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3DThe Star Wars Project

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  • DarkSapiensDarkSapiens174 Posts: 0Member
    Nice corridor! Glad to see this is still well underway! :)
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    I've made a first little teaser by using some noisy lo-fi clips of arranged scenes and adding some sound effects.
    https://vimeo.com/131105833
  • DarkSapiensDarkSapiens174 Posts: 0Member
    Very very cool! :thumb:

    Everything looks great, except, I think, the planet as seen from space at 0:20. I have some experience rendering views of planets and I'd recommend two things: one would be getting rid of the bump unless you can find a much higher resolution one (and also making it more subtle), and the other would be trying to get actual cloud maps to use with the alpha and bump channels on, because that way it'll look much better. You can find some cloud maps in the Celestia Motherlode but I think they're tiled, and just googling "planet textures cloud map" you can get some in one single image although at lower resolution.

    Hope it helps!

    EDIT: Actually, I think here's a very good one: http://www.shadedrelief.com/natural3/pages/clouds.html
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    That looks really cool. I agree about the planet bumpiness, though I don't think you should have it at all if you're going for reality. If you look at images of Earth and Mars, etc. from that distance, you can't see definition in the mountains, ravines and whatnot. It pretty much just looks flat. You have to get much closer to see bumpiness. Though, that's only if you're going for reality. I can't say I've never done bumps from distances like that. ;) (it's just fun)

    The clips really came together nicely as a great preview of what you're doing. I loved seeing the Wild Karrde in that last clip. I'd forgotten you'd modeled that one. :D
  • stonkystonky350 Posts: 489Member
    Love the shot on the Star Desroyer bridge!
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Thanks for your comments folks!

    I'm indeed still not satisfied with the planet. Since I abandoned the use of GI for the clips and go for the renderbaron route, I have to rework the texture anyway. I used only noise shaders but as you said, have to think it over. Thanks for the advise regarding cloud maps :thumb:

    My summer update peak time at the college I'working comes to an end now and I'm on my knees with mental power. Worked a little on the hangar scene during this time.

    009o0076.jpg



    Oh yeah... the question of reality.
    In fact I'm not good enough to create the reality 100% right and the movie will surely have a trashy note. Another thing is the quality vs. render time question. This project definitely doesn't reach out for the Visual Effects Oscar :lol:
    I'm afraid people with accuracy awareness of any kind will despair :D
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    That looks really good.

    As for reality, it looks better than Star Wars: Rebels, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. ;)
  • John MarchantJohn Marchant336 Posts: 96Member
    Very nice indeed and reality, whats reality, thats what we are all here to do tinker with reality. Its a real as we want it to be.
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    Aye, looks good to me, I love your take on the Sentinel (a ship close to my own heart as you well know) and the Lambda, the only thing that looks a little ropey to me is the Scout Walker, and you can always put that down to being a different model of AT-ST to the one used on Endor, I'm sure the Empire has many different variants, and that the Stormtrooper in the foreground's helmet looks at a bit of a weird angle. Other than those minor details I'm totally loving this. Can't wait to see it all moving.

    :thumb:
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Yeah, reality is an interesting discussion.

    When I re-experienced the 'real' saturation of the colors after my eyes surgery, it was like a visual rebirth. So my reality changed from one day to another. I guess everyone sees colors and contrasts a little bit different. Apart the fact most users have a different monitor calibration anyway :D

    It's also interesting how pronounced disney is promoting the use of real models in EP VII (which is very cool of course). I don't think the uncanny valley is a less serious problem there, especially when it comes to stop motion or puppet play. But as the theory states: we seem to be more tolerant when things are obviously not perfect. When we know "ahh this is puppet play" we can switch like a child and enjoy it though without questioning all the time. CGI characters haven't that charm bonus yet.

    I've made some minor corrections and used a different grading route by using a Film-LUT (Kodak5219) which is close to the OT film stock.

