Table of contents for March 2020 in 3D World

As well as being a great way to celebrate your favourite art by other artists, studios or filmmakers, fan art is a fantastic way to hone your own craft, as you are motivated to match what exists and meet the expectations of others who know the originals. With that in mind, we spoke to Stefano Mondini, the artist behind this issue’s cover art, based on Pickett from Fantastic Beasts. He shares his process on page 60, so if you have an interest in fan art, Cinema 4D or simply love creating 3D characters, head over to learn more. Every year we see developers of our favourite software releasing updates, trying to wow us with new features and tools, fixing any lingering bugs, and offering us ways to work smarter and…

Being a 3D artist can mean many things to many people, but there is a common thread that binds most of us to the community as a whole and that is the love of building worlds. This can take the form of a single character that inhabits the mind of a hobbyist in their bedroom, or could be an automotive designer looking for a fresh way to deliver an engaging driving experience. Or it could be someone creating fantasy and science-fiction masterpieces for film, TV or, as we investigate here, the tabletop. I have to be up front here: I used to work at Games Workshop’s Nottingham studio, and still have a love for Warhammer in its various guises. In fact I still have a hobby area in my own…

1975 OUR STORY BEGINS… Three friends start up a UK-based mail-order business importing popular fantasy roleplaying and board games. They call their company “Games Workshop” (which narrowly beat the alternative: “Games Garage”). 1976 FIRST SHOP OPENS On 1 Dalling Road, Hammersmith in London, the first store opened in a chain that would later spread across the world. 1979 THE ORIGINAL CITADEL MINIATURES Archetypal characters, as yet without a game of their own, were designed to be used in roleplaying systems or simply collected on their own. 1983 WARHAMMER: FIRST EDITION The principles of tabletop wargaming combined with mythic fantasy – and a new hobby was born. 1986 AN ICONIC NEW WARRIOR Citadel produces a range of sci-fi miniatures, amongst them, the armoured form of a crusading galactic hero – the…

DARREN HENDLER EXPLAINS WHY REFERENCE COULD HOLD THE KEY TO ESCAPING THE INFAMOUS UNCANNY VALLEY The uncanny valley is a place that almost everyone has visited at one point or another, that feeling of eeriness experienced when something resembles a human being, but isn’t quite right. It presents a monumental hurdle to overcome for VFX artists in the field of deaging and digital humans. “It’s all about reference,” says Darren Hendler, director of the Digital Human Group. “When creating a younger version of an actor it is important to scan the actor at their current age and also scan an appearance double.” At Digital Domain the team use the skin details and shading models from their younger appearance double to get an exact reference for the skin tone. “We then…

It is difficult to get a perfect simulation, especially when dealing with a large amount of geometry, as there is room for potential errors. In the example of the compression of gummy bears, there is jittering happening in certain areas. Since we are happy with the overall look, it’s more efficient to pick out the problematic geometries and fix them than re-simulating again. Here, we will run a post-processing pass on the gummies using CHOPs – a very simple setup that can save you hours of re-simulating. In this example, we will be running a filter node to the jittery geometries. The filter node smooths the input channel by combining each sample and a given range of its neighbour samples, and calculates a new value. We can decide how many…

AUTHOR Amir Varasteh Amir is a 3D artist and a certified interior designer, with six years of experience with archviz software. bit.ly/39xXPN0 In this short tutorial, we will discover how to create realistic archviz, specifically focusing on home interiors. We will render a modern bathroom with special mosaics and a relaxing space that we will visualise with CG software. First, we will use 3ds Max for modelling, and in this step we will create most of the models we need for this bathroom. After modelling we will use Unfold3D, which is an amazing software for unwrapping. Then we will use Substance Painter to make this wonderful mosaic texture. In 3ds Max we will create a special glass called frosted glass, and after this we will utilise Corona Renderer, one of…

