Super Powers - VFX Challenge - desktopepics

desktopepics (desktopepics) has entered the challenge: Super Powers - VFX Challenge

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




I thought the deadline was March 12th and I'm rushing to render what i have .. then oops! Checked again and it's the 18th. I'll need those extra days to make error adjustments and render. I'm a little late entering, but this has been a wonderful learning experience regardless.

Most of the animation is done, just halting by the 700 frame mark. Now is a matter of tweaking for more realistic lifting in areas. No plugin's were used in this.

Oh, and what makes lifting a car 'super'? Well, I figure since the car represent a real thing we all associate with, in our minds we already can judge the weight and likely known issues with doing such a feat ... thus your mind already helps my animation out with physical properties. This is all really a fun experiment for me to understand how to make it look real.

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




I thought the deadline was March 12th and I'm rushing to render what i have .. then oops! Checked again and it's the 18th. I'll need those extra days to make error adjustments and render. I'm a little late entering, but this has been a wonderful learning experience regardless.

Most of the animation is done, just halting by the 700 frame mark. Now is a matter of tweaking for more realistic lifting in areas. No plugin's were used in this.

Oh, and what makes lifting a car 'super'? Well, I figure since the car represent a real thing we all associate with, in our minds we already can judge the weight and likely known issues with doing such a feat ... thus your mind already helps my animation out with physical properties. This is all really a fun experiment for me to understand how to make it look real.

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




Thank god for the deadline extension. Nuff said.

What's going on is I totally swapped out the original character I was using for Mr. Peter Starostin's Lowmax now that I got put on to where you fella's copped it! (And all this time I was struggling with bip this and bip that!)

Anyway, what your looking at is the evolution of a potential animator. When I started this project, I kept saying what i was doing SUCKED oh mighty high. I didn't like the way the character moved. I was convinced in spurts over the way the car was lifting ... but not completely happy.

Then I sat back and studied 70% of SimplyCG net from soup to nuts ... detail by detail the Tyson Workflow thread ... and decided it was time to find my most comfortable workflow ... well, 'flow'. Doing it the Tyson way (Center of Gravity first, then legs) was a killer cause my internal sense of timing was off when the waist was all over the place prior to feet.

So I found a happy medium and I'm currently carving out what i do to get my work done. I'm working on this other lip sync thing and said, 'why not add audio to this one, too?' (Prior version was silent ... thus probably lead to more of my ire).

Found this audio from ThunderCats, or at least the edited-out version, that had me rolling! It's Lion-O trying to say something important then he just cracks up. Too funny.

Anyway, through all of this, I am learning timing, anticipation, lip syncing, a workflow that permits me to do so many seconds of animation within a two-three hour period (and ways to pick up my pace). The sample you see I did in three 1/2 hours this evening, in-between eating, getting my daughter to bed and listening to my wife say something I'm certain I forgot.

With the deadline extended, I can take my time getting the little 'things' done that you pros will likely see right off the bat. Until then, enjoy and I found a new home here at simplyCG.

Next updates will have the guy turning to face the camera after the lift (thus turning the car hopefully) and cleaner footsteps (if possible) and a touch of lip sync.

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




Today's work finished off the basic walk-thru of the character approaching the car, giving his shpeel, lifting it and adjusting to the weight. Added the camera motion because, quite frankly, I was too lazy to make the character turn himself and the car to face the camera's original static position. Gives more life to the shot anyway.

Discovered VRAY today! Not that it was used in this rendering (it would have tacked on an extra 10 hours of rendering time for just some tests). The final will be Vray'ed out!

Now, why in the heck does the light seem to shift as he's moving? More stuff to learn ... Next day will have some lip sync. i know I promised that before, but my wife had me shoveling snow, going out doing things ... she was like, "Sorry buddy ... no animating in peace."

Comments, concerns complaints would be cool.

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




Okay... this is sort of a two part update. As mentioned, I'm learning, like, at this RAPID pace a series of things: animation (of course), lip-syncing, physical weight, expressions, yadda, yadda, yadda ... and I really have no business trying to enter this compeition with the likes of Hype, Cameron and the rest of the regular guard eyeing me carefully ... but why not ... you gotta get torn down to get built up! So let the ripping begin.

I've got light problems. I now believe my lights are casting shadows of their own and the 3ds gremlins are moving them without keys (or something) ... what? You never seen 3DS gremlins? Don't look at me that way ...

So I'm making that my last possible repair job. Now, don't go and reply with advice ... THANKS, but this is a compeition, afterall. Let me sail, sink or suffer on my own until the end.

This update has the lights positioned in the same spots but this time rendered with V- (took 10 hours for the same render, grrr) Ray ... and behold, no light problems. Go figure.

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




Now, this is update part 2. If you check the last updated file (moments ago in time), I used Vray to render it and the light issue vanished ... the light issue being they seem to be casting shadows.

This update goes back to scanline rendering, but this time lip-synced. I've got some work to do still, but I'm running out of time I can devote to this project, so I'm calling it 90% done. Tonight will be last official update (or tomorrow, to be honest, cause Vray is gonna, like, take forever) ... but worth it.

Thanks for this opportunity to challenge myself on multiple levels. This is my first 'completed' animation in a LONG time (can you say 3DS version 3???).

This entry has been updated.



------------------------------------------




That's all folks! Thanks for checking out the progress. I'm as done as I can be.

HYPE!...Your D&D was AWESOME! Seriously, made me get all weepy inside ... but I sent you a PM with full thoughts on the matter. Anyone reading my ramblings should check the link in prior update, replied by Hype, and see the movie he created.

Rendered in VRay.
Volkswagen by Dosch 3D
Character: Peter Starostin's Lowmax
Audio: An edited clip from ThunderCats (Lion-o)