The Stream of Conscience

Trek is done!

2009-01-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

Finished in the Filmic Sense anyways. Now months of marketing and whatnot will occur rapidly!
I've attached my favorite out of date poster in celebration.
(I know that I'm a few weeks behind in the news but ah well)

My Render View Nuke Tree

2009-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Just a quick few screencaps of how I've setup my render tree in Nuke to make a slap comp preview for my renders.

I have to render the body, the head, and the hair separately due to some technical issues.
This means that I need some way to see the image as a whole and get an idea of the "look" of the character.

Enter: My nuke quick comp. Everything is setup in maya and it renders via a quick script to the directories and file naming so that I can just launch Nuke and view!

Annoyed wth the Use Background Shader in Mental Ray? Use the MIP_MATTESHADOW!!!!

2009-01-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

I hate sometimes how the useBackground shader in maya just doesn't translate my depth maps the way I like in Mental Ray.

Because of this I sought long and hard for a solution.
Turns out that there is one with the advent of the lovely "hidden" mip_matteshadow.

As part of the mip shader collection that is included with Maya 2008 onward, these hidden Production shaders can be lifesavers.

They're hidden mostly due to not yet being fully supported but its easy enough to create.

Just type
createNode mip_matteshadow;
and you'll have a pretty new node to work with!

Give it a go.

I've included images of the output and the commands with this post.

Things to Remember when connecting SSS to other Mental Ray nodes

2009-01-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

Some people tend to forget that when you use the fast sss material with other shaders (ie: Nexus, mia_material_x, etc) that you NEED TO HOOK UP THE LIGHTMAP NODE to the other shader.

Here I've detailed 2 easy ways to hook the lightmap into the nodes.

After the connection is made you can visibly see the shader swatch update with the effects of the sss kicking in. (or just render and see)

Hope this helps!!
-B

Batching Rendering the Luma Nexus Shader

2009-01-08T16:00:00.001-08:00

If you're looking to export your frames using the Nexus shader to something usable (batch render) then you may notice that sometimes NOTHING comes out.

As the build of the shader that I'm using is a little buggy, there are some settings you need to turn on to get the frames to render output.

Make sure the Contact sheet option is disabled (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't).

Start your batch and if you have settings that match mine on the left it should work.

Then have fun comping!
(maybe I'll show my shading network for Nuke soon)

Pose Test

2009-01-08T15:43:00.001-08:00

Quick pre-skin test.
No real pre-multing on the edges
but its only my own "render view" type
image anyways.

Hair Update

2009-01-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

Grey Background: Comp Test
Black Background: Straight Render

Hunter Facial Reconstruction

2008-12-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

There wasn't enough base topology for the model to be used in close shots.
I'd decided I'd have to split her head off and figured I'd resculpt it while I did.
Now I've got to find a way to reduce the render times from 30 mins a frame.

More Facial Shapes

2008-12-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

Facial Rigging (Extreme Expressions)

2008-12-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

I've begun to setup the facial rig for the Hunter character as well as added detail to her face in order to really push a bit more specular and overall realism.
I'll be mixing this with a 32 bit displacment, bump, and normal combiner network from maya to create blending in the rig that retains the stretching in pores and whatnot as the rig animates.

I've included a few examples in this post of some of the expressions the mesh is currently hitting.

EDIT: Added new render with re-generated maps for the new mix network.

EDIT: Newer shapes added in newer post.

SB

2008-11-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

Reformatted boards...added more direction..should be good enough.
Rough sketches..will refine come time (if necessary) to make keys.

Rough Boarding Hunter/Angel

2008-11-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

quick render of the statue with color maps only (haven't specced or anything yet)

Lighting up

2008-11-28T17:21:00.001-08:00

The scene comps together well enough..now to get the mix on things color and spec wise.

I'm using my canon point and shoots movie mode to do a track for creating hand held motion in this shot.

Still need to figure out exactly how to post video and I'll add the shots.

The Hunted (WIP) Cathedral Interior Update 3

2008-11-27T00:47:00.000-08:00

Started with volumetrics as well as finished the back wall.

I'm starting to feel the shot finally.
Its going to need a boatload of work still and some more fill but it seems to be coming to life.

I have a feeling I'll have to build a secondary set in order to really push the "altar" scene. (sigh).

This one is weighing in at around 1.8 million polys with cleanup.

The Hunted (WIP) Cathedral Interior Update

2008-11-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

I've finished the main archway to the point that I can start testing scene assembly but I've hit my first bump in the road. At 3.7 million polys for the shots below I'll have to start some decimation of the structure in order to finish modeling other portions of the interior.
I may bite the bullet and build the scene as a fore,mid, and back comp as well (columns should work to break the form with no issue).
Uv mapping is done as well.

For a somewhat lackluster rainy day I've at least hit a milestone. =)
Now to finish the rear wall and start lowering the poly count.

The Hunted (WIP) Cathedral Interior

2008-11-24T23:30:00.000-08:00

I'm currently aligning the planets to make this puzzle of archery fit together.
There is something inherently beautiful, I think, in the elegance of an ambient occlusion pass.

The Hunted (WIP) Brunswig Statue

2008-11-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

A reproduction (with some minor changes) of a statue from the Brunswig Masoleum in New Orleans...It will be placed inside the set of the Angel/Hunter piece.

I have completed the textures...but will not render the shaded model until the rest of the set is further along.

Old Stuff (AKA Randomness)

2008-11-24T00:21:00.000-08:00

Older stuff...
Mostly quick sculpts

Tinkerer's Workshop

2008-11-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

This jolly fellow stars in my second simultaneous project (working concurrently with the Angel/Hunter project) with a more toonish feel in style.

He's a fellow in a world I created a long time ago and here we are introduced to him in the most novel way.

He's a very dear fellow to me and he loves to laugh (something I need to do more).

-Brandon

The Hunted (WIP) HUNTER

2008-11-24T00:00:00.001-08:00

Here we have the Hunter.
I'm still working her skinning but she's getting there!

The Hunted (WIP) ANGEL

2008-11-23T23:34:00.000-08:00

Well I'm starting on (mostly along at this point) creating a scenario that came to me in a dream and morphed into this typical cg fluff scene and am going to take the piece (if possible) to a series of final cg renders.

What follows are a few images of the two hero characters for my idea. I hope to show more thought process as this blog evolves in the hopes that I can make this thing informative as well as a showcase of current work.

Here we have the Angel. The chase is afoot and the Hunter wants nothing more than to finish what she started. We'll see how far she's willing to make that go on her quest to capture the un-attainable.

-Brandon

Setting this thing up

2008-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

Pardon the construction..figuring this thing out..

Anyways,
I'm starting this thing up (rather late) due to being buggered to get a website.

I unfortunately never have had the time to buy a host and start things going so I hope this serves in the meantime.