QUIRKY, HUMOROUS, FAST AND FURIOUS: Fabulous Prizes! WIP Thread:

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  • AntaraAntara Posts: 444
    edited December 1969

    Thank you, Andrew!!! Yes, that does help a lot! Thank you!

    I hope you find a moment to answer my rules questions as well, since I really like this challenge idea and the only free time I might be having before the deadline is likely to be this weekend.

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Pleasure Antara

    ! :)


    Questions:
    About Rules:
    1. May we use objects which came with scenes which came with Carrara? (terrains, plants, objects included in the sample scenes, etc.)
    2. May we use objects which are presets or edited creations from Plant, Cloud, Ocean, Hair and other Carrara editors?
    3. Do either of the above count as content?
    4. May we use objects which we ourselves create or modify or partially create in other software? are there any restrictions on those?

    Good question. In this chalenge I think that it's best to stick with:

    a) Objects that come with Carrara (found in your Browser Objects Folder: From Aircraft to Writer.) ‘
    So anything that goes from Aircraft to Writer

    b) ONE item of non “humanoid” CONTENT.

    c) ANYTHING you made yourself, in any quantity.

    So the answers to question 1 would be 'sorry no."
    The answer to Question 2: Yes you can use any of the editors to make your own work, as long as they are not presets.

    The reasoning is that if we use the premade scenes etc then we are not learning to use those aspects of Carrara.
    The reason I chose the objects Aircraft to Writer is that most of them need "some" work to make them usable.
    It also means that users of all levels have access to the objects.

    Answer to question 4 "certainly, but it's best to stick with Carrara, as this is a Carrara Challenge" (insert wink here)

    In general, the idea of the challenge is to become familar with different parts of Carrara, show what you have done, and so help ourselves and others to use Carrara in a better way.

    Thankyou for the kind complements. Unfortunately I still have a fair way to go on Uveeing the horse. At the moment the uveees are a simple cylinder but in an ideal world I would break down body, legs head etc and splay them on their own maps. I havn't got to grips with Carrara uvees yet!

    cheers

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  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    I'm finally getting around to working on motion blur for my "fast and furious" entry, and discovered it doesn't work the way I was expect it to. Rendering motion blur for a still frame blurs the object in motion *continuously* so that if the main object is in motion and you want to simulate it being "fast and furious," then you really can't see the object distinctly in the blur effect.

    To get around this, and to still create the condition for great speed, I came up with overlaying multiple still images taken with different blur intensities. The base layer is the object without blur with increasingly long blurs added on top with the opacity toned down more and more.

    I've attached a sample of this.

    Has anyone come up with a better (or different) way to create this effect? For a complex scene, the technique I am using here will increase render time substantially.

    Hi Fractal it is looking good as is.
    I had a play, the best way is to render out different stills and combine them in post.
    You could also render the object with different degrees of visibility as well. usually by itself, then combine in post.
    My attempts follow. I blurred it with motion blur in PS, then copied everything into one layer and softened it a little (blur then use Screen parameter)

    Dust would help in mine i think, plus my ground needs to be blurry too.

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  • AntaraAntara Posts: 444
    edited December 1969

    Thank you.

    To double-check:

    Does "no, sorry" to my Q#2 mean that we are NOT allowed to use objects created with Plant/Cloud/Ocean/Hair editors within Carrara? (because those objects are by nature just varying edits of an "all-zeroes" preset that opens up when you load a plant/cloud/ocean etc. object.)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    ManStan said:
    Just seeing what I have to work with.
    "You put NOS in a what?"

    heh, you made me spill my coffee stan : )

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Antara said:
    Thank you.

    To double-check:

    Does "no, sorry" to my Q#2 mean that we are NOT allowed to use objects created with Plant/Cloud/Ocean/Hair editors within Carrara? (because those objects are by nature just varying edits of an "all-zeroes" preset that opens up when you load a plant/cloud/ocean etc. object.)

    Hi Antara, sorry to be so obtuse!

    Sure, yes you can use them! Best to stay away from the premades, that's all.
    I edited my original answer to make it clearer. :) :)

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • evilproducerevilproducer Posts: 9,050
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    Antara said:
    Thank you.

