Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

ello. The name's KA-513 (a nomenclature of one of my OCs). Anyway, I found this site through I think renderosity. (yes, my short-term memory isn't the best).

Besides all, that I use Photoshop and Daz Studio as my chosen tools of the trade.

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Hello new friends as well as old.

I got started doing Cg stuff back around 2,000 when a friend gave me a copy of Bryce 3D that came with his subscription to a CG magazine. I began to mess with it and fell instantly in love with CG art and animation.

From there I discovered Poser 4 and then as time went on I made the leap to MAX v8 and then LWO v9.

I'm more of an animator than a modeler although I have built some of my own items in MAX.

At this point I do most of my work with DAZ Carrara Pro 6 because it is the most intuitive modeling/animating suite I've come across. Not that it's better than others, just that it works with the way I work and allows me to concentrate on creating my art. As many of you know it's easier to create art when the tools work with you and not when you have to work with the tools.

I found this site a while back and registered because I needed a Jawa for an animation I was making. I grumbled over the 5 post rule but as you can tell by the number of my posts, I not only got over it - but I found the people here to be 1) really cool (2) really creative - and - (3) really helpful.

I am not a guru with Max or Lwo but for those of you who've posted that you use DAZ products, feel free to pick my brain if you have any questions regarding either D|S or Carrarra. I'm here because Warrior and EG180 have both taken the time to help me at one point or another. So if I can return the favor and help somebody else, I'm all over it.

:beer:
Cheers to my fellow DAZaholics!
:)

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Hi Everyone. I just joined today (2.10.08). I have been creating 3d art for many years, but ive only just discovered this board. I look forward to having some good discussions here.

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Welcome aboard .. looking forward to seeing your work .. and chats too :)

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Hello everyone! :)

There's a Stargate in the posting box... that's pretty durn cool :)

I draw a Star Trek manga comic called "Tamerlane"... I'm not sayin' it's a GOOD comic... just that it is a comic :D It IS Star Trek (Based on a Saladin Class ship)...

I...erm... I started using modified 3d models in my second issue... I'm not sure whether I'm happy with it or not, but I'm working on it. :)

Anyway, I have been building simplified sets, simplified ships, etc (I'm concentrating on the texture maps... Ironically I don't want it to LOOK 3d... I know... I'm strange).

Anyway, I found this place whilst searching for reference models (Before I thought of using them in-comic directly). Since then, I've been building my own models...

Of course, I use Anim8or... a really low-power program... but it works on my little laptop, so it's a good thing... But it also means I can't boolean and I have no real control over my normals (I use Poser as the render engine... boy... the more I write, the worse I'm sounding...:blink:)...

Er... all of that to say "Hello" :D

---Aabh

(http://www.usstamerlane.com)

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Hello Aabh.

I think your comic looks pretty cool.
Also, I understand your not wanting it to look 'real' or 'CG'. - Some of the time comics should just look like comics. That is if I read your comment correctly.

As for your render engine - you might want to check out DAZ Studio.
Not only is it free but it also has a 'Render to Toon' feature that might be just what you need.
:)

Hello, welcome aboard, and don't be embarassed to be using Poser.
If you notice, in the download section there are quite a few Poser items that are made by some outstanding modelers. As an animator I feel the tools should work around my talent and I shouldn't have to work my talent around my tools. It's all about being creative and what tools allow your inner artist to come to the surface. But that's just how I see it. :)

Hey, what software are you using to make your comic?

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Welcome aboard ..
no worries about how you sound :) we all started some where .. I have to check out your
comic soon . sound like a great project ..

post some art here when your ready ..

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Welcome aboard Aabh. I took a look at your comic. Very interesting and different work. Great stuff. :)

UA

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Thank you for the warm welcome! :)

Taranis: I would love to! Thank you! :D

UrbanArmitage: Thank you :D

Fretslayer, I just use good ol Photoshop. I live in Japan and I have access to Deleter ziptones (The halftone patterns and such... I can buy them at the art store), I just scan them in and add them to the backgrounds/foregrounds whatever :D I also added them to the texture maps on the sets...

I have Manga Studio, but It was a little too unwieldy to use... so I went back to Photoshop...

