If I had a chance to do it all again, I would change a few things to make the animation better. I didn't have enough time to make the lasers for the jet glow. I would have liked to have them glowing in the dark. My original idea was to have the scene in a night setting. I tried that in my animation, but because of lighting issues, I decided to make it a day time scene.
The animation looks okay, but certain aspects could be improve, like the animation of the lasers and the rockets could be better. Some of the motion animation is a bit rough on the fighter model and may need to be reanimated carefully.
I think with more practice I could improve my animation and creation skills. At the moment i am still learning my way around 3Ds max.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Animation
For this week, i will start creating the landscape i will need for my animation. i have decided to make the scene in an environment similar to a deserted planet. the key features i will require for this are mountains, hill and valleys so that i can make an interesting animation using different camera's as the fighter model flies through the scene.
I used some tutorials on you tube to learn how to create the landscape i need. The main tool I used for this was the paint tool. The whole idea is that you create a plane and and the paint it using the paint tool. the different colors of the paint are then used when you used the push/pull tool to then created the mountains. red is the highest and blue is the lowest on the scale. the screenshot below shows the tools.
After using the soft selection tool to paint the plane, i then used the paint deformation tool to make the the plane shape into the mountains an valleys. I then used the relax tool to make the shapes smooth and even. the screen shot below shows the object i created
The next part was for me to try and add some materiel's to the plane to give It a desert color. I used a bitmap with the right detail to get the landscape to look like a desert.I applied the bitmap using the materiel's tool. I then adjusted the layout to get the perfect look for my design. the screen shot below shows the landscape.
The next part was to add some lighting to the scene. I started of by importing and re-sizing my models that I would use for the animation. for this part of the storyboard, I would only need my tank and fighter models. I imported them and then scaled them to size then I used their shadows to create the right lighting for the scene for this particular animation, I decided to use the sky-dome light. I followed the tutorial in the VLE to create the light. I decided o use the sky dome lighting because for the scene i was creating, i would need to add clouds to the environment and creating a 360 degree view of the plane.
Week 7
Model evaluation
I have had a chance to review my models and compare them to my original ideas. I think my fighter model came out relatively well compared to the original design. I managed to shape the wings so that they were aerodynamic and smooth on the edges, I set out to achieve an alien craft look rather than producing a typical jet fighter. I would say I achieved this by using some unusual features in the design of the fuselage. Instead of using the typical wind screen I chose to make a gap in the cockpit.
For the tank, I had some trouble making the housing for the three rockets as they were of an odd shape. in overall, I think i made a strange but good looking vehicle. I intend to try and include the missiles in the animation.
Week 8
For the animation of my project, I intend to use various camera techniques to capture a good animation. I will be using a mixture of still target and motion cameras for the different scenes. Before I created the camera's I started off by animating the object. My plan is to have all the fighter navigating through the maze of hill and mountains. and then it will come across the tank and a gun battle will commence.
The first thing i did was create a navigation path to animate the fighter. I used the line tool to draw a line on the landscape for the plane to follow. I then modified the fighter model to follow the line. i added some banking motion as it was an aircraft in flight to create a realistic flight pattern. the screen shot below shows the line I created.
I repeated the process of create a animation path for the tank. I adjusted the speeds of both objects so that they were in sync. The scene starts off with the plane navigating it way around the hills. It then comes across the tank and the battle begins with the fighter attacking as its flies over the tank. the tank then launches an anti aircraft missile which hits the air craft and its crashes.
I created a new line for when the plane fires some lasers. The screen shot below shows the lasers I created as the planes ammunition.
I created the lasers using the guns in the fighter, added some color and grouped a light within them for them to glow. I them made a new navigation path for them to move towards the tank. I made sure the appear just as the plane flies past them. I repeated the process for the missile to fly towards the plane and on impact, the plane would turn and crash into the hills.
Week 9
I decided to use the standard camera to start the animation. I would Have the camera positioned in a long shot position so that the plane would fly into view moving closer to the camera until its at a medium view, and then it would fly off the screen. I then used a target camera to capture the next scene. I had the camera follow the fighter as it when through is maneuvers.
For the next scene I decided to create a camera for the tank. I made a path for the camera and I animated it to follow the tank from a birds eye view. I created a few more camera's, for different views each for each individual part of the animation. I used target cameras and still camera's to make enough scenes for the animation.
I started rendering the film for each scene by using each individual camera to render a few seconds. I set the frmae rate at 24 frames per second.
