a possible idea for the Alumni simulated client project.

Don't want to give a way too much at this point.

Been playing around with a new feature to 3DS Max 2012 - They've replaced the old Havok Reactor with a new modifier called MassFX.

It feels a little smoother and easier to use than I found with the old Havok Reactor.

Below is a render of one of the last frames from using the MassFX modifier.

I'll be looking at doing more work with it for the alumni client project.

**Updated**

Little Summer playing about

Just a hand, decided to make 3 finger bones this time round. Might model a full working robot but I'm trying to get more into the visuaulisation and environment side of things, over rigging and animation.

Finished Animation

Wasn't going to post it on the blog as I wasn't completely pleased with it, but I suppose it's good for development.





Some screenshots too:

500~ Words Rational

Overall I really enjoyed this assignment, I felt it tested our ability to effectively develop an idea for a story, model, rig, skin, use of textures & materials, animating, and post-production. All of the basic fundamentals for a under-graduate practitioner.

I found myself doing more design work prior to starting the practical part of the project this time round, which I'll put down to experience. Changing my mind about which way to go with a story, continually redrawing character designs, and constantly changing environments I felt all contributed to the final piece.

I enjoyed making the environments, having spent more time on it this time than on the previous assignment. I wanted to make more of an effort to capture the look & feel, trying to keep it as true to the original as possible. The second environment changed frequently but in the end I was reasonably pleased with how it came out. It was pretty accurate to some scenes from the film, but with a few strange differences to orientate it more to the conflict between the characters.

My favourite part of the whole project was probably modelling the characters, it took a while at first to get them from looking so 'blocky' but I feel I progressed from earlier designs. I can't say I'm completely happy with the final models, however I am happy with the level of progression made from starting the assignment.

Rigging - eurgh. I actually found rigging rather easy, and the more time I did it (which was a lot!), the easier it got. There were a few issues at first, that I couldn't explain, but performing the same task over and over eventually hammered them out. I never used the CAT-rig, as I felt using it would have been cheating a little. I was pleased with how well my rigs worked but I felt that my ability at skinning didn't really capture my ability to rig. While I understand the basic concept of skinning I feel I need to spend more time on it in future as its skinning that can make even the best of models look awful when it comes to animating them.

I spent a lot of time unwrapping one of my characters, which gave me a fairly good understanding of how to do it effectively and efficiently, hopefully my characters portray this. Unwrapping was obviously a big part of making my Joker character look right as without I wouldn't have been able to do the face paint.

As an animator I feel I still have a long way to go, my biggest problem is one I could easily change but it's a personal flaw, Timekeeping & Organisation. I tend to rush as I want to see the finished result, this generally makes my animating ability look weak as it doesn't flow or look realistic. Over the Summer I intend to rectify this.

Overall I felt that I had improved on many aspects from the previous assignment, and identified some key places I need to improve, and where my strengths lie. As for the animation itself I am reasonably happy with the final result, I wish I had spent more time on it, and had better planned out the plot. There wasn't much fighting in it, which I felt there could have been more, then again there wasn't all that much in the original scene. Finally, I really enjoyed doing this project, and hopefully spending a little time this Summer to improve in places will see even better results next year.

Little Teaser from the Fight Scene Environment (Incomplete)

Thought making a realistic Bat Signal would add to the effect, especially making it actually produce the batman logo shadow.

Second Environment Influence

The second environment will be the fight scene environment. I've gone with a Tekken/Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat style scene, this will basically be a square platform featuring assets influenced by both characters. Dobermans side will be quite dark featuring props like a Bat-signa, possibly looking like the entrance to the batcave. The Jokers side will be a little twisted, currently I'm thinking Jack-in-the-boxes scattered about, Joker-bombs and twisted staircases.

Images below showing different things I might include or that might influence the design.

Post-Production Cartoon Style Effects

I decided early on in the design process to make the animation look more like a cartoon/comic as this was the original nature of Batman. Below are a few different techniques I've used to try create that effect.

UVW Unwrap Complete. Time to animate.