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Project title: VFX Project Pipeline for Film.

Name: John Lee (L002274A)

Award Title:

Digital Film 3D Animation Technology BSC (Hons)

Supervisor:

Paul Looking

P a g e 2Introduction

By utilizing some of the Visual Effects industry's most used CG programs, in order to create a 3D character that can be used for animation.

Primarily using Autodesk Maya and some of its most extensively used assets which include 3D modelling, texturing rigging, animation and Dynamics.

To create a basis of visual effects elements for a short Sci/Fi thriller Trailer in conjunction with ZBrush, Photoshop, After Effects and Nuke to enhance and support the Production process for a finalized short VFX Shot.

Aims and Objectives

Aims:

1. To create a 3D alien module using Maya and ZBrush, suitable for rigging and animation.

2. Creating an appealing visual impact to the scene to catch and entice the viewers.

3. Creating more believable natural 3D lighting to the production process of the trailer.

4. To add more realism and skin like detail to the 3D modules, and the encompassing environment, and add finishing colour correction and editing to the final VFX shot.

P a g e 3Objectives:

1.1 Initial visualization of concepts from Sketches, of how character design is pre-implemented before the post production and 3D Design stages.

1.2 Research to define form and structure in 3D from prior concepts.

2.1 The use of texture maps to create skin and highlights to the geometry of a 3D character.

2.2 Shooting and editing for High Dynamic Range Imagery with Image Base Lighting in Maya.

3.1 Attributing rendered passes from Maya through composites in Photoshop or After Effects, to enhance realism of 3D modules and the overall scene.

3.2. Utilizing Mayas Dynamics to create visual impact for the opening title sequence for the trailer.

4.1 The use of Colour grading and correction through compositing programs such as Nuke and After Effects, and Premier Pro for Sound Editing.

P a g e 4Contents:

Part 1.1: From concept to post production, visualization of concepts (pages 5-9)

1.2 Research to define form and structure in 3D from prior concepts (pages 10-22)

2.1 The use of texture maps to create skin and highlights to the geometry of a 3D character. (pages 23-32)

2.2 Shooting and editing for High Dynamic Range Imagery with Image Base Lighting in Maya. (pages 22-42)

3.1 Attributing rendered passes from Maya through composites in Photoshop or After Effects, to enhance realism of 3D modules and the overall scene. (Page 43)

3.2 Utilizing Mayas Dynamics to create visual impact for the opening title sequence for the trailer. (Page 44)

4.1 The use of Colour grading and correction through compositing programs such as Nuke and After Effects, and Premier Pro for Sound Editing. (Page 45)

4.2 Evaluation (pages 46-47)

4.3 Conclusion (pages 48-50)

Bibliography & References (pages 51-57)

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At hand are some of the alien concepts to be brought forth from a pre to post production process and applied into the final short FX trailer later, firstly creating the form and structure of a reptilian alien creature from sketches shown below. pages 5-8

Part 1.1: From concept to post production, visualization of concepts

Initially the reptile features was not a part of the original concept shown on the left.

Creating different variations of body parts like the ears, shape of the face that was adapted towards the final creature shown on the below right.

original concept sketch shown above...

As the original concept was two stumpy or short and a little bug like in its appearance shown above.

The eyes where brought more inwards, and more of a chin was added shown on the right.

As well as a scaly reptile ear for originality, as all reptiles usually have holes for ears like the gecko on top left of page 13.

second adaption concept sketch shown above...

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Finalizing the ears to be slightly more pointy and look apart of natural armour of the creature relating to its bony like back design, which is shown on the top left and right shots of page 8 and three viewport shots of the bottom of page 9.

The characteristics and main features that define the Alien character in the concepts gives the modular a basis of which to start blocking out the form of the creature in a production process.

This also can include clay modules or traditional sculpting techniques, which was stated to further analyze the structure form and proportions before the 3D stage. see Bibliography for Autodesk Maya Hyper

Realistic Creature Creation book (concept)

Establishing the Alien creatures overall look gives a good feel for the pre visualized module and defining its assets and characteristics of strength and weight in relation to how it would move .

With some humanoid features as it stands up right, as there is little lizards or reptiles on earth that can unless you count extinct creatures like velociraptors but even they look very different shown on the top right of page 13.

