2010 Forum Project

[robcat2075]

I'm kind of liking the bus stop idea.

 

 

But here's a mock up of how the Next Room thing works. This shows two individual clips separately and then edited together as they would be in the final conglomeration.

 

RoomSwitch.mov

 

 

 

The camera and characters can do anything in the middle as long as the intro and outro moves aren't changed.

 

We never see the characters open the door so that would never need to be animated.

[mtpeak2]

Here's an update to the set. I redid the sidewalk and curb, added the bus stop sign and added a dirt decal and hair density map around the bench. The plan is to render the set without the trash can, bench and sign (AO render, 5 passes, 1440x810) and use it as a rotoscope for the camera (720x405) and have it as a front project on a proxy ground plane. I've tested this and it renders pretty fast for any animation (40 sec per frame with AO On, hair Off). Once the set and settings are finalized, I'll render the high res roto for the camera.

[itsjustme]

Here's an update to the set. I redid the sidewalk and curb, added the bus stop sign and added a dirt decal and hair density map around the bench. The plan is to render the set without the trash can, bench and sign (AO render, 5 passes, 1440x810) and use it as a rotoscope for the camera (720x405) and have it as a front project on a proxy ground plane. I've tested this and it renders pretty fast for any animation (40 sec per frame with AO On, hair Off). Once the set and settings are finalized, I'll render the high res roto for the camera.

 

Looks fantastic, Mark!

[mtpeak2]

Thanks David.

 

We'll need an image of a bus for the layer transition.

[KNBits]

The bus stop is great. I like the idea.

[mtpeak2]

Thanks.

 

I made some minor adjustments, I set the hedge to flat shaded and moved the props back a bit.

[nimblepix]

I like the bus stop idea a lot . . . less to go wrong.

An animator could populate it as needed for his/her bit.

 

Using the room could cause continuity issues . . .

having one animator work with exiting a character

and another entering the same character.

[AniMattor]

I don't know if I'll have time to join or not, but if I did, I'd like to do the bus stop. Much less constricting than in a room. I like that the only commonality is the background and the bus driving in/out.

[TheSpleen]

we could just have someone animate the clip starting with bus leaving and leave the desired time frame for the animators then another bus arriving blocking the view.

Everyone use same chor. file and anything between buses is fair game.

I seem to remember someone on forums awhile back making a very detailed bus.

[thekamps]

Won't it look weird with soo many buses crossing all the time. I mean if each shot is 10-30 seconds then that will be a lot of distracting buses/filler.

Here's my idea.

How about just the street without the bus stop and then do a continuous pan right. If the back plate is tileable then it can be one long take that reveals each new scene. If someone wants to add a bus stop or hydrant or driveway or tree, etc they can but it would just be a long revealing pan.

[thekamps]

A quick mock-up. Picture a slower pan, more interesting actions, different decor, pauses for watching longer actions, etc.

Maybe even model a long set and give each person a section to work with.

 

test000.mov

[zandoriastudios]

The simplicity of the simple set, static camera, appeals to me. The bus layer makes a good 'wipe' transition between scenes--it could even have different advertisements printed on it, if that appealed to anyone.

[thekamps]

so it would be something like...run looped.

 

test002.mov

[mtpeak2]

The bus doesn't always have to go by. If some scenes start and end with no characters in it, then the bus doesn't have to be there.

[largento]

Not to mention that the bus could stop (presumably to pick someone up and drop someone off). That would not only give enough time to wash the palette, but also (like Will suggested), the ads on the bus could change each time... possibly to be a title and credit for the next segment.

 

I really like the bus stop idea and Mark has created a great looking set.

[robcat2075]

I think we'll probably do the bus stop premise. I think it will be easiest for everyone to do something with.

[Paul Forwood]

The bus stop set looks great, Mark, and the concept has a lot of potential.

Edit:

Maybe you could make a little more of a stage by paving right out to the curb at the bus stop? It would keep passengers feet clean on wet days and would also remove the need to trample the grass down where much of the action takes place.

[mtpeak2]

Ok, I think I got a bus to use. What I'll do is render out the bus, with an alpha channel, pulling up, stopping and leaving. Then this render could be used for the transition during editing (with slight overlapping of the animations).

