Evaluation 

 

Intention: 

 

This is my final major project named ‘android paladin’. 

 

My initial idea was to create a visualization of a realistic looking, full bodied robotic character that I intended to have a mixture of rigid mechanical aspects (such as bolts and hinges that is usually seen in other interpretations of robotic characters) and organic human features, composited into a real life environment.  

 

The aim of this project was to demonstrate that I am able to use different programs and techniques that would be used in a professional workflow and to show I can effectively use these tools to bring my ideas from concept and design to a finished product. 

 

In terms of achieving the technique I intended to use an array of 3D programs (‘Maya’ and ‘Mudbox’) to model and render the character. I also wanted to use Photoshop in order to create the textures for the model and to composite and edit the final rendered images.   

 

I feel that I have achieved creating the same look of the designs I created for my character body, also I feel that I was able to use different programs and techniques, to create a sufficient workflow, enabling me to create the final product in the quality intended and timeframe given. Lastly, I was able to achieve a greater sense of realism using these techniques which was a big focus of mine  

 

One thing I could have improved on was that I could have added more robotic mechanical aspects following my initial concept. I feel that my character leans towards more that of the organic humane aspects. It looks a lot more like a female in robotic armor than an actual robot itself. Another aspect I could have improved was some of the camera angles and the actual composition of the final render. For example, some of the images could have been angled better to show more of the detail of the model and to integrate and blend it in with the background more.     

 

Research: 

 

A way that my research had influenced and inspired my projects was in different aspects of the model and how the model itself is posed in the final image.  An example of this is my knight’s armor research that influenced the different parts of my character’s armor, such as the helmet and shoulder pad, which I incorporated into my own model.  

 

Another piece of research I did was on how games interpreted robotic and futuristic armor. I found influence from games like ‘Destiny’ (2014) and ‘Warframe’ (2012). ‘Destiny’ gave me inspiration on how I wanted hard edged robotic armor to look on my model, while ‘Warframe’ gave me influences for how the more organic futuristic and even alien looking amour would look on my model.  

 

I researched on how famous movies interpreted their look on the futuristic theme. What I took from  movies like ‘Star Wars’ (1977) is how they give a damaged look to their robotic and futuristic armor and material, giving it the battle ready look adding to that exciting atmosphere to the object.   

 

I also did more primary research when I visited the national galleries and the British museum. In the national galleries I found how the artist rendered the look of armor which I used as a reference when I textured and choose a colour scheme for my armor.  In the British museum I was influenced by how the female Buddhist sculptures presented the female body and how they were posed. I used these sculptures as a reference because I wanted to capture the same style of poses these sculptures had into my own model.  

 

In the end I think that I research went successfully. I feel that my initial idea was just a simple concept and that I had no exact specific look in mind but with my research I was able to combine my influences and fully create the look of the model, capture how it would be posed and gain sense of color scheme and other details like damage and decay.  

 

Design development: 

 

With the research I created some design sketches of my character which had aspects of different influences such as the knights armour which show how it developed from my initial idea from a more generic mechanical robot.  

 

I did some experimentation with the techniques I was going to use such as a displacement map, when experimenting with this I found that adding human muscular anatomy worked quite well.  This experiment helped further develop my idea by adding more of a detail to the models body, which also added to organic aspect of the model. 

 

Problems I had with this is that because of my influences my design looks more like a person in robotic armour as it doesn't have enough of the mechanical aspect I wanted in my initial concept. One thing I did to fix this is using colour scheme as a way to signify the different types of armor aspects and to make sure it doesn’t look like human skin giving the impression that it is still a robot. 

 

Method of working:  

 

I decided on how I was going to create my final outcome during the researching phase of the project where I found out about new techniques such as displacement mapping and image based lighting.  These techniques gave me the tools to create a new level of realism in my work. This enabled me to fulfil one of my focuses which were to obtain a higher level of realism.   

 

Also, during the main particle phase of the project, in a seminar with VFX supervisor Jason Martine on the subject of camera effect and realism, I learned that I could use different camera affects such as depth of field and lens flare to add to the realism. Eventually, this helped me to decide how I was going to create the final outcome.   

