Final Artefact

Final Artefact

Here's the final artefact of what I've learn and done during the 9 weeks I have.

Exploration

The intro:

And the distinction of two different endings:

References & Annotation

References & Annotations

1. Idleworm.com. 2014. idleworm: animation tutorial - walk cycle part 1. [online] Available at: http://www.idleworm.com/how/anm/02w/walk1.shtml [Accessed: 2 Feb 2014].
   A website which helps to clarify and make sure how an actual walk cycle is for me to animate my model’s walk cycle.
2. YouTube. 2014. 3D Studio MAX - Character Modeling - Part 08 (head model). [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIVB3_gwTAw [Accessed: 19 Jan 2014].
   A video that helps and guides me to model a basic head shape and also taught me to smoothen the head by using the modifier list’s tool.
3. YouTube. 2014. 3D Studio MAX - Character Modeling - Part 09 (Mouth). [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK4sV6krmyU [Accessed: 19 Jan 2014].
   A video that helps me to understand on how to model mouth for the character, but I do not have sufficient time to model a mouth therefore I proceed using texture to create the face for the model.
4. YouTube. 2014. 3D Studio MAX - Character Modeling - Part 02. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IU4_-di1Pw [Accessed: 19 Jan 2014].
5. YouTube. 2014. 3D Studio MAX - Character Modeling - Part 04. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XALoNHeCb9E [Accessed: 19 Jan 2014].
6. YouTube. 2014. Character modeling 3Ds Max tutorial - part1. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e57RwDWvOys [Accessed: 19 Jan 2014].
   The three video above guides me on how to model the body and limps for the character by using simple shapes. And also by adding more segments to create a better looking model.
7. YouTube. 2014. 3Ds Max tutorial: Setting up reference images. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4A-lfmPtQA [Accessed: 9 Jan 2014].
   A video tutorial which helps me to get started from the very beginning. An important first step of setting up the reference in the viewport in order for me to start modelling.
8. YouTube. 2014. Modeling Clothes in 3ds Max. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOY-nRhvWTc [Accessed: 25 Jan 2014].
9. YouTube. 2014. 3ds Max Cloth Tutorial 4(b)/14. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoNBi_QXztY [Accessed: 25 Jan 2014].
10. YouTube. 2014. Cloth Construction in 3ds Max.. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi7cvOrsfns [Accessed: 25 Jan 2014].
    These three video helped me in terms of learning to create and model a real fluid clothing for the character. I’ve really learn a lot from these three tutorials, however I did not manage to use the clothing I’ve model based on these tutorials because I have insufficient time.
11. YouTube. 2014. Pole Climb Tutorial. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHX2IaYIpko [Accessed: 2 Feb 2014].
    A video which helps me to understand the movement of a person climbing a pole as my model will have to do the similar movement.
12. YouTube. 2014. biped rigging 3ds max tutorial part 1. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si4N6IdlJq8 [Accessed: 29 Jan 2014].
13. YouTube. 2014. Biped 3ds Max,defining structure,animating,rigging,and practical uses in games, Series intro. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1da_-_ox-8 [Accessed: 29 Jan 2014].
    These two tutorials taught me on how to create bones for the model in order to animate it later on. There’re several ways of building the bone structure and I find these tutorial of using the biped tool is very simple and easy to use.
14. YouTube. 2014. Creating a Biped Walk Cycle. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxKg0zoIvEc [Accessed: 29 Jan 2014].
    This tutorial teaches me how to animate using biped tool. Also from here I’ve learn a quick way of animating which is using the copy/paste posture inside the biped tool.
15. YouTube. 2014. Youtube Street Fighter. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQ1XrllZmA [Accessed: 28 Dec 2014].
    A video which inspires me to create a better UI for the user rather than a Youtube button.
16. YouTube. 2014. Interactive zombie movie adventure - DELIVER ME TO HELL - REAL ZOMBIES ATTACK. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p1yBlV7Ges [Accessed: 28 Dec 2014].
    A video that inspires me to do Interactive Youtube video and showed how Youtube videos are able to branch out different ending based on what user chooses.
17. YouTube. 2014. Luigi's Mansion Interactive Adventure Game!. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OVhanOQOw4 [Accessed: 27 Dec 2014].
    Another interactive Youtube video which inspires and makes me understand more on the UI designed rather than just using the original Youtube button to switch video.
18. YouTube. 2014. Super Simple Humanoid Character Skeleton using Bones in 3ds Max. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMskvkZZF3g [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].
    Video tutorial on how to use biped tool to rig the model and this is a simple tutorial which helps me to understand the basics of rigging.
19. YouTube. 2014. 3Ds Max Tutorial - Basic Camera Setup & Animation. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNXdEcVtWt4 [Accessed: 3 Feb 2014].
    This tutorial is also very useful because it has guided me on how to use the camera tool in 3Ds Max. To achieve match moving, camera tool is an very important tool.
20. YouTube. 2014. Using 3ds Max with MatchMover - Part 1. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zV2TrG68U [Accessed: 4 Feb 2014].
21. YouTube. 2014. Matchmoving & Character Rigging Tests. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H21K2909sXU [Accessed: 4 Feb 2014].
    These two videos are match moving videos which I watched and analysed how they create match moving. From these videos I notice that camera angle, movement according to the video/ footage and lighting are the important aspects to make believe the match moving.
22. YouTube. 2014. Adobe After Effects Quick Tip - Importing Image Sequences. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R24Bzk2YQso [Accessed: 4 Feb 2014].
    This tutorial helped to understand how to make use of Targa files and import them to After Effects for further editing. Using image sequence is the ideal way according to my tutor and this is one of the research I did to further help me learn on the software.
23. YouTube. 2014. After Effects Tutorial - 17 - Introduction to Masking. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWd51xDqzlc [Accessed: 7 Feb 2014].
    This tutorial helps me refresh on how to do a simple masking in After Effect where I need to mask out the character when she is inside the laptop, also when she jumps over the bar.
24. FreePlayMusic. 2014. Maui. [online] Available at: http://www.freeplaymusic.com/volumedetail.aspx?volume=1833 [Accessed: 9 Feb 2014].
    This is a music I used as my animation’s BGM, it is used for a happy scene where the character gets to explore and slides down the slide.
25. YouTube. 2014. Lucky?Star BGM "Fun Fun Fun Dayo" Piano Version. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcrTO09bPH4 [Accessed: 9 Feb 2014].
    This is a music I used as my animation’s BGM, this is a clumsy and quirky type of music which suitable for my animation’s scene of falling off the bar.
26. YouTube. 2014. Children's Song (Extended Instrumental) - John Patrick McKenna. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slxqaV275_M [Accessed: 9 Feb 2014].
    This is a music I used as my animation’s BGM for the first introduction scene where it started off mysterious yet cute at a same time.

