13. Assignment - Game Cinematic Reflection Report

As I am doing my rigging and enveloping to model which had been chosen to use in our game cinematic, I had faced with problem such as I was not able to adjust and see the weight color on my model.

I had tried some methods such as reinstall 3Ds Max and reset the preference, however it didn't work. Since this affected a lot to my rigging progress, I tried another way to envelop the model, which is physique technique. After using physique, I was able to do envelop to the model. However, there are still some part of model which I couldn't really envelop well and there are time limit to finish rigging. After I did research on internet, I got a solution to solve skin technique weight color problem, which is find out the ENU file of 3Ds Max, rename it as ENU.old, then launch the 3Ds Max to let it regenerate a new one.

After finish the model rigging and envelop, my teammate had found out a problem which is the measurement size we used in our 3Ds Max is different. This caused our model size looked like a giant vs an ant. We had surfed through some guidelines on resize the biped and model, however they didn't work. In the situation, we had to choose whether to change out storyline or one of us redo a model. Luckily, my teammate had solved the problem by adjust the measurement grid of both models to 0.1meter. Since I still get the result of giant vs ant after follow his instruction to change the measurement grid, I straightly took a copy of compiled file from him.

During the rendering process of game cinematic, I had faced with a serious problem, which is it took too much time to render. Due to time restriction, I rendered my part of work with default scanline rather than render with mental ray. Although the quality is not as good as mental ray, it still looks acceptable for me.

The another problem is size of video after rendering. I found out that even I already confirmed with the setting, which is 720p, the video it rendered out still is 480p. Even though I tried the 1080p, the final output is still the same. As the result, teammate and I decided to drag the video size during video editing.

Below is the final trailer completed with my teammate.

12. Assignment 3 - Final Animation

After few week effort, I been managed to finish the last animation assignment. I been faced some problem such as the model not really attach with biped, and I find out that this is called as envelop problem. In order to solve this problem, I been refer on a lot of tutorial video to solve it.

11. Assignment 3 - Short Animation

In the assignment. we required to create an animation by using the torso created in assignment 2. Follow the picture above, I draw the story board for this short animation. It is a human ran to avoid enemies and jumped down the platform to underground level. After it , he try to dodge the robot surrounding to the safe room and he finally can rest inside because he successfully escaped. 

After finish the story design, I been created the environment building, robot and platform and arrange them according to the settings I set. The building will be put in texture later.

The biped are skinned to the model torso I created in assignment 2. There are a problem that I faced which is the model skinning. The surface of the model still need to adjust to make it follow the movement of biped. According to photo above, it shows the problem of the model didn't follow well with biped. This problem still under solving as fast as possible.

10. Assignment 2 - Final Torso

In assignment 2, we been asking to create a torso model. In this assignment, we learned about how to create a torso from a cube. Follow the tutorial tips given, I been managed to create a torso by manipulating the vertex and line. However the model been successful created, but there are one problem faced which I can't solve it at the moment. The human hand is created separately with the body. There need attach them together and target weld the two model together to make it become one. During the step target weld, the two object cant weld successfully and I still trying to fix the problem.

9. Glow

During the class, we been taught about new technique which is glowing effect. With settings the glow effect, the object can be having glowing effect. This technique can be very useful in making animation for video or game which mostly will have special effect of shadow or texture. With using the lighting, shadow and this glow effect, we can do more effect manipulation in our production.

8. Cloth and Wind Simulation

According to the last lesson taught, I been learned about doing animation with simulation. It is a skill or a technique which is common use in games industry nowadays to create real life effect to players. The effect we learned from class is to use wind simulation to make the cloth or the flag flying on air. It combine the skill we learned and add one some new stuff in order to create this effect. I feel that animation of game are very important and need a lot of effort to make the game high quality and better.

7. Ripple, Wave, Bomb, Cloth

I had learnt to add effects such as ripple, wave, bomb and cloth effect to model. In the process, I been suffer sometime because of not familiar with the effect settings. To overcome the problem, I try find some resource on internet and asking lecture for advise. I understand the animation need lot of time to practice to make it perfect. After few time failure and test, I finally manage to get the effect required.

6. Assignment 1 - Final Animation

After few week effort, I been managed to finish this animation assignment. I been faced some problem like can't manage proper proportion of the original action I been set. In order to solve this problem, I been find a lot of reference to solve it. But unfortunately, I still can't manage to solve it because lack of time. So I choose to switch the animation movement to another one which is show in video above. I been found animation is not an easy job to make the character alive, especially rigging the human action even is just a normal walking.

5. Assignment 1 - Progress

Follow the progression, I been managed to finish the 3 animation move for this assignment. The three animation move is running, sneaking and walking. I been learned about how to make the animation more legit and realistic. Video above is the print screen about my progression. I faced some problem and I been try to surf internet reference to make it solves.

4. Assignment 1 - Problem faced

During working on the assignment, there are some problems I faced it.

One of the problem faced is not familiar in figure mode settings and waste time to figure out how to work properly. Another problem is discover how to make the walk cycle more real life. Problem another faced is the keyframe too small to set and hard to recognize since I need to produce the animation with 30 seconds, which is 750 frames. How I solve the problem is by finding solution in internet and asking advise from tutor.

With those method, I understand more controls on the 3Ds Max and work faster in progress.

3. Most remember character

The most unforgettable character in my mind will be Lightning of Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 13-2 Lightning Return.

First reason that why she is most unforgettable character to me is she is the only female protagonist in the 15 series of Final Fantasy. 

Second reason is because of her character and costume design make people feels interesting and strong. She make me feel she is cool and attractive that encourage me to understand more about her by playing the game.

Another reason make she unforgettable to me is because her character development in game. From the first she was a character that cold blood and not trust on people surrounding except her sister. After her sister been trap and Lightning went to rescue her with some partner, her characteristic start been develop.

We can see her angry, her sad, her happy face and others emotions growth compare to the cold and fierce face. We saw her change from didnt trust anyone to trust her partner and friends.

The last part why she so unforgettable to me is the relationship between Lightning and her sister Serah and people surrounding her. Lightning is very care about her sister and willing to do anything to rescue her. After start the adventure, she also care about her friends and willing fight to protect them. In her heart is not only care about her sister, there are more person to care. To protect the people she loved and she care and trust, Lightning become stronger and stronger to fight the enemies.

2. Research - Walk cycle

We had been informed that our first assignment requirement is a 30 seconds walk cycle animation, which included at least 3 type of walking styles.

In order to achieve realistic in our walk cycle animation assignment, we been required to search some references on different walk cycles. Through the research done, I found various details from different type of walking styles.

1. Biped

In the first class of 3D Animation II, I had learnt about the basic and introduction of the biped system in 3ds Max.

During the practical session, I been taught the basic of how to set the biped into 3D model. I found that even the modeling session is one of the most time waste and important section, but biped also as a very important part and it might take some time to make it perfect and real life.

I been taught to use the motion capture system and the footstep system to create multiple footsteps to order my model to make some animation with setting the footstep and key. It is a more simple way to do complex animation to human or animal model compare to use the key frames set it one by one.

It also can use copy and paste system to adjust the model pose and position, so sometimes we can just adjust one side of the model then just copy to the other side. We can set the position and setting into collection as use for future copy and paste to the others side or frames.

It make the animation take less time and more efficient compare to what I use in the previous semester which is use the key frames set it one by one.

I feel it is important to learn in side of animation no matter it is for game or film production.