[mtpeak2]

I rendered the set with no trash can, bench and sign at hi res, with hair and AO on. I then used the render as a camera rotoscope and set the proxy ground model to a front projection target. Added back in the props and character. Rerendered at a lower res, with AO still on. The frame rendered in 32 secs, which I think will work quite well. The only thing with using the roto and front projection is, you can't translate, rotate or zoom the camera in and out. There is a couple thing, like the grass not being infront of the legs of the bench and can, but I think I can live with that.

 

Any thoughts? Suggestions on any change to the set? (Paul, I'll see what I can do) Is the lighting OK?

[HomeSlice]

That looks fabulous Mark. I think you set that set up quite well!

[robcat2075]

Can you weather the sidewalk and road surfaces so they don't look so uniform? The bench looks nicely aged.

 

Maybe some chips and cracks and discoloration?

[NancyGormezano]

Very nice set - might be good for the ground to also have a modeled curb in the event character wants to step up/down.

 

Is there a reason why the bus stop has to be the same for each animation? Is there some reason that the background roto couldn't change? as well as the bench, basket, sign, time of day, lighting, render style etc.

 

If the set doesn't change, then its a story about what happens at a particular bus stop. If the set does change it's a story about a journey.

[mtpeak2]

Can you weather the sidewalk and road surfaces so they don't look so uniform? The bench looks nicely aged.

 

Maybe some chips and cracks and discoloration?

I'll see what I can do Robert.

[mtpeak2]

Very nice set - might be good for the ground to also have a modeled curb in the event character wants to step up/down.

 

Is there a reason why the bus stop has to be the same for each animation? Is there some reason that the background roto couldn't change? as well as the bench, basket, sign, time of day, lighting, render style etc.

 

If the set doesn't change, then its a story about what happens at a particular bus stop. If the set does change it's a story about a journey.

The curb is modeled into the proxy set.

 

Well, then more sets need to be modeled and another transition render of a bus ride to the next stop?

 

That's all doable, but complicates things. I do have other ideas for other bus stops, but they'll take awhile to model and setup.

[TheSpleen]

Very nice set - might be good for the ground to also have a modeled curb in the event character wants to step up/down.

 

Is there a reason why the bus stop has to be the same for each animation? Is there some reason that the background roto couldn't change? as well as the bench, basket, sign, time of day, lighting, render style etc.

 

If the set doesn't change, then its a story about what happens at a particular bus stop. If the set does change it's a story about a journey.

She's right.

[robcat2075]

Is there a reason why the bus stop has to be the same for each animation?

 

yes. Because...

 

its a story about what happens at a particular bus stop.

 

That is what this premise is about. Other premises are not bad, but if I'm the one who's going to have to make everyone's clip fit together, I like the way this premise has "fits together" built into it.

 

Also by using the same set, we keep it about the character animation.

 

Clips will fit together vastly better than "Pass the ball" and yet everyone still has much freedom to so what they want to do.

[ptiversen]

I like the Bus Idea with the advertisement panel, you could use the advertisement panel to introduce the next character and the animator. So you would start off with the bus stop being empty so that the first bus that stops will introduce the first character and so on.

 

Tony.

[NancyGormezano]

Well, then more sets need to be modeled and another transition render of a bus ride to the next stop?

 

That's all doable, but complicates things. I do have other ideas for other bus stops, but they'll take awhile to model and setup.

 

I didn't think that you would be doing all the sets, I thought each participant could do their own, by starting with the one you've done and modify rotos, restyle bench if wanted, add other props. And given what you have, could probably still do that. I wasn't thinking that it required any effort by you. The bus stop could have a sci fi look, abstract, or impressionist, slum style, primitive stone age cave man bus stop look, etc. Any number of looks. The transition could be part of the animation, if desired. You just know John will want to blow something up.

 

The bus transition could still be a cut/fadein/out. I thought that this was being edited together externally.

 

On the other hand by ONLY using 1 fixed set, and it being a story about a particular bus stop, one could still have all sorts of weird and not weird goings on, and the characters could bring their own props.

[Shelton]

I totally missed this thread.

 

Mark I love the set. This is great!

 

 

 

Steve

[jimd]

where's the set ? and when do we start

[jimd]

PS

The bus stop could have a sci fi look, abstract, or impressionist, slum style, primitive stone age cave man bus stop look, etc. Any number of looks. The transition could be part of the animation, if desired. You just know John will want to blow something up.

