Bryan Gough
19.8 MB, AVI,
Programs used: 3D studio Max 4.2, Adobe Premiere 6.0, Adobe Photoshop
Models
All models are created using box modelling (no splines). The character models started with cubes (the orc head started as a circle) and their vertices moved around to create the look. They were built the usual way with only working on one side, while the other is an instance (so while you edit the right the left moves in mirror) then welding the 2 sides together when it's complete. The tesselate modifier was added to the character models after the editing was done to thicken them out a little.
Unfortunately due to time constraints (this was a 12 hour render itself) the characters were not given the Meshsmooth modifier, which is why both look sort of blocky during the animation.
The torches are Super Spray particles with a Particle Life texture (which is why they change color).
Landscape with any lighting (water is missing too).
Textures
I discovered I need a lot of practice making textures.
For example my character model textures.
One of the reasons for doing a night scene was that usually amateur animations have way too much light so all the faults stand out move (especially repeating textures). Doing a night animation, mostly it's the lights doing the work as the textures are harder to see.
Guy Skin (This needs a lot of work, especially to put something on the back. Textporter made it beige.)
Orc Skin
To create the textures, first the model was torn apart and laid flat.
Next a UV modifier was placed on the (almost) flat model and a plug-in called TextPorter was used to create a picture which was basically coloured in. The model was then morphed together and the UV co-ordinates with it.
The orc sword also used TextPorter
This used textporter as well. Since it is a square, nothing else had to be done with it.
Bump map for the ground. The mountain range was created by applying this map (found a small version of it, made it bigger/more detailed) using a Displace modifier set to 2000 strength.
Applied to the orcs head. I simply played in photoshop till something looked good.
Lighting
- Lighting is really difficult
To get it all to look right.
A large direction light was set up far away from the action pointing towards the bridge. This was the blue, which was supposed to help simulate night.
Each torch has it's own light source which was slightly yellow and casted shadows. The flickering effect of the light was the result of the lights casting the shadow on particles of the flame.
The orc's (green guy) eyes, the other guy's sword, and the particles of the flame all self-illuminate (doesn't create new light, doesn't create shadows or affect those around it, if there is no light, then it can be seen).
The Water
- The water was a raytracing material at the start, but it added a lot (almost x10) the render time needed for the animation.
Especially in the dark, the
The water still took a lot of computation though. The texture is a semi-transparent texture, using the built in 3DS water texture, this same water textures was also applied to the bump map area as well. The phase of both was animated which is what makes the water seem to ripple.
Bones
- I constructed the bones for the characters with help from Inside 3DS by New Rider
The mesh around the skeletons here was frozen as well as set to see through so that it was easier to control the movements of the characters. The circular objects in the scene are spilnes which I set up to help control the bones (easier to click on a ball behind the mesh then find the right bone)
They are simple skeletons with HI-Solvers to help control the skeleton.
The mesh was then attached using the Skin modifier.
Editing the Envelopes
Unfortunately this can lead to problems of bones grabbing the wrong parts. Such as what is happening to this guys legs
Scene Shots
Render of the cave entrance.
The two larger flames where deleted in the final render because they didn't make sense, and they were taking a lot more time than the other torches.
To ensure the inside of the cave was really dark in the early parts of the animation (before the rest of the orcs show up) a black square was placed in the entrance (with 80% opacity) this square has 0 co-efficients for both specular and glossiness so that no light was reflected.
The square is moved away at the end of the animation to show the orcs inside (easier to move one box than 6 orcs).
The fog is a build in enviroment Max effect, nothing big. I should have animated it's phase though.
Faces
Orc Facial Expressions
I was really excited about getting this to work, too bad there weren't many close ups.
The bottom left face is the real one (the one who seems to be chunkier [it was tessellted to give it some extra mass]). This has a morpher modifier, which holds a list of all the different heads show (which are made invisible during the rendering)
The morpher allows you to change the degree the original face is morphed into the new face.
Facial expression changes
Bryan Gough
Comments (Besides my spelling and grammar)