The next step (in the works)

OK here we go. While I'm currently in talks with my group about what to do about the "Arcadia" (previous post) I might as well use this time to start working on the rest of the texturing. Here we have (quite simple work) for the Portable Toilet and Rubbish Bin:

Please note these are not the unrendered versions, as well as the Arcadia post before. I will not show rendering tests till the lighting is sorted out.

1. Portable Toilet Texture.

Well it could use a bit more dirt in the texturing, showing durability. But this is quite a minor detail and I think this time can be scrapped. it's quite a colourful texture, using a mixture of blinns and lambert for this showing different plastics. It might look a bit odd but from the Portable Toilet sources I used for this are in fact quite light too. it works but like most textures (and future ones) I'm not going to get it perfect for my first attempts.

2. Rubbish Bin

Well... heh. This was quick... and effective.

Some brown and "blinn" grey. That's all it needs. This is even less detail than the Toilet so I don't need to show age marks of the wood, or rust/scratches for the metal bin inside. It's so simple... why do I like it?

I have also started work on the 2x Minigames, and... the shell of the building isn't going too well, let me show you:

The teal wallpaper isn't complete of this time but it doesn't look as effective as I hoped, I tried to show a different variety of building coloured (compared to Arcadia) Maybe because the arrows are too big and I can quite easily change it, I might change that in the future. The cans/throwing balls of the "can-do" are simple lambert and blinn textures, but this should be fine since you can see what it is. The water targets game however is... coming along fine.

Did I say fine? That's some good news! Lets have a closer look:

Yeah it's the targets, I like the targets. The last picture shows it best. I wish I could have used these custom-made textures for the whole funfair but my CV mapping skills (as I have mentioned) are not up to scratch to make the funfair up to standard, but that doesn't mean I can add details like this instead. What I need to do for this is change the building's texture and to finish the models of the buildings of fire for the Water Target minigame. I hope this goes well.

Oh, and the text for the buildings is passable. Just passable...

From Dark to Light... too light in fact.

ARCADIA. THE FIRST TEXTURING...

...well that didn't go as planned. Ok originally our 3 members of the group (including me) were to have primary stages and secondary stages. My primary stage was the modelling. Leonard was the texturing. And Micharl was the storyboarding/animatic. While each of us would help in these three areas as well the majority would consist of the primary users. The Camera/Lighting/Rendering would be carried on by all three of us during the last stages. THEN it got changed in which Micharl and Leonard wanted to add their own models to the project... don't ask me why because after speaking with the group I still have not gotten an actual answer yet, but it remained the same. I already had completed modellings during this time weeks before so I had to get on with something else, which lead to... the texturing.

... I'm going to be honest. I'm curious to move onto texturing... WHEN I'M READY. I didn't want to do the majority of the texturing (mainly my own models) because its a weakpoint of mine for this and I was a lot more pleased and happy doing the rest of the models. If you look at the above picture of my first (almost complete) texturing of the Arcadia it looks OK, but mixed. Even Michael isn't too pleased about the brightness of the Vending Machine title-statue, and while I agree with him I just don't have enough experience to design it as the group requires. The Inner details of the arcade is great though you won't be able to see it close up. The one thing that needs to be completed is the details of the outer (or inner) wall. The two-striped lines is fine but not enough and the group has decided to need more for the final look. I'm having troubles illustrating the patterns so I hope my group could help me with this because I can't do this part alone. I need assiatance.

So the building is... ok. Could be better, but with the many models within this funfair it might blend in quite effectively if the all the textures remain related. Here are some more snaps:

I'm quite aware of the look and while I personally like it I know it wont work unless altered. More texturings coming up.

Also for your info, at this time the group were also working on texturing ideas for the sky (it might remain black) grass ground and concrete pavement. I'm interested to see what we can do there.

The Final Model Ones

So here are the last of my models. Michael and Leonard are going to be finishing the rest such as the Air Swings and Haunted House. Since you got the idea with the previous model sources uploaded I wont need to overdo this post as much. So here we go:

1. Rubbish Bin

This was an extra feature for the funfair, to be usesd for additional detail. It came to me (and discussed with the group) about little details around the fair itself, where do the staff stay? What about the people? And this is one of the answers of what happens to the litter. It's very simple yet effective to be used multiple times throughout this fair.

