Go Back   3D Gladiators Forums > CREATIVE BRAINS > On The Horizon
Notices
On The Horizon Working on something? With a 2D or 3D app? Is it SF - Fantasy - Real world? Let's see it!
To post art for Battlestar Galactica, go to our sister site- Colonial Fleets

Reply

 
Thread Tools
Old July 3rd, 2009, 05:49 AM   #1
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Hi, folks.

I know I don't post here much, but here's some of what I've been doing over the past couple of weeks....most especially in the last three or four nights.

I've been working with the most amazing, cost effective, and robust 3D animation software for the price. It's called iClone 3.2 PRO, and it's from Reallusion. I just bought it last month, and have been working with it building characters, costumes and props, and over the last couple of weeks, have been learning the animation interface.

I've thus far created costumes for Starbuck, Col./Commander Apollo, female Colonial warrior, and in the last few days created both Chromium and Command Gold Cylon Centurions. In that same time, I've also created a Colonial Viper, a launch tube, a blaster range, and the equipment for the Cylons.

That oughtta give you an idea of just how easy this application is. It's not perfect, but it's FAR better than I expected.

Here's some YouTubes that I've posted in the last few days, using many of the assets I've thus far created:


Viper fly by....no audio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOETVN-zX94

Viper launch, multiple angles with audio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oofs0FCYUk

And Starbuck on the firing range:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i40wJkPZNv0
(I did both voices....sorry if my Dirk Benedict impression isn't up to snuff)

Anyhoo, I am simply stunned at just what I can get out of this application. This means I will now be able to make a movie version of Dark Exodus (my Battlestar Galactica fanfiction continuation story) a reality.

I hope you enjoy watching these as much as I enjoyed making them.

Submitted for your approval,
Martok2112
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 3rd, 2009, 07:11 AM   #2
Tenement
3DG Forum Moderator
 
Tenement's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 356
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Looks like a very good start.
Tenement is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 3rd, 2009, 08:10 AM   #3
Fretslayer
Guest
 
Fretslayer's Avatar
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Its a good start.
  Reply With Quote
Old July 4th, 2009, 06:09 PM   #4
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Thank you both.
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 8th, 2009, 01:18 PM   #5
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

The nice thing about iClone 3.2 PRO is that (like any self-respecting 3D animation/modeling app like what you guys use) you can work in wireframe mode if the scene you're planning is REALLY big. For the first time today I saw my computer start to choke on the next animation setup I was planning, so I took her down to wireframe mode to reduce the workload. Since the models are already rendered, it shouldn't take the computer any time at all to re-render for animation.

I realize I'm commenting on what you guys already know....but I'm new to this stuff, so every new discovery is just that for me...a new discovery.
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 8th, 2009, 01:23 PM   #6
Fretslayer
Guest
 
Fretslayer's Avatar
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Don't worry about the comment - anybody who is a guru at anything, if they are worth their own salt, know that they too once wore the shoes of a newbie.

I think it's cool that you're making discoveries!
I'll bet I'm not the only one who feels that way.
And something you'll figure out about this site is that everybody here is a really helpful type and you'll not get slapped down or insulted for asking questions, making comments or being excited to discover something in an app.

There are a lot of great ppl at this site.
(not me though, I'm a chump!)
  Reply With Quote
Old July 8th, 2009, 01:40 PM   #7
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

LOL! Thanks, Fretslayer. The kind words and any assistance do indeed mean much to me. There are a lot o' pros on this site, and despite my noobiness, I feel like I'm in good company.

I take it by your handle, you are a guitarist? I'm a singer myself, performing on Bourbon St. on weekend afternoons at the Famous Door in New Orleans (aka The Big Easy), Louisiana.

Back on topic, I've seen much better Cylon Centurions created by other folks in iClone 3.2 PRO, but I think my first efforts at creating a Centurion turned out rather respectable. And thanks to palette swapping, I can of course make Command Centurions.

Whatcha think?



martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 03:05 AM   #8
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Well, I was having a bitch of a day with trying to get my major animation up and running....iClone 3.2 PRO kept shutting down on me, (I think I had too much shiny stuff happening at once with four Cylons in the map). So, I had to back off and take a breather.

So, what did I do? Decided to take my frustrations out on a hapless Cylon Centurion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4LBqhK6ky8

Enjoy.
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 04:50 AM   #9
Tenement
3DG Forum Moderator
 
Tenement's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 356
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Tsk, tsk, even Cylons have feelings.
Tenement is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 07:42 AM   #10
Fretslayer
Guest
 
Fretslayer's Avatar
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Funny video. LOL!

I don't know how you set the hightlights/shine in iClone but I think you could probably pull it back a bit and still have an effective shot.

One thing I would do is try to get a bit of contrast onto the black parts of the bodies so that their individual parts are distinguishable. But that's not a real major thing.

Keep up the good work!
  Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 10:08 AM   #11
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

LOL! Thanks, guys. I'm glad you liked it. As I get down to making the actual movie, I'm sure I'll be inspired to make more gag reels....many, to be sure, at the Cylons' expense.

