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October 2015
#199
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ZBrush modelling
How to quickly model
a character and more
advice in Artist Q&A,
turn to page 30
Issue 199
Contents
digital
subscriptions
6 Free downloads
8 artist showcase
17 community
18 sIggraph anImatIon
Is the best work getting seen?
22 studio proFile
We visit new CG studio AxisVFX
10 artIst showcase
24 tomorrows worlD
26 short cuts
The making of Taking The Plunge
30 artist Q&a
Feature
36 the cg of contInuum
40 the rIse of tV VfX
53 tutorials
80 3d maker
87 develop
regulars
7 neXt month
28 european subscrIptIons
79 us subscrIptIons
98 DIgItal back Issues
Artifex discusses its VFX for the sci-fi show, plus Adam Stern shares his process
3D WorlD October 2015
3dworld.creativebloq.com
tutorials
54 star wars matte paIntIng
Discover how to create a stunning
Episode VII-inspired image
Double Negatives Saby Menyhei walks you through this Star Wars VII-inspired image
74 DetaIl a character
Prepare an armoured knight
for cinematic production
fre
modee!
l
74 DetaIl a character
3d maker
80 growth InDustry
Michael Winstones organic artworks
80 growth InDustry
develop
88 nuke technIques
Discover how to use performance
timers to speed up your scripts
reviews
96 reVIew: renDa pw-e7f
Overclockers entry to the workstation
market is a robust machine
97 reVIew: unfolD3D 9
The UV mapping tool gets a strong
update with some great new tools
100 my InspIratIon
Saizen Medias Davice Bianca
97 reVIew: unfolD3D 9
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showcase
artist
showcase
The best digital art from
the CG community
get published
email your Cg art to
ian.dean@futurenet.com
10
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dreamCatChers
tribe
HAIR RAISING
3d world view
I love the way the
look of each character
seems to reflect its
personality. Theyre a
winning mix of cute
and scary.
feliCity barr
Production editor
11
www.facebook.com/3dworldmagazine
showcase
WORKING Out
masChinen
projeCt
artist
Berto Souza
software ZBrush, 3ds Max,
Mudbox, Marvelous Designer
Berto Souza began experimenting with 3D
five years ago, taking part in courses and
workshops. He now works at TV Globo in Rio
de Janeiro as a character artist, but continues
to attend group sessions: work on the
Maschinen Project began during one of
artist Bruno Cmaras workshops.
After the workshop ended, Bruno
continued working on the project for a further
three months. It was really awesome to create
this cyberpunk girl and all her accessories.
They look really heavy for her to carry, he
says. I think the strong points of the work are
the metals and the modelling of the face I
felt I achieved good results with both aspects.
Using ZBrush and 3ds Max for most of the
work, Bruno took to Mudbox for the textures
and Marvelous Designer for the clothes,
before doing the final composition of the
image in Photoshop.
Citing other artists as one of his sources
of inspiration, Bruno says that its important
to stay in touch with people in the industry.
These relationships [provide you with]
knowledge which means better work, he says.
Im always doing workshops to improve my
workflow and exchange experiences.
You can see more of Bertos work at
fyi www.bertosouza.blogspot.com.br
3D WorlD October 2015
12
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showcase
NEW tOOLS
artist
Peter Nowacki
software 3ds Max, V-Ray,
Marvelous Designer
Its astonishing that the image took two years
to finish, says Warsaw-based artist Peter
Nowacki, who produced Far Far Away,' as a
celebration of childrens imaginations. Its
the first part of a three-part project. Children
are now focusing on video games instead of
playing outside and I wanted to showcase a
time when their imaginations were all they had.
Although he used 3ds Max and V-Ray
for the work, Peter also dabbled with other
engines, including OctaneRender and Corona
Renderer. I personally have more experience
in V-Ray, but they were great, he says.
For cloth simulations, Peter used Marvelous
Designer. Its just perfect: user-friendly and
fast! he says. For extra details, I created
V-Ray hair and emitted a few particle systems.
Peter also used Fusion 360, Autodesks cloudbased CAD tool, for the first time during this
project. I know that people are using it for
professional services, but with my skills it
allowed me to create a few extra details.
Peter says its the final touches to a project
that he relishes the most. I love adding
details, tweaking final renders, merging render
passes and publishing the image. Feedback is
the most powerful motivator!
You can see more of Peters work at
fyi www.pnowacki.com
3d world view
This certainly isnt a
setting in which you
normally expect to
see a lightsaber. Peter
uses it to symbolise
the antique
imagination that our
kids are losing.
ian dean
Editor
14
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roCket
and groot
artist
Antone Magdy
software ZBrush, 3ds Max,
DDO, Photoshop
Like many other artists, Antone Magdy
embarked on this piece to improve his
professional skills. I think the key to personal
growth is to have some sort of plan when
practising and creating personal art, he says.
