Learning progress 4 : Modeling the detail of character

Before modeling the details of my character, I had gone through some revision on how to use the extrude and inner extrude tool so that I could get familiar with both of the tools. I had found out a useful tutorial on Youtube which by TheHEROinWAR. The video tutorial teaches how to form the character body and modeling the details by using extrude and inner extrude tool.

Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvyW0LWa8o (part 1)

This online tutorial has separate into 7 parts, the speaker very patient on teaching step by step on building the overall body. Inside this video I found out how he actually modelling the details for the character and how he model the character fingers with using the tool of extrude and inner extrude. 

From the feedback of lecturer on previous presentation, I have to put the character hand into a T shape therefore as a convenient of animating the character so that the character hand won't have a distorted form. Then, I seek for the tutorial on how to separate the polygon into another object. 

I found a forum which people talked about separating object from the main object.

Link : http://www.c4dcafe.com/ipb/topic/47643-seperate-all-polygon-into-seperate-object/

There are two useful tool which are split or disconnect. For split, selected polygon will be separate from the object but also copy another layer of the object however the disconnect tool is separate from the object but still remain the same layer with the object. 

I also looked for how to merge an object to another object in Cinema 4D.

Link: http://www.wikihow.com/Merge-a-Object-on-Cinema-4D

However, by referring the video tutorial on modeling details in character, I found out some of the useful tools to learn. 

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5fPWYgths

Instead of using extrude and inner extrude tool , I learn some others useful tools in this video tutorial such as Bridge, Close Polygon Hole, Dissolve, Knife, Mirror, Weld, Bevel, Extrude, Extrude Inner, Matrix Extrude, Triangulate and Untriangulate.

Below showed some of my printed screen of working progress on modeling the details:

I had model the details of my character's shoe

Applying what the feedbacks from lecturer ad what I had learn, I split my character hand and move to form a T shape.

Modeling the details of the shirt

Forming the fingers

Same procedure goes to the girl character.

It's hard to use extrude and inner extrude at the first time, however the process of forming the details in my character allowed me to practice more and more familiar with the tools. To model the details of character is not that easy with Hypernurbs. Sometime I have to switch off Hypernurbs to get the polygon form correctly. It's is abit challenging of I need to keep on adjust the form of polygon, especially the character fingers that takes me 3-4 hours to doing it.  By doing switching on and off of Hypernurbs I successful model the form that I am satisfy with. After modeling the character body with the details, I had proceed to another stage which is sculpturing the character head.

Learning progress 3 : Find out the method

After getting the feedbacks from Joanne, as I need to find out how to export and is it possible to export Cinema 4D to After Effect and from After Effect export to Flash.

Therefore, I seek out some tutorial through Youtube on the method of how to export Cinema 4D object  or animation in to After Effect.

Exporting Cinema 4D to After Effect

I actually found out severals online tutorials and could help me getting the idea on how to export Cinema 4D object to After Effect.


Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV0mUx2ZCHo

This is the very useful short video tutorial as giving me the some basic idea of before export the object in Cinema 4D to After Effect , I need to install the plugin which are given in my downloaded file. The audio of this video tutorials is very clear. This video tutorials teaches me how to install the plugin and moving the plugin to the file. To prepare my files for After Effect from Cinema 4D , I need to create multipass for AE. In this video tutorials teaches me how to create compositing tags to access to AE, giving the id number in object buffer and detailing of procedure as step by step on the tutorials on adjust render setting in Cinema 4D that if I would like to render a simple object. However, this tutorial didn't teach me how to export to AE, therefore I found out severals video tutorials that I found it helpful.

 
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B56q6PdJKE4

Another video tutorial that teaches how to import to AE, putting in all layers from Cinema 4D to AE and export Cinema 4D to psd sequence.

In additional I found out another two useful tutorials website that contain plentiful useful videos inside.

