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My Project: Brash Lonergan adventures - Warning AI Discussion Possible

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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    Thanks for the encouragement, Mike.  I really encourage anyone considering modeling in Carrara to check out your tutorial.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited October 2016

    Speaking of excellent inspiration and learning through the teachings of Mike Moir, I can never forget his lead within the Carrara Community Movie Project. I knew that I'd be wanting to revisit those posts, so I'm glad that I had the foresight to save this:

    ► The Carrara Community Movie Project
    This is a consolidation of CMP links

    Within that is an index to various threads. The one in particular, related to this thread, is 

    Carrara Community Movie Project - Modeling start for assets
    Okay, guys and gals.
    Here is a watch model that we can start with , it doesn’t have to be this exact watch but something simple like this would be good. This is a learning process too so post your progress and ask questions if you need to. Happy modeling and we look forward to what you come up with. cheese
    Cheers. - mmoir

    ...and within that is this stuff from page 3! 

    Mike makes this gorgeous head, followed by the rest of him, for use to learn how to rig and animate. I still have a few copies of him saved - versions of my attempts at rigging - each pretty decent - but it also led me to the idea that I'm not a rigger. While I think I can get down and turn out a really good rig - my interests towards what I Want to do lies elsewhere! ;)

    But these CCMP pages are interesting. I feel that they hold the key to why I lost interest in the project, but also hold many keys to things that I love about the whole thing.

    Mike Moir always being part of what I really enjoy about it - same with many others, like 3DAGE, Wendy, Roygee, Antara, Headwax, diomede... there are a lot of really fun people here! With a lot of really fun ideas and lessons!

    Back to inspiration from Mike, that page I've linked to also includes some links to some cool videos on modeling heads, these two being my favorites:

    That particular CCMP thread is also the one which has 3DAGE's super-awesome Carrara Watch, and Roygee's Gold Coin!

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited October 2016

    Andy's watch still gives me chills how real it looks! Great model - Great Render! Roygee's Kruger Rand, too!!! Yikes that's great work!

    It's absolutely amazing how well designed Mike's Man model is. He looks just fantastic, doesn't he?

    diomede's work reminds me a lot of this kind of quality. Great job man!

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    Here is another discussion of topology.  The focus on this page is preparing for limbs that bend.

    http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Limb_Topology

    warning -  a few triangles

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,238
    edited October 2016

    Thanks for the link diomede! Interesting and helpful.

    Another tip I learned is to angle the loops surounding the geometry where you want it to bend. I made a quickie example where the first "elbow" has straight loops, the second "elbow" has angled loops (and I got sloppy so there is an unnatural bulge, sorry), but you can see it "collapses" a little but better, could be near perfect with some adjustments and fussing maybe, but I'm pretty lazy so I just created a morph for the last image. But like I said, the "rest" position of the angled loops is pretty lame looking, but I think you get the idea. You can do this for any bending joint area, angle those loops to minimize ugly collapsing. Hope that makes sense...

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    Post edited by DesertDude on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623

    Check this out!

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,996

    wonderful work diomede

    good to see someone using Carrara in this way

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,238
    Dartanbeck said:

    Check this out!

    Thanks for the link Dartanbeck, but now I havemore questions than answers. This is in reference to the link Diomede provided above to Limb Topolgy http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Limb_Topology

    In the link you provided, I see a Corrected Morph applied when the limb bends and the bicep bulges slightly - nice. But when the limb is bent, the upper part of the forearm just goes crashing into the lower part of the upper arm where the bend occurs. Is this something animators just ignore? I'm asking seriously, because if so I have been wasting an enormous amount of time and angst trying to get such a bend, with corrective morphs and weight mapping/painting and hours and hours of trial and error to  get a nice perfect bend.

    For example, if I stretch my arm out like a classic 'T' pose, then start to bend it at the elbow, say 90 degrees, my "muscles" (...lol) sort of push out a bit at the elbow. If I continue to bend my arm at the elbow inwards towards my body, I can bend it...what 160 degrees or so, and my limb folds up nicely, the lower arm "pushing" more on the upper arm, but my flesh and muscles don't cross over each other.

    Just curious how others handle that...if at all.

    Thanks

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,289

    joint controlled morphs

    and I have no idea how to do them

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,238
    edited October 2016

    Thanks ToeJam, I think you are confirming what I have suspected, that elbow bends and knee bends etc. get some extra "clean up" with corrective morphs. And Carrara seems to make it pretty easy to create such morphs, but maybe doesn't have nifty "joint controlled morphs" like DAZ Studio, which I have never even installed. I recently acquired Fenric's Carrara ERC plugin so I am hoping I can drive a morph with the rotation of a bone using that. I did some more experiments over the week end trying to create better geometry for an elbow bend, with weight painting and morphs, but my results were still kind of sloppy looking so needs more work. I'll post something if I get a decent helpful result.

