Birthday Project

# 1 17-01-2009 , 12:23 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

I haven't finished my last one but here it goes...
This is a small tribute for a friend

This is what I've done so far:
user added image

Some NURBS balloons with sss fast simple shader.
C&C please

And two questions:
*What's the best way to create strings? Anyone ever tried this?
*Can I use dynamics to make them arrange themselves naturally? Will it be easier then doing it manually? Thing is I want to create a dozen balloons more or less, and I need this one by a deadline (21st).
Thanks in advance,
Benny

PS
I'm having strange problems with Maya's render window not saving images (It creates blank image files)... I'll experiment with it tomorrow. now it's printscreen and paste into paint...

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Last edited by BennyK; 17-01-2009 at 12:28 AM.

Quote

# 2 17-01-2009 , 11:52 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

Some progress:
user added image

I decided learning dynamics for this project will be a waste of time... Just arranged the balloons manually.

I still need help with the strings though. I thought about creating a small low poly cylinder but it doesn't look too good...

BTW, I can't save an image to .png for some reason... .tiff works fine. Anyone knows why this might happen?

Thanks in advance,
Benny

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Quote

# 3 17-01-2009 , 03:17 PM

Maniacal boy king of Babylon
Join Date: Aug 2005

Location: the netherlands

Posts: 1,605

" I decided learning dynamics for this project will be a waste of time"

Most of the time learning never is user added image

You could do the strings with a dynamic hair curve and extruding a nurbs circle along this curve?
If you really want to save time you can use a sampler info node connected to a ramp for transparency, reflectivity etc. instead of SSS,I've tried SSS a couple of times now (emphasis on tried)and i can say to you that unless your a Gnomon apprentice or a maya god it will take some time to get it right with all the variables, likely more then the days you've got so i would fake it (maybe even with translucency etc) and make sure to get the movement of the balloons right.(use turbulence fields and stuff like that to get the irregular movement.
Also do the test with only one balloon and if it looks right duplicate it and change a setting slightly(upping the mass etc)

Good luck user added image

My website;
https://www.eyellem.com

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/martin-van-stein/42/a81/b82

Yoda post;
https://forum.simplymaya.com/showthre...highlight=yoda

Indiana Jones Post;
https://srv01.simply3dworld.com/showt...threadid=29188

Quote

# 4 17-01-2009 , 03:32 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

Thanks mastone,

Most of the time learning never is

Originally Posted by

I know that but I don't have enough time for that right now.
I haven't quite understood what you suggested but it sounds like it's supposed to be an animation. I'm going for a still image so I'm only interested in how to model a string.

I started experimenting some more but my computer works like s*** so I'm currently trying to fix some issues...

Benny

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Quote

# 5 17-01-2009 , 03:59 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

you could use the cv curve tool and make the profile of the string then make a nurbs circle and shift select the curve and the circle and extrude. Then you scale the circle down until the curve is the size of a string. Then you can give it an string texture.

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: string.jpg
Views: 317
Size: 73.1 KB
ID: 41263

Last edited by banksta; 17-01-2009 at 04:10 PM.

Quote

# 6 17-01-2009 , 04:00 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

step 2

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: string1.jpg
Views: 311
Size: 60.4 KB
ID: 41264

Quote

# 7 17-01-2009 , 04:08 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

step 3

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: string2.jpg
Views: 328
Size: 66.0 KB
ID: 41265

Quote

# 8 17-01-2009 , 04:09 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

step 4

hope this helps you out

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: string3.jpg
Views: 325
Size: 64.9 KB
ID: 41266

Quote

# 9 17-01-2009 , 04:11 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

when you have the string the size you like delete history.

Quote

# 10 17-01-2009 , 04:13 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Illinois

Posts: 364

oh you can also make the output of the string a polygon when you extrude so it will be easier to texture then smooth it.

Quote

# 11 17-01-2009 , 07:32 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

Thanks, That's useful...
I had no idea i can do this with two curves...
I'll see what I can get with it and post some progress soon.
Thanks again,
Benny

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Quote

# 12 17-01-2009 , 07:36 PM

The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: London

Posts: 2,381

just wondering if you have lights behind your balloons? its just that i don't see much sss happening. user added image

Quote

# 13 17-01-2009 , 09:36 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

I have a couple of lights, not directly behind the balloons but I have a back light there...
I don't know too much about sss but I thought it would be the right approach.

banksta: That trick didn't work... ended up creating the strings from polys. This time I applied a texture with varying transparency ans specular color. Still needs refinement though.

Here's a rough sketch:
user added image

Lots to do yet...

I found out the problem with saving the file is actually caused because the sss shader has 0 alpha for some reason user added image

Can someone post a tutorial on sss? Google turned up with lots of pretty much useless stuff user added image

. I remember seeing one in highend3d but it seems to be down right now.

Thanks in advance,
Benny

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Quote

# 14 17-01-2009 , 10:07 PM

Level 32 pachyderm
Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: England

Posts: 1,859

I think you need a bit of transparency on the ballons

https://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/as28g11/

Quote

# 15 18-01-2009 , 01:08 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: IL

Posts: 738

I'm currently going over the SSS tutorial on Highend3D and I have a question - Can I connect all of my sss Materials to one shading group?

And one more thing: It says there -
"Light Linking Mode' - This is a common parameter on Mental Ray material shaders. Mode 0 means all lights are included in shading the object. Mode 1 means that specifically connected lights are the only ones used. Mode 2 means that specifically connected lights are the only ones NOT used. Mode 0 is the fastest to render."

what are these 'specifically connected lights'?

Thanks in advance,
Benny

When in doubt, delete history and freeze transformations.

My latest snake game
(Requires DirectX9 SDK and Framework)

Last edited by BennyK; 18-01-2009 at 01:12 PM.

Quote