COVER ARTIST Stefano Mondini SOFTWARE Cinema 4D, V-Ray, Photoshop Stefano Mondini is a freelance CG artist who has worked with architecture ďŹ rms and an Italian indie game house. His visionary style was born from a passion for architecture, video games, ďŹ lms and storytelling. stefanomondini.artstation.com
EDITOR’S WELCOME What’s hot this issue
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WELCOME Create stunning characters with Cinema 4D
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 faster. It’s often hard to keep up, so this issue we take a
good look at Houdini 18 from SideFX, which really does offer more to users, including a deep implementation of Pixar’s USD. Get ahead of the game and see what it’s all about now. Finally, I took a trip to Games Workshop, where I worked long ago, to see how things have changed. With the advent of digital design techniques taking over from the more traditional, find out how you can become part of a world-class miniatures design team, working on awesome IPs.
Rob Redman, Editor rob.redman@futurenet.com
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Stefano Mondini Stefano teaches you the art of character creation using Maxon’s Cinema 4D. stefanomondini.artstation.com
WEBSITE 3dworld.creativebloq.com
Rita Khodur In this issue, Rita demos the process of how to set up cloth in Marvelous Desinger. artstation.com/rita_khodur
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Jes Goodwin One of Games Workshop’s star miniatures designers talks us through the company’s working methods. games-workshop.com
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ISSUE 257 MARCH 2020
CONTENTS ARTIST SHOWCASE 8 The Gallery Discover the best new digital art from the CG community
112 Technique Focus: Chalet Cabin Lorenzo Dragotto showcases his cabin scene
FEATURES 20 Inside Games Workshop Our editor takes a trip to the Games Workshop HQ for an inside look at the studio known for their incredible miniatures work
32 Fantastic Environments Discover how the exotic worlds of Carnival Row were built
40 All Grown Down We take a look at some incredible examples of de-aging technology in film and TV, and what the future may hold
48 Get the most out of Houdini 18
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Top tips and tricks from Houdini experts to master the software
THE PIPELINE 60 Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle How was our incredible cover image created? Find out with this tutorial from Stefano Mondini
68 Build a modern bathroom Amir Varasteh details his process for creating a bathroom with a relaxing atmosphere and mosaic textures
72 Model outďŹ ts in Marvelous Designer Translate a stylised 2D concept to 3D with Maya and ZBrush
78 Autodesk Maya Basics We explore the basics of Maya
80 Bootcamp: Topoformer Discover this helpful plugin for Cinema 4D
48
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ARTIST Q&A
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THE HUB 88 Creature of habits The team behind the VFX of His Dark Materials discuss creating the series’ daemons
96 A day in the life Digital Domain’s experienced animator Frankie Stellato breaks down his daily routine
98 Speeding up fluid FX simulations Igor Zanic discusses the Adaptive FLIP solver in Houdini 18
100 Meet the artist: Mike Griggs The veteran 3D artist takes us behind the scenes of his studio
104 Pro thoughts: Ali Al-Tobi The FX TD at Outpost explains how his training and FX experiences have helped him become a better filmmaker
REVIEWS 110 Wacom MobileStudio Pro Does the latest incarnation of the MobileStudio Pro impress?
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The best digital art from the CG community
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CG art to inspire
PACIFIC NORTHWEST FISHING VILLAGE ARTIST Patrick Ward SOFTWARE ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Unreal Engine 4 “I’ve always been interested in different cultures,” says video game environment artist Patrick Ward. “My intention with this project was to create a 3D environment that focuses on the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and the majestic land they’ve called home for generations.” Ward referenced traditional Native American artwork and building
methods throughout the process. “What I enjoyed most about this project was designing and sculpting the different figures on the totem poles,” he reflects. The particular animals and designs chosen by Ward reference those frequently found in Native American totem art from the Pacific Northwest. When creating 3D assets, Ward begins by sculpting high-poly assets in ZBrush, before optimising and retopologising them into lowerpoly models and applying UVs in Maya. Texturing then takes place in Substance Painter, where the highpoly asset is baked onto the lower-poly
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version. Once every asset has gone through this process, they are exported into Unreal Engine and the scene is composed and rendered. “One of the things that inspires me as an artist is my love for geography, travel and history,” says Ward. “A 3D space is a platform that allows audiences to travel to a time or place without going anywhere. My goal is to create immersive worlds that not only tell a story, but also shed a light on cultures, places, and periods of time not often depicted in 3D.” artstation.com/pward3d
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CG art to inspire
GOTCHA! ARTIST Patrick Danneker SOFTWARE ZBrush, 3ds Max, V-Ray, Ornatrix, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, Blackmagic Fusion
Professional 3D artist Patrick Danneker made use of TexturingXYZ’s detailed skin maps for this image, which he worked on in his spare time over a period of about four months. “Instead of sculpting and modelling all the high-frequency details I did them during the texturing stage,” he explains. The foam of the character’s beer was created using V-Ray’s environment fog, and the star on his hat was made in Substance Designer rather than being modelled separately. For personal projects such as this, Danneker sets aside one to two-hour time slots after breakfast. “Since my time is limited, I try to
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stay focused and not get too distracted. My process tends to be as non-linear as technically possible, so I may fix some modelling issues at the end. ZBrush and some rough scribbling is a great way for me to block out an idea.” The biggest challenge for Danneker on this image was the cloth material, as he has previously only worked with simple cloth simulations. “It took a lot of trial and error to figure out the correct patterns for the exaggerated proportions. Instead of modelling the hat I decided to simulate it as well.” artstation.com/frix
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CG art to inspire
ARA ARTIST Kenji Low SOFTWARE ZBrush, Autodesk Maya, Photoshop, 3DCoat, Marmoset Toolbag 3D character artist Kenji Low began creating this stylised character in May 2019, working on it in his spare time. He used a basic set of techniques throughout the process and most enjoyed sculpting the character’s striking blue hair. Low is inspired by the artwork of a wide range of artists across anime and video games. “I always gather useful references before starting my character,” he explains. Low’s next step is to work on the face, making sure he is happy with it before moving on to the rest of the character. “I like to block out my character in ZBrush using DynaMesh and ZRemesher,” he continues. “Most of the detailing will be done in ZBrush and for hard surfaces I prefer modelling in Maya.” After the detailing is finished Low moves on to retopology in Maya, before baking in Substance Painter. Low usually textures his characters in Substance Painter, but for ARA he opted for a combination of Photoshop and 3DCoat. Lastly, Marmoset Viewer was used to preview and render the character. artstation.com/artist/kenji3d
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ATOMHAWK SOLARPUNK CONTEST ARTIST Maxime Schilde SOFTWARE 3ds Max, V-Ray, Photoshop
For this futuristic piece, freelance concept artist and 3D illustrator Maxime Schilde used only simple box primitives and 3ds Max modifiers such as Twist, Bend and FFD(Box). Once he is happy with the composition, the rest of Schilde’s process depends on the subject and complexity of the scene. “Either I start with a full digital painting or I create a 3D base for overpainting and photobashing,” he explains. “Then I put on my headphones and can spend hours refining my image.” Schilde also enjoys working on the lighting element of his images, “you can create so
many different atmospheres just by moving the light.” He adds that occasionally the best results arise from “happy accidents,” the result of experimenting with different lighting arrangements until you find one that works. A passion for cinema, video games, comic books and television series fuelled Schilde’s interest in 3D. He recalls: “After two years of 3D school, I was able to join a studio as a 3D illustrator in architecture. I stayed there for eight years before becoming a freelancer.” artstation.com/maximeschilde
YOU CAN CREATE SO MANY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERES JUST BY MOVING THE LIGHT
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CG art to inspire
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MAGNI, KING OF THE IRONFORGE ARTIST Michael Robson SOFTWARE ZBrush, Maya, Arnold, XGen, Substance Painter, Mari
Brazil-based 3D generalist Michael Robson used this dwarven portrait as an opportunity to learn new software. “I was always a fan of fantasy characters and creatures so I tried to enjoy every step of this project and try new things,” he tells 3D World. “Experimentation is something that I’m doing a lot of recently.” Robson generally begins with a rough sculpt in ZBrush, establishing the general shape of the subject. “After that I do a second pass to refine things a bit more, then I move into Maya
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to retopologise or remodel any asset that needs more precision or clean topology.” Once he has organised his UVs in Maya, Robson returns to ZBrush to detail the entire asset, extracting displacements and any other maps where needed. Arnold was utilised for the rendering, “it’s an excellent renderer, but if you don’t have a strong enough computer you could get some headaches, especially with the render times.” artstation.com/michaelrobson
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The Rookies
The Rookies is a platform to help digital artists get discovered without having to compete with professionals for attention. You’ll get to the front page of those sites one day, but for now, we’ve got your back and want to help turn your passion for creative media into a successful career. WWW.THEROOKIES.CO
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BARYONIX
YEAR CREATED 2018 SOFTWARE ZBrush, Maya, Mari, Photoshop, V-Ray, Premiere
My passion for creatures in movies is what pushed me to do this project, and my dream to work in a VFX studio is what allowed me to complete it. I wanted to challenge myself by creating something that does not have a speciďŹ c reference in the real world, and as a huge dinosaur fan I wanted to test my skills with something I love. artstation.com/fraven1
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ARTIST Francesco Venier I studied architecture and ďŹ lm studies. I have been a 3D artist since 2010 and had the chance to study in Los Angeles and Vancouver over the years. Now I currently work as model, surface and texture artist at Rainbow CGI in Rome. LOCATION Rome, Italy
INSIDE GAMES WORDS ROB REDMAN
GAMES WORKSHOP, THE MASTERS BEHIND THE MINIATURES, ARE
WORKSHOP ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PASSIONATE AND TALENTED PEOPLE TO JOIN THE TEAM
eing 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 studio, so when not editing this magazine or working on my own 3D projects I can often be found, wet palette at the ready and brush in hand, working on one of many painting projects. I even have a weekly gaming evening with a bunch of friends. The best nerds I know. I share this mostly as I think it illustrates what Games Workshop has done for so many people, inspiring them to create their own tales, revel in the grim darkness of the forty first millennium, or
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battle across the mortal realms in Warhammer: Age Of Sigmar. For my group that means around 30 years of passion, collecting, painting and gaming and there are many other groups out there with similar stories. As a 3D artist I’ve managed to combine my love of world building and gaming with 3D modelling and new technologies, as have many others, making terrain for their gaming tables, while evolving the background of their battles. But what if you want to take this further, becoming a miniatures designer yourself, creating a new generation of models? Where is it all done? How do you get involved and what does it take to join the ranks of some of the finest artists in the world of wargaming, modelling and painting? After 17 years I returned to Games Workshop’s headquarters to see what has changed and how things have progressed, talking to some old friends and meeting some rising stars of the miniature design world. The lasting impression for me was that, even though the company has grown from strength to strength, the feel of the place was the same. Everybody wears their passion on their sleeve and they all share in their love of making incredible miniatures and being
“EVERYBODY WEARS THEIR PASSION ON THEIR SLEEVE AND THEY ALL SHARE IN THEIR LOVE OF MAKING INCREDIBLE MINIATURES” 3D WORLD March 2020
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DETACHMENT ROSTER 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. Starting with concepting work, to sculpting rough mockups, to finishing manufacturable products, all while leading designers along the way.
UNIT UNIT Name: Filip Haking Title: Trainee Miniatures Designer Years of service: 1 Favourite army/faction/gang: 40k Favourite tool/part of the job: Autonomy in the detail of the design process Filip is one of the newest trainees in the studio. The dream job got him to move all the way from Sweden almost a year ago. He’s already made a bunch of miniatures in this time, but it will still be a while before they find their way out of the studio vaults.
UNIT Name: Darren Latham Title: Miniatures Designer Years of service: 20 years at GW, 8 years as a designer Favourite army/faction/gang: Space Wolves Space Marines Favourite tool/part of the job: Creating new and exciting characters for our worlds Darren is a member of the 34-strong miniatures design team at Games Workshop. He is responsible for sculpting and designing the plastic miniatures that hobbyists collect, paint and play with. Being a former studio painter and a massive fan of the hobby, he certainly loves what he does!
Name: Maxime Pastourel Title: Citadel Miniatures Designer, Content Lead Years of service: 7 Favourite army/faction/gang: 40k and AoS equally Death Guard and Iron Golems Favourite tool/part of the job: Seeing a design evolving through interactions between people, designers jumping in the conversation with a cool idea to feed a project and make the model better Maxime left France seven years ago to join GW as a miniatures designer, creating plastic miniatures. As one of the Content Leads, he now also leads and coordinates projects such as ranges of models and boxed games. He ensures members of the team get the right support, resource material and feedback to deliver amazing plastic kits that are faithful and consistent to our intellectual property.
UNIT Name: Alessandro Colombo Title: Trainee Miniatures Designer Years of service: 1.5 Favourite army/faction/gang: Aeldari Craftworld Favourite tool/part of the job: The feedback process, where you come up with an idea and by talking with people you improve it and come up with something even better After a career in videogames and a lifelong passion for miniature war gaming, Alessandro left Italy to join Games Workshop where he could apply all his acquired skills into making the best miniatures in the world. He spends most of his time designing miniatures and playing games.
UNIT Name: Tom Harrison Title: Citadel Miniatures Conceptualiser Years of service: 5 Favourite army/faction/gang: Titans!!!! Favourite tool/part of the job: Mechanical pencils Tom works on producing the early-stage ideas and concepts that help inform the design process. He works using a mix of traditional and digital mediums to create 2D sketches of new and reimagined characters for the Warhammer universes.
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Name: Max Faleij Title: ‘Eavy Metal Painter Years of service: 15 Favourite army/faction/gang: Whatever I’m currently working on Favourite tool/part of the job: I love working with IP development and colour scheme generation that reinforces the themes and narratives of the armies and creatures that we create. When done right the colour choices and rendering really breathes life into the models and they go from being pieces of plastic to something real.
UNIT Name: Natalie Slinn Title: ‘Eavy Metal Painter Years of service: 8 Favourite army/faction/gang: Sylvaneth or Stormcast Eternals Favourite tool/part of the job: The act of applying paint to a model Natalie has been an ‘Eavy Metal painter for two years. With a background in fine art she uses her past experiences to influence her painting. As one of the newer members of the team she is always on the look out to find new and exciting ways to paint miniatures to the highest standard.
Max is part of the renowned ‘Eavy Metal team, responsible for both designing colourways for upcoming product ranges, as well as painting highly detailed miniatures.
Name: Aidan Daly Title: ‘Eavy Metal Painter Years of service: 8 Favourite army/faction/gang: Space Marines Favourite tool/part of the job: Seeing a finished, painted range Having spent eight years as a professional figure painter, Aidan Daly is a veteran of the ‘Eavy Metal team. Aidan brings a wealth of experience to the team having painted everything from the smallest goblin to the largest dragons. When not painting he can usually be found running down the Nottingham canals.
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Name: Neil Green Title: Senior ‘Eavy Metal Painter Years of service: 23 Favourite army/faction/gang: The Moonclan of the Gloomspite Gitz Favourite tool/part of the job: Creating new colour schemes
Name: Chris Innes Title: ‘Eavy Metal Painter Years of service: 8 Favourite army/faction/gang: Necromunda and Cawdor Favourite tool/part of the job: Early development stage of a project, creating colour schemes and generating ideas for new ranges Chris has been a part of Games Workshop’s creative powerhouse that is the design studio for eight years, having served two tours of ‘Eavy Metal and a brief spell with the Army Painting team. He enjoys painting miniatures, blistering chord progressions and the thundering growl of V8s in the morning.
UNIT Name: Dave Ferri Title: Citadel Miniatures Conceptualiser Years of service: 4 Favourite army/faction/gang: Grey Knights Favourite tool/part of the job: The initial brainstorming process at the start of a project David's job is to explore ideas and themes for new miniatures in the Warhammer 40k and Age Of Sigmar universes.
Senior Figure Painter and veteran of the ‘Eavy Metal team, Neil “Nibs” Green is the quintessential painter’s painter. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the guiding force of the team lending his unrivalled wisdom in all things ‘Eavy Metal. Neil oversees every project that passes through the team and has final say on quality.
UNIT Name: Matt Toone Title: Miniatures Development Manager Years of service: 14 Favourite army/faction/gang: 40k Orks and the Tallarn regiments of the Astra Militarum Favourite tool/part of the job: Being part of a 60-strong team that is so passionate and driven to make the next range of miniatures better that the last Matt’s job is helping with the department’s training and development needs, helping the team to focus on what’s needed. A lot of Matt’s time is also taken up with scouring the planet, looking for new talent, finding awesome new people to join our expanding team.
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Name: Jes Goodwin Title: Lead Miniatures Designer Years of service: 34 Favourite army/ faction/gang: Adeptus Mechanicus Favourite tool/part of the job: Making things up Jes’ job is concepting and developing original IP, with a focus on new ranges and their design vocabulary. He also contributes to the miniatures design process with drawings of characters, vehicles and weapons, and gun… lots of guns.
“40K HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STORY OF GRIM WARFARE, SAVAGE ALIEN RACES AND THE THREAT OF CHAOS” The world of Warhammer: as much a passion and hobby as a day job GW HQ is also the home of the infamous visitor centre
part of a hobby that is hard to surpass for levels of depth, variety and longevity. For those of you who don’t know, Games Workshop is a UK-based company who design and manufacture a large range of hugely popular war games, miniatures and all manner of associated things, from hobby
supplies to novels, and even have a licensing department who deal with computer game versions and much more. I took a trip up to the HQ, which stands out as being both the design studio, manufacturing centre and distribution hub for the business, which is a rare thing and goes a long way towards the community feel that is evident. There’s also a flagship Warhammer store, events hall and exhibition and museum on site, where gamers, hobbyists and fans can celebrate the history of their hobby, or compete in tournaments to fight for dominance over their contemporaries.
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It’s rare to be invited behind the closed doors of the studio, but 3D World was given exclusive access to some of the masterminds behind the biggest success story in wargaming, with a mind to sharing how you could play a part in the next chapter. Some of the key people in the design process spoke with me about how the concepts become a reality. Matt Toone, the Citadel Miniatures Designers development manager, veteran designer Jes Goodwin, and Sam Dinwiddy, the lead design manager, sat for a chat about how GW does what it does best: making the best toy soldiers in the world.
Games Workshop
Something that crops up in conversation with modellers and designers, no matter what path they have taken, is that the tools are just that. Ignore the fact that you are sculpting in a 3D package or that you started out with clay and an assortment of tools. The important factors to master are things like form, silhouette and function. Learn to understand how a design language conveys a particular emotion or narrative to the gamer, painter or collector and let that guide you. The rest is all about the mechanics of bringing that fundamental understanding to life, where the principles will shine through, no matter where you learned your sculpting and design skills. The first assignment on the talent programme asks you to copy a miniature – an exercise in observation and replication. It doesn’t matter at this stage what media you use, be it digital or traditional sculpting tools.
