Let the ball roll - and have something done!

I'd like to start this thread to thread so we get to know what people find difficult in terms of CG. For example, modeling. Among the things that you encounter daily at work, What do you find hard to model or texture? What do you find hard to render? How to light? How to make things look real? How to animate? Etc. It is my intention that this thread become a source of information for those who already know the answer as well as those who are just starting.

This is an open invitation and there is no room for the faint of heart or those simply wanting to show off.

hala Bira!

mauna nako dude!

the one thing I've been wanting to learn is to animate a character...
and ofcourse to make a character...

the part I'm having difficulty is first, the modelling and then the rigging...
I hope this thread would be part of my learning and others as well...

OK. I'll post here sometime next week some of the exercises that we conduct here in the studio for animator entries. This is simply boring really and is the very first test we do to chck on timing sense. It is called the ball roll and bounce (what a coincidence!) I'll ask permission to post the max file for everyone to try their hands on. Thanks torvics for starting it up!

that would be nice dude!

thanks for the quick reply and interest in helping...
highly appreciated!

Some references I highly recommend...got me through my animation classes in school...

Here's an oldie but goodie, some call it the Animator's Bible,

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation (Hardcover)
by Ollie Johnston (Author), Frank Thomas (Author)

Another one in my collection:

Cartoon Animation (The Collector's Series) (Paperback)
by Preston Blair

A pretty cool video reference website my roomate created, he's does primarily character animation for Capcom, Naughty Dog, and now he works at Valve:

http://www.rhinohouse.com/

Salamat AJ,

Torvics, I'll ask somebody to upload the exercise for me. Unfortunately, I will be on a sudden journey and might be out for quite sometime. In my absence, I'd like to leave you all with some lasting wrangler wisdom:

Please do not take the criticisms thrown upon you by your brothers in bad light. For we alone cannot see the light - someone has to show it to us. We have to learn to look at our work from a different perspective - and only then when we learn to be void of self-bias that we will see what we refused to see all along. Be grateful and thank people for the time they spend to show you what you might have missed seeing. The attention they spent is a manifestation that some people still care.

Remember that we will be always be judged by our last renders, so let's make it always look at its best!

I hope that this thread become a truckload of collective wisdom so I invite you all to continue posting.

See you all again!

wow! this is one of the best things that have happened in a forum like this.

Ako sir vertex(roy), I'd like to learn to model freeforms, specially those that has curve elements on it.

Interested in Character Modeling and Rigging also. I have a book, but unfortunately, time has not allowed me to even tackle the excersises contained in it.

Looking forward to the exercises.

i have never scene a forum like this in my whole life. wow this is a silver platter.

very nice bro.. vertex..pwede kb magpost ng mga workflow like sa interior rendering, animation...?

Salamat sa lahat ng sumagot, I will start it with lighting, the Ventot way. I'm not going to discuss how to use or operate vray - thats your own assignment. I'll discuss how I try to light cg elements so that it matches the background plate. This is useful if you are matching to a photo background for an animation or have a BG image you'd like to match your house to or a building or your nose. Anyone with a good bg image?

I will post in the appropriate forums but you will find the quick announcement here. Please be patient and wait a little while - I'm just trying to pick little pieces of my messy life. Like Schwarzenegger - I promise I will be back - with a bang.

Yakan, you make me very very dizzy! And I'm beginning to...



Well, next time na lang...

Wow! ayus, mas ok yung sir vertex, non-software specific.

For starters pala, yun can also grab this very essential book:

DIGITAL LIGHTING AND RENDERING by Jeremy Birn. Very handy reference for CG artists like us. The book is not software specific, but discusses the essentials in light and rendering.

I think the book has just been updated with a 2nd edition. Mine is the 1st release.

That book is a treasure and it was one of my first possesions the year it was released. I'll find it and will gladly donate it to the first guy who send me a postcard

You have to find my address though.

I am playing with a simple scene to illustrate what tessa mentioned in another thread - the wonders of pivots, keyframed translations to simulate transformations...

http://www.cgpinoy.org/animation-discussion-f61/how-to-make-a-thing-transform-t1891.htm#34397

I was lucky enough to have a cousin in law get it for me as payment for a design scheme for a house repainting that they did in the states.

I will also have to thank the mighty enigma a.k.a. Bryan V. Jumarang for providing me info regarding the book.