    Post edited by DesertDude on
  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    If you can get your head around ERC, it is a powerful tool for linking the bend to morphs like you suggest.  Or you could always avoid bending more than 90 degrees....!

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    DesertDude said:

    In the link you provided, I see a Corrected Morph applied when the limb bends and the bicep bulges slightly

    Right. That video shows how to make the JCM (joint controlled morph). I thought he also mentioned (no time for me to check today) how to 'hook them up' according to degree of angle, etc.,

    So we can make as many of these as we want/need. For example, when the joint is bent to 160, then this morph fires, etc.,

    ERC would be great for that, now that it's mentioned. The JCMs are so straight-forward to make... I'll have to break into ERC for Carrara one of these years! ;)

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182
    edited November 2016

    This is NOT my "from scratch" model. 

    Haven't posted in this thread in a while in part because I have been modeling props.   This is the genesis 2 female.  However, it is a futuristic space official with some moxie (subtle expression from I13).  This figure should not to be confused with our heroine, Moxie, who has brown eyes and slightly darker skin tones.  I was actually just testing using a character with black hair and black shoes aganst a backdrop with Dart's Starry Sky.  I am pleased with the result in that using global lighting from the background channel did separate the hair and shoes even though the backdrop had so much black in it.  Credits include Dart's Starry Sky, Naomi's 5 Times a Lady hair, and Addy's Valerie skin maps.  Both had shaders adjusted.  The outfit was modeled in Carrara and converted to a figure with Daz's transfer utility.  It was made for a previous monthly challenge and is intended to look similar to Judy Jetson's outfit.

    g2f version of moxie with Dart's Starry Sky background.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    Great chracter and clothes!  I think that modelling from scratch is very admirable, but using Daz characters where they fit in (and modifying them as required) makes a lot of sense for the one man band, otherwise you could be there until Doomsday just modelling characters and not progressing your story, which is actually the main thing.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623

    I love it! Looks great!

  • mindsongmindsong Posts: 1,701
    edited November 2016

    I am *sooo* glad you bumped this thread! I missed it entirely - even after using the forum search to find 'Carrara and NPR' - search is useless... back to google to search DAZ eh?

    Great thread and nice character/outfit! After munging meshes recently, I appreciate good modelling all-the-more!

    tnx,

    --ms

     

    Post edited by mindsong on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623

    Man... remember the old forum search? It was killer! All these different functions to choose from to help whittle down the search

    Agreed... Wonderful Thread!

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    Starting 2017 with a little inspiration, a marathon of the vintage Flash Gordon serials with Buster Crabbe - while doing a little modeling.  Well, until I go to brunch where I can catch some football (American).

    Happy New Year.

    .

    Flash 2.JPG
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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    I started over for the cyclops-ostritch.  This one has wings.  After watching the first couple segments of PhilW's animation tutorials, I realized I've been grouping my meshes and skeleton bones less than ideally.  If I start over, I will be able to create and save NLA clips for my custom figures.  The "fit to" button even appears, so I will be curious about that.

    .

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    yy02 test reder cyclops 2.jpg
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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182
    edited January 2017

    Took another shot at modeling a generic head.  This is meant to be the base for random character actors, not the leading man and leading lady.  Getting better in some ways, but worse in others.  Can't afford to get rusty.  I am much happier with the ears this time.  And I kept the number of polygons down.  This can easily be morphed to fill crowds and background characters.  My very own Lorenzo Lorez, so to speak.

     

    As always, suggestions welcome.

     

    jj01 face test render edge flow.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145
    edited January 2017

    Definitely a nice ear and not an easy thing to do.  While I commend your endeavour in creating your own characters (and please undrestand that this is in no way a criticism), could you not just use Lorenzo/Loretta Lores characters and move more into the story telling? I know that there can be an awful lot of work in that area, without having to build all your characters from scratch. But if that's what you want to do, don't let me stop you!