AUTHOR Mike Griggs Mike Griggs is a 3D and visual effects artist with vast experience across the industry, as both a creator and a technical writer. www.creativebloke.com Topoformer is a plugin for Cinema 4D by developer Merk Vilson. It allows a mesh object in Cinema 4D to be instantly transformed into an abstract procedural model with patterns developed by some of the leading artists in the motion graphics community. Topoformer initially divides a mesh, whether it is a ‘live’ Cinema 4D object or existing frozen polygon mesh, into a new pattern. Working with a live Cinema 4D object allows the most creativity with Topoformer, as changing the number of subdivisions on a plane object, for example, has a direct impact on the mesh pattern that Topoformer creates. The mesh pattern…

Pietro Chiovaro replies This issue I will demonstrate how to create a Christmas tree in Blender. The creation process I’m going to show you is based on one of the most important internal add-ons for Blender. In order to use it we have to enable it from the Preferences panel; in the ‘Add-ons’ section we have to search and enable the Sapling Tree Generator. Press Shift+A and in Curve we can select the tree generator and start to set the parameters for the creation of the tree. Open the Sapling Tree Generator in the bottom-left side of the 3D viewport. Here we have the main panel of the tree generator. In order to create a Christmas tree we have to select the Small Pine preset, then change the values of…

“We started off with locomotion to define our characters’ weight and physicality,” explains Framestore animation supervisor Aulo Licinio. “Then dialogue tests to understand how the character would perform. We learned a lot from these early tests, which helped us build the rules for each character. We also performed all other sorts of motion tests, as development for the integration of a CG character and an actor on set. Or to aid other departments, especially the CFX and FX departments.” It was critical not to lose the animalistic qualities. “A bear had to look like a bear talking, the same for birds and every other daemon,” remarks Lucinio. “The key to achieve this was to really dig into the background of the characters, daemons and humans. By getting a detailed background…

NAME Frankie Stellato JOB TITLE Animation supervisor STUDIO Digital Domain LOCATION Vancouver BC, Canada ABOUT Frankie Stellato is an animation supervisor at Digital Domain with over 14 years of experience in the VFX industry. WEB frankiestellato.com Frankie Stellato has more than 14 years of experience as an animator, which he now channels into his role as animation supervisor at Digital Domain, one of the biggest and most well-respected studios in VFX. More recently Stellato has been putting superheroes in motion, earning himself credits on the likes of Aquaman, Ant-Man And The Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. His credits also include video game projects such as a live-action trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. He has also devoted time to mentoring the next generation of animators, teaching them the ways…

There is still an underlying uncertainty around the benefits of the new forms of digital technology and how it has shaped the language of film in recent times; whether it is seen as an asset or a hindrance is still highly debated within the industry by both critics and consumers. Since I have been fortunate enough to have experience in both the production of visual effects and directing film, I feel compelled to share how my knowledge of visual effects has only enabled me to become a better filmmaker. In its most basic form, visual effects grant the filmmaker the ability to have ultimate control. For the majority of us with much more modest budgets, the option to build detailed sets on a vast scale is simply incomprehensible. However, now,…

Stefano Mondini Stefano teaches you the art of character creation using Maxon’s Cinema 4D. stefanomondini.artstation.com Rita Khodur In this issue, Rita demos the process of how to set up cloth in Marvelous Desinger. artstation.com/rita_khodur Jes Goodwin One of Games Workshop’s star miniatures designers talks us through the company’s working methods. games-workshop.com WEBSITE 3dworld.creativebloq.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/3dworldmagazine INSTAGRAM @3DWorldMag TWITTER @3DWorldMag…

UNIT Name: Sam Dinwiddy Title: Miniatures Design Manager Years of service: 8 Favourite army/faction/gang: Ossiarch Bonereapers Favourite tool/part of the job: Initial ideas and creation Sam’s job is to develop and manage the creation of new miniatures ranges and intellectual property, as well as the miniatures designers working in the studio. Most of the time is spent working directly with the designers developing the miniatures and overseeing projects, as well as generating ideas to feed into the concept teams. UNIT Name: Seb Perbet Title: Senior Miniatures Designer Years of service: 17 years Favourite army/faction/gang: Aeldari Favourite tool/part of the job: Getting a model back in plastic Most of Seb’s time is spent designing completely new ranges of models, looking for original and fresh imagery that still maintains the Warhammer style.…

OGOR MANEATER CHAMPION “One of my all-time favourites has to be the Ogor Maneater Champion, painted by Joe Tomaszewski. I really like how the colours are balanced and the way the materials across the model are rendered differently.” Max Faleij “The execution of technical painting is perfect, employing numerous techniques to help portray a strong narrative. It also has an incredibly well-designed colourway, finding contrast and balance on an incredibly detailed miniature.” Aidan Daly CHIMERA “My favourite paint job would have to be the chimera. I remember I was at my first ever games day just before I started working for the company. I was so amazed by the technique that I said to myself I want to be able to paint like that – it’s incredible!” Natalie Slinn GORBAD…

The shoot This scene was a big challenge and it was a collaboration between basically all departments. A lot of the faeries were shot on wires against greenscreen. Some of their faeries were shot right then and there against a sky which was also really good reference for how light played on them. So we had all those wires and rigging, and shots against greenscreen, too. Final shot We composited all of the foreground characters and some of the mid-ground characters and then filled it out with digi-doubles. We also did a set extension to add another floor of the mimasary. The first two floors were built on set which was extended by a third floor and the water tower. It’s always nice to work with a fantastic base.…

DARREN HENDLER DISCUSSES THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO AGING A DIGITAL HUMAN “Adding age is very interesting,” says Darren Hendler. He explains that the process is in some ways easier than de-aging, while also posing bigger challenges. “Older people generally have more skin details such as wrinkles,” he adds. “This added detail helps to make the model more realistic and because no one has seen the older version of someone, there is less to compare it to.” This does, however, mean that the team has very little reference to work with. “For an aging process we, again, want to scan a younger actor that is the right target age with a similar look,” Hendler explains. “We would then scan their faces in motion so we can see how all the…

In order to perform FEM simulation, we need to use meshes of tetrahedrons. If you create your tet meshes using geometry with holes or intersections, that could easily cause the simulation to break or produce weird results. To create good tet meshes, we can use either the Solid Embed or a combination of Remesh and Solid Conform. In most cases, we will use Solid Embed. The best way to see if your solid objects are of good quality is to enable the Create Quality Attributes in the FEM Solid Object, then you can use FEM visualisation to visualise the quality after your DOP Import with the type set to Mesh Quality. Green means good tets and red means bad tets that could cause problems. You should always use the clip…

AUTHOR Rita Khodur Rita is a Lebanese fashion and character designer who has joined the world of 3D. She currently works in designing and modelling sportswear outfits for several brands. www.artstation.com/rita_khodur Here we are going to learn how to use Marvelous Designer to drape and craft an outfit from a simple drawn sketch. Some basic fashion knowledge is needed here – knowing the shapes of the patterns we are going to work with. Marvelous Designer is more of a draping simulator than a fashion program, which eases the barriers between a 3D modeller and a product designer. This program will help create realistic fabric wrinkles and drapes that will also be applicable in real life, to some extent. You can explore many fabric draping options, from soft silk to hard…

Maya Jermy Maya is a 3D artist and animator based in the UK. She started her career in 2012 remaking and animating characters for Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee - New ‘n’ Tasty. mayajermy.artstation.com Cirstyn Bech-Yagher Cirstyn has moved from Radeon’s ProRender to the RizomUV team, where she does product management as well as modelling, UV mapping and tutorial writing. www.twitter.com/cirstyn Pietro Chiovaro Pietro is a freelance 3D artist with years of experience, and is an expert in the creation of game assets and environments. pietrochiovaro.com Antony Ward Since the early 90s Antony has worked for many of today’s top game and VFX studios, and has written three technical manuals and many online tutorials. www.antcgi.com Maya Jermy replies NanoMesh can be very useful as it is a fantastic tool that utilises instant…