2. Portable Toilet

Continuation from idea 1. This is for the audience (and staff for that matter) to find a change spot or when you have to... you know... must I say it in this blog?

It's not an accurate Portable Toilet but due to my lacking in modelling skill I tried to make what I could and it's fine. Though it should be more round than it should, but I don't think should matter for this project.

3. Minigames: Can Hitting and Water Targets.

I always had planned this as a joint-model. I know my funfairs (or additional games for that matter) in which two or more games were joint together in a row, regardless if this was shown as buildings or tables. I wanted to recreate this vision in our group's vision. The building might be a little flat but it's the texturing that matters for this case. Although it doesn't matter the waterguns were NOT the original design for this, and it had to be changed due to the fact that I couldn't make the model for them after multiple attempts. This doesn't change the model but it makes me sad that I couldn't create it in the image planned. The text is a little vague but its passable, I can't make this perfect without advanced training.
I think this would make a worthy feature for the funfair in which it could be surrounding by tents and the other rides/activities.


... speaking of which, for addition buildings/details you can check Michael's blog for the test of Ncloth to make this. I originally showed him the technique on how to do this but he has managed to create a stable version for our group's benefit. These tents are additional features for the fair including homes for the staff workers, food stops and stores. Due to our limit of detail this is cut off and used for the audience's imagination.


My overall review of the modelling of this project:


This is pretty much my first maya project, and the workings of the first term were pretty much copying tutorials. For the modelling side It felt ok, not great or poor. The details of the Arcade attractions were good, it looked like what I wanted and a great additional to the overall look... well.. was. After the change of plan of NOT going through the film taking it's time to look at each ride of the funfair the details of the arcade seem meaningless now since you're not even going to see it. The worst part about this side of work is the buildings. With a house or Mansion I can start with a square and extrude/build up from that to add windows and a basic pillar structure... HOWEVER with the buildings in these they are just deploployed flat buildings which made things really difficult to add the details in how it was formed, resulting in plain squares (which textures to be added at the end) which, to me looks below average for this project.


Overall while I really liked some of the models made this, it felt dissapointing... even if this counts as my first "official" modelling. It couldn't be flawless but it should have at least made me feel happy.

Ferry well then

Ferris Wheel

Here is the progress of the Ferris Wheel. It's almost done and should be finished once I have learnt how to solve a duplicate/rotation problem.

WHAT I NEED TO DO:

- Chair Positions
- Additional Supports
- Possible Enterance/Landing

The chairs can't rotate/duplication correctly due to the model itself, in which I have to move it into position. Since this could be animated I can't just "guess" where they go and it most be near to accurate for it to work.
The additional support is to for more detail and realistic control of the ride. This can be skipped and I need to learn how to move and rotate the holds into position.
The enterance might be skipped as our group discussed to hide the bottom of this ride by covering it up with another object. It was just to how the audience of the funfair "enter" and use the ride. Here are the usual snapies:




Looking better, though the chairs are not the right shape as I had hoped it to be, and less details as I visioned. Should be ready soon, and oh Leonard (if you're reading this)I need the model of the Lightbulb if it's 100% done. Thanks.

Ok so... work?

Ok what am I doing... I'm currently finishing the Ferris Wheel and working on some of the Activity/Minigame Stands in the funfair and I should be moving on towards the the rest of the primary (check BCMM blog for ride list) sources under my control. The group shall receive some or all of the files on monday. There are some problems coming up but nothing stopping my work.

Models at work. Work... WORK... WORK!!!!!

Here are the first viewings at the models at work. Quite simple stuff right now but only basic shapes. This was the next step after the tests and tutorials from the previous post in which I make the models themselves.

Once I've completed the full models our group plans to create one file containing all the files in which we can place the models made in the areas which work best for the film or areas in which we are most happiest with. Modelling is my primary function but there was a chance of plan today in which Leonard and Michael are going to be assisting with some model ideas of their own. I was quite fine doing them by myself... geez... I'M NOT THAT BAD! But the case was we are all capable of modelling and we all wanted to contribute to that. Though I'm still doing the majority of the models.

1. This was the first model made for the Funfair swing. It didn't go to plan but it showed me what I was going to do next... not this.