Somewhat humanizing its structure effects the way it would walk which seems like it should make it simpler to make a animated walk cycle, or other motions of movement.

Rather than a creature like ZBrush Artist Stefano Dubay's humanoid ant man where the structure contains 4 legs and 2 arms would be harder to animate.humanoid ant man, from Secrets of ZBrush Experts book, p241-242 See Bibliography

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Features like the back were further developed shown below and above, making a variety to choose from, to take forth into the post production 3D modelling.

As one of the anatomy of the alien creature features a mix of bone and scales it seems reasonable to use a human spine to base it from.

Based from the original concept sketch and adapted from a human spinal cord illustration shown on the bottom right of page 13.

Bio Morphic Being, Back Concepts above

Bio Morphic Being, Back Concepts final used concept below left above

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3rd and final sketch adaption shown above right...Detailed Head sketch shown above left...

Once the basic form of the head was established a closer sketch of the face was made showing more features shown on the top above left to reveal more detail.

Yet the final concept of the Reptilian Alien Creature's back shown on the bottom left of page 9 and the top and bottom of page 7, is something like a cross of bone and scales.

As the characters description is of an advance alien species initially from its story draft-Script.

It seemed suited for it to have some sort of bio armour which is implemented as part of its Anatomy, was an idea brainstormed around, that can attribute towards a sense of texture that could be used later to aid in the design process.

Other examples of creatures that have bone or armour on them are Stegosauruses as a similar example shown on the top left of page 14.

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Once the main structure and creatures assets and other features are finalized.

As It is handy to have default poses to match a 3D programs view ports in this case Maya.

Bringing the FX production process one step closer to postproduction in the pre-production from concepts shown in the three snapshots below.

This method helps to block out the basic structure of the character, and start building structure in Mayas modelling process.

image plane examples- shown top left and right below, see bibliography

Top, Side and Back image references of reptilian Alien, used as image planes for the blocking stages shown above

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Although the density of the mesh of the module makes a relevance to both types of Post-production processes utilized.

A little leeway can be given to a dense 3D Model mesh if used in a standard Rendering procedure, which involves no animation.

While it is more suited to use a less denser mesh for animations to save on increased render times.

Similar techniques are used to create different types of post-production processes with Maya.

In this case a 3D illustration production process shown with the three shots above and two shots on the centre left and bottom left.

Which have the same principles of a workflow as an VFX for film or animation process, even though extends that workflow of 3D illustration.

1.2 Research to define form and structure in 3D from prior concepts

Telling a story: one last time, the three shots above Scanned from Character Modeling 'Digital Artist Master Class' Ballistic , Book pages 102-103 See Bibliography

Telling a story: one last time, the two shots on the above left Scanned from Character Modeling 'Digital Artist Master Class' Ballistic , Book page 104 See Bibliography

Meshes and Render Types from, Character Modeling book Page 22 Article 'Final Low Res Cage' see Bibliography

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looking at other examples of reptile like 3D characters in movies that can be related to modelling and texturing in a modern FX postproduction pipeline, to aid towards the 3D reptile alien for the FX final year project.

Like the making of the Lizard Man from Sony Pictures image works on the Amazing Spiderman Movie has some good insight and techniques to conceder shown with the two shots above and on the below left.

Evidently utilising the same assets of texturing and 3D lighting with caustics for fog in Maya.

Creating an illusion of depth and enhancing realism to the illustrative 3D scene shown on the above left.

Subdivision Surface aka 'SubDs' modelling is not as widely used as polygon modelling for character creation as a whole, in practicing this technique is easier to deform and bend the flow of a surface than it is in using polygons.

Making refined detail like the basic flow of a face that was tested shown second shot from the bottom on page 15, a little quicker than box modelling a base mesh for further refining in polygons.

A better personal use of SubD modelling is more for solid objects like vehicles, like the 3D car on middle bottom of page 15 taking a little under two hours in Maya to create, almost the reverse of the jellyfish as only the wheels were made from ploys.

Also finalizing the designs by changing all the subDs into polygons for both the car and jellyfish in the end.

Telling a Story one last time, from d'artiste Character Modeling Book page 109 'a different point of view see bibliography

SubDs used for girls hair , see Bibliography

Sony Pictures Imageworks Lizard breakdown Video, shown two shots above and below left, see bibliography

Also taking into consideration the use of A -Symmetrical modelling.

