Sketchbook: -DN-

[-DN-]

Sketchbook Rules- Everyone is welcome to post comments, thoughts, and questions.


Ford FT40

End goal is photo realism, some things may be a little off due to me using hundreds of different reference pictures from many different sources. All Modeling in max9, no ZBrush or Mudbox, although I will probably be using a sculpting package to make the environment... Thinking something like a coastal road side.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-002.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-003.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-004.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-005.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-006.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-007.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-008.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-009.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-010.jpg

This render I've been using as a desktop image. Simple and clean.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-001.jpg

[-DN-]

Laying down basic colors.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-011.jpg

[Japhir]

that looks very cool! are you going to bake it all down to a lower resolution game model or just the realistic render?
looking forward to seeing it done!

[-DN-]

Mapping is pretty much done, still need to make a red and blue iodized metal shader for some of the engine pieces.

Going to google some beachs and photography tonight and find a setting I would like for a background. This may be my excuse to make one of those tropical final fantasy beach scenes I have been wanting to do. Render times will probably determine how ambitious I am, also... Trying to get this wrapped up so I have time to work on the up coming Unearthly Challenge.

Japhir: At the moment I am just trying to get this finished for a portfolio show piece. My next project planned for my portfolio will be geared towards the whole normal map, baking, joy that is next gen.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-012.jpg
C&C Welcomed.

[Jaco]

Great stuff man, that engine looks incredible.
You going to do a dirt pass?

[-DN-]

Jaco: that is something I actually already started to do but when I blend the shader's in max my render times basically come to a stand still. I have tried down sizing the mask files to a smaller resolution, multiple file types, multiple blending modes (image alpha, rgb output, multiplied) nothing really works UNLESS there is no gradation in the mask. For example a black and white checkered mask would render at 100% speed, but as soon as mental ray has to blend say 50% of a chrome (high reflections) with 50% of a dirt shader (totaly diffrent material attributes) the render time basically becomes unmanagble.

If anyone knows a better way of getting a dirt pass done I would love to hear their process.

Now I suppose I could make a 100% clean car, and a 100% dirty car, and composite them using combustion and Zdepth... which has crossed my mind but at this point its coming down to crunch time. What I think I will end up doing is, keep the car clean for now, finish the environment, and based on how the car is animated / positioned in the render, I will go back and dirty it up as needed. So if I end up putting the car in the sand, i will add alittle sand detailing, if its on the pavement, I might just add stuff like pebbles in the tires or water / bug streaks on the windshield. I would love to animate the car being parked, sitting there rumbling... rev's up (camera cuts to the gauges "which are made to micro detail level) (camera cuts back to original shot and starts to pan slowly and the GT40 peels out in a slight fishtail which GT40's are known for... their raw N/A power... and that would be the demo reel shots.

Think Magnum PI tv series, at the start of the episode where he peels out.

Always so many idea's, so little time to do it all. Sorry no update yet... My day job and paying the bills is interfering for progress.

[Cody]

amazing work. can't wait to see the final shots.

[-DN-]

Well I did my first normal map, behind the times? yah yah I know. Anyways I am happy with it so far. As I finish the bits and bobs I will X-Ref them in and hopefully still be able to render this beast out.

LowPoly could have been a lot lower if it was intended for games, but as this is mostly for scene management and learning experience I felt comfortable keeping the low smooth.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-015.jpg

LowPoly alone, upper right frame is the camera to scale in final render.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-016.jpg

Normal Map, 1024x1024.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-017.jpg

ZBrush HighPoly. I'm working from childhood memory here and trying to get that smooth coastal rock formation, where the water has shaped the rock. Im happy with it.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-018.jpg

Basic mock-up, nothing fancy... YET!
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-019.jpg

[-DN-]

Who thought waves would be so complicated. The dynamics and particle effects route turned out to be to complicated for an entire beach line, would have worked for something on a much smaller scale and I am not someone who turns to expensive plugins to solve my problems. So I approached the waves from a more game oriented POV. All in the texture maps, which I still have to animate the masking. I think I can get good results with the animated mask and animating the UV offset... We shall see.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-020.jpg

Still needs some refinements but the foundation for what I am going for is there.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-021.jpg

[Dakkon]

Love the car renders. It reminds me of Speed Racer for some reason

[-DN-]

Getting there, major assets pretty much where I want them. Time to add some details until it has that "It's finished" look. Then I only need to figure out how in the hell to render it... Me thinks I will be brushing up on my composite skills.

