Categories
Advanced & Experimental Group

Week 5: Group Project Presentation, Radio and Planet Hologram Models in Maya, & Full Version of Matchmove Task

This week we had the first presentation of our group project, I also started with my next two models drafts (radio and planet hologram), & also made the matchmove task until the end of the footage as requested by Gonzalo.

Group presentation

This week we were asked to make a presentation of the current work in progress of our group project, so look dev artists shared the WIPs of our first models, CG generalist and CG lead shared the draft layout of the scene with illumination test, compositor showed their matchmove and clean up of the scene, and compositing lead shared their research about colour palette, textures and overall style of the scene.

Team meeting and weekly target – draft models

After the presentation, we also had a group meeting to review the progress of our project and decide the next steps to follow for next week. Since we needed a more refined layout to see dimensions and positioning of the models in the space, we decided to try and have all draft models done for next Monday. The CG generalist and CG lead also created a folder in the UAL shared drive so we could also access it and upload all our models there as alembic (abc). Martyna also took a human figure from Maya’s content browser and scaled it to the scene size we wanted so we have a scale reference.

From my side, as I already finished the spaceship model (and this was approved on FTrack by Gonzalo too), this week I focused on finishing the radio and the planet hologram draft models for Monday.

Radio

For the radio model, I took the two pictures below as references. Both styles are different but I like some features from both styles that I consider can be incorporated together. For example the main outer shape and the speaker on the left radio could be mixed with the buttons and decoration lines of the second reference on the right.

I then tried to incorporate these elements in my model and came up with the following draft model:

Radio draft model

Planet hologram

For the planet hologram I used the below image as reference since it mixes a futuristic hologram effect with steampunk metallic textures in the rings, planet and base. I consider it is a good example for the futuristic steampunk style we are aiming for.

In this version I made a draft of the model and tested how it would look like with a basic hologram effect and a simple animation made with manual key framing:

Planet hologram draft model

Extended matchmove task

Also, we were asked by Gonzalo on FTrack to finish the matchmove task until the last frame. When I went back to 3D Equaliser and tried to add the last tracking points for the final frames, it was showing as a flat line in the deviation graph, as if I did not add any points from frame 450 onwards. However, after trying to figure it out by myself, I asked my classmates for help and Martyna managed to help me with this. As she had the same issue last week, she asked Dom and he explained that this was due to having two different tracking points in the beginning of the scene and at the end of the scene in the same place. Since they were different points and were on the same place, the programme could not read them properly and assumed that there were no tracking points in that area. Therefore, all that I needed to do was to take the point added at the beginning of the scene and extend it until the end from the point it was visible again inside the frame. This solved my issue with the programme not recognising the tracks and managed to finish the tracking until the end. Then in Maya I adjusted the scene again and exported the alembic cards, cones, and camera to Nuke, to finally add the lens distortion.

Extended matchmove Maya playblast
Extended matchmove final comp
Categories
Advanced & Experimental Group

Week 4: Spaceship WIP 1 & Matchmove Task Reviews, & Spaceship WIP 2 Model Detailing

This week I focused on finishing the matchmove task with all corrections required and also tried to finish the spaceship model ready for texturing.

Matchmove task

I had a second 1-to-1 session with Dom and asked him about how to export from Maya to Nuke and how to correct camera alignment in 3D Equaliser or Maya. In 3D Equaliser, I missed to set the point of origin and to set the ground points. Also, I needed to align my camera horizon so everything is level to the footage. Once this was corrected, ,I exported it to Maya and realigned the cards and cones of 3D scene. Then, I exported cards, cones, and camera separately in .abc (alembic) as explained by Dom. As I already had the scene previously set before these corrections, I replaced the camera exported from Maya in the Nuke file exported from 3D Equaliser, then connected the cards and cones as geometry in the ‘Scene’ node, added a red constant and some lighting to give some colour and contrast to the cones, and finally redistorted everything together. I finally exported the final matchmove and uploaded it to FTrack for assessment.

Final matchmove

Spaceship WIP 1 review and further modelling of WIP 2

This week I tried to finish the spaceship model to get it ready for texturing. I added more details such as windows on the sides (adding edge loops and extruding), two extra engines and wings in the sides, changed the bottom part and added extra details so it looks like a boat, and lastly, I added some extra details in the top of the spaceship so it looks like the top fin of a fish. Most of the more organic design ini this model was made using ‘Curves’ to make the shape I wanted and then with a disc, extruding following curve made. My main reference for the added features is the following:

Once I finished with the model, I exported a 360° view and took some wireframes screenshots as requested in my first FTrack review of my first model version.