CREATING WORLDS The key to GW’s current success is clearly the miniatures and the worlds that they inhabit, with the two main stages being the far future of the forty first millennium (here-on known as 40k) and the fantasy landscapes of the mortal realms in Warhammer Age Of Sigmar, which is a step beyond the more traditional, previous high fantasy versions. 40k has always been a story of grim warfare, savage alien races and the ever-present threat of chaos, where the human factions were tenuously held together by the will of the Emperor, whose psychic strength led the species
PIXELS across the stars, a glowing beacon to the navigators and their psychic powers. Right from the first edition, Rogue Trader, 40k has presented a grim landscape home to various races and factions, providing a depth of background to really enhance the range of models used to play out some of the titanic clashes, even driving the background narrative through linked campaigns across the country. While there are some races like the Orks (orcs) and Aeldari (essentially elves in space) that were driven by a need for a futuristic analogue for the fantasy counterparts, they have become their own races, with a depth of 3D WORLD March 2020
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backstory and species history that makes them stand tall as armies of originality and character. Others started out as invented races from the off, such as the Tyranids, that cross the galaxy in their hive fleets. It’s this IP building that GW does so well, combining fresh new ideas that are respectful of tradition, that makes their games and miniatures special. Paying homage to what went before makes the worlds easily understood by gamers, while the attention to detail adds the narrative and shows fans the motivation and backstory of each model and faction. Take the Warcry Iron Golems gang.
The details of their outfits and close combat weapons clearly give them a cohesiveness and flavour, demonstrating the savagery of their nature while also enhancing their aesthetic as a group of related individuals. Talking of backstory, every game GW makes is filled with narrative, with intricate histories, heroic deeds and calamitous events that brings the world the miniatures inhabit to life. This all supports the work of the miniatures designers, as does the incredible artistry of the ‘Eavy Metal team, who paint the models ready for rule books, packaging and White Dwarf magazine, the
monthly title that brings all the latest news, rules updates and model releases to the community.
DELIVERING MODELS But what does this mean for a 3D artist? It’s all very well talking about the worlds GW have created, the stunning art and so on, but you are here reading this because you have an interest in the process, or because it’s something you would have dreamt about doing yourself. The process itself is one of those that is both very simple but incredibly complex. The pipeline is fairly straightforward. Once a direction has been decided for a range, the concepting part starts.
There’s a vital cohesiveness to the models belonging to a single faction
You can see some of the detail that goes into concepting and designing a range
IN YOUR OWN TIME A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF GAMES WORKSHOP 1975
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OUR STORY BEGINS…
FIRST SHOP OPENS
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”).
On 1 Dalling Road, Hammersmith in London, the first store opened in a chain that would later spread across the world.
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THE ORIGINAL CITADEL MINIATURES
WARHAMMER: FIRST EDITION
Archetypal characters, as yet without a game of their own, were designed to be used in roleplaying systems or simply collected on their own.
The principles of tabletop wargaming combined with mythic fantasy – and a new hobby was born.
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This isn’t necessarily a linear process but is often a conversation led by one of the design managers. Often these conversations can include a number of artists and sculptors to explore the possible direction and opportunities for new miniatures and ranges. Once the initial concept phase is complete, the sculptors can take on the job of designing the individual models and it’s here that the designers’ insight and skills jump to the fore. Some of the designers with longer service have made the transition from sculpting by hand, using wire armatures and modelling putty (often ‘green stuff’, a two-part epoxy and the most common material used for this task) to using computer-based
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design tools to accomplish the same task. Software like ZBrush is commonly used at this stage as it bridges the gap between traditional sculpting and digital, with its artist-centric workflow. Other designers have come to the job with a completely digital work experience who rarely, if ever, work outside the computer. But as Maxime Pastourel points out, it really doesn’t matter which medium you trained in. What is most important here is the designer’s understanding of the principles used. Being able to portray a character, using form, silhouette, anticipation and weight are what really counts, and the tools used to take the concept into the third dimension are of less importance.
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Obviously working digitally does bring with it a number of workflow enhancements and speed improvements. Working in ZBrush means a designer can very quickly create an STL file that can be sent to a rapid prototype machine, giving a fast turnaround for revisions. There is of course the undo option which is undoubtedly a speed enhancement, and the ability to create versions and options is also a very handy way
AN ICONIC NEW WARRIOR
THE DARK MILLENNIUM DAWNS
A NEW HOME FOR WARHAMMER
Citadel produces a range of sci-fi miniatures, amongst them, the armoured form of a crusading galactic hero – the Space Marine.
Based on the popularity of the Space Marine, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader launched, and soon became the world’s most popular tabletop wargame.
In need of room to grow, Games Workshop’s head office relocated to the heart of England, creating the renowned Warhammer World visitor centre in the process. 27
Bugman’s Bar is a place of respite between battles in the gaming hall at GW’s HQ
“EVERY GAME IS FILLED WITH NARRATIVE, WITH INTRICATE HISTORIES AND CALAMITOUS EVENTS”
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The design process pulls upon the skills and expertise of all members of the team
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to add some extra versatility to the miniatures. There’s an element to the design process which is maybe less obvious, as Matt Toone explains, and this is ‘engineering’, turning a virtual sculpture into a physical, manufacturable miniature. In days past, the sculpted figure would go to tool makers and mould makers, who would make masters and produce the moulds for the white metal figures, but with the move to a plastic range things are a little different. The designers are in part engineers and as such, are also responsible for designing the way a multi-part model fits together, with keys placed to allow for a wellconnected kit but with an eye for aesthetics too. Painting a model with ugly seam placement is detrimental to the enjoyment of the hobby, so the designers put a lot of skill and experience into running seams cleverly to hide them
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along design details. This means designing a miniature is part art, part technical, with the process supported and informed by the experiences of many people across the team, all coming together to deliver the best results possible.
NEXT GEN AND RECRUITMENT So, how does one actually become a Citadel miniatures designer? Well, this is an easy question to answer, make some miniatures! If you’ve already made some, make some more. Hone your skills and insight and when you feel confident, visit the Games Workshop job page and apply. If you rocked up at the GW headquarters with a case full of stunning miniatures you designed, that could land you a place. More likely that would get you a wellearned foot in the door, but there’s still a journey to take and one that is as important as your design skills. You’ll need to demonstrate the ability to follow a brief, work
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with a team, receiving feedback and performing critique on your own work. Matt went on to explain that this a great time to find out more about the person, not just the talent or skills, “we want people to join the team for the long haul”. What’s different about this team of creatives is that it feels almost like being part of a family. If you were successful in your application, you will be invited to join the Talent Programme, where you will undertake a series of practical, creative assignments, at home, in your own time. Each successful assignment will be met with objective, written feedback from the Design Managers. At this stage, the tools used to complete the assignments don’t really matter, what matters is the understanding and insight in terms of what makes a Citadel Miniature. For more information, head to FYI games-workshop.com
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From sketch to model, you can see the clarity of design choices runs through the process Expertly painted miniatures showcase the personality of the designs perfectly
2017
A DAWN OF WAR
WAR ON A NEW SCALE
THE STORM BREAKS…
A NEW CRUSADE
Developer Relic was able to bring the universe of Warhammer 40,000 to life in a bestselling RTS computer game, starting a critically acclaimed series that still runs to this day.
Advances in miniatures design technology began to allow for models previously only dreamed of, such as the huge and iconic Baneblade super-heavy tank, to finally be made real.
A new era dawned as Warhammer fans were first introduced to the rich and evolving setting of the Mortal Realms through Warhammer Age Of Sigmar.
Some incredible miniatures, seismic developments in the lore, and a brand-new edition of the game have ensured that 2017 will be remembered as the best year of Warhammer 40,000 so far…
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Games Workshop
‘EAVY METAL SHOWCASE 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
GORBAD IRONCLAW
“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
“Painted by Neil Langdown, it featured in an ‘Eavy Metal Masterclass article in White Dwarf and it’s for this reason that it’s my favourite. The article featured a detailed stage-by-stage paint guide covering everything from smooth basecoats to detailed freehand. At the time I was just getting serious about miniature painting and this article taught me a lot of the techniques that I still use today and inspired me to push my skills to new levels.” Chris Innes
FREEBOOTER ORK BOSS KAPTIN BADRUKK “My favourite ‘Eavy Metal miniature is the Freebooter Ork Boss Kaptin Badrukk painted by Darren Latham. This miniature is full of vibrant colours and contrasting textures along with intricate patterns expertly painted in freehand. One of the coolest features is a treasure map painted onto Badrukk’s loincloth that adds an extra layer of narrative to the miniature.” Neil Green
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Fantastic environments
How the synthetic Victorian-era landscapes of Amazon Prime Video’s fantasy series Carnival Row were created
hen the makers of Carnival Row, a new series on Amazon Prime Video, set out to tell their story of mythological immigrant creatures whose homelands are invaded by mankind, they needed to fill out this world with exotic locations set in what appears to
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be Victorian times. The places are inhabited by both humans and the winged fae, who must co-exist in a place that isn’t quite like our world but still had to feel as real as possible. Starting with practical photography captured in Prague, a swathe of visual effects artists delivered set extensions and fully
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CG environments to help depict Carnival Row’s locations. 3D World asked Mr. X and Important Looking Pirates, who worked under overall VFX supervisor Betsy Paterson, about their particular contributions, including the tools and techniques used for their environment creations on the show.
Fantastic environments
CARNIVAL ROW, ITSELF A main area seen in the series is the slum neighbourhood of Carnival Row in ‘the Burgue’ where the magical fae have been relegated to. The show follows the faerie Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) who escapes to this world of man. She has also had, previously, a frownedupon relationship with Rycroft Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), an Inspector of the Burgue Constabulary. In general terms, production designer Francois Seguin delivered set designs for the Burgue that extended to a certain height only, with some greenscreen sections included where VFX would take over. Mr. X were then tasked with extending the buildings and streetscapes, which also included an elevated tramway. “It was influenced somewhat by steampunk,” says Mr. X visual effects supervisor Matt Glover. “We would look at Glasgow,
Edinburgh and other European cities. And they built such a great set that a lot of it was ingrained in the photography and we would just match to it.” Those sets had been heavily surveyed with LiDAR scans and photographic reference during shooting. Mr. X began their own CG build by cleaning up the LiDAR scans and matchmoving cameras with 3D Equalizer from the principal photography. The greenscreens placed on the roofs of the sets and in background areas served as transition points between real set and the digital world, but, says Glover, “there was still a lot of roto and a lot of manual work to do, especially since the greenscreens were only so big and the camera moves were pretty involved.” Greenscreen composites carried out in Nuke proved tricky for several reasons, as Glover explains. “There might be people walking above it or below it, or the wind
Opening image: A completely CG environment built by Mr. X for wide views of the Burgue Above and right: CG geometry of the city by Mr. X
Left: The tramway was a practical build and everything Mr. X did needed to match the colour and texture of what had been designed for real 3D WORLD March 2020
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might have been blowing the greenscreen and then we might have got two different shades of green sometimes. Some of the shots were so long, and you’re working in 4K, so every pixel starts to add up.” One thing that helped significantly in Mr. X’s build, which was handled in Maya, were texture references from the set. “It was all the wear and tear and level of patina and the small types of architectural details that helped us,” notes Glover. “We had to make it feel very lived-in.” For this show, the studio adopted Redshift for rendering the environments on the GPU (they also had a range of creature and FX shots). Glover says the renderer was used because it was able to deliver high-quality shots, fast, especially in situations where the environments were essentially reused. “Because we got such good lighting reference, we were able to really calibrate to that. The render time is so much lower on GPU that we could render a sequence much faster at full resolution. It was
BUILDING A CITY
All images copyright © 2019 Legendary Television
STEP-BY-STEP ON MR. X’S CRAFTING OF THE SLUM NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CARNIVAL ROW
really fast to get iterations through and get shots to the clients.”
POPULATING THE BURGUE One of Mr. X’s major challenges on Carnival Row was having to fill the Burgue with movement: people, the tram, smoke and a general busyness. Foreground photography on set utilised a number of extras performing ‘city life’ scenes. Vignettes like these were often shot against greenscreen and then populated into the scenes by Mr. X as 2D elements. Wider views made use of CG digi-doubles and crowds. Crowds were also inserted, sometimes, into views of a CG tram making its way through the city. “We never really wanted to distract you from what was going on in the foreground,” comments Glover. “I wanted it to feel like a natural extension of the world so that it didn’t draw you to the background any more than you needed to be.” “Smoke and fog were big parts of the shots, too,” adds Glover. “It does complicate things, having
moving atmosphere that needs to be preserved or matched to the plate to pull off the final composite. But it’s one of those things where it’s worth the extra legwork to keep because it adds such a level of realism. So we would add more to the backgrounds and try to preserve everything in the foregrounds. And then obviously the tram has smoke which was always nice to dirty up a shot, too.”
1. Live action In Prague, a partial streetscape was constructed based on concepts by production designer Francois Seguin. The sets included greenscreen areas for the tops of buildings and greenscreen sections leading into the backgrounds.
2. Fleshing out the world Mr. X extended the practical sets using LiDAR scans and on-set photography as a starting point. The hero buildings – and a tram – were modelled and then more background buildings were modular pieces.
THE FAERIE WORLD At certain moments in the show, the audience gets a glimpse of the world once inhabited by faeries. One of those times is a flashback to the Great War between man and the creatures, where we see their existence is amongst the forest and in great stone buildings. For these sequences, Important Looking Pirates produced both completely CG landscapes and set extensions to live-action photography. “There were very particular stone formations, mountains and types of trees that we recreated digitally,” outlines Important 3D 3DWORLD WORLD August March 2018 2020
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3. Final city The studio adopted GPU renderer Redshift, partially because the same street layout was going to be re-used for several shots, meaning Mr. X could deliver many views in an achievable time at 4K quality.
Fantastic environments
WIRES, GREENSCREEN AND DIGITAL DOUBLES SCENES WITH FAERIES IN THE ‘MIMASERY’ ENVIRONMENT REQUIRED VARIOUS VFX APPROACHES, AS ILP’S NIKLAS JACOBSON EXPLAINS 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.
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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.
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Fantastic environments
Looking Pirates visual effects supervisor Niklas Jacobson. “We based that on the native plates, and a courtyard build of a ‘mimasery’ set. That was the base for the look and there was a lot of great photography from the set.” The studio used the show to implement a much greater reliance on Houdini for their workflow, including procedural environment builds and a lookdev and lighting approach. “We have been Mayabased for a long time, whereas Houdini has mostly been used for FX – water simulation, smoke, explosions and that sort of work,” says Jacobson. “It’s been only recently where we’ve transitioned to actually start doing some more procedural modelling as well as lighting in Houdini. We wanted a nice package where we had a great shot assembly tool, because most of the work that we’re doing
“HOUDINI WAS A GOOD SOLUTION… IT’S STREAMLINED OUR WORKFLOW” Niklas Jacobson, ILP
Original plate for a blimp scene / The final shot by ILP, which made use of their new Houdini workflow for digital environments
nowadays is often on very complex big shots with lots of assets and lots of elements.” “We found that Houdini was a pretty good solution,” Jacobson continues, “especially since we are quite FX-heavy, so just being in the same package to do the FX and having the rendering and shot assembly is very convenient. It has streamlined our workflow. We still do asset development in other software. We use Maya for modelling, and Mari and Substance Painter for texture work. But for look development and scene assembly, we are doing it in Houdini now, and rendering with Arnold in Houdini.” Artists would lay out entire areas as a digital build in Houdini and then use that over several shots (say, for example, the blimp attack shots in the flashback scenes). Trees, mountains and
All images copyright © 2019 Legendary Television
Fantastic environments
other environmental elements were all generated this way.
STAND-OUT ENVIRONMENT SHOTS In the show’s first episode, the faeries are seen being attacked by soldiers, and werewolves, in a forest. Here, Important Looking Pirates extended the practical location and added in various flying faeries, either from greenscreen wire work or as digital doubles. “That was really exciting and challenging environment
extension – lots of fog, lots of depth stacking, and trees,” says Jacobson. The faerie Vignette Stonemoss makes a cliff-side leap to escape. VFX artists crafted an entire CG cliff that hooked in with a liveaction shot of the actor performing on greenscreen. “We did a takeover with a digi-actor as she was jumping off the cliff,” explains Jacobson. “And then it’s a seamless transition back to live action, and a different take of a live-action plate when they used wire work to make her fly. So, we did the
Above (inset): A scene of Vignette the faerie making her cliffside escape began with greenscreen plate photography Above (main): Important Looking Pirates’ final composite, which features digital water and a CG cliff, plus the faerie’s wings
“ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR AND THE SMALL TYPES OF ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS HELPED US… WE HAD TO MAKE IT FEEL VERY LIVED-IN” Matt Glover, visual effects supervisor, Mr. X
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full environment, with the water landscape and the cliff together with some character and digital double work.” Another stand-out scene involved a time-lapse transition of a snow-covered area over several weeks. It included classic timelapse looks of the sun rising and clouds washing over the landscape. “That was a very exciting and complicated shot,” states Jacobson. “We used our fully digital environment, but animated a lot of time-lapse elements like clouds and weather conditions. “The clouds were custom stimulated to work for the shot, and we created a bunch of different light conditions like daylight or a little bit more dusk. We rendered snow passes and all these elements so when we did the transitions we had all these plate materials or CG materials to do the transition. Then there was a lot of compositing in order to drive the transitions.” Carnival Row, which has been greenlit for a second series, proved to be an extensive VFX show, with many environments and creature shots. In addition to Mr. X and Important Looking Pirates, other vendors include Pixomondo, Image Engine, Rhythm & Hues and UPP. No doubt we’ll be visiting even more locations for the next season. Find out more at mrxfx.com FYI and ilpvfx.com
All grown down
ALL GROWN DOWN Three experts weigh in on the past, present and future of de-aging technology and its implications for digital human creation igital de-aging techniques are a hot topic in Hollywood right now. From The Irishman to Gemini Man, de-aging is becoming a widely accepted way of telling stories that require younger versions of characters. It is also just one aspect of the wider conversation surrounding digital humans and their role in the modern world. 3D World has gathered Digital Domain’s Darren Hendler, Chris Nichols from Chaos Group Labs and Olcun Tan of Gradient Effects to deliver a comprehensive guide to the current state of de-aging in VFX. 2019 has undoubtedly seen the burgeoning technique make more headlines than ever before, with everything from superhero blockbusters to prestige dramas utilising de-aging. “I believe we are seeing so much more of this work primarily because it is becoming more affordable,” says Darren Hendler, director of the Digital Human Group at Digital Domain. “While the process
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is still very expensive, it is entering a range where big-budget movies can afford it.”
