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Comic Style Challenge!
  • By the way Elynda, the Alien piece is pretty damn cool. I like the colours quite a bit. 



    Indeed. Appropriately eerie.
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • He is. He has a fine coat of fuzz, which earned him the nickname fuzzy elf (or sometimes just elf). Personally, I used a velvet shader to achieve the effect. It gives him the sheen of a fine coat, but not so much to be hairy, which would be more appropriate for Beast.

    I might be able to dig out the procedural I used, if you want it. When I do Kurt (Nightcrawler), I use the velvet shader, but then add a soft displacement setting on him, just to help the muscles bump up a tad. On his face, I dial the velvet down, if I recall correctly.
  • Aahh... Let me see first if I have velvet shaders hiding somewhere. If I get stuck, I'll take you up on your offer. I'm having fun playing with dials.

    And I did find those displacement maps, so I've been playing with those too. They need more tweaking, but only after a nice break. Already there's an appreciable difference.

    Maybe I should make some production notes.
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • I know what you mean. I've been fiddling with the Hulk texture. I've used the Elite Sol texture (it's very multipurpose. I've also used it for Wolverine among other figments) and decided to edit the base texture straight up. The face looks great, but I need time to sit down and do the body. Unfortunately, that looks like it will be this weekend at earliest. Tonight was eaten up by loft designing, which is coming slooooowly. What I started looks pretty cool, so far and it's really just drywall and electrical. Nothing overly costly (well, in theory! lol)


  • Thanks all for the comments on my pic.  I was going for a comic book cover look and feel it's pretty close.

    Can we do more than one?
  • Elynda said:

    Thanks all for the comments on my pic.  I was going for a comic book cover look and feel it's pretty close.

    Can we do more than one?



    Do what ever you want to, dear one! :D
    * A child of five could understand this. Fetch me a child of five!
    * Isn't it wonderful how cute weapons of mass distraction can be?
    * Those are my principles. And if you don't like them, I have others.
  • A WIP of Demon 1...the skin is supposed to be an olive leather texture, which I'm going to change.  Too dark.  May make it a yellowish tinge to match le eyeballs and the sequined (yes, sequins) shirt.  The boots need to have the ambient yellow brightened to show off that detail as well - decided to go with a color scheme for a few of the little devils to make them more...unique.

    *Grin*  M4 baseball cap from some odd hat collection I had sitting around, the Hot Men shirt for M4 and Trekkies for M4 all scaled and tweaked.  The guns are from an old V3 Utilize set.  Lighting is night, overhead moon and ambient (IBL) lighting, and I may end up adding a layer of a light ambient later for post to get more details in.  So, I know he's dark, but y'get the idear.
    image
    devil 1.png
    784 x 800 - 185K
    "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it. " Mark Twain.
  • Oh hey Grim, that's really looking good!
  • Sweetness. Totally feels right, Dar. Love it.
  • That's a very nice start. Looking forward the the rest of your interpretation.
  • Okay, this Hulk is coming together. Just need to figure out how to bend the sign and light pole... um... yeah. Maybe not tonight. >.>

    But the skin and overall backdrop looks pretty sweet so far! I shall reveal soon enough. :)

    I may throw this into Vue for kicks and see what happens. If it doesn't explode, who knows? Maybe I'll even finish it in Vue!
  • LT, how do you do velvety skin? Considering that the Displacement channel it used by disp. maps, and all the velvet shaders I have plug into the disp. channel, I don't know how to make it work. Suggestions?
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Let me check... I forget off hand. Be back in a bit with an answer and some screen shots. :)
  • Coolness!
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • So, here is the thing, this will look WAY more complex than it really is. Essentially, all I did was take Minyassa's velvet shader, tweaked the hell out of them to fit my needs and then applied the M4 Displacement overtop of that. Et voila!

    So, you can kind of ignore the nodes for displacement, as if you use C. Bowman's free scripts for adding the displacement maps, that part of the job will be done for you.

    Colours can be tweaked in the velvet nodes to alter the effect and get what you want (it's what I did, after all). This is just my take on Kurt. As Nan likes to say, your mileage may vary. :)

    Please note: there is a different way to deal with the face, as the fuzz kind of gets in the way of the features, so, I made it a little less fuzzy and more like skin. The torso recipe (see below) will be used everywhere else.

    I just changed the eyes to a yellow, but usually post-work the crap out of them to look 'right'. 

    The test render was done with one of Blackhearted's presets, which has an IBL. One note, lighting will change this skin dramatically. You may need to pump a bit more light into the scene to get it to sing (just like velvet would).

