Post Processing - Render Layers

Just some tests with basic objects to enchnace and develope visuals in post production. I rendered out 4 layers a master layer, ambient occlusion, shadows, and glow layer and compostied in after effects.

process









original












post

Z-Depth Compsiting Tests

 Just a quick one, been doign lots of learnign in preperation for the stages so heres my firts little test for zdepth in post - just created usign a renderlayer for zdepth and in after effects.

No Depth

Depth

Render fixed :)

Finally fixed the render problems after alot of failed methods and googling. heres the link i foudn the soloution at on ZbrushCentral : - http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=58020

Heres my succesfull but very low quality render with both objects! using mental ray!

Turns out maya tesslation didn't like, somethign zbrush did to the objects when they were imported so it messed it all up, had to use maya's mesh clean up for it to work.

RE: - Diagnositic

I tried usign a tutorial by Scott Spencer, to convert my texture to .map files, and re-apply them to my sculpted layer. however i get the same errors:

MENTAL RAY RENDER DIAGNOSTICS:

Performance

- LowPoly_Guard_2GuardPartsSmoothed_obj:ZBrushDispMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- LowPoly_Guard_2GuardPartsSmoothed_obj:ZBrushNormalMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- LowPoly_Guard_2GuardPartsSmoothed_obj:ZBrushTexture has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- ZBrushDispMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushDispMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- ZBrushNormalMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushNormalMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- ZBrushTexture has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushTexture is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

// Warning: 9 warnings, see script editor for details. //

// Error: Nothing is currently selected. //

Mental Ray - Render Diagnosis

MENTAL RAY RENDER DIAGNOSTICS:

Performance

- GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushDispMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushDispMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushNormalMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushNormalMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushTexture has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If GuardPartsSmoothed_obj_ZBrushTexture is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- GuardPolyPaint1_ZBrushDispMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If GuardPolyPaint1_ZBrushDispMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- GuardPolyPaint1_ZBrushTexture has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If GuardPolyPaint1_ZBrushTexture is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- ZBrushDispMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushDispMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- ZBrushNormalMap has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushNormalMap is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

- ZBrushTexture has a resolution of 2048x2048 which may be inefficient.

- If ZBrushTexture is not a memory mappable file, use imf_copy to convert it to .map format, to improve the performance.

// Warning: 16 warnings, see script editor for details. // 

Im going to try this imf_copy stuff and creat .map files, see if that will let me render multiple objects!

Mental Ray vs maya software

As ive looked at before somethign strange is happening when i try to redner in mental ray with multiple objects. This is a screencap of my maya screen followed by the render usign mental ray.

 The screen cap of Maya, both the base mesh, and the extra objects with all map applied.







The render using mental ray.

The render using maya software. Althought the object both render, the displacement map, doesn't really work with maya software. The other problem is it takes abotu 13.25 times longer. this render took 1 mintue 46 seconds. the mental ray render took 8 seconds!

Problems with mulitple objects in maya rendering

Over recnet weeks, after orignally testing, exporting low poly meshes from zbruhs with maps, and rendering fine, why all of a sudden im strugglign to render some of my sculpts. For example i can't render the guard mesh, with displacement and normal maps, on fine, but add the extra parts as another object, they don't render.

I accident;y swithced to a maya software redner, and all of a sudden, both objetcs render. I think it has something to do with mental ray memory allocation.

This is something to experiment with!

Guard Poly-Painted/ basic texturing

Heres a quick render of my guard with a basic texture on, done with zbrushes, projecton tol and ZAppLink, intot photoshop.

Too Normal map, or not too normla map, that is the question!

I've been playign with normal maps on top of my displacmenet, maps, and heres what i've got.

The picture bleow is without a normal map.
Using a basic render, no new lights etc.

The picture below this is with the normal map ontop of the displacrement.

I think that witht he normla maps, adds some of the nicer fine, detail in the sculpt, and hardly chnages the render tiem at all.

Timetabling

Some timetbalign i would like to addhere too, especially the redering time, which i am giving a month to do, as it will be intense to render epscially if i use redner passes. I am also enteraintign the idea of usign the uni as a render farm if i need to in order to finish the renders.

This is a gant chart to timetable my efforts:













This is my excel data too:

Tasks	Date Start	Duration (Days)	Date End
Storyline ideas	01/09/10	14	15/09/10
Scripting sequences	12/09/10	5	17/09/10
Concept Sketches	12/09/10	14	26/09/10
Character Designs	12/09/10	10	22/09/10
Research	01/09/10	190	10/03/11
Reference Gathering	01/09/10	153	01/02/11
Final Character Designs	22/09/10	7	29/09/10
Character Model Sheet	29/09/10	3	02/10/10
Character Modelling	22/09/10	90	21/12/10
Final Concept Art	17/09/10	20	07/10/10
Modelling	22/09/10	115	15/01/11
Rigging	21/12/10	15	05/01/11
Unwrapping / UV'ing	21/12/10	5	26/12/10
Texturing	26/12/10	14	09/01/11
Sculpting	30/09/10	82	21/12/10
Animatic	01/12/10	7	08/12/10
Storyboarding	08/12/10	9	17/12/10
Rig Tests	21/12/10	15	05/01/11
Animation Tests	15/01/11	10	25/01/11
Animation	05/01/10	45	19/02/10
Learning	01/09/10	200	20/03/11
Environment/Set Building	01/12/10	25	26/12/10
Lighting	26/12/10	50	14/02/11
Setting up Camera angles	26/12/10	50	14/02/11
Render Tests	14/02/11	7	21/02/11
Playblasting	14/02/11	5	19/02/11
Rendering	19/02/11	30	21/03/11
Grading Images	15/03/11	9	24/03/11
Compositing Sequences	21/03/11	5	26/03/11
Add any Visual Effects	21/03/11	5	26/03/11
Test Render Piece	25/03/11	1	26/03/11
Test Render on projector	25/03/11	5	30/03/11
Grade piece for projection	25/03/11	5	30/03/11
Final Piece Exports	30/03/11	1	31/03/11
Report	01/09/10	211	31/03/11
Feasibility Report	17/12/10	40	26/01/11

