Side view images research

This is the link to see my side view images research.

https://uk.pinterest.com/themistoklisl/themistoklis-lekakis-topology-images/

Comments about the research

I believe that the research could be improved, because the images I found are not plenty. However, I have found some images which depict the head shape better.

Modelling part for Saix

These are some images from the modelling part for Saix.

Source: http://pre01.deviantart.net/841a/th/pre/i/2013/041/1/a/saix_wip_by_imaginejl842-d5qnjes.jpg

This image is used for the front view.

Source: http://img15.deviantart.net/e169/i/2013/166/f/5/axel_and_saix_by_mr_teapot-d69590y.jpg

This image is used for the side view and the ear modelling.

Source: https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/428827195754980830/

This image is used for the side view.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0M4WuNiNjI

This image is used for the side view.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkulWp6OXyA

I used this image as a reference for the side view.

Comments about the modelling part

I believe that the face does not look like the character. Additionally, the topology is not very appropriate, as the edge loops around the eye need further development, according to my tutor. The hand is efficient enough, also its topology, however, according to my tutor it needs some improvement for its shape. As for the ear, I followed a tutorial. The topology is efficient enough, because of the edge loops following the form of the ear, but I also need to finish the two parts.

Reference for the tutorial about the ear I followed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0YQvcxmGiM

Treatment for Saix animatic

This is the animatic I created for the Facial Modelling and Animation module.

Comments about the animatic

In my opinion, the timing of the animatic is very effective. There is plenty of time for the viewer to watch the images shown to the patient, and probably figure out what is going on from the beginning. The frame of the eyebrow movement lasts long which I believe it is not so efficient, but I placed that way so there is the exact time to sychronize with the quote. Even though I have not put the sound, the synchronization is successful, because the movements change based on the exact words of the actor.

The quote is: "That's my heart to make you whole. It's strength to purify your weakness. Live, and remember your oath" (www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk)

The overal duration is a little bit long, as the focus of the module should be the character talking and animation.

Source for the quote words: http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=dragonheart

The new Saix storyboard

This is the new Saix storyboard.

Comments about the new storyboard

According to my tutor, I should put more "images" shown, that is the reason I added an image of a bird and an image of a television. Additionally, according to his words, I also drew some "expressions". I also used "present tense" (Marx C. 2007, p.29).
I believe that the storyboard is efficient, because it shows what is happening obviously.

Reference:

Book: Marx C. (2007) Writing for animation, comics and games. Focal Press. USA

The calendar for my work

This is the calendar for my work for the Facial Modelling and Animation module.

I believe that the seperation of the wor during the months is very effective, because I have already organized the steps I have to go through depending on my abilities. However, the wrok in April is not set very well. because I do not know the exact time I will be back from the holidays.

Reference: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?pli=1#main_7

Saix animation storyboard

This is the storyboard for the animation of Saix I will make.

Comments about the story

According to my tutor, I had to find a "movie quote" which Saix is going to say.
I had the option to make something very different from his personality, which could be very "interesting". However, the appearance of the character is very serious, also he is not very famous so the audience should not know about his personality and understand the joke of him being positive.
So, I decided to find something according to his character.
Because he has not have a heart, I wanted to do something with it. So, I chose the film "Dragonheart (1996)" "directed by" "Rob Cohen" (www.rottentomatoes.com). I watched a part of the film and found the point when the dragon gives his heart to the boy and says: "That's my heart to make you whole. Its strength to purify your weakness. Live, and remember your oath." (www.youtube.com) (www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk).
My purpose was to create an irony, as Saix does not have a heart, also to create a drama through that. However, I did not want to make him give his heart. which would be the same as the story.
I used Youtube Online Converter to download the movie as an MP3 and used Adobe After Effects to cut the parts that I did not need.
Because in the quote says: "That's my heart", Saix should either show it or give it. He could not show anything to anybody. I made him seeing an image shown by a psychologist and make a metaphor for his heart. This is the empty box.
The story begins with a paper with his name and the Diagnosis and Treatment blank. I got inspired by the Torn Pages in Kingdom Hearts game series, which are pages taken out of a book and the player has to find them. Saix watches an image of a full box but does not say anything. As he sees the empty box he starts saying the quote. The part "to make you whole" and "its strength to purify your weakness"is about the completion of the parts on the paper by the doctor. The part "live" is for the doctor to do something about it and the part "and remember your oath" is for the doctor to find a treament for him, similar with the healing of the film. In the end, the Diagnosis is "Absence of Heart" and the Treatment is left blank with a dash. Saix is sad after that.
In my opinion the story does not match with the concept of the film perfectly. Especially the parts "Its strength to purify your weakness" and "Live". However, the whole story is somehow efficient as it is based on the healing part of the film.