COMING OF AGE De-aging may be setting the film world alight right now, but its origins can be traced back to the earliest days of cinema, as far back as filmmakers have wished to show younger or older versions of their characters on screen. “In the past, many filmmakers would simply cast a younger version of an actor and we all just understood that this character was playing the main actor at a different age,” reflects Hendler. “Before 3D and 2D methods burst to the forefront, aging was done with makeup,” says Chris Nichols, director of Chaos Group Labs, “pretty successfully, I might add.” In 1983 David Bowie was convincingly aged up for The Hunger and just a year later F.
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All grown down
NAVIGATING THE UNCANNY VALLEY 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 slowly modify their features to match the de-aged actor,” Hendler continues. “From there, we find footage and stills of the actor at the target age and render the digital younger version into these until no one can tell the difference between them. At that stage, you have started to climb out of the uncanny valley.”
Murray Abraham was similarly transformed for Amadeus. “However, it’s much harder to de-age someone practically if the difference is more than ten years, which is one of the reasons modern methods have gained ground,” adds Nichols. “The techniques have only gotten better too. A younger Patrick Stewart might have looked like smooth plastic in X-Men: The Last Stand, but Samuel L. Jackson looks like he just walked off the set of Pulp Fiction in
Right: Digital Domain’s pioneering de-aging work on Jeff Bridges for Disney’s 2010 film Tron: Legacy
Below: Doug Roble of Digital Domain’s TED Talk on Digital Humans, photography by Bret Hartman
Captain Marvel and it’s only going to get better.” Nichols highlights David Fincher’s 2008 film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button as a landmark moment in digital deaging, adding: “In my mind, it is the first time the Uncanny Valley was crossed via Digital Domain’s work on the older version of Brad Pitt.” In the 11 years since the film’s release, the technique has become increasingly prevalent on the big screen. “Sometimes new technology inspires people to try things that were not possible before, especially when it’s successful,” Nichols continues. “Some stories might have been shelved for years not knowing
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how they could pull it off, so when a new technique appears, those projects come off the shelf.” When digitally altering the age of a performer there are two main approaches. “There is a fully 3D approach where a body double plays the actor’s younger self,” says Hendler. “In this approach, the actor’s head is removed and replaced with an entirely CGperformed version.” The second is a 2.5D approach in which plates are shot with the actor, before their head is smoothed and warped, removing wrinkles and making them appear younger. Each of these approaches has evolved over time and bring their own set of challenges. The 2.5D
approach has been in use for a long time and can be incredibly convincing. “In the hands of a skilled artist they are hard to spot,” adds Nichols. “The artist is key though, because if these effects aren’t done right, the skin will look too soft or high contrast.” Tracking and paint tools have evolved considerably on the 2.5D side, making it easier to produce high-quality work with less manpower. “In the past, this approach could only be used for a few shots and was extremely laborious,” explains Hendler. “It’s still very manual, but now, with new tools, companies are able to create several hundred shots using this process.” 3D WORLD March 2020
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All grown down
Digital Domain earned an Academy Award for visualising a man who ages backwards in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button The team at Digital Domain delivered de-aging effects for 52 minutes of Benjamin Button and over 325 shots
A wholly 3D approach allows artists more control over the end result. “Massive amounts of detail can be preserved with a full head replacement,” Nichols explains. “You get all the pores and even sub-pore level detail on someone’s face. You can also make a head do whatever you want. So the challenge really comes down to animation. Preserving subtle movements can be tough.” The benefits of this technique can be seen in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, with an aged-up version of Brad Pitt, who plays the titular character. “One of the benefits of aging someone who isn’t old is that the audience doesn’t have a mental reference for them at that age,” adds Nichols. “This gives the artists more freedom in their work. Nowadays, an actor would be scanned before a head replacement, but on that project, a maquette was created of his head. The sculpt was incredibly realistic and the skin looked spot on. From there, the model was scanned and the team had their reference.”
When it comes to this approach, skin shading techniques have evolved alongside scanning and facial capture, allowing artists to create more and more realistic digital humans. “Methods are continuously evolving but there have also been a lot of great technology improvements,” Hendler continues. “When creating a younger version of an actor, having a moving 3D mesh of the actual actor is massively helpful. Additionally, everything along the workflow from animation to lighting to rendering, including the tools, have gotten better and the result is more realistic. Overall, it is getting easier and more costeffective to do this type of work.”
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Gradient Effects have added to the continued evolution of de-aging techniques with their work for HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, which saw them de-age John Goodman for an entire episode, delivering 30 minutes’ worth of photorealistic VFX. For this, they
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used Shapeshifter, an AI-assisted tool that allows them to ‘reshape’ an individual frame and the performers in it, before extending the results across the rest of a shot. Designed to simplify the traditionally complex and timeconsuming process of de-aging, Shapeshifter was developed over a number of years. “Gradient is all about rethinking existing workflows,” says Olcun Tan, owner of Gradient Effects. “I would say we are more like a technology company that is using VFX as a stomping ground.” Considerable time is devoted to Gradient’s research and development, which grows with each new project. “Shapeshifter is a great representation of that mindset.” Shapeshifter uses filmed footage as its base, maintaining the actor’s performance after they have been digitally de-aged. “Our technology breaks down the performance into sub-motion data,” Tan explains, “which can then be modified in 3D. Once the reshaping is done in 3D, it translates back to the filmed plate.”
All grown down
GROWING OLD 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 skin moves and how it moves differently to the actual actor. We even try to get as much reference for the actors’ family members at the target age and create a number of concept mockups of the actor to ensure we get an approved look before starting.”
In the fifth episode of The Righteous Gemstones viewers are transported back to 1989, necessitating a younger version of Dr. Eli Gemstone, played by John Goodman. Shapeshifter began the de-aging process by analysing the underlying shape of Goodman’s face, before extracting important anatomical characteristics, like skin details, stretching and muscle movements. With these extracted elements saved as layers to be reapplied at the end of the process, artists could start reshaping Goodman’s face without breaking the original performance. Although artists could tweak additional frames in 3D as needed, they often found it unnecessary, making the de-aging process more or less automated. “While most productions are limited by time or money, we can turn around award-quality VFX on a TV schedule,” says Tan. “One of the first shots of the episode shows stage crew walking in front of John Goodman,” says Tan. “In the past, a studio would have recommended
“YOU GET ALL THE PORES AND EVEN SUB-PORE LEVEL DETAIL ON SOMEONE’S FACE” Chris Nichols, director of Chaos Group Labs a full CGI replacement for Goodman’s character because it would be too hard or take too much time to maintain consistency across the shot. With Shapeshifter, we can just reshape one frame and the work is done.” This is possible because Shapeshifter continuously captures the face and all of its essential details, using the source footage as its guide. With the data being constantly logged, artists can extract movement information from anywhere on the face, whenever they want, negating the need for expensive motion capture stages, equipment and makeup. “I think it’s consistency and maintaining quality throughout the work,” says Tan, reflecting on how the studio achieved such 3D WORLD March 2020
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realistic de-aging results. The end result depends on more than just technology, it takes a combination of artistic skill and technical vision, which is why the quality of de-aging effects can vary so wildly. “There is this huge misconception that knowing how to use a piece of software qualifies someone as an artist,” Tan adds. “Unfortunately the industry and schools
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Below: Gradient Effects’ de-aging work on John Goodman for HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones
“OUR TECHNOLOGY BREAKS DOWN THE PERFORMANCE INTO SUB-MOTION DATA, WHICH CAN THEN BE MODIFIED IN 3D” Olcun Tan, VFX supervisor and owner of Gradient Effects
FOREVER YOUNG Shapeshifter’s AI-driven sophistication offers some clues to where the future of de-aging effects might go. “I think AI and neural networks will play a massive role,” admits Hendler. “Currently, all these de-aging processes are very manual, but we are starting to see glimmers of how machine learning techniques can revolutionise this whole process.” “AI is going to change a lot of things in the computer graphics world,” says Nichols, “and there is no reason why deepfakes can’t be used for de-aging.” Instead of swapping one performer’s face for another, artists might soon be able to simply replace an actor’s face with that of their younger self. Making an actor younger is only half the problem however. They also have to act and behave in a way that convinces the audience.
“While not directly related to deaging, some of the technology that Digital Domain uses to interpret motion via deep learning could possibly be applied to make their facial animation younger,” adds Nichols. “By training a system on a variety of different faces at different ages, the system could learn how to act a certain age.” AI is just one example of technology emerging to influence the field of de-aging. Tan believes that eventually VFX teams will be working with full digital actors, with studios developing their own performers and creating films entirely in CG. “The reason for this is simply economic,” he explains. “A digital actor doesn’t ask to get paid, doesn’t need to sleep, doesn’t need to join a union, and won’t quit on you.” “There will come a time where a computer model can be trained on images of an actor now and at a certain age, and learn what it takes to change the images of the current actor into images of their younger selves,” adds Tan. “In this case, we are training a system that becomes good at recognising whether the performance looks like a realistic young version, and then iterating through millions of variations of the generated young actors until we have fooled the system into believing it is the younger version.” 3D WORLD March 2020
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Gradient Effects took just six weeks to turn around 30 minutes of footage featuring a de-aged John Goodman Their film division has previously utilised Shapeshifter’s technology on projects like Thor Gradient has studios around the world in Los Angeles, Munich and Montreal
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Despite recent advancements, de-aging remains an incredibly complex process and one that is far from the finished article. “New technology is constantly showing up and surprising people,” says Nichols. “I don’t think people could have predicted that in a few years technology like deepfakes would not only be possible but available for nearly anyone to use.” He continues: “There is still a lot we can learn and a lot of fields we can collaborate with, such as psychology, forensics, and virtual assistants. The world of digital humans will go far beyond trying to make older actors look younger.” The Righteous Gemstones images courtesy of Gradient Effects, all other images courtesy of Digital Domain
nowadays create more operators who know the software, but are unable to create anything outside of its boundaries.” He continues: “Once someone told me, you cannot be an artist and be strong in engineering. I disagree. Without the artistic imagination it’s impossible to create new tools that will work for other artists, as well as scale up the process to hundreds of VFX shots.”
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Houdini 18
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GET THE MOST OUT OF
HOUDINI 18
The latest version of Houdini to make its way into the public has a lot to offer. Discover what it could do for you
he world of software development moves at a rapid pace, with the user groups and communities having come to expect new tools, features and bug fixes, along with speed improvements and increased efficiency. SideFX have released version 18 of their renowned procedural visual effects and animation tool Houdini, which aims to answer all the demands of its users. Over the next few pages you’ll discover some of the work created by Houdini experts, who have shared their thoughts on the tools and techniques that have made their way into their work. From rigid body dynamics simulations to creating destruction sequences and setting up realistic terrains, discover a host of helpful Houdini tips and tricks and insight from top artists.
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ARTIST INTERVIEW A geometrical VFX artist shares his work SERJAN BURLAK Designer, animator and VFX artist www.biogenic.design Your art style is quite distinct, how did you come to develop it? The work I’ve published so far simply reveals what I have been preoccupied with for the past couple years – researching AI, neural networks, the geometry of languages, runes and hieroglyphics. How long have you been doing 3D? What was your first 3D app and how did you discover Houdini? I started in Maya in 2008. I found the UX annoying and counterintuitive, I switched to 3ds Max, then to Softimage, then to Cinema 4D and fell in love with its UI, camera tools and take system. I first heard about Houdini at Siggraph in 2011 when attending talks on the making of Tron: Legacy.
Houdini doesn’t have the most artistfriendly reputation. How did you end up with using Houdini? I embraced Houdini fully in 2016 when I was working on my submission for the ‘Marvellous Machines’ contest – I created a design of a Houdini node. That project was my homage to this software, driven by the intention to elevate how artists think of Houdini. Many fear it for wrong reasons, the software is not hard. Most artists just lack patience and discipline, hence the abundance of derivative work and mediocrity in the creative industry; many artists simply prefer to re-work someone else’s setups versus pursuing mastery, thought, craft, art, quality, storytelling and science. Learning Houdini is like learning a foreign language. If you rush it, your command of the language will be limited, but if you’re dedicated, you can become a 3D poet. I highly recommend Rohan Dalvi (www.rohandalvi.net),
Houdini 18
Saber Jlassi (www.rebelway.net) and Adam Swaab (www.learnsquared.com) as talented Houdini mentors. Good, original, interesting, attentionworthy work takes time. It’s easy to blame Houdini as not being ‘artist friendly’. Which tool is artist friendly though? Maya? Modo? C4D? Blender? All tools have short-comings in one area or another. I think the point of navigation for 3D artists should not be about whether the software is hard or easy. Whatever vision I have, I want to be able to craft it to the nature of the envisioned result. I do not want my imagination to be limited by the technical capabilities of a 3D app. That’s what drives me. That’s why I design in Houdini. It’s a powerhouse. What is your favourite/most memorable/successful project to date? Tell us a bit about it. The most recent published project I can talk about is a critically acclaimed game Observation by No Code Studio and Devolver Digital. We got a BAFTA! Collaborating with Jon McKellan (No Code) was incredible, and the original score for the title sequence was composed by the legendary Robin Finck (Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails). Observation is a kind of 2001: A Space Odyssey – but you’re HAL. You’re not on a space station, you ARE the space station. This game is a sci-fi thriller where players assume the role of S.A.M., the station’s artificial intelligence, by operating the control systems, cameras and tools to assist a crew member in discovering what is happening to the station, the vanished crew, and S.A.M. himself. Observation is my favourite for so many reasons. Each shot is meticulously developed and encoded with clues about the game narrative (Easter eggs alert!). I developed custom rigs to art direct mutation and construction of neural networks and geometry in a way that hasn’t yet been shown before. Hundreds of tests. Hundreds of hours. In the finale our vision was to make the geometry go sort of supernova and a black hole at the same time, a tall order. Designing ‘The identity of SAM’ SAM was designed to mimic a spine – symbolising consciousness, structure and purpose. The face looks menacing and powerful, it’s screaming and laughing at the same time. SAM has a
‘crown’, a digital bionic pineal gland that allows instructions to be received from ‘the signal’. Designing ‘Digital Soul Meets Digital Matter’ The signal splits the mind, like a vaccine it injects its code into the digital architecture. It is rapidly and aggressively testing different connections, it moves fast and sharp, like it’s lashing out for solutions. Negative space resembles a human skull to signify this phenomena will have a major impact on consciousness. Confided in a cocoon, gestating, chained to the constraints of the environment, patiently waiting for the completion of recoding by ‘the signal’. The dark energy of ‘the signal’ is descending from the matrix and is integrating into the mind of SAM. Designing a ‘Molecule’ Before new consciousness is achieved, mutated bits are building a framework, a protected environment for this to happen safely.
Intricate designs such as those above play to Houdini’s strengths Houdini’s rendering abilities allow artists to produce innovative output
Check out the full project breakdown, including over 100 slides explaining art direction, iterations and design thinking, at biogenic.design/project/ observation. 3D WORLD March 2020
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Houdini excels at procedural setups, not just for fragmentation, gases and dust but also for more typically motion graphical elements like this geometrical animation
Let’s talk about some personal projects, as you have full freedom to develop those. ‘Temples of Houdini’ (aka Houdini nodes) is still my favourite personal project. With each design I start by creating a story first, and then craft around it to fulfill it visually. Because imagination is not bound by the laws of physics, Houdini nodes are designed to manifest any idea. Masqueraded as a small box, a node is a massive digital temple. If you dive inside, you will find yourself in Tesla’s lab, a modern Hogwarts’ library, or Einstein’s study, a place that contains a wealth of leading edge research in alchemy, mathematics, physics and biology. Pipe an idea into a node and it travels through a tapestry of carefully crafted mathematical equations, refined lines of code woven elaborately like a Persian rug, to evolve the geometry of an idea further. An idea exists as a node completely transformed, enhanced with new attributes, ready for further evolution. Networks of nodes look like constellations of stars forming a galaxy, a digital nervous system that is giving an idea its shape, motion, character, life. A full project breakdown, design thinking and versions can be found at www.biogenic.design/project/houdini. The Houdini 18 splash screen was another homage to the software and its particle-based thinking. Have you seen Arcturus through a telescope? A deceptively tiny, vibrant orange particle that is 26 times bigger than the Sun, a massive consciousness powerhouse… sort of like Houdini, where we can build colossal worlds out of one digital atom, one particle. A project breakdown can be found at www.biogenic.design/ project/houdini18. Currently I am working on procedural language systems, hieroglyphics,
futuristic alien-like UI design elements and another animation piece that I will reveal a little later. You also have a tendency to do extensive brainstorm/research when you get into a project. I believe to take an idea to the next level of its expression you need to do a deep inquiry into the world of that idea; a word is a world – understand its anatomy, function, history, evolution. Perform sort of a ‘surgery’ on the ‘nervous system’ of an idea; it takes layers and layers of distillation to come up with a diamond. Akshay Tiwari and I are currently developing a pipeline inside Houdini in which we have a creative brief, a script, mind maps, references, assets, RnD, shots breakdown, animatics. The entire production lives inside a Houdini script – one unified creative landscape that contains not just the assets to render shots, but also the tapestry of how the entire idea architecture came to be. I will show that when I come to reveal the next project. What artists have you been most inspired by? Ash Thorp, Adam Swaab, Heribert Raab, Tim Zarki, Akshay Tiwari, Edon Guraziu, James Cameron, Alex Alvarez, Rohan Dalvi, Saber Jlassi, Trevor Kerr, Denis Villeneuve, Mike Hill, Russ Gautier and many others. Each of them has different styles, philosophies, each impacted my taste, design sensibility, selectivity, and some of them became very good friends. I really do love getting inspired by others – I love when the geometry of thought blooms and I see or hear something I could not have imagined before. I respect intention, craftsmanship and honest work.
TIPS FOR FEM SIMULATION How to enhance your FEM workflow in Houdini 18 EMILY FUNG
GEOMETRY PREPARATION
Houdini FX artist vimeo.com/emilyfung
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 SOP to look at the interior tets. In Solid Embed, the interior tets can be made smaller by lowering the Max Tet Scale parameter. We should always try to get regular tetrahedrons across the mesh, while maintaining a good resolution to make sure the simulation is not too slow. Start testing your setup in a low resolution to get quick feedback; once you are happy with the behaviour, you can increase the resolution. FEM is resolution independent, so you should get similar results, but just more detail when you increase the resolution.
o achieve a physically accurate solid object simulation, it’s often recommended to use the FEM (Finite Element Methods) simulation technique. Unlike a typical simulation that uses 3D models that represent surfaces of an object, FEM simulation uses finite element solids, which are solid objects, composed of small 3D tetrahedrons. In comparison to the point-based grains simulation technique for soft bodies, FEM allows more precise simulation, at the expense of longer simulation time. In the latest Houdini 18 release, the FEM solver has been updated and now has better support for highly non-linear material models. Using the new NeoHookean material models with the GNL solve method allows better accuracy and volume preservation. In this overview, we will discuss tips that could enhance your FEM workflow.
