Hi folks, this is a 30 minute explanation of the main rig features, intended for new and continuing animators on the project. It has pretty bad audio (recorded on my phone, with lots of noise and uhms and aahs) and also has been shrunk and compressed quite mercilessly. That being said, it just explains the various features of the rig to be handy for our animators.

I didn’t see any reason not to make this public, so I’m putting it on the main blog:

You can download here: mp4, ogg, or webm in case the in-browser thing doesn’t work.

Today on our way into the Drome from a nice Sunday run+swim, we encountered some unlikely arrivals: a cluster of bright yellow mushrooms growing in the potted plant outside the studio. For your enjoyment:

Pics taken with my mobile phone. What do you think, should we eat them? 😉 . Now I wonder if we should use the mushroomer for mushrooms as well as the other things we want to grow/animate with it. If mushrooms can grow in the studio environment, they can live anywhere, including subway stations.

Since Dimetrii just posted his eye material and texture, I thought I’d show this quickie test of the eye rig – missing such things as eyebrows, eyelashes and that insane little membrane on the inside corner by the tear duct.

The rig features two directional controls, a track-target and an on-face widget, that can be used separately or together, a pupil dilator, controllable eyelids that mimic muscle motion but also have a limited vertical track with the eyeball, and an even more limited horizontal one, and a deformational lattice that allows the non-spherical eye to ‘push’ the skin around it. I may add a shrinkwrap to the inner eyelid to make sure it stays on the surface.

Finally, I’d like to thank everybody who, in an idle moment, took a video camera to their eye and posted it on youtube. Viva la crowd-sourced reference!

Hi guys.

Решил сделать скульптуру всего тела. Тяжело, бл… . Много деталей не добавить. Multires добавляет проблем. Если мы перешли на нижний уровень, подкоректировали, вернулись на верхний уровень …. (а-а-а-а-а!!!!), на модели появились дефекты.  Нет кнопки удаления нижнего уровня и subdivide модели только Catmull-Clark или Simple ( нет возможности их комбинировать).

Сделал немного модель. Надо рендернуть Cycles-ом. Результат очень хороший, только очень очень очень медлено. Картинку размером 1600*1500 и 800 пассов считает 1 час и это только diffuse shader, без рефлектов и других нод. Specular, SSS и мех решил сделать в Internal и объеденить на композе. Для теста не плохой результат.

Decided to make a test sculpture of a body. Seriously. Many details are added. Multires adds problems. If we switched to a lower level, corrected returned to the upper level …. (a-a-a-a-a! !!!), model appeared defects. There’s no button to delete the lower level and you must subdivide the model either with Catmull-Clark or Simple (you can not combine them).

Did a little model.Made a render with Cycles. The result is very good, just very very very slow. Image size is 1600 * 1500 and 800 passes, it took one hour for only the diffuse shader, no glossy/reflective or other nodes. I made Specular, SSS and fur in Blender Internal and united them in the compositor. For a test this is not a bad result.

and Video Cycles_man

ГЛАЗ.

Новая задача сделать модель глаза и шейдер для Gilgamesh. Мне нравится, что получилось.

Рендер Internal без композа. Источники света без теней, дают только свет. И очень немного Ambient Occlusion.

EYE.

The new job is to make the model’s eyes and shader for Gilgamesh. I like that happened.Internal Render without Compos. Sources of light with no shadows, only to give light. And very little Ambient Occlusion.

Calling all students (18+), recent graduates, and professionals wanting to ply their 3D skills in libre software:

Applications are open to join Bassam’s team this summer for the ‘Tube’ production, hosted by the very cool Bit Films Animation Incubator at Hampshire College, Massachusetts.

Helmed by Chris Perry, formerly of Pixar and Rhythm & Hues, the program draws together a number of interesting projects and a lot of talent, so although the internships are unpaid, it promises to be a very stimulating and fruitful space.

For applicants to Tube, there is a possibility that housing can be offered.

The official internship period runs from Tuesday May 31, 2011 through Friday August 26, 2011. Applications are due (via email) no later than Monday May 16, 2011 at 5pm (EDT). We understand that this is short lead time for those needing to make visa and travel arrangements. Because the project is ongoing, the internship period is flexible; if in doubt, apply!

Although it may not provide as immersive an experience, we are open to considering applicants to a remote internship. Remote interns would join the already global team using our web-based project management software, SVN, and IRC.

Please read *carefully* the open positions announcement and FAQ! Have more questions? Email fateh [at] freefac [dot] org.