₦airaland Forum

alrite. Makes a lotta sense.
One gray scene coming up!

Havent started texturing yet.
Just slapped on the default wood texture-didnt even map it.
Wanted a contrast with d bookcase- guess i shld stick 2 mattes til i formally start texturing.

Was experimenting with d lighting 2 determine d level of detail additional elements need-since d lights will go off at some point.
I wanta focus on d animation not modeling for dis one.

I guess i should follow some creative order afterall, instead of ping-ponging about.

Will render from an alternate POV so u can beta assess d perspective n scales.

yeah, looney tunes is a closer approximation,dats y i cld squash d cabinet.

Have a busy day so will prolly post updates much later.
Again, thanx 4 ur input.
Ud make a good creative director (like u arent already.lol)

something i should have pointed out earlier-
the entire animation plays a little faster than normal.
i had to adjust the keyframes to keep the file size under 200kb.

its approx 20-25% faster than it should be.
if u have a video app, u cld scale d clip speed to about 75-80%.

will upload the final clip with the proper speed on youtube, or some other site.
but thats still a long way down the road.

okay, on to the character,

okay
before i bite off mo' than i can chew in one mouthful-
i think i will stick with these as my key elements.

i experimented with a rough draft of the lighting for the office scene to see if it captures d mood.
wot dy'all think?
im not going for a NASA space centre, so i may stick with this for now- pending any suggestions from y'all.

i just included a retractable work surface, shutters on the windows with panels that slide down to reveal flat lcd tvs.
seriously trying to balance between reality n suspension of disbelief in creating these elements.

i think i will plop our chap in there and see how he interacts.

@ xothermik
thanx. but i also need ideas on how/areas 2 improve it.
u know ur qualified.

d revised bookcase-to-cabinet morph.

now this i like-a more detailed analysis.

@AdamuW
great input.
Am purposely keeping d camera static so d flaws stand out.

I totally feel u on d cabinet morph thing.(guess i now know how d creators of transformers felt)

i wanted a morph style different from d chairs, but cartoony or not-i think d cabinet needs revisiting. I get ur 'thin air' feel-unless d old bookcase is a hologram. Lol
Maybe i will try spinning d shelves 2 achieve d morph (any ideas, ppl?)

d chair still needs to move a bit, as d new legs form, the whole structure should react-
so i am easing on tweaking d character til i am done with d chairs final motion.
Guess i cldnt wait to see how the scene played with an actual character.

Pls dont hold d punches, WIP or not-id rather hear input when its a WIP than have u hack my finished work.
U may just have an idea that i wldnt have thot of or dat is easier to implement at an earlier stage. (so u all feel free to suggest any areas of refinement needed)

Besides if u suggest something i was already planning to do anyways- no harm done.
Will revisit d cabinet later 2nite.
Will post d revised morph clips for assessment when im done.

Thanx.

latest updates.
just moved the file cabinet around n did a ruff animation with a character sitting on d chair.

been up thru d nite- gatta grab some shut eye.

@ zpixel
thnx, but surely something can be improved upon.
i dont mind criticism.

okay.
i have added an animated shader to the chair to simulate the transition from wood to leather.
the scene now includes a wooden storage bookcase which also undergoes transformation to a steel file cabinet.

still loads of tweaking to be done, but i wanta get a feel of the whole sequence first.
i am itching to put a character on that chair- i think i will do dat next!

and hey, because this is a personal learning project, i am not following strict rules regarding storyboarding or the general creative process. i am just working on the fly.

okay.
these r clips from a personal animation learning project i am working on. just using it to hone my skills (in my free time)

the plot is simply this:

a bumbling chap is shown into a plain looking office which is actually the HQ of a secret agency.
while his host is out, he unwittingly hits a button that starts the office morph- transforming it from the simple room into a high-tech office.


my focus is on timing, reaction and a smooth cartoony character animation.

my first task was 2 create various office equipment, morph targets and experiment with the animation morph of various equipment.

comments r welcome as is participation (with this or any other storyline)
such personal projects really helps improve personal skill- i recommend it, and if the end product is good enuff; it adds to ur portfolio.

will be posting clips as i work.

here goes guys.
i am about to present a viewpoint that maynt go down well- pls bear in mind that i seek not to offend.

