New VF-1 lineart

[Doktor Gonzo]

Funnily enough, that's EXACTLY the project I had in mind as a pure blowing-off-steam hobby exercise -- recreating some of the battle shots from the first 3 episodes in 3D. I've laid hands on CityEngine to generate a background setting, I've still got Wolf's awesome Macross model too (and I hope he won't mind me using it, with proper credit given), we've all seen Rodavan's totally awesome Regult, and there's no shortage of great vf-1 models floating around here. Maybe we should try making a group project out of this!

Chillyche,

I'm not really any good at cartoon-style work and I have no 3DS experience, but if we can figure out a Maya-to-Max conversion pipeline, then I'll happily lend you my VF-1 model, or model you other stuff that you might need.

[Doktor Gonzo]

Sounds like a fun project, I'm willing to give it a shot. We should figure out what shots to do so we can start modeling background elements. I've taken some classes on matte painting too. Haven't had a time to keep up with it though, it would be nice to practice my skills with this project.

Hmmm, sounds good! I'd love to learn about matte painting, it's an aspect of this kind of work that my own education didn't cover at all And I know what you mean about keeping up with it, this is the first time I've dusted off these models in a long while, and the stuff that I've been doing for work hasn't really allowed me to exercise the same skill sets.

As for what shots to do, my overall notion (it's far too loose to call it a project) is to do the battle from episodes 1-3, VFs versus battlepods and fighterpods on and over South Ataria island. I'm open to either recreating specific shots in 3D, or doing new shots that fit into the same scenario. I'd like to try for as close to photoreal as possible, since other stuff (like Aria) has already covered the more anime look so very well). My intended starting place was to recreate the sequence of three or four shots from the intro, where Hikaru's fighter transforms to Gerwalk mode, dips into the streets, then runs, rolls, and takes down an ascending battlepod. I think that would look fabulous in full 3D. I've actually got most of the models I'd need -- the VF, a pretty detailed street. The main element I'm lacking is a battlepod, and I'm hoping to plug that gap with Rodavan's awesome model. Speaking of which--

[Doktor Gonzo]

Cool work Doc , check your mail over the weekend

Oooogh, can't WAIT!!!

[DatterBoy]

And awesome to hear from you and from Rod! Now we just need to get Datterboy and Vinnie and Les Parisek posting some stuff too, and it'll be just like old times around here!

Ask and you shall receive! We havin' a reunion?

:Dat

[DatterBoy]

Dok, you gotta show me how to do those lines with Maya. I want to see what mine would like like in that treatment too.

Holy crap! Rod and Brian too... I'm gettin' teary eyed.

[DatterBoy]

I've been using maya like crazy for school, I can do just about anything in it now but rig I want to rig my stuff and animate it so bad!!! I'd love to do some compositing and matchmoving with macross models, like the city battles from the first episodes.

2 Scenes I always wanted to see done were the Max vs. Miriya first encounter as well as a recreation of their arcade fight.

[Brianw76]

Holy crap! Rod and Brian too... I'm gettin' teary eyed.

HAHA!!! Good to see ya Dat!

[boinger]

This sounds a bit familiar to another Macross CGI project that Jay Lew was working on.

[Brianw76]

My intended starting place was to recreate the sequence of three or four shots from the intro, where Hikaru's fighter transforms to Gerwalk mode, dips into the streets, then runs, rolls, and takes down an ascending battlepod. I think that would look fabulous in full 3D. I've actually got most of the models I'd need -- the VF, a pretty detailed street.

Thankfully youtube has the first 3 episodes online. I'll check it out and see what we're up against. I think it would be kinda cool to do live action background plates and just do camera tracking.... it would be impossible to find a location that looked similar though.

[Rodavan]

All I can say is go for it guys !.... good to see evrybody still around , and wanting to do macross stuff

Doc -- you should have recieved my model already , please pm if you have not

[Doktor Gonzo]

This sounds a bit familiar to another Macross CGI project that Jay Lew was working on.

Yeah, Jay's project IS rather similar, albeit more ambitious in scale. I was REALLY looking forward to seeing him put out footage. Unfortunately, it looks like his pro career is keeping him busy at the moment, so we might to to do our modest best to put out something similar!

[Doktor Gonzo]

some first results with converting Rod's awesome Regult model into Maya:

[Doktor Gonzo]

Thankfully youtube has the first 3 episodes online. I'll check it out and see what we're up against. I think it would be kinda cool to do live action background plates and just do camera tracking.... it would be impossible to find a location that looked similar though.

Brian, I'm totally down with comping into live plates, either exclusively or mix-and-match with digital backgrounds. As for where to get 'em, the GOOD news is that I'm in Manhattan, which would make a pretty good stand-in. The BAD news is, I don't own a video camera

Here, my reel has a bunch of shots from my thesis project for school salted into it. The project is a few years old now and pretty rough in places, but it had a good mix of all those kinds of elements in it: valks, plates, camera tracks, digital background extension, etc.