One of the challenges Antone set himself
was learning a new piece of software: DDO,
Quixels texturing tool. I was eager to learn
about DDO and then take it all the way to be
a real-time model, he says.
Having previously modelled characters for
animated TV series, Antone currently works
as a 3D character artist at Snappers in Egypt,
where he focuses on facial blendshapes for
in-game and cinematic models on a range of
AAA titles. Rocket and Groot is based on
the artwork of Javier Burgos Magdy says
that hes always been a fan of Rovios lead
artist and proved a lot of fun to sculpt.
Im inspired by seeing the huge amount
of work that artists around the world create,
Antone enthuses. Its always a big part
of my day to scroll through art forums. It
always gives me that push to be better to
challenge myself to try a lot of new things.
You can see more of Antones work at
fyi www.antone_m.artstation.com
3d world view
Antone takes Javier
Burgoss cartoony
style, and perfectly
translates it into 3D.
Rocket and Groot
never looked cuter.
darren phillips
Art editor
15
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CONTENTS
Community
News and views from around the
international CG community
26 shorT cuTs
This years Siggraph nominees and past winners share their thoughts
GET publiShEd
Email yOur CG arT TO
ian.dean@futurenet.com
Rodeo FX reveals the secrets of its rocket-propelled VFX for Brad Birds sci-fi movie
3D WorlD October 2015
17
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Communit y
The big issue
18
3dworld.creativebloq.com
indusTry insiders
Thoughts & opinions from the experts
19
Rick Thiele
Michael BidingeR
Creative director,
Red Knuckles
www.redknuckles.co.uk
The key to a
successful festival
entry is planning
your time well and
meeting initial
approval deadlines,
although this
sometimes requires
a loud voice and
thick skin. Story-wise,
telling, showing or
explaining everything
you can of the plot
and characters in
detail seems right
on paper. But once
it starts being
translated to the
screen, you often
find its better to
hint and suggest
instead, leaving a lot
of the story up to the
viewers imagination
and assumptions.
By no means did
we know that our
film would end up
the way it is. It was
a pretty crazy ride
and by the end of it,
we had no objective
sense of what
condition the film
was in. Its a miracle
that what we landed
on has had such
a warm reception
with audiences.
So our advice to
anyone trying to do
something similar
is to let go of the
cart sometimes
and let things play
out how they will.
There were a lot of
lucky accidents
while making this
film. The recognition
is immensely
comforting and
reassuring.
Winning an award
means that were
gratified that all
the efforts weve
put into a project
are recognised.
Of course, it also
serves to attract
new clients and
helps broaden our
existing relationships.
There could be a
danger that getting
an award makes
you think you dont
have to improve and
learn new things.
However, you have
to constantly push
creative boundaries;
in this fast-changing
industry, youre only
as good as your
last work. It doesnt
matter that youve
won an award in the
past if you drop the
ball and dont deliver
in the present.
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Communit y
VFX interview
VFX interView
Glenn Melenhorst
Glenn is VFX Supervisor
at Iloura, an animation
and visual effects studio
located in Australia.
www.iloura.com.au
20
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Communit y
Studio profile
studio profile
Joe thoRnley
heaRd
FX lead at axisVFX,
Joe previously worked
at Double Negative,
Framestore and
Jim Hensons
Creature Shop.
www.axis-vfx.com
RichaRd Scott
As managing director
of axisVFX, Richard
is responsible for the
direction and strategy
of the business,
development of
new business and
relationships, growth,
and building the best
possible team.
www.axis-vfx.com
22
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Launched as an offshoot
of Axis Animation, axisVFX
takes a design-led approach
to its TV and film work
studio
portFolio
oFFice brieFing
studio
stAtistics
location
Bristol and Glasgow
teaM Size
120
knoWn foR
Visual effects,
CGI, live action,
compositing
ManaGinG
diRectoR
Richard Scott
GRant heWlett
VFX supervisor at axisVFX,
Grant has previously
worked at Aardman
Animations, The Senate
VFX, MPC and Cinesite,
among others.
www.axis-vfx.com
23
doctoR Who
Douglas Mackinnon, director of the Doctor Who episode
Flatline, asked axisVFX to create a two-dimensional alien race
called The Boneless. After an intensive design and concept exploration
stage, the studio used everything from motion capture, 3D scanning,
3D printing, particle simulation and complex image processing to
bring the terrifyingly weird creatures to life.
WizaRdS vS alienS
axisVFX has worked on all three seasons of this childrens fantasy
series. For season 3, FX Lead Joe Thornley Heard created a range of
new Houdini tools that could be used quickly and effectively by the
FX team in Bristol and Glasgow to manipulate the particle and fluid
simulations for complex magical effects.
eve
Eve is a BBC sci-fi drama that follows Eve, a teenage girl who is the
result of an advanced robotics experiment. Among other effects,
axisVFX finalised Eves external control system and how she would
be able to remove some of her limbs. The team also designed and
animated a robotic spider character.
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Communit y
Industry interview
Fabric for
RenderMan
industry interview
Tomorrows world
Alice Pattillo speaks to Rodeo FX about the secrets of
Tomorrowlands rocket-propelled visual effects
D
ArA KhAniKiAn
Ara is VFX supervisor and
head of 2D at Rodeo FX.
He has worked on over
50 feature films during
the course of his career,
including such highprofile projects as Now
You See Me and 300.
www.rodeofx.com
24
3dworld.creativebloq.com
FAbricAtion
Fabric Software is
collaborating with
MPC to integrate
Fabric Engine, its
framework for
developing highperformance
VFX tools, with
RenderMan. The Fabric
for RenderMan plug-in
enables technical
artists to access
Pixars award-winning
renderer directly
within Fabric.
instAnt results
Users can now
create tools in Fabric
that interact with
RenderMans RIS
live renders. This
gives artists nearinstantaneous [visual
feedback] that allows
them to iterate more
freely and make better
creative decisions,
says MPC global head
of VFX operations,
Damien Fagnou.
inFinite PotentiAl
With RenderMan
and Fabric Engine
both free for noncommercial use,
anyone can get up
and running with the
technology. Fabric for
RenderMan provides
full binding to
RenderMans interface
and control APIs,
giving users access
to these functions in
Fabric and enabling
efficient workflows for
tasks like lighting and
shader authoring.
Communit y
Short Cuts
short cuts
get published
email your short to
ian.dean@futurenet.com
Taking the Plunge offers a sentimental splash of Disney with both its heartfelt
narrative and quirky animation. Elizabeth Ku-Herrero delves into its depths
ElizabEth
Ku-hErrEro
From a bi-racial
background of Spanish
and Chinese, Elizabeth
was heavily influenced
by older brothers who
introduced her to Star
Wars, Newgrounds,
and South Park. She
worked as co-creator,
look development and
the creative director on
Taking the Plunge.
www.elizabethnku.com
Vital
statistics
tEaM
Thaddaeus Andreades,
Nicholas Manfredi,
Marie Raoult,
Elizabeth Ku-Herrero
country
US
SoftwarE
Maya, ZBrush, Nuke,
Photoshop, Mudbox,
Arnold, ProTools and
Premier
production tiME
10 months
We made a fishnado
(fish tornado) using a particle
system that world generate
the fish along a chosen
path We had over 500 fish!
26
3dworld.creativebloq.com
4 Arnolds skin
shader was used on
all our characters
and eyeballs. It kept
our shadows full
of colour and our
characters alive.
underwater Love
27
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Artist
EXPErt PANEL
Q&A
Anita Brown
Anita provides a 3D
visualisation service to
the interior design and
event design industries. Shes also a
Maxwell Render certified expert trainer.
anitabrowndesignstudio.com
Pietro Chiovaro
Pietro is an experienced
Italian 3D artist who
is currently working in
3D image creation and re-creation,
modelling realistic environments.
www.bit.ly/199-Pietro
Kieran McKay
Kieran works in the
games industry as a
professional 3D character
artist. Hes currently based in the UK
working with Sony/Guerrilla Games.
www.kieranmckay.co.uk
Rob Redman
Rob runs a 3D animation
and VFX studio, working
for clients ranging from
governments to rock stars. Hes also
an industry commentator and trainer.
www.pariahstudios.co.uk
Francis-Xavier
Martins
Francis-Xavier is a
freelance character artist
and CG generalist based in Brighton.
He has worked in video games, media
and TV for over a decade.
www.polyjunky.com
Get in touch
EmAiL your quEstioNs to
Learn a time-saving
approach to create a
detailed character
ian.dean@futurenet.com
30
3dworld.creativebloq.com
zbrush | KEyshot
How can I create a detailed
character in ZBrush?
Daniel Barrett, UK
Kieran replies
31
3dworld.creativebloq.com
expert tip
expert tip
Artist Q&A
Fixing details to
a mesh is easy
with constraints
ciNEmA 4D
How can I make one
object stick to another?
Rowena Boater, Australia
Rob replies
32
3dworld.creativebloq.com
bLENDEr
How do I create
realistic reflections?
Suzy Hamilton, US
Pietro replies
expert tip
33
3dworld.creativebloq.com
Artist Q&A
expert tip
zbrush
How can I make a stylised bust in ZBrush?
Justin Cumberlatch, UK
Francis-Xavier replies
34
3dworld.creativebloq.com
An interior styled
to resemble a
glossy cover shoot
expert tip
Add height!
Position objects in an interior
at varying heights and add
quirky items (in this instance
the single chair). This will
help to keep the image
visually stimulating; it will
assist in guiding the viewer
to areas of interest and will
prevent the interior from
looking too one
dimensional.
