Mid 1700's - 1800's room - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 02-06-2007 , 03:14 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

Mid 1700's - 1800's room

Im going to attempt to model a clean mid 1700's to early 1800's room. Ive started with a Lantern, Clock, and fountain pen in an ink thingy. Anyone have suggestions on what to create next on the table? Ill start making the surrounding objects after the tabletop objects are done. Or comments on how to make my current models better? Im not looking to make this photo realistic, just pretty dam cool. Help and comments are highly appreciated as always! The texture on the wood is just there to say that its wood, i haven't started the table texture yet. Heres a sample render of what I have so far.
user added image

Yay, not a freshman anymore!

Quote

# 2 02-06-2007 , 04:23 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007

Location: TN (USA)

Posts: 1,889

I know you had the lantern hanging earlier but now that you've got it sitting on a table, just don't forget to put the handle back down, hehe.

Couple of ideas: A partial letter as if it's half way written and a pair of spectacles (the tiny ones). Maybe instead of a pen you could try modeling a quill (feather like pen). Also, I know you havn't textured yet, but when you do, I think wood surfaces had more of a dull look than glossy back then.

Don't be satisfied with what you can do but rather strive to do the things you can't do!
Exceed Expectations!

Quote

# 3 02-06-2007 , 06:11 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

Heres some updates with some of your suggestions. I added in an old letter, some ink splotches, confederate hat, glasses, and created the tabletop texture! I also put down the handle of the lantern :p Thanks for the help. I dont know how id go in making a feather for a quil pen though.
user added image

Yay, not a freshman anymore!

Quote

# 4 02-06-2007 , 06:32 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: my house!!

Posts: 261

Originally posted by kinddoggofwar
Heres some updates with some of your suggestions. I added in an old letter, some ink splotches, confederate hat, glasses, and created the tabletop texture! I also put down the handle of the lantern :p Thanks for the help. I dont know how id go in making a feather for a quil pen though.

Originally Posted by

You could try using paint effects to make a feather and just convert it to polygons and change the colors. Or, you could be professional about it and model the whole thing. Just duplicate each little one of the fletchings.

sparticus

Expect to excell...

Quote

# 5 03-06-2007 , 10:52 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007

Location: TN (USA)

Posts: 1,889

Wow, nicely done. Wasn't expected updates like that so quickly. I think the hat was a great idea too. My wife is seeing it too and she also likes it.

As far as the quill, you could model the shape of it and then make an alpha map to use for the transparency. That way parts of the edges are transparent so it looks like feathers. I don't really know how to explain it any better and I don't have any experience with alpha maps. I just know how they work at this point. Perhaps someone else can explain it better if you've never done it before.

Don't be satisfied with what you can do but rather strive to do the things you can't do!
Exceed Expectations!

Quote

# 6 03-06-2007 , 01:12 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

Thanks alot! That makes me feel good about what im making!
Ill attempt to make a feather, doesnt sound to hard, just time consuming (compared to its use) so ill add it in a little later on. Right now I just tweaked and added a couple things. I didnt do to much today, i was fairly busy. Ive just got to make a new leg for the wardrobe/borough thing. Tomorrow ill begin to model a musket to place on top of the wardrobe/borough thing. Do you have any suggestions on how to make this stand out as a 1700's room? Besides the quill pen that ill model soon.
user added image

Yay, not a freshman anymore!

Quote

# 7 03-06-2007 , 01:29 PM

Jr.Who

Guest

Posts: n/a

It would be sweet if you could make some smoke dynamics coming from the cigarette.
user added image

Quote

# 8 04-06-2007 , 10:15 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

Actually thats a pen, im going to be making a feather for it soon. In this new render I added a BlunderBust, an early form of the shotgun used at Civil war times. Ill be relighting the whole scene once im done too get a darker look, since the civil war time period wasnt exactly a joyous time.
user added image

Yay, not a freshman anymore!

Last edited by kinddoggofwar; 04-06-2007 at 10:36 AM.

Quote

# 9 04-06-2007 , 05:10 PM

Senior Software Developer
Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Livingston, Scotland

Posts: 1,701

You have a real cartoon feel to this render... The edges of the desk and dresser are too beveled and not sharp enough..

The Blunderbuss needs to lie on its side, no weapon can sit on its side like that.

The glasses look like sunglasses and need to have raytracing enabled to allow the distosion of the papar under it.

The cap seems to be floating a little...

Good work, just some tweaking to be done. i suggest using Mental Ray as a render to minimise the toon look.

Chris (formerly R@nSiD)
Twitter
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will truely know peace - Jimmy Hendrix

Winner SM VFX Challenge 1

3rd Place SM SteamPunk Challenge (May 2007)

Quote

# 10 04-06-2007 , 05:17 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Sweden

Posts: 326

As I have just dabbled a little bit with alphas (doesn't make me any good at it yet) I can share what I've learned so far.

The basics is alphas are greyscale maps. 100% black is transparent, 100% white is opaque and you can get semi transparency with greys.

1) Learn from the pro's :p
Michael McKinley has done two tutorials on Alpha masks. One with how to set up image planes in the free video tutorials section or through his website (www.mtmckinley.net) I forgot which. I highly recommend this one as it explains technique. How maya works etc

The other video was through simplyphotoshop when that existed. This video is also good because it shows what alphas can do. Concepts.
Found it: https://www.simplymaya.com/movie_page...html?tut_id=93

2) Learn UV unwrapping. You will have total control where things go. Very controlled painting.

3) Images are complex yeah. I found it helpful to look at ref and convert ref images to black and white to remove some of the complexity. Colour is just distracting information. A black and white shows the outline and characteristics better. Find any feather image and B&W it and study before you paint your alpha mask.

4) Patience. They are finicky and tricky. Persistance is what will get the job done. I should have spent more time with the alpha maps. Feathers I believe can be tricky to paint. Both hard edges and the wispy qualities and overlaps.

Currently working on reclaiming Space
The Salvation Prophecy

Last edited by AlphaFlyte; 04-06-2007 at 06:20 PM.

Quote

# 11 04-06-2007 , 08:44 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2006

Location: Rotterdam, Holland

Posts: 197

Nice setting

But 2 remarks

The gun is lying/standing a bit weird.
The relection on the white of the clock should not be there imho.

Gr
M

too_tough_to_die@mac.com (AIM)
Always up for a chat !

Quote

# 12 06-06-2007 , 12:38 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

Ok heres an update, i need to redo the clock texture though

user added image

Yay, not a freshman anymore!

Quote

# 13 06-06-2007 , 12:43 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2006

Location: Rotterdam, Holland

Posts: 197

Great!

I had just a crazy thought.
Maybe you could put the clock on the cabinet, with the gun put upright against it.
on the table you leave the rest, with the candl lit?!!!!

Gr
M

too_tough_to_die@mac.com (AIM)
Always up for a chat !

Quote

# 14 06-06-2007 , 02:58 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 354

I was thinking about doing that, but it would leave too much empty space on the cabinet thing, and a candle would be unnecessary since i already have a lantern in the scene :/
Heres an update, fixed some textures and illuminated better.

Attached Thumbnails