AnimationChris2005's Stuff

Chris2005

Until recently, I'd used PNG sequences out of MAX and AE... then I had started rendering out of Max using EXR, but the performance is rather slow in AE, I don't know if it's all the render passes in the EXR file, but it's abysmal compared to PNG's.

The settings I use for EXR are the default settings:


So, how would one correct the lighting? Completely redo all of them?

PixelMagic

Chris2005 wrote: »

So, how would one correct the lighting? Completely redo all of them?

The thing is your lighting in proper linear space will be brighter. So if you had a fill light of say 0.1 intensity, you might have to drop it to 0.05 or lower to compensate. Your method for lighting things won't really change, just the values you need to use. Also inverse square lights will behave properly in Linear instead of falling off nasty. If you use GI, bounce light will also look better and behave properly. Motion blur will also look more natural and the overlapping of elements in a comp will blend more organically. Basically get get more photorealism for free.

Chris2005

PixelMagic wrote: »

The thing is your lighting in proper linear space will be brighter. So if you had a fill light of say 0.1 intensity, you might have to drop it to 0.05 or lower to compensate. Your method for lighting things won't really change, just the values you need to use. Also inverse square lights will behave properly in Linear instead of falling off nasty. If you use GI, bounce light will also look better and behave properly. Motion blur will also look more natural and the overlapping of elements in a comp will blend more organically. Basically get get more photorealism for free.

I see.

I set Max's input gamma at 2.2 and output to 1.0 and the gamma for max itself set to 2.2.

I also set my renderer's gamma to 2.2, as the setting says it should be the gamma value of the target display.

My render comes out like this, even after halving the GI value and the main light value.

BlobVanDam

I didn't realize you weren't working in linear space. The default gamma settings for 3DS Max have been linear for years now, and EXR is natively a linear gamma format, which is how After Effects treats it, so that will affect your comping too.
It really isn't difficult to get used to. It seems more complex than it is, but it won't take you long to adapt to it.

Why is there so much ambient in that shot? Do you have a fill light in there, or something bouncing indirect lighting?

Chris2005

BlobVanDam wrote: »

I didn't realize you weren't working in linear space. The default gamma settings for 3DS Max have been linear for years now, and EXR is natively a linear gamma format, which is how After Effects treats it, so that will affect your comping too.
It really isn't difficult to get used to. It seems more complex than it is, but it won't take you long to adapt to it.

Why is there so much ambient in that shot? Do you have a fill light in there, or something bouncing indirect lighting?

Well, getting Max and my renderer set up properly...

I don't know... there is only one direct spot light, aside from the phaser beam light, and the GI multiplier is already exceptionally low, the default value for finalRender is 1.0 and I have it set to 0.15, which are the settings I used before re-enabling gamma correction in 3ds max.

PixelMagic

I don't know a lot about Final Render, but I'm wondering if it's doing it's own linear correction and then if you enable Max's correction it would in essence be double linear correcting, which you would not want. Granted, I could be 100% wrong because I can't see how FinalRender is working.

When I light starships, I usually have my Sun set to a 1.0 intensity, and my fill light something crazy small like 0.01 or 0.02.

Chris2005

PixelMagic wrote: »

I don't know a lot about Final Render, but I'm wondering if it's doing it's own linear correction and then if you enable Max's correction it would in essence be double linear correcting, which you would not want. Granted, I could be 100% wrong because I can't see how FinalRender is working.

When I light starships, I usually have my Sun set to a 1.0 intensity, and my fill light something crazy small like 0.01 or 0.02.

I'll contact Cebas and ask.

Martocticvs

Regarding the performance difference, remember that a PNG is just 8 bpc, whereas EXR is 32 bpc. There's a lot more information in the image (which is a very good thing if you're doing post processing). Obviously when you're animating you have to factor that difference in, but I would tend to work from the point of view that it's worth it, unless time constraints force you away from it.

Chris2005

This is something I've been wanting to do for a while, but I never got around to it, but... after my AGT video is done, this is it.

So, this is just a quick render, not everything is done, no lens flares and stuff, but I got it as close to finished as possible, in regards to the color grading and such, to create this little preview.

Also, this is my first composite using a linear workspace.

PixelMagic

Cool. Are you Max renders and AE comp settings linear?

Chris2005

PixelMagic wrote: »

Cool. Are you Max renders and AE comp settings linear?

For that render, yes.

JMoney

Chris2005 wrote: »

This is something I've been wanting to do for a while, but I never got around to it, but... after my AGT video is done, this is it.

