Web Design Template

For my Website Template, I wanted to create a simple side panel, and a top bar which was easy to navigate. First, I created a design out of my initials, using some simple shapes. I wanted to conserve space, so my side panels wont have words until a mouse is hovered over them. The side panels are for my other art, and when they are clicked on there will be a different animation, which will lead to my art page. The body is going to be 3 overlapping panels which will stay on the main page when clicked on, but the body text will change. I haven't created a background yet, but its going to be a simple design

Websites

http://www.earthbrowser.com/
http://waterlife.nfb.ca/
http://www.thisiselectric.com/
These websites all contain motion graphics. The Earthbrowser is an interactive 3d planet Earth. The website is a simulation of the planet Earth, with updated storms. Waterlife has an animated background which was probably made using the animation in photoshop, and imported into dream weaver. When the website is entered there is another animation, which becomes a group of interactive pictures. Thisiselectric also has an animated background which they use to show some of the ways electricity is made. There is interactivity when each of the pannels in the lower left corner are clicked, and each has a corresponding animation.

Rigging Tutorial

Steps
1. Create a body made from cylinders.
2. Switch to Animation.
3.a. Using the joint tool in the skeleton drop down, create a skeleton with the following joints
3.b. Center Hip, right hip, right knee, right foot. Then click another side pannel, and then click on the joint tool again to create more joints.
3.c. Using the steps from creating the right hips and feet, create the left leg and hip.
3.d. create a spine by making a single joint at the top of the cylinder that is the body, from there make a right arm, by making a right shoulder, right elbow, and right hand.
3.e. create a left arm by using the same steps from the right arm.
4. using the select tool, click on the joint, then the channel box/ layer editor and change the name in the top.
5. select both the skeleton and all of the cylinders at the same time, then click on the skin drop down, and select smooth bind, and then apply.

Commercial Project

Battery Commercial
Alex
I had created a 3d model of a robot character for a previous project. The model needed more improvement, so I took a few days to improve it. After, I started to prepare the model for rigging, by hollowing it. Hollowing it was very time consuming, because I had created the 3d model from most basic shapes. Adding a skeleton, and naming all of the joints was the next step. Since the group decided to use motion capture data from the website "carnigiemelonhead.com", each skeleton had to have a set amount of joints with specific names. Combining the data with the skeleton was very tedious and difficult, I had to go back and re-do alot of the model several times. I even used the program "Motion Builder" to render the flv files(which were the motion capture files), to make them work for Maya. When the two combined, certain parts of the 3d model would de-form. After several attempts, I realized that there was no way to stop the deformities, so we had the camera move away during the times that the model deformed. The data that I used was for a jump into back flip, my model was able to backflip, however the jumping sequence could use some improvement.

Kali
I made a 3D model for my previous project as well, and I used that model for the commercial project we worked on. My robot is the one glowing blue and resembles a "monkey". The modeling part wasn't hard, and I used Maya to make the model. But animating it was a different story. The animation process was fairly hard and very time consuming. I had to use a different program called Motionbuilder. The program was hard, but not that hard, just very time consuming. I didn't get to finish tweaking with the animation to the way I want it to be.

John
I put all the files together, created 3d batteries, created a camera path, and added some audio to the commercial. I did not run into much difficulty with the commerial project. I also had to go back and fix any flaws that were seen in t he project. There were some problems such as shader were not showing up in the commerial. So I had to render the frames again in maya and put it into after a ffects. I put togother fight sceene which is the last part of the commerial. There were problem that could not be fixed such as the robot's head was distorted and I could not rotate it's body to face forward.

The past week in Gallery, I have learned alot about using motion capture data. I learned how to rig a model, and parent the joints, and IK points. Using motion capture data is very difficult, it does not always easily work at first, so I had to re-parent a few IK points and joints. The product is alright, it could have been better, but due to time I had to work with what I had.

More Pictures

Commercial Project Pictures

Commercial Project

Power to the Core
For the Commercial project John, Kali, and I decided to form a group. I had created my 3d model with the intenion of using it in the commercial project, and Kali had decided to do the same. For the project I decided to improve my 3d character model. For the majority of the project I was working on my character, and after I had created a model that I liked. After I was finished with the character I decided to work on a title sequence portion. I finished the character in MAYA, and started the title sequence in photoshop by making seporate layers of everything, and then I imported it into After Effects. The title sequence has the name of the company which is "Power to the Core" The product is "Twin Cobalt Batteries"

Kali's part was to animate his robot that he made for his previous project and he made the lab that houses the batteries. He rigged the robot, but he was not able to animate the robot correctly (As you may notice in the video). The programs he used where Maya and Motionbuilder. Kali was new at Motionbuilder and apparently had a lot of trouble animating.