Comments about the storyboard

I wrote the script under each of the frames. The ones which depict the words written, the empty box and the Saix who is sad are very effective, because they portray what is happening very well. The frame of the full box is not very successful, as it is not very obvious what is shows. The facial expressions are efficient, but the movements of the arms and hands maybe are not very well portrayed. The duration of each frame is based on the audio, approximately, which will help with the creation of the animatic.
In my opinion this part of the pipeline is crucial, because the story is the most important element for the animation, also the duration of the storyboard frames will help with the animatic.

References:

"Dragonheart" film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPgP3AIpr2M

"Dragonheart" "script": http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=dragonheart

Information about the film: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dragonheart

"Youtube Converter": https://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/video-converter

Facial Modelling Project in Class

During the session, I was asked to model the face of either Wallace or Gromit from the series Wallace and Gromit. I decided to model Wallace.

I found two images in the internet, one for the front and one for the side view.

Source: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/07/26/article-2705555-1FFAE49200000578-591_306x452.jpg

Source: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/scratchpad/images/3/3e/Close-shave-disneyscreencaps.com-3151.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130620020456


I put them in their respective viewports in Autodesk Maya and scaled the side one, for the face size to match with the one on the top image.

I went to the front viewport and selected the Quad Draw Tool. I began creating faces around the mouth and then around the eye of the character, trying to form the "edge loops" as the tutor said. After that, I combined these two pieces using Combine command, also deleted their history by selecting the Delete by Type - History. As they were combined, I could use the Quad Draw Tool again to connect the two. I selected the top edges and used Extrude to create more faces and follow the shape of the head on the side view image. I did the same to the edges on the side, extruded again and connected the vertices using Merge. I pressed 3 to make the model appear smoother.

Today, I opened the file and rendered using mental ray.

In my opinion, the shape is not very close to the shape of the head of the character. Additionally, the images are not very appropriate to be used as front and side images, because of the angle the character is depictioned. However, the edge loops are correct.

Images of Saix

These are images of Saix from the game.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2q-9TjLH6c

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkulWp6OXyA

This is my Pinterest page for Saix images: https://uk.pinterest.com/themistoklisl/themistoklis-lekakis-saix-images/

In my opinion, these are good references for the character, too. His look is very accurate from these shots. Additionally, I believe that the third image is also effective for the side view as well, because the video was paused on the corrcet time while the camera was moving. The fifth one is successful for the look of the back of his hair. The last one shows the left side of the character very effectively.

Topology references

These are images for topology reference.

Source: http://www.3dartistonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/00_main.jpg

Source: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=1zxw8xf&s=4#.WJHOK4XXKUk

Source: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=8aztnqa&s=1#.WJHOU4XXKUk

Source: https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=68767&d=1239380559

Source: https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19750&d=1177893169

Source: http://clemson.sillydragon.com/CPSC8070/Project5/modelScreenshot_02.jpg

Source: http://www.androidblues.com/rigtut14.jpg

Source: http://www.cheetah3d.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=16182&stc=1&d=1324570984

Source: http://t14.deviantart.net/zlzaCisPXua35SM-HcbkyOYqQRU=/fit-in/700x350/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre14/bda7/th/pre/i/2014/272/4/2/topology_by_h0bg0blin-d80s9pf.jpg

Source: https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=296472&d=1395101017

Source: http://thilakanathanstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/topology-1073x690.jpg

This is my Pinterest page for topology: https://uk.pinterest.com/themistoklisl/themistoklis-lekakis-topology-images/

This is a video about "Topology": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-GnqSKCgU

Comments about the topology references

As I see the images, I understood that, also according to the tutor Peter Chapman, "the" "rings" of "the" "eyes" and "mouth" should be created, for the best of animation. Additionally, according to him, it is best to have "quads", for the animation, because the flow of the movement should be more effective. Plus, the "aspect ratio" should be "close to 1:1" (Kermanikian A. 2010). For the arms and body, the horizontal edges are successful for the bending of the animation, as it can be seen by the images. The edges of the pelvis to the hip should be rotated until they become horizontal for the formation of the leg. The horizontal and vertical concept also applies to the fingers as well. The "model" should follow the "muscle flow" with the use of "edge loops" in order to have "a more realistic look when deforming" (Miller E. 2008, p.21). Additionally, the "geometry" should be "uniformly" "spaced", which will be better for "texture artists" to place the "texture", also the "weight values" will be more effectivelly during the "binding" (Miller E. 2008, p.23).
Thanks to the video, I learned about the connections between the muscles.
I believe that my research is very successful, because I have found various images showing the topology of different parts of the body.


References:


Book

Miller E. 2008 Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation. 2nd Edition. Autdoesk, inc. USA

E-book

Kermanikian A. 2010 Introducing Autodesk Mudbox. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana