Project Review: 3D Pendant Design for 3D Printed replica for Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse PART II

 The first 3D Print Design I did had heavy hammering to it to match the crown look, that I also made for 3D Printing here.

I did an alt, with a lower depth to the hammering. 

The final version "C" had no hammering and was built smooth. 

The final design was also smooth, with an added ring up top for the necklace.

 STEP 1
Build out all individual parts for the Boolean Operation.

STEP II
Place all pieces into the final position for the Boolean in 3D.

STEP III
I always use the Quad-Output option in my Power-Boolean step so they can be printed in 3D.

 STEP IV
Here is the base Poly mesh with the 3D displacement for the hand hammering effect.

 STEP V
A High Rez version with Hammered finish for 3D printing.

STEP VI
I did an ultra High resolution STL export for a detailed 3D Print for use use by Fabrice Meuwissen. 

Project Review

3D Pendant Design for 3D Printed replica

 for Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse
PART II

Client:Project Review: Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse
Creative Direction: Fabrice Meuwissen.
Project Date: March 2014.

A year ago in March 2014, I was contacted to help create custom props for Fabrice Meuwissen, a Professional Photographer out of France after he saw my work I did for the crowns models for Game of Thrones Season 2.

I was given a few small 3D Printing, Stereolithography gigs over a few weeks to create custom props for his Photo shoots, and today I am covering a small metal pendant I created for him to use.

As a trained Industrial Designer, my schooling prepared me to work in 3D Printing as I am trained in Dimensional Design, Ergonomics,and Manufacturing, so I can design something that will actually work in the real world, and this small prop was refined a bit in a few passes, and delivered.

Today's post also is a bit of a simple tutorial on how I make these objects in 3DSmax using the great N-power Pro-boolean Plug-In built into the product now.

Look for another posting in the future.

You can review the first post with the 3D Printed crown here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Key Art 3D Logo build for My Mistress-2014[AU]

 Here is the final Logo as delivered back in May 2014 for the Key Art finish of My Mistress.

The Subdivided Quads with a displacement map used to get an actual bump int he geometry. 

 Here is the base Quad mesh without and subdivision or displacement added.

 This tutorial like screen shot shows the individual parts along with seeing the 'live' Free-Form-Deformation[ FFD] still active on the letter form stroke.

 A close up shows the displacement wrapped on each part.

 The ambient render shows the slight artifacts, that can get adjusted with more geometry if needed.

 The base mesh is quite simple.

Close up on the end of the title shows the full wrap around on the scale texture we ended up using.

 The displaced mesh[ High Poly count]

 The simple base mesh collapsed down.

 A view of the final One sheet from here.

Project Review

Key Art 3D Logo build

for My Mistress-2014[AU]

Client: Transmission Films via Carnival Studios
Art Direction: Demi Hopkins
Project Date: May 2014.

Almost a year ago I was contacted by an agency in Australia, called Carnival Studios to help with a 3D assist in a 3D Logo needed for a film called My Mistress. 

They needed this for the final Key Art poster work. I do a lot of this type of fast turn around work here in the states, and I have a number of clients out in Australia now, so we settled on the rate and payment form, since this was an overseas gig, and once I was provided the vector files, I was off to build this 3D Logo.

I was given the general layout and lighting so I would know the end use, as well as the type was fully locked and set by the client.

For this build I was to emulate the woven texture found on a whip or a snake scale look, so I created a custom map to build this out fast. I have hand built scales before and it is very time consuming and the short deadline meant that I needed to use a displacement map technique to ' bump' out the geometry to get the finished look and feel to the objects.

The way I made this was to build out each part of the whip as a separate cylinder and use the Free-Form-Deformation tools [ FFD] in 3DSmax to custom bend each part as a Modifier in the stack[ turn on or off]. This also allowed me to map the objects while they were straight so I could get them to wrap the shapes in a better way, and to scale to each other after the bends as the FFD will warp the textures a bit.

A fun gig that finished out and can be seen on the production site here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Virtual Photo shoot-2009 Honda Accord Launch PART III

Here is the last of the dozen colors for the Honda Accord rendered out in a darker Metallic beige with the wire frames showing thru for reference.

The base Quad Poly Mesh model provided to our production from Honda.

Once disassembled, renamed, smoothed, and grouped, I then apply textures and as seen here add on the Polygon Subdivision[ Turbo smooth] to the Mesh.

The virtual set is similar to an actual automotive set with a 3 three wall cyclorama background with the rounded corners to blend the light up from floor to wall, as well as using a panel above for the lighting.

This side view Polygon[cut-away] view shows the set and reflective panel surrounding the car with just the front open to the outside world.

