iGeek

Here's how I would do it. Actually, I would build it all again, beveled. Or use Zevel to bevel it... But here's what I did with yours. Just a baseline... -Zev final_window_on_wall.mdl

Yes. That should work. Also you could just use copy and paste. It will go up by powers of 2. Sorry I wasn't able to be of more help. No idea what's wrong with igeek1@mac.com. It should be working. Of course if time runs out just use a decal of the shingles. I imagine that for a school project this is way beyond anything anyone else is doing anyway. They'll excuse you if your model isn't straight out of PIXAR's renderfarm... -Zev

What kind of tiles are we talking here? If I had a photo reference I could probably do it... Email me, because I'll hear the email come in, and I won't be checking the forums. -Zev igeek1@mac.com

Here's a tileable version I did in Photoshop. tile.tga.zip

I made a curtain. I posted the model on my iDisk at the link above. I have a few questions. 1) How do I make the ripples of the curtain more apparent? 2) I want to brighten the film and darken the unlit part of the background, but I can't figure out to light only specific objects with lights. The help files didn't clearly explain how Light Lists work, or at least I couldn't understand it. I modified the Satin material to make it less shiny, but I think I might put back the shine after seeing this render. 3) I couldn't do a final render. It kept crashing. This was a render in the chor window. I'm using the latest 10.5. Haven't upgraded to 11 yet. 4) Should I use DOF for this? I thought it might be nice to have the background in focus, but the back of the film a bit blurred. I'll play around with it. I also tweaked the upper right edge of film so it would end out of frame. Thanks for the comments so far. -Zev

Nice. I'll try both the curtain and the gradient and get back to you. And maybe a projector, but not anytime soon. I have less important but mandatory things to do. Thanks for the ideas. -Zev

The stripes were supposed to look vaguely like a popcorn box, but I'm open to suggestions if you can think of a better background. If I do a dark blue background then maybe I can do the spotlights. ooo... projector.. If I have time I'll try that! PHS's mascot is a bulldog. I don't have access to any good images, so I just browsed their website and found that one. I'll see if I can contact the webmaster and get a better version. I'd make one in AM but I have homework.... Which I should be doing now... -Zev

I posted the prj on My iDisk.

I'm the "Key Grip" of my school's Film Consideration Club (FCC). We watch movies and talk about them. I've been assigned to make a backdrop for the projector. It's the image that displays when it's warming up, and before we put in a movie. It'll be up when people are coming in. It's not trying to sell anything, just something to look at. Here's my first pass at it. I plan to fix the way the film just ends on the upper right. Also, I wanted to do some spotlights a la 20th Century Fox, but I couldn't figure out a good way to do it. I plan to mess with the lighting a bit too. I'd love to hear what y'all think.

The link in his HTML code is wrong. It should say http://johnl.inform.net/images/wv9a.mov but it says file:///G%7C/new%20site/images/wv9a.mov instead. Go to the first link to see the clip. Regarding the clip: hmmm.. Interesting... Could be used as a cool background effect or something.... -Zev

Wow, I really like it! Great twist at the end. I thought it might be nice if the cloud started raining after the lightning. Also, is that the look you're going for with the cloud? I didn't realize it was a cloud until the lightning. Maybe that's what you're going for, in which case it works. Very cool stuff, keep up the good worK! -Zev

I'm sure it was the grayness. You know, it's very hard to portray gray realistically. You need to go scout out all kinds of gray references. Too dark or too light can just ruin your day. I wish I were über enough to animate gray. Seriously folks, looks really nice. -Zev

If you select all and do Snap to Grid (the apostrophe key, I think...), it'll snap if you modeled to a grid. Then just reset all the biases and you're good to go. I modeled a beveled wrapped present. boy, was that not fun. It was like a cube but with an inside that had to all line up. -Zev

Well, hyperbolic or parabolic would be the most realistic and reflect the light best... Although, as you're going for a cartoon look, you could try... square? jkjkjk looks real nice so far. -Zev

I like 4 and 5, the green ones with the sketches and the final renders, the best. However, I've heard a good rule of thumb regarding business cards: You should be able to fit a quarter in the white space. This is so you can write stuff on the card if you need to. While the whole world supposedly has Palm Pilots, no one actually has them. See if you can't build it on a white or light background with space for writing (or is the back going to be white?). Also, any chance of seeing some fur on the cat/squirrel thingy? Just a thought... I really like the juxtaposition of the concept sketch and the final output. I'm going to be starting on a business card at some point, and this thread has inspired me. Just my thoughts... -Zev

Damn, that looks real now! I don't really have anything else to say, so I'll use this as an excuse to say.... 100th post! Boo-ya! I'm sorry, I got a little carried away there. You can all get back to your lives. Nice table, though. Looks very real. I like the lighting in the last render.