Week 10
This week i took all the scenes i had rendered and i loaded them into adobe premiere. I started placing them in the work space in order. I edited some clips that needed editing. I also decided to add some music to the animation to create a realist feel as a pose to just having the sounds effects.
After i had finished editing the clips i saved the project as a wmv movie. I started viewing the complete clip.
Week 11
I overall , I am impressed with what I achieved in the short time i had to learn. I started off with no experience with 3ds max or any animation. In overall my looks great and has some degree of sophistication.
The animation and camera work is great and In my opinion i think i captured the action well
I personally was disappointed as i was rendering the project in 3ds max. For some reason the lighting changed from what it looked like when i was animating. It has made the overall visual quality less appealing. I went back to the original file and made some alterations, I created a new light but it didn't make any difference in the rendering.
I also went a step further to animate the impact of the missile to the fighter. I used the particle tool to explode the wing, but i failed to set it to the right time and it kept exploding at the wrong time. If I had more time, I would have to find out a solution for the lighting and the particle explosion effect. This would improve the overall look of the project. I would also add a few more buildings and features to the animation.
I used some tutorials on you tube to learn how to create the landscape i need. The main tool I used for this was the paint tool. The whole idea is that you create a plane and and the paint it using the paint tool. the different colors of the paint are then used when you used the push/pull tool to then created the mountains. red is the highest and blue is the lowest on the scale. the screenshot below shows the tools.
The next part was for me to try and add some materiel's to the plane to give It a desert color. I used a bitmap with the right detail to get the landscape to look like a desert.I applied the bitmap using the materiel's tool. I then adjusted the layout to get the perfect look for my design. the screen shot below shows the landscape.
The next part was to add some lighting to the scene. I started of by importing and re-sizing my models that I would use for the animation. for this part of the storyboard, I would only need my tank and fighter models. I imported them and then scaled them to size then I used their shadows to create the right lighting for the scene for this particular animation, I decided to use the sky-dome light. I followed the tutorial in the VLE to create the light. I decided o use the sky dome lighting because for the scene i was creating, i would need to add clouds to the environment and creating a 360 degree view of the plane.
Week 7
Model evaluation
I have had a chance to review my models and compare them to my original ideas. I think my fighter model came out relatively well compared to the original design. I managed to shape the wings so that they were aerodynamic and smooth on the edges, I set out to achieve an alien craft look rather than producing a typical jet fighter. I would say I achieved this by using some unusual features in the design of the fuselage. Instead of using the typical wind screen I chose to make a gap in the cockpit.
For the tank, I had some trouble making the housing for the three rockets as they were of an odd shape. in overall, I think i made a strange but good looking vehicle. I intend to try and include the missiles in the animation.
Week 8
For the animation of my project, I intend to use various camera techniques to capture a good animation. I will be using a mixture of still target and motion cameras for the different scenes. Before I created the camera's I started off by animating the object. My plan is to have all the fighter navigating through the maze of hill and mountains. and then it will come across the tank and a gun battle will commence.
The first thing i did was create a navigation path to animate the fighter. I used the line tool to draw a line on the landscape for the plane to follow. I then modified the fighter model to follow the line. i added some banking motion as it was an aircraft in flight to create a realistic flight pattern. the screen shot below shows the line I created.
I repeated the process of create a animation path for the tank. I adjusted the speeds of both objects so that they were in sync. The scene starts off with the plane navigating it way around the hills. It then comes across the tank and the battle begins with the fighter attacking as its flies over the tank. the tank then launches an anti aircraft missile which hits the air craft and its crashes.
I created a new line for when the plane fires some lasers. The screen shot below shows the lasers I created as the planes ammunition.
I created the lasers using the guns in the fighter, added some color and grouped a light within them for them to glow. I them made a new navigation path for them to move towards the tank. I made sure the appear just as the plane flies past them. I repeated the process for the missile to fly towards the plane and on impact, the plane would turn and crash into the hills.
Week 9
I decided to use the standard camera to start the animation. I would Have the camera positioned in a long shot position so that the plane would fly into view moving closer to the camera until its at a medium view, and then it would fly off the screen. I then used a target camera to capture the next scene. I had the camera follow the fighter as it when through is maneuvers.
For the next scene I decided to create a camera for the tank. I made a path for the camera and I animated it to follow the tank from a birds eye view. I created a few more camera's, for different views each for each individual part of the animation. I used target cameras and still camera's to make enough scenes for the animation.
I started rendering the film for each scene by using each individual camera to render a few seconds. I set the frmae rate at 24 frames per second.