    Hope this helps!


    imageimageimage
    Screen shot 2012-06-23 at 10.47.56 PM.png
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    Screen shot 2012-06-23 at 10.46.15 PM.png
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    kurt_test.jpg
    834 x 1162 - 318K
  • Okay, so my turn to yell for help! I have two props that I need to 'bend' out of shape. I have the light pole and sign from Stonemason's Urban Sprawl set that I want to warp into the damaged looking ones in my Hulk reference. I exported an OBJ, but I'm afraid this is far beyond my skill level with 3D modelling. Anyone willing to help?

    The textures would remain the same, I really just want to bend the shafts of the sign and pole... the morph brush didn't offer much help, so I though that I would try to export an OBJ, but it stumped me when I brought it into Silo.  
  • Okay, so my turn to yell for help! I have two props that I need to 'bend' out of shape. I have the light pole and sign from Stonemason's Urban Sprawl set that I want to warp into the damaged looking ones in my Hulk reference. I exported an OBJ, but I'm afraid this is far beyond my skill level with 3D modelling. Anyone willing to help?


    The textures would remain the same, I really just want to bend the shafts of the sign and pole... the morph brush didn't offer much help, so I though that I would try to export an OBJ, but it stumped me when I brought it into Silo.  


    Just export it as OBJ, import into your modeler, and raise the poly count (subdivide) by whatever method your modeler uses.  Re-import, apply textures from original light to high-poly version, then use magnets to bend it out of shape.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Okay! I'll give that a go. Thanks, Jim. :)
  • Hm. That didin't seem to work too well. It would twist it but not bend. I guess there aren't any bends in such a simple prop? The lamp did a bit better, because there was one joint, but the pole part (the part I want to bend) didn't warp out of shape... 


  • Nan would probably have the best suggestions for Silo. I have trouble wen I want to bend a whole OBJ too. If you have Hex, it does it very nicely. Which sign is it from what set?
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Meanwhile... LT, so you're not using skin maps, just colored velvet shaders and disp. maps?
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Hm. That didin't seem to work too well. It would twist it but not bend. I guess there aren't any bends in such a simple prop? The lamp did a bit better, because there was one joint, but the pole part (the part I want to bend) didn't warp out of shape... 





    Well, the idea is you are creating a high-poly prop that can be manipulated without distortion, importing it, then morphing the prop with magnets.  If you have the polys in the lamp prop done correctly, it will bend, no question about it.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Here's a stonemason urban scene.

    image

    I export the bit with the lamps, and detach one of the lamps, deleting the rest.

    image

    I raise the polys in the lamp through subdivision.

    image

    I then export the result, re-import to poser, and warp it around with magnets.  Hey, bent.


    image

    Another way of approaching the problem is after subdividing the lamp, I then group it with forty or so groups from top to bottom, then rig it with bones in Poser and set up ERC on it using EasyPoseUnderground (although this can be done in PP2012, the process of "training" dials in PP2012 is quirky, at best - EPU is more reliable and a helluvalot easier and faster).  With the lamp turned into an easy-pose figure, I can then make the lamp bend any way I want just by turning a dial.  Great for those "villain is tied up with a street lamp" scenes.  Even more fun, if I'm using IDL, I can set the "glowy" bit on the lamp to a high ambient value, and it will add light to the scene.  So, I could have a supervillain like Magneto have the lamp wrap around the hero, and the lamp-end is positioned to show the hero's face so we can see his expression of annoyance.  And so on.
    urban1.jpg
    600 x 600 - 59K
    urban2.jpg
    600 x 390 - 75K
    urban3.jpg
    600 x 389 - 12K
    urban4.jpg
    600 x 600 - 62K
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • And hey, if I wanna go whole hog, here, I just model my own lamp, with lots of details for up-close images.  Like poseable dangling wires from the bottom, bolts to hold it to the street (snapped off when it was snatched up), and so on.  A streetlamp is a pretty straightforward object, modeling one even with high detail shouldn't take more than an hour or two.  Rigging it thereafter at most takes another hour.  If you do your UV maps as you go, you can just slap on basic metal, glass and plastic procedurals in Poser and away we go!  =)
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Speaking of tied up with a lamp pole...I'm tied up for most of today, too. No, not literally, you pervs. Movie with a trip to the Tile Shop after. Oh, joy. At least it's Prometheus.
    * A child of five could understand this. Fetch me a child of five!
    * Isn't it wonderful how cute weapons of mass distraction can be?
    * Those are my principles. And if you don't like them, I have others.
  • Wow, thanks Jim. I did step one right and then the magnet part too, but one thing I can see that is different is when I subdivided it didn't look the same as what you have there. I was able to use the magnets and see how it should work, but I don't think my subdivision worked the way it was supposed to. I wonder if Silo deals with it differently? When I raised the subdivision it kind of morphed the object, smoothing the sides and making everything more rounded.