first off, the moderator aside from controlling unsuitable content simply moderates. i dont think he is responsible for creating the content as well. lol
dats 4 those who think hes to blame for the state of the forum.

i do think tho, that certain threads should be kept sticky for a long time- and dats his responsibility.

and hey, u dont need to be a moderator to bring woteva u think can help the forum to the table. go ahead n implement it or email him ur thots.
ive chatted with him a couple of times n hes remarkably open 2 ideas (albeit very busy).
dats 4 those who think changing him/getting elected themselves achieves anything.

this is a public forum, it evolves a life force of its own- and it feeds off everyones individual input.
u cannot hold a discussion on how to revive it- just do woteva u think will work to achieve woteva it is dat u want.
and mind u- we all want different things from it.

i started a 2d/3d art gallery primarily to serve as a talent pool for my firm and other companies out there seeking to recruit.
threads are started to satisfy a need, not just to retain activity.
if it serves a purpose- it survives and builds a following as long as d need exists.

the aim of the forum is to add value, not merely be a busy one. (atleast thats wot i want. im sure the site owners wont mind settling for just major traffic- thanx to AdSense. lol)

personally id rather visit here and see 2 posts (2 months apart) that add value to my game, than have to scroll through 5 pages of fun crap.
but thats just me- even the concept of 'crap' is relative.

artists are busy people- atleast the good ones are.
having the time to even pop in here daily says something about either ur commitment to the forum or ur work schedule (or lack of it. lol)
wheres moondust, jydekris, grafikdon etc?
dats 4 those who think active participation means posting or commenting on most topics. (if u can do dat, ure either Clark Kent or ur not very good)

but seriously, just post woteva- natural selection does the rest.
i think its been captured by someone already- if ur post interests someone, he/she will comment.
if ur art inspires a comment u will get it.

so enuff with the talk, d great thing is that an opinion was expressed and it mirrored the larger sentiment of the house.
just act on ur ideas, some will work- some wont.

r u also going to enforce participation?
participate in da challenge or u r banned!!!
hilarious!

u can post a controversial topic in, say, d romance section, and dat will give u lots of activity and participation, but hey, this is ART, people!!

let ur work do the talking.
hmmm. nice byline- let ur work do the work!

guys, while all the mild rebukes on this and other threads in this forum makes for an interesting and often amusing read (atleast to me.lol)
lets not forget, its d art not the artist or his methods that is up 4 crtique.

contrary to the generally expressed sentiment, there is no 'due process' in art creation.
creativity is not restricted by 'process'. it is unbound and indeed it needs to be, 2 thrive.

all the artistic greats whose methods we study or teach 2day were naturally inspired and had different techniques to the same art.
organised knowledge/teaching merely equips a true artist with the tools to express the extraordinary or the 'untaught' within him/her.

all dat baloney about 'due process' refers to presentation NOT creation.
it doesnt matter wot great artistic meaning lies behind ur design/color choice etc. if the same meaning is not immediately apparent to the average non-artistic joe on the street- who afterall is the final consumer. unless u r not talking about commercial art (which i think is d subject)

most times, the brief may even restrict several artistic choices u, the artist may want to make.
like flagship said- in such a case, u let intuition guide u n balance between artistic, practical n wot ur client wants.

lets quit trying to prove we are pros n just talk art n learn from each other.
i know professional bickering is a constant among artists, but lets tone it down- or atleast make it constructive.

my thots, n no offense meant.

@ osasp
sori. but who was ur comment directed at?
flagship or smartsoft?

hang in there guys.
this is natural selection sorting out the pack.
every forum goes thru teething problems. lol

big ups,guys!

@AdamuW/ Xothermik
would rather send my thots via private correspondence if dats ok?

