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.
