Hello- I'm interested in creating talking cars and would love to make something that looks close to Pixar's Cars- but with no 3-d experience that's going to be a little hard. So I'm trying to see what my options are...
I found models on Content Paradise that I could use with Vue (which I would need to purchase)- however I don't know if I could add eyes and mouths to them in Vue or if you can even animate in Vue. And it would probably end up looking not so good... just clunky 3-d object with no life to them (although I read something about Metablobs technology?? Could I take one of the models and shape it around like clay?)
Perhaps I could export png's from Vue with the lighting and look that I want, then use this in AS5 and warp the images with bones to give some sort of movement, and add 2-d vector art for the eyes and mouth? My characters won't be doing much moving around, mainly just conversation, but I do want a cartoony movement to them. I recall Greykid's work in AS that used images of action figures and image warping- it looked really great.
Of course my other option would be just draw everything from scratch in AS- but I'm afraid it won't look quite as good. Anyways I guess I'm just looking for some input. Thanks!
Make something like Pixar Cars...
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Cars was not only 3D but it was kick arse high end 3D... they had all kinds of incredible effects like SSS (sub surface scattering) to produce the realistic paint on the cars. And then there are all the other considerations like specular highlights and lighting.
I've worked with 3D and shiny metal... lighting takes as much time and patience as everything else. A beautiful 3D model of a car looks like total crap if it isn't lit properly. I actually would use the same techniques photographers used, putting in white "panels" and shapes to get those interesting specular highlights in the right spot.
If you really want THAT look you would want to go with 3D... even if you do you are going to need some snazzy software to replicate the Cars rendering quality.
I would suggest another alternative that wouldn't be so frustrating as manipulating images... try a different simpler style.
Instead of trying to replicate a sophisticated 3D look in 2D... come up with a style that would lend itself to the strengths of AS. It might not look as "flashy" but it would be easier to work with.
The end result is always the story anyway. If Cars had a horrible plot, bad script and awful dialog all the amazing rendering in the world wouldn't make it a good movie.
These are just my opinions.
-vern
I've worked with 3D and shiny metal... lighting takes as much time and patience as everything else. A beautiful 3D model of a car looks like total crap if it isn't lit properly. I actually would use the same techniques photographers used, putting in white "panels" and shapes to get those interesting specular highlights in the right spot.
If you really want THAT look you would want to go with 3D... even if you do you are going to need some snazzy software to replicate the Cars rendering quality.
I would suggest another alternative that wouldn't be so frustrating as manipulating images... try a different simpler style.
Instead of trying to replicate a sophisticated 3D look in 2D... come up with a style that would lend itself to the strengths of AS. It might not look as "flashy" but it would be easier to work with.
The end result is always the story anyway. If Cars had a horrible plot, bad script and awful dialog all the amazing rendering in the world wouldn't make it a good movie.
These are just my opinions.
-vern
Reminds mee of "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was the first film to attempt photo-realistic computer generated human characters. The movie was promoted agressively by its distributor, Sony Pictures. Despite the promotion, the film went on to become the second biggest flop in animated film history (Treasure Planet is #1), nearly bankrupting its creator, Square Pictures. Many speculate that the failure was due to the fact that the movie was nothing like the video game it was supposed to be based on, alienating many of the movie's potential fan base."heyvern wrote: The end result is always the story anyway. If Cars had a horrible plot, bad script and awful dialog all the amazing rendering in the world wouldn't make it a good movie.
-vern
Thanks for the input guys. Perhaps I will choose to go with a 2-d style after all, following suite of the film that "inspired" Cars:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AVxdqSamwGg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AVxdqSamwGg
LOL.heyvern wrote:Sheesh... I loved Treasure Planet! I watch it all the time. Oh well. Maybe I have bad taste.... the second biggest flop in animated film history (Treasure Planet is #1)
I did hate Final Fantasy though.
-vern
I m sorry but u do have bad taste.
Final fantasy was a complete waste of time.
Seems I'm in good company. My 5-year-old daughter and I both love "Treasure Planet" and we watch it all the time, too. The story's not bad, the character designs are fantastic, and the 3D (made to look like 2D) effects are great.heyvern wrote:Sheesh... I loved Treasure Planet! I watch it all the time.
"Road to El Dorado" isn't bad either.
Just sayin'.
Re: Make something like Pixar Cars...
There's quite a bit you could do to investigate 3D without going to a great deal of expense.
Daz Studio is available for free from http://www.daz3d.com
There's also a free Personal Learning Edition of Vue that should be downloadable from the web site http://www.e-onsoftware.com
Turbo Squid is also a good resource for 3d models (there's loads of free stuff too including cars) http://www.turbosquid.com
But 3d work really needs a fast processor combined with oodles of RAM - Vue needs at least 1Gb RAM to work effectively. I've just downloaded Daz Studio after using Poser 3/5/6/7 for years and it's become a really good tool. Basic renders are pretty fast but, again, add some more complex lighting and you're in need of more resources.
Daz Studio is available for free from http://www.daz3d.com
There's also a free Personal Learning Edition of Vue that should be downloadable from the web site http://www.e-onsoftware.com
Turbo Squid is also a good resource for 3d models (there's loads of free stuff too including cars) http://www.turbosquid.com
But 3d work really needs a fast processor combined with oodles of RAM - Vue needs at least 1Gb RAM to work effectively. I've just downloaded Daz Studio after using Poser 3/5/6/7 for years and it's become a really good tool. Basic renders are pretty fast but, again, add some more complex lighting and you're in need of more resources.
Hm. Why try to go 3D if you already know that you can't compete with Pixar? Besides the point that I'm personally not really interested in any talking car movie: why not make it decidedly different?
Have a good story, then animate it with model cars and stop-motion. You could attach different mouths made of cardboard to it. The result will have much more charm than any "I want to do pixar-3D but fail miserably" attempt, IMO.
Have a good story, then animate it with model cars and stop-motion. You could attach different mouths made of cardboard to it. The result will have much more charm than any "I want to do pixar-3D but fail miserably" attempt, IMO.
Hi slowtiger,slowtiger wrote:Hm. Why try to go 3D if you already know that you can't compete with Pixar? Besides the point that I'm personally not really interested in any talking car movie: why not make it decidedly different?
Have a good story, then animate it with model cars and stop-motion. You could attach different mouths made of cardboard to it. The result will have much more charm than any "I want to do pixar-3D but fail miserably" attempt, IMO.
I was mainly more interested in getting the cars to look more "realistic" but cartoony at the same time. I really have no desire to work in 3-d (or stop motion since you mentioned it). I was just thinking I could use the rendered images somehow in AS, and that way get different angles of the cars for a 2-d environment. But now I'm thinking I can get some cute car characters working strictly in AS.
Oh and I'm definately not trying to compete with Pixar lol. This will be an animated short for a video contest- trust me, the "talking cars" idea will work well with it.
For a second there I thought my thread got hijacked with all this talk about treasure planet lol.
That sounds much better.But now I'm thinking I can get some cute car characters working strictly in AS.
I vaguely remember that there were some interesting car designs over at http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/ (I have the book, it's great), but I don't know for which name to search.
