This one's for Vern

[Paul Forwood]

Actually the question is open to anyone.

 

I would like to have a strong contrasting shadow cast on the ground but have a light reflecting on the character's face. When I add any light and direct it up from just above the ground plane it removes the shadow on the ground. Can someone suggest the best type of light for this?

 

I have tried all types at various strengths but have yet to find the solution.

 

Any resemblance between this character and anyone we may know is purely coincidental. It is meant to be humourous and is not intended to offend anyone, even if they don't like the English.

 

Paul Forwood

[heyvern]

Hey it does kind of look like me.... even the hat! I still wear the hat I got in Mexico when I went to Sigraph '03...

 

Of course you need to add about 50 lbs or so... I have a gut...

 

-------------------

 

I think what you need to do with the light is to use a light list.

 

The light to highlight his face should be added to the models light list and not light all models. Then it shouldn't blow out the shadow on the ground... I am guessing since I am not sure about toon renders.

 

p.s. Why don't Mennonite woman shave their legs?

 

To hold their stockings up.

 

Vernon "Amish-low-carb" Zehr

[John Bigboote]

Cool character. Seems to me you would just want to use a klieg and aim it up from just above the ground at the face...

[KenH]

LOL SUPER-NERD! He'll save you from excitement! Nothing like Vern at all!

 

I thought women not shaving their legs was a show of empathy for what us men have to go through.

[lazz]

If you put a fill-light below the floor angled at him it might work. Just a guess though.

[Paul Forwood]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

Ah, yes, light lists! I haven't tried them before. I'll read up on the subject and give it a go.

 

I did try the klieg light at various positions and intensities and it wiped the other shadows but I haven't tried adding the light to the model. Maybe that's the way to do it.

 

Vern, I'll feed this guy every hour, on the hour, with coffee and doghnuts and post again when he has filled out to his correct proportions. Yes, he is based on you and is meant as a tribute. He is one of he good guys. A modest hero who fights the dark side with humour, but not always in the way that he intended. I have a storyboard for a simple 2-3 minute animation which I would like to, at least, rough in. We'll see.

 

Thanks again for the tips.

 

Here's the same thing in shaded mode.

It really shows up all the faults. Haven't finished the rig properly and there are no textures or decals other than the crest and eyes. I'll give it some time tomorrow.

 

Paul Forwood

[heyvern]

Oh my that is creepy... like looking in a mirror...uh... from the neck up anyway...

 

I think there should be a "V" on the suit rather than a "Z". Although, the Z is similar to an "S" which fits the original idea.

 

Personally if I became a superhero, I would never wear tight fitting clothes. I would lean towards very dark baggy clothes with lots of utility belts... size 42 utility belts... long capes are good.

 

-------------

 

Light lists are fun and easy to use! The first time I used them as a serious tool was for my comic entry in the AM image contest a few months back:

 

http://www.hash.com/imagecontest/Apr04/10.jpg

 

I had bunches o' lights that were assigned to, the table, the clock, the wall. I had different colors for each light, for each panel and was trying for a bold comic book style. Each panel is a render right out of AM. I only put the text in with photoshop and made minor histogram adjustments. So of course the blue light against the wall would have made the gold metalic clock look green (the wall model was white).

 

I don't think I had one light in there that wasn't assigned to a light list in the choreography.

 

Thanks for the tribute Paul... I think....

 

Vernon "Z" Zehr

[Paul Forwood]

Personally if I became a superhero, I would never wear tight fitting clothes. I would lean towards very dark baggy clothes with lots of utility belts... size 42 utility belts... long capes are good.

 

Ha Ha! Is that a request?

 

Here is a longer test:

 

http://www.rollmodels.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Wip_page.htm

 

I need to sort my website. All my filenames get their case changed when I upload and it can be a chore correcting them. I hope the link works.

[entity]

I think there should be a "V" on the suit rather than a "Z". Although, the Z is similar to an "S" which fits the original idea.

 

Vern the V is there in black overlapped by the Z--- wich is a sorta backwards S.

[Paul Forwood]

I was hoping to have progressed with this project by now but I seem to have hit a glitch with my rig. I found a couple of those yellow folders with the question mark in my bones folder and when I investigated found that they referred to duplicate bones with the same name. I checked to see which ones were linked in the hierarchy and then deleted the others. This seems to have recked my whole rig!!! Now every single bone in my rig has a queation mark on it's folder!

 

Has anyone else seen this and do you know if this is something that I have caused or is it a bug?

 

I am feeling very deflated right now.

 

A:M 11.0r

 

Going back to 11.0q

[KenH]

Normally, I ignore those question marked folders....I see them mainly on splines. I don't think deleting was the best thing to do and I guess you don't have a backup?

[Paul Forwood]

Hi, Ken

 

Luckily I have a backup but I have lost alot of tweeking and rigging work.

I curse this technology sometimes but without it how many of us would have the opportunity of doing this great stuff?

 

Two steps forward, one step back. One step forward, two steps back. One day...

 

Paul Forwood

[Paul Forwood]

Well, I've just been testing the rig and it seems to be holding up so I'll continue with it for the moment. Maybe all those question marks will go away if I ignore them.

[KenH]

Heh