Final model 360° view – Maya render

References

Matczak, M. (2012). artwork, airships, steampunk airship, steampunk, aircraft, industrial, fantasy art, smoke, rocks, cave, Michal Matczak, concept art, lights, Zeppelin, HD phone wallpaper (online). Available at: https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-kdvbs [Accessed 22 April 2023]

Categories
Advanced & Experimental Group

Week 3: Group Project Matchmove Practice & Spaceship WIP 1

This week, we received the group project live action footage so we could make the matchmove in 3D Equaliser, Maya, and Nuke. I also started modelling the spaceship for the group project.

Matchmove task

I started to track the live footage we were given in 3D Equaliser, trying to follow the steps we learnt last week. This was a bit challenging as the floor of the footage had a lot of reflections and it was difficult to keep the tracker on place. Also, before tracking, I denoised the plate in Nuke so I could get a clearer image for tracking. I only tracked the green marks added in the scene initially, however, after my 1-to-1 session with Dom, he clarified that the green marks were only references and that I could add more tracker points anywhere I needed (the more tracker points the better results I could get later on). Therefore, I added more tracker points to then reconstruct the scene in Maya and added red cones on every single tracker point.

Matchmove playlist in Maya – WIP

I was a bit confused on how are we supposed to export the geometry in Maya and the process after this in Nuke, so I will book another session with Dom for next week.

Spaceship WIP 1

For my spaceship model I made some sketches on Procreate app first and then some more hand-drawn sketches while discussing with my group the style approach we were going to follow.

After figuring out how the spaceship would look like, I start to 3D model it in Maya directly as I will also have a better idea of dimensions.

We were also asked to submit next week our first model WIP to FTrack so I put together some render views.

Also, Roos created a group Padlet board where we will be adding the progress of each team member’s tasks and where we could give feedback and add notes too.

Padlet group board
Categories
Advanced & Experimental Group

Week 2: Matchmove Practice & Group Project Tasks Organisation

In this first lecture with Dom, we learnt how to use 3D Equaliser to track a scene’s camera movement and lens distortion, and then export it to recreate the 3D space of this shot. We also organised the assets and tasks of each member of our group and started to think about the components our scene needed.

3D Equaliser Lecture

A camera track is used to recreate the camera movement and lens distortion of a scene shot. This is then used for adding CG elements to it that will follow the same movement of the scene. There are different types of camera track such as:

  • Facial tracking. To track facial movements and expressions.
  • Object tracking. To track movement of objects in the scene.
  • Rotomation. To match movement of objects and actors, and then adding CG to live action.

It is also important to track the lens distortion of a scene so when adding CG elements to it, they look like part of the shot as if they were filmed with the same camera lens.

Types of lens distortion (Foundry)

In order to track our scene, we will use 3D Equaliser which is the standard camera tracking software used within the industry. The 3D tracking process is made following these steps:

  1. Set up camera and lens.
  2. Track scene.
  3. Lens distortion.
  4. 3D orientation.
  5. Check scene.
  6. Export.

This programme feels a bit more accurate than Nuke regarding the camera tracking as it has less errors when tracking and we can also add the exact points we want to track in the scene. First, we would have to import our footage to the programme, and then play around changing lighting, gamma, and contrast, to increase tracking accuracy depending of the point we want to track. Normally, when there is more contrast and there is a clear pattern to track, the programme would have less problems to track. After we have tracked our points, we do click on ‘Calculate All From Scratch’ or press ‘Alt+C’ so the programme can calculate the tracking points in 3D space.

Once we have our tracking points, we will start with the clean up process. This means to get rid of trackers that do not work that good, or smoothing the tracking lines in the ‘Deviation Browser’, or double checking the there are no tracking points outside the shot.

Then we can proceed to set the lens distortion by adding the type of camera lens details (can be found online at https://vfxcamdb.com), so then the programme can calculate the trackers in 3D space again but using the distortion details.

Following on, we can switch our view to 3D space (F6) and convert the tracking points into 3D models or mesh. This 3D model can then be exported to Maya, Nuke, and other 3D programmes, ready to be used as reference for our 3D scene.

I exported mine to Maya and added simple shapes to recreate the scene in 3D space. This would be then used as a reference for 3D artists to set their models positions and perspectives in the scene.

3D scene modelled in Maya using the trackers reference exported from 3D Equaliser

Steampunk project – Organising tasks and assets list

This week we decided on the assets we needed for our scene and how many assets each look dev artist was going to take care of. Since I love sci-fi and everything related with cosmos and spaceships, I decided to model the spaceship that is going to be seen from the window of the scene. Also, taking advantaged that in my collaborative unit from the last term I got to test some hologram effects in Maya using MASH, I also decided to try model the planets hologram. And lastly, I will also be taking care of design a radio which I find really interesting as I love classic 1800s radio models which are perfect for the steampunk look we are pursuing.

I then put together a moodboard of each model to see how the style of each one would be:

References

Foundry. Camera Matching (online). Available at: https://learn.foundry.com/modo/14.1/content/help/pages/rendering/camera_matching.html [Accessed 23 April 2023]