Maya 2020 fundamentals - modelling the real world
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# 16 22-10-2010 , 10:25 AM
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Cheers Dave, I have a little piece of Geometry sitting on my low poly version for up there which I havn't proxy'd across yet.

And glad you like the texture, I'm pleased with it myself. Still got some more to add to the main body, then I'll map all the extras, like the rotors and weapons and radars and stuff. Then when it's all done im going to try and paint out some of the seams and model little bits of extra miscellaneous detail to cover any problems or, just to make it look better.

Hammer: Yeah, its a pain. I was playing last night with different maps in different slots, it kind of appeals to me more visually with the higher reflectivity, but I know you're right, and I saw it myself too, for a 'real' helicopter, it's too reflective. I will tone it down at some point.


Last edited by ben hobden; 22-10-2010 at 10:30 AM.
# 17 24-10-2010 , 01:00 AM
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Think Ive got an idea which I like ofr the scene/setting. God knows if i'll ever see this out or be able to do it. But the idea thats formulating is thus... The helicopter is going to be on some kind of landing pad, in one of those big sci-fi settings like in The Matrix. The camera will basically pan in an onto the helicopter, then it will start up, and fly away into the distance. Got an idea how to do the background, though not sure whether it will work. Im thinking of basically kind of matte painting, and then, keeping the geometry very simple, break it up to use it as a texture map. Basically like skyscrapers but on their side, as if theres loads of little lights everywhere in the back there. Whether they'll show up as 'lights' im not sure, but im thinking I can screen or linear dodge that layer over itself in AFX or something, to make it more effective. And then I might do a second matte painting to show the outside world to the right, mostly sky but maybe a couple of buildings or something.


Challenge and a half... or just a nice idea in theory...hmm

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# 18 24-10-2010 , 06:13 PM
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that looks awesome, love the texturing done on it!

# 19 24-10-2010 , 06:50 PM
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Yeah great job Ben, looking awesome. Might be worth adding some more of the details around the rotors as these copters have some intricate stuff going on in that area. Keep up the top work though as you are making great progress.

# 20 25-10-2010 , 02:19 PM
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cheers guys.

Texturing is coming on ok I think. I hope I can get the platform to match, cause Im sure Ive tried large panelled surfaces before and Ive found it hard.

Leon: Possibly. Im worried that with another couple of large maps Im going to start pushing my memory limits. Im keen to start texturing the platform, and then, I guess i'll see how long the render time goes up and where best to spend any extra space after that.
Come to think of it, I dont think i'd quite finished modelling the rotor areas anyway. , the rotors arnt quite 'attached' yet.


Last edited by ben hobden; 25-10-2010 at 02:23 PM.
# 21 26-10-2010 , 12:45 AM
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Update of todays work. Mostly texturing the platform. Still more to do with the color and bump also which Ive not really started. Changing my mind about the background again, but figure I'll be best to finish all the foreground elements and get the animation of the helicopter and camera right first so i know how much space I'll have to fill with any BG.

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# 22 27-10-2010 , 05:35 PM
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Got a third large texture map going, with all (almost) the leftover bits and pieces. Maya didnt like it too much at first and crashed a couple of times, but it seems to have got used it now...wierd how it does that...When i first used the new map in the scene the render time went up to about 5 and a half minutes, but its come back down to just over 3 again now. Still got alot more to do with the texturing, want to get base colours on everything thats grey now, and then all go over everything adding finishing touches and highlights and stuff, and extra bump/spec maps if i can get away with them. I added some landing lights into this as (if I get that far) , I'd like to have them in the animation for takeoff, turning on and off on some kind of loop. Not sure how i'll light the final scene if I animate it after what I learned about rendering animations with FG in my phone project.

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# 23 27-10-2010 , 05:55 PM
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Hi Ben
The texturing is tacking over a bit to much could you try toning it down a bit.................dave




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# 24 27-10-2010 , 06:14 PM
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Yeah, I had wondered. I wanted to keep it busy...thinking of like computer game cinematic sequence. But I guess I could lower the opacity/saturation on some of those layers. Once its all finished and textured I'll get round to start thinking about how I'll light and render and stuff and adjust it where necesary then...

# 25 27-10-2010 , 06:33 PM
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presume you mean the textures on the landing platform Dave?

# 26 27-10-2010 , 06:36 PM
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this any better?

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# 27 27-10-2010 , 06:42 PM
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Yes, have you tried a occlusion pass to bring up the detail on the platform...................dave




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# 28 27-10-2010 , 06:48 PM
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Gonna tone down the red stripes on the rotor blades too...


Havnt tried an occlusion pass. I almost went to do one the other day for a test, but, my plan is to render the animation out in diffuse, occlusion, and key lights layers, and then comp them together after


p.s, there was a slight bump on the platform but I took it off to cut down render times while I was working on the colour maps. When the colours are all done, I'll start bringing back in the bump and spec maps as and where needed, depending on how well they work compared with how much they push times up and whether I have the memory to do it.


Last edited by ben hobden; 27-10-2010 at 06:51 PM.
# 29 27-10-2010 , 07:07 PM
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What sort of sysem are you running Ben and how much memery...........dave




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# 30 27-10-2010 , 07:21 PM
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Its 32 bit, Core(TM)2 Quad CPU 2.4 GHZ, 4 gig of Ram.

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