1. http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/maxon-cinema-4d/3d_cg_vfx_cinema4d_c4d_after_effects_rendering_compositing_mulit_pass/

2. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL099EA0C53AED93E6

Export After Effect to Adobe Flash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmVZYRGzhYU


This video tutorial teached me to render my After Effect compositing to SWF file. It's quite simple and easy after I found out the method.

Week 7 - Presentation of WIP

16 Dec 2013 onwards

Presentation slides:

Today showing my working progress to whole class.

From the feedback from lecturer and tutor is I need to look for the big picture before looking for minor problems. As for the big picture I need to seek out how the 3D element export to Adobe after effect then how to export to Adobe Flash. As to improve my presentation skills and the technique of speaking, I need to write out script and practice before any presentation.

Therefore, for easy to animate the character, I need to post my character hand to a T shape. 

Learning progress 2 : Modelling a character body

The next step that I would like to model my character, however I found this video tutorial through Youtube, this video that gives me an idea oh how to start to model my character. To model my character, first I have to digitize my character in two views, the side and front view. Therefore I had digitize all my character in to digitize form. 

However, I still haven't digitize the granny son and the cat.

Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhA5UG5H090

This Youtube online video tutorial is from Abuwaqar Ikhwan. This video is simple and basic for beginners to follow on,however there is no audio in this video that I found out hard to catch up in the first time,therefore I have to watch severals time to get the overall idea of modeling the character. From the previous knowledge of knowing the basic tools and user interface in Cinema 4D, it brings the advantage on modeling my character as I know how to use some of the basic tools in this video.

What I've learn in this tutorial video:

-To set up(configure) the 2D image in Cinema 4D for convenient and as a guideline to model the 2D into 3D character. 

-Learning the Knife tool to cut down polygon surface therefore easy to adjust the surface form later.

-Learning the Symmetry tool, to copy the other half polygon to another side, to form up the overall character body. 

-Learning the useful of Hypernurbs to smooth up the polygon area.

-Having some basic ideas on how to form out the character hand.

Below are some of my print screen on working progress: 

Putting my digitize image in to Cinema 4D

The 4 views of my character, the granny

The final outcome of granny

Therefore, I have try to model my another character, the boy, but I found the problem of after apply the hypernurbs, the hand slip into two hand. 

Then, I had separate the hand to the body and try to form another polygon to stick on it. 

The polygon still performed a ugly shape.

Learning progress 1 : Basic Knowledge of Cinema 4D

Today I have explored the basics of Cinema 4D by following the Youtube online video tutorial by Emil Mammadov.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9N69imZq0A

This is a great online tutorial that really suitable for beginner to watch and follow. The speaker is really full of patient and teaching step by step.

What I've learnt from the video:

- Get to know what is the UI design, where the buttons located, where is the function located.

-Have learnt how to parent the object to the other object, therefore they can able to move together.

-I have also learnt how to create null object which works some kind of grouping and more organize.

- Get to know what is the shortcut key for the functions, and I have also explored some of the shortcut key by myself, such as zoom in(scroll in) and zoom out(scroll out), rotate tool(R),scale tool(t) and so on. Getting know all the shortcut key might help me to speed up the progress of working.

- Learnt how object to convert to a poly which make the object editable.Besides, I've learnt all the left sidebar which allows me to edit the surface, the corner dot or sidebar line of the object. Then, I also learn about the tool of "extrude" and "extrude inner" which really help me to extend the object into the shape, made a more complicated object.

-Other than that, I've also learnt how to insert the color to the object, the texture and so on.

-I able to insert the plate and form a running field for my object.

-I able to insert sky, the background.

-I able to insert the lighting for my objects.

-I able to animate my object according to the spine that I created. I've know how animation works inside Cinema 4D ,where is the timeline, how to insert the frame, how to pair the object to the spine and animate according to the path and how to create more smooth animation. I've learnt how to animate object in the timeline.

-Other that, I've learnt how insert camera that follow the object moving in the animation, the point of view from the camera to the object.