Breaking up the symmetry of the module so it looks less symmetrically perfect.

Adding more believability in the design, as perfect symmetry does not exist in real organic creatures.

ZBrush Character Sculpting Projects, tips and techniques from the masters book,see Bibliography Sony Pictures Imageworks Lizard, shown two shots above

left , see Bibliography

shot 1 on above left shot 2 on above right

shot 3 above shot 4 below

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Looking at real world examples of creatures that would resemble similar features to the 3D reptile alien module, to gain some perspective of how the form and texture can look shown on the above two shots, with the top left, bottom right and centre shots on page 14 .

Velociraptor top right, see bibliography

Human Spin Illustration shown above, see bibliography

Gecko by Evan Ackerman shown above, see bibliography

Also a brief mention on the use of Subsurface Scattering or (SSS) for short, which seems like a intricate part of 3D realistic character Design, in the online FX Guide to The Lizard. see bibliography.

A shading and texturing technique used FX Companies Weta and Sony images.

Which relates more to the texturing and shading side of the FX Production pipeline, which is looked at in more detail and discussed on page 31 and 32,38.

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stegosaurus.gif shown above, see bibliography

Gecko foot, shown on the above left

Paying some attention to the way the feet look on both modern day reptiles and ancient creatures like the Velociraptor shown on the top right of page 13.

Showing three clawed with a back clawed toe shown below right picture, trying to create a similar form of leg to the 3d Alien Module.

Utah Raptor foot on Base, shown above right

Giving some pre determined features to attribute towards the secondary modelling stage for the alien modules foot shown above.Making them pointier at the toes and a good example on the kind of texture that can be utilized to use for the feet and hands shown on the centre right shot above.

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#

Man O' War Jellyfish shown above

3D SubD car shown above

3D SubD 'BMB' Alien Head Test 1 shown aboveUsing the polygon alien base mesh shown on the top left of page 17

was taken into ZBrush to tweak and sculpt the finer details of the creature.

Which cannot be attributed in Maya as finely with polygon modelling, as ZBrush enabling to work with dense 'subdivision levels' with ease enabling the ability to sculpt the mesh shown in the 6 shots on page 18.

Re-orientated Mermaid Mesh scanned shots shown above right, see Bibliography

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3D SubD car shown above

Without question the eyes are defiantly a crustal part of the model.

As it is easy to get carried away in 3D creature design of the BMB 'Bio Morphic Being' Alien as the eyes are the last thing to module and the creature would not be the same without them.

A other big aspect that is equally important as the eyes, taking it one developmental step back from ZBrush.

Is maintaining the edge loops that make up the topology of the 3d models mesh maintain the overall structure of the model.

Which is reoriented in the Maya that can also be used as a base mesh shown on the top right of page 17 and other examples from the mermaid shot shown on the top right of page 15.

It's all in the eyes Baby, see Bibliography

Re-orientated Mermaid Mesh article reference, see Bibliography

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Poly-Modelled primary Base mesh shown above left

Re-fined secondary Alien Mesh test in Maya shown on above right two shots and teeth shown below right

Maya can be utilized to create quite a decent secondary modelling stage, for the alien shown on the above right and centre right shots.

keeping a moderately decent edge flow, which could have been used as a second substitute to take into the third stage of modelling into ZBrush.

Although it gave more of a challenge in gaining some experience in Sculpting and Readjusting the module development straight from the base mesh demonstrated on pages 18 to 20.

A much more refined and aligning position of the teeth in using Mayas poly modelling on the mesh shown on the above centre right.

It seems less of a messy job in Maya Compared to the ZBrush sculpt shown at the bottom left and right of page 18.

Evidently the sculpting with ZBrush's ClayBuildUp, Smooth, Flatten Brush tools gives more flexibility of sculpting the shape and form of the teeth giving a little bit more realism.

P a g e 17More defined detail witch inherited a lot of refining in ZBrush Shown from the below 6 shots of sculpting development

Re-modelling of face from the base mesh shown above.

fixing the disfigured ears by transferring and applying the original base mesh ears over to the secondary stage module shown in the above right shot.

Furthermore carrying on with secondary detail to the ears keeping structure this time round, followed by adding the teeth shown below left and right.

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The secondary modelling process with refining shown above left and right

Deformers with using the ZBrush Masking tool menu shown on the above left to readjust the size of the neck, evidently adjusting the base or primary structure.

