High Poly Yoda: Work In Progress

The first video test link is broken

 

Well, it's about that time of the month when I get around to updating you on how my progress is going. I got an XBox 360, so my free time was being diverted for a while, but I'm now compromising. I play the 360 while my computer is rendering. Anyway, I have also been kind of biding my time until the next Blender release came out. They just released late stage bug test release, and it is very stable, and basically there will be no changes to the program between now and the official release, so I started toying with the new features more. There will be more updates soon, involving more animation (like a walk cycle [or hobble cycle]). But tell me what you think of the new hair. It involves the new hair system in Blender and man am I liking it. You have so much control, and it is reletively fast compared to the alpha mapped cards method I was using before.

[image=http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9826/2005120302newhair0jn.jpg]

Here's what the old hair looked like

[image=http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8611/yoda2hj.jpg]

 

Wow!!!!

I really like it


its really wonderfull !!!


keep it up !!!




/cheers

 

Yeah, it's much better than the older one.

 

Here's a quick scene test that I did.

[image=http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3482/20051205scenetest6nl.jpg]
[image=http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/5803/20051205scenetest26vz.jpg]

 

That looks great. Lighting needs to be tweaked a bit, but as far as the model goes, great work!

 

very nice, very detailed. Hair is a tough thing to pull off, and you've managed it quite well. Only thing I can think to say is that the fabric doesn't seem real enough, and the lighting too. Only couple things I would add to make the skin seem more alive. The modeling is wonderful though. I wouldn't fix a thing. Congratulations on work well done.

~JW

 

Well, it has indeed been a while, and as life has filled up with other things like a job (which is video editting, so, it's hard to consider it a job. Anyway...) Yoda was hard to fit in, but I have finally done some animation tests, trying to get realistic movement, behaviors and emotions. So without further adeu, here is my first test, and will hopefully be the first of many to come in the near future.


Yoda Rough Test (2 MB Divx)

This first one is the default 3d scene output (it looks like it does in Blender, not really rendered) but it is a heck of a lot faster than actually rendering it, and it still gives you a good idea of the emotion and everything I've been working on.

Yoda 2 sec full Quality render test (.2 MB Divx)

This one is a 2 second render of the first part of the one above, however the first one is more recent in terms of his motion. Anyway, I have to find a way to cut render times down. Right now it is 30 minutes per frame to render, and in an animation, that's just too long. (Just this clip took a day and a half.) But I would appreciate more comments on the lighting and the way he looks on this one, and look at the first one for his motion. Thanks for your patience guys. I'm sure you all understand.

 

Awesome! Sorry about the render time, that sucks, but Siege of Ilum is sooo glad to have you onboard!

By the way blazer, love the FOX logo too, everyone flipped out!

 

I think that was awesome work. Too bad about the slow render times.Is it because of his clothes?

~Rory

 

No, the clothes don't add too much to the render time, though I don't have full collision detection on, in other words, this setup will only work in certain situations. The render times are more because of the lighting setup. I'm using ambient occlusion which simulates light bouncing off surfaces onto other surfaces. It greatly increases the realism, but also the render times. I may have to find a new solution (or a render farm that I can gain access to.)

 

How about the skylight? I mean it's realistic too and not that slow.
~Rory

 

Here's another quick update. The whole clip rendered, but smaller and without motion blur to save time. And a new image.

[image=http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5127/20060202inchambernewsha0wp.jpg]

Yoda Animation 320x240 1.7 MB Mpeg

 

If you're going for performance, I'd slow his movements down a bit and make them less smooth. I know on the EP2 DVD the animators go into detail about the sort of bobble his head makes as it turns and the way his ears jiggle.

But your facial shapes look good, and you've got the hair down nicely.

 

Yeah, that's damn good!

Is his hair blackish on purpose?

How are you lighting him?

And is his cloth just stretching when he moves or is that all part of simcloth. <~~Not sure if that's what it is called in Max 7.

~Rory

 

hey, great work, and I don't mean to criticize, but is the head to body ratio off a bit??
Just my opinion..

 

Done?!? Well, I think so. Other than maybe updating the cloth a little more, I am officially calling my Yoda model done. I will work to get the file size down to a reasonable hosting size, but I will need someone to host it for me. I still plan to do more with the animation side of things, but the texturing and the modeling are finished. I will post more detailed renders in the finished projects page soon, but here is a little turntable animation (3.0 mb mpeg) to get a view from all angles. After viewing this I saw a couple noticable seems on his ears (there's always something to change.) Anyway, tell me what you think, and give me any last minute suggestions.

3.0 MB Turntable Animation MPEG
[image=http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6475/05092006finaldesign1dz.jpg]

 

The ears seem too perfect. Not old and wrinkly enough. I think the tips actually polnt downward too. I'd have to compare to a ref. but the ears are too smooth and hard looking. Not enough wrinkles, tips pointing down a bit, etc. etc. The rest of it is excellent and the textures are great. Depends on how big it is but SCIFI 3D will host it of course.

 

Thanks. I'll see about what size I can get it down to and then arange for a way to get it to you. The turntable animation isn't working, I tried to upload it through dial up, and then forgot to check it after it said it was done. As for the ears, you are right, I'm going to work on those just a bit more, I never really did a proper texture map for them anyway. I'll try to check in tomorrow.

 

Ok, I decided to pack my Yoda model up as much as I could, and I got it down to a whopping 1.8 MB =) The textures are in the 400x400 to 1000x1000 range, which is down from what they were before, but definately still adaquate. Just let me know where I should send it and I'll get it to you. It's in Blender format right now, but there are export scripts to easily convert the mesh part to 3ds. How much of the texture mapping will come with it, I don't know. But Blender can also export some format of UV layout that hopefully 3ds max will be able to read. I will work on the conversion as soon as I get over to my buddy's house who has 3ds MAX. There are still some things that aren't quite perfect, but I figure it will never be perfect and I might as well release the model as it is now. If I want to make an updated version, I can always replace it later. Anyway, just let me know where to send it.

Moving on, I've started the next part of this project, a good environment for him. Tell me what you think so far.

[image=http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/5839/20060518yodainhut8dj.jpg]
[image=http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9117/shut9tq.jpg]

Keep in mind that it is still in the early stages. I've got the general shape and design of his hut down, and now I'm starting to add in some of the details. Hopefully you can all appreciate the work I've put into this, and then use it for yourselves as soon as it is hosted.

 

Great!!!

I love it

Great lighting and environement....almost like dagobah

Maybe a little more details on his houde

 

Yea. With the lighting and hut it almost looks like the ESB Yoda now.

 

Looks good....so how's he coming along?

~Rory

 

Yeah, any updates on this?

 

OO thats the best Yoda model ever seen (But the movie Yoda are better, he he) GREAT JOBBBBBBB!
So nice, haw do you DO! Keep work on it, it maybe will be Movie Yoda at last.

/CA W.