Hmmm....I'll try to keep that in mind, Fretslayer, about the contrast between parts, so that they're more distinguishable from each other. Perhaps giving certain joints a slighter shade (not overwhelmingly so that it breaks uniform, but just enough to make a visual difference.....I believe subtle is the word I'm looking for. )

And yeah, I'll definitely see about dulling down the reflections too. That's some advice I've gotten from several others who've seen the pics and this video.
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 11:57 AM   #12
Thomas P
TOS Gladiator Manager
 
Thomas P's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,069
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Nice work. Always enjoy a 'kick me' moment
__________________
3d Gladiators division

"That which does not kill me simply postpones the inevitable"

My Site

My Blog
Thomas P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 02:55 PM   #13
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Thank you, Thomas.

The scene was inspired when I was creating some animation templates for the Cylons, and I combined the look left, look right template. (The application will auto-interpret the move coordinates so that the motion is smooth from one template to the next.) What resulted was a really funny "Huh....who's back there?!" kinda animation, and I started gettin the heavy giggles, so I ran with it. (And yeah, that's my sloppy handwriting on the "shoot me" paper.)
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 9th, 2009, 08:29 PM   #14
Thomas P
TOS Gladiator Manager
 
Thomas P's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,069
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

It's really kind of clever - how ever you got there
__________________
3d Gladiators division

"That which does not kill me simply postpones the inevitable"

My Site

My Blog
Thomas P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 11th, 2009, 07:24 AM   #15
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Most kind.

BTW, love the sig:

"That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable!"

LMAO!
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 13th, 2009, 04:10 PM   #16
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Well, in taking a break from the animation side of things for a bit, I got back into ship construction.

Here's my Cylon Raider, done in two scales....flight scale (the smaller one) and actor scale. You can even see the engine glow on the smaller scale ship in one image.

Now that I've come to understand how the parent/child relationship works when assembling components for ships and props, constructing them comes MUCH faster.

These babies oughtta look better once they're in action.





martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 13th, 2009, 11:57 PM   #17
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

And here are a couple of shots of my Cylon basestar. It is obviously a work in progress, but it is coming along MUCH nicer than my first attempt at it.

The top center of the ship (and what you can see of the core) is a texture map taken from a photo of my Konami basestar miniature. (Gotta love having physical models for references. )


And this is a classic angle of the great Cylon basestar. Wow....she's lookin' menacing already!

__________________
That which does not kill me has obviously never taken basic marksmanship! :D --Martok2112
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 14th, 2009, 06:36 AM   #18
Fretslayer
Guest
 
Fretslayer's Avatar
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Looks cool.
  Reply With Quote
Old July 14th, 2009, 06:52 PM   #19
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Well, after two days, I finally got the basestar finalized. It took me almost two restarts to do it. I tried upping the polygon count on the basestar to make it look more like the real thing, but it was just too much for iClone 3.2 PRO, so I had to go back to texture mapping. However, this time around, the ship still looks MUCH better than my first attempt.

So, to show off my Cylon Raider and my new basestar, here's a little animation. The harsh lighting in space kinda helps the effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P71SDRuJ3N0


__________________
That which does not kill me has obviously never taken basic marksmanship! :D --Martok2112
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 20th, 2009, 02:37 AM   #20
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

UPDATE:

Building a Colonial battlestar is obviously a LOT tougher than building a Cylon basestar. In my first build of a battlestar, I got a lot of the components in place...BUT....I made the launch tubes too large for the sides of the landing/launch bays....the Vipers would have to be ginormous!

So, it's back to the old drawing board....but since I know how most of the components will go now, my second attempt won't be so slow.

Another nice thing.....I can have active runway lights on my battlestar. WOOT!
__________________
That which does not kill me has obviously never taken basic marksmanship! :D --Martok2112
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 21st, 2009, 05:53 AM   #21
martok2112
Shuttle Pilot
 
martok2112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
Posts: 34
Default Re: My first endeavors in the 3D animation realm...

Well, here it is, the Battlestar Galactica in all her iClone 3.2 PRO glory. I had to give this one a good video. She looks cartoonish, and I rather like it like that. Means that Dark Exodus will have a unique look to it.

Even threw in a pilotless Viper landing. (Damn, those Colonials are good!)

__________________
That which does not kill me has obviously never taken basic marksmanship! :D --Martok2112
martok2112 is offline   Reply With Quote

Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Star Trek Animation evil_genius_180 On The Horizon 6 November 27th, 2008 12:41 PM
Enterprise Animation Dennis Beyond Reality 10 May 26th, 2006 07:38 AM
animation sequences biko Beyond Reality 2 March 21st, 2004 06:06 AM
Sidewinder class animation scaramanga Beyond Reality 1 July 18th, 2003 05:36 PM
RFC on my animation test ... Saleck Beyond Reality 2 September 11th, 2000 09:36 AM






For Fans Of CGI/Digital Art


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:42 PM. Contact Us - 3D Gladiators - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top
Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.11 Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content and Graphics ©1999-2010 3DGladiators
The 3D Gladiators Forums are run by CGI/Digital Art fans, paid for by CGI/Digital Art fans, for the enjoyment of fellow CGI/Digital Art fans.



©1999-2005 3D Gladiators