Major Project - Hand and Gloves

My process of making the gloves. The hands where first sculpted in Zbrush to give me a base for the position of the gloves. Gloves where then sculpted over the top and retopo'd in Topogun. The whole process has taken over a week and still need to fix a hole in the index finger. I wanted to model all the details into the glove as to practice modelling, and I think the inside of the palm is not correct, but still happy with the result.

Below is Sol so far. The base mesh is nearly ready to take back into zbrush so I can start on all the details for my texture maps and get him ready to take in substance painter to make the maps that I need and paint him up.

Major Project - Hard Surface Retop Test

Trying to figure out how to retopo the helmet, I made a basic render to see how smooth I could get the geometry. It's not quite there yet, as need to make edges sharper in certain areas. But he is starting to look quite cool actually rendered in Maya and not Zbrush.

@ Alan - Shoulder Topology

Hi Alan, Do you think the shoulder and armpit topology will work like this, I'm trying to keep the sharp lines of the shoulder pads, but it makes a pole right in the middle of where the armpit will bend. 

Major Project - Final Snood Test

The last test I needed to do for Sols head, was to make sure I could skin the snood as a separate peice, so have the ability to take of if needed. The only thing I worry about is that the snood will not follow the blendshapes of the face when they are plugged in. But as this is all about learning, I'm excited to see if it works or if it does not, and then plan a alternate method if this way fails. 

Major Project - Model Template

I have worked out the major forms, though still not happy with the boots and bottom of trousers, so this is subject to change. But knowing how the head and helmet work together, I can get working on rigging the actual head.

Though this is a zbrush model, the topology is not high, I want to use this to test certain pivot points on the rig I intead to use. then can I start retopologising and texturing the model.

Major Project - FlexiPlane Rig

Used a tutorial on digital tutors to make a flexiPlane, so that I can have a bit more control in my characters limbs. I do remember a student using this last year and saying that if you do a scene cleanup it deletes nodes that are used and breaks the rig, so need to speak to Alan about this and what is needed. But really interesting to make and all works OK at the moment.

Major Project - Sculpting

Still got alot of bits to make, like gloves, helmet, chest plate and textures. But the base is starting to get somewhere, and not just a floating head.

Major Project - Eye Rig Test

Before I start on my actual model, I wanted to see how my geometry for the eyelids behaved, and if it needed to be altered. I chose to do this test now, as if I hooked up all the blendshapes for the rest of the face and then the eye did not work, it would of cost quite a bit of time.

I have only rigged one side, and not really smoothed the skinning to much, but it does seem to work and there is quite a bit of flexibilty to the rig, there are some extreme moves that a eye would not do, but just testing to see. Also the movement is quite floaty but for a test I'm OK with that. I will put all my workings up when I do the final model, but this was quite taxing to do and wanted to concentrate on making it work before I try to explain.

Major Project - Crit Presentation

Mayor Project - Spacesuit Exploration

Trying out different colour comps for the spacesuit, I want everything to tie together so that the logo and text can appear on the spacesuit and if needed in the animation and not look out of place. 

Im liking No.1's colour scheme and more simple design, but please feel free to let me now your opinions, if your care to do so.

Major Project - Spacesuit Design

Designing spacesuits, there is a couple I like, but still needs a bit of work before I colour up. I have also started to think about the branding for the animation. My story idea has change slightly, and plan to get the story board up soon.

Major Project - Boot Proportions

Before actually designing the spacesuit of the character, I wanted to check that chunky moon boots would work with his proportions. I have placed placeholder boots and clothes over the top to make sure it all ties up. I think it works, so will go back to pencil and paper and make him look more like a astronaught.

Major Project - Blendshape Tests

I have roughly made all the blendshapes today, some are pretty ropey, but I still want to see how they effect the mesh once rigged. I enjoyed doing this, but have to say, trying to model faces is a real challenge. The next stage is to try and figure out how to rig these in. I also need to sort the file, as 5 of the faces have the incorrect background.

Major Project - Blendshapes

I wanted to learn how blendshapes are used to rig the face, so have been using Mudbox to quickly sculpt some shapes and see how they behave, though there are a lot of shapes needed for a face.
I am not spending too much time on them, as will use the Jet pack Jones rig, but I want to know how this works and the pros and cons.

Major Project - Space Helmet Exploration

Trying to figure out the process of making a space helmet. I need to sit down and design the look on paper, but this process could work and needs no retopology as has been box modelled, so should work straight out of Zbrush.

Major Project - Skinning Test

Skinning test to see if the mesh created, was to complex for my level in skinning, but to block the weights and do the first pass of smoothing was pretty simple. So has made me want to try out the eyes and the mouth and see how they behave.