With the aid of the ZBrush Sculpting brushes, helps to reform and shape the necessary curves and angles of the mesh on the arms and face, giving more realism to the flow for the secondary modelling stage shown above and below left and right shots.

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Making some custom Alpha Brushes in Photoshop to try and create the back of the Bio Morphic Being 3d module in ZBrush shown on the right in Photoshop.

With the Alpha Brush results in ZBrush shown with the two shots below.

Intricate Detailing form in ZBrush and Alphas From ZBrush Character Creation book , see Bibliography

The 3D Alien poly modelled base mesh blocked out in Maya shown on the top left of page 17 represents stage one, building the primary shapes for the Torso/head arms and feet and ears.

Stage 2 represents muscular flow and folds of the flesh created and tested from the base mesh in Maya shown on the top right of page 17 with the ZBrush tests shown on the top left and right of page 18.

Comparing the two stage 2 models of the alien, as ZBrush seems to be more sufficient in adding the finer detail.

Reforming and adapting the main mesh of the primary modelling stage in tandem with building the secondary modelling process shown on the top left and right and bottom left of page 19.

The third and last level of the modelling is the tertiary stage, defining wrinkles and other fine details, this can be created by using the Alfa and stencil brushes that is one asset of ZBrush.

Custom Alphas shown above

Custom Alphas demonstrated on the alien mesh shown on the above two shots

Custom Alphas shown above right

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Masking techniques helped to reach and sculpt the more harder areas of the alien module, like its long pointy teeth which kept getting deformed by the refining of the bottom jaw prior to using masking shown on the above right.

With visibility masking used to hide parts of the module, to better focus more on a pacific area of the module shown above left to right.

The bottom jaw of the mouth was one of the most problematic parts of the alien creature to sculpt and redefine, with the mesh reacting much more disorderly when sculpting it compared to the rest of the module, shown on bottom right of page 18 and two shots shown above.

As it needed to be laid out flat with the flatten/ClayBuildUp brush in order to properly add in the build-up for the teeth development shown from top left to below right.

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scrub python shown above left, see Bibliography snake-skin, see Bibliography

Deciding on texture that relates to its reptile like anatomy, via the use of a sketch tablet in Photoshop shown on the centre left.

Developing similar textures to the skin of snakes shown below left and right.

Combining the ZBrush Skin Shader with the PolyPaint for texture gives a good start to the texturing process shown on the top right of page 24.

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U.V unwrapping is an essential stage to undergo in order to move on to the texturing stage, shown with the textures on, the top left of page 24

10 minute U.V master. unwrap process, first attempt in ZBrush, shown on the above left.

10 minute U.V. Master, UV Map unwrap process, first attempt in ZBrush, shown on the above right.

10 minute U.V. Map, final attempt in ZBrush, shown on the above left.

In this case using the UV Master plug-in even though it is considered a automatic U.V. tool, it came in handy in producing a good result in the end shown above middle.

As the density of the mesh attributed to the overall performance of using U.V. Master evidently increasing the time it took to complete with around 7 attempts taking 10 minutes a process.

The lower the mesh the less time and difficulty U.V. Master has on uncapping a module which was noticed while observing UV Master tutorials on YouTube.

UV Mater for ZBrush book, See Bibliography

UV Mater for ZBrush YouTube tutorials 1&2, See Bibliography

2.1 The use of texture maps to create skin and highlights to the geometry of a 3D character.

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10 minute U.V. Map, final attempt with polypaint in ZBrush, shown on the above right.

It would have been too intense of a dense mesh of the alien module to unwrap manually in Maya, so U.V. Masters un-wrap process has made it easier to handle.

Taking several attempts to utilize a good U.V. wrap layout with U.V. Master, mostly because of the repositioning of the control painting, with the Protect button helped to gain a better placement of the Seams, while the attract button helped to maintain detailed places of the mesh.

Which gives a improved U.V. Map result with more indication of the body parts laid out shown on the top left of page 24, compared to the first seam test shown on page top right of page 23.

Applied poly-painting texture test shown on the above right

The texture maps generated such as diffused, ambient occlusion and a light map with specular are components for creating realistic skin which is shown on the bottom of page 27.

Hence should enhance a better look of the alien Bio Morphic Beings skin in tandem with the Indirect lighting shown on the bottom snapshot of page 33, and High Dynamic Range Environment Lighting to be implemented into the scene later.

P a g e 24Transferring the Bio Morphic Being character from ZBrush to Maya proved a bit of a challenge, firstly generating the right maps to maintain detail for a low resolution animation ready mesh, two different methods were tested out shown below.

Testing out decimation Master inside of ZBrush to try and create a low resolution mesh shown in the above three shots, trying to preserve detail in various areas did not evaluate as needed, overly destroying the form of the mesh. The second attempt in Maya was much more successful shown below.

Using the reduce tool in Mayas Polygon-Mesh Menu four times in total, helped maintain a good general form of the character shown on the above two shots with the high resolution module to compare on the right showing a white selected mesh with the low res in green.

Using Decimation Master , see Bibliography

Decimation Master test shown above 3 shots

Using Mayas Reduce Mesh tool shown the 2 shots above

P a g e 25Next creating a Normal map by projecting the high resolution mesh over the low resolution mesh using the Transfer Maps menu in Maya shown below.

ZBrush Normal Map above left Maya Normal Map above right

Shown below the Normal Map on the right that was produced in Maya has more detail and came out as a better result ,compared to the Normal Map produced in ZBrush shown on the bottom left.

Mayas produced Normal map to be utilized for the Bio Morphic Alien creatures Texture and Shader mapping to be tested with indirect lighting shown on page 32.

Using the normal map to bring though the extra detail onto the low resolution mesh.

Which is reapplied as a bump map on a Lambert Shader shown on the top right snapshot of page 27 below.

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Creating the illusion of the high resolution detailed Bio Morphic Being characters low polygon surface mesh without the additional geometry shown on the above right snapshot.

While simultaneously creating a Bump Map with the creation of the Normal map usually goes undetected.

Normal Maps and bump maps , see Bibliography

Also creating other maps from the texture map shown on the top left of page 24 and on the bottom right of this page, by using a program called Crazy bump.

Creating three other maps that could come in handy for comparison shown above.

Crazybump Specular Map Crazybump Normal Map Crazybump Occlusion map

And to make use of on Maya's 'misss_fast_simple' Shader node for subsurface scattering.

Lambert with Bump Map applied shown above

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Establishing a green base-colour in ZBrush via Poly-painting to aid the texturing process, shown on the above left on the Bio Morphic Beings Face.

Followed by adding darker greens to the less flat areas of the module shown on the above right.

By changing the brush type from FreeHand to Colour Spray brakes up the single hue, as skin is a multitude of similar hues that are based on temperature zones of a face.‘Painting Creature Skin’ See Bibliography

Bio Morphic Being (BMB) Alien head and base colour shown above left.

Bio Morphic Being (BMB) back shot shown above right.

Bio Morphic Being (BMB) Alien head finished texture shown above.

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Real World Texture examples taken from reptiles and fish as they're the main creatures on the Earth shown below, which have scales what relates to the anatomy on the 3D Bio Morphic Aliens texturing design process shown on the above pages 27 and 28.

Rainbow trout scales shown above

Python shown above

Lizard 1 head close up aboveLizard 1 long-shot shown above

Lizard 2 shown above

Standard trout scales shown above

P a g e 29Giving a good sense of specular and diffuse reflections of light that is admitted from the skin surface of the reptile and fish creatures.

Which is shown on the above page helps with the shading and colour range process, that can be applied through specular and Ambient occlusion maps later can be adjusted as shown on pages 26 and 27 for the 3D alien module.

With both trouts having more Specularity and reflection bouncing back giving that shiny look to their skin more that the land reptiles do.

Ranging from patches of white to grey on the lizards one and two shots shown on the above page, also a contrast of pale greens and yellows for the python and also on the legs and side belly of the lizard two shot.

There is the other method of using the creature photographs with scales shown on page 39 for Skin textures.

By adapting it as an alpha to create a form of skin, as demonstrated by Diego Maia 3D module shown above.See bibliography for,Aquatic man by Diego Maia, Development process

Aquatic man by Diego Maia shown above, see Bibliography

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Ways to add colour and detail for texturing in ZBrush.

Using PolyPaint along with the Mask with Cavity tool to apply more detail to the Alien Module tested on the below left to right and centre. Polypaint and Cavity See Bibliography...