@ all especially flagship

my opinions:
if it takes a newbie 2 hours to create a work of art that u, (a pro) can produce in 5 minutes- it doesnt give u the right to 'diss' the work or classify it in a negative light.
art is subjective, and different levels of artistic expression inspire different levels of artists.
if someones artistic expression is too rudimentary for you- let it be, it may be inspiring to another artist.
(personally i would hang most Picasso's in my toilet where it wouldnt see daylight. lol)

i have read negative comments posted by some of u that could equally apply to the works u urselves have posted. (everyone has a margin for improvement)

tutorials and challenges ( i prefer that word to competitions) are a great motivation for artists to improve.
it is employed globally as a learning tool.

art does not exist without technique, discovering technique, in fact, serves as the key to unlocking the secrets of great art.
recently, new technology unlocked the key to DaVinci's layering technique of painting - providing artists with greater understanding and skill.
and where better to discuss technique than the graphics section.

if u want to just post ur works of art, i believe there is a gallery thread set up for that purpose.
the graphics section is a multi-purpose section- serving several functions, including annoying sales of hardware, soliciting for jobs etc. lol

my advice, just keep posting whatever.
natural selection sorts out the pack - allowing excellence rise to the top, naturally.

ignore posts that u find irrelevant, it may be another persons long-awaited solution.
with increased action and activity on all our parts + tolerance for all - the section will awaken.

my opinions, mind.

@ flagship

flagship:
if we want our precious Nigerian forum back there is only one way. we gotta stop trying to impress and instead look to inspiring.

u cannot be inspired if u are not impressed.
no offense meant, cos i believe u mean well, but there are many points in ur arguments that are just slightly misaligned.

flagship:
a good first step for the person who wants to take this work seriously is to go on all the popular artist sites on deviant art and immerse himself in the appreciation of real art. with the appreciation alive in your consciousness, the next step will be to go online and read more tutorials and books on your desired software of choice.

but this is only one part. you gotta have a bevy of friend or appraisers(who appreciate art of course, no the average nigeiran who is satisfied with wot woteva is created on a computer) who critique your work once they are complete.

that is precisely what the same people who u condemn their efforts and discourage from posting have been doing.
or dont u figure that this graphics section can be that place where their art is critiqued and they are tutored?
this is not an exclusive club for advanced practitioners only.

one can start an 'advanced artists gallery' if one feels so inclined.
but believe me, there will always be greater artists who will view ones 'advanced artwork'  as chicken scrawl. so who decides truly great or deserving art? even excellence is relative!

nuffsaid!

@ AdamuW
awesome!

AdamuW:
It’s a mix. You need those who will do the crazy, risky, ‘let’s show the world we can do just for the hell of it projects because they creatively and technically push things. You also need those who are more focused on the business, investment attraction and political side of things to ensure there is a sustainable future to the industry. A chicken and egg scenario! People will know what stage they are at. Having said all that, we could all communicate more and the synergy could happen in more subtle ways behind the scenes.

i guess that about nails it. the mix for success.
the challenge now boils down to finding the specific people.

@ digidamage
yeah. this topic has to matter to any progressive mind.

investors abound, u just have to professionally package ur idea and prove to them ur no windbag.
ur main challenges will actually begin after u get the money, and wish to start production- u'll be amazed at how undisciplined we can be regarding output!
and the industry is growing- all be it at snail pace.

i have a pal whose theory for accelerated growth is to invite a bunch of foreign artists, set up studios and let them churn out stuff.
he favors Canada where animation, for instance, is taught as part of some schools curriculum.
he argues that if u choose relatively young chaps- those AdamuW classifies as wanting to creatively push things, ur costs wont be too high, and they are adaptable.
his theory is that the market will be more favorable to output created with foreigners input.
that idea brings up the racist in me, but i wonder if his plan has any merit?

thanks guys. great input, has broadened my views.

@ AdamuW
great input. and no, it wasnt a long post- in fact long posts are welcome!
this is an important issue and our collective experience, i'm sure, will make some difference.

@ graphikdon
thanx man. ur experience is evident in ur post.
was rolling on the floor with a mental picture of a kick in the nuts to ur propositioner. (if theres such a word) lol

@ digidamage
thanx for still checking in.

seems the general consensus seems to be that funding is a key factor.
i tend to lean more towards ignorance or mental myopia.

