To all 3D Modelers and Animators

[SeanWhelan]

Hey Guys,
Its been mentioned before but Ill say it again, we a have a lot of talented people going on this forums. So i thought I would switch it up rather then showing off your photoshop skills. Anyone who a 3D modeler or animator, or trying to learn this field??

If so, show what you have! Its a very tough field to break into since it takes a very long time to create something. Don't worry, we won't be too harsh. We'll explain what works and what doesn't with a reason not just because.

So if your working on a project or just relaxing having fun, upload some pictures for us to see.

I'll kick it off by showing my demo reel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s34Rp5zK9OE

(yes I was the person to model the artifact coin and give it that distinctive look)
I'll also begin this thread by going over some basics for you people and hopefully it'll help.

3D Modelers:
-there is no correct way of doing things. It's all about creating your own technique and style. Some prefer low polygon models where others like myself prefer high polygon models.
-don't be afraid to watch tutorials or have books out in front of you while you work. Even Dreamworks and Pixar does this everyday. These type of programs are very very technical so don't expect to know everything.
-have a reference in front of you! do not go from the image in your head. If your creating a building or something outside, take a picture and open it up on the desktop to view. If your creating a water bottle or a remote...get one out and lay it on the desk. Look at it, see the shape, the edges etc etc and work off that.

Animators:
-again there is no correct way of doing things. Some prefer to go frame by frame where others do extremes and then in betweens.
-ACT IT OUT......ACT IT OUT......ACT IT OUT.....see that...3 times I said that. record yourself performing the action, repeat it 50 times even if your just moving an arm. You may look funny doing it but thats what it takes to make a smooth fluid animation.
-take your time with an animation...DO NOT RUSH!..in the field it takes about 6 months to produces a 30 second animation clips. When you watch a movie, everytime the camera angles change....yup thats a different animator.

And lastly, watch a lot of animation films. Not just 3d ones though. Stick with the basics first such as 2d disney films. They are the ones that changed animation history.

I look forward to seeing where this thread goes!

Thanks!
Sean Whelan
3D Artist

[Robert Butler]

Sweet, I'm glad you started this Sean.  Sean is the one that got me into 3D modeling and animation.  I love modeling but theres something to adding life to the scene.  I have alot of things I've created at this point and some can be seen on the Conjuring Animations youtube
Link http://youtube.com/conjuringanimations
Sean uses a very expensieve software for his modeling and animation and is financially out of reach for me an likly a lot of others.  But he lead me to a free open source software called Blender.  This is one i've become fairly farmiliar with and have created all my work with it.  If your interested in getting into modeling or animation then check it out and I'd be happy to offer up any info on it to help you get started. 

[moonexe]

I'm quite interested in both disciplines, I just need a kick to get me started...
One question: What programs do you guys use/started learning on?

[RandyButterfield]

I'm quite interested in both disciplines, I just need a kick to get me started...
One question: What programs do you guys use/started learning on?

I started out back in the 90's using programs I think no longer exist - Ray Dream Studio and Strata Studio Pro.
It used to take forever to render anything back then!

I currently use Maya for short films and character animation (which I haven't spent any time on in years!) and I use Lightwave 3D for work. Lightwave is great for being able to setup case stacks and grocery shelves of alcohol bottles in a hurry. Also, Lightwave is actually 2 separate programs: MODELER is where you model and assign surfaces to all of your objects. LAYOUT is where you import the models, apply textures and texture maps, setup your scene, keyframe animations and render the final images.

I haven't used Blender but I've read a lot of great things about it. A great forum for 3d Graphics is CGTalk.com. That's the other forum I check out on a regular basis.

thanks, Randy

[SeanWhelan]

Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't responded back in a few days. been busy with work and working on the Galvanic designs.  For me, I started with 3ds max 8 years ago. The program was available to me during high school classes. Everyday I would stay after just to mess with it and see what I could learn.

Now I use Maya which is an industry standard when it comes to modeling and animation. Again the program was available to me during college and trial versions through Autodesk's website. This program created most animation movies you see today from studios such as Dreamworks and BlueSky. Pixar is excluded because they use there own in house software called Renderman.

The thing I can say about animation as well as modeling....take your time. Don't create something just to make a buck. There is a lot of background that you need to study in order to get into the field.

