[ambient-whisper]

made this for the PA challenge over at cgchannel.

note. legs were a rush job. and i do plan to redo them. as the waist and such. and give it more details. but as it stands. the video is done.

heres a preview of what is made in that vid.



Video Here(25 megs or so )

[Anthony]

Great work, nice model! The video was quite entertaining. Mind if I email you with a few Mirai questions? I'm just curious, as a long time LW guy.

[MagicMacaroni]

Damn! Thats cool! What program is that?? I would really like to check it out.

[:::nVIDIA:::]

Nice model, and using Mirai at that. How do you like Mirai? I know it's like 100 time more powerful than Nendo obviously...... Ed--

[hew]

If I had a decent connection, I would definatly download your video, and post with all sorts of wows and praise

[Anthony]

Generally in high poly work you model in the details and then map with more general surface textures(adding in specific grunge and rust and grime where its needed). For a lot of things, like the screw heads, you can just use one of your metal textures(if you have accumulated a good library of course. I have my painted textures categorized so that I can bring them up and use them whenever I need them. Others probably do the same thing with photo textures.

[shahar2k]

have you tried using Wings 3D? I've been using it for a while and from what I hear it has a lot of the features that mirai does (becfause it started out as a nendo clone for one thing) any comment on that ?
www.wings3d.com is the site for it this is a freeware modeler in very active development

[ambient-whisper]

quote:

---

Originally posted by :::nVIDIA::::
Nice model, and using Mirai at that. How do you like Mirai? I know it's like 100 time more powerful than Nendo obviously...... Ed--

---

its been treating me very well for the last year or so. i just wish it had a better renderer, because its already a kickass modeller+ the IK tools are one of a kind. tho i still got to get used to the animation module. its something like xsi. but it took a little bit of a different approach.

that said. even though it kicks a lot of butt after 3 years...its starting to get old.

shahar2k: ya i used wings. been playing with it when my other apps are rendering. its a nice little app. but it needs a lot of work.

[ March 09, 2002: Message edited by: ambient-whisper ]

[:::nVIDIA:::]

I just watched the whole video of you modeling the cat-droid. All I can say is when are the other modeling softs gonna be as powerful? Mirai is one helluva modeler and yet not too many coverage on it. I've used Rhythm & Hues' modeler, Maya, Soft, A/W, Max, LW, Rhino and buncha others and all I can say is Mirai blows them away. I just wish the other software makers take note..although things are happening (slowly). I use Max mainly because it's only thing I can afford as an individual and the modeling feature doesn't even come close to Mirai. In fact I'm pissed off that they charge arm and leg and very few new features in 4.2 release. If I could afford it I would go with Mirai, tho I have some reservation about their renderer. Anyway, it was a pleasure watching you model and have inspired me. Thanks for the post. Ed--

[louis finazzo]

wow, it was really neat watching you work. i've never touched or even seen someone else use a modeling program, so i have no clue how they work or what goes into it... but it seems like it isn't that hard to get ideas out of your head and into shapes and forms that work in conjunction together. one of these days i'll have to start messin in 3d.

[Lunatique]

Very nice work! I can't view the movie because it tells me it's a damaged file.

I'm curious as to how the other apps stack up against Mirai with plug-ins installed. For example, meshtools in max, or other plug-ins for other apps.

louis finazzo-- Dude, it LOOKS easy, just like it how it looks easy when you look over someone's shoulder when they paint. It is definitely not easy. It requires a lot of problem solving and constructive thinking. You don't just build a model--you have to build an OPTIMIZED model that uses as little memory as you can creatively come up with, and then you also need to build it in such a way that it can animate well without becoming FULBARed.

[jesusclone]

yeah me too

actually... I might download it anyway

--------------------


http://www.twigpeople.com/dmo

[The Magic Pen]

Nice mang ...ohyy sub D ..

(edit:Friggen hell man I watched the video ..damn bro that was a lot of work!! Marai pretty powerful ehh?? Jesus what was that time lapsed over ..8-12hrs..more??
I thought it was interesing the ay you created the simple shape and form first then put in the skeletal system..then built the detail on top...I do lo poly modeling so I guess I don't understand a lot of why you where doing certain things..like cutting in the shape of something in the geometry and then kinda incerting it in ?? .. I guess you don't go about texturing something like that the same way you do low poly model?? cause it seems like you would have a lot of back and hidden faces ?? ..anyways thanks for the vid !!

[ March 09, 2002: Message edited by: The Magic Pen ]

[ambient-whisper]

quote

Quote:

I can't view the movie because it tells me it's a damaged file.

did you try downloading it again ? i know that one of my friends had problems getting it as well. but once he tried again it worked.

quote

Quote:

I'm curious as to how the other apps stack up against Mirai with plug-ins installed. For example, meshtools in max, or other plug-ins for other apps.

im really not sure. when N-world was finished and mirai was being made, the focus for mirai was not its tools. but rather the UI, and the IK system/animation module.

most of the modelling tools in mirai is about 5 + years old. but its just the way that its been streamlined that makes it work fast.

for example. when i select a vertex and then click "F" the selection will convert to face( selecting all the faces that the vertex touched. but if i keep on tapping "F" the face selection will grow. this way i dont have to search for the grow hotkey after i converted the selection.

its camera tools. when i aim at a selection. the camera distance between its current aim point does not get reset. meaning that i dont have to constantly fix my viewpoints after hitting aim at selection.
in other apps the aimpoint always gets reset.

when you use instance mirroring, the mesh gets treated as if it was welded in the middle. meaning that if you do a magnet move that goes beyond the middle of the model..the points will not move on the X axis. if you select a number of edges and one of them is an edge that touches the middle of the model, and then move them. every edge moves...but that edge in the middle of the model will get elongated.
etc..etc..

