Internal Client - Modelling Stage

So I am now at the stage of 3D modelling in the internal client project, where I have give myself 2 weeks at the most to model all of the parts I will need to make the room for my advert.

The first thing I did was think about the feedback about the layout, size and shape of the space I had originally proposed in my presentation, and decided on a bigger space with a more curved shape (inspired by moodboard in previous post).

Top view of current room shape - wireframe layered on top

Perspective shot of entrance to current room shape - wireframe layered on top

I have also started modelling quite a few of the objects and pieces of furniture I would like in the interior space, including those shown in my proposal presentation prototypes, as well as new less significant items that could provide a 'sense of place'.

Bed with TV blind from front (rough version of sheets/blind)

Bed with TV blind from back (rough version of sheets/blind)

Chair

Desk

Touch keyboard

Sofa

Glass tumbler

Lamp in full

Close up of interior of lamp - inner panel will light up, rather than being a bulb

PC mouse

For now I am carrying on modelling more items to put within the space, as well as researching the properties of fabrics, and seeing if they will need to be modelled as well as textures; perhaps knitted fabrics, for instance.

Internal Client - Feedback & Production!

I have done my presentation for the internal client project, and received both good and bad feedback.. My style and general idea seems to work pretty well, but my choice of audience (graduates and potential collaborators) did not fit this idea very well. Therefore, instead of changing the whole feel and narrative of my advert, I have decided to change my audience to possible retailers or designer interested in the products within the advert. Other than this, my feedback was pretty good, I just have to consider the shape of my interior space fitting with my chosen style (futuristic), and think about my time management a little more.

So now I am starting the production process, beginning with modelling the items, and testing out skills I may need later on. For instance, I have tried using the vray renderer at university, and found it quite challenging and totally new! However, I do think it could be worth using over mental ray if I learn enough in time, so shall see how it goes before I have to begin texturing and lighting. I have also been learning and experimenting with the cloth modifier in 3ds max, as this is something I will most likely need to make the fabric objects within my scene.

Here is a quick test I did using a cloth plane colliding with a box and a ground plane :)



Cloth Simulation - 3ds max from Samantha Freeman on Vimeo.

Internal Client Project - Moodboards

I have chosen the animation brief 1 for the internal client project for NTU Advanced Textiles Research Group advertisement. Here is what is expected:

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ADVERT?

This brief is to create a short (approximately 45secs) video that should speculate on

the potential uses of the product. It should create a sense of anticipation of the

future of this research.

Potential applications for the technology include the following:

Retail: RFID tagging of textile products from manufacture to point of sale;

Medicine: Vital signs monitoring, body chemistry monitoring, stroke rehabilitation,

pressure measurement in compression garments, RFID tagging (numerous

applications from stock control to use in care of those with dementia);

Military: Vital signs monitoring, performance monitoring, physical condition, position

and orientation monitoring, radiation monitoring, monitoring of harmful gasses, RFID

tagging (numerous applications), wearable communications devices, camouflage,

meta-material devices for microwave cloaking, smart clothing with response to the

environment;

Sports: Performance monitoring;

Architecture: Stress and strain measurement in textile roofs, ropes and textile

composites. Lighting screens, flexible display screens.

Aerospace: Stress, strain and temperature measurement in textile composites;

Personal Electronics: Wearable computers, wearable communications devices,

electronics for social interactions.

I have done a few moodboards to help with development of ideas and to show within my presentation next week. They are based on:

• The Advanced Textiles Research Group (images given and found)
• The general area of smart textiles and its future
• Influences and style/colour scheme
• Futuristic Furniture

I have also had a quick go at recapping on setting up self illumination on materials and glow lens effects. This is obviously a very simplified model of yarn with no real textures, butshows how I could achieve a similar effect for a possible logo or title screen for the advert.

Research Project - Useful Reading Material

I am currently in the reading phase of the research project/document, so will be posting some good quotations from useful sources here for future references and to share. :)

Using Lighting to Create Mood

Written by  Alan Blakely
http://www.prophotoresource.com/home/item/74-using-lighting-to-create-mood.html

"...When we talk about bright and airy lighting we're usually describing broad daylight sources with medium to low contrast. Daylight sources cast shadows downward. When we talk about romantic and moody lighting, we're often describing tungsten lighting with medium to high contrast. Tungsten sources often cast shadows in a variety of directions, including up."

"Let's Summarize
Almost any desired mood in lighting can be achieved by manipulating the following four variables:Color temperature
Light source contrast
Light source direction
Depth of focus
Rarely does an assignment come my way that doesn't require manipulation of the existing mood. Having a grasp of the lighting values that work together to create mood will allow you to make the best of any situation--what's more, you''ll amaze your clients!"