Week 10
This week i took all the scenes i had rendered and i loaded them into adobe premiere. I started placing them in the work space in order. I edited some clips that needed editing. I also decided to add some music to the animation to create a realist feel as a pose to just having the sounds effects.
After i had finished editing the clips i saved the project as a wmv movie. I started viewing the complete clip.
Week 11
I overall , I am impressed with what I achieved in the short time i had to learn. I started off with no experience with 3ds max or any animation. In overall my looks great and has some degree of sophistication.
The animation and camera work is great and In my opinion i think i captured the action well
I personally was disappointed as i was rendering the project in 3ds max. For some reason the lighting changed from what it looked like when i was animating. It has made the overall visual quality less appealing. I went back to the original file and made some alterations, I created a new light but it didn't make any difference in the rendering.
I also went a step further to animate the impact of the missile to the fighter. I used the particle tool to explode the wing, but i failed to set it to the right time and it kept exploding at the wrong time. If I had more time, I would have to find out a solution for the lighting and the particle explosion effect. This would improve the overall look of the project. I would also add a few more buildings and features to the animation.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Model 3
For the last model I have decided to create an anti aircraft model to use in my animation. I found a picture on the web for inspiration to build my model, and i have attached it below.
I started by drawing a rectangle, for the base of the vehicle. i then used a torus to create a shape similar to a tank wheel. I the altered the shape and fitted it onto the base and i used mirror to create the other side. the screen shot below shows the beginning of the project.
The next step for the project, was to shape the base. i wanted to have a machine gun on the back of the vehicle and some missiles the middle. my plan is the make the machine gun rotate 360 degrees, and the missile can be launched in the facing direction. I dragged the polygons at rear of the vehicle and raised them to create a platform.
The next part wast to create some platforms for the missiles to sit on. I used the tube tool to create to pipes an then I laid a box on top of the pipes. this helped me because i could then make 3 different platforms for each missile using the extrusion too.
I started to make the missiles for the vehicle. i started with a tube and cone, and i followed the tutorial from class where we aligned them into a pencil shape. I then added some warped cones to make the rear fines for the missiles. i took a screenshot of the missile
I then clone the missile a few times and placed it on the project. The last addition was the machine gun on the back of the vehicle. i drew the long pipe which sits on a base that turns 360 degrees, and the i put the box that makes the barrel up and down. then i drew in the final barrel. the final screen shot of my design looks like this.
in overall the model looks, great, and i just need to finish the materials using different textures and colors.
I started by drawing a rectangle, for the base of the vehicle. i then used a torus to create a shape similar to a tank wheel. I the altered the shape and fitted it onto the base and i used mirror to create the other side. the screen shot below shows the beginning of the project.
The next step for the project, was to shape the base. i wanted to have a machine gun on the back of the vehicle and some missiles the middle. my plan is the make the machine gun rotate 360 degrees, and the missile can be launched in the facing direction. I dragged the polygons at rear of the vehicle and raised them to create a platform.
The next part wast to create some platforms for the missiles to sit on. I used the tube tool to create to pipes an then I laid a box on top of the pipes. this helped me because i could then make 3 different platforms for each missile using the extrusion too.
I started to make the missiles for the vehicle. i started with a tube and cone, and i followed the tutorial from class where we aligned them into a pencil shape. I then added some warped cones to make the rear fines for the missiles. i took a screenshot of the missile
I then clone the missile a few times and placed it on the project. The last addition was the machine gun on the back of the vehicle. i drew the long pipe which sits on a base that turns 360 degrees, and the i put the box that makes the barrel up and down. then i drew in the final barrel. the final screen shot of my design looks like this.
in overall the model looks, great, and i just need to finish the materials using different textures and colors.
Model 2
For the second model, I decided to create a popular robot from star wars. i have attached a picture of the original model from the film.
To start the build, I started by creating the top part of the robot. I used the sphere tool in the command panel to draw a sphere and the i used one of the tools in modify to reduce the hemisphere. after this i was left with a dome like shape. I have taken a screen shot of the top part of the sphere.
The next step was to create the body part of the project after naming the dome. I decided to create a cylinder for the body and cut it in half. this is the easiest way of producing a model with out using up too much time and effort. i started off by using the extrude tool to extend the body outwards to create the shoulder/arms of the project.after i had created the arms i then extended them downwards to make the foot like base. for this i used the bevel too as it created the right look. I then wen on to add another beveled edge for the arms to simulate the design on the original.
the screen shot below shows the body of the robot.
The next step of the design process was to mirror the left side of the body in order to create the other half.
