Going live and reflection on practise

I have been neglecting my blogging which is bad, most of my reflection on the work so far has been verbal communication with both of my teams. A very quick turn over of tasks and decisions that has been decided all together.

It started with the start of going live. We all had a lot of ideas and even though we just pushed an idea of a re telling of the three billy goats gruff aside in the first meeting. I just had a very cool visual picture of piñata goats and after making a quick mood board the whole team began working on a more firm idea.

Then after a throw around of ideas and an early script we went of to do rough designs. Which I did with the troll. Knowing we were leaning to a more Mexican desert feel I thought to reference a lot to Mayan and Incan sculpture and statues.

Then we all as a team decided which parts of each designed worked then I went away and focused on a more refined troll design. 

I also quickly rendered some stone like textures just for the team to see what I was visualising in my head. I had wanted the blue troll to look more like painted wood but it didn't come off that way. The favourite of the bunch being number 3 with the stone texture.  

The team then decided to mix some elements from another's design (Giannis) into mine and the same with his design only with elements of mine. 

(image created by Giannis Giagias)

The team decided to go with my design with a couple of small adjustments to be done ready for the model sheet.

At the same time we were tweaking the story board after Brad and Phil's comments of the repetitive camera angles.

so I went away and rewatched some spaghetti westerns and adjusted the timing and shots on the troll and large goat's confrontation. 

Which the team enjoyed and I helped Bimpe with editing the story board and then I went on to edit the animatic together. 

Adding a few motions in flash as well.

I did have music as well as the narration by Giannis, but my software doesn't seem to want to use the same file I did on the campus computers. 

Now that I have completed the model sheet for the troll/ogre it's time to move onto modelling. Which I have been tasked with the small assets, so I shall have to begin rounding up American and Mexican sweetie references. Then designing, modelling and texturing them, then helping also with the landscapes and texturing for that also. 

(After some discussion about trying to have a running theme amongst all the characters

the team asked for me to add dot eyes as well as normal eyes. The consensus is that 

the dot eyes win.)

Final Push

Forgive my pause in posts. I have almost completed my 3D model and am in the middle of finishing an up to date turn around animation for my final 2D design.

In the last moments of my modelling I had some troubles with the rigging first with my attempts of IK and FK handle methods for the arms. In the end it was suggested as my model wasn't going to be used for animation I should stick to simple rotation handles to pose the character.

After fixing problems and binding my character I had to shift the knee controllers, as Sean said some of the deformations I was getting after the bind, was because the knee controllers were effecting the mesh by being too close. 

Then came time to pose, weight paint and prepare the model for render. Again some problems came up that were mostly caused by my lack of forethought. I will have to keep note to arrange the modelling process more logically so not to have the same problems in the future. I had attempted to use blender shapes for the face, but after breaking my skeleton I was unable to use blend shapes with the weight painted model I had just posed. (I should have blended the face first). So I decided to shift the eyes and eyebrows on the model itself, then render the scene. 

Based on the simple textures I decided to go for a simple image render and compile the 3D elements on a painted background, to better imitate the style of my earlier concept pieces.

(Original)

(Redraw)

So now it's just to paint the matte for behind the model and add snow effects, then the model and her scene will be finished. All in all this is the most complicated thing I have done within Maya, so I know each of the processes enough to apply to a new model. I just need to review how to complete an animatable rig which I plan to do during the winter break. 

Changes?

The future of the project.

Tomorrow the three of us that might have worked on this project in the future, are going to have a discussion with Phil, (Tutor) to see if the project will have to be discontinued. Not saying that I will stop development, as this project could be achievable at a later date but it seems it would probably be best for us to join other ventures. Though I won't bury this just yet, we have to discuss this with Phil first but I have a feeling that it may be for the best. 

On a lighter note I have almost completed the UV texturing for my model. I have UV mapped the items that I wished to paint so now I just need to finished the texturing. Though if I can figure out mudbox I may texture a few other pieces of the model in that software. I have found it hard to get the right tones in the maya engine. 

I used a mixture of Sean's PDF notes, recordings from the lessons and digital tutors lessons to get this far. So close to being complete!

I also completed the final designs for my girl main character and a more refined version of the reindeer god. Though if this were to be completed I would develop this design a lot more, but based off my earlier sketches in my sketch book. I prefer it to look more ethereal like this. 

This variation of colour is to represent the girl slowly fading away as she gets colder.

Hopefully I will have enough time once I finish my 3D work to completed a reviewed turn around animation or even a walk cycle. 

Troubles and Successes

I've been focused a lot on my 3D model and have hit a little bit of a brick wall. I've been looking at tutorials and forums to figure out why when I try to texture pieces of the model in mudbox, it just refuses to zoom in and the tools just mangle the model at a single tap. It may be a problem with the mesh, which is my own fault but I am unsure how to solve the problem and the solutions online do not seem to be working.

I will have to discuss it with Sean tomorrow and hopefully he may be able to help, and we might come up with a better solution for the fur than I have been using.

Other than that I have some more concept drawings and have been continuing idea sketches, working towards more finalised designs that will little to no development next semester.

Still plugging away

After a lesson with Sean Yu about rigging I knuckled down to try and get the most of my model done as possible, though I am having trouble with some of the extra details, such as the hood and the furred cuffs.

I am going to send a email to Sean though, as I have a few 'starring' problems especially around the face and by then I hope I have figured out how to model the extra things.

I also have been figuring out which elements from the designs I have come up with would be more suitable to animate in 2D with. Once I have completed the 3D model and background I want to put her in, I will do a few simple line tests with this design.

Keep on Trucking

So a little update with what I've gotten done so far.

I completed my first rough draft of the animatic, which I plan to update and refine with edits decided along with my group.

I then completed a model sheet of the main character of the film, prepped it and started to model my 3D rendering of her/him. Though I am continuing to explore the character, as i would like to have a more final and 2D animation friendly version ready for the second semester.

I've been having some trouble with the character's design age wise, trying to simplify the details and still have her/him appear young. So I've been adding facial and proportion studies as I sketch in the evenings, just to try and figure it all out. 

I also did another mood painting, wasn't happy with the character but I was focusing more on how to make them appear as if the colour/warmth was bleeding out of them. 

And another with the attack of the weather/wolf vision.

And finally for this blog out of my sketch book a conceptual drawing of the cold/wolf pack, tracking down our small protagonist. 

Mudbox and The Book of Life

Last Wednesday we had our first Mudbox tutorial with Phil and it is so much fun, I got it for my own computer so I could use it to experiment with landscapes for my main project. I will also probably use it to produce models to print physical versions of characters in the future.

My first attempts at remoulding a 3D scan of my head, a little bizarre but very fun to do.

Then on Thursday I went to watch the film The Book of Life in the Contemporary Art Centre. 

It was amazing and I will have to purchase the concept art book. The visuals and story were both amazing, but the promise of a film that reflected and was just as visually beautiful as the concept art was fully realised. Absolutely astounding in the design and a film that I can't wait to watch again. Once I have the chance!