So, this is just a quick render, not everything is done, no lens flares and stuff, but I got it as close to finished as possible, in regards to the color grading and such, to create this little preview.

Also, this is my first composite using a linear workspace.

Now that looks really good! Love it!

I have to start working more in linear space. I'm still stuck in the old gamma (and my old ways), except for my most recent iRay interior stuff and a few old projects.

Chris2005

JMoney wrote: »

Now that looks really good! Love it!

I have to start working more in linear space. I'm still stuck in the old gamma (and my old ways), except for my most recent iRay interior stuff and a few old projects.

Yea, I never used gamma correction, etc. because without it, the renders came out the way I wanted, so I never thought about it.

Tralfaz

First, great animation Chris.

Second, what do you mean by working more in linear space and being still stuck in the old gamma?

Chris2005

Tralfaz wrote: »

First, great animation Chris.

Second, what do you mean by working more in linear space and being still stuck in the old gamma?

He's Daniel's (PixelMagic) video on it.

PixelMagic

Chris2005 wrote: »

He's Daniel's (PixelMagic) video on it.

Yeah. The only change I would make to that would be to do your CG compositing in SRGB color space and not HDTV (Rec 709). I only used the HDTV preset because I was using HD footage from a Red Camera. For CG stuff, SRGB is the way to go. But other than that, it's all still good info.

Chris2005

One thing I'm trying to figure out is, if the blades are recessed back in the engines, how is the effect in the opening shot created?

You can see flickering of the blades against the dome, hard to see because of the crap quality of the video, but they're out of direct view at this angle... is it some sort of effect from refraction?

Chris2005

The 3ds max render took a while, of course, I stopped it halfway through so I could play Alien Isolation , but it took over 10 hours to render, at about 8-9 minutes a frame.

Made some modifications. There are now lights along the bottom of the shuttle bay doors. I also added lights for the inside surface of the fin doors and use a light pass to make them glow along with the "innards," lol.

The blinkers on the back of the nacelle pylons span the whole animation now. Not all of the glows are present, for example, the 4 lit sections down the back of the bridge hasn't been added. I also just threw in a quick star background, so it's not just black.

I might adjust the impulse engines a little more, so there is more red, instead of the pale red to white it currently has.

Chris2005

I am still working on the AGT video, but since it's so close to being done, I figured I'd "start" on the JJ videos.



Looks almost like a shot from the movie. I almost fooled myself.

Glazy

Super cool work !!

Stormcloud

just curious but why are you doing the jj films? i can see why with the next gen etc because you can make them better but the effects from the new films are still pretty much state of the art cgi for the moment

Chris2005

Glazy wrote: »

Super cool work !!

Thanks.

Stormcloud wrote: »

just curious but why are you doing the jj films? i can see why with the next gen etc because you can make them better but the effects from the new films are still pretty much state of the art cgi for the moment

I don't recreate shots just to see if I can "update" the effects. I recreate shots for fun.

markmassey

Ok i'm going to admit it and when i watched the reference video i was like wow this guy has stepped it up a notch..

then i was like ohh... right....

that doesn't detract from the 2 awesome images you've done..

Tralfaz

Amazing work Chris. I still say you are on par with or better than a lot of Hollywood productions.

BTW, I watched the video on linear workflow and am still confused. Will look at it again a bit later.

Chris2005

Thanks all.

Been a while for this project, but I wish I could find a better, decent large scale explosion that resembles a gaseous explosion without debris, similar to the one in this video.

Chris2005

Replaced the explosion with another one I have, I think it looks a lot better, certainly more fluid.

Yes, I haven't added the rest of the FX elements for the last shot.

stfanboy

Is there a way you can add debris to the large explosion? I think that's the only thing that is missing. Other than that it's looking GREAT!. :thumb: BTW the ATG Enterprise is my favorite ship in Trek.

Chris2005

stfanboy wrote: »

Is there a way you can add debris to the large explosion? I think that's the only thing that is missing. Other than that it's looking GREAT!. :thumb: BTW the ATG Enterprise is my favorite ship in Trek.

Thanks.

I could try to use an explosion that has debris, but most of the explosions I have with debris don't have a really explosive feel to them, at least to me, lol.

Chris2005

Trying to replicate the trails from Into Darkness is quite a challenge... I have a nice Pflow setup someone made that looks amazing, but due to the high particle count, the VP performance is severally hindered, even setting the VP count to 5%...

uniderth

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks it would be cool if they released a special edition of this episode with some of the actors at their current ages edited into the original footage. For example keep the original Q and Data, but then reinsert Picard, Worf, Riker, etc.