Cumuli - Preview Renders (Update)

 More snapshots of what the animation will look like

Cumuli - Preview Renders

It is so exciting to see the animation finally in the rendering/animation stage! Below are the stills mostly of LL019 so far. The shots are very close together in the timeline. So far so good!

 After blocking out the basics, we went into character expressions and lip-synching. The plan is to render the shots that can be called 'finished' for now and go back to them only if we have the time. The word 'dead'lines was chosen carefully as it seems, as it marks the end of every project, finished or unfinished.

These are the raw images of the renders with only Ambient/Occlusion and the Z-Depth applied. Atmosphere coming soon!

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Character/vest modelling, vest texturing, Morph targets (in 3dsMax) for the expressions and  animation by myself
Character concepts and texturing by Dan Bookham (link coming soon)
Environment concept and texturing by Boyan Baynov
Environment modelling by Tiago Faria (link coming soon) and Boyan Baynov

Cumuli - Unwraps and topology

LL019

The full unwrap for LL019. Done with the intention of exporting him into Mudbox and painting him over, which was in the end done by Dan Bookham (link coming soon)

WK105

I struggled with the topology when it came to thinking about the animation, as the other two characters I had done (for the Casino project) did not reach the stage of animation, while the Cumuli Female was intended to wear a mask. Here is the result of the topology for LL019, so far the animation is going pretty well!

High Poly version

Cumuli - WK105 vest

 Here is the vest for WK105 from the Cumuli project.

The unwrapping above was done fairly quickly. I decided to only unwrap half of it and use Symmetry (in 3dsMax) to mirror/bind the half piece. That was done to save time. I am happy with it, although a few points could have been better, but as long as it does not stretch, then I am good to go!

Cumuli Project - Characters

 These are the characters after the story change. Top is WK105 and bottom LL019. WK is an inventor with ambition, but too much into himself.

WK105

LL019

While LL is a little bit timid, he is curious and also into acting!

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The piece has become comical, a light hearted animation about two inventors in a mysterious world fighting over who is going to press the button to activate their invention, not realising the presence of a third character: the cleaner. She is just doing her job, cleaning after them, using whatever plugs available to her...

The model of the cleaner was made by Dan Bookham (link coming soon). Here she is

Cleaner - by Dan Bookham

Cumuli - Female

 This is the female which was going to be used for the Cumuli project, at the start of the texturing process.

Due to changes in the story however the characters need to be changed accordingly so this model is now pretty much useless.
But, I somehow got attached to it so I have decided to texture her and create some sort of profile she can belong to!

Cumuli Armour

This armour was intended for the Cumuli project. It had to be bulky, hard surfaced but also have pockets. Due to story changes this design is not going to be used anymore. But still... here it is!

Casino Player

This is a character I have made for a short animation "The Golden Touch". The project was about a casino player, who was also a cheater. He had to look confident slick and somewhat eccentric!

The style we went for in the project was somewhat realistic and somewhat cartoony. We did not strive for a realistic look due to time constraints and the need for 100% accuracy. But we did not want it to be within the clear boundaries of cartoon animation either. So this is what came out of it.

 A Sub-Surface Skin Scatter material test I made in order to see the differences in render time as well as style.

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Below is the texture I made with a close-up

Cumuli - Concepts and 3d models

 These are tests for the texture of the creatures from the project "Cumuli". I used the initial 3D model I made, working under the concept of my group mate.  I tried different variations in color, as well as a more jelly-fish like, shinier texture (on the right).

Above is the very first model of Wk105 (Female Cumuli dressed as a worker)

Below is the final version the female. First dressed as a worker, but missing the helmet.

Plus, while checking the rigging, here is a quick pose holding the baby (replaced by a capsule because it is not yet modeled) 

Then secondly the female after she has taken off all the armor and helmet.