Table of contents for October 2022 in 3D World

COVER ARTIST Matt Bergasse SOFTWARE Dreams, Photoshop While the traditional methods of creating 3D are very much alive and kicking, there are new tools and workflows that are well worth exploring. Maybe not as replacements for your workstation, high-end GPU and top-shelf software, but in addition to them. With that in mind, we have our stunning cover art and an accompanying tutorial, showcasing Dreams, the PlayStation title that allows you to build scenes, add materials and lighting and so much more from the comfort of your living room. These are exciting times for artists, as it is now easy and accessible for people to use normal consumer goods to become content creators, so head to page 32 to discover how you can start your journey. Rob Redman, Editor rob.redman@futurenet.com…

It's amazing how quickly technology can evolve. When I held my first mobile phone at age 15, I could never have imagined that it would develop into what I use today. The same has been true for many technological advancements including the computer, the car and air travel, and since the first ever 3D rendered complex object in 1968, the world has witnessed huge leaps in the 3D industry. The industry is now unrecognisable from several decades ago, largely due to the advancements of both hardware and software. Even though rendering on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) is commonplace today, the initial push for 3D rendering was actually on Central Processing Units (CPUs). They were responsible for carrying out every part of the rendering process from beginning to end. It was…

AUTHOR PROFILE Matt Hanson Matt has been a technology journalist for well over a decade, writing for publications such as T3, MacFormat and Creative Bloq. He’s a senior editor of TechRadar, where he can be found writing about and reviewing laptops, computers, monitors and more. creativebloq.com/author/matt-hanson + PROS Excellent performance Long battery Life Very good build quality Almost silent in use - CONS Old design Only two Thunderbolt ports Touch Bar feels more redundant than ever New MacBook Air could be better buy The new MacBook Pro 13-inch is here, now packing Apple's new M2 chip, a powerful upgrade over the original M1 chip that debuted two years ago in the previous model. This is an exciting prospect for anyone who was impressed with the M1's prowess – and that…

The Pipeline Practical tips and tutorials from pro artists to improve your CG skills DREAMS | PHOTOSHOP AUTHOR Matt Bergasse Matt is an artist from Toronto working at Media Molecule, the studio behind Dreams. He works with traditional and digital art, and is excited for the future of creating art in VR. matthewbergasse.com Since Dreams' release in 2020, it has become my main tool for creating fast and expressive 3D sketches. In this tutorial I'm going to share my usual workflow, the bulk of which is done with a PlayStation 4 and a gamepad. For me, Dreams is less a 'game' and more a digital 3D sketchbook where I can quickly sculpt and paint characters, environments and even add animations, all while hanging out on my couch. Sculpting in Dreams…

FANTASTICAL ATMOSPHERE I used Maya's LightLink feature for the lighting, for quick control over the relationship between the lights and to create an exaggerated effect that evokes a fantasy atmosphere. I needed to place a large number of props to build up the scene, and Maya's MASH tool was used to efficiently place moss, grass, fruits, chains, etc. In ZBrush, I used the Cloth brush to create the wrinkles in the fabric. Haruto Kominami luwden.artstation.com I am a 3D art student from Japan. I value curiosity!…

V-RAY One of the major strengths of V-Ray is that you benefit from an ecosystem of Chaos products, including Chaos Scatter (scattering tool) and Chaos Cosmos (resource library). V-Ray is available across a range of DCC tools and works well across a variety of industries, becoming the renderer of choice for both individual artists and massive award-winning studios. REDSHIFT Redshift is available for all the major DCC tools and was one of the first GPU renderers available. It has recently, in version 3.5, added support for the CPU, including a hybrid version that can utilise both at the same time. Redshift is biased which gives artists the flexibility to fine-tune how rendering calculations are carried out. CORONA Corona, now at version 8 for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, is quickly…

Can you tell us about working on character collectibles? I am lucky to be at a company that allows me to work on most major characters that are part of pop culture. The main clients for our work are fans of those characters. We must guarantee that people get excited with the way we represent the characters they love, but also to bring in some wow factor that will make them pop and differentiate from everything else that already exists on the market. It is incredibly motivating and a great responsibility at the same time. Does your passion for illustration inspire your work in sculpture? Definitely! Not only is working in ZBrush a bit like painting in 3D, but there are many principles which are the same. One of my…

AUTHOR PROFILE Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. + PROS Production-ready tools Innovative game-based controls Positioned well for the expanding metaverse - CONS Add-ons must be purchased if required VOLUMETRIC LIGHT Alongside Light Enhancement, Lens Flare, Mirror Plane Shader and Motion Blur updates, iClone 8 offers Volumetric Light. This can be added to any spot, point or directional light and gives artists a much-needed visualisation tool. This effect is incredibly easy to set up, with a simple checkbox for activation and then a handful of slider properties which enable artists to fine-tune the result. iClone, now at iteration 8, is a real-time 3D animation software targeted at professionals working within various industries including…

Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. Mike Griggs Mike Griggs is a digital content creator with over two decades of experience creating VFX and CGI for a wide range of clients. www.creativebloke.com Glen Southern Glen runs SouthernGFX, a small Cheshire-based studio specialising in character and creature design. He has been using and training ZBrush in the UK for over 15 years. youtube.com/c/SouthernGFX/videos Antony Ward Be it game development, rigging or recording in-depth courses for his YouTube channel, Antony boasts experience in most areas of 3D. www.antcgi.com Pietro Chiovaro Pietro is a freelance 3D artist and YouTuber. An expert in the creation of game assets and environments, he shares many of his creations on…

The Hub Volumetric video INDUSTRY INSIGHT Digital video is continually evolving. From SD to Ultra HD, there is a consistent desire from both manufacturers and audiences to embrace better forms of the technology. Regardless of the advancement, however, the goal is the same: to make the viewing experience more immersive. But what if rather than just looking sharper or offering more colours, you could turn on your favourite sports team and control the broadcast? Or open up the app for your favourite online clothing maker and have a fashion show appear on your coffee table? While there are multiple paths forward in how digital video progresses, one of the most promising and fastest growing formats is volumetric video. Content creators can use volumetric video to create holograms that can be…

AUTHOR PROFILE Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. + PROS Export scenes to the web Create textures simply by painting Simple and straightforward workflow - CONS Expensive compared to alternative renderers Is standalone rather than built-in KeyShot is a rendering and animation software that prides itself on providing artists with the tools to create amazing 3D scenes through materials and lighting. Once artists have imported their model, KeyShot provides simple yet powerful tools for bringing scenes to life, with drag-and-drop solutions to makes the visualisation process a breeze. "SIMPLE YET POWERFUL TOOLS FOR BRINGING SCENES TO LIFE" Earlier this year KeyShot released version 11 with an iterative update available not long after. This…

AUTHOR PROFILE Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. + PROS Powerful set of texture creation tools Connects even better into the Adobe ecosystem Adobe continues to develop Painter with each release - CONS Alternatives such as Quixel Mixer are free to use NEW PHYSICAL SIZE SUPPORT It’s funny to think that this has only just made its way into Painter. This feature means that if a Substance material has a real-world size built in, then that can be used when making use of ‘fill layer projections’. This will take out all the guess-work for artists who want their textures to represent realworld scales. Substance Painter is a standalone application that enables artists to…