AdamuW funded the abuja forum, and he owns up that, while funding it was a challenge- funding wasn't the main reason he temporarily shut it down. in fact he attributes it to peoples attitude. (i stand to be corrected)

i have a project that was due to be released last year January. (its only about 20% done after 5 months of active work)
we produced a pilot of our project and got a foreign investor.
owing to the fact that we were relative 'no-bodies' in the industry, the investment was limited.
however, it could support 5 artists working for 60k a month for 6 months aside from cost of equipment.
(so at least there was funding of some sort)
believe me, it was a challenge to get any kind of professional output from the team.

for starters, when it came to allowances, everyone was well versed on how much Pixar artists earn per hour and seemed to think similar rates should apply to them.
truth is, we all could have earned similar rates or more- but that would only have been possible after completion of the project (when we had struck a deal with a cable company or whoever).

lack of vision stalled (or is stalling) the project.

personally i mistrust any kind of motivation that is based on finance/renumeration alone-
in fact, i dont think wealth, fame etc. makes a good motive for success in our industry.

of course we all have bills to pay, but the right mindset creates money- i believe.
30 people working 'for their beliefs' on a project for one month, will generate output that can pay their bills for a year!

personally, if i find such people, i am willing to put them on an allowance and work on a project with them-
not people who present their professional fees first- unless you're John Lassiter.

so, i don't think funding alone guarantees success or commitment.

@ graphikdon
t'would be my nightmare if u set up a studio and all u attract are people, who see u as merely a lucrative employer.

thanx for ur input guys! very informative

@ zpixel
wont the same challenges that prevent active synergy also affect any forum or meeting that one sets up.

i totally agree with changing our mindset, the challenge is in HOW to accomplish that.
i believe our mindset will inevitably change for the better, but if we don't catalyze the process-
i believe it will take a LONG time.

like i said, even the low level of contributors to this topic is in itself symbolic.
i guess we are not just ready mentally.


@ digidamage
thanks for being honest.
really appreciate the points u raised- i dont know any accomplished cg artist who is in it for 'bright lights' alone. and yes, a solo project looks exactly like that- a solo project, NEVER professional; unless u want to spend the rest of your life working on it

we need to realize that fame/publicity is a necessary by-product of excellence, and excellence in most cg spheres is a result of communal effort.

thanks for the contributions guys.

well, shouldn't the 'pride' be based on some global accomplishment?

and its kinda sad if young minds fail to think laterally or see possibilities!
i guess even the response to the topic says something about where we place synergy on our scale of importance. lol

hi folks,
please ur opinions are highly appreciated.

my question is this,
why is it so difficult to get artists to synergize and output on most projects?

is it the cash factor?
clearly, synergy is the way forward- so why the delay? or are we truly blind as to its potentials?

a couple of projects have sizzled out on this thread inspite of the participants best interests.
is the trend reversible? how?

please take a few minutes and share ur thots on the matter. it will help us plan better and grow in the future.
lets learn from our mistakes.

thanks.

yeah, Jerry's predictions have already come true- to the most part.
Disney has already gone back to its traditional animating style (Princess & the Frog(2009) represents their first 2d animation project since 2004), and 2D animation has evolved- thanks to 3D toon shading techniques.

i have a question tho,
if an animation is done employing 3D tools and output in a 2D vector format and cleaned up,
how do u classify it? how many D? lol

thing is, our definitions of wot 2d/3d animation is has to be updated to accommodate advances in technology.

i still think both forms of animation are so integrally employed in most projects, that even tho a movie may be classified as 2d (because of its vector look) or 3d (because of its bitmap depth); those terms are not technically accurate- they are mainly employed for classification sake, and they sometimes refer to how the output looks NOT necessarily the process of creating the output.

i also dont think 2d animation will ever go away, not necessarily because of demand- but because there will always be some big studio that will want to awe the public the HARD way, and make a biggie about how tuff it was to pull off. it creates an exclusive niche, which is marketable, in a way.

kind of like climbing everest just cos u can, not necessarily to get to the top.
heck, u can just be air-lifted to the friggin' summit. lol !

Animation appears to be here to stay as an art form. While there are many advancements in the realm of 3D animation, 2D animation is still being used. It isn't so much a question of which type of animation is better, but what each type of animation brings to a project.

2D Animation
To construct a 2D animation, the animator will use bitmap images that consist of blocks of color. When these blocks of color are placed side by side, they create a picture, according to AnimationSchoolReview.com.

3D Animation
Animation in 3D uses computer generated lines, surfaces and solids to create a three-dimensional look. The end product is an image with more perceived depth than would be obtained in 2D animation.

Limitations of 2D
Unlike 3D animation, in 2D animation only one angle or side can be seen at a time, giving the image a flat look.

Limitations of 3D
The skill sets required to do 3D animation are much more difficult to obtain than those required of 2D animation. It also tends to be more expensive to create 3D images.