I used the instance option in order to mirror any changes i do decide to make to the project. the result was a
torso and arms of the robot. i have taken a screen shot below to show this.
The last part of the project, was to create a foot as seen in the original design. to do this, i used a rectangle,w his i split into polygons of 3*3*1. i the selected the center polygon on the top and used the modifier tool to elevate it to a a higher level than the others. this created a the boot like effect you can see below.
After building the foot for the robot, i decided to finish off reducing the number of polygons, where possible. the dome have a lot of redundant polygon, so i reduced them from, 32 to 16. this only affected the quality of the build slightly as it still maintained its dome shape. If i took out any more polygons, there would be clear edges visible as a pose to the intended smooth round surface.
In overall i was satisfied with the final model, as it closely resembles what i set out to recreate i had a problem arranging the polygons at the bottom of the project because I had to manually create the curve. I did try and make use of the tools available but i couldn't get them to shape the bottom like i wanted so i ended up doing it manually.
The next step was to create the body part of the project after naming the dome. I decided to create a cylinder for the body and cut it in half. this is the easiest way of producing a model with out using up too much time and effort. i started off by using the extrude tool to extend the body outwards to create the shoulder/arms of the project.after i had created the arms i then extended them downwards to make the foot like base. for this i used the bevel too as it created the right look. I then wen on to add another beveled edge for the arms to simulate the design on the original.
the screen shot below shows the body of the robot.
The next step of the design process was to mirror the left side of the body in order to create the other half.
I used the instance option in order to mirror any changes i do decide to make to the project. the result was a
torso and arms of the robot. i have taken a screen shot below to show this.
The last part of the project, was to create a foot as seen in the original design. to do this, i used a rectangle,w his i split into polygons of 3*3*1. i the selected the center polygon on the top and used the modifier tool to elevate it to a a higher level than the others. this created a the boot like effect you can see below.
In overall i was satisfied with the final model, as it closely resembles what i set out to recreate i had a problem arranging the polygons at the bottom of the project because I had to manually create the curve. I did try and make use of the tools available but i couldn't get them to shape the bottom like i wanted so i ended up doing it manually.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Model 1
For the assignment, I have to produce 3 models inspired by star
wars. For the first model, my inspiration was from a jet propelled high speed
aircraft.
I started the
project by making the wings. From the create tool bar, I started off by
drawing a box using the create button. I then increased the number of polygons to
enable me to shape the wing accordingly. I used different tools to shape the
wing of the spaceship into the right shape. I took some screen shots of the frame
of the wire frame of the wing.
I used various tools to achieve the look of the wing. In
some instance I could have just deleted the selected polygons but it was more
effective to use different technique’s to get the best visual of the model. For
example, to create the cavities for the guns, I used extrude from the edit
geometry. The screen shot below shows this.
When the wing was complete, I chose to use the mirror
function to create the other side of the wing. 3ds max comes with a really
handy function for this. If you select intrusion while using the mirror tool, many
changes you make post mirror effect will automatically be applied to the other
side. This not only saves time, but it also helps keep the two wings identical.
The screen shot below shows the mirrored
wing.
The next step was to create the fuselage for the spaceship. I
created another box shape and used the same tools to shape the nose and main
part of the spacecraft gave it a rounded nose and an angled front like one of
the star wars ships. I took a screen shot of the fuselage.
After using the align tool to size and shape the different
parts into place it was time to create the exhaust blowers for the rear of the
spacecraft. I used a cone to create the typical rocket look for the exhaust
systems. After cloning the exhaust pipe, I decided to group the various
elements of the project to help with putting together the spaceship. I have
pasted the screenshot of the complete model after adding some color using materiel’s
and gradients.
I decided to add some guns to the space ship, I used the extrude tool to create the housing for the guns. I did this because i didnt want to have a gun sticking out from the wing as it wouldn't look realistic. Because i had used instance, the program automatically created the exact same housing on the other wing. i then create the guns using the cylinder and cone objects. i aligned and sized them correctly and then i proceeded to place them in the housing and then i grouped them into guns.. I have taken a picture of this.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
derelict village
i started an exercise for building a derelict village for my project. My first aim was to build a two story building.
