Rapadura Cast – 1 Night Job

R&D – Making a SPhere Appears

AutoFocus Tied to an Object on 3DSMax

The RetroMachine Teaser #2

Pernambucanas – Mundo Irado Animation

    The client's reference for this animation was the old 16Bit plataform games. (Sonic universe was the main visual reference for characters). Following this briefing i've started to create some sprites to use in the game, and pre-rendered it to be placed over the 3D animation on the composition (2D) stage. One of my biggest my personal reference, of animation style,was the excellent game called "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World The Game". The effects are very dynamic and simple at the same time.

 My main question before to start this job was about the whole thing look. I can't be as "destructed" as a 8-16Bit (low resolution) game, but it CAN'T look like a "Flash Animation", with very high Anti-alias, and i don't want it to look just like a simple 3D Animation. It will not fit the client needs if we just follow the easier path. So i've produced some earlier tests to find this look, and to aprove it with the Director. Here's a fast proof of concept for the entire concept. Very initial stage :

KumoTools RND – Meet Caos!

Coding! I like to code, but I'm not talking that i am a good coder. I like to use little scripts to improve my workflow, and I like to learn about coding to help me on some tedious tasks.I advise to everyone to start learning a bit of coding in any 3D Package, cause it opens your mind and break some workflow limitations. It can helps a lot and keep your mind focused on more important things... This is my very first decent script (MaxScript for 3DSMAX). Simple and usefull. I will improve it with more functionalities over the time.

The MultiMap Shader with Dirt Maps applied.

With and without Caos Added

This example above was made using the script witha "animate" on.

KumoTools RND 0.95
KumotoolRND_v095.zip
Version: 0.95

UNDO for all actions, i’ve made little cosmetic adjustments and added the Material ID Shuffler, to add and scramble the added/existing materialIDs. It’s usefull to make scenes more realistic changing the textures (like dirt, for instance) randomically.

Languages:	English
Author:	Marcelo Souza
Category:	MaxScript
License:	GNU General Public License
Date:	June 15, 2011

1.6 KiB
80 Downloads
Details...

KumoTools RND 1.21
KumotoolRND_v121.zip
Version: 1.21

1.21 Release Notes:
Ui Improvements; Separated or combined Transform filter; Scale Lock (Proportional), or non-uniform; Reset Scale; Remove Materials Button(Back to Object Color);

Author:	Marcelo Souza
Category:	MaxScript
Date:	August 14, 2011

1.8 KiB
461 Downloads
Details...

Procedural BOLTs (2002)

Final Render.No maps used, everything procedural. / Click to see a full size render.

While working with 3D is a never-ending life of study, we have to keep updated on a daily basis. Many Years ago, back in 2002, i was struggling to improve my Shading skills. So, i got on a  little personal challenge... To make a Photorealistic Rendering but not using ANY external material/Map. Nor HDR, nor dirt or bumps maps, nothing... My goal was to build everything from the scratch using only 3dsmax's native shaders and native render at that time. I was not able to use area lights/shadows, no Mentalray or any external render engines. Only the scanline rendering.

Fake or Foto

How i'd started...? First step was to have a real photo reference. And then i followed to the planning how could i reach most of the subtle aspects of reality and translate then on my 3D Scene... On a Macro view you can see much more details than at an average distance... A ordinary white and matte surface, can show little dirt specks and subtle textures when closer to the camera. Reproducing that is a key to say to the observer's brain that's a Macro Photograph. This along with the shallow   focus helps to convincing the eyes.

 

Bolts, reference, photo, macro

To simulate an HDR reflection, i've modeled a very simple Room around the Bolts with fake windows and lights using Self Iluminated Pannels. Is VERY important to the reflection to have an enviroment to Reflect.

Shader Complexity

Of course the final shader became very complex to the eyes. But it hasn't started this way. I am not so crazy like that. The path is to get the shaders, fragmented in stages, diffuse, glossiness, bumps, metalic look, etc. And start it as simple as possible, them put layer after layer of "Mixer nodes" trying to break the default look of every procedural shader, masking and mixing it with other inside another and another and so on until i've became satisfied with it's look. It's all about a mix inside another mix, ad eternum...

Here's a Glimpse of the Shader tree, in 3dMax5 (Where i've made the original project), and using Slate (3dsMax 2011) :

This is the SHADER TREE if only ONE material, in 3dsMAX5 (2002) at left and 3dsMax 2011 (Right)

Side Note: To light up the scene, and simulate occlusion/area shadow, i had to use 57 lights. Spots and omni sources. This is the principle of the FAKEOSITY technique. It may look an insane thing to do, but it's the only method to "fake" a radiosity effect on the render using just 3dsmax's scanline renderer in 2001-2002. A very simple room was modeled/shaded around the models to act like enviroment reflection "map".

Interactive Slider

CGI Coca Cola Bottles

Elite Squad – BOPE Logo Revisited

BOPE LOGO Revisited

Animation Study – Sticky Gum

• Improved Reaction;
• Antecipations;
• More/better Arcs;
• Different Acting;
• Exactly same time but different reaction;

Fake 8mm ShortFilm

ClothWorld Fish for Confort Ad

CoffeeBreak ShortFilm

The RetroMachine Teaser

Fine Living Beach

Fine Living Winter

Fine Living Flowers

Fine Living #2

Fine Living #1

HBO Ole Originals

Antartica SubZero Truck

Marvelous VolksWagen Factory

CG Society Interview

• "Factory Welcome" - External View and Enviroment;
• "Big VolksWagen Fair" - The big Car Fair on the ground;
• "The Spy" - The SpyRobot;

• To Create the 3D Building of the Factory and it's surroundings (model/shading/lighting);
• Light/Shading/Render/MatchMoving of the external scenes;
• Composition (After Effects) of the external Scenes;
• To create the "Big Fair" shot;
• Modeling/Texture/light/shading of the Spy Robot;

RetroFunken Tv

One Day in the Future of Fiat Mio

• Internal Project Management (with a great help from Stefan Susemihl);
• On-Set VFX Supervisor;
• 3D Directing/Supervisor of the project;
• Some Matte Painting;
• 3D Generalist, look development, shading/lighting;

All Car DESIGN and MODELING was made by FIAT and it's Designers.

This Article is not complete yet. So, here's the finished movie for your appreciation :

Old Cartoon Truck