Evaluation

Major project was a bit stressful, and the finished piece wasn't quite what I had in mind. I think this was largely down to my inexperience with poly modeling and the kind of quality I wanted to produce. I set my sights fairly high and it seems clear that I still have a lot more to learn. I helped out all the team members when they had problems or came to me with things that needed adjustment. The work was a lot of fun but what I will do next time I think is focus on one environment, and get help from other team members to make characters and props to put into that environment.

I spent a month rigging the characters for animation, and although the animation didn't quite come together, I don't think it was time wasted, because I managed to learn a fair bit about rigging during this time. I do think however, that for the next project I would rather use CAT rigs which we could then simply import into the UDK. I think the next step for me is to get better at modeling and texturing. Over the summer I'm going to redesign an existing character model and practice more modeling and improve my facial sculpting.

The rendering was difficult to approach because like with the modeling, I haven't had much experience rendering high quality lighting. Using the Mental Ray renderer for example, I had to adjust things like gamma because it seemed to fade a lot.

I would still like to do a game project for next year, but I would like to be more prepared for it this time. Rigging I would like to have worked out early on in the project, and I would need help with the backstory for the game project. I was thinking of doing very low poly modeling, Slipgate for example (http://slipgatecentral.livejournal.com/34068.html) and exploring some sort of 3d style. I'm very interested in exploring detailed modeling techniques, Vitaly Bulgarov is one of my favourites (http://www.bulgarov.com/). I would like to focus perhaps on improving one aspect of my 3d work, and a natural choice would be to improve my characters I think, at least this is what I would like to do for next year's projects and indeed make my third and final project more of a success. Thank you very much =)

Major Project - Rachel Wing Mark II, and coming to an end.. =)

Note: All posts related to my Major Proj can be viewed on this page here:
http://kungfoowiz.blogspot.com/search/label/Major%20Project
Thx's =)

Hey Guys and Girlz! =)

Major Proj is coming to an end.. yippee!! =) Well, I enjoyed some parts, I LOVED working with you guys.. I particularly enjoyed chilling at Taylor's place and just working on 3d with him, he's just awesome =) *man hug* =)

I'm thinking that the parts I enjoyed was learning more Modeling (I had serious doubts about my ability to 3d model, and it still isn't quite there yet), and then a bit of rigging (but there is so much more to learn, it's really complicated subject, not really sure I wanna take it further).

Haven't really learnt that much Texturing and Lighting though, I had plans to learn it more, but there just isn't enough time so I can only make do with the week we have left to render and prepare the final proj and such.

Mmm, so anyway, I loved coming up with an enviro concept, and even though it had to be cut down a lot, I still enjoyed coming up with the concept and stuff. I totally love enviro design, but I realise I need to practice it more. Enjoyed making the characters, Rachel was the most challenging so far, I was constantly reminded by Guy to look at my proportions, so I gotta watch out for that for the next character. Also I need to learn how to make 3d vehicles cuz I'm not too good at making them.

And finally thank you to Taylor for helping me a TONNE with art and 3d advice, means so much to me bro. Thank you very very verrrry much =)

Next post will prolly be the final last one for Major Proj. See you guys  =)

Rachel - New Wing

Hey Guys and Girlz! =)

Received some feedback on my stuff.. the wing was a bit thick, so made this one wafer thin =)  I'll finish off the booster tomorrow, but here's a preview so far of the new wing, the outer bits will have a translucent texture on them =) Hopefully have enough time to texture them, is a bit short notice but trying.. =)

Major Proj - First Submittal

Hey Guys and Girlz! =)

I managed to survive the first submittal, still can't quite get a nice quality out of Premiere, I'm beginning to think it hates me.. or maybe I'm too stupid to figure it out, who cares anyway.. =) Mmm, so anyway, the Major Project is going okay, finished all the modeling, just texturing everything, there is a preview, the texturing is all wishy washy right now, it isn't finished. I got lots of drawing to do for the final portfolio as well, so yip.. just workies I guess.. Guud luck with your own stuffies too =)

Rachel's Hair

Hey Guys and Girlz! =) Rachel's hair is finished modeling and diffuse texture. Gonna unwrap and envelop her next and will post up the finished piece then. Have guud-1 =)

Rachel - Aerofoil

Rachel - Torso Armour

Hey Guys and Girlz =)

Ookey, so it's start of holidays, got a tonne of work to do on Major Project, so I guess I can't afford to be lazy this Easter. Mmm.. in other news, I'm contemplating bunny life drawing, cuz we have to hand in our portfolios early next month. Have a guud-1 =)

Rachel - Leg Armour

Pipeworks - Texturing Wip2

Blocking out texturing for walls, floor, ceiling, and a barrel.. =)

Pipeworks - Wall Texturing Wip1

Started on wall texturing for Pipeworks..

Process:
- UV flatten mapping
- Fix any distortion in the UV Edit
- Apply 512 x 512 repeating texture

Rachel High Poly Detail2

Hey Guys and Girlz =)

Okay, spent another day on this.. mmm.. not really much to say, just adding detail using the Inset poly tool, adding harder (or firmer) edges with more loops where necessary (Amidoingitright?!), and using Turbosmooth modifier, hope this high poly detail comes out nicely in a normal map, otherwise... lulll... =)  Gonna Zbrush some high poly shapes and textures onto this next.. Have fun guys =)

Rachel High Poly Detail1

Hey Guys and Girlz =)

Made a start on Rachel's high poly detail.. Here's just some detail on her leg armour, her boots and belt... =) Hope you like =)

Major Project - Abomination Face Rig

Here's Abomination's face rig, this is a low poly face btw, so no detail at all, most of the detail will be in the high poly =)  His emotions are curious, angry, scared, confused & raging =) Have a guud-1 =)

Major Project - Abomination Wip

Low poly face for Abomination, gonna rig this for face animation next.. =) Have fun =)

Major Project - Rachel Face Rig Demo

Hey Guys and Girlz! =)  Here's Rachel's face rig demo.. =)  Kinda at the point of the project where I need to start finishing off the modeling so that I can start the texturing and lighting. I'm way behind as usual... but having fun.. and that's important for me.. rather than sticking to any schedule.. =) Cuz then it feels like work.. and I won't go there.. =)  Keep well guys.. =)

Major Project - Rachel's Face

Hey, okay.. mmm.. well.. sorry for the no update, been busy.. =)  Here's Rachel's face, not quite finished with it.. many things wrong.. but it's cool I guess.. =)  Have fun.. =)  Take care for now.. =)

Pipeworks 54 Preview 3

Hey Guys and Girlz.. =)

Okay, started to hammer down how I want things to look.. refined the level layout more.. There is still lots of work ahead, but I think it's a lot better than the first preview for example. I'm getting a better sense of the scale of how things should look. Next I gotta refine the area more, work on the fittings and stuff (like door frames, barrels, computer screens, water piping and so on..) and make it look more like a Pipeworks should look like.

Major Project - Rachel Wip2

Progress on Rachel.. roughing out her wings, tidying up geo on the figure, working on the hair texturing (atm I'm not really happy with annything).. Not going the way I want atm..

Major Project - Rachel Wip1

Major Project - DM-Pipeworks 54 Preview 2