Digital Art Zone

SpaceCat III Part One is now playing

at FatCatAlley.com (All new episode)  Running time (10 Mins)

All previous episodes of SpaceCat I and III are there as well some selected music videos.

So, sit back, relax, take off your jetpacks and enjoy the show!

-AniMajik

FatCatAlley.com

mmmmmmmmmmm - 9.9 meows

bigh - 04 July 2012 03:46 AM

mmmmmmmmmmm - 9.9 meows

High praise! Thanks Bigh!

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
Support Space Command!

That’s a great website you’ve put together there!

It makes you want to watch the videos right of the bat - congrats.

I hunted around and subbed to you on Youtube as well.

Watched some of I and III and will watch more when time allows.

QUESTIONS - Do you work in Daz or Carrara or something else?
Also I see you’ve gone for a reduced materials cartoon look. I would imagine this speeds up rendering massively, is this the case? It’s a good idea to do anything to speed that part of the process up here in 2012. In 2020 I guess we’ll all be able to render quickly.

Sci Fi Funk - 20 July 2012 05:50 AM

That’s a great website you’ve put together there!

It makes you want to watch the videos right of the bat - congrats.

I hunted around and subbed to you on Youtube as well.

Watched some of I and III and will watch more when time allows.

QUESTIONS - Do you work in Daz or Carrara or something else?
Also I see you’ve gone for a reduced materials cartoon look. I would imagine this speeds up rendering massively, is this the case? It’s a good idea to do anything to speed that part of the process up here in 2012. In 2020 I guess we’ll all be able to render quickly.

Thanks Sci Fi Funk, appreciate the comments!  I just started a companion site for SpaceCat and sci-fi in general, that is mobile-phone friendly, In fact if you go you FatCatAlley.com with an i-device, it will automatically redirect you there.

http://thespaceleague.com/

I use D|S3A almost exclusively now and will start using DS4 once I get a better handle on the way it works!  I have used Cararra and even C4D in some of the past episodes and music videos.  Since I have such a tight deadline for these videos, I try to use every trick I can to speed up the process of rendering. 

All of my compositing and effects are done in AE 5.5 and editing, assembly and sound work in FCP Studio.  Also I have 2 Mac Pros to render/composite on, which helps!

I have also started using this new AE Plugin, ELEMENTS 3D in some of my promos and will be using in upcoming episodes.  Not a replacement for a 3D app, but for what it does, It’s lightening FAST!

As to textures, I use a lot of DS shaders, (I love Fisty’s Metallic shaders!)  but also create my own textures as well. The biggest slow-down is in lighting, that’s where you have to balance between looking good and rendering fast.  As a rule, if a frame of animation takes longer than a minute to render, it’s time to start re-thinking the lighting!

2020 will probably see major changes in computer speed and interface, but frankly, I’m hoping for SpaceLeague “virtual tech” in 2020

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
The Space League
Space Command Funding Reached!! $208,267!!

Another impressive site that says “play with me” - I do digital marketing as a trade and your sites encourage people to watch.

I also have AE (5.5) and that plugin looks awesome! Real time rendering?! wow.

Carrara is faster at lighting IMHO (with shadows), and a better package than DS3 but I’ve worked in both and DS3 possibly shades it for immediacy (in scene set up).

Thanks for sharing your set up always interesting to see how others tackle these issues. I recently got a small network going for carrara and i’m living with faster renders now (although until we get instant (5 min) animated renders its always going to be a compromise).

Sci Fi Funk - 20 July 2012 03:51 PM

Another impressive site that says “play with me” - I do digital marketing as a trade and your sites encourage people to watch.

I also have AE (5.5) and that plugin looks awesome! Real time rendering?! wow.

Carrara is faster at lighting IMHO (with shadows), and a better package than DS3 but I’ve worked in both and DS3 possibly shades it for immediacy (in scene set up).

Thanks for sharing your set up always interesting to see how others tackle these issues. I recently got a small network going for carrara and i’m living with faster renders now (although until we get instant (5 min) animated renders its always going to be a compromise).

Thanks again!  I am a web designer, editor, by profession (Avid and FCP certified), and I while I’ve been doing animation since 1973 (started with traditional cel animation), I alway consider myself a student of the art. 

I do have C8Pro, but have found for my workflow, DS3A works better for me. I do agree, the lighting is much more precise in Carrara and easier to work with.  I’m hoping for better integration between D|S and C in the next version.

The Elements 3D plugin is absolutely awesome. I did the opening promo for The Space League with it in AE (used a text layer for the 3D text and logo, and Particular for the stars, with a little BBC8 3D Lens Flare thrown in)
You can view your models in real-time within AE (does not require the NVideo CUDA card, just any fairly recent graphics card) It’s very well thought out plugin from a company that make great plug-ins and tutorials (Videocopilot) I’ve also exported models from D|S and loaded them into Elements without a problem (you have to manually load textures though). I’m still having fun with it!

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
TheSpaceLeague.com
Space Command Site

I am a web designer, editor, by profession (Avid and FCP certified)

Makes sense - your sites are well laid out for people to interact with them.

That elements plugin - you’ve got me excited about the possibilities there. Imports from DAZ too!

Thanks - I’ll keep in touch.

Sci Fi Funk - 21 July 2012 08:57 AM

That elements plugin - you’ve got me excited about the possibilities there. Imports from DAZ too!

Thanks - I’ll keep in touch.

It will only import .obj files (from any 3D app). It will read native Cinema 4D files though.
The 3D text engine (using a text layer or mask in AE) is worth the price alone, IMO!  The guy that runs Video Copilot, Andrew Kramer, (who I met at the Digital Media Artists of Los Angeles meet (DMALA) last May, also did the titles for Star Trek 2009.

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
TheSpaceLeague.com
Space Command Site

Obj is ok.

Funnily enough I was working through their video tutorials for a separate reason (speeding up rendering).

Can I ask?
1. Can it handle multiple objs for real time rendering? I.e. can I create a scene?
2. Does it render out a final file really fast as well?

I’m thinking I could use this in my workflow.

p.s. cell animation since the early 70s? Wow you must have an amazing library of character moves in your head.

Sci Fi Funk - 22 July 2012 02:09 AM

Obj is ok.

Funnily enough I was working through their video tutorials for a separate reason (speeding up rendering).

Can I ask?
1. Can it handle multiple objs for real time rendering? I.e. can I create a scene?
2. Does it render out a final file really fast as well?

I’m thinking I could use this in my workflow.

p.s. cell animation since the early 70s? Wow you must have an amazing library of character moves in your head.

Andrew has some great AE tutorials online. I’m a big fan of his.

>>1. Can it handle multiple objs for real time rendering? I.e. can I create a scene?

Yes. It has 5 “group slots” for loading multiple .objs, text or masks.  In fact using material zones on an object you can actually animate, say, as car model by making a copy on another group, turn off the “wheels” on Group 1, turn off everything else on group 2 and animate the rotation of the wheels.  Lots of possibilitys.  It also does instancing (similar to Cararra’s) of objects.  Best way to watch the videos to see what it can do.  Amazing stuff!

>>2. Does it render out a final file really fast as well?

The promo I did with the Asteroids on “TheSpaceLeague.com” (used 1 .obj in group 1, text on group 2) rendered out in nearly real-time on my machine. Depends on your graphic card.  In any case, it will render out much faster than your 3D app would do it.  Of course it’s not meant to replace your 3D app, but it’s fantastic for what it does!

>>p.s. cell animation since the early 70s? Wow you must have an amazing library of character moves in your head.

Yes, and many stories that were much too time-consuming and not to mention costly to do at that time.
I have been able to realize some of them now with 3D animation.  I have a short, Sci-Fi script that I wrote back in the early ‘70s that I am finally going to do toward the end of the year (“The Museum”), and another sometime next year. 
I shot extensive “moves” in 16mm in B&W for roto-scoping purposes for that project at that time, but never completed it due to expense and time (hand inking and painting cels - eesh!). Even built my own roto-scoping set-up with an old 16mm RCA Victor projector to a 11"x17” ground glass for tracing! (long gone) but still have my animation disk. Haven’t used it in ages! (see photo below)

3D has made a lot of things possible for me that wasn’t before.

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
TheSpaceLeague.com
Space Command Site

ok thank you, so five objects then, and fanstastc render speeds (in comparison) - I have a 3 machine network led by a decent i7 with a reasonably well spec’d graphics card.

it seems at the moment it’s really only useful for close ups or simple scenes, but still tempting!

re: your 70s cell animation - I’m so pleased for you that now with DAZ/Carrara/AE et al you can realise your dreams. I’m pretty confident that well see good strides being made on bringing render times down in the next few years.

The big studios are already into a form of real time rendering, so it has to trickle down to us. Just look how far things have moved even in the last 3 years! (GPU rendering, Carara 8 speed vs C7, network rendering, poser resources, mocap - the list goes on).

Sci Fi Funk - 22 July 2012 01:54 PM

ok thank you, so five objects then, and fanstastc render speeds (in comparison) - I have a 3 machine network led by a decent i7 with a reasonably well spec’d graphics card.

it seems at the moment it’s really only useful for close ups or simple scenes, but still tempting!

re: your 70s cell animation - I’m so pleased for you that now with DAZ/Carrara/AE et al you can realise your dreams. I’m pretty confident that well see good strides being made on bringing render times down in the next few years.

The big studios are already into a form of real time rendering, so it has to trickle down to us. Just look how far things have moved even in the last 3 years! (GPU rendering, Carara 8 speed vs C7, network rendering, poser resources, mocap - the list goes on).

Actually, you can do some pretty nice compositing of your models with real (or fake) footage.  You can load a fairly reasonably-size scene into one grpup, such as a house or building element.  You can also create another solid with another copy of Elements on it too if you need to load more models. It’s just how much your GPU can handle.  There is a list of supported cards somewhere on the site. If your card is around 3 years old or less, it’s likely it’ll work.

Compositing examples:  http://vimeo.com/46076530#
Replicator and Groups: http://vimeo.com/46171804#

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
TheSpaceLeague.com

Hey thanks for shaing that. Amazing! The second video really got my imagination going.

Wowie!  I also found an Indian showreel using this plugin which was top class.
http://sarfaraazshaikh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/element-3d-particle-replicator-options.html

In episode 7 of my animated series I need to do a flyover many thousands of houses. I’ve used this
http://www.esri.com/software/cityengine

to get a GIS map of London with thousands of houses (simple obj files) and I was going to use the excellent replica plug in for Carrara to move them around and shade them within Carrara, but I may rethink now given that AE is great for layering, and the houses in the background could be 2D layers.

Using the Elements plug in with grouping, and the replicator with 3d objects I might just be able to composite the whole scene within one piece of software (AE). I was going to break it down and composite within Sony Vegas. I will still use that for the final composition, but now the layering (with real time rendering/testing of lights. DOF etc) can be done within AE.

You have opened my eyes to new possibilities - brilliant! I need to think about this some more because this scene is going to push my organisation skills to the max.

Sci Fi Funk - 22 July 2012 03:35 PM

Hey thanks for shaing that. Amazing! The second video really got my imagination going.

Wowie!  I also found an Indian showreel using this plugin which was top class.
http://sarfaraazshaikh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/element-3d-particle-replicator-options.html

In episode 7 of my animated series I need to do a flyover many thousands of houses. I’ve used this
http://www.esri.com/software/cityengine

to get a GIS map of London with thousands of houses (simple obj files) and I was going to use the excellent replica plug in for Carrara to move them around and shade them within Carrara, but I may rethink now given that AE is great for layering, and the houses in the background could be 2D layers.

Using the Elements plug in with grouping, and the replicator with 3d objects I might just be able to composite the whole scene within one piece of software (AE). I was going to break it down and composite within Sony Vegas. I will still use that for the final composition, but now the layering (with real time rendering/testing of lights. DOF etc) can be done within AE.

You have opened my eyes to new possibilities - brilliant! I need to think about this some more because this scene is going to push my organisation skills to the max.

Pushing your limits is what it’s all about! I always try to do something new, or try a new way of tackling the problem.

The flyer-our should work well. When Andrew Kramer showed off the plug-in last May, he had an example he’d done of a city fly-over.  I was thinking pretty much the same thing, this would be great for replicating buildings or creating an asteroid field to fly thru.  All without having to jump through many apps to accomplish the same thing.  I do all of my compositing in AE anyway, so this saves a step for some things.

Glad this could help fire up possibilities for you!  I know this plug-in has for me.

-AniMajik
FatCatAlley.com
TheSpaceLeague.com