Evaluation: Overall

EVALUATION

When beginning the 3D animation unit, we began by creating a box to start off, measuring to an equal scale, with the same number of sides. From this process we progressed by learning new things as the steps took place. We then added a texture map which we had created in Photoshop, we added an edit mesh to this box and then selected the faces we wanted to apply the texture map to, and after this I had myself a wooden box. From this first lesson we have been able to progress our skills to a professional standard of work. Our next task of what we need to do was research terrace houses, so we browsed round the internet and also streets when travelling how to see how they are shaped to then start to model in the following lesson. We then began to create terrace houses the following week, by using the simple shapes such as the box and then creating other shapes from that by bevelling the vertices. We then applied textures to each of the faces separately and then we UVW mapped them. I later changed the idea of one texture for the wall, door and windows to separate textures for each the door, window and wall by creating separate shapes. I then created several similar terrace houses, to create a small estate and then to finish the scene off I created a farm land and road using simple extrusions, expanding faces and changing the directions and sizes.

After we had completed the street scene, we moved on to a more complex model, which was a M1A1 Abrahams Tank. We created this with a help from a blueprint, which had four different angles, front, back, side and top. We started on the tank with the bottom section of one half and then we created a instances and flipped it. This process was created with a box and then I extruded the faces from edit mesh and then positioning the vertices to line up with the shape of the tank. I stuck with this process throughout creating the tank, from the turret to the cannon, to the doors and hinges. After all of this process I applied texture mappings to the tank and then added Omnis and lights to fill out the detail.

I then created a scene with displacement maps, which I created in Photoshop. Within the shallow parks of the displacement map, I added a plan, where I applied a custom texture mapping of water. To make this texture mapping of water I changed the map colour to darkish blue and then added a noise onto the displacement for the texture, after this I then added Raytrace to the reflection, where the scene and environment would reflect of the water.

Overall I think that this project was a success, as I have ended up with a large variety of skills in 3D animation and 3D modelling. As I had never done any 3D work before doing this unit I have pleased that I have learnt a new skill and I would like to further my knowledge of the 3D I have learnt and possibly make a career from it in the future.

I feel that, when I started my tank that it was coming together very slow because I didn’t have a good and full understanding off the software even though I had used it for a couple of months. This is where I took my own time to get use to the program and come up with Ideas to create in the 3D software. After I had grasped the 3D software a bit more, I decided to proceed in creating my M1A1 Abrahams Tank, after spending several hours on creating my tank, I had created a detailed tank by editing vertices in the shapes. I also created lines and then attached the lines together and then bevelled the shape to make a 3D shape where I could reshape using the vertices and extrusion. I feel that when I created this tank that the final outcome of the model came out to a professional standard and could possibly use in game if the poly count was lowered. I feel that I had the perfect lighting on the tank, using the Omni’s and the spot lights, which brought out the shadows from the bolts which I had modelled.

In this project, I came across problems with the computer itself and then also problems with the software. One of the common problems where software crashes, which ended up losing work Another problem was corrupt files, where I had saved my work and then later on as I tried to re-open the work, the software would say the file was corrupt. I tried to solve this problem but there was no resolution around it. When I had Pc crashes, this was due to the RAM as the computer could not take the memory taking to render scenes. This occurred a few times when I tried to animate my tank. Unfortunately I could only render a short clip of my tank, because of the computer crashes.

If I had more time on this project, I would have solved the rendering problem which I had when creating my tank, I would have also finished a scene I was recently working on, which had lots of detail from water to mountains, which would have been animated and then used as part of my portfolio. I would have also integrated my plane and the tank in the same scene, to show off two pieces of work in one animation. Some of my work does need improving but there isn’t enough time to change it all.

If I had to compare my work to any professionals work, I would compare it too Activision’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, as in this there are a few tanks which are similar to my tank, but with less detail. The tank in the game mostly uses a texture map, whereas I have used shapes and then textured over the shapes. I feel that my buildings are up to scratch to professional standard as they need more light on them and more detail, I could only compare my buildings to the Driver 2, for the Playstation One, buildings, as these where low quality and simple shapes.

Production: My other 3D animation Work

These are a few animations of which I created for my final major project.

Castle and buildings collapsing.

Hobbs Online Title, my logo.

Mux Title, my music logo.

Production: Additional 3D Work

I created this Scene on the last week of college. I integrated all of what I had learnt throughout the year and combed this into one scene. The only thing I would have done differently if I had more time would be animating the scene, by creating ripples in the water and the leaves moving in the wind.

This was a scene I was creating for my final major project, there has been alot of change on this scene. I added my plane to the scene, used the water texture and a displacement map on the the mountain. I created a random shape with the line tool, which I then bevelled. I then used the boolean tool on a box to take the shape out of the box. I did this so it would look like a lake with grass around it.

