WGD Crazy Artwerks

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  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    That was awesome lol.  Great sense of humor!

  • Congratulations on your HM!   I just saw that you got an HM in the Marriage competition over in the Carrara forum.  I really wish I had remembered to vote.  I remember seeing the notice, but with everything going on on my end I forgot all about the deadline.  I just went to see the final images.  Love your Sword in the Stone image.  :)

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited November 2016

    My rules for Challenges:  These apply to any Contest using any program whether it be Bryce, DAZ Studio or literaly anything you use to create art.

    • Enter as often as possible. In each Challenge I learn seldom it ever used tools etc. in Carrara. These are also a great way to learn from Artists and PAs that are much better than I... who show what can be done and how to do them.
    • Don't not enter because you think you will never win... that would be your loss. The main purpose, IMO, is to learn from the Challenges.
    • Never enter a Challenge expecting to place or get your hopes up when you impress yourself with your entry. Wanting to place and getting your hopes up are fine as long as you're not disappointed when you don't.
    • I try to use features that anyone can do with Carrara but don't hesitate to use either DAZ or 3rd party content.
    • Postwork is fine... I only remembered to use it this in a few Challenges for my signature but might play around with it more if I have more time.
    • If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask others for help.
    • Always listen to others either when they idea(s) or point out things that might look better for you scene. They only wish to help.

    So what have I learned after entering only 4 Challenges:

    • A lot more about different tools, effects etc. available in Carrara.
    • Modeling my own objects in the Vertex room. Modeling is my favorite thing to do. I've upped my game way beyond were where it was.
    • Using, finally, the Terrain editor.
    • How to create Shaders a lot better.
    • Many more things... take a look at the past challenges
    • I'm starting to build up my own libraries for everything possible.

    The above is an edited version of a post of mine, earlier this past year, in one of the Carrara Challenge WIP threads awhile back.

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    Just entering the new user contest decreased my learning curve by more than half.  Just reading the feedback on other people's entries was extremely helpful, you could see what they were trying to do and the suggestion and direction on how to get there are priceless. I'm about to the point where I am feeling more able to enter other contests as well.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited November 2016

    John's Crazy Scenes and 3D model creations.  "Sword in Stone"  by wgdjohn

    My entry for Carrara Challenge 28 "Marriage"

    I took a different appoach this time by using products by Dartanbek "Woodlands EnvironKit", a few plants and sapplings are by Howie Farkes and finally the sword is from Slicer a "DAZ Original/Val3dart" which I created my own shader settings for... the only texture map I left was the sword blade engraving... then I changed up some shader settings for it. I did model a few small bolders myself. Note that everything except the sword was modeled in Carrara. Even the light cone is a Carrara effect applied by me to a light. Fog atmophere if a volumetric cloud, trees and terrains can be created in Carrara... Dartanbeck tweaked all of those very well.

    Sword in Stone image

    [Click Image to Enlarge]

     

    I'm elated... after the 9th month of entering Challenges an HM  was born. :) Kewl.

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Thought you might like to know that in the new Carrara Monthly Challenge 29: Bad Timing, or Good Timing (Anachronistic) - WIP Thread there is a New Participate Prize of a $20 DAZ Gift Certificate up for grabs.

  • Hopefully, it will encourage some people to give Carrara a try.  I'm actually planning to see if I can get Carrara up and running this week in Linux.  Not sure I'll have things set enough to enter any contests, but I hope to be able to get a render out of it soon.  :)

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Cool... look forward to seeing your work in Carrara

  • wgdjohn said:

    Cool... look forward to seeing your work in Carrara

    Well, I did get Carrara up and running in Linux.  It seems to be working.  Now, to learn how to use the program.  It might take awhile.  I'm still trying to all of my postwork tools running.  I got a major one ticked off my list yesterday by getting the NIK Collection, in Wine, to work with Gimp 2.8 and Gimp 2.9 beta both running natively in Linux.  I still need to see if I can get Filter Forge running.  After that, I can get back to the video I was using to learn how to get around in Carrara.  If I can mange to get FF up and running in the next day or two, I might actually get to spend some time in Carrara over the weekend.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Cool.  Ha I just recently bought Filter Forge Professional... still have to find out what it's all about.

  • I love working in Filter Forge.  I haven't actually made any filters of my own yet except for a couple that I made while following some tutorials.  I have had a lot of fun playing with filters others have made, though.  I have a lot of images in my thread that had some FF filters used in postwork.  I've also used a lot of the filters to create my own textures which is loads of fun.

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    I'm with KM, filter forge and the Nik collection are awesome tools to work with.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    I was drawn to Filter Forge for it's seemless textures. I was also hoping that it could create a seemless texture from a texture map but that is not the case... no problem.  What I'm hoping to do is create an image that I can add to a camera or light, forget which, and tile it in Carrara for an odd...hopefully cool effect.

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548
    wgdjohn said:

    I was drawn to Filter Forge for it's seemless textures. I was also hoping that it could create a seemless texture from a texture map but that is not the case... no problem.  What I'm hoping to do is create an image that I can add to a camera or light, forget which, and tile it in Carrara for an odd...hopefully cool effect.

    Sounds like fun!  I am still at the stage where I am figuring out how to use it efficiently and well.  If only I didn't have to work... I might have time to learn everything on my ever growing list lol.  I did dive into Carrara today.  It was... much better than the last time I opened it lol.

  • I have no idea if FF can do that or not as I'm not quite sure what you intend to do.  Would that be like adding a Gobo to a light?  If yes, then you can make all sorts of textures that would be suitable for something like that.  That's one of those things on my ToDo list to try.  :)

    Good news is that FF is now running in Linux on my computer.  It was fairly easy once I put the right Windows dependencies in virtual drive.  So far, so good.  :)  That means most of my postworking tools are now working again!  Yay!

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Hooray!  Yes very much like Gobo lights/shadows.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Sonja,  You just need to win the Lottery so you can quit work. :)  I retired early and am just now finally learning the depths and possibilites. The Carrara Challenges are a big help since they keep me from trying to go in too many directions at once.

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548
    wgdjohn said:

    Sonja,  You just need to win the Lottery so you can quit work. :)  I retired early and am just now finally learning the depths and possibilites. The Carrara Challenges are a big help since they keep me from trying to go in too many directions at once.

    lol we do have a lottery pool at work....I do love my job and I have a seriously awesome boss.  Can't really complain THAT much lol.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited November 2016

    For this animation I modeled 2 items... the moon... a simple sphere with a moon texture applied [shaded by a color gel in a light by Dartenbeck]... and the signpost with sign you see at the beginning [modified to make it look better by mmoir].

    This video is Animation Club for Carrara , Week #2 - Spooky Hollow. Ready To watch.

    Carrara's Spooky Night - Animation Club for Carrara Users

    The next animation is underway... storyline is decided and a lot of modeling already done but more yet to come... anyone who wants to contribute in any way... story ideas, modeling, animating, rendering time, music, sound effects etc. is welcome in any upcomming projects, AFAIK.

    Current project is Animation Clubs 3rd animation starting - Story Decided, Modeling starting.

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    That was awesome! 

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited November 2016

    I can only take credit for my story plot and the 2 simple objects that I modeled. Diomede made the witch and a lot of other well know names in the Carrara community contributed also. Mike, mmoir, seems to do the most... he and others are very fast modelers. Did you check out the link above the Witch pic? Everyone who contributed is listed and most, if not all, of their efforts are include somewhere. There are actually 2 different cats... one by FifthElement and another by DesertDude.

    It's been fun being a small part of the team effort... note that the team varies for each one.  That was the 2nd project this year by the Animation Club for Carrara founded by mmoir. We were all wanting, I believe, for it to be done for Halloween... I think it was about a week afterwards getting all finished up... no problem... I'd rather see a very job done than a rush job.  Oh 3DAGE created the animation for the Opening Credits, dripping blood. I think that mmoir created, painted, the witch. Everything was just how I imagined it... I changed my web site welcome screen for Halloween and noticed that it had similar elements but not nearly as many... had to giggle... "that's where I got the story idea from". :)

    Hope you checked out the story and all the kewl modeling in the latest project. I've created about 2 objects for it and working on a 3rd... I also submitted an Opening Title animation but will understand if it can't be used.

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    I did have a quick look and plan to browse in more depth once I am home from work.  It looks like a very cool idea to get together and do that kind of thing!

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Dartanbeck finally got me animating again... done so many stills lately. In the past 2 days I've created the anim and 3 new objects.. for me that is unheard of. :)

  • Sounds busy!  You guys keep doing a great job over there in the animation threads.  I keep lurking.  One of these days, I'll join you.  I like playing with animation.  It's been fun so far in DS.  I've heard it is actually a little easier in Carrara.  I enjoy watching you guys as you progress through a project and then see the final results.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    I can't say which is easier to animate in since I've never used DS. The only thing I know for a fact is that rendering is quite faster in Carrara compared to IRAY... don't know how it compares to 3Delight so don't want to start a rumor.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited December 2016

    The new animation from the ACC, Animation Club for Carrara, is finish and can be viewed below.  I was thrilled to have worked on this project with such great modelers and animators... see the credits... I can only take credit for doing some of the lite lifting... everyone else did the heavy lifting. :)

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • SaphirewildSaphirewild Posts: 6,648

    What a great animation WGDJohn!!!!!

  • That was cool.  It always amazes me how fast you guys put those animations together.  I especially liked the dust and the flapping note on the door at the end.  Really nice animating on everything.  I thought all of the models were pretty good.  Have you guys been modeling everything in the animations?

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    You guys did a great job on that wgdjohn!  That was very cool.  Love the irony!

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited July 2017

    Shapphirewild ... Knittingmommy ... Sonja,  Thanks but please don't give me much credit. I only modeled a few smaller objects. Mike, mmoir, did the most work on this one... he modeled either all of most of the town, the dog, motorcycle and created some autos and reworked others that come with Carrara. Dartanbeck was working on rendering along with Mike but was called away by a family problem.. If anyone is interested in seeing who did what and when etc take a look at Animation Clubs 3rd animation finished. Watch the final film now.

    The sign on the door and the irony are courtesy Stezza who lives in Australia.

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
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