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CONSTRAINTS I will introduce two types of constraints that could be used to drive FEM simulations with animations.
WRINKLES QUICK TIPS
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TARGET CONSTRAINTS
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REGION CONSTRAINTS
There are two types of target constraints. The first type is the built-in target constraints. By providing a Target Geometry, a smooth deformation will be performed on the solid object, based on the target strength you provide. Bear in mind that your animated target geometry needs to have the same topology as your input geo.
Region constraints allow you to drive simulation using something that doesn’t have a matching topology to your tet mesh by attaching a solid object to another solid object. An example for this will be using animated bones to drive a solid object. You can use the method mentioned above to give it a target animation. Input both objects as solid objects and in the region constraint node, use the bone solid object as region, the other object as container. Now we have our FEM driven by the region constraint animation, you can change how much the constraints are influencing the solid object by giving it different strength attributes.
We will go through a simple workflow for wrinkling. The first stage is to create the geometry for wrinkles and the second stage is to simulate them. The first stage can be a FEM simulation or an animation. Here we will use a simulation. First we will create a tet mesh. We will also prepare our wrinkles geometry. Using either Solid Conform or Solid Embed, we will turn on Add Surface Triangles. This will create a surface mesh that we will later use as the wrinkles geometry. In our dopnet, turn on Embedded Geometry in the FEM Solid Object node and give it the path for our wrinkle geometry. Now Houdini will automatically output our
winkles geometry with the lowres simulation embedded to it. This is great because we don’t need to do any extra work and our wrinkles geometry will now have an animation which we can use for simulation later on. Now we just need to use our embedded geometry output as the input for the wrinkles simulation. We will use a hybrid object this time for the wrinkles. You should be able to get a decent start just by plugging in your geometry and animation. To create more wrinkles, you can increase the Shape Stiffness for the Shell of the Hybrid Object. The larger the difference between this stiffness and the shape and volume stiffness of the solid tets below, the more likely wrinkles will form.
POST-PROCESSING USING CHOPS 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 neighbouring samples to use with the filter width attribute. In our example graph, we can see a vertex that is rather jittery. It is smoothed out by CHOPs and then applied to all the jittery vertices, for a smoother simulation.
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GUIDED SIMULATIONS Tips for creating guided simulations using animated geometry in Houdini
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uided simulations is a new and extremely powerful tool added to Houdini 18, which allows artists to use proxy or animated geometry to drive high-resolution simulations with art-directable precision, while maintaining real-world accuracy and detail.
SETTING UP ANIMATED GEOMETRY TO GUIDE SIMULATION
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After fracturing the object of choice, create a bound SOP to ensure the entire fractured object is encompassed within the animated geometry’s interior. If the fractured object is concave, use multiple transform SOPs to conform the bounds to the edges of the fractured geometry to reduce any area of the bound that does not encompass the fractured geometry.
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The RBD Bullet Solver works best when the animated geometry is divided into individual segments based on connectivity. This allows the fractured geometry within each segment to be animated specifically to that segment. To create the segments out of the bounded or ‘animated geometry’, drop down a grid for the x, y, and z axis. Then use a copy SOP under each grid to copy the grid in the direction of each axis. Merge the copy SOPs and drop down a mountain to create some variation between the segments. Under the transform node(s), drop down a Boolean connected to the mountain to create the segments.
Under the Boolean(s), drop down a connectivity SOP to isolate each segment, then a measure SOP with the Accumulate parameter set to Per Piece, with the Piece Attribute set to class to run the volume operation over every connected segment. Next, drop down a blast with the expression ‘@volume<0.1’ to delete the segments with small volumes. Depending on the scale of the animated geometry, the volume threshold will vary.
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To remove any small segments that may cause problems later in the guided simulation, measure the volume of each segment and delete based on a small volume threshold.
The animating of the animated geometry is contingent on the project, and is up to the artist to determine the overall simulation timing and look. In this project, the animated geometry bends and twists into itself, guiding the fractured building simulation to turn inwards and destroy itself. A bend SOP is placed under each blast, with the bend and twist parameters animated. Finally, an assemble SOP is placed under each bend SOP with a unique
ANIMATED GEOMETRY
HIGH-RES GEOMETRY
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‘Output Prefix’ name, the Create Packed Geometry toggle is checked on, then merged into a merge SOP. This ensures each segment has a different name when entering the simulation.
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THE RBD BULLET SOLVER SOP
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Drop down a RBD Bullet Solver SOP and plug in the fractured geometries’ high-resolution geometry into the first input, proxy pieces into the third input, and the animated geometry created in the last section in the fifth input. Constraints are not needed, but can be used in select cases where objects are constrained to guided pieces but are not actually guided themselves.
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On the Guided Simulation tab of the RBD Bullet Solver SOP, enable Use Guides. Test out the simulation. Important parameters to play around with include Guide Strength, Blend, Instantaneous Linear and Instantaneous Angular Thresholds.
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Guide Strength determines how faithfully each guided proxy piece follows its respective guide. In this project, Guide Strength was animated from a value of 3 at frame 108 to a value of 1.5 at frame 122 so that pieces are more strongly held to their guide during the initial twist. Additionally, the distance to strength parameter was decreased to a value of 3 so pieces that moved three units away from their guide geometry would have their strength multiplied by 0.25, resulting in the pieces becoming unguided. This is useful when a high overall Guide Strength is used, so that there are no unnatural pieces that are far from their guide.
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The Blend parameter on the Simulation Settings tab is another
important parameter, to help dampen the simulation and ultimately reduce jittering of pieces, at the cost of accuracy to the animated geometry. In this project, Blend was animated from a value of 0.7 on frame 6 to a value of 0.5 on frame 55, back up to a value of 0.6 at frame 120.
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Linear and Angular Instantaneous Threshold parameters were animated down so pieces had a higher likelihood of becoming unguided during the peak intensity of the animated geometry. Linear Instantaneous Threshold was animated from a value of 1.5 at frame 68 to a value of 1 at frame 118. Angular Instantaneous Threshold was also animated down from a value of 10 at frame 68 to a value of 9 at frame 118.
CREATING CUSTOM ATTRIBUTES TO DRIVE GUIDE STRENGTH OF MATERIALS
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For more precision and control, a custom point attribute can be created and remapped within the RBD Bullet Solver. Because glass would likely shatter and unguide sooner than concrete would break apart, a point attribute called ‘@ guide_anim’ was created and applied to glass pieces only. To create the guide_ anim point attribute, drop down a point wrangle and insert it in between the proxy geometry and RBD Bullet Solver path, as the custom point attribute needs to be on the simulated geometry to have an effect. In the VEXpression write ‘f@ guide_anim = 1;’. This ensures all pieces will have a value of at least 1 when working with material groups down the line.
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Drop down another point wrangle to change the attribute for the glass
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pieces. The fractured proxy geometry has groups associated with the various materials, so within the point wrangle, the glass group was selected to be operated on. Within the VEXpression of the point wrangle write ‘f@guide_ anim = 0.125;’. This should overwrite the guide_anim attribute for glass pieces.
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To remap the guide_ anim point attribute to the Guide Strength parameter, select the RBD Bullet Solver and under the Guided Simulation tab, check the Use VEXpression toggle within the Setup tab. Write ‘strength *= @guide_ anim;’. This will multiply each pieces guide_anim point attribute by the current Guide Strength parameter within the solver, resulting in pieces with a guide_anim attribute value below 1 to unguide faster when collided with.
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TOP TERRACING Discover the new Heightfield Terrace tool RAJENDRA KHIRODKAR
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Technical artist at SideFX ca.linkedin.com/in/vfxraj
he old terrain tools in Houdini have been replaced with the new HeightField Terrace (2.0), which enables you to achieve different step sizes in your terracing with the help of a single Terrace node, along with other features like Fade and Undulations to add a more natural look.
DECIDE THE HEIGHTFIELD RESOLUTION The sharpness of the steps in terracing depends upon three main factors: resolution of the heightfield (or grid spacing), the Step Size parameter and the Smooth Edges parameter. So, as an end result, if you want very smooth edges for your steps, it’s better to use terracing to create those bigger steps at low resolution, which is usually at the beginning part
of your terrain workflow. It’s generally better to start working on large forms at a lower resolution, before refining details. If you want sharper and smaller steps, use the Terrace node towards the end of the chain. It will help you to have sharper steps, as we have more resolution towards the end, and also not a lot of operations are happening after terracing.
USE MESA AND CLIFF MASKS
THE STEP RAMP
The masking features in heightfields are great and will enable you to create any kind of mask using different attributes like height, slope, direction or occlusion. In addition to those tools, as a result of using the Terrace node, two more volume layers are added to your heightfields chain, the Mesa Layer and Cliffs Layer. And you can use these layers to create different masks for shading and rendering.
This is the new feature added in the Terrace node. By using the Step Ramp you can achieve variation in step size just by using a single node. The horizontal axis represents the height of your terrain, left corner being lowest elevation and right corner being the highest. And the vertical axis is the multiplier to the step size you have decided in the above parameters on the same node.
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USE OF UNDULATIONS Although in a lot of the terracing structures steps are horizontally straight, there are some cases where you would want to break up
those straight lines to add some naturalism to it. That’s where the undulations come in. But the trick is using it in moderation to get a natural-looking result.
SCATTERING TIPS When you are creating huge environments, laying out each and every object at its proper place and making it memory efficient becomes such an important task. The scatter tool in HeightFields is the best tool to assist you in this task. So here are some tips for scattering millions of objects in no time. This attribute is super useful for distinguishing points for certain type of objects. Also you can create different attributes for instancing based on the Tag attribute.
AVOID INTERPENETRATIONS USING OUTER RADIUS AND FALLOFF PARAMETERS
USE A HIERARCHICAL APPROACH The best way to use the HeightField Scatter tool is to ‘go hierarchical’. What is meant by this? Hierarchical in this context means to start laying out points for the biggest object in your environment. So for example if it’s a village we will start with houses, then we will layout trees, after that the bushes and rocks, and finally gravel rocks being the smallest will go last in the scattering chain. This also helps you to keep your node graph clear and well assembled.
The outer radius and falloff parameters on the HF Scatter node are very effective for avoiding penetrations in the objects. The outer radius is how far you want each object from one another. So usually we use the actual radius of the input object as the outer radius. And falloff is how much penetration you want to allow the scattering objects to have. Here a value of 0 for falloff means no penetration and a value of 1 means one object can penetrate the other until the centre.
TAG NAME ATTRIBUTE This is a really handy attribute created by HF Scatter node. By default it takes the name you gave to the node, but you can change that to anything you want inside the parameters too.
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INTRODUCTION TO SOLARIS
Discover key features of Solaris for Houdini 18 new module that comes with Houdini 18, Solaris brings the whole USD workflow into Houdini. This tutorial will talk about how to prepare an asset by using Solaris, and will provide tips on the authorizing
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YUQING CHEN Houdini tech artist www.yuqingvfx.com variant process (a powerful function of USD files), as well as an introduction to using physical editing. Let’s get started.
PREPARE AN ASSET need to connect it to anything yet. About this material library LOP, we need to set material VOP and material path parameters by pressing the Auto-fill Materials button. Houdini will set these parameters automatically for us by detecting the amount and name of shaders inside material library LOP. Next we need to define the save path of material info. Append a configurelayer lop under the material library LOP, and define a path to save material information as a USD file.
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IMPORT OBJ INTO SOP LEVEL
Create a geometry node at /OBJ, and import the OBJ format file. Next we need to switch content to /stage, and create a SOP Import LOP node. Load as reference is the most common way to compose an asset into stage, but please note it is not instanceable yet. By specifying the primitive path, we are actually trying to manage the hierarchy of this stage. Usually an asset was composed by the geometry data and material data. So here we can set this to be /barstool_v1/Geom, which is organising the geometry data(mesh_0) to stay under this group.
MATERIAL/SHADERS 2 CREATE FOR THIS ASSET
Create a material library LOP, dive in and create a shader for it. We don’t
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ENABLE PHYSICAL EDITING
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KEEP SIMPLE
Solaris provides a new feature called physical editing. Users can finish classic placement type tasks in a more efficient and natural way. Enable this feature by checking the Use Physics option on edit LOP.
If you are placing objects in a complex environment, try to keep it simple and clean. By using Prune LOP, you can isolate some specific parts you want temporarily. For example, if you want to put some objects on this table, for the efficiency, the best way to do this is deactivate some unrelated parts first, then use physical editing to layout objects. Physical editing will allow the objects to detect the collision object automatically, so only keeping the necessary objects will help the accuracy and efficiency. After placement, we can bypass the previous Prune LOP to see the final results.
ASSIGN MATERIAL TO GEOMETRY
Now we need to reference material information into a geometry scene graph. After reference, we can notice that in the scene graph tree, geometry information and material information both stay under the /barstool_v1 group. Assign the material to the geometry. Create an assign material LOP, assign material info onto /Geom group. After assignment, we can find material information on the geometry group in the scene graph detail panel.
ABOUT HIERARCHY By checking the scene graph tree we can see the current kind setup; our asset was organised from group to component hierarchy. The kind type attribute will help you to manage your stage in a logical way, and also affect draw mode options.
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Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle
FOLLOW THE VIDEO www.bit.ly/3DWorld-257
CINEMA 4D | V-RAY | PHOTOSHOP
CREATE YOUR OWN PICKETT, THE BOWTRUCKLE Learn how to create a fan art inspired by Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
AUTHOR
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Stefano Mondini Stefano Mondini is a freelance CG artist who has worked with architecture ďŹ rms and an Italian indie game house. His visionary style was born from a passion for architecture, video games, ďŹ lms and storytelling. stefanomondini.artstation.com
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 the software we will be able to obtain an excellent result in a few steps, and without focusing too much on the technical aspects typical of 3D processes.
Rendering will be performed within Cinema 4D using the V-Ray rendering engine. Finally we will take a look at how we can achieve a more realistic look through post-production processes with Photoshop. A project like this does not require particular skills in polygonal modelling and digital sculpture, however it is advisable to be familiar with Photoshop and the right sensitivity in capturing the soul of the character we want to create.
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DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES For all the assets you need go to www.bit.ly/3DWorld-257
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PICKETT This was a personal fan art project, modelled with Cinema 4D and rendered in V-Ray
Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle
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MODEL A BUST
Start by selecting a cube, make it editable and find the front elevation of what will later be your character. Using the polygon mode select the face facing up and start extruding using the Extrude command. Extruding the faces of the polygon, start to draw the profile of the bust and head of your character. Any reference images you’ve collected will be very useful to help you achieve an ideal posture. Once you have completed all the extrusions, you can refine the character design by going into border mode and using the Loop Selection tool.
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ADD THE LEGS
The Extrude command in this first phase of processing will be very important because it will allow you to create the whole structure of your character. As you have made the bust, proceed in the same way for the realisation of the legs. Also in this phase reference images will be fundamental to understanding the anatomy and pose you want to give to the character. Extrude the
Use reference images One of the biggest myths to dispel in the field of digital illustration creation is that you have to design everything starting from the imagination. Collecting a range of relevant references is especially important if you are replicating an existing subject.
polygons from the base of the body and start creating Pickett’s legs. In this first phase, do not pay too much attention to the character design: as we did for the bust, we could then return later to improve it through the modelling for edges and points. Pay close attention to the different anatomy of the two legs. While modelling, it may help to place a plane below the character. In this way you can already from the early stages verify that all the limbs are equally placed on a plane.
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HORNS AND HEAD
Once you have defined the overall design of the bust and legs you can start defining the shapes of the head. By working in border mode and with the Loop Selection tool you can improve the shapes of your Pickett’s head by starting to add expressiveness to your character’s face. At this point you can start working on the first details of the head such as the horns from which the leaves will emerge. To create the horns first go to polygon mode and with the Loop Selection tool select all faces. Then
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with the cut tracing/loop tool with the mode limit to active selection cut the selected faces longitudinally. Once you have cut, go to stitch mode and adjust the stitches by giving asymmetry to the upper face of the head. Back in polygon mode select one of the two faces created and extrude with the Extrude command. With the Scale, Rotate and Move tools, adjust the design following the reference images.
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ARMS AND HANDS AS IF THEY WERE BRANCHES
We’ve now defined the head, torso and legs, so let’s move onto the arms and hands – this will also enable us to better define the pose of our Pickett. By watching the film carefully and analysing many reference images, you can understand the character's psychology well: he is a shy and introverted character. These notions are indispensable for creating the final pose. We can now proceed with the arms in the same way as we did for the legs: use the Extrude tool to create the basic shape of the arms
Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle
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and then adjust the design through the edges and points modes with the Loop, Move, Scale and Rotate selection tools. I advise you to pay close attention to the shoulders: asymmetry will play a fundamental role in giving your character greater expressiveness.
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DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Take a good look at Pickett reference images and you will see that his body is extremely rich in details that tell his Bowtruckle nature. Along the arms and other parts of the body you can see small leaves, reliefs and many other details that characterise his anatomy. To create these intriguing details, all you have to do is utilise all the tools you have used so far: Extrude, Loop Selection, Rotate, Scale and Move in the modelling modes for polygons, points and lines. As you have seen in this project, asymmetry plays a fundamental role in making the character more expressive, so don't be afraid to experiment.
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DIVIDE
This is a very important step. Starting from the box modelling you created the base of your model. But this turns out to be decidedly too angular. How can we ‘smooth’ it by giving it a softer shape? Through the HyperNURBS object. Create one and insert your character inside it: it’s time to start visualising what your personal Pickett will be in a more organic way. The shapes will definitely soften and you can better visualise your character. You can also decide the subdivision number of the object. Also, through this command you can continue to perfect the design and see your changes in real time. HyperNURBS can be enabled or disabled via the check mark. Once you have obtained the desired design, you can fix the HyperNURBS object and use the sculpt brushes to improve the shapes and define the details.
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Asymmetry and similarity Generally you will never find a 100 per cent symmetrical body: some bodies look completely different when they are mirrored. In this project, asymmetry plays a fundamental role, particularly in the modelling of the face. From the early stages I chose not to be asymmetrical to try to give the character a shy, bewildered and decidedly more expressive appearance.
A FACE FOR PICKETT
At this point we need to define the face of our character. To do this use Cinema 4D’s sculpt tools such as the Pull, Grab,
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Smooth and Knife brushes. In this step, asymmetry is everything: an asymmetrical face will give greater expressiveness and you will be able to give the face a shy and more bewildered appearance. First define the face, enlarging the mouth and eyes area. Choose the polygon mode and select the useful faces to create the mouth. Using the stitch mode and the Join command, create the sides of the mouth, then return to polygon mode and extrude inwards creating the hollow of the mouth. In the same way, create the profile of the eye socket and extrude. You can always perfect the design and expressiveness of the face by using the sculpt brushes or by acting on the points with the Move tool in points mode. To create the eye simply use a sphere, increasing its division.