the IK system. there is no switching between Ik and fk. you just use what you want. you dont have to setup IK handles, because thats done at creation time. every bone has IK enabled when you move joints. you can have quick disposable pins. so pose your character with pins, and then hit alt+u and they are deleted. also you can save states or poses for skeletons. ( As many as you need. and even if you change the topology of the skeleton, the poses / or bind states will still work. also you can apply these poses only to the selected bones/joints. and then you can also apply these poses as morphs with a magnet falloff.

its these kind of little things that speed up the workflow a lot.
there are downsides to it too. one being that its still 1.1 and it has that version 1 disease, where things arent yet optimized. some tools being buggy ( splines mainly)
and if you dont have the right videocard for it. it will work like total crap.

also. when your learning it. you really have to follow the manual closely. because there is a LOT of hidden stuff in there. like if you want to use magnets. there isnt any button that enables it. but rather you have to hold alt while you choose move. and then youll get the magnet move. or if you want a numerical dialogue you have to hold CTRL when choosing the tool. also if you middle click or right click on a button. youll enter a different mode for the tool. or bring up some options. so the whole mouse is always used throughout the app. this way you dont get cludder.

quote

Quote:

It is definitely not easy. It requires a lot of problem solving and constructive thinking. You don't just build a model--you have to build an OPTIMIZED model that uses as little memory as you can creatively come up with, and then you also need to build it in such a way that it can animate well without becoming FULBARed.

yep your right.that video is made up of many clips ( about 50 ) and between clips i always take time to think where the next edge will be placed, where that vertex will get moved to. how im going to construct the model as a whole. etc.etc.. id say that 1/2 of the time on this model was just thinking of where ill go next.

[ March 10, 2002: Message edited by: ambient-whisper ]

[ March 10, 2002: Message edited by: ambient-whisper ]

[jesusclone]

ah dammit, I downloaded the whole thing on my 56k only to find it was corrupted . I guess I'll give it one more shot :/

--------------------


http://www.twigpeople.com/dmo

[ambient-whisper]

i wonder whats up. i mean 3 people told me teh same now.but i just downloaded it and it was fine. :/ sigh

[yeah bob]

no problem for me!i've got video @ 95k/s

Uou kick ass man!you work without picture Ref?
i'm learning MAYA, but it isn't so powerful than what i saw in LPM!

you work in perspective view only?
i'm flattened!
how d'you realize this video capture?and how much "real" time?

Mirai looks very very Great!
i'm going to download the Demo...

question: Is it the prog that japanese use?
i know in japan, they have only one main modeling-Animating program. But i forgot it, it's maybe Mirai..... ;O)

bye

[yeah bob]

i've found!
It's ETShade from ExpressionTools.

[ambient-whisper]

quote:

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Originally posted by yeah bob:
i've found!
It's ETShade from ExpressionTools.

---

ya shade is one of the apps from there. but mirai was one of their main competitors when it belonged to Nichimen.

[tyron]

it says that the .zip file is corrupt

[ambient-whisper]

k. im going to do a lil test. uploading the avi in there instead of the zip.

http://ambient-whisper.cgcommunity.com/MV/Videos/Tiger/M-K-TIGER.avi

[ March 10, 2002: Message edited by: ambient-whisper ]

[Lunatique]

The AVI worked.

Holy crap! That was great!

I liked how you built your geometry around the skeleton instead of trying to fit it in a finished model. Your method prevents a lot of headaches down the line when trying to animate a model that doesn't deform well and needs to be rebuilt.

You must've had a detailed sketch to work from? I mean, that's a pretty complex model to be building out of your head via improvisation.

A brief second of one of the option boxes you opened up looked like you were going into the CG talk forum(since it's all dark red).

Just what tools did you use mostly for this model?

And how come Mirai's tools doesn't have manipulators/transformers? Or, is it hidden for the sake of the video? I can't imagine working without having manipulators turned on.

[ March 10, 2002: Message edited by: Lunatique ]

[Farwalker]

Nice work Ambient! I watched some of that avi. Thanks for sharing it!

I really like his standing position. Quite unqiue!

Post this when it is done!

[ambient-whisper]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lunatique:
[QB]A brief second of one of the option boxes you opened up looked like you were going into the CG talk forum(since it's all dark red).

---

yah. i was getting tired and careless, and for a few seconds i forgot that i was recording this .
( and yes. it was cgtalk

quote

Quote:

Just what tools did you use mostly for this model?

a bunch.
extrude/ extrude region

connect ( sometimes used accross a few objects at a time. )

LOTS of selection converting./ shrinking selections/growing selections so that sometimes i could do a few commands without ever selecting anything.

lots of beveling.

scaling/equalizing edges. ( take a loop of edges. scale down ...and then scale up and you get a circle. ( or the spherize command, which does the same. ( but spherize works for verticies. and sometimes i dont feel like switching selections. :/

also used a bunch of magnets....move along edge ...etc.. nothing revolutionary. just standard tools.

quote

Quote:

And how come Mirai's tools doesn't have manipulators/transformers? Or, is it hidden for the sake of the video? I can't imagine working without having manipulators turned on.

manipulators are limited to 3 axes and a free mode so mirai doesnt use them.
but you do get options to move on any axis you choose. constrain your free movement to an axis if you choose. then get options like move/rotate accross edge/ choose 2 points to define an axis/ scale from a point on any model. you can add in objects/splines and use those as reference axes for when you do transformations. stuff like that. ( and there is a LOT of combinations you can do. ) too. )

[ March 11, 2002: Message edited by: ambient-whisper ]

[a_sh]

man, that was inspiring to watch!

i think i'm going to try some boxmodeling myself now... that stupid old head i'm doing now can wait =)