United3dArtists Archive

Product Showcase - Screen Stand

Modeled and rendered in TrueSpace 7.61 beta 8 (free). I used my custom pass shader scripts and shaders I've been working on to render out the DOF and other aspect - though due to time limits I didn't make the most of it - and my computer took a long time to do. There are some animation fallacies, with some curious curves and camera jerks, but overall it's ok. I also had some popping lighting conditions that irk me. Not sure what caused those.

The DOF is done in post, not my best example, and the motionblur also in Post using AVIsynth and Virtual Dub and Mtools.

I rendered the beauty pass at 2K, with my video card, took an average of 7 seconds to pump out a frame. I then batch resized them to get better AA than the card could do. I did some other passes also, but eventually only used the z-depth one. I did it in 720P, and resized them up in post. I think I have to be careful with that one.

All in all, took me about maybe 7 work days work from modeling, shading to animation and rendering/compositing - but done parttime over a month.

My computer needs an upgrade, the compositing, though simple, took 11 seconds per frame....

It all adds up, 5 seconds for the 720P, 7 seconds for the 2K, 11 seconds for the composite, which makes a 23 seconds per frame multiplied by 3000 = around 20 hours + the extra 1 hour for the motion blur of the 1:40 animation (on my dual core 1gig vid card). I guess if I had other machines, I could finish all passes overnight. then the next day finish the compositing and post effects. Not bad for a 1:40 animation.... might be good for future online series or something - or low-budget products.

But this doesn't have AO nor GI nor any of the fancy modern graphics. So.. you win some time, but loose other things.. also the Motionblur is not the most amazing thing over textured items, makes it look like a forcefield sometimes! But it was a good learning experience, pushing an old software to it's max.

This was done all in free software.

-trueSpace 7.61 beta 8 (with Model Side)
-VirtualDub
-Avisynth (with Mtools scripts)
-Blender (for composites and video editing)
-Faststone Resizer
-DJV image viewer

Hope you enjoy the model!

I learnt a lot about animation in trueSpace.

-Curves are hard to edit on a lot of things - but easy to edit on few things - try keep the animation simple.
-Editing rotation curves are nearly impossible, unless magically in one Global axis. -Refer below for how to modify ease in/out with tweens
-Additive matrix rotations are funky - store rotation matrix data in flat tracks when possible. - not aplicable to actors
-When having flat tracks (not additive) is usually best to keep all clips that aren't additive on one flat track.
-To help create a clip that can blend, best to keyframe a default starter keyframe before adding offsets (and best to do it in additive tracks). Typically two flat track clips will override each other and not blend.
-To create a quick start/stop onto a bezier curve, double two identical keyframes beside each other and switch them to linear. -
-To create a rough ease in and ease out, create the first pose, and the second, then add a "tween" keyframe between those two poses, and shift it closer to where you want to ease in or ease out. Then switch the first or last pose keyframe to Flat Interpolation.
-To make a quick ease in and ease out, use Flat Interpolation (bezier a flat angle) with large values.
-To create smooth curve interpolation with ease in and ease out tweens, try keep the tweens with 0.333 curves.
-Use Clinton's Keyframe Interpolator tool, and if you can, add shortcuts to it - it's priceless.
-Remember, anim clips are not per object nor child based, but 3D encapsulator based. The clips are stored there. When you animate an actor, it will animate all children's Matrix values, unless you change the Key Attributes.
-To animate a 360 degree rotation, create a progressive rotation set of 90 degrees per keyframe. More often than not, trueSpace tries to find the shortest rotation value change to get from point A to point B. So you might have rotated clockwise, but if the value is shortest anticlockwise, the curves will register as anticlockwise. So use progressive keyframing for a 360 or more rotation.
-A good tip for clip control is to store two clip datasets, one with rotation and the other with location matrix values (just delete those matrix keyframes in each clip).

There are many other tips for animation in TS that I've found, but all good! I can't wait to try out character animation eventually..

The TV is a modified one from Turbosquid and the scenery and some of the screws are also modified from Turbosquid, all free models. I only modeled the screen stand from scratch.

Great Job Draise! Really liked the video in total also

The office being present but not distracting is good. Good realism. This looks more informative than an advertisement. Is is to show buyers how to install it?

Very nice.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. Keeps me going!

I'm glad you liked the idea of the greyed out idea of the background props. And that you all liked the video! The animation was the fun part.

This is an instructional showcase video more than an advertisement. Theoretically the company may need or want 30 of these - of similar quality and all unique to the model. Depends on my pitch and price - it might maintain me for a little while..

Excellent, Very Impressive!

Nice work man ,good luck ,when you make it big give me a job

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

They called me up and concreted a casual animation job - first of many I feel. I left it... surprisingly very cheap, mainly cause I'm desperate for paid cash - but happy to do more of the same. So I got nearly 50% or 60% up front in cash, and the rest upon completion.

I have 3 more screen stand videos to come up. I sold them each for about....... $270 USD each - under the condition I could casually do them over a month per video.

So now, I have the first stand to model and animate with me. Some are easy, others are not. Some have complicated animations, others do not. I will do them in TS again, but this time I think I'll actually rig them, not just animate the children and their parents - which can get quickly complicated in TS...

The setting is the same, also this time I'm going to draw out and plan the motion graphics for my friend, cause I wasn't too happy with what he did, it was hard to read and too quick, mainly cause he had no idea where to put it. So.. I'll draw that out, but with Blender 2.73's new grease pencil, I am sure it won't be a problem.

So, I have 3 new stand animations to do, 30-45 seconds a piece, 1 month per video, for $740 USD - damn cheap even for Colombian standards. I should be charging double at least, but... I wanted to seal the deal.

Here is the final with motion graphics, my friend Ronal did them.



If you guys would want to model some of this and get a few Colombian Pesos for it, and if I can sort my paypal out... maybe you guys would like to take part? What do you think? Is it worth calling the US to unblock my paypal account and getting my Colombian banks to somehow put cash to paypal? Western Union anyone?

I have all the time in the world but i only use blender
No money needed

I may have some time for a modeling job. Just don't ask me to make any complex textures.

Oh nice! I'm glad you have some good time available.

I'll be taking some photographs of the models, and well.. modeling doesn't really matter what software you use, you just will need to export it as OBJ's or FBX's. I can work with that.

But... first I'll do some preproduction ideas.

SketchFab preview



Here is a link to the model I did now in Sketchfab! Took some time this weekend to learn how to export, shader and add lights in blender to SketchFab, a cool 3D model preview system.

I am very happy with it.

So! Still taking photos of the next model. I will create a Mediafire folder to work from! Then with your email I'll share the folder and create a quick spreadsheet of the parts and what has been modeled and what needs to be modeled.

Sound good?

Thats a cool way to present your work to the custimer .
with mediafire we must know who is doing what.

Yes you are right, the client loved it.

And there you go Pugman! I made the mediafire folder ready for the work. I sent you a PM with details.

Skeybar Mikom! Would you like to give a hand to it? If so.... which email should I invite you with??

I still need to get more photos, but I'll soon get that rolling... I do have a motion graphics gig that's going right now that I need to magically do in the next 12 days!

Hit me up on Skype. Not sure if I'm gonna have the time now though, yesterday an RPG project popped up and I may design/model some characters for it.

Good luck with the project Draise.!