Tabla de contenidos para No. 122 en 3D Artist

We’re always inspired, here on 3D Artist, by the different types of art that people create, and as is the case with our cover feature this issue, all the interesting ways they use their favourite software to make their dreams into a reality. Take Maria Panfilova, our cover artist, for example, who used Maya for cleaner UVs and for topology of her stunning écorché lion. Other artists from the likes of Guerrilla Games (Ben Erdt) and Pixar Animation Studios (Andrea Goh) give us unmissable tips and tricks too in our cover feature on page 22. Elsewhere, we’re jumped into the blue with award-winning animation studio Blue Zoo to discuss their journey so far, while Sony Pictures Animation talks Hotel Transylvania 3. You can also hear from Image Engine concept artist…

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1 USING IMAGE PLANES It is important to maintain proportion accuracy for an anatomy model, so I used Image Planes in Maya for all views – side, top, front, back. The references were from the book An Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists . First I made sure that bone proportions were right and then made muscles. 2 AUTOMATIC TOPOLOGY AND UVS Clean and perfect topology isn’t always necessary. I make topology using ZRemesher and UVs with UV Master in ZBrush; it saves a lot of time. But I also edit them by hand in Maya to make it cleaner. I split UVs into UDIMs so I can set up all texture sets as single materials. 3 MULTIPASS RENDERING AND IN 32-BIT I set up AOV passes…

GROUP SYMMETRY When working on clothing or armour for a character – for example a kneepad – I still like to work in symmetry whilst already building the piece in its final position. I group both the mesh and instanced mesh and move the group to the desired spot. This allows me to work on mirrored geometry and add new objects to the group which will inherit the local symmetry. KEYFRAME SHADER TRANSPARENCY When remodelling a speed model or design sculpt that comes out of ZBrush I have many situations in which I like to have my reference mesh semitransparent. By default Maya makes your source mesh a bit transparent when using Make Life. Adding a keyframe to the transparency attribute of the source meshes shader allows me to do…

Software ZBrush, Photoshop, Octane Render Learn how to Tocompose Edit images Integrate images Use the photo bashing technique Select lenses according to the composition Texture a 3D model in Photoshop Manage lighting Manage atmospheres (depth) Use colour correction properly Final render technique Concept The concept of this image is to transmit the sensation of seeing a possible sci-fi scenario with a cinematographic character combining structures of the real world with fantasy created by the artist.…

While there are a couple of specialist materials, such as car paint, hair and skin, PBSDF really is meant to be a one size fits all material, capable of recreating almost any surface. In this simple scene all I changed was Metallic, SSS and Transparency, though do note SSS and Transparency have their own colour inputs for maximum flexibility. The Distance input setting is model scale dependant, and is how far the light transmits through the object before being tinted by the colour, and gets progressively darker after that. If you follow the above rules, you can mix any material with another, or use the material mixer node within LightWave.…

You might wonder after 20 years of development, what more can be added to the leading parametric tools for 3ds Max? The answer is plenty! The recently released Forest Pack 6 and RailClone 3.2 plugins add new customisation features for artists and TDs, who can use advanced procedural effects, employ three new distribution modes including particles, import and manage new assets, and much much more. Works wherever you do Forest Pack and RailClone work with all the leading Render Engines used by 3ds Max artists, including newly released versions of Arnold, V-Ray Next, and V-Ray Next GPU. Whatever your renderer of choice, they’ve got you covered.…

MODELLING I started a very rough sketch in ZBrush using ZSphere and DynaMesh to make a base mesh. At this stage, I was focused on the overall shapes as well as the proportion. Moreover, I was thinking about the transmission, how the parts could be connected together! The next step was to import the whole mesh into Maya to transform the organic shapes into hard-surface parts. During this process, I used a kitbash collection to fill out some space between the parts, which was another way to make the concept more functional. Amin Akhshi amin.artstation.com Amin is a freelance concept designer, currently focusing on futuristic design for movies and video game cinematics Software ZBrush, Maya, Moi3D, KeyShot Deathstalker , 2016…

After 32 years with the company Maxon has announced that the three founding members and managing directors Uwe Bärtels, Harald Egel and Harald Schneider will retire, only remaining available in an advisory capacity. Internationally experienced media and entertainment expert David McGavran is set to be appointed as the new CEO. He says, “I am very much looking forward to applying my years of experience in the media and entertainment industry at Adobe Systems to Maxon and initiate and implement steps towards further growth.” Founding member, Harald Egel says, “We are happy to have found a worthy successor in David McGavran who will continue Maxon’s success story.”…