    To double-check:

    Does "no, sorry" to my Q#2 mean that we are NOT allowed to use objects created with Plant/Cloud/Ocean/Hair editors within Carrara? (because those objects are by nature just varying edits of an "all-zeroes" preset that opens up when you load a plant/cloud/ocean etc. object.)

    Hi Antara, sorry to be so obtuse!

    Sure, yes you can use them! Best to stay away from the premades, that's all.
    I edited my original answer to make it clearer. :) :)

    That's good, because I need me my volumetrics!

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    Antara said:
    Thank you.

    To double-check:

    Does "no, sorry" to my Q#2 mean that we are NOT allowed to use objects created with Plant/Cloud/Ocean/Hair editors within Carrara? (because those objects are by nature just varying edits of an "all-zeroes" preset that opens up when you load a plant/cloud/ocean etc. object.)

    Hi Antara, sorry to be so obtuse!

    Sure, yes you can use them! Best to stay away from the premades, that's all.
    I edited my original answer to make it clearer. :) :)

    That's good, because I need me my volumetrics!

    Luxury!

  • evilproducerevilproducer Posts: 9,050
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    head wax said:
    Antara said:
    Thank you.

    To double-check:

    Does "no, sorry" to my Q#2 mean that we are NOT allowed to use objects created with Plant/Cloud/Ocean/Hair editors within Carrara? (because those objects are by nature just varying edits of an "all-zeroes" preset that opens up when you load a plant/cloud/ocean etc. object.)

    Hi Antara, sorry to be so obtuse!

    Sure, yes you can use them! Best to stay away from the premades, that's all.
    I edited my original answer to make it clearer. :) :)

    That's good, because I need me my volumetrics!

    Luxury!

    Necessity!

  • 0oseven0oseven Posts: 626
    edited December 1969

    headwax

    can we replicate our one item of content
    or would you then count that as more than one and disqualify?

    when will we stop asking so many annoying questions ?

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    0oseven said:
    headwax

    can we replicate our one item of content
    or would you then count that as more than one and disqualify?

    when will we stop asking so many annoying questions ?

    ha ha not annoying, it's my fault for trying to set limits on the challenge :)!!

    better to just use one and not replicate if that's okay ???

  • bighbigh Posts: 8,147
    edited December 1969

    Boom Town 2013

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  • 0oseven0oseven Posts: 626
    edited December 1969

    Youv'e just killed my winning entry !!! but it's ok - I follow the rules
    thanks

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    0oseven said:
    Youv'e just killed my winning entry !!! but it's ok - I follow the rules
    thanks

    sorry :(
    the month is still young though

    : )

    bigh, love your sardonic sense of humour :)

  • bighbigh Posts: 8,147
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    0oseven said:
    Youv'e just killed my winning entry !!! but it's ok - I follow the rules
    thanks

    sorry :(
    the month is still young though

    : )

    bigh, love your sardonic sense of humour :)

    thank you - :-)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    Ha ha no trouble. Yours is like mine but I think yours is more direct :) And I am always getting into trouble from mine :)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Well we have just finalised this month's prizes with Mr DimensionTheory, this month's kind and generous sponsor!

    Yippee !!! smiley times ten here

    So in addition to DAZ' coupons already mentioned we have DimensionTheory's magnificent:


    1st Place: Monterey HDRIs for first place: http://www.daz3d.com/hdr-prosets-monterey

    2nd Place: Cloud Nine Atmospheric Clouds: http://www.daz3d.com/cloud-nine-atmospheric-clouds-for-carrara

    3rd Place: Skies of Terra Volume One : http://www.daz3d.com/skies-of-terra-volume-one


    These are all superb pieces of engineering. If you know DimensionTheory's attention to detail and his artistry you'll realise what wonderful prizes these are.

    So thanks again DimensionTheory :)

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • VarselVarsel Posts: 574
    edited December 1969

    I went digging in my harddrive and found something that I started on way back in 2005.

    It started out as that yellow beetle model....

