Final Renders

Here are some final renders of the layout, lit up and as it appears in the animation itself:

Overall i am very pleased with this outcome. Rendering took the weekend but i'm happy with the completed film
-shaz

Lighting and 3D Animation

I found Lighting the most difficult of all; i wanted my windows to be illuminated by the sunlight but to cast long shadows across the room. After a long time spent playing with directional and bounce lights, i settled on something which works. However, i've learned that lighting is not something i'm eager to touch again.

Animating in 3D was tedius and difficult compared to 2D, but i managed to successfully translate my animation across and now have a working final piece. I used the Norman rig, which had a couple of anoying glitches but otherwise worked sufficiently.

-shaz

Finished 2D animation

Here is the finished 2D animation:

-shaz

2D Animation

Here is a first draft of most of the animation in my 2D piece:

Need to do the last scene in after effects now
-shaz

Story

So it appears i have neglected to include details of the story in my blog up until now. Here is the basic gist of what my animation will be about:

Sebastian is very lonely, as he spends all his time working alone in his huge apartment, unlike other kids his age who go to school and socialise on the weekends. My piece is somewhat melancholy, and just depicts my raptor character walking around his flat, looking longingly out of the window, and sighing to himself. I wanted the animation to be more about the layout to emphasis the emptiness, and to keep Sebastian quiet and static alot of the time to show his boredom.

First animatic:

UV Mapped

Just an update: here are some images of the room with 95% of the UV mapping done:

Now onto lighting!
-shaz

UV mapping

Since the last update, i have virtually finished modelling my room, and have begun UV mapping certain objects. As i am going for a modern style, alot of my items can simply be fill-coloured with a certain lighting. However, decorative objects, such as the rug and canvas's on the wall, need to be hand painted and UV mapped.

Here are some of the maps i created today:

The bed:

 The Upstairs Canvas:

 The downstairs canvas:

The plug sockets:

 The rug:

These maps seem to work, but the bed has a few glitches that need to be sorted. I painted all of them by hand in photoshop, with the help of free internet textures in places.

-shaz

Modelling

I've started to model my layout now. Fortunately my carpal tunnel isnt interferring too much and i'm finally getting the hang of maya. Here are some images of my layout thus far:

The overall look

The upper floor

The TV

The Bed

The sliding door

The Sofa 

I used numerous internet references to model from, such as the ones below:

-shaz

Layouts

So i refined a couple of shots, using my new plan to work from, and have coloured them to help emphasis the lighting i want for my room. I love the idea of large tall windows, and it is a great excuse to play with bright lighting in my room.

Design wise, i wanted the apartment to look sophisticated, but also somewhat empty and lonely. This helps to illustrate the kind of person my character is.

The first draft (above) is the view from the desk, overlooking the city. I get the feeling Sebastian would enjoy watching the workings of others from above while he studies.

This second shot gives a better idea of the size of the luxury apartment. and the emptiness. The colour scheme is rough too and may change yet. I still believe the lighting and windows are the best features.

-shaz

Layout Thumnails

I have been sketching rough layouts to get an idea of my setting and the shots i could get of the interior. Below are some rough small thumbnail ideas:

Then i mapped out the plan for this top-floor apartment that i intend to model. I am happy with the plan came up with:

The apartment is very open-plan. The north wall is made entirely of glass to create a huge sense of space, with a stunning view of the city. There is no seperate bedroom- instead there is a small balcony style floor that overlooks the whole room, with a bed there. Underneath the balcony bedroom is the entrance to the bathroom (bottom right) and the kitchen is curved and opens up to the whole apartment also. There is a large flatscreen TV, couch and chair, coffee table, and a desk on the opposite side that faces the window.
-shaz

Research and Reference

For my layout/environment, i think at this stage i would like to model a modern apartment, very expensive looking yet simplistic in design. This would fit my character well.

1.
These images are inspiring for me. The alternate design and open feel is striking;

My character is studious and uses his macbook alot, so i feel a spacious desk infront of a brilliant view would appeal to him greatly, such as in the image above, for work and other such purposes.

I like the idea of half of the wall being entirely glass. It would make for great lighting in a shot and to create a sense of space and freedom. Its also somewhat luxurious, which i want this layout to portray.

(source: http://www.digsdigs.com/modern-apartment-interior-design-in-warm-and-glamour-style/)

2.
These two shots are taken from an Anime i watched recently. Despite the cartoon feel to it, the lighting is very nice and i love the style of this room; large, spacious, stylish but also practicle for someone who is serious about work:

(source: taken from Episode 24 of Ouran High School Host Club)

Now i have a good general idea of my setting, i need to properly define the layout of my apartment, and the objects to go in it.
-shaz

Character Idea

Okay so, i got started on the fun part - character design.

I've come up with a design i'm happy with; Sebastian the Raptor, a snobby filthy-rich college student. The first design (top left) was not quite right, so i reworked it. Seb is shown here as a tall skinny attractive raptor in his favourite dressing gown, and to the right in his business uniform:

I have five headings that i need to fill in with info, so here goes:

Character: Sebastian. 20 years old, British. Apprentice to his father's business and loaded with money. Seb is from a wealthy family and can be sadistic and manipulative. Prefers to be alone, and when forced to be around people, he insults them as inferiors, sometimes without realising. He is tutored privately at home, and is very studious and uses his macbook alot.

Setting: 21st century, fictional city. He lives one the top floor of a high rise building which serves as his family's company set of offices, with his apartment at the top. It is a luxury apartment, decorated with a very modern artistic simplistic feel to it. He cares little for clutter and is keen on owning only the most expensive items for his living quarters.

Objective: I assume this means Seb's objective. Seb aspires to take over from his father as the leader of his multi-million cooperation, as the oldest and only son. He just wants to finish his qualification and get into the industry so he can start using his power to gain control over the economy.

Obstacle: His father is somewhat difficult to impress, and he does not have very good social skills other than those used for personal gain; making good connections in industry poses a problem for him in future. As an only son he is lonely, though would convince himself otherwise, and that he does not need friends to be happy. Being home schooled has deprived him of the social skills one gains by attending group classes. Business is all he knows.

I am guessing this completes that part of the task. Now to research!
-shaz

The Introductory Post

Hello. My name is Shaz and i'm an animation student that is forcefully being made to use Maya against my will, without my consent...devoid of my permission...sans my approval...

Did i mention this was compulsory?

Anyway, unfortunately in this world i have been told i need to use Maya to get by in the animation industry, so i shall try to comply with the course structure without much biting. I cant guaratee i'll enjoy it, but thats life.

Did i also mention i despise Maya? It is the software of the devil...

But before i branch out into a rant, i need to get work done. We have been set the task of desiging a character and a setting, and attempting to model an interior layout in 3D using Maya.

SO!

This blog will be my stages through this task (over a few weeks) and a display of the work i come up with and produce etc etc. I pray Maya will submit to me before i break inside.

Oh and i have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome...in both hands. Yaay~

Thanks for your time, I shall try to update regularly
-shaz