More Rabbit

Found time to continue modelling. Started more details like mouth, eyes and ears. Think I've followed the tutorial too closely for the Rhino, I'm sure rabbits have jaws at the bottom.

Took sneak pictures of the sliced half in symmetry. Looking okay, lots more tweaks to go. :D

New Project: Subdivision Modeling Rabbit

Out of University now and looking for a job along with some spare time re training.
Instead of making the genetic objects from tutorials, I am starting a new animation that should cover areas I need to learn. While also adding to my show reel and boosting my general skills/confidence.

The animation will feature as a music video and should be in a darker mood than previous projects. Going for a creepy old style horror type theme, since it'll allow me to try the theories from my 'Why Horror' dissertation.

So far I have mapped out the timings and events of the song and now looking to create some models for the first animatic.
The location of the video is going to be a field (allowing me to try landscape environment work, with grass) Though I have started the project with creating the main characters, The Rabbits and bunnies (a Watership down style video in CG)


Using the digital tutors videos for sub division and trying to translate creating a Rhino to creating a Rabbit.
It's going well for a first attempt at Subdivision Modelling.
Using a photo to rotoscope, despite the disadvantages, to create a realistic shaped model. Since sketching accurately is not my strong point

Vimeo Videos

Creating a Show reel and getting together my XSI work and rendering some nice clips.

Show Reel from Eleanor Wood on Vimeo.

My show reel.
The Circle design and filters are all created within After Effects CS3.
The show reel itself shows my XSI Softimage work and my experience with filming on location at Frensham Pond in Surrey.

For more and individual clips, Please visit my Vimeo Page.

Update. Barrel and detailing Textures

Long time no post.
Work is moving on now, its taken some time to swap and mix our work together, and we've had some enveloping problems.
Though it's all sorted now and we're animating.
I've taken the time on waiting on scene ready for animation, to study the Digital Tutors videos in the UCA libaray.
Here's some of the ones they've got:

-Animating Walk Cycles (1,2) (very handy, since its part of animating we must learn for future films)
-Animation introduction (1,2)
-Character enveloping
-Character Rigging
-Interior Modelling (1,2,3)
-Introduction Render Tree
-Introduction to hair
-Introduction to Lighting
-Mental Ray
-Next Generation Game Techniques (1,2)
-Particles and Forces (1,2)
-Polygone/ Sub D Modelling (1,2) (This method should build my confidence in Modelling)
-Rendering Interiors (1,2)
-Rendering Techniques
-Soft & Rigid Bodies (This should help with elastic band, made wheels spin/move with this but it crashed the computer every time)
- UV layout (1,2,3) (Also a must watch, I've had some great fun creating pockets for character)


Textures:

Added textures to Barrel and now with better text on front. Created this using transparency in Photoshop and Texture Layers in XSI.







Texture Used



We wanted to put detail on the characters outfit, but had trouble since it mirrored on other side. Though after some clicking I discovered a way and prestended it to the group on a Texture Log:





Video:


Texture Log Test from Eleanor Wood on Vimeo.

Textures I Made in Photoshop. (No source images, all used with effect brushes)







Button did use a sourced image:

XSI Textures. Layering in Text.

Just discovered (in xsi and softimage) you can layer textures on top of each other (much like in photoshop) which can help our group with creating rips and stitches. plus better control over texture positions :D

I've put in a text layer (with transparent background) onto the barrel. then adjusted its position while not destroying the position of the barrel wood effect. the text isn't clear cose i tried a worn look in a really old version of photoshop.

Textured Objects for Student Film

Been making Textures/new models and such. Some worked out better than others.

Old Wheelchair: All materials from XSI generated texture effects.







Gunpowder Barrel:

New one that worked (even if it does look like a barrel from a 80s/90s computer game)



first attempt. Just goes to show how an image wrap or projection can work much better, than texture pre-sets.



Hammer: the barrel wood image used for handle.



Fishing Rod: Probably needs to be re rigged and as i did this first i think a texture change too.









Farmer Text test [stitches]: tried a stitch pattern for home made clothes look.