The waves are animated and key framed, timing is pretty much spot on. The sand changes textures as the water passes over it and then fades back to frame 0 settings so I can cycle it.

Frame 0
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-022.jpg
Frame 170
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-023.jpg
Frame 200
End cycle as far as the water is concerned. Looks the same as frame 0.

Once all the details are added, if I can still render the scene I will add some poly's to the waves, toss on a Displace space warp at the spot where the wave should be breaking upon the sand...

If it still renders...

[-DN-]

If any moderators read this by chance... could you delete the post above this, Not exactly sure why they posted that crap in my Sketchbook.

Anyways...

Render from the planned first scene on the new demo reel minus the watermark. Rendering it out is gonna be a bitch, time wise but its all my old comp can do... "I think I can I think I can."

http://www.dennisnollen.com/Images/D.Nollen-026.jpg
The window alpha looks funny atm because its from PS, the composite in after effects reads the alpha differently and shows the correct water/transparency.

[Spark]

This is looking awesome DN, and took care of the thread above for you, keep up the good work.

Spark

[man_o_mule]

really liking the enviorenment you put that car in. looks sexy.

[konstruct]

pretty cool man. superb modeling, cool rocks in the back- pretty solid work
the water seems pretty green- and the sky needs more of a horizon gradient, also is there any chance of working some depth of field in thar?

[-DN-]

Thanks for the kind words Spark, M_o_M.

Konstruct: Yah the water is meant to be green, I did some test with blue water, and it started to compete with the cars silhouette because they shared like hue's. Plus green is more exotic to me and that's what I am aiming for. There will be depth of field... this is still WIP so that will come down to post editing. Not sure what you mean by more gradient in the sky, honestly I haven't spent much time on the sky yet. I will see what it looks like after the DOF and see if it needs moar umpf.

I felt like painting today since I havent in a long time... halloween comming up so heres some creepies.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-027.jpg

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-028.jpg

[-DN-]

Okay so rending a demo reel on my old PC is taking a depressingly long time :(

On the up side, I got PS CS3 and new wacom drivers... And my pen actually seems to work.
1hr or so including the time to adjust tablet. My attempt at something akin to champloo.
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-029.jpg

[-DN-]

Long time no post, to much lurking...

#1 Practice Painting.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-030.jpg

#2-4 Thanks to Art-Machine's thread I have decided to try and make a cool weapon.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-033.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-031.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-032.jpg

[Fleafa]

Insane poly-modelling dude! Some cool 2D work too.

P.S. Yay for Champloo ^_^

[-DN-]

Started this yesterday, DA Sponge Gun

blocking it out and starting to add high poly details. I'm not sure about the green tooth placement yet... OH and aiming for TF2 style... Instant win ammo "just add water" sponges... combined with Liquid QQ... the newest emo drink craze... For once I can't wait to get the modeling done and start on the textures.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-035.jpg

fires mini sponges that expand in water.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-034.jpg
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-036.jpg

blue part is the ammo case when its open to reload. Not entirely happy with the compressed air tanks atm... will have to try a couple variants and see if I come up with something better.

[-DN-]

Thought the gun was starting to look to much like a rifle when I intended it to be a hand gun so changed some things around, and paint over for rough color scheme.

http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-037.jpg

[achillesian]

i like the anvil

[-DN-]

making some progress. LowPoly is 3698 tri's,
view stats are both high and lowpoly geo in same scene.

Not sure I got the low poly is perfect for baking Normals... Might have to add some geo but I am going to try and keep polycount as reasonable as I can.

If all goes well I'll even give a stab at animating this bad boy and getting into TF2. will have to sort out modding the stock ammo FX to my own custom sponge bullets.

HighPoly Done
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-038.jpg
HighPoly Pieces to Animate
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-039.jpg
LowPoly Pieces to Animate
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-040.jpg
LowPoly UVW's
http://www.dennisnollen.com/images/D.Nollen-041.jpg