Adding more realism to the (BMB) alien, by increasing detail with the Mask with the Cavity tool with increased intensity from left to right Shown above.

Another method of 3D modelling technique that can be used effectively is modelling from a basic human base mesh like Diego Maia has done for his Aquatic man shown on the above left shot.

Which can be useful when creating a humanoid character as most of the proportions would already be pre determined to some degree, to start adding the secondary sculpting stages.

Modelling and sculpting straight from memory instead of a pre created concepts and base mesh like shown on the top of page 17, in a way can give more freedom for creativity, and a quick way to created several similar types of the same module for 3D Concepts.

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Delving into character creature creation for film by FX industries such as Legacy Effects who used ZBrush to create and Sculpted the alien characters for animation in the John Carter of Mars Movie shown below to shots.

Legacy Effects, ZBrush John Carter of Mars shots above, see bibliography

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Last but not least a Light-Map containing the texture from the previous Polypaint exported from ZBrush, also one of the essential maps needed for the Subsurface Scattering.

Essentially baking the colour into a map, using three Point lights to light the back of the high resolution module, as the back texture/colour it did not show up in the first attempt shown on the below right.

The second attempt shown on the bottom right is much better, yet there are still some small splodges of the lights shadow caught in the backed map.

That is noticeable when applied to the low resolution module shown on the above left snapshot primarily around the neck and on the top of the head.

2.2 Shooting and editing for High Dynamic Range Imagery with Image Base Lighting in Maya.

IBL tested on high and low res modules shown above two shots back and front

Light maps shown above and below

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BMB Alien module rendered Without Indirect Lighting Shown above.

BMB Alien module rendered With Physical Sun and sky-Indirect Lighting Shown above.

Testing out Mayas Physical Sun and Sky from Mental rays Indirect Lighting on the Alien module, has reduced and smoothed out some of the low resolution look of the characters surface shown on the above middle shot and the pre-Indirect Lighting above top.

Low res below

High res above

P a g e 34There is some pre-production processes that was taken into consideration in order to develop High Dynamic Range images HDRI for short, to bring into Maya and use for Indirect lighting later shown below.

Location and time of day is important depending on the type of project used for when taking Photographs for HDR Images, so choosing locations with a wide range of distance seems reasonable.

Using HDRI Enables the ability to give more information from a scene, by taking different contrasts of the same scene from the camera shown above.

high exposure above even exposure above low Exposure above

High Exposure above Low exposure above Even Exposure above

In Picturenaut and Photoshop testing the two when combing the different contrasts of shots taken at different exposures shown above into HDR Riddance files.

As the natural world around us is perceived in a non-liner manner when viewed by human eyes.

Final HDR 32 BIt image above

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High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) is seen in the VFX Industry as a way to combat the issue of gaining the most detail out of digital imagery.

As the use of HDRI's in most Sci/fi Alien movies Mainly used for creating outdoor CG environments or scenes on a large scale.

As FX Industries like Weta took some 360 degree panoramas for movies like Prometheus in the valleys of Wadi Rum and took it much further in accuracy by applying GPS coordinates covering 20 miles creating a Digitally Elevated image in Maya. Prometheus FX Gide, see Bibliography

While camera lenses cannot adapt to the change of light when shooting at the same spectrum as human vision, as the human vision has a much broader range when it comes to processing contrast of light this is known as non liner. Non Linear Response , see bibliography

So by combining the three different exposures of the same shot to a High Dynamic Range Image, expands that range of Exposure Value and gains the most from light and colour data which is closer to a non-linier Photograph creating a 32 Bit image shown on the bottom left of the above page (page 34).

Prometheus HDRI Shot above, See Bibliography

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As cameras advance as to now having the ability to produce Panoramic images with Mobile phone cameras, the opportunity to try it out as shown above.

One advantage is it eliminated the need to unwrap from a Spherical orb, disadvantage is quite hard to keep it level was taking the shot but not impossible.

And the Contrast of light is harder to take when it is darker as the mobile phones camera sensor had trouble completing the panorama at around sunset.

While using a normal Camera and Tripod aided in taking better stability of shots to create a panorama, although when it came to using a spherical orb when unwrapped from the Final HDRI 32 bit image shown on the bottom left of page 34, there is still a lot of cleanup to be done as shown below.

