Any way I can help?

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Hi, Ill make this short n sweet

 

- Ive been watching this site for about 5 months now.

- Ive just finished a year of professional training in Lightwave 3D at the top of the class (modelling, textures, animation, lighting/shadows, volumetrics, particles etc).

- Collossal Thief fan.

- Also experienced in texture, normal map, foley and general sound generation.

- (May) Have a sound room at my disposal.

 

Want to help in anyway I can, thats assuming you guys still need anything

If I cant help Ill probably just spend the holidays using the Doom or T3 Editor to create thief campaigns

 

Anyway, let me know if ur interested and Ill upload some work. Chao.

[sparhawk]

Want to help in anyway I can, thats assuming you guys still need anything

 

Do you need to breathe?

 

Your skills sounds good. Can you show something you did? You can write an email to recruiting@thedarkmod.com to get a thread setup for application.

[phide]

- (May) Have a sound room at my disposal.

Yeah? Of what sort...like a tracking room or a foley studio or...?

 

Could be quite valuable if it's the latter.

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Well my time may become rather limited around April 2008 when I start my Animation in Maya course, but until then Ill need something to keep me busy.....and I think this might just be the thing for me

 

In any case I graduate 1st year in roughly 72 hours, In which time I have to produce a showreel. If you can wait till then I'll gladly send it to you, although Id suspect it'd be rather large. Any help in that area?

 

O the sound room, not sure exactly what you'd call it but we use it for vocals, foley etc in our animations.

We've had bands come in and use them, and the mics can pick up a door closing 2 floors below us, its actually quite annnoying. Hope that gives you an idea.

 

Btw you probably already know this but the tutorials wiki is down.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Rabid_Kiwi

[Komag]

If your file is under a GB then I can help you host it easily enough.

[Springheel]

We can always use more prop models and textures, though good sound effects are probably our greatest need atm.

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Right, showreels done, where can I upload it? Is 160 megs - thanks

Edited December 13, 2007 by Rabid_Kiwi

[Komag]

you've been PMd!

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Ok, thanks to Komag the links are up;

You can get the high res 150mb version here:

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/files/Showreel.mov

 

Or the low 30mb version here:

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/files/Showreel.wmv

 

If you want more I might be tempted to run a few renders.

Ah I should mention that Ive done things like tables, cutlery etc before with low poly, high quality in mind. I just fragged my harddrive and lost everything when I tried to overclock my PC (*cough* noob *cough*)

 

Big props to Komag for hosting this stuff, hopefully it was worth it

 

Btw im not getting any reaction out of recruiting@thedarkmod.com, perhaps Im too impatient?

[Rabid_Kiwi]

What codec did you use for the low version Komag? H264? I hardly noticed any loss!

[Crispy]

Btw im not getting any reaction out of recruiting@thedarkmod.com, perhaps Im too impatient?

New Horizon mans that email address, and he gets pretty busy sometimes. Patience.

 

Your showreel looks fine to me. Didn't care for the music - I turned my speakers off for the duration - but the technical side of the visuals looks solid to me.

 

But then, I'm no artist. What do our art guys think?

[oDDity]

I don't see much on this reel that relevant to this mod. It's all cartoon stuff. Have you done any realistic modeling?

If that's all they're teaching you at school, I'd advise you to quit and teach yourself. There are only a few good CG schools in the world, and they're not cheap.

[Springheel]

I think one or two screenshots would have been just as useful as the video (though it was amusing to see one of my early pieces of concept art in the 'research' section).

 

Did you do all the textures and meshes for the backgrounds of those shots? A few screenshots of those would be helpful--the windows and trees, in particular.

 

Actually, it's probably just more useful if I set you a task and see what you do with it.

 

Pick whichever one interests you the most:

 

 

harp

http://www.digischool.nl/mu/leerlingen/mt/...aatjes/harp.gif

 

or,

 

decorative masks

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/world/br...eval_r01_c5.jpg

http://www.theater-masks.com/i/masks/trage...heatre_mask.jpg

http://www.davids-deco.com/art_files/misc/W903.jpg

 

 

In general, we create a high-poly model to use for the normalmap, and then create a low-poly version for in-game. Less than 500 tris seems reasonable for these, though the harp could technically be more.

[Rabid_Kiwi]

I don't see much on this reel that relevant to this mod. It's all cartoon stuff. Have you done any realistic modeling?

If that's all they're teaching you at school, I'd advise you to quit and teach yourself. There are only a few good CG schools in the world, and they're not cheap.

 

Ah, I'll post up some shots soon

I am a 1st year, and as such learnt all the modelling, uv mapping, texturing, normal mapping, rigging, and animation in 5 month period (1st year is primarily film work, which btw is a different showreel ). Of course 5 months isnt very long so you can expect my work to be below the standards of one who works in the industry.