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CREATE THE LEAVES
First, start by selecting a plane and dividing it appropriately to create the correct base for your leaves. Make the plane editable, go to points mode and with the Scale, Move and Join tools adjust
Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle the points to give the plane the typical design of a leaf. With this simple step you can create the base for all types of leaves you want. Use the HyperNURBS object to split the surface of the plane, return to point mode and further improve the design of your leaf. Divide the object again. For the stem use a cone, divide it and make it editable, then position it in the centre of the leaf. Group leaf and stem. To make the leaf more dynamic and expressive, have fun modelling with the deformers: bend, compress or twist the object without damaging the geometry. Deformers work non-destructively and are ideal for creating complex objects that can be modified over and over again. Reference images can offer some interesting ideas.
Capture the soul of the character Being able to get the right psychology of the character through the look and pose was rather complicated: the bar had to be friendly but also a little scary. A pet that spends most of its time in the pocket of Newt Scamander, a creature with problems relating to other humans.
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09 DETAILS AND TEXTURES
This is definitely the most enjoyable part of the whole production process. The model has finally taken shape and you can seriously start giving life to your Pickett. I recommend before going through this step to create a backup file of your object. At this point select the layout sculpt and divide the object: three times should be enough to be able to work smoothly and have a good visualisation of the work. Select the Pull brush and
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12 insert in the stamp a texture that you can download or create yourself with Photoshop. For this project I recommend using textures inspired by the world of nature. Adjust the settings and start sculpting. During this phase of the work, use brushes and textures to enhance parts of the body such as the legs and hands or to emphasise the woodiness of the horns. This type of processing, if well used, also allows you to emphasise the pose of the character such as the torsion of the bust or head. During this phase I recommend alternating between the Pull, Inflate and Smooth brushes for best results.
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SECONDARY DETAILS
At this point you are very close to the final display of your model. However, some details are still missing to make it even more real and fascinating. For example, you could add drops of dew. To make the dew take a sphere and divide it several times, make it editable. With the ladder tool, flatten it and work it in order to obtain a design close to a small drop of dew resting on a branch or leaf. Choose the most interesting points on the anatomy of your Pickett and place your small
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drops of dew. Run a standard render and analyse the model.
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SET THE ENGINE
To render this project I chose to use the V-Ray rendering engine. First from the output panel set the size of the file to be rendered: height and width. For the first test renders I recommend using low values. Set the render format in TIFF and activate the alpha channel (it will be important for postproduction work). At this point you just have to select V-Ray Bridge as the rendering engine and adjust the main parameters: Antialiasing, Indirect Illumination (GI) and Color Mapping. It is advisable to use low values to obtain faster results in the first renders.
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TURN ON THE LIGHTS
For this project I chose to use a lighting scheme from still life. Imagining that we are inside a photographic studio, we could take advantage of infinite combinations of lighting for our subject, but above all the best is always that of the three-point lighting technique – three lights optimally positioned to illuminate the subject, lighten and soften the shadows. At this point
Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle
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you just have to select three V-Ray Area Rectangle Lights and place them on stage with the respective functions of key light, back light and fill light. Starting to think about a hypothetical shot of your subject will help you to orient and adjust the various parameters of the lights, in order to obtain a decidedly more expressive and emotional image. In the V-Ray Bridge parameters in the Environment tab you can insert an HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image), which allows us to obtain excellent results in terms of photorealism.
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CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHOT
Already in the previous step you started to think about what the most effective shot could be to enhance your project. Now let’s see how to fix the shot you have chosen. First of all you have to activate a V-Ray Physical Camera: essential for viewing a render with V-Ray. Position the camera and adjust the frame, after which adjust the lights so that the framing and lighting work. For an excellent image, check that you have reset all camera rotations, eliminated the vignetting effect, set the white balance presets to Neutral
Integrate 2D images
and checked the exposure value. Run a test render and check the quality of your image.
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CREATE THE MATERIALS
Before starting on the materials to be applied to your Pickett it is advisable to analyse all the reference images that you have collected: it will help you understand what type of material to create. For this project I recommend using a decidedly more artistic than real approach, considering the texture space contained in Diffuse Layer 1 as if it were a real Photoshop file: mix images and blending methods in the Layer mode in order to obtain expressive and interesting materials. At this stage, be creative and don’t be afraid to experiment, especially in the creation of Pickett’s skin. In addition to Diffuse Layer 1, also use the Specular Layer 1 channel. It will help you to add even more realism to your materials. You can also use a third channel: Bump. I recommend applying not only a V-Ray Advanced Material to your model but also a V-Ray Displacement Material. This choice will help give your final rendering greater expressiveness and realism.
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A decidedly important part of this project is made up of post-production. I advise you to look for excellent images to integrate into your project, in particular to create the skin of your Pickett. Use the various blend modes to find the right mood, and be expressive and creative. This process will give you a much more realistic look.
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TOWARDS THE FINAL RENDER
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POST-PRODUCTION
Before proceeding with the final rendering, you can add a few more details to make your subject even more realistic. For example, using the V-Ray Fur Tag, you can create hair typical of that found on insects. This gimmick, if applied correctly, can be a trump card in the final visualisation of your Pickett: find the combination you like best between height and thickness as well as quantity. Further image research could help you understand how to integrate this detail into your model. For the V-Ray Fur Tag apply a V-Ray Fast SSS2 Material. If you are satisfied with the result, you just have to set the final output values, raise the values of the V-Ray settings and launch your final render.
Open your final render saved in TIFF with Photoshop and through the channels separate the subject from the background. At this point you are ready to work on your model in order to give it a decidedly more realistic look. Before proceeding, it is advisable to do a further search for images
Create your own Pickett, the Bowtruckle
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that will help you during postproduction. For this project, use images related to nature such as vegetables, bark, dew, etc. In this phase the texture of the parsnip and the Jerusalem artichoke proved extremely important. In this preparatory phase, you are also looking for images that will help you contextualise your render and act as a setting.
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CREATE THE SKIN
For the skin, analyse Pickett reference images and observe the various colours and how they are distributed on the anatomy of the character. To recreate this skin in Photoshop quadruple your subject by changing its colour respectively from the bottom to the top: dark brown, light brown, yellow and green. At each level, apply a mask and with a material brush, start to erase, trying to replicate the skin seen in the reference images. Increase the shadows with a material brush on a new level in Multiply mode, in particular near the joints. With a textured brush and working with blending methods on a new level, start painting details in order to make your character’s skin even more interesting.
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GREATER REALISM
Be creative
At this point you have created an excellent base to be able to push your model towards even greater realism. Look for images with interesting and useful textures to enhance your work. Select the most interesting parts with the Lasso tool and superimpose them on the model. Through the casting methods, the adjustment tools and the masks, blend the textures with the render. Try to combine the images in order to give your work a realistic and interesting look. You can work the drops of dew by superimposing images of real drops on those of the render and play with the fusion methods in order to enhance them.
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Without going too far and crashing the computer, you can have a lot of fun sculpting natural textures on the character’s body. The more you divide your Pickett the more detailed and sharp the texture will be. I recommend using the textured Pull brush to emphasise the pose and twist of the character’s torso or neck.
ADD THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
To increase the visual impact of the project, only the creation of the right setting is missing. Choose a background image, blur it more and slightly lower the overall brightness of the image. Create a new layer and with the Overlay blend mode lighten the lower part of the image. Select an image from which to extrapolate a base to place your
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Pickett on. Blend it into the scene by adjusting blur, light and shadow. Position Pickett at the point you want and add the shadows in the correct way on the support surface. Adjust the colour balance by using a cold light that we will then heat up later with a full hot gradient level characterised by a slight noise filter. Work with Overlay and Multiply blend modes to accentuate or correct highlights and shadows.
20 LAST STEPS
The project is moving towards its conclusion. But before saving we will apply the latest post-production effects. First of all duplicate all the levels and combine them. Duplicate the single layer and apply a slight filter accentuating passage. This will give your image even more impact. An interesting effect to apply could be that which makes Pickett’s skin almost translucent. To achieve this, apply the internal and external glow filters, lower the opacity and the filling of the character and rasterise the level. At this point, apply a mask and remove the effect from the shaded parts and leave it for the backlit ones. Finally, add a slight vignetting and if the image produced works, save the project. •
3DS MAX | CORONA | SUBSTANCE PAINTER | UNFOLD3D | CORONA IMAGE EDITOR
BUILD A MODERN BATHROOM
Produce a realistic archviz render of an attractive modern bathroom using a range of different textures and materials
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n this short tutorial, we will discover how to create realistic archviz, speciďŹ cally 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 the best plugins in the archviz industry for texturing, lighting and then rendering. In this step I will also introduce a free script that is useful when it comes to setting up cameras in scenes.
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After this tutorial you will know how to unwrap 3D models with Unfold3D, paint materials with Substance Painter and create a realistic render in archviz with 3ds Max and Corona Renderer.
DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES For all the assets you need go to www.bit.ly/3DWorld-257
youtube.com/user/3dworld
AUTHOR Amir Varasteh Amir is a 3D artist and a certiďŹ ed interior designer, with six years of experience with archviz software. bit.ly/39xXPN0
Build a modern bathroom
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MODEL THE MAIN ELEMENTS
First we should start with creating items such as faucets, a bathtub, a shower and a wash basin, which can be downloaded from the web. I downloaded the shampoos and the vase from 3dsky.org. As for the bathtub, there are several ways to create it. We can start with a line and draw plans of the bathtub, then extrude it and convert it to Edit Poly, make some changes and then add thickness with Shell and finish it off with TurboSmooth. In order to create the faucets we can start with a Cylinder or Line, then convert it to Edit Poly and extrude and chamfer edges to add some details, and then use the TurboSmooth modifier. For creating the wash basins table, first we can start with a box then convert it to Edit Poly. Then we can extrude, chamfer and TurboSmooth. For the legs I used Helix, Edit Poly, Line and Lathe.
Substance Painter You can create seamless textures with Substance Painter. Before starting, you should unwrap your model then export it to FBX. After importing the FBX file to Substance Painter, you should first bake textures. I suggest baking all textures, even if you do not need all of them.
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LIGHTING
In this interior space we do not have any windows, so we cannot use HDRI for lighting. We have to use types of lights that can be used for interior lighting. We will use some IES lights and a rectangle Corona light. One of the features of Corona is LightMix in VFB. With LightMix you can change powers and colours of lights in VFB during the rendering process or even after it. So, we will set lights in the scene and then start interactive rendering, changing the lights’ parameters in LightMix until we have acceptable lighting for our interior scene.
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INITIAL UNWRAPPING
After modelling and lighting we should start the unwrapping process for some of our models. First start unwrapping the walls, which we can unwrap with 3ds Max. First, we will cut the polys that we want to assign mosaic materials
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for. Then, since we want to create a mosaic wall, we have to cut all the edges. When we cut all the edges, we can get closer to the reality. You can see the seams in the picture.
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UNWRAP WITH UNFOLD3D
Unfold3D is a useful software for unwrapping and it is easier to use than 3ds Max’s Unwrap. First, you should convert your model to Edit Poly and export it to FBX, then load it into Unfold3D. After loading, you should cut the edges you want, then click on Unfold (Hotkey: U). There is an option for optimising; I suggest optimising and waiting a while for the best result. After this process, you can pack and save it, then import it to 3ds Max. I suggest using this software for unwrapping, as there are a lot of options available for cutting like the Magic Wand for difficult models – with this option you can cut edges with minimum seams.
Build a modern bathroom
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MOSAIC TEXTURING
For the mosaic textures we need to create a seamless texture, so I only import a square plan with many segments to Substance Painter. For this texture I used a generator that you can download from share.substance3d.com. It is called Scale Generator and is free to download. Substance Painter is similar to Photoshop and you can create a lot of layers, masks and filters. You can see my layers and workflow in the picture. After painting you should export textures for 3ds Max. Note: when you want to import this textures to Corona you should change gamma to override 1.0 for Glossiness, IOR, Height and Normal map.
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OTHER MATERIALS
Creating frosted glass material is similar to simple glass, you should only change volumetric scattering distance. I set it to 2.0cm. You can also change the absorption colour if you want to. I suggest using reference images of real frosted glass to help you create the material. To produce a real gold material, I suggest a texmap plugin called Complex Fresnel, and you can download it for free from sigerstudio.eu. There are several default presets in it. Set the IOR at high numbers so that you have a gold material.
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WOOD MATERIAL
For the wood material, again I used Substance Painter like in step 5. If you have any problems, repeat step 5. I used a ready-made material that is called sms-oldwood-01. I used the Dripping Rust generator to create some cracks and dirt. If you do not have them in your Substance Painter, you can download them from share. substance3d.com.
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CAMERA SETTINGS
I would like to introduce a good script for setting exposure and shutter duration based on lighting. It is called DSLR Exposure and it has been written by Mohammadreza Mohseni. You can download it for free from scriptspot.com.
09 Render settings I suggest using the denoising option to have a clear render. There are several ways to denoise but for the final render I prefer to use Corona High Quality with 0.65 Amount, and the noise level limit set between 2.4-3.0.
It is a simple script. First, you should select your camera in the viewport then run the script that you can see in the picture. There are a lot of lighting types available depending on your needs. If motion blur is important, you can choose the shutter priority. If DOF is important in your render, you should choose the aperture priority, then set your camera’s F-number and click on Set Exposure. After that, you can see that the exposure and shutter have been changed based on your lighting.
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POST-PRODUCTION
We do not need any special post-production for this render. So, we will do it with Corona Image Editor. I play with some parameters like Highlight Compress, White Balance, Contrast, Filmic Highlights, Filmic Shadows and Vignette Intensity. You can see my changes in the above screenshot. I have chosen a LUT file from Corona Renderer for the best results. It all depends on your choice and your favourite conditions, as well as what is required for your particular scene. •
Model outďŹ ts in Marvelous Designer
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Model outfits in Marvelous Designer
MARVELOUS DESIGNER 7 | KEYSHOT 7.1
MODEL OUTFITS IN MARVELOUS DESIGNER Learn how to use basic tools to model a full outfit from a simple 2D sketch
AUTHOR
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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
ere 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 leather. By the end of this tutorial you will have a ready draped and sectioned object file to render and colour as you please.
DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES For all the assets you need go to www.bit.ly/3DWorld-257
MAD SCIENTIST For this character we are going for a villainous mad scientist look. His clothes are divided into three layers; pants, coat and vest
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Model outfits in Marvelous Designer
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START WITH A SKETCH
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DUPLICATE AND STITCH
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SIMULATION
You can go as wild as you can with sketching, but remember that Marvelous Designer is based on physics, so anything floating or defying gravity will not be ideal for your modelling process. Try to find realistic ways to be creative in your design. It helps to have your character sketched in at least two views, front and back (unless you want to live dangerously and wing it!).
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TOOLS
After loading in your posed avatar, you will need two simple tools to start drawing your first pattern. This is a simple posed avatar exported from DAZ Studio and saved as an OBJ file. If you are familiar with drawing vectors, then these tools will be easy to use since they mimic the classic pen tool. Start by drawing a rectangle using the silhouette for scale with the polygon tool (shortcut ‘H’). Use the Edit Curvature tool to curve your straight edges and form the neckline and armhole; simply click on the line and drag.
Copy and paste the shape you drew. In the 3D window grab the new piece and use the arrows to position your new shape; this will serve as your back piece. In Marvelous we work on only one side of the model, since this is a symmetric outfit. Right-click on the back piece in the 3D window and select Flip Normal. Once the piece is in place, use the Free Sewing tool to start stitching. You need to go into the same flow while stitching, so if the first line is formed from left to right then the line it’s attached to needs to as well.
The best but also trickiest part of Marvelous is simulation. This command will give the program a chance to calculate your fabric fall and translate it to a fully draped outfit. With the press of the arrow button at the top-left corner of the 3D window or the spacebar, magic happens! You now have an accurately rendered crop-top. After pausing the simulation, now will be your chance to edit your anchors and curves to how you see fit. While the simulation is on, you can click and drag on the garment to fix its position. 3D WORLD March 2020
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SYMMETRY
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DRAW, STITCH, REPEAT!
Select the two patterns using the Transform Pattern tool (shortcut ‘A’) and press Cmd/Ctrl+D to form symmetrical copies of the two pieces. This will not only paste and reflect the patterns, but it will copy the stitch lines and mimic any form of change you do to the original patterns by having them linked – this is what we also call ‘linked editing’.
Divide your outfit into basic shapes or sections and build it by repeating the first steps to create your first base. Now is your chance to fix the fit according to your sketch. Here the top is loose and the bottom of the coat is flared. Elongating a line that is already stitched to another piece will help create gatherings and wrinkles to exaggerate the joining of the two.
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Model outfits in Marvelous Designer
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ASSIGN FABRICS
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DRAPE OVER BENT LIMBS
On the top right, in the fabric section, you can create a copy of your existing fabric and change the colours and physical properties. We will be giving the bottom a leather fabric to stand up and flare, while keeping the top as default. You can assign the fabric to your pieces by selecting them with the Transform Pattern tool and pressing the arrow near the fabric you created.
For a bent limb like this, it will be difficult to draw the full sleeve in one go. So you need to divide it into two plane sections and drape according to its section, then stitch them together at the elbow. Use pins by pressing ‘W’ and clicking on the piece in the 3D window, to help hold the fabric in place or stop it from sliding off and falling. Pins can be moved and displaced with the arrows.
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SNIP! SNIP!
We are now ready to form our cuts using the internal lines we drew. Make sure all internal lines have snapped to the edges of the patterns. If you are unsure, you can select the internal line, right-click and press Extend Line to Pattern Outline. With the internal lines selected, rightclick and select Cut & Sew. This saves you from sewing all pieces together after cutting.
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INTERNAL CUTS
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A PIECE WITHIN A PIECE
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ORGANISING CHAOS
Now that we have basic shapes, we can begin to draw the internal cuts using the Internal Polygon/Line tool. Lines formed need to be within a pattern. After drawing your line, double-click to confirm that this is the shape you are happy with. As for the main patterns, we can curve and edit these lines with the Edit Pattern and Edit Curvature tools. When working with Marvelous, we start from the outer shapes then shift to the inside gradually, a.k.a. from patterns, to cuts, to pockets, and other small details accordingly.
Using the wrist cuff we already have, we can create the strap stitched on to it, without having to draw a new shape. Draw an internal shape of the strap on the cuff, then copy-paste that piece. Select that shape with the Transform Pattern tool, right-click and press Cut. Delete the bigger, now hollow, piece and we now have a small strap. Stitch the strap onto the internal line on the cuff and in the physical property section on the left, assign the layer it is on (in this case it is 1). This will help avoid unwanted collisions during simulation.