    Maybe I should try to make this one fast and furious...
    Clean up the model. It has a lot of n-gons, and other errors...
    Maybe chop it..
    A proper jet engine.
    Some bling-bling wheels.....

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  • SockrateaseSockratease Posts: 813
    edited December 1969

    Here's an Old One, but it's still my favorite use of pre-supplied content I ever made.

    I did a full "Movie Poster" - but that made even more use of outside content (this one only uses 2 bits of other content - Scott Ayers' Godzilla, and Moroccan Dreams). The Carrara Content was an Apollo Rocket and the Mecca model (and a plane with a stock shader for the ground).

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  • FractalDimensiaFractalDimensia Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Varsel said:
    I went digging in my harddrive and found something that I started on way back in 2005.

    It started out as that yellow beetle model....

    Maybe I should try to make this one fast and furious...
    Clean up the model. It has a lot of n-gons, and other errors...
    Maybe chop it..
    A proper jet engine.
    Some bling-bling wheels.....

    Nice idea, Varsel. Stretch beetle!

  • FractalDimensiaFractalDimensia Posts: 0
    edited June 2013

    head wax said:
    Hi Fractal it is looking good as is.
    I had a play, the best way is to render out different stills and combine them in post.
    You could also render the object with different degrees of visibility as well. usually by itself, then combine in post.
    My attempts follow. I blurred it with motion blur in PS, then copied everything into one layer and softened it a little (blur then use Screen parameter)

    Dust would help in mine i think, plus my ground needs to be blurry too.

    Head, thanks for the advice. I'm working on this approach to see if it is any better than what I got so far....

    Another question:

    Suppose I import an object, but I HEAVILY modify the object, basically leaving the underlying object the same (i.e., a motorcycle modified is still a motorcycle), but it is significantly altered (much like Varsel's beetle).

    To what extent must an imported object be modified before it no longer counts as "content"? Or if I import an object, does it still count as content no matter how much I modify it?

    I'm cool with the answer to the second question being "It is still content." Just trying to understand the limits of what the word means....

    Post edited by FractalDimensia on
  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    Varsel and Socratease, now that is getting into the moo ....d :) But where is the cow!

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Hey Fractal I hope it works okay,

    as far as the question about content?

    RESTRICTIONS: You can use:

    1) Objects that come with Carrara (found in your Browser Objects Folder: From Aircraft to Writer.) ‘

    2) ONE item of non “humanoid” CONTENT.

    3) ANYTHING you made yourself, in any quantity.

    CONTENT: Content Definition: something that did not come in your Carrara Objects Folder. It could be something that you purchased or received as a freebie. Anything you made yourself is NOT content.

    So I better say that if a mesh/object contains anything that someone else made, and it did not come in your Browser Objects Folder: (From Aircraft to Writer) and you can see it in your render - then it would count as "Content".

    That doesn't mean you can't use it, just that it would be your one item of content.

    Sorry to be so anal!! Just trying to make it the same for everyone.

    cheese!

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Motmouse, nasa space suit and SR71, just quirking around :) Earth Textures and Cloud alpha map from Nasa site from memory?

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  • AntaraAntara Posts: 444
    edited December 1969

    Wow, there are some great images coming in.

    I have another technical question that I ran into as I was working on my entry. Is this the place to ask or do I need to take it elsewhere?
    But the question itself is this:

    I loaded one of the objects from the Browser, and the object was composed of several parts. I exported it as a single object in order to rig it, then imported it back and it had several shading domains from the different original parts. All of the shading domains except for one (which used to be spline-based shape before the obj export) were nicely UV mapped, and the unmapped one got collapsed into a single 0,0 dot. I changed the projection method to get it to properly map and saved the object in a new scene. Then I added the textures and all was well, but every time I do anything with the object, the mapping keeps collapsing back into the dot. This happens when I move or morph the object or move the bones I added for the object.

    Is this some known bug? I am using Carrara Pro 8.1.1.12. Was this fixed in a later build?

    Also about 8.5, which keeps expiring: is it worth even trying to use 8.5 if I am not working with Genesis here?

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    Hi Antara, yes ask away here, but I'm sorry I don't know the answer :(
    Maybe will get more attention in a separate thread/??

