United3dArtists Archive

ANIMATION CONTEST 2010 / 01

Theme: "Exploration of the Space" - as example a action on a space station, a flying space ship, a driving rover, a satellite fly thrue our solar system or whatever you have in mind.

Start: now
End: 31 JANUARY 2010. All animations which are submitted until the end of this day are in the contest.

THESE ARE THE RULES (JUST) FOR THIS CONTEST:
- the animation has to be created and rendered in trueSpace.
- imports (i.e. fluids) are allowed
- motion or facial capturing is allowed
- post production software is allowed (i.e. aftereffects, particleillusion, soundfx etc.)
- no restriction in length but it should be a resolution above 320x240
- you can use any model's - no matter which source or if it is rigged etc. - use what you have
- upload your final animation onto youtube and present it here OR upload it anywhere else in a "normal usable" codec like XVID/DIVX or MP4 so that anybody is able to see it
- the animation has to be created explicit for this contest, don't use a animation which you are created before or which you have showed anywhere else

Use this Topic here JUST to present your final entrys. For discussions, WIP etc. create a extra topic.

the best will be win - good luck - THX.

Great Subject, I always wanted to do something like that and would be great do it as my first animation ever and more, my first animation contest entry.

You said that this is for the final entries and comments should be posted in another topic, I think that it is not necessary since that the poll will have all links to the animations, right?

I'm so happy, thank you and congratulations again for the victory!

Cya

Sounds good DD, I also want to give it a go since I haven't really done any animations before, it would be a good learning experience, hopefully you guys can give me some tips along the way :)

Here is my WIP: vi ... 133#p11133"
Data collected for a start, now starting the modeling...

hey leon, your link is not working it shows this site here

Sorry DD
Here is: vi ... =50&t=1153"

I don't know if I'll finish it before the deadline, but if more than 1 member don't do an animation I think that we should put the deadline to the next month, right? Anyway I'm working like crazy now, since I'm healed of the Lazy Flu/Parasite for awhile.

Thanks

We will see how many animations we have on the end of this month. Then we decide...

and i hope i see a lot of animations until the month is over

I'm definately still keen, just hadn't had a lot of time to spend on it... will tone down the scene I had in mind and if there is time, add the extra's I wanted to do... ;)

Interesting subject for the animation.
I have never been real good at space scenes as I prefer characters.
I will throw something together for fun as see what happens.
DD will you be joining in on the motion capture lessons Jan 16?
I hope to see you.

Sounds interesting, tell me more about that (maybe as PM).

Updating my horrible situation:

I've been working around 8 hours a day (in the max 11) this is my schedule (TS Means work on the AMC): Wake, TS, Breakfast, TS, Lunch, TS, Some TV, TS, Dinner, TS, Sleep.

I'm at the moment with headaches, red eyes, pre-disease (Feeling that you will get sick, like a little fever and tiredness. I still got 8 days until to finish my models (what is little due to what I'm doing) and worst, probably I'll get sick for a few days. Also I'm impressed how I work slowly (Principally I try one way to do something and that way don't work out, so then I try again in another way and it works, at least I'm gaining experience), this is also a good experience to show me how will be stressing get a job, but then I'll win money.

I'm trying to at least make an launching scene, what will be hard (it's the hardest part of the animation, I think).

Conclusion: I'll win nothing (Maybe a cold or flu) and plus will not finish anything.

Thanks to my stupidity

Edit: I think I forgot to say that my neck is aching.

Sounds like you are living, eating and dreaming in TS.
I have been there and done that.
I hope it all works out for you and all is good.
Looking forward to seeing some work from you.

Ok, like I said I am not good at space scenes, I do not take much interest in them and I prefer doing characters.
Here is my animation for the contest.

<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e4cd8m7Tj7o&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e4cd8m7Tj7o&hl ... 0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Hey not bad at all!

Hui, the first entry Lovely, i hope to see more.

I have a comment about the animation contest conditions.

1) When Caligari's website was accepting the monthly contest, there was never a theme set for the contest.

2) Never was there a condition set on which software you could or couldnt use.

3) Never was it ever set that you could not use motion capture.

By putting each of these in place allows for the following.
1) Allows the person who wins the previous contest to set what they are best at and what software they works the best in.

2) While it does challenge those such as myself in doing an animation that they would not excell in, it also keeps those from doing animations that display their given set of talents.

I can see doing a theme and saying ok this is what we want to see your animations displaying.
I dont believe in saying you can only use this certain software.
By placing limits on the software and you can or cant use motion capture just takes away from the quality of work that can be achieved.