Here is a screen grab of the 3DSmax scene showing the reflective panel is texture mapped so I can have greater control over the actual bright reflection on the car itself.

Project Review
Virtual Photo shoot
2009 Honda Accord Launch
PART III

Client: Goutam Mitra
Art Director: Myself
Lighting Consultant: Jerry Garns.
Project Date: Fall 2008

In Late 2008 I was tasked with helping launch the newly styled 2009 Honda Accord, and in PART III today I have some Behind-the-Art 3D Images showing the build, as well as some of the key factors in laying out a Automotive Virtual Stage set-Up.

First and foremost is that in order to get a more photo real render you must use a GI, or a Global Illumination renderer to achieve this. There are many out there and ultimately they all will allow the designer to achieve a good look, however the ease of use, and especially the speed in which it renders is a very important key for commercial productions. It is one thing to have an open ended time frame and budget, but in production there must be compromises to get the job in under budget and on time every time. I prefer Cebas' Final Render

I have built out a few cars myself, but thankfully Honda provided an excellent 3D asset when you do work for them, and this is what we were given.

During the project I had a special locked down server at work to keep the 3D scenes and 3D renders off the main network, so only I using a password could access these assets. When a new car is launched confidentiallity is a big piece of the production process and must be accounted for in pipelines and any modifications for privacy.

I had the privilege of meeting up with a fellow ACCD grad who specialized in Automotive photography Jerry Garns, and this help he gave to the team translated perfectly over into the GI virtual automotive world.


You can view PART I here,
You can view the 3D Logo work here.
You can view PART II just below in sequence to this post, or click here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Monster House-Final Title 3D rendered Frames PART II

 The final finished frame with 3D-Motion Blur of the Title Slam I made for Monster House for the Motion Graphics team @ The Cimarron Group back in 2005.

 The second frame into the slam, the text has moved quickly into frame.

 Frame 3 shows a slow down as the 3D Blur is lessened enough to read the type a bit better.

 The final Pre-seat frame has minimal blur and the camera and lights are all animated to ensure legibility in the fast 6 frame slam.

 The final seated frame used in the Theatrical trailers.

 This ambient wireframepolygon render with the blur off shows the type fly in position.

 Frame two shows more of the total title as it swings down into camera.

 The type is almost into frame completely in just these three frames[ 1/10th of a second]

 The pre-seat frame is in Title-Safe and almost seated.

The final seated frame in wires for Monster House.

 A Screen-Grab of multiple frames shows the move from the side showing the camera, lights and type-object are all animated.

Project Review
Monster House Final Title Frames PART II

Client: Columbia Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Roland Mesa.
Project Date: Spring 2005.

This is my second posting covering the Motion Graphics work I performed for the Theatrical Trailers for the "Performance Cap" 3D Animated film, Monster House from back in 2005.

In my first post, I covered the time I got to do some conceptual work and experiment, but the Logo itself was design-locked outside Cimarron early on so the majority of what I was tasked with was to create a variety of looks based on the font they provided.

For this post, I cover the basic move on the title and the look achieved. I used 3D Motion Blur as well as some procedurals and ambient lighting to get the glow look to the type-object to match the posters that were locked before we were on the trailers.

Finals were rendered out in 3K, and delivered to the Motion Graphics team for finishing as RAW 3D Frames as seen above [w/o post FX]

You can review PART I with the various looks here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review R.I.P.D.-3D R.I.P.D. Concept Badge 3D-Logo Icon Design for Key Art 2011. Cold Open PART II

 Here is the final Design presented for the R.I.P.D. Badge Concept for the Teaser Posters I built out in 3D.

 

 I did a warmer metal version with less dirt and aging for this one. The idea was to be able to paint between the two renders to get a dual finish feel, so the edges could be worn back to the brass casting etc.

 

 A darker version with a bit of edge lighting to it for RIPD.

 

 STEP I:

To create the badge as a single molded part I first create all the parts separately.

 

 STEP II:

Here are all the parts placed and ready for the Pro-Boolean operation. NOTE: I always save this[ and all steps separately] in case I need to go back to adjust, since all Booleans are a bit squirly.

 

 STEP III:
Here all parts are combined into one with the mesh output set to QUADS.

 

 STEP IV:

A apply a bend in both X and Y directions to dish the badge.

 

 STEP V:

The second bend is applied to the modifier stack in 3DSmax.

 

 STEP VI:

The final design with the subdivision added[ here it is with one level, though the finals had 2]

 

 A view of the final R.I.P.D. badge design with the skull and cap with dual firearms added up top.

Project Review

R.I.P.D.

