I tried to finish the overall city model this week to get it ready to start with the UV maps and texturing.
General city buildings modelling
I decided to make the general buildings of the city using some tools like ‘transform’ and ‘extrude’ to quickly generate random building shapes. I used the following tutorial as an example:
City Modelling tutorial (SYIA Studios, 2019)I created a disc and reduced the subdivisions to have a irregular gridI extruded the subdivisions to create the roads of the cityI extruded the subdivisions again but this time upwards to give some elevation to the terrainI created some more subdivisions inside the current faces of the discI extruded the smaller subdivisions to give some separation between themI used the ‘transform’ tool to give some randomness to the faces selectedI extruded the faces and, because I randomise them, these will elevate differently to create the effect of the buildings of a cityTop view of the buildings
Rocky base buildings remodelling
After modelling the city buildings, I noticed that the buildings in the rocky base were a bit off scale so I decided to remodel them and create a more cohesive design. I used the same technique that I used for the top city buildings, by randomising the faces of a cylinder and extruding them out. Then I picked a few faces I moved them inwards so it seems like entrances to the buildings or even garages for the flying cars.
Subdivisions createdSubdivisions reducedAddition of more subdivisions within the previous uneven subdivisionsI deleted some random subdivisions to create more variety of shapesFaces extruded slightly to give some separation between themTransform tool to create randomnessFaces extrudedRandom faces selected and moved inwardsRendered view with rocky parts
For the bottom building, I tried to keep it simpler, and just extruded in the subdivisions (giving some separation between faces) and then extruded out some balconies. the bottom part has big doors as if they were entrances for big flying trucks.
Bottom buildings of rocky baseRendered view with rocky parts
Skyscrapers and bridges modelling
To give some interest and variety to the city, I also modelled some skyscrapers that will be placed in the middle section of the city. I also added some bridges linking the lower buildings of the city.
Skyscrapers modelsSkyscrapers modelsCity render view with skyscrapers and bridges addedMain view of the city to check balance of the design
City connections/pathways, entrances, & city barrier
Using the same technique I used for the rock of the city base, I created rocky connections between cities, with two main roads and a train track in the middle.
Stalactites made with ‘stamp’ toolRocky texture made with ‘stamp’ toolSmoothed out the rocky texture and the stalactites length to create some variety in shapesRender view of the city and the connections addedRender top view of the city and the connections addedRender view of the city base and the connections addedCity entrances and barrierThree connections created and attached to the cityTop view of connections and city
City details
Lastly, I added the city details like lamp posts, transit capsules, flying cars, cables, antennas, billboards, and cranes, to make the city more realistic and alive. I used MASH to help with the lamp posts repetition and with the flying cars positioning and animation around the city. I did not make many billboards as most of the advertising and signage is going to be holographic. Additionally, I remodelled the roof tops of the buildings with different shapes to give some variety to the overall look.
Big lamp posts for the city connections and small lamp post for the top cityLamp posts added with MASH to quickly create a repetition of the object with equal distances from each otherClose view of lamp posts in placeModelling of transit capsules to transport people between citiesFlying car bottom viewFlying car top viewCar simulation with MASH taking a torus as a base shape‘Signal’ tool to create some variation in the cars movement Flying cars simulation with MASHI used curves to make the cables shapesCables between buildingsI also added some antennas and remodelled the roof tops of the buildingsLamp posts added to the outside area of the cityAddition of billboardsCrane modelCranes look on top of skyscraperOverall look of the city details
References
SYIA Studios (2019). Maya Model a Simple City Quickly Tutorial (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2315V1g8fNw&list=PLAlv9GvsMvnMCUwPx_gcXaCj_yHYdIPqD&index=118&t=287s [Accessed 12 October 2023]
This week I added some more details to the radio and the planet hologram, and tried to finish the UV maps of both of them to leave them ready for texturing next week.
Radio model improvement
I considered that the radio was looking a bit flat and boring. Since the style we are approaching is more detailed and crowded, I decided to add some patterns on the top of the radio following the organic shapes I added in the front part of the model. Also, I saw that Liam and Roos had a specific pattern in their models (couch, arm chair, and coffee table) which made the style of the objects look more cohesive. Therefore, I asked them how they made it and added it to the sides of my radio. For the top decoration, I used curves as before that then I would transform into brush strokes and lastly into mesh. For the pattern on the sides, I created a plane, then used the ‘Poke’ feature to create these crossed intersections on each subdivision of the plane, and then I extruded those faces keeping the faces separately.