    The same thing happens when I use Uvs with my hair objects. IE if I put hair on an object then morph that object then the hair goes crazy.
    Might not be related.

    You are lucky to find an object that was uveed! I didn't even know you could uvee a spline object so there you go. Learn something new every day :)

    I am still using Car 8.1 as I can't afford to be a beta tester at the moment.

    so I'm pretty useless as far as the question.

    3dage seems to have good answers re uvees, maybe he will be along?

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • de3ande3an Posts: 915
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    The winner gets to host next month's challenge. I'd also like to suggest that the Host of one Month's challenge CANNOT host the next month's challenge :^)

    Andrew,
    I have a couple of questions about how this is intended to work. I hope they don't sound too petty.
    The winner obviously chooses the theme and rules, and moderates the next challenge. No problem.
    But who solicits DAZ and the various vendors for prizes? It would be nice if one person, with the people skills to accomplish it, could handle this aspect behind the scenes. It's not really something I'd look forward to dealing with. Additionally, if a winner decided to drop out, someone would have to step in to keep the challenges going. In other words, I think we need a Challenge Czar to arrange the prizes and keep things on track.
    (Actually, I'd enter whether there were prizes or not.)

    If the same person wins the challenge two times in a row, how does he avoid hosting the next challenge? (Or was that part meant in jest?)

    Thanks.

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited June 2013

    de3an said:
    head wax said:
    The winner gets to host next month's challenge. I'd also like to suggest that the Host of one Month's challenge CANNOT host the next month's challenge :^)

    Andrew,
    I have a couple of questions about how this is intended to work. I hope they don't sound too petty.
    The winner obviously chooses the theme and rules, and moderates the next challenge. No problem.
    But who solicits DAZ and the various vendors for prizes? It would be nice if one person, with the people skills to accomplish it, could handle this aspect behind the scenes. It's not really something I'd look forward to dealing with. Additionally, if a winner decided to drop out, someone would have to step in to keep the challenges going. In other words, I think we need a Challenge Czar to arrange the prizes and keep things on track.
    (Actually, I'd enter whether there were prizes or not.)

    If the same person wins the challenge two times in a row, how does he avoid hosting the next challenge? (Or was that part meant in jest?)

    Thanks.


    Good questions de3an.

    :)

    I wrote to Daz and asked them to sponsor our first challenge. They were kind enough to offer to sponsor a monthly challenge I assume till we stop having them or things get out of hand etc. They were much more generous than I hoped so I thank them dpubly for that.

    As for Vendor sponsorship, I have written to both Dartanbeck and DimensionTheory and asked them if they were keen to sponsor challenges and they both responded with heart felt enthusiasm. So I can't thank Dartanbeck and DimensionTheory enough!

    My reasoning is, the more publicity Vendors get, the more publicity Carrara gets, the more people can see what can be done with Carrara, the more items of Carrara related Vendor products that are sold, the more Vendors will want to make things for Carrara etc etc. A self fulfilling prophecy as it were. I'm led to believe that Carrara has a lot to offer Content Creators or could have a lot to offer content creators if treated in the right way (not my idea - quoting someone else here). But this thread isn't the best place to go into it.

    I had enough time last month to start the challenge. I don't really have enough time this month (I am working on another book) but heck, if that's what it takes to get it off the ground, then I'm in for another month. If in the next month the winner cannot do the job for whatever reason and the whole bit fizzles out then I am sure someone will take over the role. There's plenty of good people here.

    As far as future sponsorship, then are Carrara vendors here that will get behind us I am sure. Dartanbeck is keen to make more products I know :) :)

    The challenge is great publicity for Vendors - last month we had a combined total of nearly 10,000 views of the challenge thread and the voting thread.

    Hope this answers the question.!

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • FractalDimensiaFractalDimensia Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    head wax said:
    Sorry to be so anal!! Just trying to make it the same for everyone.

    cheese!

    No problem. Just wanted to make sure I got the rules down. =)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,986
    edited December 1969

    thanks FractalDimensia!
    I can even spell your name now :)

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