Now that we have a lot of pieces, it will be a good idea to start naming and assigning the fabrics and colours of each similar piece in the right fabrics tab. We can also control the thickness of our fabric to create exaggerated volumes. To prevent the file from crashing, we will create each piece in its own file (coat, pants, vest, etc) which will later on conjoin in one file to form the final rendered look. Make sure that you use the same posed avatar for all of the garments.
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Model outfits in Marvelous Designer
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ASYMMETRICAL DETAILS
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JOIN THE FULL OUTFIT
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SAVE AND EXPORT
Asymmetrical details are left until the end i.e when the garment’s details are done. This is because you will need to select the asymmetric pieces and click Remove Linked Editing in the right-click option. The two pieces will be free to hold any future edits or stitches solely. You can extend the anchor and merge/cut pieces, but know that there is no way to link them back together again.
Be sure to import your garments in order, starting with the bottom ones as you would normally dress up in real life. Our order will be pants, coat then vest. If collisions happen after simulation, simply undo and increase the number in the layer box for the problematic garments and re-simulate. Remember pins are your best friends here to help hold pieces in place.
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GIVE ‘EM STITCHES!
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QUADRANGULATE
To add decorative topstitches, we are going to need internal lines as well. If the stitches are on the edges, you can select that line and right-click on it to select the Offset as Internal Line option, saving the trouble of manually estimating the internal line’s position. On the top left you will find the topstitch tab. Just like the fabric tab, you can control the shape, thickness and spacing of your stitches to create all sorts of designs and embroideries. Use the Segment Topstitch tool and click on the lines to assign them a topstitch.
Once you are finally happy with the shape of your full layered garment, select the piece all together. In the 3D window, right-click then press Quadrangulate and lower your particle distance to 3. Press Cmd/Ctrl+W to remove all your pins, since they will later on create dents in your render’s surface, and simulate it for a final time. It will take some loading time to do so. Don’t be afraid for the garment to collapse after removing the pins, since the simulation at this point is slow and will easily be manoeuvred by pausing.
Select all the pieces and go to File>Export>Obj (Selected). Tick the details you would like to export. Make sure it is exported as multiple objects. Fabrics of the same fabric type will be linked when applying textures to it later on, so keep that in mind before exporting. If you would like the entire outfit to be one solid shape, then you can go ahead and select Single Object. Make sure the Thick surface is ticked and units are assigned according to your current model. And you are done! 3D WORLD March 2020
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RENDER
Using any rendering program of your preference, you can now add your textures, place it on the avatar and pimp it up! KeyShot is the program used in this case. It helps simulate not only great textures to go with the wrinkled mesh of the clothing, but also creates a good lighting environment for the final render preview of the full look! •
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3D BASICS
AUTODESK MAYA BASICS We continue our look at the core digital content creation applications; this issue, we explore Maya
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f 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 veteran of the CG industry, and there are a few key reasons why Maya dominates the VFX space.
First of all, Maya has probably the fastest and most well-detailed preview windows of any digital content creation software. The Viewport 2.0 speed, when coupled with class-leading character animation tools, also makes Maya the first port of call for any artist wanting to explore character work. Maya has an extensible modelling language (MEL) too, which studios across the world have used to make Maya a ‘bespoke’ 3D software for an individual studio’s needs. MEL has meant that plugins developed by studios have become core firstparty tools, such as ‘MASH’, the advanced motion graphics and cloning toolset, which is deeply integrated throughout Maya. 3D WORLD March 2020
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Maya offers artists a complete toolset; the software is such a good all-rounder, with the aforementioned character tools, great subdivision and NURBS modelling toolsets. Maya also ships with the excellent Arnold as a first-party render solution which, as it is CPU-based, will be able to work on Windows, Mac or Linux out of the box. While not as potentially ‘friendly’ as other 3D software for new artists, with a wide array of excellent training from Autodesk and third-party providers, Maya is certainly one to learn due to its ubiquitousness in the industry – even if it will not be the primary software an artist uses for 3D creation. Let’s take a look at some of its core features.
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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
Autodesk Maya basics
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THE UI
Autodesk Maya’s user interface is not one of the most friendly on the market. Because Maya is a pretty jam-packed piece of software, Autodesk has organised it into different working environments. Maya has a drop-down menu at the top left of the screen to switch between the different workspaces quickly. A better option is to use the Windows>Workspaces menu items to change not just the tools and menu, but the entire UI to suit a specific task.
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MOTION GRAPHICS
Over the past couple of years, Autodesk has worked hard to make Maya an all-round application for standalone artists, making the most of Viewport 2.0. A great example of this is the MASH system for motion graphics. MASH employs a logical approach to adding elements for building complex networks and relationships quickly with meshes, text and near enough any component of the Maya toolset. With fast previews, motion graphics can be modified more quickly in Maya than in other 3D software.
QUICK RIG Maya has a highly regarded character toolset, however for many new artists, rigging a character can be a daunting challenge. Thankfully Maya has one of the best automatic character rigging systems in the industry. By using the Workspace dropdown, switch to Rigging, and then choose Skeleton>Quick Rig, with the base character mesh selected. Maya will then attempt to rig the character. The rig can then be modified to create extra details or be combined with pose morphs for more complex character development.
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FX TOOLSET
Maya has one of the most impressive FX toolsets of any of the major 3D applications, with full dynamics and Bifrost, the fluid and FX simulation solution that is a core part of Maya. With Bifrost, an artist can create complex fluid simulations that include foam directly within Maya, without having to resort to thirdparty plugins. Maya was the first of the Autodesk applications to implement the Bifrost toolset, making it the ideal FX platform in the Autodesk suite. 3D WORLD March 2020
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MODELLING TOOLS
Maya has a fantastic and fully featured NURBS and subdivision toolset. The great thing about modelling in Maya is that it is a partially non-destructive toolset, meaning that artists can go back and tweak elements such as bevel depth or extrusion divisions as required. Couple these modelling tools with an excellent selection paradigm and it’s easy to see why so many modellers use Maya without the need for any third-party modelling applications. •
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3D BOOTCAMP
TOPOFORMER
Discover the plugin for Cinema 4D that creates abstract animated elements from any surface
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opoformer 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 can be adjusted by using the Delta and Epsilon sliders to create a unique look. The real fun happens in the Generate tab, where with the click of the Create button a MoGraph extrude rig is instantly created and applied to the mesh. This rig consists of a PolyFX object with three effectors applied to it, one for extrusion, one for scale, and a final one for rotate. Using the Position, Scale and Rotation sliders in the Generate tab of Topoformer affects the look of the pattern, and everything is easy to change. If the Beeple setting is not giving the desired result, then check out the Rich Nosworthy option for a 3D WORLD March 2020
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dramatically different look from the simple selection of a dropdown menu. The final slider in the Generate tab is the Speed slider, which allows the extruded elements to grow and contract procedurally over time. The faster the speed, the faster the movement. This is a fantastic way to create abstract organic forms with life in them. That is the great thing about Topoformer – the fact that it works so well within Cinema 4D, just like the artists from which it takes its inspiration. For any Cinema 4D user who is looking to create new types of geometry, Topoformer should certainly be at the top of their list.
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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
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ADD TOPOFORMER TO A SCENE
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EXTRUDE THE SHAPE
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USE WITH MOGRAPH
Topoformer works in a similar way to a standard Cinema 4D deformer object: select it from the Extensions menu and apply it under the mesh object that is to be adjusted. There may be no immediate change to the mesh, so make sure that in the Topoformer Object menu, the Topology Type dropdown is set to an artist’s name. The edge pattern on the mesh object should change as different Topology Types are selected.
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ANIMATE THE TOPOFORMER
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ADVANCED MOGRAPH WITH TOPOFORMER
The Topoformer pattern can be adjusted in several ways. In the Topoformer Object tab, the Delta and Epsilon controls can be altered. These have a different result depending on the Topology Type chosen. The Info box under these sliders changes to detail what the Delta and Epsilon sliders do per Topology Type choice. Just under the Info tab, there is a helpful link to the webpage of the artist who inspired the pattern.
In the Generate tab of the Topoformer object, click Create. Topoformer will then create a PolyFX object with three effectors that control the extrusion of the elements on the shape. The Position slider controls the depth of the extrusion; the Scale controls the size of the endpoints, allowing a tapered extrude; and the Rotation determines the angle of tilt of the end polygon. All of these elements can be animated as they are standard Cinema 4D MoGraph parts.
The Speed setting in the Generate tab can be used to animate the extrusion of the Topoformer MoGraph system. This is a great way to create one-touch procedural animation. The Speed setting determines the rate of the movement, and if blended with keyframed elements for the extrusion it can create complex animations really quickly. Topology Types can also be animated, allowing for some genuinely abstract creations.
The real power of Topoformer is released when it is combined with Cinema 4D’s powerful MoGraph Fields toolset. Creating a field in one of the three MoExtrude objects, effectors can create easily controlled procedural shapes from adjusting an extrude with a simple move via a linear field. More complex procedural animations can be created using a formula deformer. When Field objects are combined together, there are near-limitless animation possibilities. 3D WORLD March 2020
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MODIFY THE MESH
As Topoformer integrates with Cinema 4D so well, it is easy to create more advanced looks with the Topoformer object. For example, using MoGraph Effectors to create coloured polygons that interact with the extrusion is easy to do with a Fracture object. As Topoformer creates geometry that Cinema 4D can see, Topoformer works really well as a procedural animation base for MoGraph Cloners and Matrix objects. •
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Practical tips and tutorials from pro artists to improve your CG skills
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
SOFTWARE: ZBRUSH
HOW CAN I QUICKLY SET UP A NANOMESH PROJECT IN ZBRUSH? John Songhurst, Winchester
Maya Jermy replies
GET IN TOUCH EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO rob.redman@futurenet.com
NanoMesh can be very useful as it is a fantastic tool that utilises instant geometry to quickly populate surface areas. It can be used in a basic, single mesh form or create a variety by using random distribution. It is a quick way to fill up space for example with rocks or leaves, or to create unique textures on a model. 3D WORLD March 2020
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This quick tutorial will show you how to work with NanoMesh on an entry level, and for that demonstration we will create little seeds and position them on a strawberry. Before we start working with NanoMesh, prepare a simple model of a strawberry. To plan out how the seeds will be positioned, create small indentations with the Standard brush set
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Your CG problems solved
EXPERT TIP
PLACEMENT PLANES There is no real need for creating the placement planes under the seed NanoMesh, other than being able to control the amount and exact position of the seeds. You could simply have a very low-poly strawberry and use it as placement itself.
STEP BY STEP POSITION STRAWBERRY SEEDS WITH NANOMESH
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01 How will you use NanoMesh in your next project?
MODEL THE SEED
Append a sphere and reshape it to look like a seed. Place it flat in the viewport and choose the ZModeller brush. Go to Brush>Create>Create InsertMesh and select the Append option to add it to the menu. You may want to keep an eye on the poly count for the seed when creating the original one. NanoMesh will multiply that value by the number of instances created later. Your project could get very heavy very quickly.
02 to Zsub and radial symmetry. You can use a mask to mask out those areas first. Reduce the radial count as you taper down the strawberry. Some strawberries have very visible valleys and some have a more flat-looking surface. You can inflate the unmasked area just a bit to create a strawberry-like surface. When you are ready, follow these simple steps.
PLANE3D
Append a Plane3D, then go to the Geometry menu and press the Reconstruct Subdiv button until it becomes a single polygon. Delete higher subdivision levels. Hit B on the keyboard and press the Create InsertMesh button at the bottom of the window. Choose the strawberry tool, turn on the radial symmetry and adjust it to the number of dents. Next, drag out the planes in the areas designated for the seeds. Hold down Ctrl to make all planes the same size. Adjust the radial value as you go. Once done, split the planes from
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the strawberry with the Split>Split To Similar Parts option.
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ZMODELLER AND NANOMESH
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SPLIT TO PARTS
With the planes tool active, open the NanoMesh menu. Select the ZModeller, right-click on the plane and choose Polygon>Action>Insert NanoMesh, Target>All Polygons. Choose the ZModeller seed and drag them out on top of the placements (planes). You can adjust the size and position with the sliders in the NanoMesh menu. If you prefer to target polygons by rows, in order to control the size and rotation of the seeds manually, you will have to make sure you adjust the symmetry radial count size to match the amount of planes in a row.
When you are happy with the position and size, you can separate the newly formed NanoMesh from the placements by scrolling down to Inventory and clicking on One To Mesh for every index. Once all of them have been cleared, you can separate the seeds from planes using Split To Similar Parts.
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SOFTWARE: RIZOMUV
HOW DO I SELECT COMPLEX SHAPES IN RIZOMUV? Zachary Bailey, Ohio Cirstyn Bech-Yagher replies Even though UV mapping isn't the tedious chore it used to be only a few years ago, there are still workflow issues that can be a real pain. Selecting and cutting the edges of complex shapes and breaking them up for unwrapping is one of them. And even though most common UV mappers these days chew through most shape unwraps with algorithms and auto-unwrapping functionality, it doesn't mean the resulting unwrap is easy to work with. This is because in many cases, the unwraps can get pretty fragmented which, in turn, can make it a hassle to work with
when taking your model into Substance Painter, for example. One way to work around this in RizomUV is to use the Magic Wand, as it lets you define, select and cut polygons for unwrapping. Using the Magic Wand can in many cases give an easier-to-texture result than a heap of chopped-up islands. The workflow is also very straightforward. It doesn't matter if your model consists of quads or tris, but make sure your geometry is reasonably clean and has some basic object or material groups to make your unwrapping setup even easier. Once you've hit F3 to switch to Polygon
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Selection Mode (PolySelect), there are two things worth knowing: first, when you mouse over an item, selectable polygons will show as white. If you click once, the selection will turn blue. Any selection of blue polygons is ready for cutting, which you do by pressing C. Secondly, when working with the sliders, remember that your selection will spread from the polygon you hover over. So experiment with angles and mouse-overs if you can't get a shape to cut just right. Also actively use the sliders to get the best selection results. The top slider is controlled by the Deviation button. In plain
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Your CG problems solved
EXPERT TIP
RAISE THE SEAM Sometimes hitting U to unwrap on a complex cut can make it look all blown up and haywire. Not to worry, hit O to optimise, or hit F7 to use the Optimise brush. Hard-edge shapes may also need a little nudge to keep their edges straight, so try hitting Alt+H or V for horizontal or vertical constraints post-unwrap. And rather than unwrapping again, try Optimise for a faster result – many times it doesn't need a new unwrap.
STEP BY STEP USE THE MAGIC WAND TO SELECT COMPLEX SHAPES
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IMPORT AND SET UP
Import your model with no UVs via File>Load. Go to Select>Model Dialog. It shows the groups present in your model. Count your Model or Material groups. Go to MultiTile in the UI's lower right and set up a corresponding amount of tiles. In Materials, press the In Tiles option. This distributes the materials into different UV tiles. Next, press In New Groups to group them. This sets up your UDIMs from the get-go.
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MAKE THE FIRST CUT
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SELECT SHAPES
On a hard-edge model like this, the best workflow is to start by cutting out the shapes that you need to be in one piece, and then letting AutoSeam simply take care of the rest. Make sure the Deviation button is active – the button text will be orange if it is. On the vehicle, I placed my mouse in the top middle of the chassis, and with a setting of about 30, I then pressed C to cut.
Using Optimise together with Constraints can make your shells straighter and easier to texture
English, this means that when you use the Max Deviation Normal slider, the wand's selection spread is based on the normals of the neighbouring polys. The slider is used to define the selection angle. The higher the value, the larger the selection. The second slider is controlled by Max Edge Angle being active; it increases the polygon selection based on the defined angle between two connected polygons. As with Deviation, the higher the angle, the bigger the selection. The smoothing sliders help you make less jagged selections, as well as plugging selection holes.
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USE THE MAX EDGE AND SMOOTHING SLIDERS
When you use the Max Edge slider solo, it will typically select around sunken or raised areas, as seen on the left side of the screenshot. However, if you use the Smoothing (Noisy Shapes) slider, it increases the selection to include these, as seen on the right. This saves you the hassle of adding them manually. But be careful when doing this, as these areas typically need ‘room’ to unwrap, in turn causing distortion.
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In addition to letting you define areas to cut, the Magic Wand also lets you define shapes. This is handy when you need to separate or group geometry before cutting it the way you need. The Select Limited Group option enables you to select shapes like this. While its real function is to make sure selection holes are filled on the model when selecting, it's also super handy for selecting shapes – explore this together with the other sliders!
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Your CG problems solved
SOFTWARE: BLENDER
HOW CAN I CREATE A CHRISTMAS TREE IN BLENDER? Karen Grifts, Oxford 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 the scale, shape and branch distribution. We can
now start to model the tree (you can set a new value for the Random Seed in order to change the base model of the tree). In the settings of the tree generator panel we can set many other parameters related to the body of the tree; the main element we need to set is the Branch Splitting. Going to the Branch Splitting settings we can see many different values, the most important setting here is the Levels of the branch – for this model I set it to 3. Now we can enable and add the leaves to the tree by clicking Show Leaves in the Leaves settings. Here we can set the number of leaves, the geometry of the leaf and many other important parameters. In this case, I decided to keep the default values. The last things we need to create are the two materials for the leaves (simple
green material) and the branches (I used a brown diffuse shader with some noises). Now the tree is ready but we need to add some lights and decoration. Press Shift+A and select a sphere (or an icosphere in order to decrease the number of polygons). Select the tree, add a particle system, set the particle type to Hair and change the Render As value to Object. Here select the previously created model (the sphere or icosphere). Now select the main object of the instance and add an emission shader. Now the tree is full of lights! For the Christmas baubles you have to repeat the previous process, creating a new particle setting and changing the instance object. Select the baubles you created. Now press F12 and let’s take a look at the render!
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Sometimes it is preferable to place the objects, the lights and especially the Christmas baubles manually, in order to achieve greater realism
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Will Maya 2020’s new rigging tools change the way we build rigs?
SOFTWARE: AUTODESK MAYA 2020
WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT THE NEW OFFSETPARENTMATRIX ATTRIBUTE? Jackie Denardo, Philadelphia Antony Ward replies It feels like a long time since Autodesk added any new rigging tools into Maya. There have been plenty of extra tools for us to play around with but when it comes to the fundamentals, things haven’t changed much over the years. With the release of Maya 2020 however, we finally have a series of new Matrixbased nodes and attributes that will not only make your life easier, but your rigs will be less complex and more efficient. There are a handful of improvements to discuss, but let’s focus on the main one and that’s the offsetParentMatrix input attribute. It’s only a small thing but in terms of rigging, it will revolutionise how they are built. Traditionally, when wanting one object to follow another, so a child following a parent, you would need to use either a parent, point or orient constraint node. The problem with this is the child’s transforms would then be locked to the movement of the parent object. You
could still animate the child object, but you would end up with a blend attribute node being added into the mix which then further complicates the scene. To get around this you would use an offset group which the child object would sit inside. This group would have the constraints applied, freeing the child object to be moved while it also followed its parent. In practice this works well but you are left with a host of nodes and connections which clog up the Node Editor, and your Maya scene.