Main Character Zbrush Sculpt Progress

This is me playign Zbrush's inbuilt turntable fucntions. I have put the rendering up to best quality and am using a Light brown material. This is a sculpt of main character so far on highest divisions. I haven't sulpoted the legs as theres going to  be a independant mesh on there for his trousers. This is mainly a muscle, sulpt. All the finishign detsails such as pores, wirnkles are still to be done.

Main Character Sculpt Video Link

Guard 3D Progress

This is the progress so far on my guard charcter. Its all UV'd and sculpted. Just some work on the chest plate to go, then i will move onto poly painitng the texture. Rigging to start.

Animatic

I have made an animatic for my presenation. Its also for me to understand what i am actually goign to make. It gives a realsitic sense of time, and rough outline of camera angles and such. Of ocurse some changes may occur during production, espically with camera angles etc, hoiwever its nice to get a overall look and feel for what i am making.

Animatic Link

Displacement Map Tests

I have been playign with displacement maps, from Zbrush to Maya, its so i can add lots of details to my characters, but still rig the low poly mesh, makign it easier to work with and render. Its been a bit of a struggle. I followed a tutorial from Gnomon Workshop from 2008, however, it wouldn't work proeprly. In the end after a lot of research i found this article by Scott Spencer and very renowed Zbrush artisit: http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Scott_Spencer,


After that it became much easeir to do:
This is a screen in maya, its a low poly mesh with a displacement map for rendering

This is the render, not all high settings: - 22 seconds to render with displacment maps on and glow on the eyes.

Playing with poly painting in Zbrush

This is a test i did using a standard Zbrush model of a dog. I UV'd it using UV Master, then used the poly painting function in zbrush to paint my texture colours onto a diffuse texture map. I then export the model, and textures into Maya to test if i could render it.

Comparisions

These two shots aree very similar. the first is from the fifthc element, and the second is my own animatic sketch.

The next shots represent the sirens goign of in my control room, which i imagine is goign to look something liek the two pictures form picth black.

Reference Materials

 Azureus Rising - a fully CG aniamtion mad e as a pitch for full feature length funding. Its such a sbeautfilly render peice, i woul dlove to make my renders anywhere near this quality. I have taken alot of insipration from this short. Its grading with hues of blue i think will suit some of my shots. I also got some ideas for the guard from the glowing blue eyes and bits. See the full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agk2svo7svI

 Fifth Element, has  some brillant designs in it which i have found very inspiring. I have also taken some inpriation from the esscape in teh first 10 minutes of the film.

 This shot from the fifth element is very similar to one of my shots in my cinematic.Comparison in my next post.

 Killzone 2 - killzone, uses alot of the elements i love in its production. It has this lovely steampunk desing, in a a not so far in the future world. This is very simialr to my concept. It also uses less satured overly coloures shot s of green which i think will look good in some of my darker shots.

 The matrix is a huge inspiration to many people. I love the matrix's concept and desing. I have love the grading of the film wiht its greens, blue,s and blacks.

 These shots from pitch black are almost exactly what i imagine my flash red sirens in the control will look like.

The Lighting in this shot is somethign similar to what i want in most of my shots. with strong contrasts whihc as to the atmosphere of the shot.

 The X-Men is a big influence in my idea. The story of mutants wiht strange abilites,a nd being outcasts in society is a idea i love, and am adopitng the mutagenic idea for my own main charcter who burst out bone spikes aroudn his joints.

 

Concept Art Paintings

Two painted, photoshop concept art peices. Playing with colour considerations for bother characters. I have decided that the guard looks good with the blues and greys. I am still considering, the colours, for the main characters trousers. I might wait till its in 3D to play more with his colours.

Main Charcter Concept Art

These are my final sketches, for my main character. He has had a few changes since I first imagined him. Originally I wanted my character to be a much leaner character, but still very ripped. I wanted to get over his quick, and agile nature. However, after playing with some storyboards, I thought giving him a much bigger frame like a body builder, would give him a much more menacing silhouette, especially in the dark shadows, I want to frame him in at the begging of the cinematic.

I was also inspired by the sheer size and speed of actor Terry Crews in White chicks and The Expendables.

Guard Concept Artwork

Here is my final drawing of my Guard Character. There is a front view for reference in Maya for modelling purposes aswell.

Concept Art

Rough Concept Artwork for my final project, playign with forms and styles.