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Old October 26th, 2008, 02:25 PM   #1
gmd3d
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Default Starship Exeter: Exeter Rising" Fan Story mini-series

Well I mainly am currently doing animatics and storyboards for the effects reel for the first story of my Exeter mini-series posted on Dennis's site. I started with pencil sketches posting them in animated gif format. Out of effects shots for the first story, I have stopped halfway and began to shoot models and use photoshop for the effects and mirror the hand drawn animatics as closely as possible. I would like to eventually progreess to CGI full animation in all of the sequences. But for now I think what i have posted fairly well communicates clearly the action for the special effects reel for the first story. When I am done I want to go back and then do all the live action shots in hand drawn storybaord and then CGI animatics as well to post into the story thread. And if all that works then I would like to do that for the rest of the mini-serial I'm writing.

At raymar3d and snowmonky's recommendations, I've downlaoded truspace and Blender. I've downlaoded a couple of models and I have NO IDEA WHERE TO begin despite playing around with the application some. I've seen the pages for the online tutorials and am thinking starting there. The main problem is time. I persoanlly want results now and not sure if I have the patience to spend lots of time laerning when I am getting quick and dirty results form the physical models I am building my animatics with. I do intend i ntime after finishing all of the storybaords to render all the ships, sets, characters in CG models so to make them look as best as possible. I'm willing to use other people's models if that will speed up the process. Happy to give them the credit they deserve. I don't have the cash to buy any of the serious stuff since I'm marriend with a family and striaghtjacketed by my budget. I would be happy if the free sofeware can do what I want. In the end I want everything I render to look totally professional and not cheap looking. But I am ratehr intimidated at what that commitment may be in time and money to get those results. I'm also had some on Dennis's site express interest in doing their won renders of my storybaords and animatics. I perfectally cool with that and am honored that anyone would find anything I am doing of interest tha they would want to build out professionally the shots I'm trying to deliver. Again happy to give proper credit to those who want to sharpen their claws using my stuff.

God help me to have the patience to hang in for the long haul to learn and excercise this stuff. Where do I start? In time I want to build my own models and want to share them as well. My hope is that they would MINIMALLY look as good as Dennis Bailey's CG models / renders.

Hey Robert,
Take a look at this test footage of mine and then let me know if there is anything I can help you with. If you're on a broadband connection then play the larger file.

http://3dgladiators.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22728

I am more of an animator than I am a modeler and I can probably help you to jump right in and begin animating in a matter of minutes.
It's much easier than it looks!

As for storyboarding - man, that's the first step in Directing. LOL!
I know what you're going through man, I feel your pain. :laugh:

the story thread is here....

http://www.starshippolaris.com/forum...ad.php?t=18223

the end of the thread is where the most current shots or revisions are posted. I am still in the early phases of this. All the current updates are revised int othe story thread inserted into the script.

I am on a 56k dailup. but I would be happy this evenign when my family is in bed to look at this when I lots of free time tonight. I'll look at the lionk you provided now and then try the larger version tonight.

Much Thanks......

Fretslayer,
Downlaoding the dailup version now. Will give it a look when it it's completed.

I forgot to mention in 1989 I did some animation trianing but my moeny restrictions wouldn't let me into animation school. Several of my friends got to go while I was stuck here sacking grociereis. Well I have a stable job printing envelopes for the state, and now that things are better for me as far as life in general, I thought i would begin to pursue a number of interests and goals I wanted to accomplish that have been put on hold for about 20 years. So the only limitations is what materials I have to work with and time. Hence my desire to move toward CGI so waht I am doing ultimately doesn't hopefully look cheap. I hate wasting my time and effort for my invested time and effort to not pan out.

I can help you make animated storyboards if you'd like.
PM me and he can hammer out the details and I will provide you with some still images so you can see a bit my work.

I also have an animated short film coming down the pipe that is Trek related.


I already have animated gifs posted on my first story thread. I'll be glad to entertain whatever you propose if it defiately can get me further down the raod to the finish line of whatr I am trying to accomplish. Much Thanks and I eagerly accept it from you or anyone that generous to offer. My main concern is when I am done with the effects reel, I'll be turning to the live action. And I haven't drawn in a long time. The pressing need for me to get resutls instantly is what forced me to start drawing again after 20 years. And it was about a month ago that I began to shoot my models to go back and clean up the animatics and storyboard shots. I didn't want them to look like a cartoon. A friend who is a fan of TOS Trek said I might do a animated cartoon sicne I was doing the drawings, and it kindof hurt since that is not what I am ultimately striving for.

I had a look at your story board Robert .. awesome work ..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Simmons View Post
Fretslayer,
Downlaoding the dailup version now. Will give it a look when it it's completed.

I forgot to mention in 1989 I did some animation trianing but my moeny restrictions wouldn't let me into animation school. Several of my friends got to go while I was stuck here sacking grociereis. Well I have a stable job printing envelopes for the state, and now that things are better for me as far as life in general, I thought i would begin to pursue a number of interests and goals I wanted to accomplish that have been put on hold for about 20 years. So the only limitations is what materials I have to work with and time. Hence my desire to move toward CGI so waht I am doing ultimately doesn't hopefully look cheap. I hate wasting my time and effort for my invested time and effort to not pan out.

Man, I am self taught at every program I use.
The most I've ever had was access to some really solid tutorials and that made all the difference in the world. I've used free programs and I've paid a good dollar for programs and it all comes down to one thing for me...

Can I create art with this program?

There are guys here who are wizards in True Space and Lightwave (and in those apps they leave me in the dust) but those tools didn't fit with the way my mind works when I'm 'painting' and so I searched until I found one that did. I found my app on accident really.

As for being TOS era - I'm ok with that.
It is after all your project - I am not offering to change anything or distort anything... I'm just offering to help you bring your imagination to other people's reality. If you'd like I'll take one of your animate GIFs and render it into a CG one in order to give you an example.

I animate in Carrara Pro 6 (from Daz 3D) and they have a 'little brother' program that is pretty powerful, gives excellent results and is very easy to use....and it's FREE. Like I said, if you're interested then PM me so I don't clog up this thread and end up with my skull on a pike as a warning to all others. :laugh:

Robert we have a thread showcasing some of the free 3d programs around .. with links to take you there ..

http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=22681

I openly grant permission for anyone to do as they wish with my stuff. My goal is to elevate what i want to see in Trek. Fretslayer you...or anyone else has a blank check to imrpove on what i have done.

Knock yourself out and have fun! I'm the one benefitting from it while still being blown away that people like you delight in the fresh meat i nthe challenges you take pleasure in presenting.

I'm honored. Go to town and have soem fun i nthe process of updating the animatics with the model shots...

Thanks Tyranis.....

No Problem Robert Delight to help ..

I think you should open a new thread on your project. "it deserves its own". if you like I could move these posts that deal with it to there for you ?? ..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Taranis View Post
No Problem Robert Delight to help ..

I think you should open a new thread on your project. "it deserves its own". if you like I could move these posts that deal with it to there for you ?? ..
That's probably a good idea.

At least I think so.
Then again, I think that beer flavored donuts is a good idea too!
:laugh:

well I like to see more of this collaboration.. and see where it leads .. if you or robert can create the thread tonight I can move them

Sure. Fine by me.

Robert

Cool .. see you there

So where do I look for it? Which forum?
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Last edited by gmd3d; October 26th, 2008 at 04:14 PM..
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