3drender.com Challenge :)

I chose a pretty old rendering challenge from 3drender.com to help practice texturing and lighting to create different atmospheres in environments. I chose the simplest one I could find for now, as I wanted to focus on lighting and effects at first rather than texturing for hours on end!

http://www.3drender.com/challenges/candles/index.htm

So this is pretty similar to the still life project I did earlier in my second year for visualisation in DP3, a few objects on a surface, but this time features the addition of candles.

I approached it quite basically in terms of lighting, by adding a main directional light source from the right using shadow maps, then some omni lights for the candles with added glow effects. I also added some fills to add a slight impression of light bouncing off other surfaces. For example, a brown tinted light from below the wood surface and a pale beige one both above and from the left, both at intensities of about 0.3-0.5.

In my first example, I tried to create a cold, dark night atmosphere to the image by basically tinting the main lights with quite strong blues and using a lower intensity (0.5-0.7). I used a similar technique to create a warmer, brighter mood in the second example, by using yellow/orange tinted lights with stronger intensities (1-1.5). In both examples I also used render elements to render out zdepth maps, which I used to create a lens blur effect in Photoshop, adding depth of field.

This is quite simple for now, but I plan to experiment more, perhaps with my previous work for my second year (still life, character animation, chess player, etc.), as these are already textured so won't use up too much of my time! I am also constantly still finding resources for this project and completing more reviews of cinematography, which I will post soon. :)

Compositing Projects - Outcomes

I have now completed both projects for this compositing module, which I am ready to hand in. I am pretty pleased with the outcomes, although I would have liked to have used more accurate editing in After Effects but I have not yet got a vast enough knowledge for this standard of work. Also note, I haven't added any sounds to these videos, mainly because it wasn't stated in this particular brief, and I wanted to focus on the compositing skills rather than extra effects, etc. Anyway, here are my completed videos for both the character and creative effects compositing projects. :)

Compositing 2: Creative Effects

For my second compositing/After Effects project, I have been given lots of rendered frames of a 3D scene, which I have to place together and add creative effects to in After Effects.

There's not really much I can say or show for this, as I keep changing my mind everytime I open it! :) Anyway, for now, I think I have decided on a color balance/saturation change to pinks and blues. I have also added a couple of glows.

Here are a few screenshots to show what I have been doing so far:

I have yet to edit/use all of the renders given, for instance one effect I will have to try and use is a lens blur, as we have been given some zdepth maps for certain frames. I may also play with more colour correction techniques such as contrast or exposure, or something totally different likea particle effect! We shall see...

Compositing 3D into a photograph :)

The first of two compositing projects for the end of my second year involves animating a character realistically into a still photograph or video file.

I have experimented with my character from my previous animation project with a chrome material (this was advised in the brief, so I hope I am not cheating :D ) into a photograph on a reflective work surface from the kitchen.

Part of the brief states the character must walk/go behind an object in the image, compositing in 3D using the shadow/matte/reflection material. In this example I have used a mug, and placed a 3D teapot behind it, to show that I know my material set-up is working.

Anyway, here are a couple of renders and a quick video showing how I have added depth of field using a simple zdepth map. (I still havent got the hang of making this look very effective yet - something I will practice more...)

jpeg render with environment background

zdepth map render pass

A quick sample of zdepth and len blur in action:

Visualisation Practice - Daylight system v. Standard Volume Lights

Basically, because I rather like doing visualisation work, I have decided to keep practicing it, seeing as it's nearly the end of the year and only have one project left to do (well.. two mini ones I think). First of all, I just made a simple room with 2 windows in 1 wall and a camera facing this wall. I then added a few objects, before trying to add light and shadows from the windows.

Firstly, I tried using standard lights with the volume light effect coming from outside the windows. I also used a couple of standard omni lights of a similar colour to the wooden floor to light the scene generally.

Secondly, I tried using a daylight system to add lights from outside the windows. With this, I then experimented with the mr (mental ray) sky and daylight settings, so I could have the illusion of a ground plane outside. I also used some photometric omni lights for the same effect as the previous example. However, for these lights, I had to combine their "kelvin" levels and the photometric exposure settings to get my desired colour and brightness.

I think if I used these techniques combined (i.e. use a daylight system and photometric lights, but also adda couple of volume light effects onto photometric spotlights from the windows?) then I could achieve a better effect overall.
 

This is only very simple lighting in terms of visualisation, and I will be learning and trying muuuuch more over the summer, as lighting and cinematrography are the main parts of my research question. :)