With Maya 2020 all you need to do is connect the WorldMatrix[0] attribute on the parent object to the new offsetParentMatrix attribute on the child object. It’s as simple as that. This is a much cleaner way to work, especially when building controls, because it leaves the child object’s transforms free to work with. This one connection also drives all the transforms’ attributes at once, even shear. So rather than adding offset groups and a host of constraint nodes you just connect one attribute to another.
EXPERT TIP
BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY Unfortunately, as wonderful as these new nodes and attributes are, anything you create in Maya 2020 will not work in older versions of the application. This means that for those of us who have clients still using Maya 2017, these aren’t yet an option for most rigs.
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News and views from around the international CG community
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Creature of habits Trevor Hogg has to come to terms with his outer daemon while exploring the alternative reality of His Dark Materials… signature element of His Dark Materials (authored by Philip Pullman) are daemons, which are animals that physically embody the soul of their human counterpart. Fans of the coming-ofage fantasy trilogy will not be disappointed when watching the adaption by Bad Wolf, New Line Cinema, BBC One and HBO, as season one based on The Northern Lights (known as The Golden Compass in North America) consists of eight episodes that encompass 2,000 visual effects shots featuring 1,000 of daemons and 385 of digital bears.
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Complex creature work “His Dark Materials is a gigantic creature show with complicated nuanced animation and proper character building, including making CG characters that have to play alongside lead actors,” observes series VFX supervisor Russell Dodgson (Mars) who distributed the workload among Framestore London and Montreal, with the facility in Pune, India doing some paint, roto and compositing. “Not sure when I last saw this many creatures on a TV show and it didn’t involve singing,” laughs Framestore VFX supervisor Robert Harrington. “We were lucky to have been deep in the show from
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The creature work was divided between Framestore facilities in London and Montreal
before the cameras first rolled, so we could shape the filming procedures. We made sure there was always a pass where the actors performed with the puppeteers, followed by the same again but without puppets. After that it was all in the edit, so sometimes we had the actors-only version and sometimes it was the puppet version.” Framestore also worked on the feature adaptation which won an Oscar and BAFTA Award for Best Visual Effects. “The Golden Compass [2007] was never an active reference, although it was interesting to watch again and look at the daemon transformations,” states Harrington.
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“HIS DARK MATERIALS IS A GIGANTIC CREATURE SHOW WITH COMPLICATED NUANCED ANIMATION” Russell Dodgson, series VFX supervisor
LOCOMOTION & EMOTION
“A bunch of the crew from the movie have also been working on the TV series.” The technology has greatly evolved since the failed attempt to launch a movie franchise. “It’s like a city that has been built on a city that is built on a city,” notes VFX executive producer James Whitlam (Christopher Robin). “Every now and then you might uncover a cobblestone.” For Dodgson, there is a more important aspect than having more powerful computers and the development of new software. “Fundamentally, visual effects is clever people doing complex things in a computer, often fighting what the computer wants to do.”
Experiences from working on other big creature projects helped to streamline the visual effects process. “We took some of the wins that we had on certain shows and pulled them together,” remarks Whitlam. “There was a redevelopment of the rigging pipeline going into this show that put it on a good footing.” Extensive time was spent on the look development of assets. “The production art department will start off with a concept and we’ll do a paint-over on top of that based on what they’ve told us is and isn’t working,” explains Framestore VFX supervisor Shawn Hillier. “Our visual development department artists can
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“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 description of what and who we were dealing with, it was natural to find out how certain characters would react when put in certain situations. The next task would be how to show that through movement. We needed to start allowing time for characters to think before acting. Or, in some impulsive moments, reflect after acting.”
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Images courtesy of Bad Wolf, New Line Cinema, BBC One, HBO, and Framestore
Most of the animation tests for the CG creatures were split between locomotion and emotion
His Dark Materials
BEARY TRUTHFUL Extensive work went into the bear rig to calibrate real-life actions with the CG performances 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 it was clear that rise-versus-fall was a thing for the performances. We went back to Wales, adjusted the dampers and finetuned things. Clearly, I love a telemetry trace. I believe that the data you get out of something is related to how good the data is that you put into it, so it felt like a great endeavour to chase.”
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His Dark Materials Left: Puppets provided useful on-set lighting and composition references
Below: On the left is a partial interior of the headquarters that houses the Magisterium, which serves as the ruling authority. On the right is the final shot with the CG set extension accentuating the vastness of the structure
produce something in 3D that can be handed off to other departments for finetuning. There’s a night-time shot of a boat going up a river; it was a plate based on a concept but the only thing we kept was the boat, with the other boats, trees, sky and water being CG.” Believable performance CG animals had to believably perform and emote alongside cast members Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Clarke Peters, Lewin Lloyd, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anne-Marie Duff. “We watched a lot of videos of polar bears, dogs and cats to study their movements and behaviour in minute detail, in order to understand and formulate the rules of motion that we would apply when populating our world,” notes Framestore animation supervisor Aulo Licinio. “Our characters also needed to have the capacity to emote without saying a single word. This led us to develop our characters with a more anthropomorphic thought process. Breaking down the motion of an animal face and mixing with something more human was able to give us the ability to stretch emotions and eventually, performances. The reference
“WE STUDIED ANIMAL MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR IN MINUTE DETAIL” Aulo Licinio, Framestore pool just grew and grew. We had our own animators performing to camera, actors and puppeteers on set, online reference, and animal locomotion workshops.” All of the creatures are anatomically correct, highly detailed and can hold up in 4K; when it came to having them convey emotion, the focus was on innate expressions that were usually physically based and eliminating certain basic behaviours such as begging for food and sniffing. In the case of Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), her daemon known as Pantalaimon (Kit Connor) shapeshifts into various animals depending on her emotional state. “We cast all of the animals that we needed off of photography and got puppets made to scale of the key ones,” explains Dodgson. “Transitions were always done through movement. We made sure that all of the different forms of Pan have a streak of white in them so you always get this slight blur 3D WORLD March 2020
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A full-scale balloon basket hanging from a crane was built for Lin-Manuel Miranda who portrays Texan aëronaut Lee Scoresby. CG clouds were created for the aerial scenes
of white as they transition. Lyra is often a certain type of animal [an ermine] so that helped us.” Daemon traits When a child transitions into adulthood, the daemon settles into a singular animal form. “It takes time for that to develop,” observes Whitlam. “As you become an adult, certain parts of your personality are pushed down and others are amplified.” Dodgson used the Chinese calendar to figure out golden monkey traits that still and once existed in Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson). “It was great having Ruth Wilson come in and talk about the golden monkey’s character and the backstory about the two of them growing up,” remarks Harrington. “That was both pretty deep and pretty special.” The actions of the daemon were an effective way to indicate the true mental state of a character. “You can show when Lyra is becoming braver by making her daemon run ahead,” states Dodgson. “Or you can tell when she is really afraid by having Pan hanging back.”
“AS YOU BECOME AN ADULT, PARTS OF YOUR PERSONALITY ARE AMPLIFIED” James Whitlam, VFX executive producer Contrasting physical traits were given to the armoured polar bears Iorek Byrnison (Joe Tandberg) and Iofur Raknison (Joi Johannsson) to distinguish them during their fight. “We did variances with size, groom, texture, wounds and armour as well as with mannerisms and speech,” states Hillier. “We did a loose blocking of each shot to see what works, how we can connect two shots, and then massage from there. “I was surprised when I actually looked at some reference of real bears fighting that the fur really shakes around. But then you add armour which impacts what’s happening and how much jiggle you would put on a bear. It’s a collaborative and evolving process.”
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“It’s fair to say that this is primarily a character show coloured by environments,” notes Whitlam. “There wasn’t a huge call for effects simulations.” The dynamic will change with the adaptation of the second book The Subtle Knife. “Season two is more environment and when the characters do turn up they’re more fantastical, like these Spectres that eat peoples’ souls,” remarks Dodgson. “For our teams, it’s great because the show gives us a variety of work to do.” Hillier is in agreement. “This has been a nice and smooth project,” he says. “Everybody understood that His Dark Materials is a visual effects-heavy show. It has been a big group effort and that helps to make this show magical.”
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN…
Animation supervisor NAME Frankie Stellato
Discover the typical daily work routine of Digital Domain’s experienced animator, 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
rankie 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
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has also devoted time to mentoring the next generation of animators, teaching them the ways of character animation using Autodesk’s Maya. 3D World caught up with Stellato recently to find out about his typical day-to-day routine. 8:00am Generally, I will start my day by catching up on some emails while I get ready for work. On my walk to the office I’ll half-listen to an audiobook while prioritising what tasks I need to tackle as soon as I get in, if there is any. Once in the office, I have somewhere between half an hour to an hour to
Stellato’s workspace, from which he tackles creative challenges, reviews shots with animators, and presents reviewed shots to the overall VFX supervisor
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get those tasks done and prepare for animation dailies. 9:30am At Digital Domain, I find it pays to be artistically and technically proficient in both the upstream and downstream departments. Understanding what all departments need from animation tends to make planning for the entire project much easier and more efficient. With this knowledge, I’ll review shots with animators and give notes that I know make sense for the show and all departments on it. I’ll then curate the list of reviewed shots and
Frankie Stellato
ADVANCING IN ANIMATION Frankie Stellato reveals how he became an animation supervisor and how budding artists can follow in his footsteps A still from Digital Domain’s otherworldly environment work on Aquaman
15:00pm I use Autodesk’s Maya for anything animation related. To review shots with animators I use our in-house review software DMX with RV. On rare occasions, I will open Foundry’s Nuke for small miscellaneous compositing needs in my animation. We have lots of in-house tools specifically for animation at Digital Domain, created by our lovely pipeline supervisors and animation technical directors, that allow us to get our shots done efficiently and effectively.
present them to our VFX supervisor or directly to the client for approval. 11:00am The challenges I face tend to change with every project. That’s what is so great about VFX. Each project is a different puzzle with lots of pieces that make a beautiful picture. Lately, I’m having to give notes on some fairly complex shots and I’m finding interesting challenges in how I word my notes. A note said one way may be perceived in two totally different ways by two different animators. It’s important that I am as clear and concise as possible. 13:00pm The people are the best thing about being an animation supervisor, hands down. I love dealing with people and seeing the amazing things they can do with just the spark of an idea for their shots. It’s really exciting to pull the creativity out of someone when you let them show their take on a particular shot. That’s not to say that all shots have this freedom but a lot can be found in even the simplest looking of shots.
17:00pm The day ends with a review for shots I’d like to send to the client. Once that list is complete and sent off, I will see if any animators have any last-minute questions for me so that they can hit the ground running in the morning. 17:30pm I have many ways of unwinding after work. I play video games, watch movies and TV shows. I’m also learning Unity, C# and Blender while working on some simple games. I know that sounds like work but it’s a different kind of creative outlet for me.
“I LOVE DEALING WITH PEOPLE AND SEEING THE AMAZING THINGS THEY CAN DO WITH JUST THE SPARK OF AN IDEA”
The team at Digital Domain created highly detailed digital humans for the video game Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
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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 new information from it is very important. Also, knowing more than animation or being even slightly aware of other disciplines really allows an animator to have an overall understanding of a shot from all departments. It helps you plan your shot and gives you an eye for what the final shot will look like well before you are done. What advice can you give to artists that may want to become an animation supervisor? Don’t be afraid of doing technical stuff here and there, as this is an industry of art and technology combined. It also allows you to be more self-sufficient and productive. Be kind, humble and patient as you are working with people to create something that communicates with people at an emotional level. How can young artists get themselves noticed by an animation supervisor? Work hard, find the excitement in every shot, keep practising and don’t be discouraged if things don’t go your way the first few times. I really do believe that if you set goals and work hard enough on those goals you’ll eventually get there. Hard work, persistence and drive don’t go unnoticed.
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PRO THOUGHTS
Speeding up fluid FX simulations Igor Zanic, freelance FX artist and co-founder of online school Rebelway, shares his thoughts on the Adaptive FLIP solver in Houdini 18
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 timesavings 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 have a powerful workstation and they don’t think about these things so much, but trust me even on a powerful workstation, some demanding simulations can be slow. An Adaptive solver is solved on an adaptive (octree) background grid to significantly improve performance over solving with a uniform grid. In order to maintain highresolution details in the simulation, a band of fine grid cells are constructed along the boundaries of the fluid. The grid is then progressively coarsened into the interior of the fluid. To minimise the difference between the adaptive and uniform grid pressure solves, the adaptive pressure is upsampled and smoothed back to the uniform grid before updating the velocity field. An Adaptive solver helps on FLIP tank setups and it can speed up your simulation up to 1.5x-3x, but keep in mind that to gain the most out of Adaptive, you should have proper depth in your simulation. A shallow
river will not benefit that much from Adaptive, compared to a large ocean with 5m-20m depth tank. On a shallow example, there is no room for Adaptive to happen. I did a lot of comparison examples where you can see how non-Adaptive and Adaptive work on the same shots, and where it is better to use one over the other. In the past, large simulations with deep tank (e.g. a submarine emerging from the water, or a huge animated monster) would be a nightmare to sim. Those required a lot
Igor: Software can now do amazing things; artists really push boundaries and make beautiful artwork. For me, in terms of water simulation, all of these tools give you 80 per cent, sometimes even less, of what you need. Big studios have their own solution; they have people and resources to make everything that they need, but for the single artist, that can be a big problem sometimes. I understand that software developers need to focus on the entire software package and they want to add all new stuff and support many artists, but from my point of view, that can be a problem because you just do base support or make tools that cover some aspects, but problems may arise if you want to do something else, or it is not supported at the moment. I would like something along the lines of a complete setup or a setup that is more optimised and polished. You need to do something, but you need to use several applications, so even simple tasks can be a nightmare to do, because you don’t have tools and support in the current software version. I would select one task, and see what is needed to achieve them, and try to make support for everything that is needed. Then, the artist can try and see if it is possible to use the same tech and support different examples, or if something further needs to be added.
of memory and CPU power. With Adaptive, that is now easier to solve and allows for more detailed simulations.
3D World: Over the years you have worked on many different projects, with many clients. What still drives your passion today? What would be your dream project?
3D World: You are well respected in the FX community for your meticulous testing and mastery of fluid FX simulations, not only in Houdini but other capable packages. Where would you say FX tools are most lacking in, and what would you like to have created or improved?
Igor: In the past, there were a lot of things that were very hard to do or even impossible, because of software and hardware limitations. Big studios had a lot of hardware support and also amazing people that wrote and still write in-house tools. But as a freelancer, you just didn’t
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Pro thoughts
have that power. Today, it is a lot easier. You have tools and hardware that are cheaper and more powerful, and that really give you a lot of freedom. So I always look back and see what I did or what I wanted to do. Things like movies and other people’s work that pushed me into this industry – what I could not do before, I now have the chance to make them. So I try every day. When I do projects and personal work, I learn a lot from it, and try to push and do better next time. As for a dream job, that’s something that is for me hard to say. I would like to work in the studio on a large-scale water project, working alongside other artists and learning from them. On the other hand, I would like to make something on my own, and leave a mark on the community. Working in the studio is amazing, but you do what they tell you and how they want, which is fine. But when you do your personal work, it is your vision and you put your body, mind, heart and soul into that artwork. Most of the time people think, ‘ahhh, it’s too hard to do at
“AN ADAPTIVE SOLVER HELPS ON FLIP TANK SETUPS AND IT CAN SPEED UP YOUR SIMULATION UP TO 1.5X-3X” home, don’t waste your time’. But artists can do amazing stuff at home. 3D World: Aside from learning all the different controls/parameters (and there are quite a few), what advice can you give about being patient, persistent and motivated? Igor: Because there are many parameters that a user can change, which can impact the look of your simulation, they might give you different looks depending on what kind of task you need to do. I always like to spend a few more days exploring how settings work on the current task, no matter how many sims I did in the past. I know which parameters I can use, but still you learn a
lot when you test them all over again; in this way you create your own library of tests that you can use in future projects. Also an important thing for me is that many people tell you this parameter will do that or this, but sometimes it’s really hard to visualise, so performing comparison tests and learning from them can save you a lot of time later. I know artists don’t like to do that, because it takes time; sometimes I do more than 200+ compare tests in one week, but for me that’s fun, and many times I got some new ideas from just seeing what I did the day before. Challenge yourself every day, and try to make the best out of it. Sometimes it will not work, but that’s fine – just relax and try another day.
The Adaptive FLIP solver improves the performance of fluid simulations, making the process far quicker and easier For more information, visit igorfx.com/hou_ adaptive_flip 3D WORLD March 2020
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My office consists of a mixed hybrid setup of iMac Pro for video and Windows machines for 3D. I have a bespoke standing desk which I have used for years
MEET THE ARTIST
Mike Griggs We chat to the veteran digital artist about his career journey and work life
ver since I can remember, I have been fascinated by how images on screens were made. When I was very young, I thought that the BBC must have had a time machine, as it was the only way that it could have shown Star Trek and the original version of Poldark after each other. After I learned the sad truth that, unfortunately, the licence fee wasn’t being used in such a fashion, I endeavoured to find out how these shows were really made and then utilised that knowledge to build a career which has been as eclectic as it has been fun.
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Do you have a background in 3D design or are you self taught? I have a degree in Interior Architecture from Manchester Metropolitan University. This was mainly because of an aptitude I had developed in my art foundation course in spatial design. I used that to land me my first job in museum and interpretation design at a small London agency in 1995. After moving to a much larger agency in 1998, I was allowed to combine my hobby of computer graphics with my day job as I had been learning Strata Studio Pro, an early 3D visualisation program. I was allowed to create the preview renders for the Dynamic Earth Centre in Edinburgh.
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How do you keep things fresh? The best way I have found to keep things fresh as well as maintain a career momentum is to say yes to nearly every opportunity that comes through the door. With experience, you can start to sniff out the clients or projects that could be difficult. Thankfully however, since I went freelance in 2012 the work that I have had has been both varied and fun with an exciting range of clients. I have deliberately maintained myself as a ‘jack of all trades’. The main reason for this is to keep me on my toes. I have a ‘magpie’ brain; I am always looking at how to combine toolsets, to create new and more
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Mike Griggs
This biplane was the focal point of a memorable mixedmedia video that a colleague and I created for the Science Museum Sackler Gallery
efficient workflows, both for myself and by extension, my clients. That is the challenge that gets me up every morning. This had led to a career of ‘problemsolving’ digital content issues from pitches for TV ads, international exhibition concepts and websites, to animating and rendering a wide range of motion work and filming and editing documentaries. How would you describe a typical work day? My typical day is based in my home office studio, which is separate from the family home, which helps make it feel like ‘work’. I try to be in the ‘office’ at 7.30am, where I can get an hour or so of work in before I potentially need to take the kids to school or walk the dog. Then I work from 9.30 until around noon; the morning is usually when I try to schedule calls for UK-based clients. Then the afternoon is 1pm-6/7pm, with the occasional break for dinner or picking the kids up from school.
