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CHALLEMGE - Journey's end
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These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
CHALLEMGE - Journey's end // Work in Progress
Post by Dragneye // Dec 6, 2007, 4:56pm
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Here's my idea... a soldier returns home for Xmas.
Originally, the returning soldier was walking down the snowy path shedding his gear as he goes. I had him stripped to the waste.
Yes... drama. War is drama... of the worst kind.
All the little parts are subliminal - half-naked in the snow - discarding his war gear (and the war itself) behind - the warm light in the distance amogst the dark. The heavy snow? Well... I love snow. :)
Anyway... originally it was thought of as, I get to enter this challenge (that's what inspired the idea)... my present xmas/holiday pic... and a tribute to all the present soldiers from all the countries. The original idea was 'thicker'/ie: dramatic (there's nothing sweetsy abt being a soldier). As I think abt it more (and look at my test scene render), I feel it should be toned down, giving more of a holiday cheer. Dunno... Will see as I continue. |
Post by Jack Edwards // Dec 6, 2007, 7:30pm
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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Nice composition. I like the idea of have a bluer colder snow colors transitioning to the warm light of the inviting home. |
Post by kena // Dec 6, 2007, 7:33pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Having been a soldier, I like the whole idea. Shedding the violent past for a warm welcoming peace touches me. |
Post by Dragneye // Dec 11, 2007, 10:26pm
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Here's my work so far on the soldier.
Question: The top part of the model started as a makehuman model (from the waste up, and only half of it. I created the rest from scratch. Reduced the poly count quite a bit and moved some verts around on the original). Is this still viable for the challenge, or does it disqualify me? |
Post by Nez // Dec 11, 2007, 10:57pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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My understanding of the rules are that if the object -figure in this case - is central to the scene (which yours is) then using a 'premade' model isn't allowed. But that's just my take... see what others think. I don't personally have much of a problem with it if you've modifed it substantially. |
Post by Steinie // Dec 12, 2007, 2:20am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Not my call but I'm very flexible on these things. You still have to model clothing so we won't see his top torso anyway.
The scene concept is also important and I like what you have so far. |
Post by Jack Edwards // Dec 12, 2007, 7:19am
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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I'm not sure MakeHuman is considered a pre-made model unless you just used the straight default settings... I guess it would also depend on the subject as well. If the make human character was the main modeling work then I'd think that wouldn't be acceptable. But if it's part of a larger whole then it might be ok. You'd definitely need to list MakeHuman as one of the tools used though and then voters would be able to factor that into their judging... The other issue is that it might fall under using someone else work since the MakeHuman model you create would be derived from original Make Human model created by someone else and would thus not be all your own work...
Something you may want to do is use the Make Human model as a reference to model your own. Since then you'd have the advantage of having modeled the character from scratch, and the proportions would still be ok. ;) Keep in mind if you're looking at the back of the soldier, you really don't need to model the face details. |
Post by Dragneye // Dec 12, 2007, 10:48pm
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Alrighty... let's get down to brass tacks, and see if we can come up with a 'gplden mean' :)
( the only reason I continue this conundrum is cuz you all work hard at your entries, and from this we may come up with a better understanding of what is 'fair play' for the future since this point of what is acceptable has come up before)
*MakeHuman is a freeware (I think... correct me if I'm wrong)
*I tweaked quite a few settings to come up with my final body in MakeHuman, and as such IMHO this is not a generic body, so it's something I created using their program
*I only used the right quarter of the body from MH (from the waste up pictured in red. What is in blue is hand-made from scratch)
*From that specific section, the poly count was 2983 from the original. I turned it into 2571. Then added the rest (blue).
*The final pose will be a bit different, and, the original idea was/is to have him shedding his shirt (a subliminal 'total cleansing' of the outer skin of being what a soldier entails... what he has seen, and done till that moment, so technically, you will be seeing his body, but only the back).
He is going home... he is returning to the warmth... the light... the love...
His journey's... end
Yes, it's easier to just start from scratch, since in the final render you will see so very little of his body, and yes one answer is to just not vote for my peice cuz I didn't play fair in your eyes (though if I do enter it as is, I would like to hear if you liked it or not, or if it moved you. To this artist, THAT is the best possible win). If you get to read all this, for the greater good, please leave an opinion. I don't mind dissention; it's healthy... and, I MUST earn me, my work, and my character |
Post by jayr // Dec 13, 2007, 3:26am
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jayr
Total Posts: 1074
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I know it's not finished yet but i'd angle his feet out a bit |
Post by rjeff // Dec 13, 2007, 4:25am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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I have no problem with Dragon using MH to help him out. Don't we all use some tools to help us. It might be different it everything he is doing is premade..ie the trees..house and other items. So I say let it go and lets get to drawing! |
Post by butterpaw // Dec 13, 2007, 10:22am
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butterpaw
Total Posts: 831
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It seems normal to me to use various tools.. in the end, without my skill and creativity there would be nothing.. Fortunately, in gardening and landscaping we are not required to grow everything from seed...
I use rulers protractors, compasses, slide rule (oops :o I mean pocket calculator) , and it's nice I don't have to construct the spheres cubes and other primitives.. well you see what I mean.. to me it is the elements that make it individual that are the most important. ^_^
Having said that, I will follow whatever rules there are for competitions, but it may be quite a while before I can enter, since everything takes a long time right now. I did wonder.. if it would have been all right to use a premade egg shape when modeling.. .. however I used a sphere and modified that.. however, now I have a good egg shape I made..I've added it to my personal primitives library.. |
Post by frootee // Dec 13, 2007, 10:35am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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what, no abacus butter? :D
IMHO, seems like using makehuman to get your soldier started should be fine. I wonder how many entries are creating a full human from scratch, complete with facial features? Probably not too many.
Looks good dragon.
Froo |
Post by butterpaw // Dec 13, 2007, 10:49am
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butterpaw
Total Posts: 831
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well I must confess I don't know where my sliderule is at the moment .. :p |
Post by frootee // Dec 13, 2007, 11:31am
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frootee
Total Posts: 2667
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here... use my stone tools... Oooga... :D |
Post by blakeo // Dec 13, 2007, 2:20pm
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blakeo
Total Posts: 214
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I think what you're doing is fine dragneye, as far as the rules go. I interpreted pre-made to mean 'made by someone else', whether a bought model, free download or something shipped with tS itself. The rules do not exclude using other tools, just that tS must be the primary tool, as far as I can see.
And you've clearly stated exactly what's what with your scene and that's the main thing.
BTW, this is looking great so far :) Love that snow texture.
B |
Post by kena // Dec 13, 2007, 6:58pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Perhaps you left your Sliderule here:
http://www.syssrc.com/html/museum/html/sims/javaslide/ |
Post by Dragneye // Dec 13, 2007, 10:33pm
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Nooow I know what Ken-a means. Cool.
Thanx guys for the support. I tend to agree with you. Taking a pre-made model and just touching it up a bit shouldn't cut it, but I put a lot of effort and alteration. In my heart I think it should fly. Anyway... having just finished the model and seeing a screenshot of what will ultimately appear, man did I waste a lot of time for nothin. It would have been Much easier (and faster!) to have created it from scratch. C'est la vie (lol... I Think that's how you spell it :))
Anyway again... I had come on with great enthusiasm to say that not only was I able to Effortlessly... dats right, Effortlessly, rig and attach a skeleton to my soldier, and that it worked, and didn't deform at all after a few movements, but that it also was my FIRST full fledged success at using 6.6's bones system. I had come on to thank you all for the good Chi you all must have sent my way.
Then I ran back to get a quick screen grab to show the final pose and complete model, when... bam!!... back to square one. The model had attached itself to another preliminary skeleton I had in the scene. In the Scene Editor hirarchy the old skeleton was under the new posed one, so I deleted it figuring it would reset itself correctly. LoL... sucker! It didn't work.
So... lol
All I have to really do is reskin and pose, finetune the scenery and lighting, and strangely enough, with my whining abt not posting in these challenges, I bet I'll have the first finished entry!
Life works in strange ways... but I love it all.
(he mumbles shakin his head as he walks away, "then there's the xmas card, and the bird before the year's out, and the... and then the...) :D |
Post by butterpaw // Dec 14, 2007, 3:18am
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butterpaw
Total Posts: 831
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Dragneye - just keep moving forward... your best judgment will suit us... looking forward to seeing this! :)
Perhaps you left your Sliderule here:
http://www.syssrc.com/html/museum/html/sims/javaslide/
Why thank you! that will hold me until I figure out where I tucked away the one my dad gave me (and taught me to use) :cool: (and the digital one doesn't even need talcum powder) ;) |
Post by Dragneye // Dec 14, 2007, 6:40am
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Butterpaw... I would like to thank you for the enthusiasm you share here in the forums. Y'all alright in my book. :D
So... ta daa!! Got it goin again. For some strange reason, last night I d/l an almost million poly scene, and other than goin slow motion, tS didn't crash. I was able to redo the skeleton and tS didn't crash. Now putting my scene together, back to crashing. What the ....
Here's the close to finish test render. It needs some tweaking; lights, house, equiptment on ground, better color, and such. Opinions welcome.
Question: why does the map on the ground plane render correctly (1), and not in the other area (2)? Stretching the plane should affect the whole thing, no? That's all I came up with as the cause. Any input? |
Post by kena // Dec 14, 2007, 2:38pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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try re-applying a Plainer UV map to the ground - that usually fixes it for me - and if it don't, then I try another UV map. :D |
Post by rjeff // Dec 16, 2007, 3:20am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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The only real concern I have is the trees..the snow on them is very...perfect...seems to well defined.trinagular in shape. Just a though. |
Post by Dragneye // Dec 17, 2007, 9:01am
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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I agree with you rjeff. It was my first stab at it, and thought it looked pretty good... too good. Their basically nurbs spheres. The shader I used though, I really like. Will add some variance before I'm done.
Kena, I'll try that and see what happens. Thanx |
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