Modelling Wheelchair & Textures

Working on dissertation, it's fun scary stressful stuff.

our animatic got a 1st woot. will probably upload it at some point.
Made the wheelchair (tried 2 wheel placements, the one that looks odd is the original to reference pic):
[ the picture quality has been killed on web :( ]





Landscape and body not made by me (they are too good for my shoddy skills)
Yet i did a quick texture test on the body and just shopp'd it onto the background (rendering would have taken ages otherwise)
[only pic of landscape i could find was the slide used in presentation]
Tho on the background i used after effects tools to bring out colours and give it that shiny look. (going to see if i can do the same in softimage)

Texture was done in photoshop then used the image as a material. with lil bump mapping












The image used \/

Modelling & Method Research

Made a fishing rod (images on uni comp doy!) didn't like it at first but after looking at it again its not that bad. Hopefully will be rigging it on monday.

Had group meeting where we showed off all our parts we've been making. Looking good so far :D We're struggling abit with charatcer creations but the learning process in making one is going well. I've been looking at 2D creating in xsi tutorial.

Though it went wrong, the method in creating one I think has been handy in creating better rotoscoping guides/methods for 3D cartoon eyes etc.
The Tutorial: http://www.joncrow.com/tutorials/xsi_tuts/toon_modeling/toon_model_tut.htm


I've posted it to the group dunno if they'll go for this method.

Used my classmates Sketch of the farmer character for rotoscoping

In the mean time, i should get back to creating that wheelchair and maybe few odd farm animals etc.



Curve CV over sketch


Build or adjust sphere within wireframe Leave xray mode on and headlight


Open/Close Curve and curve to Polygon Mesh (adjust extrude slider settings)


For 3D faces, place objects over shape correctly etc

Modelling Try Outs

I've done a number of re edits and touch ups on the pilot i-dent since last posting (all using After effects) might put it online at some point but still stuff i could play around with.

Doing my Final Film for university and it's another CG animation, this time in a group. So far it has been fun to work someone else's plot/story and just throw in questions about the character/plot etc just to help create solid piece as a group :D (sitting around debating about our character motivations is great fun)

We're doing a story about a old wheelchair bound man in the countryside, who struggles to reach the top of a hill where a persistent phone rings (theres elements of road runner devices in the film)

going to blog the process again to help me track mi work for production pack.

So far I've taken up chair and fishing rod duty (sure they'll be more to do)
Did a rough chair from memory (thinking about the shapes and not using any reference pictures)



At one point as reminder XSI day. made a old man face, we're not going to use it but i just like how it looks like cross between Mr.Magoo and pacman.

Final Student CG Ident

done and done. if i ever do decide to enter this into the esting contest (whenever the next one is) i want to tweak and add few more animation problems (especially in the last shot)

CG Ident Problems

I've gotten an extension, and had a few mess ups in animating.
Also I left some shots (expect shot 1) rendering over night at the XSI room, after starting it at like 11am (only like 4-5 seconds each shot, taken ages damned shiny rainbow) .
The last shot has been rendering for 2 days, so I wont see it till Monday cose uni's closed eep.
Anyway was nervous when I was showing the captured edit version (which some animation finalized) but luckily people liked it yay.
At the moment I'm working on the final edit and a DVD menu, cose there's nothing else left to do :S

The I-dent is for a university unit, so i based mine on a E4 eSting (they have contests for this sometimes, tempted to enter this once I've finished) the censor bar will have the channels logo on it (and is the right way round)

Pilot in Plane

having rigging problems the elbows keep folding in (look into more weight mappage)
looks alright in plane. needs to work on textures/shaders etc

Rigged Pilot

Been rigging and weight mapping the charatcer. had to adjust/slice and dublicate the model itself at one point (for symmetry)

Update

• assessment went well
  
• going against toenails. feet look better without. working on parachute. can't seem to make clothing detail :(
  
• knows that texturing the character will not go well. hopefully can do something in toon shader (ugh uni has no zbrush).
  
• trying to solve the layout/plan for dissertation proposal. so far i have "Decoding Horror:" just need to work out what that means.
  
  
• the deadlines move ever closer ... on the upside with the new layout, my pics fit on here finally! yippee!
• oooh and i can have a slide show of mi flickr ^_^
  

Modelling Feet

eeek got assessment for narrative next week.

tho it took two days, but i managed to turn the pilots boot like feet into toes and such :D.
next up more details and better joints for the rigging dun dun dunn










oh also make control panel for the plane.

Modelling Pilot Hands

XSI is fixed! and i've made hands/placed the guy in the plane to see what it will look like.
I like how the plane legs look like his legs and feet.
Currently making the control panel so he looks more squished, in the side view
(which is why there's odd shapes floating around the plane).
Reminder: never use the norton computer fixing thing again.