2. I'm quite pleased with this model. If I can duplicate and parallel the ride it's ready for the project. Though I still have to design the carrier/seat that goes with it; that would be the square box you would see. The wheel is a seperate object to which it shall be animated. It was also one of the first models I started working on for the ride.

3. This is the start of the Arcade Hut. it's quite a basic squarish model in which I originally intended to create a thicker "shell" wall for the inside too but due to my modelling skills there is a problem when extruding, and i cannot fixed this at this stage. The advantage of using this for a film is the fact that if there is a problem we can always hide it. But only if possible. There is a whole collection of arcade machines (seperate objects) to be placed within the arcade; in which textured, lighten and rendered correctly will show quite an effective viewing.

4. This was the first test of the wheel. Showing what I originally planned to make it with. The model at the button was too thin and flatten to be used, and the second (above) has a "rope" problem which cannot be used for the final wheel. Please note this was still at the stage at which I was designing my own workings.

5. I'm a bit worried with this one. While the 8x duplicates worked great I'm concerned on how the model content will look. I might have to redesigned it since it's going to be filled with prizes and bottles. But we see as we move along. The roof is still not available.

6. This is the second attempt of the Funfair Swing. I like the roof more since I had to connect a sphere to the extruded square. it looks a bit strange in modelling but if textured this should be fine. The twist is not completed but there's still the possibility of not showing the top of the swing (hopefully my group will help me out if we can show this, I would like to see it in the final film). I'm having modelling difficulties with the twist due to the fact that the model needs more edges to be able to blend and move. Not completed is the enterance and top windows/exit.

This is only the preview and more details are yet to come. Stay tuned.

Maya look at it?

So the 6th week now... I should have shown this earlier but the blog doesn't have to be accurate in which order the work is shown, there's the possibility that this could effect the final result but what's shown is shown.

These are maya workings before I started working onto the rides of the park to get my modelling up to passable standard. The previous year at college I was having quite difficulties getting to grip with the computer graphics program "maya", due to the fact that the tutorials used were not the best method of getting use to the system. I guess the fact that the idea of modelling a character seemed one step too high when I wasn't familar with the tools themselves. Over the 6 weeks I have greatly improved with the program and can model quite a variety of objects and I'm happy to do this for the project. I just wish I could have "cracked the program" earlier so the project might have a greater result.


Here is the work I created before moving onto the rides, nothing is amazing and most of it is quite simple; but for me each step moves closer and closer to the final outcome.

Please note that these were created by internet examples since I couldn't create my own designs at this time. I have passed this stage and now I can design what needs to be done.





1. This was also a texture test. I picked a random texture file over the internet and UV'd into place. It's not perfect but I learnt how to make basic textures jf things go wrong.





2. This was the second texture test. As you can see in the picture it wasn't complete but it's the front door you should be paying attention too. This was also used for basic vertex altering and edge extruding.





3. This was one of the first custom models made without a tutorial, of course anyone can do this in a second but it was the first model I made without using a tutorial and using the tools taught throughout them.





4. Though you can't tell this is also animated. It doesn't work perfectly but its a start. Everything on this post is what I had to learn to get to the models I'm making today. The gears showed me multiple extrudings and "beveling".





5. This is one of my proudest completed tutorials, mainly the fact that it showed me how to work with booleans which have so far become very useful to completing difficulty ideas when modelling. It also gave me new extruding and combing objects tricks.





6. This is actually still in the works, and a possibility might not be used to help the project. So why have I posted this one? This also demonstrates Maya's "cloth" in action, in which I have used a "plane" to create the table you see in the picture. I was hoping to use this trick for the funfair tents and rags... HOWEVER gravity kicks into this stage and the cloth has difficulties staying into the table. If I can cure this problem I might be able to use it for our group's advantage towards the models; I would feel quite please if I can pull this off but it's only an additional feature.





7. This was one of the largest earliest models I completed. Here I learnt about looped edges and duplication (as well as some basic booleans). It also taught me some stretching techniques to make the model look less than basic, for it's not easy to tell in the picture but what I learnt.





8. Last one. I do have more models learnt but mainly tests than completed or near-completed tests. This was one of the more earlier models which used basic joining of multiple models to form a shape. I can do the seat a bit better today.

So there they are. With these examples and tests I can move onto the official models. I already have started them at this point but I'm only showing production. More to come.