NEED HELP!!!

# 1 21-10-2003 , 06:56 PM

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hi,

i am student and have to create a little maya animation.
Therfore i need to create a sky and and a desert surface, but i really have no idea how to do that.

I found out the option called 'environment sphere' in the hypershader window and someone told me to try out that option but i really have no idea how that works.

So what i need is a tutorial about creating an environment sky.
Is using the option 'environment sky' the best way to create a sky?
My planed animation should take place in an desert szene. So the sky i need should also look like a real desert sky.

The second problem i have is the desert ground. Can anyone tell me how to build a realistic desert?

And remember i am a maya newbee.

thank you for everyone helping me !!!

Sebastian

user added image

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# 2 21-10-2003 , 07:59 PM

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Could you provide examples (images) of what you mean?

...and that is how I saved the world.

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# 3 21-10-2003 , 08:08 PM

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sure:

have a look on that link:

https://www.synthetic-images.com/index2.htm

press the menu bar "tutorials" on the left and then look at the pic on top.

this is a lightwave tutorial but i am not able to use this in maya.

That landscape looks really nice.
i need something like that. More in a way a wasteground looks like.

i would like to place an old train in my animation riding into that landscape and driven by an flour sack :-)

the objects are all finished but i still need the landscape and the heaven.

Last edited by pulp2310; 21-10-2003 at 08:15 PM.

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# 4 21-10-2003 , 08:22 PM

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so you need something like:

user added image

Let me look through his tutorial and if I can figure out the way for you to do it in Maya I'll let you know.

...and that is how I saved the world.

Last edited by dockode; 21-10-2003 at 08:25 PM.

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# 5 21-10-2003 , 08:34 PM

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yeah!!! perfect!!!

THX !!!!

but the back should not be an image plane, i need something like a sphere. someone told me to create a sphere, put a sky texture on it and flip that. An other one suggested me to use the option "environment sphere".

I don't understand both options :-((

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# 6 21-10-2003 , 10:13 PM

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Please note I just threw this together in like 30 min so it does not look like much. I will leave it up to you to design your scene. But it does what you want... Okay... here we go.

Warning!!!

This will most likely consist of several posts:

First create a Poly Plane (If you don't know how I think this project is a little too advanced for ya user added image

)

Now in the attributes editor set its width to 5 and length to 5.

Next set the subdivisions to 50 for both width and lenght.

With me so far?

This will create a plane which you can use for your desert surface. To make it a little more like a desert you can apply a bump map or a displacement map. But if you need a quicker way use the sculpt polygon tool to make your dunes.

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...and that is how I saved the world.

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# 7 21-10-2003 , 10:19 PM

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Let's continue:

Now you will have to change the color of your plane to a more sand like one. I leave that up to you.

Next:

Create a sphere and set its radius to 2.5.

Go to the Edit Polygons menu and reverese the normals under the Normals menu.

I hope you got that...

Now: Create a new material (Lambert for ease of use) and set the color attribute to a gradient ramp. Make a light blue to slightly darker blue color.

Set your camera inside the sphere for you shot... and of course remember to put a light inside the sphere!!! ( I used a point light )

Finally render your scene.

This is what I got in about 5 min work.

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...and that is how I saved the world.

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# 8 21-10-2003 , 10:22 PM

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This should allow you to animate your scene without looking odd. It provides a constant sky so you can do your animation. Mess with it until it's perfect for you.

If you need more help let me know!

OH and this was only to give the idea of how to do it. I'm sure the size of the terrain and sphere will turn out different for you! And i'm sure your going to make it look like more of a desert I only did this to show you the path to how to do it. Hope it helps!!!

...and that is how I saved the world.

Last edited by dockode; 21-10-2003 at 10:34 PM.

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# 9 21-10-2003 , 10:47 PM

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great...

thats really nice, but i need a perfect landscape because i will get a mark on this animation.
my idea was to put some stuff (cloud, particles, dry grass, tree stump, straw balls, brushwood...) onto the landscape and the sky to make it a bit more atractive.

but really fine so far...thanks a lot !!! good job!
that helps me, i will try these tomorrow.

would you please be so kind to extend this tutorial for me?

Last edited by pulp2310; 21-10-2003 at 10:55 PM.

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# 10 21-10-2003 , 10:57 PM

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Could you make a storyboard of the animation and post it?

I personally haven't learned particles in Maya so I can't help with that. However as far as clouds are concerned you could try a texture. Instead of a gradient ramp.

If you need a full desert tutorial that might take me some time. I don't know if you have the kind of time need to wait around for a tutorial from me alone... user added image

If you mean to be more detailed than I was in the creation on the desert and sky ball then I would be more than happy to put more details online. I could also give you more tips on things you don't know how to do. user added image

Also if you could post an image of some of the objects you made I might be able to get a better Idea of how to help you.

...and that is how I saved the world.

Last edited by dockode; 21-10-2003 at 11:45 PM.

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# 11 21-10-2003 , 11:33 PM

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-->If you mean to be more detailed than I was in the creation on the desert and sky ball then I would be more than happy to work on a tutorial and put it up online. I could also give you more tips on things you don't know how to do.

do you mean that we could work together in that tutorial?

we could do that, but the problem is:

when the project is finished i will hand it out to my professor.
and be sure he will search the internet for finding a tutorial of this project. and that is the problem. if he will find it i will fail.

ok, the storyboard so far:

there ist a wasteground landscape...the sun burns....

you see a rail.... on this rail is a handcar driven by a cowboy flour sack (wears a belt with a pistole) :-))

on the rail is another flour sack fettered (it looks like an indian) :-)

cowboy tries to drive over the indian with an squeaking handcar , but will only hit the Indian.
he rides back and try it a second time... but this time he rides faster (the handcar squeaks louder and faster)

this time he made it!

due to the airflow of the handcar some dust appears.
after that the indian flour sack will be divided in two parts:-))

we don´t know how the story will end so far...

ich you would like to have same pics i could send them tomorrow
(but as i just said i would like to avoid to put so much parts of the projekt here in the internet).

of course we can made that tutorial public but only after after i got mark in february. otherwise it is to risk.

--> I could also give you more tips on things you don't know how to do.

thanks, i will make use of it.

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# 12 21-10-2003 , 11:42 PM

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Lovely... I like that story. I hope you put it online after you get your grade.

I understand what you mean about your grade and copying other peoples work. So lets not make that tutorial then.

I think if you put your name on the pics your professor will not be bothered if you post them here for me to see.

If you need more help I can put it on this forum just tell me what else you need to know about that desert scene.

...and that is how I saved the world.

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# 13 22-10-2003 , 12:24 AM

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Might be a weird question but how long have you had classes in Maya for an instructor to be that demanding with little knoledge?

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# 14 22-10-2003 , 04:15 AM

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does your professor not answer questions? He does "teach" right? user added image

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 15 22-10-2003 , 12:40 PM

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hehe,

my professor has no qualifications in maya !!! Thats the main problem...

we could choose between lightwave or maya... i descided to use maya. :-))

we have 2 moth to complete this project!
ists the first time that we are working with maya/lightwave :-((

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