A large practical rig was constructed with the same size and spec of the CG bear. “The idea from the start was to do something decidedly more organic and driven by the puppeteers; however, they do need something to train against in the beginning,” states Framestore VFX supervisor Robert Harrington. “Polar bears don't really canter. Once we were happy with the running and walking cycles, we took this as our data to start vaguely reverse-engineering reality.” “We added some reference grids/LEDs to the set, measured it, profiled the little Canon DSLR lens and tracked the bear rig with one of my most favourite pieces of software, the good old 3DE,” remarks Harrington. “There are obviously some tolerances for error in there, but you can still draw data from it, and…

How did you become animation supervisor at Digital Domain? I started in the industry as a generalist and over the years worked my way up to animation lead. I was a lead for about four years and during that time is when I really started to focus on all aspects of the animation process. I’d have my own shots while helping other animators and would sometimes even be able to give notes or advice on shots depending on the show and supervisor. The supervisor role felt like a natural progression and the next step in my career. You should always have goals for your career. What skills and qualities are essential to being an animation supervisor? Being able to watch all types of animation with a critical eye and absorb…

This isn’t meant as a suck-up. However, my favourite work over my career has been my work for 3D World magazine. For nearly a decade, I have been lucky enough to write a wide range of articles, reviews and features. The original Basics series was one that really pushed me in terms of what I had to produce every month, as many of the skills that I was writing about were brand new to me. Writing for 3D World has enabled me to both win new clients and also more importantly given me a behind-the-scenes look at the CGI industry. I have gotten to know developers of both hardware and software, which has had a profound change on how I approach my work. I have learned that what we do…

PRICE £3,200 | COMPANY Wacom | WEBSITE wacom.com AUTHOR PROFILE Rob Redman As well as editing this magazine Rob runs a boutique VFX studio, working across TV, film and online. He can often be found painting goblins, or writing music. www.pariahstudios.co.uk FEATURES 4K display Multi-touch support Intel i7 processor NVIDIA Quadro P1000 GPU with 4GB RAM User-upgradeable RAM and SSD Three-angle removable standA A new access door on the back lets users upgrade RAM and the SSD Almost three years ago I reviewed the original MobileStudio Pro and, at the time, it impressed. It had a great screen, excellent build quality, Wacom’s famed user experience and decent specs, albeit slightly pricey. Now, it’s early 2020 and I’m back with the latest incarnation and a dose of scepticism about what updates…

FOLLOW THE VIDEO www.bit.ly/3DWorld-257 AUTHOR Stefano Mondini Stefano Mondini is a freelance CG artist who has worked with architecture firms and an Italian indie game house. His visionary style was born from a passion for architecture, video games, films and storytelling. stefanomondini.artstation.com I decided to create a Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them themed fan art as a personal project. Over the next few pages I will demonstrate how to make Pickett, the Bowtruckle that Newt Scamander always carries with him in his pocket. Collecting good references as a starting point and using Cinema 4D, it will be possible to create a highly detailed character in a relatively short time. Cinema 4D is easy to learn and extremely powerful: through the extrusion tool and the sculpt system integrated in…

AUTHOR Mike Griggs Mike Griggs is a 3D and visual effects artist with vast experience across the industry, as both a creator and a technical writer. www.creativebloke.com If you are new to CGI, there are far too many tools to choose from in a dizzying array of software. This series aims to break everything in CGI down to the very basics so that every artist can be armed with the knowledge of which tool is best. This month we look at Autodesk Maya. When movie studios create behind-the-scenes videos to demonstrate how artists brought their creations to life, and you can see 3D software on an artist’s workstation, there is a high likelihood that it will indeed be Autodesk Maya. A favourite with studios throughout the world, Maya is a…

AUTHOR Igor Zanic Igor is a freelance FX artist based in Serbia, and is the co-founder of Rebelway. He got into 3D after being inspired by movies like The Abyss and Jurassic Park. igorfx.artstation.com 3D World: It has been a few weeks since the reveal of Houdini 18. You were one of the artists who was working with SideFX before the public launch, using the new adaptive pressure projection for FLIP fluids. What do you think about this new feature, and how does it compare to performance and time-savings in older versions? Igor: FLIP simulations are a really demanding and slow process; over the years when I started doing simulation work, I didn’t have a powerful enough workstation, so optimisation was a big part of my process. Now everyone can…