-Last but not least, I've also learnt how to render the project ,where is the render setting and so on.

The following is the screen shorts of my working process:

The exploration and learning outcome of understand the tool of Extrude and Extrude Inner.

The creation of the plate, the path, insert colors and textures.

The insert of lightning.

Following step by step with the tutorial video.

The point of view from the camera.

Other that I've recorded a short video walk through of the final outcome.

To sum up, basically I've learnt all the basic tools in Cinema 4D. I found it interesting and easier to use compare with 3D max. From the basic knowledge that helps me to have a big picture for my working process as how to structure my character . I also looking for some of the tutorial video about creating basic character. 

Week 6

9th Dec 2013

I changing the story to make it more interesting to make it more education base due to my target audience if children who having obesity. I had shown my flowchart and UI sketch to lecturer , however I need to refine the story to put more interactive component and change the narractive as what the interactive choice of user might affect to the different outcome. Then, I have refine some story and my UI to show lecturer on next day.

10th Dec 2013

The story that I proposed to lecturer is better than yesterday but the interactive part still remain the same as it not really direct to different outcome and the 'answer' might be too obvious that will cause the story uninteresting and unattractive to user.

As what had shown from my flowchart above, the story not fascinating enough.


I had shown the UI design, as the feedback from lecturer is the UI design is still sketchy and not a complete form yet. Therefore, I need to think of how the buttons placement due to the current buttons is too pack to each other, which user might find it more complicated to reach. Other than that, the scene should be more dramatic instead of flat and front view.

Below is the landing page and my UI page.

(Previous flowchart)

11th dec 2013 onwards

I had rethink about the storyline, then I find out my story doesn't have an interesting point as everything is too flat, no hierarchy, therefore I had lead to think to another storyline which is totally not related to education field to children but the other story that brings me more to proceed to another stage.

After all the brainstorming ideas, finally I had created another storyline which is something similar to the story of Hansel and Gretel, the childhood story. I've wrote out all the story which listed below .

Storyline

1. One brother and sister got lost in the forest.

2. They walked until they saw a beautiful house.

3. They went to knock on the door. The house has a granny and her pet, a cat.

4. The granny was very welcome them. While the cat was very unwelcome them, wanted to hurt them.

5. They entered to the beautiful house. Inside the house has full of animal taxidermy.

6. They explore the room and suddenly they saw a magic workplace, which the granny disallowed them to enter.

7. The granny prepared a lot of foods to let them eat and told them that her son is an animal hunter.

8. She told them to stay and wait for her sons come back from hunting and brings them back to their house.

9. The brother and sister continue to eat and stay inside the house.

10. Until a few days later, in the midnight, the brother suddenly woke up from a noise downstairs, he wokes up and saw his sister gone.

11. He went to downstairs, saw granny came out from the ban room. The granny went out from the house and accidentally the brother saw that she drop a girl shoe.

12. The cat gave him a danger signal in this house and asked him to escape as soon as possible.

13. The brother disbelieve the cat, he went walked infront the door he saw his sister is sleeping in the cage. The boy afraid and suddenly the granny came back. The boy confused whether to try to save his sister or escape.

Escape:

1. The boy afraid, he wanted to escape.

2. He hide in the stairs and try to escape from the house.

3. The granny realize the door was open and found the boy hiding.

4. She then catch the boy and turn the brother and sister into another the animal taxidermy.

Save the sister:

1. The boy quickly entered the room, and lock up the door.

2. The granny realize the door was locked and start to angry.

3. The sister show the brother where is the key. The brother try to get the key.

4. The brother accidentally drop a potion on the cat.

5. The cat turn to the granny son and try to help the brother save the sister.

6. The son use magic to turn the granny into a bird and store inside a bird cage.

I complete the flowchart asap and start to sketch out the design of my characters, the storyboard and research about the artstyle that  to match with the 3D elements.