Final HDR 32 Bit image unwrapped above

Panoramic Camera-Phone Camera shot above

P a g e 37By taking 3 pictures of the same location at 15 minutes apart as the sun goes down thus creating 3 sets of HDR Images, plus a mix of one of each 15 minute take as the scene would be naturally darker as the sun sets, gaining a variety of contrasts to merge and test with shown below.

HRDI Sunset shot shown above

4pm shot above 4:15pm shot above 4:30pm shot above

Trying to connect the sides of the high dynamic range panorama photograph that is adjusted from the first test shown at the top and bottom of page 36 has seam issues noticeable shown in the reflective sphere.

Using some of Photoshop's basic tools to fix the seams, by duplicating one end and reversing it to the other side and merging it with the healing and clone brushes.

Then tested out on a Image Based Lighting setup on page 38 and the top left of page 39.

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Testing out indirect Lighting techniques in Maya to compare High Dynamic Range imagery with Physical Sun and Sky to light a scene by comparing the two stated on page 33.

Testing out the use of the High Dynamic Range imagery in Maya with Mentalrays Indirect-Image Based lighting (IBL) shown above.

IBL-SETUP IN Maya shown above

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Testing the Image Based Lighting on the Alien Module with Subsurface Scattering applied by one of Mental Rays 'MISSS_Fast_Skin_maya'1 node shown above and bottom centre of page 38.

So far the Indirect Lighting does not give the same smoothness to the surface of the aliens body, which has a basic Lambert Shader applied to it as the Physical sun and sky does shown on the above right shot.

While trying to maintain texture and detail on a low resolution Alien Module that has the Subsurface scattering Shader applied to it, shown on the above left is the 3D Alien Module on the far right in the shot.

Which is showing more detail of the Scales but not the texture created from ZBrush shown on the top of page 24.

Ground plain Matt Shadow Test shown above

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Applying the Sub Surface scattering with a Epidermal as a basic light map, and subdural layers shown on the bottom right of page 41, really brought out the detail shown on the two shots below.

Readjusting some of the Sub Surface Scattering settings to bring through the texture more sharply and noticeable on the mesh, with the washed out texture on the bottom right and more clearly on the bottom left and with less Specularity and shininess.

Reducing Specularity of the SSS-Shader above

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The use of SSS or Sub Surface scattering is implemented as to aid two overall sections of the MISSS Node with in Maya that applies to anatomy called the subdural and the epidermal.

As blood vessels and fat is applied by a normal map goes into the Subdermal section of the MI-Sub Surface Scatter Node, while the epidermal layer contains the skin blemishes as a most prominent colour map. Sub Surface scattering information above, See Bibliography

Subdermal map shown above

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\

AO Pass shown above Beauty Pass shown above Depth Pass shown above

Rim Pass shown above Standard Texture shown above

The Render Layers and Passes technique enables and aids the FX compositing process, from rendering Straight from a 3D Design program in this case Maya to Photoshop a compositing and editing program shown below.

Giving more control over a 3D environment and its elements of lighting/shading, texturing and geometry that can be made use of for maps like Ambient Occlusion and Depth maps shown above.

Photoshop Render Passes Comp shown aboveRender Passes processed in Maya shown above

3.1 Attributing rendered passes from Maya through composites in Photoshop or After Effects, to enhance realism of 3D modules and the overall scene.

P a g e 43 3.2 Utilizing Mayas Dynamics to create visual impact for the opening title sequence for the trailer.

Through a rough storyboard came the idea to create a space scene where objects would collide and brake-up establishing the title for the trailer thought the remains of dust and debris that follows.

For creating a space scene Maya Dynamics seems most fitting to simulate such a animated sequence, finding a way to combat some sort of effect that can smash and collide geometry with each other.

Using the shatter tool came in handy when braking up surfaces, even though it is stated that it is usually unpredictable for destroying most geometry. Destroying Geometry, see Bibliography

P a g e 444.1 The use of Colour grading and correction through compositing programs such as Nuke and After Effects, and Premier Pro for Sound Editing.

Compositing and editing practical with visual elements can gain a interesting visually appealing result Like what Weta VFX Supervisor Martin Hill explains in the creation of the Prometheus Engineer breakup scene shown below.

Also taking and observing real elements from everyday life to enhance the look of a composited scene and mix them up with Maya elements like fish bones, oils and other similar elements that relate to this Visual scene created by Weta makes for a good composite and Edit.