    Post edited by PhilW on
  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182
    edited January 2017

    Thanks for the encouragement, Phil.  It is definitely easy to procrastinate by doing busy work instead of working on the stories.  I've been working on the first story but won't reveal too much right now.  It might have been Tim who was asking about the sci fi ship.  Yes, I am modeling the interior of the ships to fit multiple ships.  See, one way to do inter-star-system travel in my sci fi world is to buy a ticket for your compartment (a cylinder shaped pod that fits in larger ships) and then install your compartment in a star-system ship when you arrive.  Brash only has two very small and shabby rooms to his compartment.  One is combination office, sleeping quarters, wash room, galley, etc.  His bed rotates down from the ceiling.  The other room is for restraining prisoners and storage.  Moxie, on the other hand, travels in style compared to Brash.  Her compartment has three rooms including an office, a kitchen/den, and bedchamber/bath.  These compartment can then be the standard sets no matter where they go in the universe!

     

    The first story is an old fashioned water rights conflict with a nice twist about what fits the definition of water.  (H2O - easy, right?).  And swamps mean plant monsters!

    ee01 brash assets.jpg
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    ee02 brash render.jpg
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • mindsongmindsong Posts: 1,701
    edited January 2017

    lol

    "Thanks for the encouragement, Phil.  It is definitely easy to procrastinate by doing busy work instead of working on the stories."

    you got my number there... Tho' I recently read that procrastination is also a way of letting ideas and plans gel in the background, and often result in better plans, etc.

     

    With that as a basis, I've certainly got a lot of gel in my head... Not sure most of it's grey, tho!

     

    Your story sounds interesting! Stop procrastinating! (heh)

     

    cheers,

     

    --ms

    Post edited by mindsong on
  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    Sounds like you have some good ideas and some level of customisation is a good thing, so that your work stands apart from others. Just that you could spend years making characters and sets and never actually get around to putting the story together!

  • FifthElementFifthElement Posts: 569
    diomede said:

    My very own Lorenzo Lorez, so to speak.

     

    As always, suggestions welcome.

    Good job buddy, getting better and better, I always thought that original story is always bettter with original characters ...

    Seeing StoneMason's models and canned Victoria's with swords and dragons and same motion files used over and over again in so many different stories told is a bit stale.

    As a 3D modeler I always remind people that modeling characters (or anything else fot that matter) in itself is an art and it's just like sculpting in real life and it can have its own "story", so model away, I't cool to watch your skills grow smiley

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    Thanks, 5th, MS, and Phil.  I am planning to have some time set aside at the end of January to really dedicate myself to a variety of tutorials and research - not just Carrara (actually, almost all outside of carrara).  Then I have another long block of time set aside in the second week of February to dedicate to my projects.  Something will emerge.  Ominous.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,182

    Adding this from FifthElement so I don't lose track of it.

    Here is some modeling tips I learned long time ago:

    http://graphics.pixar.com/opensubdiv/docs/mod_notes.html

    Hope someone finds them useful smiley

  • VyusurVyusur Posts: 2,235
    diomede said:

    You saw it in the Carrara forums first, LOL.

     

    I am going to use this thread to share and to get advice on my Brash Lonergan project.  I will be posting everything from models, uvmaps, hair tests, render setting tests (toon and NPR engine), page layouts, maybe animation tests (not sure if want to do animations also but might) etc.

     

    I have always wanted to create adventure series set in space similar to some of the vintage frontier westerns. Not interested in photoreal approaches.  But, I'm also not interested in the kind of toons that have three fingers.  And despite the fact that I know it is a waste of time to create my own figures instead of making a genesis body morph, I want to do it anyway.  I did a one page example in a Carrara monthly challenge.  So, here we go - fresh start.

     

    I am creating new base male and base female low poly meshes.  Here is the base male with 1250 polygons.  The head has no features and is easily detached to be replaced by another.

     

     

    The mesh and it's topology are beautiful, Diomede. Don't stop, I think your character has great prospects!

  • mindsongmindsong Posts: 1,701
    diomede said:

    Adding this from FifthElement so I don't lose track of it.

    Here is some modeling tips I learned long time ago:

    http://graphics.pixar.com/opensubdiv/docs/mod_notes.html

    Hope someone finds them useful smiley

    That looks like an amazing wealth of info. Damn there's a lot to learn!

    whew,

    --ms

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,238
    diomede said:

    Took another shot at modeling a generic head.  This is meant to be the base for random character actors, not the leading man and leading lady.  Getting better in some ways, but worse in others.  Can't afford to get rusty.  I am much happier with the ears this time.  And I kept the number of polygons down.  This can easily be morphed to fill crowds and background characters.  My very own Lorenzo Lorez, so to speak.

     

    As always, suggestions welcome.

     

    Yes, that is looking great diomede. That ear looks fantastic!

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