The Outlook
Both 2D and 3D techniques are now being used in the creation of animated projects. According to AnimationSchoolReview.com, this means that both 2D and 3D animations that have been artistically integrated together will become the norm on many animation projects in the future.

By Buffy Naillon, eHow Contributing Writer


this article by the above author captures the issue perfectly, in my opinion.

@ melvi
kool. same respect here.
just airing our thots

my opinions:
art and/or its appreciation boils down to preference.
different art forms target different audiences, and the notion of any genre (either 2D or 3D)
being 'easier' to produce or 'more popular' just opens the door for an endless and possibly unresolvable argument:

truth is, 2D drawing is the father of all creative efforts, because ALL productions (be it 3D animations, movies,
music videos woteva) start from 2D conceptualisation graduating to 2D storyboarding-
and a storyboard is simply a 2d animation presented as stills (and with several inbetweens skipped).
the 3D animator merely uses the computer as a tool to output the 2D animation in a different format tagged 3D.

a radical way to put it, but its basically sound.
so, in a sense 2D animation is integrated into virtually all forms of video output, and there is no 'pure' 3D animation!
and nowadays u rarely find a 'pure' 2d animation either!


@ xothermik
scrapping parts is general to the media industry- whether it be a movie, 2D or 3D animation.
thats why theres an editing department.
same with deadline limitations and all, it applies equally to all production processes- not particularly 3D.

and hey, talking about Toy Story, Lion King was started in 1991, it was released in 1994.

@ melvi
in my opinion, success in a film venture doesnt necessarily depend on the format u present it in, but how u use the tools
within whatever format u choose, to tell the tale.
Disney enjoys success because of a standard of creating lovable characters and lovable tales- not merely, because they employ 2d.
infact, they have had quite a couple of 2d flops!

its just that, with the advent of CAD and the ability to simulate life-like characters and conditions, a branch of 3d animation evolved,
constantly pushing the creative envelope towards realism. this gave rise to the need for highly skilled and specialised
individuals and heavy duty equipment being needed to render complex scenes.
but again, not all 3d work are 'Polar Express' quality- (and that movie still had limited success- mainly cos d storyline sucked)
and u still have low staff 3d production houses that produce good movies!

infact, there are competitions targeted specifically for such studios. (Pixar was barred from competing after a while- they were deemed as being too large)

again, even 2d animation is heavy on the tech. the days of the 9 old men bent over light tables sketching laboriously is long gone.
even as far back as 80's and 90's (Lion King), computers played a major role in the production pipeline. so whether it is 2d or 3d,
u still need highly skilled folks depending on the complexity of ur output.

The use of computers helped the Lion King filmmakers present their vision in new ways.
The most notable use of computer animation is in the "wildebeest stampede" sequence.
Several distinct wildebeest characters were created in a 3D computer program,
multiplied into hundreds, cel shaded to look like drawn animation, and given randomized paths
down a mountainside to simulate the real, unpredictable movement of a herd.
Five specially trained animators and technicians spent more than two years creating the two-and-a-half minute stampede sequenc

wow, long post.
summary is- success is NOT based on ANY medium but on story-telling abilities.
and hey, wots the largest grossing movie of all time- definitely not "Mary Poppins" or "Who framed Roger Rabit" ! lol

@ aphek
as usual i applaud ur eye for detail.
i wasn't really going into facial animation, the blink and eye movement were afterthoughts and haven't been fine-tuned (but helpful tips u raised)
and since i did dabble with the facial animation, i guess i have to do it properly (darn it!) lol

yeah, the dude is missing his glasses
am not at my regular workstation at the moment, so i don't have access to the original xter.
i disagree with the blink theory tho, wot u stated are just broad guidelines not hard-n-fast rules. u can showcase a lot about the personality of ur xter by using different blink types- from rapid to slow.

quite right about the eyes leading the turn- still haveta fine-tune that.
all-in-all, great analysis!
thanx man

wots with ur clip? u haven't finished fine-tuning, have u?