A good example is this, while I use TS for designing in and animating specific types of objects I also use Argile for defining an object and making it look they way I want, I then import what I have designed into Poser and begin the animation process. While I am a dedicated TS user and will be for years to come, Poser allows me to express myself in ways that TS is not able to do, Poser also uses a render engine that gives it the look and feel of much higher priced software such as Maya.
We should not put a given set of rules on what software you can or can not use, that would be like saying to an artist you can only use a #2 pencil and notebook paper.
What we should be saying is you can use your special FX software and animation software of your choice.
I use Hollywood FX for special FX, this was not a given software, so to those that have particle Illusion you can use it, but to those such as myself who use other software its not accepted.

As a 3D community we should be able to embrase new software and technology and be willing to try different things.
You wont know what software does what until you see the final result and then ask the animator how this was done, what better way to learn.
I do motion capture and in the past most of us have used pre-done captured motions, due to me showing what I do with motin capture I am not going to teach a class here on motion capture and what software to use and how to use it.

jeffroig - you are absolutly right. BUT

I won the last challenge and i have set the rules for this contest here. If you win you can setup your own rules for the next contest. This includes the theme - or no theme, motion capturing allowed or not, which software can be used etc.pp.

EDIT: we tried to fix a setup of rules (with a few polls at the start) but the conclusion was not really acceptable so that we decided that the winner can setup the rules for the next challenge.

DD,
At what point in the designing of the contest rules did we set up the rule that who wins decides the next contest.
I dont remember seeing this one, all though I might have missed it.

Another subject, do you know if there has been any problems within the forum.
There used to be a folder that contained other folders that had specific user names in it such as I had a folder and Steinie did and several others. I cant find it as this is where I was planning on teaching my motion capture from.

jeffroig wrote:DD,
At what point in the designing of the contest rules did we set up the rule that who wins decides the next contest.
I dont remember seeing this one, all though I might have missed it.

Another subject, do you know if there has been any problems within the forum.
There used to be a folder that contained other folders that had specific user names in it such as I had a folder and Steinie did and several others. I cant find it as this is where I was planning on teaching my motion capture from.

sorry, i have no idea about that. Try to contact a admin.

Jeff are you talking about your post inviting everybody to the Facial Tracking Classes? vi ... =30&t=1110"

Here is the moment we talk about the rules, those polls wasn't used but what is in the comments, so here is: vi ... f=44&t=751"

HTH

The personal folders are now in the WIP area in a folder called Artists Folder. It is pinned to the top of the WIP area. Your corner is there.

Cool contest, I should be able to join. I love the theme plus since date has been extended I can start to play .

WIP thread:
vi ... f=5&t=1361"

DD extended the contest???

I'm getting better, I think that maybe tomorrow I'll be able to model again.

I extended nothing. The final day is the 31. january. Keep going.

DD,
You are bringing leonregis down, sounds like he was getting excited about the contest being extended.
There is still plenty of time to complete renders for the contest.
I have yet another one up my sleeve, a little magic you might say and done in TS 4.3.....

Leonregis,
Dont panic you have time just take a few deep breaths and relax and have a cold one and then write down your thoughts and work on them.
I always find it s best to treat it like a jigsaw puzzle, one piece at a time and then all of a sudden it all comes together.
If you have more than one computer you can save you scene/objects/textures to the extra computer and use it to render parts of your scene while you continue to model on the other computer.
A rooting for you... You can do it..

Sorry for that but we had more than one month. If we extend every contest then we could say we just do it every second month

I believe you get it to work, don't render to big

DD,
Are you using Poser yet or have you tried it?
I would be gald to give you some instructions if needed how how to rig a character.
I would like to see all of us using it so we can all compete on a level basis.

No i don't use poser.

Thanks for this could be very interesting. The problem is not so much to rig a character. I'm very happy with MotionStudio. The "problem" is the animation himself. Good animation needs a lot of time especialy if you want to achive very good looking results (so as i). So the "problem" is not the used software package. Like the most other pc problems is the "devil" behind the keyboard .

Anyway a good made tutorial is very interesting and also a good inspiration for anyone of us.

Thanks for the support guys.

noko wrote:''plus since date has been extended I can start to play'' .

I thought it was extended because of it.

Here is my second and final animation for the contest. Once again I am in no way good at space scenes.

<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEAMMieamBY&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEAMMieamBY&hl ... 0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Hello folks...here is my entry for the challenge. The animation is not finished yet. These are just 12 of 17 sequences. But the time was to short to finalize it. Also i am away for the next few days so that i can not bring it to an end. Last but not least it is hard at the moment to find free time for trueSpace. I have so many things to do.



good luck to all others.

You won DD! Again...
Amazing animation.
I know probably you will not tell, but how do you did the smoke and haze?

Amazing work DD, great effort.

You keep getting better and better DesignDevil!
I hope at some point you finish this one.

Thanks.

There is just a bit of blur and grain as a post effect. The rest is pure trueSpace with a few plugins like Wheely, LightMan and ParticleFX. All created in tS6.6, rendered with the internal lightworks. The lightning is a "star" of 18 infinite lights with map shadows and one light with ray shadows for the "hard sun light".

I rendered the most parts with 4 x 0.5 motion blur and 3 x AntiAlias and 640x360. Sometimes 4 layer seperate. The pure rendertime on my machine (2 cpu, 3GHz) was ~ 11 days.

It is not finished and polished at all and i found a lot of details which are not perfect (ie. to many stars, bad texture in the atmosphere entry part etc.). But the time was running out so that i decided to finalize it for the release here. Maybe if i found the time i will finish it (but i don't think so in the moment).

Loved it!

Great work!

DD,
Very nice work you have done.
Hope to see more of it.

Can't see the video. youtube don't work in France when american are awake. youtube is increasingly unable to do what it promises. I have yet the ability to download at speeds of 100 megabytes and i can't use it. it's annoying. I will look the video when America will sleep, internet will be quiter.

Ok i can see the video now! It was not the americans, it was Internet Explorer, sorry! . with Firefox i had no problem. Good work DD! I find the parachute too rigid. I thought about the jellyfish in Deep Sea (really good). But animation need a lot of time and work.

Awesome DD! Great stuff and loved it

Real nice work there DesignDevil! Could almost pass for a NASA flick! Great work!

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qc_BD979ClY&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qc_BD979ClY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Never got passed the Sun and Mercury . Short but had allot of fun with endeavor. Render time was around 10 minutes or so then used Magix Movie Edit Pro to make video. All trueSpace 7.61 and should be best in 720p full screen on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_BD979ClY"

I came up with one last animation for the contest.
Here it is.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PbBsPuiZeyg&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PbBsPuiZeyg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

I'll ask for a little extension of this contest with all my humility and sincerity...
I start the work appx in 04/01... but I had the idea much earlier (isn't a original idea...) anyway this contest had 2 months already but I can say that for it had just 17 days. Reasons:
Holidays (took all December)
Commemorations of new year (took first few days)
Disease/flu (Took around 7 days of healing and recovering)
Convalescence (Took around 3 days after the disease, it's for me don't get sick again, so I don't effort myself physically and mentally, it means TV all day)

Now what I did:
First days (Researching for informations)
Starting (Medium speed, started the orion module, what was a mistake since it's for the final scenes)
Entering Nasa Forum (Posting and getting replies)
Getting harder, much harder than I can (Working appx 8 hours per day I get possessed by the animation, I was liking but just doing it...)
After sick recovering (Tried to put everything in the axes but since I worked for 8 hours for a week I was wanting more leisure)
Finishing (All models are ready, some aren't with the quality I want ( Due to the lack of time I did all rapidly)
Animation (Search about primal particles and start learning about the animation key frames)

This is my first animation, I did some things before but didn't earn any experience because were silly things.
I'm facing problems on the smoke creation but I think that I can solve that rapidly.

So if you can/want please extend it for more 5 days.

I could say just 2 days but then I would work like crazy and even don't reach it, and even for 5 days I can't promise anything... but here is my schedule and I tried to make things realistic, so I can do those things in a day.
1. Prepare the smoke animation
2. Camera Moves
3. Objects Moves
4. Render test (Draft anti-aliasing and in low quality, I just want to see the frames)/If something lack, more objects moves or camera moves
5. Rendering all day and all night (High quality 450x450, anti-aliasing at 3x, will try with 2 lights and in the max with 4) to then in day 6 I can post the anim and you do the poll.

Another alternative is that in the future in animations about space or free subjects I can post my animation...
You don't need to do that, I can do fine finishing it just for nothing but I would like.

Best luck for all (In case of tomorrows poll)

Wow, signs of dedication and drive! Yes doing animations can get really complicated real fast. I spen most of my time with shader work and never got to the rest . Well if you get a reprive then I will be able to upgrade mine as well, will do so anyways so a slight delay is ok or not with me.

Ok, ok,

the february is just a short month so that i would say i give you (and all others) time until feb. 15. This should be enough. After that the poll will run until feb 18. and the new contest starts on feb. 19. until end of march (enough time for the next one).

So, good luck

DD, you should say that there will be no more extensions after the 15th. I think that is part of what you were saying above but it should be very very clear that no more extensions will be made.

DD,
I think what you are doing by extending the contest is very kind hearted and I have been looking forward to seeing Leon's work.
Who knows maybe I will whip up another one for the fun of it.

No problem,

Finis - your are right - that's what i would to say

AWESOME and THANKS! I worked on mine for another 8 hours last night, after a 8 hour shift at the plant. I am starting to get happy with how it is turning out. What is funny is I seem to be able to get more done when I don't have days off from work .

Dragneye wrote:Real nice work there DesignDevil! Could almost pass for a NASA flick! Great work!

Here is the NASA version.
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/video ... mPart2.mov" (4mb)

Yep, correct finis. That's the original one. There is a better version on youtube. This was my guideline for this animation.

tnx a mill DD, i will try to get mine done by them!!! :D

Finishing up my animation now, having allot of fun. Should be able to post by morning, just a heads up.

too much on my plate again this month, not gonna make it :(

Finishing the render of one scene of 3... it's a traveling and after this scene the rocket would start the launch. But I think I'll not be able render even 10 frames of the other scene, so I'll post the traveling when finish.

Love it and made it before deadline , well deadline two or was that three? Let me know what you think. Please watch in 720p for best effect link below full screen:

Our Voyage Back (Edit, did grammar update of video 2/16/10, no changes to animations)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaC5EKfusW0"


embeded version, click on video to go to YouTube as well.

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Nice work there Noko.
Interesting story and its good to see a little comedy added in there.
Keep up the good work.

After One month of development (in fact 1 and a half but since I get sick and also had some other problems I'm taking of 15 days.

I want to thanks Marcel and RAYMAN for the technical support that made this possible.
I want to thank everyone that helped me on my WIP or simply keep pushing me to do it.
A huge thank to Design Devil to extend this contest and then I could post something.

And everyone else who deserves a thank.

-------------------------------------

I kinda liked the animation but is too short due to the elevated rendering time (appx 36 to render that, I think something is wrong , rendered in 320x240, 3X in high quality) and also the best time is cut off... the launching! So you just see the scene before the fire comes and smoke, and vroom boom Shiiift and you know...

I'll keep the development and fix something that I didn't in the hustle and also reach my objective... Mars. There is a lot to do and I'll post what I need to do know in my WIP. WIP: vi ... =50&t=1153"

Anyway I'm happy I did it.

Sorry for being late


<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSF-vFdJa1k&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSF-vFdJa1k&hl ... 9&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSF-vFdJa1k"

Leon,
Looks great so far, cant wait to see what it looks like when you are finished.
It was well worth the wait to see your work.
I see or I should say I hear that Avatar music.
Looking forward to seeing more from you.

I will be taking down mine on YouTube and posting an updated (Grammar corrected) version, no changes to the animation. I just don't want to let down all the Star Trek fans out there. Since at work I have to wait until I get home do later tonight.

Update: video grammar has been corrected, well hopefully improved, no changes to the animation. Did find though that uploading a saved file at 30fps vice 29.97fps makes the YouTube video smoother.

leonregis wrote:After One month of development (in fact 1 and a half but since I get sick and also had some other problems I'm taking of 15 days.

I want to thanks Marcel and RAYMAN for the technical support that made this possible.
I want to thank everyone that helped me on my WIP or simply keep pushing me to do it.
A huge thank to Design Devil to extend this contest and then I could post something.

And everyone else who deserves a thank.

-------------------------------------

I kinda liked the animation but is too short due to the elevated rendering time (appx 36 to render that, I think something is wrong , rendered in 320x240, 3X in high quality) and also the best time is cut off... the launching! So you just see the scene before the fire comes and smoke, and vroom boom Shiiift and you know...

I'll keep the development and fix something that I didn't in the hustle and also reach my objective... Mars. There is a lot to do and I'll post what I need to do know in my WIP. WIP: vi ... =50&t=1153"

Anyway I'm happy I did it.

Sorry for being late


<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSF-vFdJa1k&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSF-vFdJa1k&hl ... 9&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSF-vFdJa1k"

That is looking really good, please continue on this one!

Hats off to all the Animation entries this Month! A lot of work and effort guys and the
results you all achieved is commendable. You all used different styles but all of them were enjoyable.

Ok after all the waiting DD who is the winner of this contest?

hmm, i would say we vote

vi ... =44&t=1545