    009s0075.jpg

    @Talon_UK: I'm really thankful for every note :) :thumb:
    In this case the Stormie is following a moving object. During the sequence the cam is moving slowly to the left. The AT-ST is only there for initial visual size reference and disappears very quickly. Because the three objects in the right foreground have a different Z offset, they move very nice to each other when the cam moves. It's only for that short depth effect.
    Due to the last shot of the previous sequence the viewers focus will be in the middle of the scene anyway. I went crazy when I looked at my connected clips, even it's an old wisdom. You really don't notice things on the left and right when your viewpoint is conducted in moving pictures. A genius book that made me understand many of this effects is Steven D Katz' "Shot by Shot".
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    That latest image looks great. :thumb:

    I think the reason they're making such a big deal about the use of real models, sets and aliens in Episode VII is because they used very little real in the prequels, and they've been widely criticized for that. If I remember correctly, they built only two sets for the last film. Everything else was green screen and CGI. They didn't even build Clone Trooper armor. They just used CGI to apply the armor to Temuera Morrison, who wore a motion capture suit on set. So, they're going more "old school" with the new one, which isn't surprising given that JJ Abrams prefers to film real elements whenever he can. He uses CGI only where necessary. I think if he could film real ships in space, he would. ;)
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    I figured the Stormtrooper was looking at something off to the left, the point is more that the head/helmet seems like it is a little too far to the right as it looks left. Personally I think the helmet needs to be moved a little more left relative to the figure, so the neck would be in the right place which would in turn move the head further forward in the direction it is looking. A minor thing, but it just looks a little odd to me as it stands, could just be the angle though.

    Have heard of that book, is supposed to be a proper essential film maker or editor's bible, good to see that you're checking that out to really get to grips with the visual language of film.
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    @evil_genius_180: soon we'll know how it came out. I love JJ's Trek movies and have therefore (cautiously) optimistic expectations :thumb:

    @Talon_UK: The longer I look at him, the more I know you're right ;) Perhaps the spinal package irritates even a bit. Have to check it out.

    After this and other animation works I felt the need to work on something smaller. So I dug the Karrde out again and made some progress with materialization (using 'Substance Painter' for the first time -> pretty cool tool). I'm going to add a final pinch Greebles in the small and medium range, then it should be ready for the planed (and already tested) chase sequences. It will have to to take a lot... but as we know, it's not a normal Action VI ;)

    smg_wkr_base_h12_0003.jpg
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    Nice. Have had a dabble with Substance Painter myself, and indeed it is a nice tool, textured my EE-3 Blaster Carbine model using that.
  • Wishbone_AshWishbone_Ash325 Posts: 250Member
    That latest image looks great. :thumb:

    I think the reason they're making such a big deal about the use of real models, sets and aliens in Episode VII is because they used very little real in the prequels, and they've been widely criticized for that. If I remember correctly, they built only two sets for the last film. Everything else was green screen and CGI. They didn't even build Clone Trooper armor. They just used CGI to apply the armor to Temuera Morrison, who wore a motion capture suit on set. So, they're going more "old school" with the new one, which isn't surprising given that JJ Abrams prefers to film real elements whenever he can. He uses CGI only where necessary. I think if he could film real ships in space, he would. ;)

    Well, it's a bit of a misconception that the Star Wars prequels used few real sets and models - most of the set-extensions were actually miniature sets designed to line up with a section of a real set, much like a matte painting, except with the added flexibility of allowing the camera to move. And this only applied to large interior or exterior environments. The Phantom Menace also did pretty much all of its spacecraft and vehicles as real models too (with the obvious exception of pod racers but even they were all built as full-scale props on-set) The main area they differ is in the creature effects which were all CGI. The Phantom Menace by and large still holds up fairly well effects wise - it's the other two where we have big problems. I think it's mostly down to the use of digital camera technology that simply wasn't evolved enough at the time to do the job. The excessive amounts of post-production tinkering, compositing and such combined with a low-resolution image format from the early digital cinema cameras gave Episodes II and III a very artificial look - making live action, real models, matte paintings etc seem as if they were low-quality CGI.