I also have Daz_Studio, but, I had similar problems making it do what I wanted it to do... so I fell back on Poser. I use Poser's very limited Toon mode to make the models render with no shadow (Flat). But you know, that's the second time Daz_Studio has been recommended to me. Perhaps I should give it another shot :D

I'm out of date, though. I'm using Poser 6 and Photoshop 7... I simply don't have the cash available to upgrade.

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Aabh one of the nice things about DAZ Studio is that it's free.
:)

I have Poser 7 but I never use it.
I do 90% of my animation work in Carrara Pro 6.

I think your comic looks fantastic.
Regaring Manga Studio - I looked at it but it looked too complicated for me to deal with and like I said before, I think it's important for the artist to find tools that work with the artist, not the other way around. Manga Studio gave me brain cramps!
LOL!

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

What your doing with what you have is good enough..... the tools don't make the artist imo .. your doing what most of us would like to do . (well I would:) ) ..

Now you know now,! your going to have to show use how you do it don't you ..

Sometime in the future a small tut :) Nudge Nudge , Wink Wink ..:zorro:

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

I could be tempted! :D

And, thank you both!

Actually, I think a tutorial might help me in a lot of ways. No promises at this point, but I certainly could see doing it in the near future! :D

Would you want a Tutorial on how to render like that?

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

it would be interesting to see how you do it .make the comic that is . I would like to see if I could make one sometime in the future ..

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Aabh, I have never done any Toon or Manga stuff, but from what I have heard Poser beats Daz Studio quite comfortably when it comes to Toon renders. The default Toon renders in Poser don't look too great but do yourself a favour and take a look through the tutorials and forums on Rendersotiy. I remember quite some time ago finding a really good tut/discussion on creating some awesome Toon renders with Poser. It talks about all aspects of the process such as textures, lighting and postwork. The examples were amazing considering the tool set.

UA

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

And that is the difference between $250 and FREE.
LOL!

:)

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

:D Right, That's a good suggestion! :D I haven't been to Renderosity in years! This is as good an excuse as any! :D

I sorta decided to make my own models for the next issue of Tamerlane... That way it is entirely my artwork, even the 3D models... (I still feel a little like I'm cheating using 3D... and it doesn't help any that I'm using someone elses' 3D models!)

So... that said, would anyone be interested in a TOS era Starfleet Spaceflight construction set? As in, Dish, various different kinds of necks, supports, nacelles, secondary hulls all seperated out so you can mix and match? It'll be Poser-ready (Though I'll have a set of 3DS files...). I'll be texture mapping these peices for my comic (Looking like a drafting project), but if someone were interested in putting realistic textures on the set... that would be pretty cool :D

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Renderosity is a great site IMO. Same goes for ShareCG.com I hit both of them daily.

I think your Starship Construction Kit sounds like a really cool idea.

And as for thinking or feeling like you're cheating when you use a mesh built by someone else...again, this is just my opinion but I look at it like this.

Is it cheating when you paint without building your own brush, creating your own paint and weaving your own canvas? I don't think so.

Plus I know a few guys who are fantastic model builders but don't know how to animate or write a story - so for them, when I use their mesh they get to see their hard work put to good use. A good model can inspire an animator or story teller. The first moment I saw Dennis Bailey's 1701-A mesh I knew I had to write a Star Trek story. His mesh was so awesome that it inspired me to write an entire Trek story around it and I think that is pretty darn cool!

It's a win win situation for both the animator and the modeler.

That's just my .2 ...which at todays current market value is pretty much worthless.
LOL!

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

I would go with Fretslayer's comment ...

the available meshes that area around are released so that pictures render animations can be done ..

does a director of a film make every thing for the film .. no that to much work.

so I don't believe that your cheating at all, you get a better sence of achievement if you did .. but you would lose a lot of creative time ..

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

LOL! Thanks guys, I appreciate the statement. Of course, the analogy goes the other way; If most pantings were done by people whom weaved their own canvus and made their own brushes, then it would seem like taking away from some of the art if I didn't... Most comic artists draw everything (Well, and so did I! :) ) Anyway, I'm detracting from the thread... Hows about I go and open a thread elsewhere and we can chat more about this? (Because I have a lot of thoughts about it... and I'm interested in hearing your thoughts too! :D) How about over in the Tamerlane thread? http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/s...776#post255776

Re: New Member Welcome Thread
 

Sounds like a good plan..