Looking forward sir vertex....

Sensya na people - i'm doing it while on the run - try ko as soon as I can iyong lighting na nabanggit ko sa taas.

Arkiemund. Kantahan mo naman ako.

Babay na muna - palipad na ako.

I wrote this kanina. I wanted to move this to a more appropriate thread but I realized there was none. Perhaps admins could consider a Lighting/Rendering forum to host stuff like these. Anyways, here's a little primer for those interested. I intend to continue this as much as I can or until I am totally depleted. Whichever comes first.

I think I like to break some nose.



Don't make me the enemy, you won't like me when I am angry!

Basically, the above process is WHERE I always start. Whether the project is FULL CG (meaning BG and characters are all CG) or LIVE + CG (BG from photos or live shoot and the characters or elements to match are CG).

This is not specific to Animation or Archiviz. This technique can work for both discipline. I failed to mention that this approach requires the use of Global Illumination. I intend to write a comparison on how this might be achievable using the scanline (which is a hurdle in itself) in the next few weeks or months.

In the meantime, if you have questions or suggestions or would like to send me hate or love letters - you know where to reach me. I'd prefer email as I might not be able to check the forums in the coming weeks.

As for which lights I prefer for Direct Illumination (the sun), I still vouch for the Standard Direct lights over Vray's sun. The reason is, while Vraysun might be physically correct - it leaves me lesser option to make sudden client changes. Vraysun picks up its strenght and color based on angle and location. Which is a big no-no when you have clients - approving the shadow and light direction but not the color.

Standard max lights - gives you the option to change both which I find sexy and cool. I could trust them and they do not turn their backs on me during my most difficult days.

v_wrangler wrote:As for which lights I prefer for Direct Illumination (the sun), I still vouch for the Standard Direct lights over Vray's sun. The reason is, while Vraysun might be physically correct - it leaves me lesser option to make sudden client changes. Vraysun picks up its strenght and color based on angle and location. Which is a big no-no when you have clients - approving the shadow and light direction but not the color.

Standard max lights - gives you the option to change both which I find sexy and cool. I could trust them and they do not turn their backs on me during my most difficult days.

same concern here. i tried vray sun once and i'll probably stick to the old IES sun. it calculates the GI and vray shadows, strangely, faster. which is not default to the new 3DS Max 2009. which is why i prefer 2008 and older.

May question ako sir vertex.

Most of the time, like in my current work for instance. We usually add the background during post editing. And most of the time, the background is chosen after the scene has already been rendered. Although we don't go for photo realism in renderings, often opting for a more graphic look to our images.

The question:

Is it okay to go with that kind of workflow?

If yes, What would be the best approach to such a system?

Well, I couldn't think of any advice if you do it in total reverse - wherein BG is added afterwards. I can only suggest good photoshop skills to match the tint of your background to your renderings.

So sir, I think the best option is to pick my background in advance and check it's white point, so I can tweak my scene. In that way, when I insert the BG in post, it will have the same level of illumination in both my scene and the background plate.

Looking forward to your continuation of the discussion.

Post mo na sir, lumamig na kape ko, sa kakaantay...hihihi....

sir v_wrang's ( sorry npapangit ko ata nick mo eheh ) explanation or demo or whatever you call it is a real eye opener for me, it will definitely change my process in doing scenes.. hope you post more helpful tips.

Arkiemund, you can pick your background check its whitepoint or adjust its whitepoint to something you'd like your cg to have, somehow. And then start working on your cg part.

Blas, call me anything you'd feel comfortable with. No problem at all. I will definitely post more than you could imagine. I apologize for making you all wait - life has been keeping me very busy lately but I do make notes every chance I get. I will post the rest of the documents as soon as I can. Thank as always for listening.

Will be back in soon.

hello V-wrang. You mentioned GI right? can you post your process on getting that right on the spot?

BTW very helpful tute. Want to see more.

eyecon01 wrote:hello V-wrang. You mentioned GI right? can you post your process on getting that right on the spot?

BTW very helpful tute. Want to see more.

There is no getting there right away 100% but Image based lighting via GI can take you close to 80% of the lighting part.
This is how we did it with ryukendo four years ago.

You don't need HDRI really, low dynamic range or your typical 8 bit images can do wonders as well. I know I should post the doc right away and I'm almost there.

Konti na lang.