    The main visual difference in the new movies is going to be JJ Abrams' choice of 35mm film rather than some kind of digital format. And of course if you want a filmic look you need to do as much as possible in-camera. Oh and it's actually much cheaper. Just an added bonus...
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Well, it's a bit of a misconception that the Star Wars prequels used few real sets and models - most of the set-extensions were actually miniature sets designed to line up with a section of a real set, much like a matte painting, except with the added flexibility of allowing the camera to move. And this only applied to large interior or exterior environments. The Phantom Menace also did pretty much all of its spacecraft and vehicles as real models too (with the obvious exception of pod racers but even they were all built as full-scale props on-set) The main area they differ is in the creature effects which were all CGI. The Phantom Menace by and large still holds up fairly well effects wise - it's the other two where we have big problems. I think it's mostly down to the use of digital camera technology that simply wasn't evolved enough at the time to do the job. The excessive amounts of post-production tinkering, compositing and such combined with a low-resolution image format from the early digital cinema cameras gave Episodes II and III a very artificial look - making live action, real models, matte paintings etc seem as if they were low-quality CGI.

    The main visual difference in the new movies is going to be JJ Abrams' choice of 35mm film rather than some kind of digital format. And of course if you want a filmic look you need to do as much as possible in-camera. Oh and it's actually much cheaper. Just an added bonus...

    I find this aspect very interesting. TPM marks indeed the transition from analog to digital filming. As Yoda for example was a puppet in the initial version and later replaced by an artificial one. The comparison speaks for itself. I'm undecided regarding what's "better" but I don't have more reservations in acceptance about the real puppet. However both are handled masterfully.

    Regarding the filmic look I did also a lot of research what's possible for ambitious amateurs like me. 35mm filming is completely out of range of course :rolleyes: But this year a very interesting lineup of digital non-linear 10-bit cine cams like the FS7 (a direct ancestor of the first Sony cam used in TPM) and Blackmagic Ursa mini showed up in the more affordable professional low-level segment. Combined with specific film stock LUTs you can achieve astounding results.
    The LUT's even work with CGI clips. I think they will use it in EPVII also for matching CGI content with the 35mm material. As far as I know they use Kodak 5218 film stock and the according LUT is f.e. available for everyone in the Adobe Suite. I mean this will never match the OT look with its complete charm of celluloid. But what we "little CGI-freaks" can get in our hands 15 years later is already way more than GL had for TPM. And a lot, lot cheaper. It's only about learning how to use it and as you say, not to splash and wishy-washy the image.
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    @TALON_UK

    Fantastic work! :thumb:
    Some guys say there is no need for such a tool since you can do it all in photoshop and your host.
    But being still a texturing noob, I like the huge set of features which lead to the things I want (more or less...).
    Though I have problems with Substance Painter when using detailed meshes. Designer works fine with them but Painter slows extremely down. Perhaps a local problem on my machine?
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    I made some sub tiles and greebles. Still have to add details to the lower middle section.

    smg_wkr_base_h16_0003.jpg

    A perspective view

    smg_wkr_base_h16_0005.jpg

    front view, one with Daytime running lights on... :D

    smg_wkr_base_h16_0008.jpg

    I love this good old garbage truck more and more :lol:

    And here a sneak preview on the first chase sequence tests.
    The laser beams are not perfect yet but I'm lucky the concept at least seems to work.
    (Please don't spread this link to wide, thanks!) ;)

    [video]http://www.darth-vader.ch/tswp/previews/mov/077a-desktop.m4v[/video]
  • YIIMMYIIMM179 Posts: 96Member
    That's looking absolutely gorgeous.

    I could be mistaken, though, but the scaling seems a little bit off. The Action's roughly 3x the length of the Sentinel but in the video they appear to be around the same size.


    UGHuDbZl.jpg


    Other than that, it's looking amazing :thumb:
    109711.jpg109712.jpg
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    YIIMM wrote: »
    That's looking absolutely gorgeous.

    I could be mistaken, though, but the scaling seems a little bit off. The Action's roughly 3x the length of the Sentinel but in the video they appear to be around the same size.
    Other than that, it's looking amazing :thumb:

    I got almost palpitations because of your guess :o because I was sure to have all models scaled according to Star Wars wiki.
    That is why my relief is just very great when I now look at them together in the plan view :D

    karrde-sentinel.jpg

    Must be the wide angle lens in the shot that produces this impression.
    109779.jpg
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Here for the amusement a short test compositing clip.
    I have put myself in front of a green screen and fitted in the raw CGI clip by live preview on the laptop.
    Really great is the picture quality of Sony FS7. Its material allows dead easy keying and grading even for a greenhorn in post-work like me. There seems to be almost no limits in pixel information. I really do not regret this expensive investment.