There, I've got my avatar fixed. A bit of an improvement, I think. As for this modeling project, I'm in. In terms of images for reference, http://www.apple.com/pr/products/ us usually a good resource, but there's no good pic of a G5 from the front. Any ideas, anyone? I'll volunteer to model, as I'm still not very experienced with materials. The one on the stand of my iMac could use a bit of work. But yes, this is a cool idea. Also, why be limited to a computer? Maybe we should start with something easy, but it may be cool to build a whole character this way. Oh, wait, that's what they already do at places like PIXAR and Weta... Fun project, though. I'm around until Saturday. I'm away for I think 5 days. I'm free after that, though. Let's do it! -Zev PS I have web space available to me. In case we need it.

Yeah, the materials look nice. That's an interesting idea, collaborating on one model like that. How would it work? Would each person have a specific job, like one would model the boolean cutters for the ports, one would work on a material for the front grille (which I already have- look at the bottom of the iMac. That was taken from a G5 Desktop photo!), one would do the insides, etc.? Make it happen! Very cool idea. I'm tied up now rerendering my avatar and then building the mouse and keyboard, but I might have some free time at some point.... -Zev

lol nice. Is the decaling taken from a photo? It looks really good. If you mean my email address, igeek1@mac.com. w00t this is fun. I'd be working on the mouse and keyboard now, but my computer is tied up running drive maintenance. -Zev

So true. Render is DONE! 25_pass_lighting.mov

Nice! And while we're on the subject, here are two that Pixar did. You know, those guys that use that other 3D app.... http://images.apple.com/movies/us/apple/ne...iMac_30_480.mov and http://images.apple.com/movies/us/apple/ne...iMac_15_480.mov, and also http://www.mab3d.com/images/quicktimepop02.html by someone else. Some very nice stuff. The render is still chugging away. I'm going back to bed now. 'night all -Zev

I'm using .Mac email- igeek1@mac.com. Try emailing it. We could also use AIM/ichat or I could give you my password and you could post it directly to my iDisk. I trust you. I'm using 10.5r8 for OS X, as I'm waiting for the 2005 disc to upgrade. It seems to happen only sometimes, and only when the screen dims because of energy saver. I'm not too worried. I'll try to replicate it when I get 11.1, etc. I've found some nice images of the wireless mouse and keyboard, so that's next when this render finishes. It's going slowly. About 20 frames left. -Zev

oooooooo, nice! If you zip the project it will be a lot smaller, especially if the decals/rotos are .tga, as they compress well. My iMac project is 21MB, and it zips down to under 4. If you email it to me I could put it on my iDisk. The render is still going. It's finished 34 of 80 at 320x240, 25 pass, and a tweaked version of the lighting rig above. Strangely, the time remaining, elapsed, and average, seem to have been confused. They are either blank or displaying, in the case of total elapsed, 429467286:4294967279:429496738 and counting up. Bug? -Zev

Update: I've set up a new chor. with some nice lights and a backdrop. My parents both being in theater they were able to offer their input. This render was 25 pass with Depth of Field and soft wide soft shadows. I've done some tweaks and am currently rendering a slower turn-around. It may be done in the next day or two. btw, gschumsky, feel free to use my bump maps and such. Why weren't displacement maps working for me? Oh, and I've posted an updated prj on my .Mac page for your enjoyment and such. Goodnight all. -Zev

Which ones? My ports aren't booleans. They're sleazy bump maps. Download it and see for yourself. I didn't understand how bump maps worked, so I thought they would actually cut themselves out. After I learned that they're just an illusion, I tried displacement. Didn't work. What was I doing wrong? As for your holes and vents, why didn't you just use a transparency map to cut some holes? Or am I not understanding you? As I recall, the iMac G4 (you meant that, yes?) has hundreds of holes. You saying you modeled them all in reverse? *whistles* So, yeah, thanks for the comments so far, everyone. And see if you can't fix those pesky ports. I really don't feel like modeling a bunch of plugs that will be seen by their absence. I've gotta go now. It's past my bedtime -Zev