the screen shot below shows my progress so far
the screen shot below shows my progress so far
Modelling part 2 grouping
For the next part of the exercise we had to group different shapes into groups. We started by creating four different shapes. I made a tube, box,cone and a sphere. i then grouped the shapes in groups of twos, hers is a screen shot of the group name
after having created two different groups, I then made a new group and i called it all shapes. when i ungrouped the all shapes, it all collapsed down to the two groups. i regrouped all shapes and took a screen shot(below)
the nexte part of the exercise was to use align to stack the shapes in a given order. i used the align tool to position all the shapes into their right places. when i finished. i also found that if i used the scale tool, i could find align them properly on the edges. this tasked helped me to understand all the different view modes in 3d max, as i could see all the changes in all the screens when i moved and object. i used grouping to make the shapes into one so i could move them all around without messing up the alignment. I enjoyed this exercise, as now i feel i understand how the program works. the screen shot below shows the stack.
the nexte part of the exercise was to use align to stack the shapes in a given order. i used the align tool to position all the shapes into their right places. when i finished. i also found that if i used the scale tool, i could find align them properly on the edges. this tasked helped me to understand all the different view modes in 3d max, as i could see all the changes in all the screens when i moved and object. i used grouping to make the shapes into one so i could move them all around without messing up the alignment. I enjoyed this exercise, as now i feel i understand how the program works. the screen shot below shows the stack.
Modelling part two Boolean operators
for this exercise, i will use one 3D shape to ‘cut out’ and ‘ mold’ another shape. to start the exercise, i used the create tool to make two objects. a rectangle and a cylinder. i will use the cylinder to cut a hole through the rectangle.
I started by placing the objects in the position which i wanted to make the cut. from there i selected the compound objects of the rectangle and the i clicked on the Boolean tool. I have a screen shot of the positioned shapes.
I then used the pick operand B button. When i selected the cylinder, the result was the shape was cut through the rectangle. I have pasted a screen shot of the work, below.
As you can see from the screen shot, i managed to cut a clean even hole through the middle of the rectangle using boolean.
There are a lot of Boolean functions that can be used for cutting and making shapes like union, intersection, subtraction (a-b), subtraction (b-a). These can all be used in different scenarios to create differnt shapes.
Modeling techniques part 2
Because we had some power issues in our labs for the practicals, I didn't have any saved copies of the work I had done in the class. I had to redo some of the exercises as they were required for the assignment.
This week in the Labs, we worked on editing the polygons, and Boolean operations. We were given some notes to follow and we followed them step by step.
We started of with a house exercise so we could get used to using the program.
I started off by drawing a rectangle, and them i added some polygons to it. i then changed it to edit poly in the modify tools tab. i tried a few of the tools to manipulate the shape until i settled with the polygon tool. when u select some polygons using that tool, you can shape the roof by pulling them vertically.
I then started to add the doors and windows of the house by deleting different polygons. i have a screen shot of the final project below.
The next exercise was to deleted a polygon from a shape and then recreate it using the add a poly function. the screen shot below shows the deleted polygon.
The next part was to create a new polygon . I achieved this by clicking on all the vertices of the polygon in a clockwise direction. the screen shot below shows the polygon i created using this technique.
The next exercise was to create edges using vertices. I just marked the areas where I wanted to insert the vertices on the edge. After I clicked create and then i had some vertices. I have included a screen shot of the project.
This week in the Labs, we worked on editing the polygons, and Boolean operations. We were given some notes to follow and we followed them step by step.
We started of with a house exercise so we could get used to using the program.
I started off by drawing a rectangle, and them i added some polygons to it. i then changed it to edit poly in the modify tools tab. i tried a few of the tools to manipulate the shape until i settled with the polygon tool. when u select some polygons using that tool, you can shape the roof by pulling them vertically.
I then started to add the doors and windows of the house by deleting different polygons. i have a screen shot of the final project below.
The next exercise was to deleted a polygon from a shape and then recreate it using the add a poly function. the screen shot below shows the deleted polygon.
The next part was to create a new polygon . I achieved this by clicking on all the vertices of the polygon in a clockwise direction. the screen shot below shows the polygon i created using this technique.
The next exercise was to create edges using vertices. I just marked the areas where I wanted to insert the vertices on the edge. After I clicked create and then i had some vertices. I have included a screen shot of the project.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Week 1 mood board
The assignment is creating three models inspired by a scene in star wars. To get the assignment started, i have decided to create a mood board for all the possible influences for my model. I have added some pictures below of some of the designs i have in mind.
I will use all these images to create some model's for my animation.
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spaceship concept
I found some images of the original star wars vehicles from the internet /that I have pasted below. /
Image Source Page: http://www.jeffcarlisle.com/node/297 accessed on 10/10/2012
I found one vehicle that i will try to model from star wars. its from a scene where they are in the woods chasing each other on speeder bikes. the image of the vehicle is below.
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