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~pfb206/reel.mov

[Brianw76]

Brian, I'm totally down with comping into live plates, either exclusively or mix-and-match with digital backgrounds. As for where to get 'em, the GOOD news is that I'm in Manhattan, which would make a pretty good stand-in. The BAD news is, I don't own a video camera

Here, my reel has a bunch of shots from my thesis project for school salted into it. The project is a few years old now and pretty rough in places, but it had a good mix of all those kinds of elements in it: valks, plates, camera tracks, digital background extension, etc.

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~pfb206/reel.mov

Nice stuff man! I had a teacher a while back that was a character designer for rockband. What software have you used for compositing? I'm decent in shake and after effects.

Here's a quick comp I put together for match moving class, it's a 2d track so it's not perfect but it got the job done. Added the plane and replaced the street signs. Don't mind the crappy compositing.

I have an HD cam and I'm near LA.

[Doktor Gonzo]

Nice stuff man! I had a teacher a while back that was a character designer for rockband. What software have you used for compositing? I'm decent in shake and after effects.

Here's a quick comp I put together for match moving class, it's a 2d track so it's not perfect but it got the job done. Added the plane and replaced the street signs. Don't mind the crappy compositing.

I have an HD cam and I'm near LA.

Pretty sweet! I'm primarily just proficient in AE. I took a class in Shake once and I used to be okay in Combustion, but it's been years and I don't remember much. As for backgrounds, LA would also work fine as a cityscape subsitute. You should shoot some plates!

[Brianw76]

Pretty sweet! I'm primarily just proficient in AE. I took a class in Shake once and I used to be okay in Combustion, but it's been years and I don't remember much. As for backgrounds, LA would also work fine as a cityscape subsitute. You should shoot some plates!

I might be able to get some test plates on Thursday, busy as hell with school this week. Anyway, I'm off to my Mental Ray class.

[Rodavan]

Doc - looking forward to this

Brianw76 - wish I had the time for maya courses , I am also trying to learn Maya on my own .... I suck , metal ray very tricky and difficult

[Doktor Gonzo]

Doc - looking forward to this

Brianw76 - wish I had the time for maya courses , I am also trying to learn Maya on my own .... I suck , metal ray very tricky and difficult

Mental Ray isn't THAT bad -- just stay away from all the fiddly physical illumination bits!

[Rodavan]

Found this render -- when I grow up I want to render and texture like this .

Edited February 19, 2010 by Rodavan

[chillyche]

Found this render -- when I grow up I want to render and texture like this .

Wow, that looks pretty awesome.

The thing that even gives it away as a render is that I feel like a reel lens of that length would have a way narrower depth of field.

I'm kinda sticking to the toon shading world, because I KNOW I can't texture and render and light like that yet.

[Doktor Gonzo]

Wow, that looks pretty awesome.

The thing that even gives it away as a render is that I feel like a reel lens of that length would have a way narrower depth of field.

I'm kinda sticking to the toon shading world, because I KNOW I can't texture and render and light like that yet.

I remember trying really hard when I did the materials for my VF to capture the narrow, irregular specular highlights of hullmetal like that. Tried my best, but don't think I really got there:

VF-1 render

Maybe this is something else to revisit...

Edited February 19, 2010 by Doktor Gonzo

[chillyche]

I remember trying really hard when I did the materials for my VF to capture the narrow, irregular specular highlights of hullmetal like that. Tried my best, but don't think I really got there:

VF-1 render

Maybe this is something else to revisit...

Hmm, it's a challenge to be sure. I would try intensifying your shadows for that particular image. In the shadow areas on the comp'd photo, it crushes to black much sooner than in your render, where there's a lot more detail in the deep grays. Or, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Eesh.

[Doktor Gonzo]

Hmm, it's a challenge to be sure. I would try intensifying your shadows for that particular image. In the shadow areas on the comp'd photo, it crushes to black much sooner than in your render, where there's a lot more detail in the deep grays. Or, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Eesh.

No, absolutely right. I didn't understand a thing about GI/final gathering or faking it with ambient occlusion when I did this render (now, I STILL don't know a thing about 'em, but I 've been in the room enough with people who do to know that I can use 'em to get the kind of deep, soft-edged shadows you're talking about.)

[chillyche]

(now, I STILL don't know a thing about 'em, but I 've been in the room enough with people who do to know that I can use 'em to get the kind of deep, soft-edged shadows you're talking about.)

I think we're in the same room.

[DatterBoy]

Rummaging for more new/old stuff.... don't think I ever posted clay renders of this model, so... here they are

Damn. The level of detail on this is amazing!

[Vinnie]

Man...I've gotta get back on the ball. That copy of 3ds Max 2010 can't get here fast enough... Awesome stuff, Gonzo! Glad to see that you and everyone else are still working.

[Doktor Gonzo]

Man...I've gotta get back on the ball. That copy of 3ds Max 2010 can't get here fast enough... Awesome stuff, Gonzo! Glad to see that you and everyone else are still working.

Let's say I'm back from a looooong vacation. Meanwhile, Dat's started a new thread for MW old-timers, and obviously you're invited. Break out Max 2010 and get some VF-4 awesomeness up there!

Edited March 3, 2010 by Doktor Gonzo

[chillyche]

Break out Max 2010 and get some VF-4 awesomeness up there!

Concur.