John's part was to create 3d batteries in maya to act as the product being advertised in the commercial. He set the camera path and put the files together on one file. He also worked on the commercial in after effects creating scatter effects, sound effect, as well as making the robot eyes glow.

I chose a coke commercial from the 2010 World Cup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDwRkiHaOfI

These are the two images I designed the 3d model from.

Ironman with Mental Rays and Shadows at 50%

Ironman with Maya Software checked on

Ironman with Mental Ray and Shadows view 2

Ironman with Mental Rays checked on, and a light in front

Maya

For my Maya project I decided to create a 3d model of Ironman. I created the front and side views in photoshop, using the comic cover that had Ironman's first appearance. From there I started to create it in Maya. I decided to go for a cartoonish look, so the limbs arent proportional to a human figure. The first piece that I built was the chest plate which was started from a cube, I made it by moving the vertexes around. After that I started on the upper leg which was started out with a circuler cylinder, the leg was made able to fit into the chest piece for movement. The boot was next, I started with a circular cylinder, I didnt get to give the boot enough area to move to the extent that I had planned. After the boot I had made two cylinders for the upper arm, and forearm. I created them both at the same time so I could try to make the armor have room for an elbow, I didnt get to finish the elbow portion. I had also started a hand, and fingers which I didnt get to finish. I made the helmet with a sphere to start with, I used the face mode, instead of vertex for it. For the shader I downloaded a gold metal shader off of creativecrash.com, I edited the color of the reflection off of the metal. I decided to use Ironman because our next project is going to be a commercial, I am going to put Ironman in the commercial.

The All City Contest

For the All City Contest, I am going to improve my original title sequence. I am going to draw out some word bubbles by hand, add some colors, and other textures to them, then add the leters to them in photoshop, and them upload them to after efftects. I would also like to include some "True Animation" by using a pannel, and creating multiple layers on top of it, with the layers being in motion. I am going to create background images for the animations, and cover. I will also add to after the video, to add a dramatic effect.

The Title Sequence

For my title Sequence I decided to create my own animation, which was about a comic that I created. I first drew out the 2 comic pages by hand, and cover, and then scaned them onto the computer. I had colored in the cover page, with markers, but I decided to edit it in photoshop. The comic pages were not colored, so I colored them in photoshop. After they were colored I uploaded them to after effects. I uploaded both the colored in, and black and white pages. When I was coloring in the two pages I decided to cut the characters out of the panels, and from there I was able to have the characters move in after effects. In after effects I used the page turn effect, to simulate a comic book being read, from there I used the blank scan, then the character appeared, and jumped out of the page. From there I had the two characters jumping at each other, and getting ready to fight. I had uploaded one of the parts wrong, and it didnt show up in after effects the way that it did when I exported the video. After the animations I have the main character flying in with the title, and I also was able to add a 3D sub title using the 3D text. I was able to make 3D text, but at first I uploaded a picture and made it into a 3D layer, but I didnt like the way that it looked, so I shrank the picture, and multipied it, which became the new 3D text.
page turn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czhim02o_7I
3D text
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiiHbm-AX_U

The next big project

For my 3D title sequence,32 n I have created my own 2 page comic book, and cover. The video is going to be like a movie trailer for the comic book. First the video is going to show the comic cover, then the first page is going to turn, and reveal the two pages of the book. Then the camera is going to zoom into the first pannel of the comic. As it zooms into the first pannel, the pannel is going to be the first frame of the animation. The animation is going to show two characters fighting. I have drawn out the comic cover, and two pages by hand. I am going to create the animation using adobe illustrator, and photoshop. Im going to create a folder for the animations, and save all of my picture documents in there. Then when I have finished creating the animations I am going to import them to after effects as a composition.

Ideas

For the next big project we have to create our own title sequence. I am not sure about what I want my title sequence to include, but I am sure that I would like to have some 2D animations similar to those in Casino Royale. A constant theme is another important element that I want to include in my project, the video will be around 30 seconds. I want my project to look a little cartoonish, but be serious. I want the video to start off looking like a comic book cover, then opening up to a page, then its going to zoom into a pannel, and start animating the actions in the pannel. Im going to free draw all of the pannels, and comic book cover, then scan them on to the computer, and start working on it in after effects.



Casino Royale Title Sequence

Title Sequence

I chose the title sequence for the Star Trek movie from 2009. I picked this movie because I liked the 3D title, and the way that light was incorporated in to the 3D title, as well as multiple moving words. In the title sequence the words "Star Trek" start to appear with a little bit of light in the backround, then as more light appears its visible that the light was reflecting off of the moving icon of the Star Trek symbol. The sequence ends with the Star Trek logo, and title fading.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htLJKZFit28