@ others
step up guys!
where are y'all @?

okay. added the pause at the intersection and the look both ways.
next, he'll cross the street, get distracted and bump into a pole.

the attached are still ruff clips, but i want to rough out the whole animation then fine tune later.

guys, participation pls!

omg!
guys c'mon!
yeah, i know i said i was back- had to make an unscheduled outta shore trip (no xcuse tho!)
but c'mon- i thot u guys were passionate about this too.

well, my bad! wont recur!

welcome aboard turag and NWFX!
well enuff talk, i s'pose its output that will revive this kid!

@ all
U HEAR!!!
THIS HEARTS STILL TICKING!!!!!!!!!!!

INPUT/OUTPUT PEOPLE!!!!

@ xothermik
dude u even quit to do a 2d thing! sad!
well pls get ur gear and re-hop onboard.

and this time, please output ppl!
i DEFINITELY have NO travel plans for the next fortnight!

next posts are 2mrw!

aww man! c'mon guys- no death tolls for the challenge yet!
my bad !
left civilization 4 a bit- couldn't communicate, but thats over now!

and NO the challenge isn't OVER!!
heck, its barely started! true, we have all failed the 14 day deadline, so we (hang our heads in collective shame and. .) officially shift for another fortnight.

remember this was meant to be a learning (teething) experience. so we now know wot works and wot doesn't.

personally, i am back at my slave desk and will be churning out the next batch of clips from 2mrw.

@ xothermik
dude, dont quit on us. need u in this, man!

@ aphek
good going man. we are still on track!

@ kemjisupreme
thanx for lighting them fires. we stagger but don't fall. lol


@ all
we owe it to our art to step up and finish this project.
those that haven't started, consider this a second chance!

c'mon guys . . .

@ all
happy easter and welcome back guys.
lets hope we are all recharged and good to go.

this is day 8, and the progress sheet looks poor! lets engage those afterburners!!

@ aphek
good start.
its kinda hard for me to critique tho, the character is a bit too far from the camera (for me)
please render a close-up of a perspective view, and a few orthographic views for easier assessment.

the timing could be toned down a bit- although i don't quite know wot kinda walk u are gunning for.

more action people! . . .

i did a screen grab and stitched 2gether my first few takes to get a ruff idea of scene timing for the entire project.
it gives me info on duration of the takes i will use, and the areas to focus on during animation so i don't end up doing a lot of work that will be edited out later.

i've done approx 4 secs so far.
this is my approximate timeline breakdown:

our character is walking down a street + he gets to an intersection (7 secs)
he looks both ways + he crosses the street (3 secs)

as he walks down the street he is distracted by something to his right or left (2 secs)
he walks on while looking in that direction + he walks into a street pole (3 secs)
he falls + we leave him sitting on the floor dazed (5 secs)

am working on the 'intersection clip' at the moment.
there are still loads of tweaking to be done on the existing animations, but being a solo project (and given the time squeeze), i want to ruff out the entire sequence before fine-tuning any more.

the attached file is very lo-res. will post a higher res when my internet connection decides to behave. lol

comments please . . .

@ xothermik
sorry man.
have a speedy recovery!

@ aphek
cool. but get back to ur workstation ASAP!

really like ur eye for detail.

yeah, i prefer working with a slower timing for my walk cycle- it kind of emphasizes the flaws. when i get a general motion i am comfy with, i then just scale the keys to achieve the desired speed for the walk cycle.(thats a roundabout way of saying, thats not the final speed, lol)

yeah, the sway is really exaggerated- hes actually moving to the music playing on his discman and i also wanted a unique walk.

tell me if u still think it doesn't fit in when i post the complete first clip, where he is gesticulating.
will upload rough blocks of the motion later.

i dont quite get wot u mean about the overlap, could u please clarify (in simpler terms, lol)

thanx 4 taking out time 2 critique- very valuable!


@ melvi
thanks. kinda surprised u didn't sign on tho!

@ all
guys we are approaching day 5, thats almost the halfway mark!

pls more responses people. non-animators comments are very welcome too!

@ 9tLecturer

already started my blocking poses,

an update/feedback would be nice.

@ emekan, aphek
wots up guys?
missing ur output.

this is meant to be a knowledge trade remember?

@ resichild
dude, u just need the internet for posting.
hope u have been busy offline- u know i am always on ur case. lol

look forward to ur input man! have sent the password to ur addy.

@ kemji
also sent the password to ur addy

good going guys- but we need more ACTION/PARTICIPATION pls!

oops, files didn't attach in earlier post.