Week 5

2nd Dec 2013

Got the feedback from Chuan Zui about STI assignment Part A. The feedback was need to extend the days of learning and executing in 3D modeling, animation and composition in Gantt Chart. The story needed to be more interactive as what user has choose then to lead to different ending.

After all, I've rethink about the story to make it more interesting and more interaction, for this project I tend to keep it short so that the work load won't be so heavy as the limited timeline that I have.

3rd Dec 2013

Today had leart about scrollBy in Joanne tutorial class. I used several days to rethink the story structure in order to make it  more interesting and attractive, however I still have no idea about how to put more interactive component inside.

I had install the Cinema 4D in my macbook pro, unfortunately I had accidentally pressed the update as it's a crack version and unable to use anymore, therefore I redownload and try the UI.

Week 4

25th nov 2013

Given a talk by Southpaw, gain some acknowledgement when working in the industry as speaker shared a lot of working experiences with us. One of the point that I've noted is ,while doing installation art, we shall consider the device condition, touchscreen, the placement of the device whether is place it high and low considering the eye level for the user.Other than that, idea can be recycle but have to execute another way while dealing with different clients and different project.

26th Nov 2013 onwards

In Joanne class, learnt some prototype of interactive video by using keycode in Adobe Flash. Other than that learnt to animate the sea gull in Adobe Dreamweaver by using setInterval.

From the tutor class, I got some inspiration as whether I can use keycode in my story interaction.After all, I continue to sketch out my scenes.

Week 3

18^th nov 2013

Given a talk by Funky Dali about the creativity in the industry.

19^th nov 2013 onwards

Learnt some javascript animation in HTML 5 in Joanne class. After class, having a question to lecturer as whether 3D modelling can be animated in Adobe Flash as what lecturer feedback, 3D modelling that can't animate in Adobe Flash however can be export in flash movie (swf) and put inside Adobe Flash. I started to sketched out my character, the fat boy. I had sketched out several characters and picked the best character. I also started to execute some of my storyboard and the details.

The storyline of my story noted below:

1. A boy is unawareness of being obesity. He eats junk foods everyday. He is lazy and always stays at home playing video games. He less interacts with others to play outdoor activities because he feels embarrass on his body weight.

2. One day, he has dreamed that he has entered to a fantasy world.

3. The world has divided into two paths; one shows lively, colorful and wonderful like heaven while the other shows dark, dangerous and insidious just like hell.

4. In this stage, user might want to choose which path they want to continue the story.

5. If user choose the lively and wonderful path: The boy found himself active and motivation on keeping fit by playing outdoor activities. There will be 3 continuous stories when user after completes the task then to proceed to another story.

     - First, he has entered in the lively and wonderful world which he meeting several friends and exploring the world around with the flying horse. The boy himself feels that outside the world is much more wonderful instead of staying home playing video games.

     - Second, the flying horse brings him over the playground to play some outdoor games. When the boy playing hopscotch, user may interact with the video that remembers the sequence to proceed to the last scene.

    - Third, they playing hide and seek around the ground, in this stage user might want to help out the boy to find out his friends. For the interaction part, his friends will disappear and change to white color, user need to tilt down their laptop or desktop to find out their friends.

   - However, user who chooses this path will lead to the boy wakes from his dreams and feeling more confidence to interact with the others.

6. If user choose the dark and insidious path: The boy will found out the horrible of eating too much of junk food. There will be 3 continuous stories when user after completes the task then to proceed to another story.

   - First, the boy saw a huge junk food tree which user might pick up one of the junk food to let the boy eat. After eating, the boy turns into super fat.

  - Second, the boy enters in a horror forest which having some weird creatures laughing around and sneering around on him. The fat boy wants to run but he couldn’t, he walk very slow due to his over fatness. In this stage, user might want to help out the boy to escape this horror forest and proceed to the next.

  - Third, the boy enters into a teeth decaying forest which he saw a lot of junk food monster destroying the teeth around.

  - For this, the ending will be, the boy awake in the dreams and feeling more aware on being obesity.

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