“I’VE KEPT THINGS FRESH BY SAYING YES TO NEARLY EVERY OPPORTUNITY” If there is nothing pressing I will then try to leave the ‘office’, and only have access to work via an iPad or iPhone. It is then family time and relaxation which involves typically far too many hours on video games or YouTube. If work is pressing, I will work in the evenings, but I usually try to be done by 10.30pm. How long have you been creating in 3D and what software do you use? I have been creating ‘stuff’ in 3D since the late 1980s; I had an Amiga 500 when I was a kid and was overjoyed when I managed to create an extruded shape. I did not use much 3D software in college, and what we were taught was CAD based, which I hated.
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Instead, I focused on 2D apps like Adobe Photoshop and PageMaker, as I could use these to augment my drawn 3D work and this ‘slap and dash’ approach served me well for many years. In terms of 3D software used when I went to work for agencies, I moved through Strata Studio Pro, LightWave and 3ds Max. I then left 3D for a few years. This was to work more in new media and advertising using After Effects. In 2005 I came back to concept visualisation, so I relearned LightWave, and then very quickly transitioned to Modo. In around 2009 I could see that I needed something more. I invested in fxphd training for Cinema 4D and Maya; I fell in love with Cinema 4D and that’s been my bedrock ever since.
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Meet the artist
How do you approach a typical project? The great thing, as well as the most stressful thing, about the way I work is that there does not tend to be a ‘typical’ project. That being said, I still have some rules that I apply to creating motion work, whether in 3D, motion graphics or just a plain edit. The first rule is to get a timing animatic created at the very first opportunity, ideally with music and if required, a voiceover. As many of my clients are not familiar with the technical process in creating the work, giving them an early preview of the work, even if it’s just a storyboard frame placed together in an edit, with my voice as a VO, is essential. This timing animatic, which I usually host on the review platform frame.io, gives everyone in the project something that they can look at quickly to make sure the messaging is correct. From then on, it is just a case of filling in the scratch footage, with CGI or graphics as required. Another handy thing about having the animatic is that it allows me the opportunity to time 3D animation. This gives me an early indication of the frames that will be required for the final render. Could you tell us a bit about your current studio setup? I run a hybrid macOS and Windows platform studio, as I have found that there is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ OS for the full range of creative work that I am asked to create. My macOS workflow is centred around a 10-core iMac Pro. I use macOS for all of my video, photography and 2D Mograph work. The Windows side is three PCs, two desktops and a Razer 15-inch laptop. I use the laptop as my primary 3D machine, and the desktops as a 6 GPU Redshift render farm managed by AWS Thinkbox Deadline. I use the laptop for Cinema 4D, VR and anything that requires 3D, as there is no getting around the fact that with a few exceptions most 3D software just works better on Windows. There have been some instances when the iMac Pro has been useful for Cinema 4D especially when volume modelling, and I look forward to seeing how Redshift works on a Mac with
Even though I buy books now exclusively on digital, that does not mean I don’t have the requisite artist library
Metal support when it is released, which is hopefully soon. How often do you sketch? Not enough is the simple answer. Still, I do enjoy photography, especially since switching back to Fuji cameras a year ago. I find photography is both relaxing, keeps me looking at the world and aids in my understanding of composition. With the advent of GPU rendering, understanding scale and how light works with aperture and focal length is a critical skill to keep honed when not at my desk.
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As for sketching, when I do it, it is usually on my iPad Pro with Procreate or similar, as to be honest I am more likely to have that to hand than a sketchbook. I have trained myself not to compare my sketching with contemporaries, which is a route to misery, and instead just enjoy sketching for what it is, a means of relaxation.
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How often do you work on your personal portfolio? I try to update my showreel at least once a year. As for personal work, I have found that with the demands of a young family and my work schedule that is something that
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MY FAVOURITE PROJECT Mike Griggs discusses one of the highlights of his career so far
I need to put on the back foot. I have been lucky with the clients that I work with that if I want to sneak in a technique or skill set that I want to use, on the whole, they are receptive. Usually though I do not tell them, and just make sure that they are happy with the results. Going forward, is there a dream project that you would like to work on? I would love to create more training, I have been dabbling with my YouTube channel and want to do more. I also would like to see a bit more of the world. I have been lucky to attend NAB working for a client, which was a great way to both get to know the client as well as meet more fellow artists and designers and realise how lucky we are to be doing what we are doing. This can be easy to forget when you are stuck in the studio
on a rainy day in the middle of winter with a pressing deadline. What advice would you have for anyone wanting to get into CGI? My main advice is to just start making CGI. There has never been a better time to become a CGI artist. Tools like Blender, Blackmagic Design Resolve, and Epic Unreal Engine and Unity, mean that a complete digital content creation suite can be downloaded for free and will work on practically any computer. Having a young family, it is reassuring to see that they are taught tools like Scratch at a young age, which helps get over the fear of computers. I am constantly amazed at what a great free resource online training on YouTube and others has become for artists of any skill level. So if you want to do what I do, stop reading this and start making.
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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-thescenes 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 is pushing technology, in many cases, to the limits. The fact that these amazingly gifted people can ‘magic’ up the tools we use is a constant revelation. For that, I will always be grateful to 3D World.
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Pro thoughts
PRO THOUGHTS
How VFX helped me become a better filmmaker Ali Al-Tobi on why his training and FX experience goes hand in hand with his short films here 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, thanks to the accessibility of affordable visual effects
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tools, we also have the option of creating worlds limited only by our imagination. For example, in 2018 I directed a short film titled Lacuna, which featured a metallic hollow human statue coming to life and playing the piano for a live-action actor. Without VFX, this task would be deemed impossible for such a contained project; the alternative probably would have involved a lengthy and costly process of sculpting and then handanimating a real-life model frame by frame, or using expensive animatronics. However, we solved the problem by utilising motioncapture data we recorded ourselves and a detailed CG model which could be tweaked even days before release, all with a small budget and crew. As a result, my film could remain faithful to my original vision without having to sacrifice any major plot points. In 2017, I shot my half-hour long drama film The Deceitful Love, which at the start
Ali is a Norwegian director and FX TD currently
FYI working in the UK at Outpost VFX
A shot from the short film Lacuna, directed by Ali Al-Tobi 3D WORLD March 2020
of production did not have any visual effects work planned. However, several inconsistencies and mistakes arose upon revision of the footage. My knowledge of visual effects allowed me to quickly weigh up the cost of reshooting compared to the cost of VFX work. I ultimately ended up uttering the words that no one likes to hear, “We’ll fix it in post”. Subsequently, almost 40 shots required some form of post manipulation – this included VFX such as adding blood, scars, set replacements and other clean-up work. These tasks added a few more weeks to the post-production time, but saved me a substantial amount of money and time for planning if I had decided to reshoot these scenes. It has become clear in my own experience how vital some knowledge of the VFX pipeline has been in my ability to direct effectively. Equally, my understanding of directing has also played a key role in my ability to deliver purposeful FX work. I am confident we will always see a fair bit of overuse of VFX within filmmaking – particularly in bigger-budget cinema – however that should not colour the opinion we have of the part VFX has to play in storytelling. Working with a small budget has taught me to only use VFX when it is absolutely essential to the film, and I believe this should be the case for all cinema.
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Villainous VFX
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Villainous VFX How German VFX studio Trixter powered the twisted superhero story Brightburn
t’s a familiar comic book tale: a small spaceship, carrying an infant boy, crash-lands on a farm and a married couple raise him as their own. Then, as he grows up, the boy begins to exhibit incredible powers. Brightburn borrows these iconic narrative beats, but as he matures the confused and angry boy begins to act out and harness his powers for evil. The filmmakers behind Brightburn turned to German VFX studio Trixter to ensure that the film’s limited budget did not compromise its quality, and that viewers were sold on its dark vision. Trixter was the primary VFX vendor on Brightburn, handling the vast majority of shots. VFX producer Christine Resch
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adds that the initial talks about Trixter’s involvement on the film came from a positive working relationship with producer James Gunn. “We already had a very close connection to him through working on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2,” she says. “He approached us with Brightburn, and we worked on the entire range from set supervision all the way to VFX in post.” With remote studios like Trixter on the rise, Gunn and director Dave Yarovesky felt confident in their choice. Tools now exist that make far-flung, real-time visual communication possible. When Resch and VFX supervisor Dietrich Hasse were on set in Atlanta, they used cineSync to keep in touch with the home team. “As the
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supervisor and I were working on set, we were still discussing ideas with the crew that we already had set up in Munich and presenting them to the client,” Resch adds. “cineSync was really helpful to actually share ideas as we were going on set, just on the go.” An immense amount of look development took place on the project, for which cineSync proved a critical tool. “When we were discussing details like lighting in the background or dust particles, it was good to just really be on the same page with a tiny little spot on the image,” explains Resch. “There was a lot of destruction, dust particles and effects going on. For anything that involved a laser, the development of the effect was very intense. There’s so many
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Villainous VFX Top left: A graphic shot of glass in a character’s eye required multiple layers of VFX to look realistic Middle left: Shots involving lasers underwent extensive research and development to achieve the desired look
“THERE WAS A LOT OF DESTRUCTION, DUST PARTICLES AND EFFECTS GOING ON” Christine Resch, VFX producer different ways that you can approach a laser shooting out of eyes.” During one particularly graphic scene the viewer is shown a close-up of a woman pulling glass shards out of her eye. The team at Trixter wanted this sequence to look and feel as lifelike as possible. “There’s actually a lot of different layers put together,” says Resch, “and it was really important for us to see how we would handle it and light it, to make sure it was as realistic as possible.”
Other sequences required Trixter to develop intricate digital doubles of actors Jackson Dunn and Elizabeth Banks. They worked from scans of the actors, as well as close-up images of the boy’s mask to ensure that the digital results matched the physical sources. This ultimately allowed the studio more flexibility to deliver on Yarovesky’s vision. “We needed a lot of creativity and the freedom to work on ideas that came up in post, so we wanted to make sure we had all
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the possibilities that we needed afterwards for approaching these shots. You obviously can’t have a little boy smashing out of a house,” says Resch. Brightburn proved to be a one-of-a-kind project for Trixter, and was a chance to have fun exploring some dark and thoroughly intense subject matter. “Just to see it come together from the onset, where we were sharing our first layout and concept ideas through cineSync, and then going to the final image and seeing it put all together,” recalls Resch. “Having shots like a head exploding with laser blasts or a jaw falling off, you don’t get to do that every day. Like someone drawing a little piece of flesh and someone else shouting, ‘make it extra gory!’ It was a lot of fun.”
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Creating a cinematic nightmare
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Creating a cinematic nightmare How a combination of visual and practical effects helped director Freddy Chávez Olmos make his latest terrifying short uérmete Niño, the latest horror short from director Freddy Chávez Olmos, has its terrifying origins rooted in a real life experience. “I had a very weird recurring nightmare when my first daughter was born,” Olmos explains. “At one particular moment, in my dream, the baby I was carrying in my arms wasn’t her. It was a horrific creature with multiple baby heads and limbs. It was a bizarre image that freaked me out, but I used it as inspiration.” It took four years to develop the original concept, with all the pieces coming together after the project received a push from the prestigious Canadian Harold Greenberg Fund. This allowed Olmos to bring in producer Victoria Burkhart, known for her work on films such as Chappie and Elysium. The film features a combination of makeup and visual effects, lending it an air
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Mexico City-based studio Ollin VFX of authenticity and old-school aesthetic. were brought onboard to create CG “I have always been an evangelist when it enhancements for the creature’s arms and comes to combining practical, makeup and facial expressions. The team at Ollin also digital effects in horror films,” adds Olmos. added details like blinking eyes, facial “I didn’t want to have a full CG creature deformations and a right from the concept tongue to the demonic stages. I wanted the film creature. “Once the to feel more organic.” shot was filmed, Freddy To help realise his sent us our scene – shot vision Olmos kept all the with a reference puppet lighting imperfections crafted by Amazing Ape and jerky movements that Productions,” explains can only be achieved with a camera in the film. The Freddy Chávez Olmos, director Alejandro Diego, executive producer use of an animatronic and co-founder of Ollin creature, designed by VFX. “We animated the babies, created the Amazing Ape Productions, in the film’s demon’s head and its tongue, and integrated terrifying final moments helped to bolster the old-school aesthetic. “It came with some the three of them into the horrific final scene. Working with Chávez Olmos was limitations of course, that’s when the digital very straightforward because he comes enhancements came into play,” says Olmos.
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“I WANTED THE FILM TO FEEL MORE ORGANIC”
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Creating a cinematic nightmare
Duérmete Niño can be seen, along with more information and a behind-thescenes gallery, at dnshortfilm.com
from the visual effects industry – we speak the same language.” The short’s fear-inducing title sequence saw Vancouver-based Kalos Studios work on layout and dynamics, as well as 3D scanning the crucifix prop used on set. Image Engine helped supervise the on-set capturing of VFX data, HDRs and lens charts. “This was particularly important as the title shot became fully CG and this data came in handy for reference,” adds Olmos. Chun Seong Ng, head of 3D at Barnstorm VFX, elaborates on how the dynamic sequence was achieved: “We worked with Freddy to create a dynamic camera move extension based on the static plate to enhance the visual impact on the audience. In order to pull that off, we used Mari to import the camera from Maya and project the original EXR plate to recreate the background in CG. Once Freddy approved the timing, we rendered
the shot with Redshift and passed it onto the compositing team.” Various invisible effects throughout the film were created by Pixel Perfect in Mexico, “these consisted of removing unwanted objects from the shots and fixing some of the practical issues we had on set,” explains Olmos. For example, in the numerous shots involving real babies the crew had difficulty getting them to sleep, so their eyes and mouths were fixed during post-production. Eden Muñoz, compositing artist and cofounder of Pixel Perfect, adds: “We worked on 29 shots mainly consisting of invisible visual effects like removing unwanted objects from the scenes, especially artefacts that might show up as anachronisms, like thermostats and light switches.” A total of five studios collaborated to bring Duérmete Niño to life in a stylishly shot, tense film that builds to a chilling conclusion straight out of Olmos’ nightmare.
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We explore the latest software and hardware tools to see if they are worth your time or money
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
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A new access door on the back lets users upgrade RAM and the SSD
HARDWARE REVIEW
Wacom MobileStudio Pro PRICE £3,200
| COMPANY Wacom | WEBSITE wacom.com
Intel i7 processor NVIDIA Quadro P1000 GPU with 4GB RAM User-upgradeable RAM and SSD Three-angle removable stand
lmost 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 were possible, as the latest version is ostensibly the same. It turns out quite a few changes have been made. Starting off with the physical product you’ll find a very familiar tablet computer. It’s heavy but smooth, good looking and is thinner than a similarly specced laptop. Modern devices have for the most part dropped old-style USB ports and that is evident
A
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here, with three USB-C ports on one end, with the opposite housing the power, volume and an SD card slot. The bezel is sized to allow a useable amount of palm contact, making for a comfortable experience, and best of all Wacom have included a three-position stand that can be left on or removed very simply. This was a sore point in early versions, so its inclusion here is very welcome. What’s more, the design is clever but strong, so you can happily lean on it when at your desk with every confidence it will support you. The screen retains its 4K resolution, under a lovely etched screen. This is important as it minimises the distance between your stylus
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nib and the pixels, delivering very little parallax, the effect of an ‘air’ gap that can ruin a drawing experience. Of course there is also multi-touch support, which is switchable to prevent accidental input while using the Pro Pen 2 (Wacom’s finest standard stylus. There is also a version for 3D artists that has a different button layout). The specification of the 16inch version is pretty high for a mobile device, driven by the Intel i7 chip and supported very well by a 4GB NVIDIA Quadro P1000 graphics card – plenty for heavy Photoshop sessions and 3D work on the move. I ran Blackmagic’s Resolve/Fusion without any issues, even with pretty dense node setups, and Cinema 4D runs very smoothly indeed. One note here is that,
A stylus holder can be clipped in place to prevent loss
The built-in three-angle stand is removable but solidly built and strong
although a stylus is great and the pop-up software keyboard is fine, I would recommend a Bluetooth keyboard for extended work sessions. There really is no way around a good set of keyboard shortcuts for certain types of work. One of the big changes to this release is the ‘backdoor’ accessory to the device’s internals, which allows for userupgradeable RAM and SSD. It ships with a 256GB M.2 drive and 16GB of RAM – a healthy amount, but there will be those who prefer more. I’d say this was a good amount for most users however, so don’t expect to need to upgrade soon. Just know you can and give thanks to Wacom for providing the opportunity, after quite a while.
Back to the display. While it retains its excellent clarity and brightness it also still has only 85% Adobe RGB accuracy. That might not seem great but for most users there will be no discernible difference. That said, it has to be mentioned, as if you are working in a colour-accurate pipeline it could be a decisive factor in your purchasing. I really think though, that if you are working in a colour-critical space, then you will have the appropriate hardware for it and a mobile workstation such as this will be an addition, not the core. The surface of the glass is smooth, deals with glare very well and, most importantly for many, feels good. The way a stylus interacts with a surface can make or break the 3D WORLD March 2020
“THE BEZEL ALLOWS A USEABLE AMOUNT OF PALM CONTACT, MAKING FOR A COMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE” experience of digital drawing and painting and Wacom have almost always got this right. The MobileStudio Pro carries this on, with a very slight texture that gives just the right amount of traction to the nib. As a touch interface it works very well too, so all bases are covered there. One last note is the power supply. This is a wall wart, transformer-based unit, as you would expect, and powers the Wacom with a decent length of cable. It also provides enough power to both run the tablet and charge the batteries, which
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then give around 4-6 hours use on the move. In real terms this turned out to be an average 5.5 hours using Cinema 4D, although I did disable Wi-Fi for this. Not bad at all. All that remains is the cost. This isn’t a cheap device but if you are a working pro artist, who needs to work on the move or is looking for a versatile machine for their main computer, then this is worth exploring. The ability to upgrade adds a very welcome level of future proofing.
VERDICT
Modelling
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Modelling
Lorenzo Dragotto lorenzodrag8.artstation.com Incredible 3D artists take us
behind their artwork
MODELLING Generally for this type of work I will look for good reference images on various websites that deal with architecture. With the help of floor plans and layouts, I model the structure in Maya,
trying to simplify the forms as much as possible and not add too many details. This leaves the scene clean and keeps the polycount light. Once I finish building the model I add all the detail in Lumion.
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Lorenzo is 28 and comes from Valle dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aosta in northern Italy. He has a master's in 3D graphics and VFX.
Chalet Cabin 2019 Software Maya, Photoshop, Lumion
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