35
3dworld.creativebloq.com
continuum
How Vancouver-based Artifex Studios
creates movie VFX on a TV schedule
36
3dworld.creativebloq.com
VITAL
STATISTICS
studio
Artifex Studios
Location
Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada
eMpLoyees
25
Website
www.artifexstudios.com
adaM stern
Adam has worked in film
and visual effects since the
late 1980s, with credits that
include Pans Labyrinth,
The Mist, The Possession
and The Maze Runner.
www.bit.ly/adam-stern
future vistas
This incredible scene
was created to a tight
budget at Artifex
Future perfect
Time travails
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
Continuum VFX
artist profiLe
Adam Stern
Adam is Continuums
VFX Supervisor and the
owner of Artifex Studios.
Adam started as a
self-taught artist, and is
now branching out from
VFX into writing and
directing, with is short
film The Adept.
www.theadeptfilm.com
38
3dworld.creativebloq.com
one ConCePT
FIVe MArI
SIx DeTAILS
SeVen MAyA/V-rAy
eIghT CoMP
39
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
Author profile
Tom May
Having worked in
magazine journalism
for 22 years, Tom is
currently the content
manager for 3D World
and our website
CreativeBloq.
twitter.com/tom_may
40
3dworld.creativebloq.com
VFx
With movie talent increasingly flocking to TV
land, Tom May examines what effect this
seismic shift is having on the VFX industry
41
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
digitAl doubles
Fully CG characters like Grodd
here were once unheard of in
mainstream TV shows. Now theyre
cropping up everywhere
the flash
Rising expectations
video scope
The rise of affordable
CG technology means
the scale of TV VFX
has grown dramatically
42
3dworld.creativebloq.com
chANgiNg plAces
The man in the green leotard
is none other than Jonathan
Strange, played by Bertie Carvel
43
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
Worlds ApArt
The sheer scale of Marco Polos
epic environments posed a huge
technical challenge for Pixomondo
MarCo Polo
44
3dworld.creativebloq.com
sNAKes Alive
The CG snakes were sculpted
in ZBrush in great detail, with
modelling and rigging in Maya
45
pAst glories
Pixomondo conducted detailed
historical research to ensure Marco
Polos environments were accurate
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
gaMe of thrones
46
3dworld.creativebloq.com
groWth spurt
The dragons have got
bigger and more detailed
with each new series
ANiMAl MAgic
The interactions between
Daenerys and her dragon
have been particularly tricky
47
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
tAKeover bid
This breathtaking pull-up
shot reveals the scale
of the zombie infestation
More and more digital effects are being used on hit zombie shot
The Walking Dead, reveals Sam Nicholson of Stargate Studios
Which shot(s) stand out in your mind
as the best example of your work?
Over the years, the shots which still
stick out in my mind are the ones we
created on the pilot with Gale Anne Hurd
and Frank Darabont. Specifically, torso
girl and the final pull up shot which
reveals the amazing scope of the zombie
infestation. Of course the iconic shot of
Rick riding down the deserted highway
which became the poster for Walking
Dead is a classic. These shots were
beautifully designed and executed which
resulted in the best possible result they
became icons for the show.
48
3dworld.creativebloq.com
sKY tv
Even TV comedy now has moviestyle CG, like this space station
scene for Last Man on Earth
reAl deAl
Ingenuity Studios rejected
a matte painted Earth in
favour of the real thing
49
3dworld.creativebloq.com
feature
The rise of TV VFX
CrossBones
ship hAppeNs
The show required
the creation of
multiple CG vessels
50
3dworld.creativebloq.com
A bugs life
ILP needed to create
swarms of bugs
in a short period
ConstantIne
iNfest WiselY
ILP created a custom
Maya particle rig to
control shape and speed
51
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Vote
voTe now!
The caTegories
The 3D World CG Awards 2015 will feature the following:
creaTive awards
Technology awards
sponsored by
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Vote now at
www.thecgawards.com
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Contents
TuTorials
Practical tips and tutorials from pro
artists to improve your CG skills
Double Negatives Saby Menyhei walks you through this Star Wars VII-inspired image
geT your
resources
Youre three steps away from this
issues video training and files
Recreate a frame from Game of Thrones Battle of Blackwater with our six-page guide
1. Go to the website
Type this into your browsers address bar:
www.creativebloq.com/vault/3dw199
2. Find the Files You want
Search the list of free resources to find
the video and files you want.
3. download what You need
Click the Download buttons and your
files will save to your PC or Mac.