Prometheus visual breakdown - FX guide TV #149 shown above (part 1), see bibliography

P a g e 45

As it is important for the final result of any mesh of a 3D creature to maintain a strong clean quad edge flow and not to have it too dense for a adequate animation ready Character.

It would have been more sufficient to use the secondary modelling stage of the Alien mesh once mirror copied for a complete body, created in Maya shown on the top right of page 17 to bring into ZBrush for the third tertiary stages of modelling the finer detail.

Which should reduce the need to change the physicality, much like what was done with the base mesh in ZBrush saving time shown on page 18 and 19.

At the same time also would prevent the need for creating a low resolution mesh from the tertiary stage from ZBrush, to project a bump map that is derived from the third fine detailed mesh shown on page 31.

As just to apply the bump map on the second stage module in Maya would also save time.

This would prevent the use for using Mayas Reduce Polygon tool from creating triangles on the mesh which formulated due to maintaining detail where needed such as the face, hands and feet shown below, derived from the character shown on the bottom two shots on page 25.

4.2 Evaluation

Tries on BMB Alien face shown above

P a g e 46

Reassessing how to apply High Dynamic Range images in Maya by analyzing the structure of the nodes of an HDRI sample called Arches Pine Tree from HDR Labs.com.See Bibliography for HDR Labs.com, Arches Pine Tree

It has become apparent that the High Dynamic Range image used was applied in the wrong node as it showed up out of focus and blurry in the render shown in the two shots shown on the bottom of page 41.

As the lower resolution Tiff version is to be placed in the IBL Node, and the High dynamic range 32 bit image goes in the Environment Mental Ray texture node, should show the image more clearly.

Also if to go forward to create an animated walk sequence with the Reptilian Alien would also need to incorporate a ground plain to give the character something to stand/walk on, as at the moment it seems to be floating in the air as shown on the top left of page 40 and on the below shot.

HRDI Shot with no ground matt shown above

P a g e 47 4.3 Conclusion

FX 3D character creation gets more in-depth and seemingly gathers more understanding from the real world.

For one is the understanding of anatomy that in the past several years have been applied to characters in movies like the Engineer Alien in Prometheus shown below, and The lizard from the Amazing Spiderman movie shown and explained on page 12.

Increasing the knowledge from anatomy to give more believability in animating movement, which also related to the realism of using Sub Surface Scattering for a sub and epidermal use of creating skin and veins.

Which has furthered the learning curve and applied physiology to the FX Pipeline to some major degree, also slowly becoming the norm for 3D Creature creation.

Engineer 3D Design from Prometheus, shown above see Bibliography

P a g e 48

A good combination composite of all elements that can be untallied from Maya such as Rigs of bones and Muscle moving in tandem with a 3D textured mesh character, to collate and match up with the movement with a physical on set actor in prosthetics final shot shown above.

If a 3D animated character for a movie is to be torn apart or destroyed in some way, this type of design process of Bones and Muscles with in Maya can become very useful in creating more believability for the motion of a character.

Yet depending on the actions that take part in a scene like if to just make a run or walk cycle with Sub Surface Scattering and Textures with no need to show inner anatomy, it can still look believable in its realism.

This muscle and skin rig setup has only been implemented in 3D Characters around the year 2012 and is becoming more of the norm in the FX Industry as time goes on.

Prometheus visual breakdown - FX guide TV #149 shown above (part 2), see bibliography

P a g e 49

Even a shot where there is hardly any major movement from a 3D character like the unborn baby scene from Pans Labyrinth shown below, which has no need for a bone and muscle rig, just the textures and 3D module alone made it look believable.

By looking at the density of the mesh of the 3D baby in a womb shown below, it also comes apparent that using such a dense mesh of a character can still be rendered and applied in a composite and edited scene as it did not require too much movement.

Trying to undertake a mix of Mayas most used assets like Dynamics, Moulding, Texturing and shading, Rigging Animation and compositing usually is done by a variety of specialized groups usually to get the job done more efficiently as a post production process.

Which would make it a harder task for one individual to undertake most of these techniques to a professional standard.

A vfx Labyrinth, the Unborn Baby shown above see bibliography

P a g e 50Bibliography & References

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Chapter 5 Texture Painting pages 172-176

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P a g e 56

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