    I have Hex too, but using it causes my computer to crash. And I literally mean doing anything beyond importing something. I abandoned Hex early on, since there was little support for Mac users. Essentially, when I raised the question with DAZ, they just shrugged and said 'too bad'. Thus, the move to Silo.

    So here's a question: Jim, since the process of subdividing seems pretty simple for you, can I give you the props in OBJ format to subdivide for me? I think I can handle the rest with magnets, if the first part is done properly.
  • Suro - yes, I am not using any skin maps. Since it's fur, you don't need them. You wouldn't really see the skin past the fuzz that much and I found it sort of gets in the way, so I ditched them. 

    I did attempt it on the face, but I found that the more detail you saw, the less like Nightcrawler it looked. Usually, I would tint the skin map base, as I've done with the Hulk, so that you get pores and whatnot, but for Nightcrawler, I just went straight up with the velvet shaders as shown above, with the displacement maps to help define the body.
  • Aah, makes sense yes. Thank you. *off to try*

    As for Silo, its subdivision does make edges more rounded. I haven't figured out if there's a way around that (yet). Of course, I thought that's what subdivision did, period.
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Just in case, I'll throw the OBJ files up in a zip.
    bendMe.zip
    17K
  • Jim, since the process of subdividing seems pretty simple for you, can I give you the props in OBJ format to subdivide for me?


    Sure.  xaa@3lefties.com
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • I forgot the tail. :P
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Sent. :D



    *wakes up from nap, sees e-mail, replies*

    There ya go. =-)
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Thanks, Jim!

    So a question on magnets... if I want to bend the whole length of the pole down toward the ground (including the top part of the lamp), how do I go about doing it? I've looked up the tutorials on the magnets, but it doesn't really give much insight on that.

    I have it all bendy and warpy now, but I want the piece to bend over toward the ground. Thoughts?
  • Hmmm...  Sounds like it would be more productive for me to rig the lamp and sign for you as a figure.  Currently rendering for the story I'm working on, give me awhile and I'll have something for you.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Not to worry. I was just wondering. I can do a workaround. Thanks though!
  • Hmmm...  Might also be usable for an "Alice in Wonderland" render.
    image
    poseablelamp.png
    600 x 600 - 61K
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Not to worry. I was just wondering. I can do a workaround. Thanks though!



    Patience.  You don't need to do a workaround, because Poser Is My Bitch. ;-)
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Hey! A green lamppost!

    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • The real problem today was having to stop collecting and applying filters.

    So that's the result. Comments welcome.

    Nightcrawler, progress.


    image
    Nightcrawler-sm.jpg
    772 x 1000 - 179K
    Suspiro ergo sum.

  • image

    Seriously, now.
    poseablesign.jpg
    600 x 600 - 6K
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Now we just need to package it up and e-mail it to you.  Both models use the same stonemason textures, shouldn't be an issue to use the material room to copy the mats over.  You won't need to worry about magnets to bend them, they bend by themselves as ERC-Rigged figures.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • surochek said:

    So that's the result. Comments welcome.

    Cool. =)
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • And sent. 

    Hmmm...  The whole project from opening the modeler to clicking "send" on the e-mail took me nearly 45 minutes.  I'm gettin' slow in my old age.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Maybe it's just that you were too sober. It's just not the kind of work one does with the mindset of a Puritan.
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • surochek said:

    Maybe it's just that you were too sober. It's just not the kind of work one does with the mindset of a Puritan.



    True, true.  I do my best (and often fastest) rigging when I'm three or four sheets to the wind.  Sadly, it was too early in the day for drink.
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Ah, the sacrifices we make for the sake of Poserizing.
    Suspiro ergo sum.
  • Thanks Jim! I shall put the hulk post and hulk street sign to good use! lol :D

  • Thanks Jim! I shall put the hulk post and hulk street sign to good use! lol :D



    Quite welcome. ;-)

    Sorry if it was kind of abrupt, but it had dawned on me that explaining how to use six or seven magnets to get a proper curve would require explaining how magnets work (they're kind of like portable bones and falloff zones), and doing lots of renders to show what I meant.  And it occurred to me that in the time it would take to do all the renders and type up the explanation and show you the result, hell, I could just rig them as figures with ERC and you could just bend them the way you wanted by twisting one dial.  Soooo...

    ;-)
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Jim Farris, Author, Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Suro, looks vey good! I like your teleportation effect. Two small things I see that could use a bit of work: the tail is kind of looking smooshed and strange. Can't quite make out the shape of it, which in the original is clearly defined. The morph may have just got a bit borked up, by the looks of it.

    Also, since the teleportation effect is happening above and looks to be slightly behind him, the addition of a light the same colour to act as a bit of a rim light (or at least a colour fill) would have settled the 'BAMF' effect into the scene and gelled the whole thing. By no means is it necessary, but it might be cool.

    Otherwise, I'd say this looks bang on. Good work. :) 

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