3D R.I.P.D. Concept Badge 3D-Logo Icon Design for Key Art 2011.
Cold Open PART II

Client: Universal Pictures via Cold Open.
Art Direction: Gardner DeFranceaux.
Project Date: December 2011.

This is my fourth post on R.I.P.D., and my second for the Agency Cold Open. They were doing Comps for RIPD, and came up with a great design for a badge so they contacted me to create the 3D sculpted version for the teaser posters.

I received the vector outline files from Gardner, and we discussed the look he wanted to have with it so I proceeded to create the parts necessary to make the badge. Most quicker 3D models I make, are all separate parts and retain a very sharp edge in the parts themselves as well as at the intersections, but when you look close-up on most badges, they are cast and molded parts, with blended parts with filets and rounds thru-out the design, and this was the route that they wated to go.

I had developed a quick technique to do this using the Pro-Boolean in 3DS max, and this technique is dependent on that Plug-In as it can output the file in a Quad" format so that the faces come subdivided and ready to go for the most part.

Once the Pro-boolean was completed I added two bend commands to dish the badge, as all badges are not quite flat but are dished and bent to conform to the human body better, so I applied this onto the mesh output then subdivided the final. I added in the skull with police hat, as well as a pair of firearms[ I had not built the special gun from the film yet, and would have replaced it with them if this did go to a finish].

A super fun concept to flesh out.

                       Cheers, THOM

Tutorial Tuesday: How to Model a Single Point Bevel Part I

STEP I
A Live font as a spline of the logo, save this as the first version.

STEP II
Copy and convert the live-spline to an editable spline and evaluate the vertex and geometry needs.

STEP III
Add in the vertices and rebuild any parts for symmetry and clean up. The more you do at this stage the easier.

STEP IV
Verify the type is to put on the stock bevel modifier and put a bevel on it to see if t any corners cross over or the holes are plugged[ revers or double splines], and continue to clean until it looks right.

STEP V
Once the spline is verified, remove the "caps" front and back so it is just the extrusion, and the bevel, then convert it to an editable polygon object.

STEP VI
Stitching as I call it is the process of selecting the vertices that will be collapsed or welded together to create the point in this Single Pointed Bevel type treatment. This is the LONGEST stage, and depending on the font I have spent 80-90% of the time here.

STEP VII
At this stage I put a quick smooth modifier to remove smoothing artifacts so I can clearly see the font and the bevels to make sure I did not miss anything.

STEP VIII
At this stage you select all edges that you want to have sharp as you will be doubling them up in STEP IV, with a small chamfered bevel.
NOTE: Save all steps but this one is vital as you will come back to this step to create multiple looks

STEP IV
Adding the small bevel or chamfer to the edges desired to be sharp. This is the fasted step in adding bevel to the selected splines. Save as a version as well.

STEP X
You put on a subdivision modifier like a Turbo-smooth or Mesh-Smooth to verify the bevels and that you did not miss a corner. If you did just go back two steps to the saved file and adjust.
Also at this stage we see the longer faces on the legs of the type as the smoothing is stitched out over some long faces, and with GI renderers needing square faces you will want to add in some extra polys next and remove the smooth for that.

STEP XI
Cutting the polygons in the legs to have a few more divisions. I use the slice plane modifier under editable poly, but you can also chamfer the edges in the legs as well.

STEP XII
Here is the model smoothed with two iterations with everything done to have a simple single pointed beveled font with sharp sides like chiseled rock or metal.

Tutorial Tuesday
3D Logo Construction
How to Model a Single Point Bevel
Part I

Since I began doing 3D Logos for film and television back in 2000, I have seen a need for the Single Point Beveled [SPB] type treatment. As a user of 3DS max, I have always had both spline objects, as well as a great simple bevel modifier, built right into max that is super simple and easy to create a typical beveled and extruded text, but once the lines cross in the middle of the text face, there are issues with the geometry, as the program must cut the bevels to not cross over, and you get very problematic results.

My first hand modeled SPB, was done while at BLT and associates near the end of my 3 years there starting up their 3D department which is still going strong. I did that logo for the film, TROY. I built that title, that was animated by Matt Hartle for the trailers for the film. I was not a sub-D modeler at the time yet, so I built the type all high resolution since we flew through the font in the trailers so the rounds needed plenty of segmentation. Each letter took about an hour or so to model, but the technique I learned in this time intensive exercise created the groundwork for the Sub-D method I use now.

Above you can see the twelve steps involved with building a typical single point bevel. when you want the bevel to meet in the top center of the face, to a single point, thus having no real flat spot on top this method will work well with all fonts both serifed, and sans-serifed.

I will have additional tutorials in the weeks to come on various techniques I use to create in 3D, as well as some expansion on the SPB too.

Cheers, THOM