RailClone 3.2 iToo Software has released the latest version of its parametric modelling plugin. As well as compatibility with Arnold, V-Ray Next and 3DS Max, the update also adds the ability to use bevelled corners with adaptive and count distribution modes. A stand-alone RailClone licence can be purchased for €220, with a year’s maintenance. Painter 2019 The latest version of Corel’s painting software has revamped the user interface, with a new theme that shifts the focus on to the artwork itself. There are also 36 new brushes for artists to enjoy, a new stamps brush category and new patterns intended for concept artists or video game designers. A full licence for Corel Painter 2019 can be purchased for £359.99. Modo 12.1 Foundry has announced the second update in the Modo…

Job title Visual effects supervisor Location Berkely, California Website tippett.com Biography From holo-chess in Star Wars to the horrific bugs in Starship Troopers – Phil Tippett and his collaborators at Tippett Studio are renowned for specialising in creature animation, and for overcoming the transition from years of tried-and-tested traditional special effects to the digital realm. Portfolio highlights Phil Tippett led major innovations in stop motion and creature design for the original Star Wars trilogy with ILM, then had to reinvent himself to adapt to the incoming digital realm following Jurassic Park. It was Starship Troopers that proved he was still in the game. These days, Tippett says what he thinks, particularly about his own industry. After more than 40…

In the mid-Nineties, Tippett Studio suddenly went from a stop-motion studio to a CG animation studio, and it was Starship Troopers that heralded their arrival. The bug-filled blockbuster seemed perfect for Phil Tippett’s appetite of hard-core creature animation. Aided by fellow visual effects supervisor Craig Hayes, who had also had a hand in steering the studio during the Jurassic Park transition, Tippett directed his animators into a new wave of visual effects. The studio’s ‘Digital Input Device’ – a metal armature that fed stop motion-like movements to a CG model – and CG software such as Softimage, enabled the studio to create a host of memorable creatures.…

“The pyro team built up some cannons and we fired them against a black background because the smoke and the fire looked really good on that, you can extract it and you don’t need a blue or a green.” To prepare, it was mostly a matter of talking to the pyro team, having tried their many mixtures of chemicals to get the right look against the background; the team shot at least 100 cannon balls. These were used later to paste in and composite in to the film to line up with the models that were built elsewhere during the battle. “It became a real combination of practical work – the model shoots, as well as the compositing of timing and stitching it together so it was seamless. It was…

“Just before I started working on my portfolio for an internship I felt the burning desire to become an environment artist. Because of my love for all nature, I knew that I wanted to create a beautiful outdoor scene. In the end it resulted in this image, which became my first portfolio piece” Niklas Hansson, Cherry Blossom Peak, 2018 Niklas Hansson niklashansson.com Niklas is a student at The Game Assembly and works as an environment artist Software Maya, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, ZBrush, Photoshop, UE4 Work in progress… “I love to create everyday artworks to improve my skills and learn new tools” Sameer Baloch, Connecting Bubbles, 2018 Sameer Baloch sameerbaloch.com Sameer has more than 13 years of professional experience as a 3D artist specialising in lighting and compositing Software Maya,…

Tell us about the inspiration for the project. The spider in the image is an orb-weaver spider, specifically Nephila clavipes. I was inspired to model the scene after seeing a live one in the annual Spider Pavilion at the Los Angeles Natural History museum. It is one of my favourite species and I think it is quite beautiful. I wanted to approximate macro photography techniques as closely as possible. This species of spider is commonly known as a golden orb weaver because it actually creates a yellow coloured silk for its web. It is about the size of your hand, but it is completely harmless to humans. I really wanted to capture the elegance of the spider while avoiding making it look creepy or malevolent. How were the models created?…

01 Dome light When I begin lighting a scene I will either start with a key light, or a dome light, also known as an IBL or HDRI light. In this case I use a Redshift Dome Light because I want to use it to help set the mood. I generally keep the intensity of this light subtle because I want to control the overall lighting with my area lights. Make sure to keep your render settings at a lower quality because we just need to quickly see the broad strokes of the lights as we add them to the scene. 02 Adding a key light Next step will be to add a key light. I normally just create a single Redshift Physical Light, (more commonly known as an area…

“I follow the entire character creation process,” says Pietro Licini of his day-to-day responsibilities. “I work closely with the concept artists and the director of the project to develop a stylised character for each project.” To aid in the creation of his characters Licini utilises ZBrush, “You can forget the technical stuff because it’s just like modelling with clay,” he adds. For the finishing touches he favours Substance Painter as a fast and procedural tool to design textures and paint. Licini’s role is not without challenges, as he explains, “I think the biggest challenge everyday in advertising is trying to deliver something of a very high quality in less time.” Despite the pressure, Licini praises a relaxed environment that allows him to experience all areas of the business. “This year…

1 Storyboard The task began with storyboarding. Using these a sense of the scene and the number of characters included can be imagined while the script is still being worked on by the writers. 2 Layout At the layout stage, artists position the built CG sets and characters into place and add a virtual camera into the scene to help stage the shot. This will establish the camera angle and any camera movement. 3 Animation Animators take the layout stage and work from reference, test animation and established walk cycles to bring the characters to life in Maya. The film’s animation style tends to involve significant squash and stretch. 4 Final render: Imageworks used Katana for lighting and Arnold for rendering, with effects done in Houdini. Here, a new adaptive…

1 If the direction you want your career as a concept artist to head in is in VFX, you should focus on achieving realistic pieces, which are what a VFX supervisor will request. For example, look at how lights, shadows, proportion, depth and perspective work in the real world. The best way to achieve this is by training the eye using a professional camera as well as the different lenses. 2 Study any 3D program (Blender, 3ds Max, Maya and so on), it is essential to help give your final pieces more realism and depth to your compositions. Explore the camera of the program you choose, play with different approaches such as 25mm, 35mm, 16mm or smaller to find new angles that allow you to generate small 3D layouts that…

Bio Game artist for 18 years specialising in AR/VR content for game studios and theme park clientele. Software Marvelous Designer 7, ZBrush 4R7+ Learn how to Animateandexportapose rig in Maya (on video only) Import custom character rig in Marvelous Designer 7 Create custom outfit and accessories Distress techniques to add tears and holes to clothing Proper import/export workflow using ZBrush ZBrush detail sculpting Quick & effective decimation retopology Prepare mesh for texturing (continuing in next issue) Concept The primary focus of this course is learning to create convincingly realistic worn, aged and distressed clothing for AAA games and film. Two properties that inspired this design creation were Uncharted 4 and Pirates Of The Caribbean. What better, more fun way to learn than with scurvy pirates!…

WELCOME! There are certain names, phrases and places that have become part of the furniture for people within the visual effects, animation and motion graphics community, and none more so than SIGGRAPH. For 40 plus years now, ACM SIGGRAPH has been at the forefront, extolling the virtues of innovation in computer graphics, as well as celebrating the achievements of the many artists, scientists, filmmakers and others who share this passion. In August 2018, SIGGRAPH will be holding its annual conference in Vancouver, which will see thousands of artists, developers, students and manufacturers, joining to share in the latest and greatest of the CG community. You will find that many developers have a lot to show and will have stands running their own dedicated talks and demonstrations SIGGRAPH is the best…

GEOMETRY DISPLACEMENT If you’ve ever worked with mapping displacement geometry, you know the setup can be tedious. Luxion brings a streamlined approach to adding displacement via the KeyShot Material Graph with the much-anticipated debut of this feature in KeyShot 8. SCATTERING MEDIA Fog, bubbles, flakes. The possibilities seem endless for scattered media within volumes that can be controlled, and even animated, in a variety of ways with changes visualised as quickly as you can update the adjustments. HIGH-QUALITY VR If you’ve struggled with data prep and have been disappointed with the quality of VR scenes, Luxion is promising something better. Their VR solution debuting with KeyShot 8 brings in the most accurate material and shadow representations, and it’s all done with one click from KeyShot.…

With two different farm types in the form of CPU and GPU, Pixel Plow will enable you to scale out rendering from scenes making use of Redshift, V-Ray RT, Cycles, Prorender and more. SMART CACHING The V3 Pixel Plow agents all enable smart, farm-side caching of job data. This prevents re-uploading any file that was previously uploaded to the farm, even if it came from a different user. BROAD APP SUPPORT Pixel Plow has deployed all of the common render applications and engines, and is always looking to support more. Beyond that, many less common software tools are deployed. All deployed software is listed publicly on their site, so you can see what they have running even before signing up.…