    [video]http://darth-vader.ch/tswp/previews/mov/044_tom.mp4[/video]

    I only look so bored because there is nothing real to drink on this imperial flights and of course... someone else is sitting there in the finished film :devil:
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    I thought it was just that standard transport issue of waiting for a window before launch and just being sat on the taxi way for an age.

    "C'mon, I've got places to be. I'll bet it's that dark lord of the Sith again, always hogging the main hangar that one."


    :p


    Nice compositing work, and great looking shuttle interior by the way.

    :thumb:
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Thanks Talon_UK

    I know I can't fool you :D Hope he will look great. Will be a question of differentiated lighting. But I'm glad to have experienced assistance now for the next shootings.

    And yeah the standard transport issue... I'll fly to Dakar at year-end. I might have a chance to practice a new level of equanimity during this travel :lol:
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    Some quick concept art for planned Real-CGI compositings.
    Hope we'll have the same atmosphere on both locations when shooting next autumn.

    052_concept.jpg

    049_concept.jpg

    Happy christmas everyone, and YES, Tonight I'll know how the force awakens... :flippy:
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    So TFA was entertaining, wasn't it? I've only missed the well-known Imperial setting, but that's a sentimental mood I guess.


    Meanwhile we managed to complete the first compositing shot with Mr. Vader. He has proved to be very cooperative :D

    The second shot is a really exclusive preview of a key scene at the beginning of the movie.
    I kindly ask you to not spread it outside this forum :thumb:
    110356.jpg110357.jpg
  • JWWrightJWWright171 Posts: 0Member
    Nice cameo of HAL9000 in that Vader pic!
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    Looking impressive, most impressive.

    :thumb:


    The only issue I see there is with the Stormtrooper mesh. The pauldron doesn't look quite right and the helmet looks like it could do with being a shade bigger in relation to the body.

    Either way still looks great, and am looking forward to seeing more. Were you just keeping the seat warm for Vader in that previous shot from a while back?

    ;)
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    TALON_UK wrote: »
    Looking impressive, most impressive.

    :thumb:

    The only issue I see there is with the Stormtrooper mesh. The pauldron doesn't look quite right and the helmet looks like it could do with being a shade bigger in relation to the body.

    Thanks for mentioning this issue. Now I know there is no escape... :rolleyes:
    Unfortunately I really wasn't consequent enough to make it right. So it's obvious, damn... :(
    I was already dealing with the idea to film my 501st mate before Greenscreen and replace the CGI one on the right with him. If that fails I will correct the CGI character. Thanks good it's all EXR...
    TALON_UK wrote: »
    Either way still looks great, and am looking forward to seeing more. Were you just keeping the seat warm for Vader in that previous shot from a while back?
    ;)

    It's simpler... my helmet wasn't ready when I made the first clip ;) :thumb:
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    JWWright wrote: »
    Nice cameo of HAL9000 in that Vader pic!

    :thumb: ;)
  • BigTBigT77 Posts: 95Member
    No big news here but progress is ongoing undiminished. The Force likes this project, I can feel it :D

    Two things I had in focus the last months and one was to explore the possibilities of film grading for rendered pictures.
    I've checked some tutorials, attended a camera pro workshop to learn the fundamentals of color spaces, dynamic ranges and that stuff and also encountered some nice AE plugins like Frischluft Lenscare, RE:Vision RSMB and the new AE onboard Lumetri.
    I'm not a master at all after that, but grading is really an exciting task especially with the 32-bit footage out of renderers. Normally you have 10 or 12-bit out of cine cameras. So the room for dramatic changes without loss of picture information is much bigger than with real footage.

    But blabla... here is a before and after. The scene features Anselms masterpiece of a Star Destroyer and my modest Lancer Frigate.

    028_2801_plain.jpg

    028_2801.jpg

    And the other thing: I've built a new renderfarm :D

    eclipse.jpg

    Eclipse has now 10 units with i7 4790K and outside air in- and outlet. It's a hell of a machine and I'm really happy that almost everything went well with its development. Big advantage over my first farm Executor is possible 24/7 operation without distinct heat or noise emissions. However it may not be more than 24 Degrees outside, so also this concept has its little limitation :rolleyes:

    Wish you all a happy summertime! :thumb:
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