Production: 3D Scene

When creating this scene I changed the renderer to mental ray, which changes the results to a sharper image. I also darkened the water to a darker blue.

After Adding all of the displacement maps, I added a water texture which was created, using a plane and a customised texture. The texture had a noise on its displacement and a reflection and then I finally changed the colour blue.

Displacement map for the outer of the scene. When creating a displacement map, you need to know that the darker the colour the flatter the surface will be, the lighter the colour the higher the surface/terrain will be. To create a misplacement map, I created a plane 20x20 polygons, I then went to the modifier tool and clicked on displace, where I then add the displacement map. After this I had to up the strengths to a high number depending on how big I wanted the terrain.

Displacement map for centre Ice burg.

Displacement map for top of ice burg.

Production: 3D Plane

At the back of the plane I create a jet engine which was made using a cylinder, I then bevelled the cylinder inwards after extrusion and edit mesh and selecting its faces, I then created a smooth diamond shape within this to make the jet.

Angled shot to show off polygons.

Front view of plane, with identical sides.

I have added three tails onto my plane to give it a scientific and dynamic look.

I added several jets underneath the plane, which was made with basic cylinder extrusion. I also created legs for the plane, which I was going to use in an animation, I used the same extrusion method on the legs as I did on the jets.

When I created the plane, I started out with a circle made from lines, I then bevelled this so it was a 3D shape, I then used edit mesh to highlight the vertices and then extrude. I did this same process for the extra vents which are coming off the plane.

This was a short animation I created as part of my final major project. I created a spline for the plane to follow, and then I added a rotation to it as it moves. I then created a dome for the sky and a plane for the ground, I added a sky texture to the dome and then a birds eye view texture for the ground, so it looks as if it was high up.

Production: 3D Animated Tank

In this animation you can see the tank moving, which was created by following a spline. This may only be a very short clip of my tank being animated but I had numerous problems when rendering out the animation. First of this problems where its memory, due to the amount of detail I have added into the the tank, the renderer struggled to render so the application crashed. I could have used a texture map which would have decreased this polygon count but I feel that I wanted to show off what I can create and model from minimum knowledge. Due to not being able to see the animation for long, you can only just make out the track moving. I created the track to follow a spline and rotate, I made this start as the tank started to move and also stop when the tank does, the wheels also follow the same process. I tried to get around the crashing problem but unfortunately there wasn't a solution only delete the detail which I was not intending on doing.

Production: 3D Tank

In this screen grab of my tank you can see that I have an oddly shaped bottom section of this tank, this was due to the blueprint of the tank, which showed this uneven box from the front and rear of the tank.

In this wire frame grab, you can see the amount of polygons that I have used to create this tank. The reason for the amount of polygons are because when I created the simple shapes, I extruded them and bevelled them in to complex shapes such as doors and containers. I made sure that I wasn't using unnecessary polygons because I knew it would take up the memory. I spend alot of detail into the wheels of the tank, by adding nuts and bolts, as you would see on a real tank wheel.

In this angle of the tank you can make out most of the polygons used in the model.

This image shows the detail that I put into creating the tracks. I first created a box, but then I added a rectangular dimond shape over as this is what you see on tank tracks. I then added a double cylinder shape object which is used a hinge for the tracks.

The little circles on the back of the tanks can be also found on the same tank which it is modelled off.

In this image you can see the amount of polygons I have used on the wheels and the cage. This was a mistake I picked up on after creating the cage, which if I was to improve the tank I would change. For the wheels, there is a hight polygon count because I have added alot of extruding to shape the wheel and also add all of its nuts and bolts.

On this screen grab you can make out the cannon and its shape, I started off with a cylinder and I then used edit mesh and selected its top face, I then extruded from this and adjusted its vertices to shape the larger sections.

This is my tank rendered out as one slide from my short animation. I used a plane and edited the displacement map to make them look like sand dunes. After this I added sand texture to then make it look like it was sand. I finalised this by adding a fog effect which was under atmosphere and effects (shortcut 8) which I changed the colour to a beige colour, this then gave the scene a look of a sand storm. I really like this scene as it looks quite realistic, I had spent alot of time editing the the lights to get light from different angles, this is where I used spot lights and omni's which gave of a great effect.

This angle of my tank shows the great detail I have modelled from the bolts on the top body to the door on the top, where the turret gun would be. If I could change anything on the tank I would have created more flaps to add more detail into the tank to make it look even more real.

This is my favourite piece of 3-D work that I have produced, I have perfect lighting, the shapes are all detailed, even thou there isnt any backgrounds or animation, I think that this shows off the tanks detail and because there isnt any background, it puts more focus onto the tank. This could be improved by adding a turret gun to the top with also the back aerials and the flares.

