JoshB

The issue I have with photgraphing leather (despite being a BIG fan of using photographed textures) is that it is difficult to get a neutral light--thus, you get specular highlights where they aren't needed. Therefore, for a leather-like effect I used a colored material with the specular size, falloff, and intensity set the way I want and then add a bump map. You can use the materials used in the famous babbage water tutorial to get a decent bump map then just resize, make tilable, and place. I would also recommend [digital] texturing and painting. While he uses that other software the same effects can be achieved within AM by tweeking the afore mentioned variables. Also, depending on how worn you want the leather to be I would also recommend taking the base leather color you want into PS (or some other paint program) and mucking it up a bit (difference clouds, and a little airbrush). Right now the leather is too clean. As odd as this sounds: Think about where the hats been. Is it new or old? How many times has the owner stepped, sat, or otherwise beat this thing up? Also, how real do you want it to be? etc. J

The major benefit I have found in using Procedural materials over Photo reference mats (or those creating strictly in photoshop) is that a procedural runs completely through the model. Thus, with wood specifically you get end-grain which matches the actual grain of the wood. As Vern's image clearly demonstrates. However, if you are not going to see the end-grain or not see it closely I go with a hi-res photo. I have actually been known to create a procedural material only to do a hi-res render and turn it into a color map to save on render times. J

A little cooper, a little Tyson, a little look at Den's wireframes (before his model became free), a Mads rotoscope, and a partridge in a pear tree--it's the hybrid head. It's light--it's airy--wireframe to come later--I want to animate it first to make sure it will work. Therefore, I don't want some newbie to come in here look at the wireframe (like I used to--A LOT) and then find out it doesn't animate well. J

Well now that I know EXACTLY what your entry is I'll be sure to never go into a contest against you. Thanks for setting me straight Colin. And, I have learned that those issues are not restricted to mechanical modeling. J

This is a character for yep you guessed it...a personal project that will take me the rest of my lifetime to finish. This is the second attempt at a human head I have made (the first was lost due to computer crash and having no burner). Hasn't been textured or anything (except a bump effect to sit in for the fleshy vibe). Due to the quality of the jpg I have just realized there is slight banding on the profile please disregard as this is not on the TGA. Thanks. Critique away. J p.s. the main reason for this post is because I usually make a vow on art forums NOT to critique someone elses work until I post something for others to critique of mine. So, beware you might just get critiqued. I do admit I broke the rule for one poster, but hey I got something up within a few weeks so it doesn't count...right??

I believe it's William Sutton who's got a good description of who what when where and how on the UV texture editor. Basically it is a nice way to lay out the general textures of models. Then of course you can stop on details like tattoos and the like using a stamp. J

I like the one on the right better simply because the map that you are applying causes some funky discoloration of the skin. I would contemplate using a specularity map and changing the specular falloff to get rid of the "plasticy" feel that you seem to be trying to get rid of. Beyond that I don't see the plastic, but that's just me. Also if you could put the model in a chor and render it with semi-white (non-yellow or any other color a hint of blue is what I like to use) lights so we can get a better feel of the base you are dealing with. The reason I like to use non-colored lights is because they do not add color to your models and if you use a hint of blue it steps the RGB values a little to reduce the possibility of banding. J

You could also take a look at Colin's tute on the subject of decaling a face. The major problem is similar to applying makeup--blending the line from make (diffuse map) into the natural skin. What I would recommend doing is making large diffuse map and using uv texture editor then the whole model will be in makeup and you won't have to worry--as much. J

I was thinking about this one for a while. Not having the time to test it myself I thought this might work. Can you make the collision object (ball) invisible and still have it affect the boxes. If so you can constrain it to your moving object (non-rigid) and it will appear to be the model that is effecting the boxes. J

I have tried something similar. However, I would never take a fully rigged and decaled model and do it. Because if you reposition the cps your bones won't bend the same as they did in the original, nor will the smartskin work the same as it did. Further, the decals that you make may end up stretching in some place giving undesired results. What I have done is made a general model and then worked in changes to create a different model. Hope that answered that question. J

Already gave my thoughts on setting up the camera. And I didn't notice that you taked about fixing the wires until after I had posted--sorry 'bout that. J

Here's what I would do. First, don't worry about extruding them and having it rotate at the same time (if you're even concerning yourself with that). Second, create a null and place it at absolute 0 for the center of your circle. Third, set bones within each rivot and the bone starting at "true" center and ending perpendicular (sp?) to the side you want to face the outside of the path. Fourth, create action, new constraint for each rivot bone. Aim at null. Now the bones will point to the null which will cause the backside of the rivot to be pointing out. This would also be good to use for a telepathy effect (going to go on a tangent for a second). Telepath stands in front of a door with these rivots holding it shut. Instead of creating an action where the bolts spin and move out. Take the null. Constrain it to a path duplicated from the pathA and have it go around and around and around causing the bolts to spin--then just make the bolts move toward the telepath. Hope that works for you. J

I always told myself I wouldn't actually offer advice in here until I decided to show some of my stuff but I couldn't resist. The models look wonderful. I would contemplate thickening the wires because, on my computer at least, I am getting that odd artifact that you can see in old movies when someone wears a pinstripe suit. In the movie they used a program which did all the pipe work. Now I don't know if this is allowed in the contests: What you could do is look into the primitives section of the library of objects on the cd. Texture the ones (cylinders, elbows, t-junction, etc) that look like pipes and place them within your scene to duplicate that effect. It doesn't have to be a focal point in your scene just some in the background to trap the eye. Also, you might want to consider repostioning your camera because the line you are creating is not trapping the viewer--instead they (typically) start at the left of the image and move to the right--but, in your image there's nothing leading them back into the picture. Maybe put the camera as though YOU are sitting in the chair (actually just to the right of the chair (left of the scream extractor from that vantage). There woul be multiple effects created by this: First, it's a POV shot which makes the viewer more involved than the way you have it set up (not trying to suck up to Colin there but look at his image--that guy is flying RIGHT at you). Second, it creates a trapping line (especially if you add piping on the ceiling, and behind the computer going up the wall). What happens now is that a person will get focused on the nearest object (the sucker) follow the maching "back and to the left, back and to the left) to the vertical of the computer and table, which leads them into the piping up the wall, which connects to the piping on the ceiling, which leads to the arm holding the machine from the ceiling, back down to the machine itself, back to the sucker, and then "back and to the left...." Just my thoughts. J