So to help the modelers and animators on this site upload your stuff and showcase it! Each week we can have a lesson such as getting into topics like booleans, polygons, sculpting, rigging, rendering etc etc.

What topic would you like to go over this week? I will post a detailed reply and also show you jpegs of the do's and don'ts on the topic.

I can't wait to see where this thread goes!


Sean Whelan
3D Artist

[SeanWhelan]

I'm really surprised no ones posting things up in this thread : ( I was hoping to see models or animations in progress

[Don Boyer]

I'm really surprised no ones posting things up in this thread : ( I was hoping to see models or animations in progress

Try PM'ing the people you know who are into modeling/animating.  Also, feel free to invite your non-Discourse buddies who are into it as well to join the board!

[SeanWhelan]

Thats whats funny. Other then myself, i don't know anyone whos passionate or crazy about modeling or animation. This is why I started the thread to see what other people have worked on or who want to get into the field. Could be serious or fun.

[moonexe]

I might start learning it eventually, I just need to get my stuff together and actually do something about it.
Did you start learning with books, internet tutorials, a class, by yourself?

I would like to make an animated film someday, but with my current skills, I need a LOT of practice in pretty much every field of the project.

[RandyButterfield]

Alright, I'll post some of my 3d stuff.

These are a couple of typical renders I do for work a lot.
A lobby display for the Sauza Diamondbacks Program and
a Gift Pack for Perrier Jouet.

[RandyButterfield]

We also have a lot of call for Costco Pallet programs like the below
Brancott and Jacob's Creek Reserve.

[RandyButterfield]

This is a Sell Sheet back for a Board Game my cousin roped me into.
I did the drawing, all of the design and 3d. We built a prototype and even
got a booth at GenCon here in Indy. That led us to Kickstarter:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/randybutterfield/kings-of-combat-gladiatorial-tournament?ref=live

The project was a bust (thank god, I did not like the idea of dealing with
the back and forth with China manufacturers!). The good thing that came
out of it is I was introduced to Custom Designed Playing Cards when I saw
the Revision 1 on Kickstarter and went from there!

thanks, Randy

[Kanped]

Man, I worked in off-licences (liquor stores in US?  I think that might be a different thing) and those wine displays bring me to a cold sweat... one little bump.

[Don Boyer]

Take a good look at the New Zealand white wine display.  Wow - only in Costco can you buy full-sized bottles of wine by the TWELVE-PACK! 

@Kanped: We have a few different kinds of liquor store in the States - it depends on the state (and sometimes the county) you're in.  In some states, they're all government-run shops.  In other states (like New York), a full liquor license allows you to sell all varieties, but you can't have open bottles on premises.  Some states (like Florida) allow for what New York does, but also has "package stores" - a liquor store physically connected to a bar; you can drink in the bar, then take some more home when you're done...  It's also common to see liquor stores attached to supermarkets and pharmacies in some states, where the liquor store is operated separately with a separate staff, and you have to leave one store to enter the other.  Then you can also have a "dry county" in the middle of a state that allows sales of alcohol, where no retail sale of alcohol is permitted - ironically enough, the Jack Daniel's distillery and headquarters are located in Lynchburg, TN, in Moore County, which has been dry since Prohibition nearly a century ago!  And don't get me started on Salt Lake City...

Liquor laws in America are totally bizarre.

[RandyButterfield]

It seems like the Design & Development section hasn't had a lot of posts lately so I thought I would resuscitate this old thread with the last animation I created. It was back in 2005 and I was working as a freelancer, call name Silent Fox Studios, and I wanted to created a short using a 3d version of my logo. Boring backstory, but it explains the Silent Fox branding on the animation.

It's been tucked away in archive land and I hadn't watched it in a few years. Looking at it now all I see is stuff I would change if I did it over again. Although, it was a lot of fun to create and ended up playing in a good number of film festivals, so that was cool too.


http://youtu.be/vjFeILAyq6g


thanks, Randy

[xela]

Haha that gave me a chuckle. I honestly wonder what that would look like with dynamic lighting and shadows. I had no idea you were *that* talented, Randy. :]

[RandyButterfield]

Haha that gave me a chuckle. I honestly wonder what that would look like with dynamic lighting and shadows. I had no idea you were *that* talented, Randy. :]

Thanks for the compliment Alex!

I just wish I had the motivation and energy to start on another short, maybe when the kids get older!
Did you get the PM I sent?

thanks, Randy