According to the developers the latest update to Qube! is driven by major improvements to the software’s fundamental architecture. A new Postgres database will result in faster responses to job queries, whilst a new UI codebase will accelerate user interactions. Artists will be able to enjoy all the benefits of PipelineFX’s WranglerView, ArtistView and more, in this new UI. There is also a plethora of convenient features like more flexible interface layouts and an in-UI command prompt.…

I‘m sure a lot of us will relate to this but throughout my entire childhood everyone around me, my family, my relatives, my friends’ families, their relatives, even my friend’s dog had a plan for me. A mantra to lead a happy successful life, ‘Excel in Academics, get a decent job’. As simple as it sounds it had many hidden layers – excel meant you can only come first in all exams, there is no option of coming second and a decent job means either an engineer or a doctor. In India everyone thinks if you choose a profession other than a doctor or an engineer you’ll end up being homeless or even worse. My brother chose to become a doctor so I was left with the only other alternative.…

Company ILM and Digital Domain Location San Francisco, California USA Website ILM.com Biography Jeff Olson started at Industrial Light and Magic in 1982 in the model shop working with his hands and using his skills in movies like Batteries Not Included, Willow, Ghostbusters 2 and Star Trek: Generations. Having worked on 13 movies Olson moved into producing VFX in 1986, and later onto Digital Domain working on Ender’s Game. At ILM he began work on Star Trek: First Contact as his first role as a producer, which was, “very challenging, lots of computer graphics, lots of models too a good transition for me before I went to work on Star Wars.” Portfolio highlights The complexities of shooting and producing visual…

TEXTURING This muddy soil material was made with the new Quixel Mixer, a scan-based texturing software. I wanted to challenge myself and produce a material within ten minutes using surface scans from the Megascans library. The hard part here was to make it look ‘unique’ as in not resemble a scan available on megascans.se. The end result was rendered in Marmoset Toolbag 3, and the whole project ended up taking around five to six minutes. Adnan Chaumette artstation.com/fansub Adnan is a technical artist at Quixel and works on MegaScans. He loves to travel, model, script and listen to music Software Quixel Mixer MuddySoil , 2018…

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Maya is part of the pipeline at many top professional studios, so finessing your technique with this software is a smart move that will make you a more versatile member of the team. Over the following pages we have six remarkable projects that showcase what you can do with Maya. For each project, a pro artist explains how they achieved some key aspect of the final image – whether that’s the lighting, rigging, texturing or rendering – and offers tips and advice that you can apply to your own work. You’ll learn where your attention to detail needs to be spot on and where you can save some time without compromising on quality; and there’s advice on selecting the right tool for the job out of the array of options…

Negar Bagheri’s role as head of the look dev department was born out of a conversation with Blue Zoo co-founder Adam Shaw. “We have a very close relationship with the directors here,” says Bagheri. “We spoke after we’d finished work on one of our series about whether or not it would be better to combine the lighting and compositing disciplines.” After working in this production based role for some time Bagheri found herself gravitating towards the creative development work that occasionally came her way. “I’ve been pulled out of doing production and now I’m heading up this team. We more or less provide an in-house service for other projects: for productions, for our services team, for new shows and pitches.” Describing her team Bagheri states, “Our base at the moment…

One trick to getting better simulations of your character is to add specific ‘envelope’ shapes to your character rig. Envelopes are basically shapes that mimic volume. For example, adding shapes for legs or abdomen that do not exist on your skeleton. By adding these shapes, you help the fabric to drape on the character better, even though, in reality, there is no body mass there. FOLLOW PART 2 OF THIS TUTORIAL IN ISSUE 123 SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO GET THE ISSUE STRAIGHT THROUGH YOUR DOOR! PAGE 30…

In order to preview/playblast animation faster while working on setting correct values for the noise, you can temporarily delete a part of the hair geo. To do that, I created a point node with assigned attribute parameter to the colour with random values, by using the rand(@elemnum) expression. The next step is to create a delete node, with operation set to – delete by expression. In the expression ‘rand(@Cd) > .05’: @Cd stands for colour, and > .05 means delete everything that has colour value bigger than 0.05.…