Cupid's Sick Day

[Shelton]

Thanks David and Steve. Thanks Paul that is nice!

 

Here is a small mov file that I did with no animation other than the spin of the character. I wanted to see how long the render times would be with sss and hair particles. For DV size it was 3:30 - 4:30 a frame. I can live with that.

 

Steve

cindyside.mov

[Shelton]

Just a note a got AMnet 15g running today and I am loving it. There are a few things that have been a bump but I dont have rely on the cd in the cd tray.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

I pulled out the one of the stars of the short and decided to work on the skin and the clothes. I will finish the hair as well and get him ready for rigging.

 

Here is Stone

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Stone with hair in place working on the color and smoothing the transistion areas.

 

Steve

[robcat2075]

Here is a small mov file that I did with no animation other than the spin of the character.

 

Good lookin' hair!

[Shelton]

Thanks Robert!!

 

Steve

[Shelton]

i am just looking at my character. Is he too old for Cindy?

 

Steve

[itsjustme]

i am just looking at my character. Is he too old for Cindy?

 

Steve

 

I don't think so...he does fit into the "what does she see in him/lucky bastard" category, but that's not a bad thing.

[tbenefi33]

Those are really good .

 

How you paint them ?

[Shelton]

Thanks David that was exactly what I was thinking

 

I have not painted either one. I have been using the settings inside AM with sss and just simple materials and surface adjustments.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Got rid of the bug eye look and added some smoothing to the face.

 

Steve

[MJL]

Much better, Shelton. He looks like he got rid of his meth problem

[nino banano]

Very nice modeling shelton,I like the characters

[Shelton]

Thanks Myron and Nino

 

He did look wacked out

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Nancy

 

Here is a shot of the jeans we have talked about. I used the group of patch and applied the image. In your email you stated to flip the image on some of the patches. I dont know how to do this.

 

Steve

 

Edit

 

I found a decal I could use. Now if I could figure out how to do the pockets using the same image

[MJL]

Shelton, right click on the decal image and choose flip. X,Y, or Z axis.

[NancyGormezano]

Myron's got it almost right, but not quite - he was probably thinking about the DECAL image which you can flip horizontally, vertically by rt clicking (EDIT: well - there's an option for it, but doesn't seem to work in my 15e)

 

For the PATCH images: select patch(es) that you want to change (pink patch selection tool works well), right click on the patch(es), and choose "rotate images" until it looks right on that patch. Is a pain - but it works

Edited October 31, 2009 by NancyGormezano

[NancyGormezano]

I found a decal I could use. Now if I could figure out how to do the pockets using the same image

 

Not sure what the problem is? -

 

1) select the group - add image? for patch images

 

2) or select the group, hide the rest, rotate view for best application, apply decal (planar probably) ?

[Shelton]

Silly me. It was late. I tried it several ways even 3d painter it just looks bad. I will post later

[Shelton]

Nancy

 

Here is a shot of the pants with the decals applied after using a pose and flatten the image. I have then gone to photoshop and built the decal. Here is a shot showing the stretch on the sides.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Well for now I am going on with the next character. I will revisit all the textures as I begin to rig. Here is a shot of Stone

[NancyGormezano]

Picky picky picky... It looks like stretch denim to me (really - I'm not joking)

 

I'm not that fussy about the stretching...Textures will stretch no matter what, when your character moves. Can't be helped. The audience shouldn't be focused on the pants, and you can always move the camera so that it's not so obvious. In your 3 egs - I would probably be happy with the decal efforts, and I would fix the patch image effort so that the images were aligned correctly - weave going in correct direction, more seamless looking

 

HOWEVER for picky people, the goal would be to introduce noise so that no regular pattern is immediately obvious.

 

What I sometimes do for pants (depending on the pattern) is to use a combination of patch images, with decals applied with cylindrical & planar mappings

 

That is, using an image swatch for denim of your choice

 

1) first decal the entire trousers/pants using a cylindrical map - play with the repeat count - probably just increase x from 3 to whatever it needs to be to get the correct scale - seamless ON

 

2) next - decal the same trousers again using a planar map - set repeat count again to whatever works. Seamless ON. Sometimes it works better to apply the decal from the side, sometimes from the front. Whichever way looks better. Whichever way you do it - probably do some flattening first

 

3) play with the percentage mix for the 2 decals - ie try 50% for the planar decal, with 100% (or less) for cylindrical

 

4) If pants STILL needs noise: then take the entire pant group, right click and - add image with same denim - (you may need to set the decals to 0% while you adjust/rotate images so that you can see the patch images) Adjust repeat count if necessary. Again play with percentages of the patch images, decal images

 

You can use the same denim image for all 3, or combine different images. You can play with adding bump as well (use same image). Here is a denim that doesn't have a distinctive weave

 

Hope this helps some.

 

EDIT - Just saw your new image - Looks good to me! I would be very happy .

[Shelton]

Thank you Nancy for the detailed doc. I have just started on this project learning how to decal properly. Before I was just simply overlay and apply. I got out Will Sutton texture cd I will watch this again.

 

I will re read this several times as there is a great deal of info.