From this angle of my tank you can see the shadow coming from the protective bars and also the containers which are modelled separately from the tank. If I could improve on anything on the back, I would add an additional cage on the back of the tank.

Production: Street Scene

This is a rendered slide of my street scene. On the statue posts before you enter the estate, I have added a reflective effect to make the 3d object look as if it is a gold statue. I think that I needed to add more lighting to this scene and also improve my texture maps as some of them look too bright and rigged.

I think I need a little more improvement adding to tiling the grass, as it looks like it has been tiled but when creating a lawn it is meant to look like it is just one piece.

This is a very quick animation I put together showing my street, not much gone in to creating the animation as it was a last minute animation as we moved onto the next project.

Plan: Street Scene in 3D

For this task I needed to create a street scene, which I decided to create a new terrace estate out in the country, to show off environment and also more of the houses.

I created the gate of the private house using the line tool, which I then beveled. I then applied a texture map to make it look like it is made of wood. I used the boolean tool on the post by adding the statue into the wall which then attached them both as one object.

When creating the small pot, I started out using a cylinder, I then went through the extruding and beveling process to get to the final stage of the top point where I attached all of the vertices together.

At the start of this task, I created a box shape building with no windows or doors, which I then applied a brick texture mapping for this, I then edit meshed the areas I wanted to apply the texture and then UVW mapped this to get the texture perfectly lined. After doing this I created another box but then edit meshed and highlighted the top vertices, where I then beveled in to get a roof looking shape. I then leveled the roof up with the building and added this to the top, where I then appled a roof texture mapping.

After the process of creating the building I needed to create doors and windows, which I created mostly custom shapes for using the line tool and beveling them to make a 3d shape. I created a bay window, using this method and also the roof above the windows. I created simple boxes for the doors and windows which I then texture mapped and resized them. Additionally I added a small wall around the driveways to separate each house.

I have used the same doors and windows on the back of the house, as I have used on the front, as the estate is new.

I didn't work as much on what was in the garden as I planned to make the houses quite new, instead I tiled grass at the back and just added fences with a gate. Each fence post is a single shape, I did this to create a realistic looking fence, instead of adding one texture mapping to the whole piece.

As I was creating my scene, I tried to keep my poly count down so that it would not take as long too render, I did this by using simple shapes and also custom shapes, the wire frame view above shows this.

After creating the terrace houses block I decided to add in a private house with a triple garage, I used the same method for creating the terrace house, but I added more building and walls to make the house a lot bigger. I used the line tool to make a custom drive to shape it to fit the house. Outside of the house I added a fountain which I created using a cylinder, I then booleened the cylinder by cutting away a sphere shape to give the shape a smooth centre. I then added water using texture mapping and then a statue which I earlier created.

I applied a tarmac texture map to the road and added a box UVW map to this and tiled this to 8x8 to give the road more detail.

I created a road by starting out with a box and then extruding this in three parts. The middle section would be a road which would lead off to another street. I then added small hedges along the road to separate the farm land from the terrace housing estate.

I stretched out a plane to create a field and cover this within two parts of the scene. I applied a texture mapping to this and UVW mapped the two fields, I tiled the textures 5x5 to make the image look more like a field.

When creating the sloped field, I created a simple plane and applied a bend to it, which give this a look that it was a hill.

Research: 3d Tank Textures

These textures where gathered for my 3D tank from www.cgtextures.com. I needed to create a dessert coloured tank, as this is the modern day colour for tanks. I looked for creme metal textures, scratched metal and rough metal to tires and smashed glass.

This was used for some of the small windows which the driver looks through to see where he is going.

This was used for the tracks as the tracks on tanks are usually a darkish colour, and this is also metal looking.

This was used to create another texture.

This was used to create some bolts and hinges that I modeled on the tank.

This was used to create another texture.

This was used to create another texture.

This was used on some of the doors and boxes.

This was mainly used for the body of the tank.

Research Process: Tank IMAGES

When starting the unit to create a tank, I needed to gather reference images to proceed to model the vehicle. I visually looked at the shapes of the tracks to the the small windows and flaps on the tank and I also looked into the bolts which are barely visible in these images.

Before creating my tank I needed a guide line to shape and size my tank, this is were we where provided with blueprint designs. The blue print designs are underneath this text, but before we inserting the full image in 3Ds Max as a texture map, we had to cut the tank angles out so that they are separate images, this then would help with modeling with each angle, so that we get a reasonable shaped tank.

I mostly gathered images from the side and front view to help with modeling my tank, but unfortunately I struggled to find recourse images of the top and back of the tank, this is where I had to rely on the blue print designs.

Blueprint

Tank in Iraq

Tank in Afghanistan

Tank in Afghanistan

Model Tank from another designer

Front view of tank