 

I feel that these methods I have used worked because I was able to create the full body model in the timeframe that was given, which allowed me to make creative adjustments showing that the workflow I was using, (Maya - model, render scene; Mudbox - sculpt, and texture; Photoshop- composite) is sufficient and effective. 

 

One example of my strengths is that my workflow went smoothly without many complications during the projects. This may be because of the base modeling aspect, since it’s so important to get the topology correct on the base model so that the model can subdivide properly when sculpting. This is one of the stages of work which I have to get correct because it is the quality of the base model that would affect the quality of work in later stages, with examples being sculpting UV's and texturing. 

 

One of my weaknesses with the techniques I used was that a lot of the details were lost or died down when importing my model between different programs. An example of this is when I texture my model in Mudbox, I would import it back into Maya but the texture details are not as prevalent when rendering in Maya.  

 

Even though I did have some problems like the detail loss, it still would not have changed the workflow/method I was using because I feel this was the more sufficient way in order to construct my final outcome than other options. For example, my method to texture; Mudbox is better to texture than Photoshop because I can use ptex to speed up the workflow process and I can more accurately place the textures on the surface on the model.  

 

Final outcome: 

 

My final outcomes are rendered images that are realistic in nature, of a model which is composited in a real life outcome. In my statement of intent, my initial intent was to create a modeled character that was composited in a real life image. My final outcome relates to my initial statement of intent because I was able to achieve the targets I set in my statement of intent.  

 

I think I successfully achieved my goals to use different programs and techniques to use in my workflow to create my model as I was able to sufficiently move my model around  different programs so I can continue with later processes, such as sculpting and texturing. I was also able to create a certain level of realism with the lighting techniques and composting in Photoshop.  

 

The changes that occurred in my project were that I used different techniques and programs during the texturing process. Instead of using solely UV mapping with texturing in Photoshop, I used ptex texturing in Mudbox. This is because it was far easier to texture straight on to the model in mudbox than to do it on a 2D representation in Photoshop. Also, ptex allowed to texture without me having to worry about distortion from UV's.  

 

I asked my peers about my final outcome. These are responses I got:  

 

"The model looks very realistic; if it wasn’t so surreal it would look like a photo.” This shows that I achieved a level of realism I was aiming for.  

 

"I like some of the camera angle in some images but some look too far out, making it not look good and doesn't show enough detail.” This shows that some of the camera angles of the images could be improved upon and that I could have improves the overall composition of the image. 

 

I feel that my model could have sharper sculpted details and although that I have achieved a certain level of realism, I feel that I could of improved it by changing the lighting setup. Also, like my external feedback I could have done some changes with the camera angles in my renders.   

 

Project management: 

 

I mostly followed my initial project timetable during the project. I did most of the particle during the college periods and added the finishing touches and finally fulfilled reflective dairies and analysis during my own time at home.  

 

During the start of texturing phase I initially had to finish creating a UV map of my model in order to start painting because I changed the programs I used to texture I was able to start the texturing process without waiting for the UV to finish and do them later. This means I had to switch the different process around, besides this I managed to follow my schedule as I intended.  

 

My tutors helped me by advising me on how to approach the modeling aspect of the project. Also, he advised me to use new techniques such as specular mapping and I then used these techniques in order to create and enhance the quality of my final piece.  

 

Improvements: 

 

The strength of my project was that I have used the techniques that I intended to create a sufficient and effective workflow that allowed me to create my fully detailed and textured model, my lighting setup with image environment and my rendered and final composited images.  

 

The weakness of my project is that I'm missing one aspect that intended to have in my initial idea. I wished to have more mechanical aspects to my character and I also could have changed some of the look of my model like the head, because I had some external feedback about it looking more like a male head instead of female head.  

 

If I had I could rework any section, it would be the design phase as I would find some mechanical influences and design more mechanical aspects for my model. For example I could have had hinges and turn cranks for joints. I then would have been able to incorporate the mechanical aspects in my work and make my character actually look more like a robot rather than a person in armor.