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

Steve

 

Edit: Added noise to the shirt and will be gin on that

 

I got out Painter again and added some variations of the pants. I will u/l after render. Can you paint with 3d paint over a decal or a group texture????

 

Also creating the decals for the pockets and overlay areas

[Eric2575]

With those tight pants, are you sure he's interested in Cindy?

[mtpeak2]

Steve, great models so far.

 

If you have a digital camera, take some photos of the front and back of a pair of jeans. Here's an example.

[steve392]

Here you go ,hope its of some use to you

[steve392]

Some more

front_decal_strides.zip

[NancyGormezano]

I got out Painter again and added some variations of the pants. I will u/l after render. Can you paint with 3d paint over a decal or a group texture????

 

Also creating the decals for the pockets and overlay areas

 

Of course - A:M Painter can modify any decal image that you've already applied FIRST in A:M -

 

In 3d/A:M painter - its a good idea to rt click on the image and choose "make only this image editable". That way you won't be modifying any images that have been layered on the same patches.

 

When you are satisfied with the modification - I always choose to EXPORT the image file to a new name (rather than SAVE) - because I don't like to destroy the original file.

 

Then I go back into A:M and under the appropriate image in the decal container, I substitute this modified image, that I have imported into A:M.

 

I do not use painter as a plug-in - I find there are less funnies if I use it as a stand alone app - ie, I have both A:M and painter open at the same time. And move back & forth between them (as well as having photoshop, Corel Painter open at the same time)

 

I do not believe that group (patch) images show up in A:M Painter (almost sure) - So, then you will not be able to tell how the mods interact - you will have to view the total effect when you return to A:M.

 

And I agree - if I had known you were going for realistic - I too would have suggested "take a photo". Geesh.

[mtpeak2]

Patch images are not ideal. They stretch to the size of the patch and they don't work well on 5 pt patches. You can always paint a pair of pants in a paint program, if a photo is too realistic.

[Shelton]

Mark, thank you that is what I was looking for Now how did you wrap around the sides, when I tried it stretched the decal horribly on the sides. the front and back looked pretty good.

 

nancy once again you have taught me something that I did not know about AM

 

Steve thanks for the decals. What I was thinking is to bring in a photo and then modify it am paint to give the appearance I want.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Eric that is so true. I will make some mods before I go further. I was concentrating so much on the decal and not paying attention to what I was decaling

 

Steve

[mtpeak2]

In an action group the front half of the pants and hide the rest. Then flatten the pants (adjusts cps as needed) and apply decal. Edit the stamp and adjust the cps til the stretching is gone.

[Shelton]

Have you already applied the decal when you go to the action?

 

Steve

[mtpeak2]

No, I applied it in the action.

[Shelton]

Ok that is where I get lost. I have the front half of the pants selected and all other items hidden. I open an action and go to muscle mode. But this is where i can not find how to apply the decal.

 

Steve

[mtpeak2]

You have to double click the decal container to bring up the decal in the action, then size and position the decal. Once positioned, right click the decal and apply.

[Shelton]

Thanks Mark. Wow that is great.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

Its late and I can not remember how to rotate a rotoscope in AM. Help

 

Steve

[HomeSlice]

You can't rotate a rotoscope or decal in AM. You have to rotate the model instead. Be sure to do that in an action or pose.

[Shelton]

Still was not happy with the main character. He was the first model I created and I have learned a great deal since the project started. I have now created a new Stone.

 

Here is the start of the main character.

 

Steve

[Shelton]

I have not had much time the past week but here is a quick update of the revised Stone

 

Steve

[steve392]

That is a good improvement well worth the effort

[Shelton]

Thanks Steve. This Stone is a new character. I will use the old Stone and I have renamed him Rock. He will be in the short as well as a secondary character.

 

Thanks again

 

Steve

[steve392]

Stone /rock ,sounds like a hard place Steve .Just got back from working in Manchester ,Nice to be home

[Shelton]

Here is a three quarter. Some cleanup of the chin area and time for the mouth.

 

Steve

[steve392]

The mouth looks real good ,very well modeld I would say

[Shelton]

Thanks Steve I hope to have the head finished this weekend and then on to other things

 

Steve

[mtpeak2]

Looks good Steve. Are you rendering with SSS, it looks great. Could you share your settings?

[Shelton]

Thanks Mark

 

SSS

 

Base color

R 224

G 179

B 129

 

 

Settings

Red 3

Green 2

Blue 1.75

 

Density 175%

 

Renders times less than 3 minutes on close ups.

[Shelton]

Added a spline ring around the eye and then wrap across the bridge of the nose. This gave the 5 point patches at the inside of the nose more flexibility. The 5 points were running up the nose and made a sharp break toward the eyes. Now I have the 5 points turn to run with the eye area and wrap onto the nose. Gives smoother transistion to the bridge. Also it let me open the top of the nose wider which is what I was wanting. With the added spline I have more of an eyelid as well and lets me round out the eye area. Also changed the lip area as well to smooth out the corner.

 

It is a bit spline heavy and will have to reduce the mesh some. But I am getting closer to adding the hair

 

Steve