74 Detail a character
Bemused by this powerful procedural tool? Read Digital-Tutors John Moncriefs starter tips Prepare this knight for cinematic production
3D WorlD October 2015
53
www.youtube.com/3dworld
TuTorials
Star Wars matte painting
watch the
final scene
if you see the Play icon, use the link
ArTisT profile
Saby Menyhei
Saby graduated
from the Hungarian
University of Fine
Arts. He taught fine
arts/art history and
worked as a freelance
concept artist. He
now works in the
film industry as an
environment/concept
artist at Double
Negative. His credits
include Ant-Man,
Exodus and Godzilla.
www.menyhei.com
Topics covered
Composition
Lighting
Texture detail
Photo manipulation
Camera projection
3D WorlD October 2015
54
www.youtube.com/3dworld
55
www.youtube.com/3dworld
TuTorials
Star Wars matte painting
ExpErt tip
Reference library
Taking your own reference
photos is great. So do so
whenever you can
building your own
texture and a matte
painting library is a
good idea!
render resoluTion
The resolution of your
matte painting should
be at least twice as big
as the final composite.
Render your passes at
4k or higher
Most of the textural detail will be matte painted,
but we might need UVs for one of the passes before
we start rendering. We will generate some random
noise that will be used as dirt, but we wont need
perfect UVs for this. So if you dont have UVs yet, the
simplest thing is to use the Create UVs>Automatic
UVs function. Its going to be far from perfect, but
might be just enough for what we need. You can
always use a UV checker map to test the result.
3D WorlD October 2015
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using
mAsks
12 MergINg lAYerS
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TuTorials
Star Wars matte painting
ExpErt tip
Check levels
Check your matte painting under
different exposure settings.
Increasing and decreasing gamma
might give you more information.
Alternatively, you can save out
an .exr and open it in Nuke.
You may get more information
on your values, especially
if working in 16bit.
creATe ATmosphere
It might appear that you
are losing detail when
youre reducing the
contrast, however
it will improve your
matte painting
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22 CreATINg A PrOJeCTION
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Adding scAle
To add life to the image
and set the scale, place
a character, for example
a stormtrooper, close
to the wreck
Quick projEction
Precomp your layers
Alternatively you can set up a
separate projection for each
layer and you can precomp them
before you create the final shot.
The advantage is that the final
render will be quicker and you can
tweak your layers further in Nuke.
Please note that I didnt plan
to add a moving camera when
I started to work on the matte
painting, therefore the camera
movement was quite limited. For
more freedom you might need to
extend your digital matte painting
in Photoshop. Taking projections
from Nuke to Mari might be
another option.
TuTorials
Fire and smoke effects
Follow
The video
if you see the Play icon, use the link
ArTisT profile
Vikrant J Dalal
Vikrant has eight
years experience in
the VFX industry and
has started his own
VFX studio called
Project01 Design
Studio, which provides
VFX, graphic design
and tutorial services.
project01studio.
blogspot.in
ExpErt tip
1 Scene SeTuP
Topics covered
FumeFX Object Source
FumeFX Container
Setting FumeFX parameters
Creating Noise Maps
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fire sTArTer
Master FumeFX for 3ds
Max to create a realistic
man made of fire
NoisE maps
Export a Noise Map
as an Image
Go to create Panel>Geometry tab, click the dropdown menu and select FumeFX. Generate the
container in the viewport by left-clicking and dragging.
Modify its parameter. In General Parameters, set Size
100x230x125, Spacing 0.275. Set output and playback
range from 0 to 100. Go to Output Path and make a
new Folder on your storage drive. Save your cache file.
If happy with the general parameters, go to Obj/Src
adding FFX Object Source into the Object tab.
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5 SIMulATIOn PArAMeTerS
6 renDerInG PArAMeTerS
8 FuMeFX IlluMInATIOn
9 renDerInG
10 POST PrOceSS
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TuTorials
Recreate a battle scene
ArTisT profile
Alex Farrell
Alex is a 3D artist at
The Neighbourhood,
working predominantly in
architectural visualisation.
He also produces many
of the scripts the studio
uses, and is heavily
involved in R&D.
www.thinkinimages.co.uk
how to create
an epic vfx shot
Alex Farrell demonstrates how to recreate one of the
most memorable battles from Game of Thrones
T
Topics covered
Previz
Simulation
Pipeline
Post-production
heres no shortage of
inspiring VFX shots in Game
of Thrones, and one of
the most iconic is the enormous
wildfire explosion at the Battle of
Blackwater. Recreating it might
seem a little ambitious, but were
going to employ a workflow that
breaks down the original explosion
to individual elements, and tackle
each one separately.
We will be using Particle Flow
(PFlow) and FumeFX to create our
pyrotechnic elements. The main
advantage of PFlow is that we can
use it to quickly create realistic,
organic shapes for our explosions.
We can also get realtime feedback
3D WorlD October 2015
www.youtube.com/3dworld
Follow
the video
if you see the Play icon, use the link
ExpErt tip
1 Scene DecOnSTRucTIOn
2 eXPlOSIVe ReFeRence
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TuTorials
Recreate a battle scene
3 VISuAlISInG ScAle
post
production
FumEFx masking
makE EFFEctivE masks
4 SeT uP unITS
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ExpErt tip
Re-using simulations
FumeFX grids are
extremely versatile; they
can be moved, rotated
and scaled. Even after
simulating, you can alter
the Fire colour to change
the look and feel of
the explosion.
9 SeTTInG uP FuMeFX
10 cAcHe PARAMeTeRS
11 SIMulATIOn SeTTInGS
12 FIRe GRADIenT
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optimising thE
simulation
Saving time and memory
Keep track of how much memory
3ds Max is using by right-clicking
the taskbar and clicking Start Task
Manager. The memory used will
be listed beside 3dsmax.exe in the
Processes tab. When rendering
with V-Ray it may look like your
render has stalled after loading
all the objects and caches. This
is due to the dialog box showing
the progress of the Illumination
Map calculation not always being
shown a step that can take
several minutes. Save this time
between renders by checking
Read/Write to Desk under the
Illumination tab in FumeFX. Also
save RAM and disk space when
exporting the post-processed
cache by excluding unnecessary
channels. Check Minimize Grid in
the Wavelet Turbulence Post (WTP)
tab in FumeFX to optimise your
export and reduce the file size.
TuTorials
Recreate a battle scene
thrEE-point lighting
Create a fake Normals pass
Being particle based, FumeFX
doesnt contribute to the Normals
pass in V-Ray, but we can set up
our own. Add three Spot Lights
like those created in Step 15;
change the colours of these to
red, green and blue. Arrange
them around the explosion; red
from left, green from behind,
blue from the top. Render this in
addition to your regular smoke
pass and bring it into Photoshop.
As with a regular Normals pass,
this can be used to re-light
our explosion.
16 FlYInG DeBRIS
ExpErt tip
Adding 2D fire
Pyrotechnic VFX elements
are usually shot against
black backgrounds.
To remove this, set the
Blending Mode of these
elements to Screen.
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photoshop
tips
illuminatE thE
smokE trails
21 RenDeRInG FuMeFX
22 RenDeR PASSeS
23 FOReGROunD eleMenTS
ExpErt tip
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Changing perspectives
Create a flattened copy of your
.psd by pressing [Ctrl]+[A],
[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[C], [Ctrl+[V],
and select Edit>Transform>
Flip Horizontal. A change of
perspective can highlight
errors previously unseen.
tutorials
Master Houdini
ArTisT profile
John Moncrief
John is the resident
Houdini and dynamics
tutor at Digital-Tutors.
His deep passion for
putting beautiful,
explosive effects on
screen is only matched
by his strong desire
to share his skills.
www.bit.ly/198-john
Houdini 14
GettinG Started
in Houdini
John Moncrief explains how to overcome the pitfalls
of starting out in a new software package
L
CliCk To PlAY video
www.bit.ly/199-houdini-1
CliCk To PlAY video
www.bit.ly/199-houdini-2
Topics covered
Getting started
Houdini desktop
Contexts
Orbolt
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Follow
THe video
if you see the Play icon, use the link
three simuLate
Set the timeline to playback
in real time by clicking the
second button from the
end of the timeline called
Real Time Toggle. Click
Play on the timeline and
watch your first Houdini
simulation! Remember to
dig around inside the nodes
that were created by the
shelf tools to learn more.
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tutorials
Master Houdini
understanding contexts
two training
three od[force]
Visit Digital-Tutors
www.digitaltutors.
com/software/
Houdini-tutorials-all
to watch a variety of
video-based training
for all levels of Houdini
software users.
www.forums.
odforce.net built a
family of artists and
technicians. Users share
insights and tips with
newbies and veterans.
There are also example
files available.
72
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When setting up
particle or fluid
simulations, always
add a Drag Force node
to your simulations.
Drag mimics the loss
of energy over time
by applying force and
torque to objects,
helping them resist
their current direction
of motion. Drag will
help you to control
your simulations while
maintaining a natural
looking motion.
73
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TuTorials
Create a knight character
Follow
the video
if you see the Play icon, use the link
ArTisT profile
Carlos Cruz
Carlos started as a
3D generalist and
compositor in the
advertising industry
in Chile, then he
moved to Finland
and is now working
as a freelance 3D
character artist.
calicg.artstation.com
ExpErt tip
74
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A knighT in Armour
Carlos manages to create
a 3D character with great
colours, lighting, texture,
armour design and
dramatic pose
75
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TuTorials
Create a knight character
ExpErt tip
Saving time
Time is very important,
especially when youre in
production. By using base
meshes, textures, and
certain techniques you
can save yourself
hours of work.
OrganisatiOn
Working with names & layers
It is important to be very
organised when character
modelling as there are so many
parts to think about and you have
to jump from Maya to ZBrush, and
then to Mudbox and Photoshop.
You will end up with gigas of
files, that include ZProject, Maya
scenes, .obj files and so on. So
you need to organise each file
with a proper name and add
a letter or a number to define
the version. Sometimes things
happen that mean your .obj files
have an incorrect vertex order,
but if you are organised, you will
easily detect the error and will
be able search for a solution. For
texturing, working with layers and
adjustment layers in Photoshop
is really important for the shader
development, because textures
tend not to work the first time;
I usually tweak a texture until
version eight or 10 to achieve the
shader that I want. Working in
this way means that if you want
to make a change in the texture,
you can just go to the specific
layer and edit only the adjustment
layer, or add a mask to make the
changes, while the main image
remains untouched.
5 UV MAPPING
76
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tips fOr
phOtOshOp
hOw tO COntrOl
thE diffErEnt Maps
6 TexTURING ARMOUR
77
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TuTorials
Create a knight character
ExpErt tip
Lighting is key
A good lighting set-up
can change the mood of
your artwork, so try to
have some reference of
illumination and always
pay attention to how
shadows and reflection
work on the model.
14 POST-PRODUCTION
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3d printing
3d maker
Exploring the best 3D print art,
technology and trends
get published
email your Cg art to
ian.dean@futurenet.com
80
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Each of Michaels
sculptures is based
on a specific tree,
and named after the
GPS coordinates of the
place where it grew
interview
growth industry
Currently on display at 3D Printshow, Michael Winstones
organic forms, based on real trees, are a wonder to behold
T
Michael
Winstone
Michael Winstones
work embraces a wide
range of digital media,
including, 2D, 3D, 4D,
time-based installation
and interactive video
animation. He has used
various 3D volume
rendering programs
for mathematical
visualisation of fractal
forms which can
be translated into
volumetric art.
www.michaelwinstone.com
81
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3d maker
Making a prosthetic hand
DownloaD
the moDel
www.creativebloq.com/vault/3dw199
82
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ue
l mbe
ow
ll ns ia pte
F o m a t o r Se
ai t tu sale 9
x n
n e 0 0, o
s
Is
3D print column
Artist profile
Aiman Akhtar
Character artist
Aiman enjoys creating
personal, digital
artworks and continues
to work on various
freelance projects.
Hes also a beta tester
for Adobes 3D print
tools and continues
to experiment with
the technology.
www.aiman3d.com
Improve and customise the designs and then upload them for everyone to share
Many of us early adopters of 3D
printing technology are entertainment
artists, yet if we own a 3D printer,
thats a good enough reason to get
involved. Here are a couple of online
communities to check out making
real strides with 3D printed prosthesis.
enAbling the future
www.enablingthefuture.org
Jon Schull is a Research Scientist at
the Rochester Institute of Technology
and founding member of the e-NABLE
community. He helped setup the
Enable Community Foundation, a
non-profit which supports the global
community of volunteers using
emerging technologies to develop
innovative solutions for underserved
populations. The e-NABLE
community is pioneering this
limbitless solutions
www.limbitless-solutions.org/
Founded by Alberto Manero,
Limbitless Solutions is a company
based out of Orlando, Florida
that uses 3D printing to create
personalised bionic limbs for children
with disabilities. They partner with
local companies, communities
and corporations to sponsor each
prosthetic, believing that no family
should have to pay for their child to
receive an arm. What distinguishes
Limbitless is their push for bionic
prosthesis of myoelectric design
which can be controlled through
muscle sensors, servos and an
Arduino microchip. Evan Kuester,
lead modeller/designer and Jackson
DiMaria of the research and
development team have worked
83
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3d maker
Making a prosthetic hand
84
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85
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AN
EVOLUTION
IS
COMING
the
ne w- look
istock.com
sfx
ON SAle
19 aUgUsT 2015
bit.ly/buySFXmag
Contents
our
awarDs
Develop
highly commended
Awarded to great products that
achieve a high standard.
88 nuke techniques
VR isnt just for gamers. Meet Nurulize, creators of a new breed of virtual environments
97 review: photoscan
Get published
email your CG art to
ian.dean@futurenet.com
97 review: unfold3d 9
twitter.com/3DWorldMag
100 my inspiration
develop
Nuke techniques
nuke Techniques
L
Author profile
Josh Parks
Josh is a compositor
at MPC, as well as
a part-time lecturer
at the University Of
Hertfordshire
www.joshparks.co.uk
Warning colours
Nukes performance
timers show the nodes
that take longest to
calculate in red
88
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ue
o w x t l mb
ll ne Ia pte
F o h s t o r 9 Se
s u le
j o k e t n sa
o
n u 0 0,
s
Is
steP-bY-steP
er
Script:
Import nuke
##Defining our definition
def performanceTimers():
## If nuke is using performance timers then stop them
if nuke.usingPerformanceTimers():
nuke.stopPerformanceTimers()
## if nuke is not running performance timers turn them on
else:
nuke.startPerformanceTimers()
return
## now run our function
performanceTimers()
FolloW
The Video
if you see the Play icon, use the link
If you want to push this idea one step further, you can
add the node into your own toolbar within Nuke. The
Foundry has a great tutorial on its YouTube Channel
(www.bit.ly/nuke-menu-items). This covers
everything on you need to know to make your own
toolbar. Creating your own toolbar is a more efficient
way of integrating your own tools within Nuke.
89
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develop
Industry interview
Industry IntervIew
Building a new
virtual reality
VR isnt just for gamers. Kerrie Hughes meets Nurulize,
creators of a new breed of virtual environments
Author profile
Kerrie Hughes
Kerrie is content
manager at 3D Worlds
leading industry
website Creative Bloq.
She is a former staff
writer for 3D World
and writes regularly for
ImagineFX magazine.
creativebloq.com
90
twitter.com/3DWorldMag
91
twitter.com/3DWorldMag
develop
Industry interview
SCott Metzger
Scott is a VFX industry
veteran, with a CV
that includes both
Digital Domain and
Method Studios. He is
now Nurulizes CCO.
www.nurulize.com
92
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real-time realism
93
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develop
Industry interview
94
twitter.com/3DWorldMag
go to [stereoscopic] 3D movies
and get excited any more, he
says. When you compare 3D to
VR, the difference in immersion
is laughable. If you want my
ticket money, it wont come from
[showing] 3D movies on a 2D
screen in a theater.
Other growth sectors
may include teaching and
telecommunications. Scott
believes that VR will usher in
a new era of entertainment,
communication and education.
Going mainstream
95
twitter.com/3DWorldMag
vr At the cIneMA
develop
hardware review
HARDwARe Review
RENDA PW-E7F
Price 3,384.11 plus VAT | comPany Overclockers | website www.overclockers.co.uk/LP/renda.php
O
author Profile
James Morris
James Morris has
been writing about
technology for two
decades, focusing
on content creation
hardware and
software. He was
the editor of PC
Pro magazine
for five years.
www.tzero.co.uk
verclockers is a PC
manufacturing brand with a
solid reputation in high-end
gaming systems. The company is
now transferring its skills to the
professional market and launched
a new workstation range called
RENDA. Weve looked at the PWE7F, and it shows potential.
The main component choices
wont raise eyebrows. The CPU is
an Intel Core i7, which as we have
come to expect has been frequency
enhanced. The Core i7-5960X
is rated at a nominal 3GHz, but
Overclockers have permanently set
it to 4.2GHz, kept under control by a
meaty water-based cooling system,
although the CPU will still drop
down when not in heavy use. Its
an Extreme processor, with eight
physical cores, doubled to 16 virtual
of 4K-supporting DisplayPort
connections, should you want a
huge video panel array.
Storage is predictably solid state
disk and regular hard disk. The
former is a 256GB Samsung 850
Pro and the latter a 2TB Seagate
Barracuda 7200.14 a reasonable
configuration. However, the
RENDA doesnt include an optical
drive or multi-format memory card
reader. You wouldnt use these
every day, but its useful to have
them. We also might have expected
a PCI Express-based M.2 solid state
disk, since the Asus X99-E WS
motherboard supports this.
Strong all-rounder
96
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Main
Features
Software review
Unfold3D Generation 9
Price 299 (Freelance licence) | comPany Polygonal Design | website www.polygonal-design.fr
Main
Features
Can select by
group, material or
smoothing group
Engine overhaul
it unwraps faster
New brush tools
New island tools
Overhauled,
easier UI
Generation 9 is a
significant update
to Unfold3D
author Profile
Cirstyn
Bech-Yagher
Cirstyn is a freelance
CG artist and educator,
with over a decades
experience in 3D,
focusing on modelling
and texturing.
northern-studios.com
Software review
PhotoScan 1.1.6
Price $179 (Standard: version reviewed) $3,499 (Professional) | comPany Agisoft | website www.agisoft.com
Main
Features
Advanced
photogrammetry
toolset
Creates meshes
and textures in
standard formats
Most processes
automated
Professional
version available
PhotoScan quickly
creates usable
meshes and
textures from
photographs
author Profile
Mike Griggs
Mike Griggs has been
polishing pixels since
1995. He has worked in
many sectors of digital
content creation, from
website design to 3D
and VFX for film and TV.
www.creativebloke.com
automated workflow
97
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catch
up today!
Visit Google Play,
Apple Newsstand
and Zinio stores
to download a 3D
World back issue to
your tablet or
computer.
Back issues
Missing an issue of 3D World?
Fill the gaps in your collection today!
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CG AWArDS
SPECIAl!
Featuring the winners,
with 16 pages of
extra content!
Zinio www.bit.ly/tdw-zinio
3D WorlD October 2015
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develop
My inspiration
My inspiration
Davide Bianca
The CEO of Saizen Media explains how a love of stories and comics
developed into a successful global CG art studio
M
ARTIST pRofIle
Davide Bianca
Davide is founder,
CEO and executive
director of Saizen
Media, an awardwinning full service
digital creative agency
with offices in Los
Angeles and Milan.
www.saizenmedia.com
100
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9000