ELEMENTS OF MISE-EN-SCÈNE
http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Mise-en-sc-ne-ELEMENTS-OF-MISE-EN-SC-NE.html

"Mise-en-scène is generated by the construction of shots and the ways that they lead to visual coherence, across the edits from shot to shot. It includes all the elements in front of the camera that compose a shot: lighting; use of black and white or color; placement of characters in the scene; design of elements within the shot (part of the process of production design); placement of camera vis-àvis characters in the set; movement of camera and/or actors; composition of the shot as a whole—how it is framed and what is in the frame. Even music may be considered part of mise-en-scène. While not seen, at its best music enhances the visual and narrative construction of the shot."

"Mise-en-scène can also be an evaluative term. Critics may claim a film does or does not possess mise-en-scène. For example, if a film depends entirely on dialogue to tell its story, if its visual structure is made up primarily of a static camera held at eye level on characters who are speaking in any given scene, if its lighting is bright, even, and shadowless, it lacks mise-en-scène. On a more subjective level, if a viewer's eyes drift away from the screen because there isn't much of interest to look at, the film lacks mise-en-scène."

Elements of Cinema - Cinematography - Camera Angles
http://elementsofcinema.com/cinematography/camera-angles.html

"Whereas shot sizes direct who and what we see, camera angles affect how we perceive it. Is a character going to appear dominant and tall? Or short and weak? A strong weapon in the cinematographer’s arsenal is the ability to position the camera in relation to the subject or scenery."

"Low angles are captured from a camera placed below the actor’s eyes, looking up at them. Low angles make characters look dominant, aggressive, or ominous."


Planning Animation Cinematography and Shot Structure to Communicate Theme and Mood by Kevin Kennedy and Robert E. Mercer

"The broad approaches to setting mood are well understood. To set up a happy scene, one should use a technique such as bright lighting to create a “feeling up” mood. A sad, dramatic, or scary scene should use a low-key, “feeling down” effect such as cool colours. De-saturation can be used to draw viewers into the scene, or high saturation can make them feel like outside observers. These techniques are often applied in the visual medium to give films a specific mood."

"Lighting is used to set mood, direct viewer attention, and provide information. The computer cinematographer can apply lighting to characters and backgrounds independently. The quality of lighting can be adjusted to alter the amount and sharpness of shadows. The brightness and direction of lighting is changed to achieve communicative acts as required."

Idea for Startup Factory Report (Context 3)

In the field of 3D visualisation, specifically for architecture, product design and engineering, I feel there is a gap in the market for an application to be used on touch-screen devices (such as the Apple iPad and other tablets), where 3D models and environments can be viewed interactively.

Usually when presenting a visualisation project to a client, particularly in the field of architectural visualisation, rendered stills and animated walkthroughs are frequently used as the main visual stimulation. These methods of presentation are quite linear in their approach, where the viewer is not in control of what they see. Whereas using an interactive application for similar purposes could allow the user to rotate models and explore an environment or interior space themselves.

I have researched this type of service and its current availability within the areas of 3D design and architectural visualisation, and have only found one or two uses of a similar product. A quite large visualisation company that I have looked at before - ‘iCreate3d’ - offer a very similar service on their website described as ‘interactive touch-screen master plans’ using their own mini application called ‘iViewer 3D’. This application, as it were, is mainly a piece of software used on large touch-screen displays for presentations, and is also online based on www.iviewer3d.com. They say it can also be used on iPad for similar uses but I have not managed to find an app on the Apple’s App Store available to the public or other businesses.

iCreate 3D's 'iViewer 3D' service in use on a large touch-screen device

This is where I realised there could still be a gap in the market for my idea – an application available to all businesses, for an appropriate price, to be used as an effective method of showing 3D visualisations to clients in meetings and presentations, perhaps with either separate tablet devices or larger means such as a touch-screen smart television.

The application itself could be used by uploading generic 3D file types such as .OBJ or .FBX etc., or even files from specific software such as 3ds Max (.MAX) or Maya (.MA/.MB). The application could then show your model and environment in its plain form to look at, and also include a real-time rendering engine to view textured or partly textured version of the work.


Here are a couple of very simple and quick Photoshop mockups of Arch-vis shown on an iPad screen, to give an idea of how it could look and be presented:

Research Document Sources

I had my first tutorial for the research module today with Jools while Roma is absent working, and now feel I can put together my presentation to a high enough standard to present both next week, then the week after for assessment.

In this tutorial, we shared our research enquiries and came up with some of the things that need to be in the presentation. One of these were relevant sources for the research document, which we shared with each other.

Here are a few of the books and sources I plan to use and that may help others in my group :)

Digital Cinematography & Directing by Dan Ablan [book]

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=digital+cinematography+book&hl=en&rlz=1C1SAVA_enGB503GB503&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1024&bih=499&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17739491182849422789&sa=X&ei=dlZsUI-tKOS40QXLvIGoBA&ved=0CFcQ8wIwAg

Essential CG Lighting Techniques with 3ds Max by Darren Brooker [book]

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=darren+brooker&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=12978891025636653771&sa=X&ei=TlhsULvyFoy10QWP5oHwDA&ved=0CEwQ8wIwAA

CGSociety Website and CGTalk Forum

www.cgsociety.org