 

I agree with Nancy the bus is your wipe

and the buss top is the story background theme

so why not mess

[zandoriastudios]

Great set Mark!

 

Lets keep it as is. We can do ANYTHING ELSE in our scene, that is a lot of freedom! Even if it's just some characters waiting on the bench, it will be interesting.

I think I will have my hippo, taking the bus to another day of shooting (Tar of Zandoria) like he's just going to work. Like that cartoon with the Sheepdog and Coyote...

 

Suggestion for the bus: Have an Animation:Master ad on the side!

[mtpeak2]

Thanks Will.

 

Steve Shelton was kind enough to donate his bus model to the cause. I'll try and post a test render of the bus coming and going later tonight.

[mtpeak2]

Here's a quick test render, only 1 pass and AO off. The scale of the bus actually needs to be larger, it just seemed too big. What do you think? I could change the camera distance further away and adjust the focal length of the camera, but it changes the look of the scene. The bus need some work too, to get it ready. I want to tint the windows so you can't see inside and change some decals (maybe textures too).

bus_stop_test.mov

[Shelton]

Wow I like that Mark awesome job

 

Steve

[TheSpleen]

clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap

[itsjustme]

Looks great so far, Mark!

[robcat2075]

Mark, when you're done tweaking it could you zip it up and send it to me?

 

theguy (at) brilliantisland.com

 

and I'll torture test it before I kick off the project "officially".

[John Bigboote]

I've missed this thread as it developed... I like where you guys are takin this!

[mtpeak2]

Can you weather the sidewalk and road surfaces so they don't look so uniform? The bench looks nicely aged.

 

Maybe some chips and cracks and discoloration?

How's this Robert?

 

Also extended the sidewalk to the curb, I'm not sure I like that though. Should I just extend the whole sidewalk to the curb? I like seeing the grass between them though.

[robcat2075]

I like the cracks. Can you do some scuffs and chips on the curb? and maybe oils stains on the pavement.

 

 

extending the sidewalk made things a bit too graphically symmetrical.

 

And now that i think about that, the whole composition is overly symmetrical. How about if the bench and trash can were moved somewhat to the left. There could be a patch to the right of the bench where people stand and the grass has been worn out.

 

Is the bench close enough to the sidewalk so that when someone sits on it their feet aren't in the grass and getting pass thrus?

 

Most of the grass area is decal and not particle grass, right?

[mtpeak2]

Here's an option with no grass between the sidewalk and curb. I also lowered the camera to show more of the road.

 

Robert, I was planning those things for the curb, I just haven't gotten to it yet.

 

I'll try moving the trashcan and bench a little.

 

There won't be any particle hair in the final set, it will be a render of the scene used as a rotoscope and front project on to the proxy ground.

[mtpeak2]

Made adjustments to the grass density map and added a length map. Retextured the dirt area. Shifted the bench and trash can (too much?) to the left and the sign to the right a bit. Set repeat higher on grunge map, on road, so it's more noticable. Added damage and scuff marks to the curb.

 

[EDIT] updated image

[Xtaz]

Mark ... great set ....

Maybe if you smooth the edge between sky and plant .....

[mtpeak2]

Thanks, Marcos.

 

I've been trying to figure out how to do that, with no sucess. I'm not that good with paint programs, though I have learned a few things with this project. Can you point me in the right direction with doing this?

 

[EDIT] Thanks to Marcos, I got it figured out.

[Xtaz]

Mark ... Do we use the real set or just a rotoscope ?

in the image above I adjusted the edge using clone tool ...

 

if we use the real set you must create a gradient mask to the plant...

Can you send me the set ? xtaz at r7 dot com

[mtpeak2]

Thanks Marcos, that worked like a charm.

 

I rendered a hires image for the rotocope (softened the edge as Marcos suggested, though I really need to do that to the decal used for the hedge.).

 

Here's a test render of the set that will be used.

[Xtaz]

perfect Mark ... now the pole isn't fit in the scene

Is it a layer ??? it seems too flat and I can't see its shadow on the grass

[mtpeak2]

Yeah, I noticed the sign wasn't casting a shadow, but I haven't figured out why yet.

[robcat2075]

Can you change the sign so "BUS STOP" is on top and most prominent? A close up of that would make a good introductory shot.