 

As for teaching myself, come on! Im a uni student!! there are waaaay too many distractions at home! besides teaching myself would only further isolate me from those in the same industry area.

At school I can pick up specialist skills from guest speakers, and I get to socialise with others heading in the same direction, and these friends can come handy in future endevours I dont see a downside, I just need to push myself harder is all

 

 

I think one or two screenshots would have been just as useful as the video (though it was amusing to see one of my early pieces of concept art in the 'research' section).

 

Ah so that was you! that stuff's really awesome, not to mention inspiration

 

Did you do all the textures and meshes for the backgrounds of those shots? A few screenshots of those would be helpful--the windows and trees, in particular.

 

Aye, I uv mapped everything and created all the normal maps. But as for the textures the only ones that i personally made compramised about 50% of the ones you see in the normal mapped animation, the one with the little black monster with big eyes. These were photos I took myself, and then corrected, made seamless etc etc.

 

Actually, it's probably just more useful if I set you a task and see what you do with it.

 

Pick whichever one interests you the most:

 

 

harp

http://www.digischool.nl/mu/leerlingen/mt/...aatjes/harp.gif

 

or,

 

decorative masks

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/world/br...eval_r01_c5.jpg

http://www.theater-masks.com/i/masks/trage...heatre_mask.jpg

http://www.davids-deco.com/art_files/misc/W903.jpg

 

 

In general, we create a high-poly model to use for the normalmap, and then create a low-poly version for in-game. Less than 500 tris seems reasonable for these, though the harp could technically be more.

 

Awesome, I'll take the theatre mask, the more experience i get in organic modelling the better. I'll make it, and upload pics sometime tonight or tomorrow morning. In the meantime Im going to a concert (although it is classical.... )

Edited December 15, 2007 by Rabid_Kiwi

[New Horizon]

recruiting@thedarkmod.com, perhaps Im too impatient?

 

I check it regularly, but there is so much spam hitting the address now that it's hard to tell real email from fake. We'll bypass the formalities and just set you up in the application thread shortly.

[oDDity]

I am a 1st year, and as such learnt all the modelling, uv mapping, texturing, normal mapping, rigging, and animation in 5 month period (1st year is primarily film work, which btw is a different showreel ). Of course 5 months isnt very long so you can expect my work to be below the standards of one who works in the industry.

 

As for teaching myself, come on! Im a uni student!! there are waaaay too many distractions at home! besides teaching myself would only further isolate me from those in the same industry area.

At school I can pick up specialist skills from guest speakers, and I get to socialise with others heading in the same direction, and these friends can come handy in future endevours I dont see a downside, I just need to push myself harder is all

 

Well at least you're starting early in life. I wish I had. However, you're seriously underestimating how much work and effort and focus it takes to get to the top in even one discipline such as modeling or animation. Years of self study just to master any one of those. I'm not sure the generic 'lets teach them a bit of everything' approach is valuable. I'd call the entire university generalist CG course nothing more that an appetiser.

You cannot expect to go to school and have art forced into your head. You have to teach yourself in your own time. If you don't want it badly, if you're not almost obsessive about it, then you'll never be any good, because that's what it takes.

When you start applying for jobs, all they are interested in is the quality of your portfolio, not how many courses you've done or diplomas you have.

From my experience of talking to people in CG, I'd say the majority of them did not do a CG course of any kind.

[STiFU]

Hey, that's a cool task. I was always wondering how the actual texturing process of a mesh works and how to extract the normal maps from it. Does anyone know a good tutorial?

[Rabid_Kiwi]

I'd call the entire university generalist CG course nothing more that an appetiser.

 

Yep, thats exactly what it was. If I do a bit of everything, and then discover that I enjoy say webdesign more than modelling etc, at least I dont have to discover that later in life.

However, now that Ive had a taste, Ive reassured myself that I want to work in the industry + Now Id love to work in film ( so much so that Im already writing scripts ).

 

 

You cannot expect to go to school and have art forced into your head. You have to teach yourself in your own time. If you don't want it badly, if you're not almost obsessive about it, then you'll never be any good, because that's what it takes.

 

Your absolutely correct. And thats how I got to the top of my class, learn outside school. I would had loved to had pushed myself further but once you do that you risk cutting off family and friends.

lol Yeah I know your not the sentimental type oDDity but thats how I tick, besides its always nice to have support.

 

Interesting point here, Im being taught animation in Maya next year. Of course I want to get ahead of the class so I'll be studying these holidays. Problem is the Darkmod might interfer. Bah, I'll give it a try and see how it works out .

 

When you start applying for jobs, all they are interested in is the quality of your portfolio, not how many courses you've done or diplomas you have.

From my experience of talking to people in CG, I'd say the majority of them did not do a CG course of any kind.

 

Yep your right here too,

Weve had heaps of Industry professionals come in and talk to us about what they like to see. (Keep in mind this is within NZ, weve got Weta workshops Lord of the Rings and King Kong baby!!) Anyway one of the things they always mention is an individuals ability to work within a team. Thats why I dont teach myself without also having tutoring.

Plus the school rigs us up with jobs, gets us known within the industry, and gives us a qualification that grabs attention, of course without a good portfolio to follow its useless.

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Hey, that's a cool task. I was always wondering how the actual texturing process of a mesh works and how to extract the normal maps from it. Does anyone know a good tutorial?

 

Youll need these plugins first.

TB_NormalMap(2004/11/10)

and

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html#downloads

 

The first for creating maps within lightwave, the latter to do so in Photoshop.

You apply them via Uv mapping (well or planar for the photoshoped ones but I dont know if thatll work in the doom3 engine).

Sorry i dont know of any tutourials, ask my good friend google

[oDDity]

Yep, thats exactly what it was. If I do a bit of everything, and then discover that I enjoy say webdesign more than modelling etc, at least I dont have to discover that later in life.

However, now that Ive had a taste, Ive reassured myself that I want to work in the industry + Now Id love to work in film ( so much so that Im already writing scripts ).

So what is your greatest area of interest then? Film work requires a much higher skill level than games. All the best people tend to move up into movies.

Also with the current high interest in CG and the many kids learning it and more and mroe schools doing it, the general quality of your future rivals is rising all the time, so you have to be better and better to get in.

 

 

 

Interesting point here, Im being taught animation in Maya next year. Of course I want to get ahead of the class so I'll be studying these holidays. Problem is the Darkmod might interfer. Bah, I'll give it a try and see how it works out .

 

It doesn't have to interfere, I assumed you joined to hone your skills within a semi-professional real world project in whatever your greatest area of interest is.

 

 

 

 

Weve had heaps of Industry professionals come in and talk to us about what they like to see. (Keep in mind this is within NZ, weve got Weta workshops Lord of the Rings and King Kong baby!!) Anyway one of the things they always mention is an individuals ability to work within a team. Thats why I dont teach myself without also having tutoring.

 

Working within a team is easy. It's not something that has to be 'learned'. Gaining the skills that make you worthy of joining any team are 99% of the work. 'Good at teamwork' seems to be the sort of generic meaningless statement that everyone in every industry puts down on a job application. There are not many jobs in the world where you don't have to work with at least one other person.

[Rabid_Kiwi]

What the hell?!?! I just typed out this massive message and it didnt load properly!?!?!

[Rabid_Kiwi]

Bah, simply put heres the mask you wanted. 50 mins, 474 Trigons.

The lightwave file itself is 2.5 megs, so i'll find another way to stick it up.

 

Included are 2 higher res versions. The first I gave a diseased look, more appropriate for the thief world Id say good for old grey metal textures in haunted buildings The 2nd is just the norm, would look nice in pagan wood. Ah, I should also mention that it has a back, so you can blast it with a fire arrow or whatever and youll find no nasty see-through polys.

Wasnt sure if you wanted me to texture it, so I stopped early. The reason being: How does Doom 3 handle multiple UV maps for one model? Id like to avoid an atlas map as they show seams. Hints? Tips?

 

So what is your greatest area of interest then? Film work requires a much higher skill level than games. All the best people tend to move up into movies.

Also with the current high interest in CG and the many kids learning it and more and mroe schools doing it, the general quality of your future rivals is rising all the time, so you have to be better and better to get in.

 

Id like to start in games and then move into movies. Of course in truth I dont mind either way as long as I get the chance to gain mad-as skills and experience

As for the many kids learning it, thats what the assassins-core is for no further comment

 

You guys seem to know heaps, I think I'll hang around here more often

Anyone use Mudbox or Maya?

[Springheel]

Yes, the detailed one is the best. You should use that as the base for a normal-map and then apply it to the lowpoly one (maybe you already did, I can't quite interpret that image). Then a skin can be made that doesn't use that normal-map if we wanted a smoother version.

 

As for materials, D3 handles them by using a material shader with a diffusemap, a normal-map (or two combined) and a specularmap. Textures should be powers of 2 (256x256 is probably ok for something this size). I don't know if our wiki is back up yet, but there is a lot of info there.

 

The reason being: How does Doom 3 handle multiple UV maps for one model?

 

D3 doesn't care how many uvmaps you have.

[OrbWeaver]

D3 doesn't care how many uvmaps you have.

 

Well a single mesh can only have a single UV map, but you can divide up a model into several meshes and export them into a single ASE or LWO file, with each submesh pointing to a different material if you want to avoid having to create a single large image full of texture areas (which is what I assume is meant by an "atlas map").

[Springheel]

Well a single mesh can only have a single UV map,

 

Actually, you can even have a single mesh mapped to more than one UVmap, but only one will be read (I discovered this by accident after several frustrating sessions of trying to alter a uvmap and seeing no difference on the model--turns out it was mapped to another uvmap as well).