Alpha Testing

Alpha Testing

During this stage I should be able to come out with an artefact which I myself and also the users are able to troubleshoot the problems. However due to some issues and tight schedule, I weren't able to produce the artefact.

During the alpha test I was able to finish one model of my character, and also the character has not even been rig. Due to the limitation of knowledge and also man power, I could not keep up with the time-bound given to produce the artefact.

Therefore, my tutor suggested me to cut down the story and also the characters in the story, and advised me to keep up the learning process.

Plans before Alpha Test

- Shoot video in the forest
- Find a wooden house and take photo from top view
- Take a top angle of a wooden kitchen
- Model and rig a 4 legged monster
- Have 6 interactivity in the story.

Plans after Alpha Test

- Use photos instead of videos
- Change the setting of the story
- Cut down the characters and also the interactivity
- Target to finish the artefact at least
- Keep up the learning progress

Alpha Rendering

Alpha Rendering

I've also did some research on rendering since I'll have to import my 3D animation to Adobe After Effects for further editing. I took quite some time and discuss with one of my classmate who are also doing 3D using 3Ds Max - Carmen. We tried several method on exporting such as using .avi and also .mov. However, our tutor doesn't recommend us to use movie clips for editing in After Effect due to bigger file size and also hard to manipulate the alpha channel of the background. Therefore, we tried using .png and also .targa file. .targa file is the most recommended file to be imported to After Effect because they will be imported as image sequence which the file size is smaller.

Here's an example of the tutorial on helping me to understand the concept of using .targa file in After Effect:

I've also met some problem on the viewport reference image in 3Ds Max sticks as a background when I render it. To edit the 3D animation in After Effect, it is better to have an alpha background which is easier to import a background video or image. I spend quite some time to figure out how to remove the background on the viewport and finally I found a way which enables me to remove the background reference and able to render as an alpha environment.

To remove the file on the view port, go to Views -> Viewport Background -> Configure Viewport -> then remove the file on the use files tab.

Even after you remove the background from the viewport configuration, you will still have to go to Rendering -> Environment and uncheck the use map to render the animation without the image reference on the viewport.

Camera - Match Moving

Match Moving

The project which I have to do and learn from is actually called Match Moving, it is done by using computer graphics and real live footages to create the scenes. In order to achieve this project, I have to create scenes which are believable using computer graphics to merge on the real live footages. To actually create the scenes, I have to learn on using the camera tool in 3D Studio Max and using the camera angle to match with the real video/ footage's angle.

From this I will have to learn how to analyse and read the angle of the footages.

Here are some examples on Youtube about match moving:

To able to analyse is one skill that I've learn during this project, there's also another tool from 3Ds Max that I have to learn to make the project happen. Therefore, I've also researched on camera tool to make use of it.

Also my attempt on creating the match moving video with the model I have done:

Basic Animation - Walk Cycle

Walk Cycle

By finishing with the bone rigging, I've finally able to animate the 3D model. 

Here's the tutorial of creating a basic & simple walk cycle by using a biped tool. I've learn how to set key frames in order to animate the model with auto key and set key tool. Auto key helps me to generate the motion by setting by setting a few key frames in the timeline.

Besides that, this tutorial also taught me an easy way to create a walk cycle, by using the copy & paste posture, it helps me to cut down the workload and also make the motion sync perfectly.

Here's 24 frame walk cycle that I did based on this tutorial:

Rigging 2

Rigging 2

After the first part of rigging, some of the polygons of the model will distort because they haven't been paint weight.

Something like this occur to the model is normal:

From here, I've learned that the polygon has to be painted using the paint weight tool to make the bone of that particular part of the polygon stronger so it will not distort or comes out from other polygon.

My tutor taught me the way of using the paint weight tool to create a stronger root for some specific bones so it won't distort when the bones are moved.

First go to the polygon and select the skin modifier, then click on envelope. And the paint weight tool is right below, the three dots represents settings for the paint weight tool, to either make it stronger or weaker.

Maximum strength of the tool is red color, and the weakest is blue. Also be careful during weight painting, if accidentally painted on other polygons, it will affect them as well.

Here's an example of how a painted weight model looks like:

Also an example of the model of after using the paint weight tool to adjust the polygons: