Final Thoughts and Evaluation.

This week I began to render the targa sequence that I animated and lit in Maya. I was pleased with the result. I had problems using the various lights to really get the most out of the model as well as matching the light source in the live action footage. I imported  the targa sequence into after effects and layered it over the live action footage. I had some problems when importing and rendering the sequence within after effects. When doing a playblast of the scene I noticed that the targa sequence  was stilted. It was almost as if targa files where missing from the sequence. After trying desperately to try and resolve the issue I re rendered the scene in maya but increased the frame padding. Re importing the sequence worked. By increasing the frame padding within the sequence this eradicated any discrepancies and problems.

As their were no problems with the sequence I was able to edit the sequence within after effects. I noticed that the ships appeared to dark within the scene. In order to rectify this I adjusted the colour balance of the ship layers. I also adjusted the opacity of the layer to make it look as if there was some atmosphere between the camera and the ships. Matching the ships to the surrounding light and colours was tricky, however, adjusting the relevant dials produced quick changes in colour value which improved the scene.

Now for the difficult part. In order to give the ship some weight and presence it needed some sort of distortion or dust. I acquired a smoke filter that I could apply directly to the image which would imply that the ship has huge engines which propel it through the air. In order for the particles to work i would need to mask off the areas within the smoke layer which I didn't want the viewer to see. Masking was tedious and laborious, however with a little patience I was able to create a dust layer which coincided with the ship's movements. I also added some blur layer on the furthest ship to add a little perspective to imply distance which i think really improved the scene and its dimensions.

In order to improve the scene I needed sound. The ships needed some sort of drowning sound or the distinct engine combustion from modern planes. This would give the ships real presence within the live action footage.

I was very happy with the compositing which I managed to achieve considering I had little knowledge in after effects. There were some areas which I felt could have been improved upon such as the dust layer as well as the animation. However, I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I put into lighting the scene which really improved the ships and their positioning. I was not keen on compositing but I feel I have learnt  some key elements within modeling and texturing which are skills I hope to improve upon and use in the industry in which I wish to pursue.

The whole project was a huge learning curve and I gained a huge amount of knowledge in amalgamating live action footage with cg objects. There are room for improvements, but I feel I have learnt a lot in the way in which the industry pipe line unfolds. I will take the knowledge I have gained while working on this project and apply it to new projects in the future and expand my knowledge in the areas which I feel could be improved upon.

Storyboard

Here is a quick storyboard that shows where the light is coming from in the scene. I t also shows the animation that takes place within the scene as the cargo ship hovers above the ground. I intend to add particle effects and smoke layers to replicate dust being kicked up by the huge engines of the ship. In order for the scene to work effectively I will need to light the ships correctly so they look like they are really there.

I should have produced a storyboard much earlier in the project but I was preoccupied with the other environment project. This is due to project miss management and bad organization, however I am confident that the project will succeed.

In future projects I will ensure that I produce a storyboard early on that will help me plan the editing process.

Project Schedule

I was only notified that we were being assessed on a project schedule 2 weeks before the submission. This was down to tutor miss communication and miss management and therefore if the project schedule is lacking in detail I am not at fault. Despite the tutor's blunder, I have created a schedule to the best of my ability whilst juggling with other projects at the same time. Although I had no written schedule at the beginning of the project, I was always aware of the timeframe in which I had incorporate all the procedures necessary for the projects completion. I admit that modeling the craft took considerably longer than expected. However, this was not down to project miss management but the search for perfection. I wanted the craft to be realistic and as detailed as possible as my modeling skills are far from what I would like it to be. Having said this I learnt a lot while modeling and texturing the object. Yes, I took quite a long period in which to do this, but I believe this was time well spent in polishing skills which I hope to use for the future. 

Aside from the slight project miss management I believe I have coped reasonably well in the time frame available to me where I have produced some very good work.  

Final Renders

Once I had finished the textures and decals I projected these onto the ship using planar mapping and transparent planes. I was thrilled when the desired effect had been achieved. I didn't think that the texture map would work. Hours of practicing paid off as I managed to fit the textures onto the model effectively. In some ares the texturing could be improved however, when the vehicle is lit this will help define the whole ship.

I tried to bump map the ship by using an existing texture. However, the result was undesirable and the ship appeared as though it had ripples all over the hull. I need to spend more time using the bump mapping tools to get the desired effect. But for now I am very happy with the result as it has fulfilled the groups expectations and my own. With the textures and decals now on the ship the whole model has now a realistic resonance about it. It not only feels realistic but also appears used and worn from the harsh conditions it works in.

Here are a few renders of the final build.

 

Decals

I was pleased with the final outcome of the texture map I had created in Photoshop. I thought that the worn appearance of the metal befitted the story as well as the environment and its other components. The burn marks looked aesthetic and suggested the amount of energy needed to propel the ship through the air. The sheer scale of the object required engines that burned fuel constantly. The burn marks also suggest that fuel is not being burned efficiently but huge amounts of energy are being produced. The metal is rusty and worn with the constant battering of sand storms and the hostile atmospheric conditions. The group seemed to be very impressed with the texture, however more decals were needed to cover the ship. This would emphasize its commercial use. The Mining companies logo needed to be fitted onto the side of the ship. This would give the ship some identity and it would also suggest that the ship was owned by a very powerful organization.

I created some small decals which I would insert over the image using planes. I would then turn down their transparency. By doing this I could preserve the existing texture while at the same time ensure that the decal was the only image visible on the plane.

Textures

I was very happy with the model I had produced, however, in order for the object to work in our environment the ship would need some sort of texture. I looked online for various textures which included metal plating from buildings, rusty doors, ship plating and many many more. I eventually settled on what appeared to be metal plating from a battle ship or an aircraft carrier. I felt the blue, grey tones as well as the rectangular plating would gel well with the model. The texture itself would give the ship a used quality to it, which would suggest it had been used for a very long period of time. 

Before I customized the texture I began to familiarize myself with the texturing tools and interfaces in order for the material to be placed correctly on the object. I noticed that when I applied the material straight onto the object it appeared warped and distorted. This was because I had not aligned the UV's correctly in accordance with the texture plane. I needed to create a UV planar and match it with the surface I wanted the material to be applied. This took a few attempts to get right, but once I knew how the planar interface worked I could match the texture map with my model. The result was rudimentary but gave more than adequate results.

In order for the texture map to work I needed to add more detail and increase its size to mach the model. I had difficulties in applying the textures as many of them were distorted. However, once I was familiar with the tools I managed to fit the texture to the model. 

Now I was confident I could texture effectively I set about tweaking the existing texture I had by adjusting its size and shape as well as its hue and saturation. I did all this in Photoshop. I had to manipulate the texture and multiply several layers to mach the existing texture. I was careful to maintain a constancy regarding the plating but added burn marks and imperfections where the metal had been worn.

Occlusion

Once I had finished the modeling of the ship I then set about rendering the object with an occlusion to see how light would react with the surfaces. These renders would also help me identify any areas which I felt needed work adding to.