Final radio model – 360 render in Maya
Radio UV maps
After I finished with the final version of the radio, I moved on with the UV maps.
Radio top UV mapRadio main body UV mapRadio top decoration UV mapRadio channels screen UV mapRadio top switchers UV mapRadio volume screen UV mapRadio middle switcher UV mapRadio handle UV mapRadio bottom speaker UV mapRadio base UV mapRadio decorations UV mapRadio inner mechanism UV mapRadio inner cables UV mapRadio UV maps with checkerboards
Planet hologram base remodelling and hologram
After Martyna and Roos had a 1-to-1 session with Dom, he considered that the platform of the hologram was too small and it did not feel like part of the composition. Therefore, I remodelled the platform, this time based on Martyna’s idea of taking an old school compass as a reference. This compass idea fits really good with the hologram style as it would look like it is a navigation map for the spaceship’s route. I also made the Earth continents shape in the inner sphere of the hologram, using MASH distribute node to generate particles and then make a road map so the particles follow the shape of a 2D image that I found online and converted in an alpha map in Photoshop. Then, I also added extra particles in the outer sphere of the hologram to give like a more random and glitchy effect. I also animated the rings and spheres so they rotate simultaneously. Lastly, I also found a tutorial that shows how to create a proper hologram effect (using a multiply and a facing ratio nodes, playing with transmission weight and then adding a ‘Lens effect’ to the render settings).
Hologram effect tutorial (Arnold renderer, 2021)Distribute node to replicate the particle created and distribute it around the inner sphereVisibility node that is linked to the 2D image of the world map so it follows the alpha mapSignal node added to the particles of the outer sphere to give some random animation to these
Playblast of final hologram model with animation (no textures added)Base remodelledBase remodelledHologram effectFinal model
References
Arnold renderer, 2021. Arnold tutorial – How to create a holographic effect in MtoA (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glG4dUnSH3o&list=PLAlv9GvsMvnMCUwPx_gcXaCj_yHYdIPqD&index=1 [Accessed 27 May 2023]
This week I managed to finish all trees models using MASH to place leaves repetitions, and also placed all trees in the environment.
Leaves arrangement using MASH tool in Maya
Since I realised that arranging all leaves manually would take longer that I expected, I decided to look for an alternative and quickest way. Then I found this tutorial on how to use MASH ‘Distribute’ and ‘Placer’ nodes to ‘paint’ an object over a mesh.
MASH tutorial (Ian Waters, 2017)
With the ‘Distribute’ node in MASH, I created the repetitions of the leaves arrangements I designed previously. Also, I made sure to set my MASH ‘Geometry type’ to ‘Mesh’ and not to ‘Instancer’, since this way the alpha map of the leaves will be kept and I will be able to keep the leaves texture. Then, in the ‘Distribute’ node, I set the ‘Distribution type’ to ‘Mesh’ and linked the tree as the ‘Input Mesh’ (so it follows the shape of the tree), and left the ‘Number of points’ as ‘0’ in this case. Then, I used a ‘Placer’ node so I could place the leaves pattern like painting with a brush on top of the tree. With this node I made some tweaks in its setting so the leaves were generated with random position, rotation and scale. Lastly, in order to preserve the leaves texture when exporting the trees with the MASH generated repetitions to the environment scene, I exported them in .ASS extension.
‘Placer’ node used to add leaves too treeFinal trees models with leaves exported as .ASS to preserve textureTree 1 renderTree 2 renderTree 3 renderTree 4 renderTree 5 render
Final trees arrangement in environment
Final trees arranged in environment – top viewFinal trees arranged in environment – front viewFinal trees in environment previsFinal trees in environment previsFinal trees in environment previsFinal trees in environment previs
The next steps for next week will be to try to finish the rest of the foliage and palm trees using MASH too and to start modelling the pyramid.
References
Waters, I. (2017). MASH Placer Node – Painting Points (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb2ZGa0JBns [Accessed on 20 May 2023]
I liked the style and the ‘impossible’ movement visual effect that was giving with the rotating torus and the zig zagging ball.