Major Project - Mouthbag

Still needs a bit of tweaking, but getting somewhere

This took along time to get the teeth in, I just hope it works correctly.

Major Project - Sol Character Proportions

Workings on the proportions of Sol, though you wont see his body, is a fun way to work it out and a good base to place the space suit over. I initially went for five head heights, but have shrunk the body a little, to make him look less of a adult.

Major Project - Topology

                                                Zbrush                                                                    Maya 

I have busy trying to work out how you get a model out of Zbrush and into maya. After testing out a few different software packages, I found Topogun the easiest to use, however retopology has to be the hardest puzzle to figure out. The model is no way perfect, but I think I have put the problem areas in places you cant see. I plan to take this back into Zbrush and tidy around the eyes, lips and ears. then see how all the maps behave on the mesh. 

Material Test

Testing the Arnold materials from last weeks class to try and make some translucent plant pods that has some organic entity moving about inside. The shaders can do the job pretty well, though spheres have just been used at the moment for testing. However, I'm having problems with the shot cam, as its not rendering the composition I have chosen, and the DOF is just not working at all, Have tried all different distance settings and aperture, but no cigar.

Minor Project - Character exploration

storyboard for initial idea - will not be using

Displacement Map

Major Project- Concept Painting

I have got a little stuck on the narrative side of the project, so thought I would try a little concept for the main character to see if it sparks anything. I wanted to try and use Zbrush as a concepting tool, as its really quick and gets you thinking about the form thats needed.

Major Project - World Ideas

This is not a story board yet, I was just letting ideas flow today and see what shapes happened and try to  figure out the world I want to set this animation in. 

Basic Plot, spaceman (named 08) crashlands onto alien planet, has to drag his damaged space module to try and find a power source to get back off planet.

I quite like the idea of the rocky mountains actually being alien titans that have been turned to stone for a reason that you find out at the end of the animation, making walkways and bridges for the spaceman to walk across on his adventure for power.

Major Project - Emission Test

A quick test to see if I could get the emission channel to work, is a bit crudely painted, but seems to work in the render out of Arnold.

Major Project - Alien Tomb

Testing shapes to try and make a Stonehedge type alien tomb. Same process as previous displacement tests, but as this is abit more of a complex shape, there is a few distortions on the UV cuts.

Displacement Test 02

Carrying on from yesterdays Displacement test, wanted to see if it worked on a bigger scale and create a rock arch. I quite like the result, though need to study real world rocks a bit more, so I can try and style them abit better.

Displacement Test

I have been trying to figure out how far you can push Displacements maps in Arnold - Thought it would be easier just to try a Rock and see if the angles would hold. I don't think its to bad, but there are some odd artefacts on places that i'm not sure how to correct at the moment.  But from the original SubD mesh, i think has potential.

Spacesuit

I have been trying to do a sculpt in zbrush every evening, most have turned out really bad but this one seemed to be getting somewhere. But run out of time so will move onto the next.

Nice Little Find - Frazetta

Going to Antique fairs for abit of inspiration, sometimes pays off.

Year 3 - Minor and major project

I was thinking about putting my adaptation B project on hold, as I feel, there was too much to handle for a 8month project, with all the characters and assets that would be needed.
So my thoughts are about working on a idea I had over last summers break. it would only have two characters, so feel it would be simpler to do as I really want to focus on modelling, rigging and textures.  It would also expand upon the visual look of the  ‘Invasion’ film  and certain parts of the script to screen project that was created last year.

The Idea is of a astrounought that has crash landed on a hostile planet and needs to find power some how, as to power his space module to get back of the planet. I do want his space module to try and be a character of sorts as he has to drag it behind him, so can get him into trouble rolling back down hills and such when his rope breaks. similar style when when ‘Walle’ is acting a fool in the Pixar movie. I would like the animation to be called ‘Drag me home’.

I was inspired by a animation that was put on the CAA blog called Escape, that I thought was such a cool idea, and quite a simple in term of story ’apart from the 30 people it took to complete the pipeline’ but the whole look of the film is quite a visual treat.

Here are the sketches that where created last year, to give a little feel of how I see the world, but if the idea is good to go, I want to develop slightly as have different ideas for characters and story.

Road Test

Test to see how to make a racetrack follow a hilly-ish terrain - Similar to the Isle of Man TT.  

Xgen - Hair Test 6

Been trying to learn how to create hair in Xgen. These workings, are my way of figuring out the software. There is alot of screengrabs and little notes which I have made, but I am still unsure if this is the correct method, but I think the results are getting there.