maya | modeling | animation

Nov 1, 2007

Layered Shader

Layered shader

Create your phong, blinn or whatever and map the color with the blend colors utility. It has three parameters: blend, color1 and colo2. Now, map the checker onto the blend parameter, and map the textures you want under color1 or color2. you will see one texture on the white boxes and the other on the black boxes. It's easy and fast to do if you want to mix a couple of textures via an alpha channel.
If you want to go deep ... you can map a second blend color on the color1 or color2 ... so you have three textures, mixed with two alpha channels. But if you want something in this way, I recommend you the layer texture utility:

open hypershade and create->utilities->texture->other->layered texture.

This is an interesting utility because it's full of utilities: add, in, out, substract, over, lightning, ... and it works in the same way that layered shader works. The output of this texture can be connected to any channel of your phong, blinn ... with just drag and drop.

Haloid

How many of you like to play Halo? How many of you like to play Metroid? How many of you would like to see these to games collide? Well this guy made a killer video. I believe he designed all the characters and animated them himself. The sounds he did as well. He basically did the whole video. I want to do something like this. I need more skill though. Check it out..

Animated Shaders with MTOR

Heres a good tutorial thing that deals with shaders. I know that a few of you are haveing a little trouble with shadeing and lighting so this might help you. I know i have some trouble with it so it might help me as well check it out. http://www.highend3d.com/maya/tutorials/rendering_lighting/renderman/Animated-Shaders-with-MTOR-197.html

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Bone Mapping for Joints

Heres is a good layout of how to do joints in a dragon. It might help a lot of people with animating characters and putting joints with in them. The dragon/characters have to be made first in order to have a layout for the joint paths. Just check it out... http://www.highend3d.com/maya/tutorials/character/227.html

Wow.. Maya at Good Use

Wow.. i didnt know hat half these scenes used maya or any other type of animation program. I thought some effects were actually real. Check these out.

Free shaders

This site has a nice collection of shaders and textures available to download. I haven't browsed the entire collection, but it looks like its mostly stuff people have uploaded. I recommend taking a quick look through for some easy material grabs, could save alot of time.

Beowulf

Hi,
So when I first saw the trailer for Beowulf, lets just say I wasn't all the impressed. I mean does the world need more Angelina Jolie? Seriously folks, she's so 2001 (Tomb Raider was enough). Back to Beowulf, from the trailer it looked like just another hopped up 3d FX intensive movie. So, I promptly shoved this movie to the back burner.

Then came along the recent issue of Wired. Beowulf is going to be released in 3D! Hmmm, intriguing. I haven't experienced a 3d movie since, hmmmm, Capt EO... Disneyworld? Michael Jackson? Circa 1986.... Anyhow, Its been a while.

According to the article, there is no red/blue lenses, it uses polorizing lenses and the digital process removes a lot of the headache inducing stuttering. So needless to say, I'm actually finding myself excited to experience Beowulf in 3D. Damn you clever marketing.

Now, true, there has been other 3d movies out recently, Meet the Robinsons, some IMAX crap, but this is full blown action/fantasy/sword/monster romp. I'm enticed to see what they can do with surround sound, immersive digital envirnments, and I regret to say, Angelina Jolie....

In the EV program I have been exposed to simple 3d environments created by students and I can't wait to put on the glasses and see what millions of dollars and a movie studio can do with the technology. I have great hopes for this film, if not for the acting, for the process and implementation of 3D technology.

-Jerad

PS. Here is a link to the company that is doing the VFX for the movie.

Oct 11, 2007

Blanx

This link will take you to the website of Blanx, which is a studio that does work in commercials and such using 3d animation and other digital effects. I recommend taking a look at their showreel, its a fun ride through their work and worth the few minutes it takes to check it out.

Beginner animation

It is a simple animation but it like me because has many interesting things, as the one to deform the robot and it looks like water it is very nice.

Gladys Villar

Caustics and Mental Ray examples

This clip was cool to watch. It is of minimal animation with mostly lighting effects. I thinks its interesting how lighting alone can change the feel of the entire scene.

I saw a few examples in here that the caustics and mental ray tutorials went over. I think that having the reflection of the object and the refraction of its light adds a whole other element to the scene.

bathroom textures and lights

Amazing stuff

Final Fantasy has been famous for their innovative animation and realistic CGI since 1997, when Final Fantasy VII came out.

Their newest relase Final Fantasy XIII is due to come out soon for the PS3 console and its sure to look even more amazing than all of its predecessors. I really have no clue as to how to even begin attempting to create characters like these. It seems like a great combination of mapping, texturing, and lighting -not to even mention modeling- but as of now it is way beyond my comprehension.

The image above, its an example of the movie clips they insert throughout the game to help the story move along, and the image to the left of this, is an example of the gameplay graphics.

If you're into RPG's, definetly check out this game, and if you like detailed modeling, its a must see.

Take care!

~Roddy

Oct 2, 2007

Tomek Baginski - "Fallen Art"

Hi,

Here you can see the short film by Tomek Baginski "Fallen Art". With this short he won the first prize (Golden Nica) of the Ars Electronica Festival in the section "Computer Animation / Film / VFX" some years ago. Very good.

Best,
Julio

Mayang's Texture Library

If you click on the title of this post you'll be taken to Mayang's free texture library. Its an excellent place to look for realistic texture samples to use as launch points for making textures in Maya. The files are large, so you have a lot of pixels to work with, and its completely free. You are limited to only downloading 10 full size textures every day, though. Check it out!