Finally off the job and have some time off! Today I spent some time figuring out Mantra's DOF features, and I lacked a tool to accurately tell me the distance between point A and point B. Or perhaps there exists a tool and I missed it....
So, as with all things Houdini... BYOHDA! Or... Build Your Own Houdini Digital Asset.
I've left the file on Odforce, and the video can be located here:
http://www.alvinvfx.com/vblog/01/
Enjoy!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Just when you think Pizza in Singapore is crap...
Pizza Hut has been sucking for more than a decade; thick thick crust and razor thin cheese layers just have had it for me. The awesome service also helps me not want to visit there (can you smell the sarcasm?!)
Just came back from a lunch with a kaki, and it seems my sis ordered in pizza from sarpinos.com.sg - OMG, this has to be the best pizza I've had in a long while. And it easily rivals the pizza I've had in LA. Two thumbs up!
Just came back from a lunch with a kaki, and it seems my sis ordered in pizza from sarpinos.com.sg - OMG, this has to be the best pizza I've had in a long while. And it easily rivals the pizza I've had in LA. Two thumbs up!
Monday, December 24, 2007
LA in Panoramas
I used this really cool software called AutoStitch to create the following panos. Been real busy with work (hate 3ds max - I need houdini love!) so this automated stitching software comes in real nice. Props to the people who wrote it!
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| Last Week in LA |
Happy Holidays!
To anyone still reading this near deceased blog, Happy Holidays! It's Chrismas season and I can't wait for the year to roll by.
Right now back with Lights and Shadow working on a quick spot, after which I'll take a break for a bit. Was supposed to work on some H9 tutorials, but teaching a class is one thing, a video tutorial.... I can't get the same flow and momentum. I've put that off till after this current project.
Be back soon!
Right now back with Lights and Shadow working on a quick spot, after which I'll take a break for a bit. Was supposed to work on some H9 tutorials, but teaching a class is one thing, a video tutorial.... I can't get the same flow and momentum. I've put that off till after this current project.
Be back soon!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Practice Practice!
The last few days, I've been using 3dsmax, primarily because my current workplace uses it, and that I also need to use the most awesome FumeFX for the project.
FumeFX, is the most excellent Smoke/Fire fluid sim plugin for 3DS max, from the same people that brought us After Burn. I would say, from my newb experience, it is hands down the easiest and fastest way to get awesome looking fire and smoke out of the box.
In barely half a day of working with it, I already have a nice fireball working as expected, and the simulation is very, very fast. Not only is it fast, but it is super multithreaded, at least the help says it can scale up 16 cpus! The rendering is also absolutely, impossibly fast. My PAL res renders were running nearly 6 seconds a frame!
FumeFX and Afterburn are probably one of the 3 reasons why it's nice to have a copy of max lying around (the third reason, is the awesome Editable Polygons. THAT contains a very nice suite of tools for modeling stuff fast. NB: While so awesome, I wouldn't hesitate to go over to Houdini's SOPs anytime - proceduralism kicks serious ass, and I know it.)
Now the problem with re-learning software is that the keys get all messed up. Heck, I only figured out how to switch between Shaded and Wireframe mode barely 5 hours ago. What's worse, when I load up Houdini (Apprentice HD FTW!), I'm already exhibiting 3ds-maxism - I'm trying to rotate the viewport using Alt-MMB lol! While I only have 1 or 2 waking hours at home, I am going to dedicate them to figuring out more Houdini. Tonight's schedule is Character Rigging. Well not Character Rigging as per using the H9 Auto Rig, but just using good ol' bones and capture regions.
Enough blogging, time to give SOPs a good run!
FumeFX, is the most excellent Smoke/Fire fluid sim plugin for 3DS max, from the same people that brought us After Burn. I would say, from my newb experience, it is hands down the easiest and fastest way to get awesome looking fire and smoke out of the box.
In barely half a day of working with it, I already have a nice fireball working as expected, and the simulation is very, very fast. Not only is it fast, but it is super multithreaded, at least the help says it can scale up 16 cpus! The rendering is also absolutely, impossibly fast. My PAL res renders were running nearly 6 seconds a frame!
FumeFX and Afterburn are probably one of the 3 reasons why it's nice to have a copy of max lying around (the third reason, is the awesome Editable Polygons. THAT contains a very nice suite of tools for modeling stuff fast. NB: While so awesome, I wouldn't hesitate to go over to Houdini's SOPs anytime - proceduralism kicks serious ass, and I know it.)
Now the problem with re-learning software is that the keys get all messed up. Heck, I only figured out how to switch between Shaded and Wireframe mode barely 5 hours ago. What's worse, when I load up Houdini (Apprentice HD FTW!), I'm already exhibiting 3ds-maxism - I'm trying to rotate the viewport using Alt-MMB lol! While I only have 1 or 2 waking hours at home, I am going to dedicate them to figuring out more Houdini. Tonight's schedule is Character Rigging. Well not Character Rigging as per using the H9 Auto Rig, but just using good ol' bones and capture regions.
Enough blogging, time to give SOPs a good run!
Friday, December 07, 2007
One Week!
It's been one week after I left the US from my SideFX Internship, and whilst I would love to regale you with stories, I am unfortunately recovering from a very bad cough. So bad, I'm under antibiotics, so I'm still suffering from post-antibiotics weakness.
Still, here are some thoughts:
a) Macdonalds: Good lord! Just a few months away, the Big Breakfast not only shrunk, but price went up! ?! Basically, that was the first thing I tried, as it's equivalent in the states, tastes too "chemically".
b) Terminal 3?! Duh!
c) Lavender. The color lavender. My flat is painted lavender. DUH. Who, I would like to know, is color co-ordinating all the flats in Singapore? Perhaps from the hubble telescope the colors would form some kind of meaning? I mean, come on, even the road signs are lavender....
d) RAIN! GAH! Even my fur coat is damp, and it's lying indoors!
e) My favourite food stalls in my market, as well as at the Beach Road market, have changed owners :(
f) MRT: Still as annoying as ever. Though I doubt I will live to see the day of Star Trek transporter technology.
I am now working with Light and Shadows for a spot, and unfortunately, due to some requirements I am working in 3dsmax (grumble grumble). Still, it's nice to work at the old office with the old kaki.
Some houdini house hire me pls!!! =)
Signing off, the half drugged Gallen Wolf.
Still, here are some thoughts:
a) Macdonalds: Good lord! Just a few months away, the Big Breakfast not only shrunk, but price went up! ?! Basically, that was the first thing I tried, as it's equivalent in the states, tastes too "chemically".
b) Terminal 3?! Duh!
c) Lavender. The color lavender. My flat is painted lavender. DUH. Who, I would like to know, is color co-ordinating all the flats in Singapore? Perhaps from the hubble telescope the colors would form some kind of meaning? I mean, come on, even the road signs are lavender....
d) RAIN! GAH! Even my fur coat is damp, and it's lying indoors!
e) My favourite food stalls in my market, as well as at the Beach Road market, have changed owners :(
f) MRT: Still as annoying as ever. Though I doubt I will live to see the day of Star Trek transporter technology.
I am now working with Light and Shadows for a spot, and unfortunately, due to some requirements I am working in 3dsmax (grumble grumble). Still, it's nice to work at the old office with the old kaki.
Some houdini house hire me pls!!! =)
Signing off, the half drugged Gallen Wolf.
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