However, I was not sure about these standard oddly satisfying loop animations as they looked pretty much the same to me and I felt like it could be hard to do something different if I follow this style.
I also found an animation of a rolling ball following a rail in ArtStation (see animation here), which was simple but the look reminded me to Alphonse Mucha’s Art Nouveau designs:
Later on, as I am also very interested in astronomy, I also founded interesting these solar system models that spin due to a gear mechanism added to it:
Solar system model (Staines & Son)Solar system model (Willard)
My main inspiration was this artwork of ‘The Astronomy Tower’ made by Cathleen McAllister, which conveyed, in my opinion, both Art Nouveau aesthetic and astronomy:
The astronomy tower (McAllister)
Once I had my design idea settled, I continued to research how to approach the animation in Maya.
MASH
In the lecture of this week, the professor introduced us to MASH tool in Maya, which could be used to make our loop animation.
With MASH tool, after we ‘create MASH network’, we can create procedural effects with nodes such as:
Distribute. To arranges several copies of an object in formations.
Curve. To animate objects following a curve.
Influence. To use an object as a guide to influence the transforms of the network in MASH.
Signal. It adds noise to our animation so it varies like a signal wave.
Amongst other features…
I did not have the time to fully explore all MASH features but the few I discovered were really interesting and fun to play with. I tried to implement MASH in my design but it seemed to be way easier to just key frame every movement by hand (and also I would achieve a better result).
First draft design
I started taking as reference a picture of the solar system to see the position, shape, and distance of each planet and satellites towards the Sun. I did intend to do this solar system recreation as much accurate as possible, but as it would not look too appealing to the viewer (the planets and satellites would look too small and the Sun too big), I tweaked them a little bit so it would fit nicer in the frame. I made the planets slightly bigger than they are in relation to the Sun, and just added the most important satellites of each planet (Saturn and Jupiter have way too many satellites to be able to fit them all in this model).
Planets scale and spacing taking references of the solar system representations found onlineAddition of details like planet’s rings and satellites
Once I had a definitive position of my solar system, I started to animate it. This animation took a bit longer than I thought, as I had to calculate how many times each planet would rotate around the Sun in 300 frames (length of 1 full loop of the animation) so the looping cannot be noticed. As I also wanted to make it as accurate as possible, I also researched online how long each planet uses to take to rotate around the Sun. Since Neptune is slowest of all, I took this planet as the reference one to loop the animation, so it would rotate 360° in relation to the Sun in 300 frames of animation. The rest of the planets are rotating more times being Mercury the quickest. I set the rotation to start from slower to quick in the mid point of the animation and slowing down towards the end until they all stop in the same initial position. Obviously, it is not accurate rotation as if it were, Mercury’s rotation would be invisible to the eye in relation to Neptune’s. Then I did the same with the satellites of each planet, but these animation were more approximated than the planets as it will not be as noticeable. I also parented the satellites to their respective planets so they would rotate around the planets but would also follow the rotation of the planet around the Sun. Then, I gave some rotation movement to the Sun, but as I wanted to add glow to it, I do not think it would be visible. Lastly, I added the gears that would be attached to the planets and also parented them to their respective planets so they would have the same rotation. I am not too convinced about the gears shape so more than possible I would change their design.
Animation of planets and satellites translation around the SunAddition of machine’s gearsFirst draft render
I am happy with the planets look and animation, however, I am thinking in changing the model of the gears as they look to ‘spiky’ to me and not too realistic.
References
arbenl1berateme (2019). Oddly Satisfying 3D Animations [Compilation 5] – arbenl1berateme (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRsCtd5P9s [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
Cogito (2015). 1900 Alphonse Mucha “Dessin de Montre” Jewelry Design Illustration for Georges Fouquet (online). Available at: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/150738-1900-alphonse-mucha-dessin-de-montre-j [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
McAllister, C. Cathleen McAllister (Online). Available at: http://www.cathleenconcepts.com [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
Müller, B (2020). Impossible Oddly Satisfying 3D Animation (online). Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Ye43ed [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
Staines & Son. The Diary Of An Orrery Maker (online). Available at: https://www.orrerydesign.com [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
Willard, Jr., A. Willard Orrery. National Museum of American History (online). Available at: https://www.si.edu/object/willard-orrery:nmah_1183736 [Accessed on 12 February 2023]
