tuesday vivian street

Firstly after speaking to Hannah today I think there could be a solution to my rendering dilemma... watch this space: there is a render of all 81 iterations from our first project coming up later this week.

Now onto the next project.

I have been toying with a few options for fabricating my object:

I started out with the layered idea last week (see here) which is the most obvious and could be done with my hero except that is seems too easy. I have been working on slicing and sectioned it off to that end:

layers created using 31 sections as per Sunny's technique 21/08/12

I have also thought about sectioning it off into pieces that can be assembled  (I would use SolidWorks to assemble it first for this - kind of interesting). Here are a couple of pieces I sectioned off and took into Illustrator:

sections exported into SolidWorks then Illustrator

Sunny and I have talked about (ironically) a latticework version what could be assembled and then thread wrapped around it like a skin. Love this idea. Am a bit scared of the intricacy involved.
Here is the precedent for the idea:

Source

We exported the beast out of 3ds Max as a .dxf file (after Prooptimising down to 1% and adding a Push modifier) into Sketchup and Sunny created a latticework around the object so that we can explode the box form then delete the outer part of the box (i.e. the non-creature parts) so that all we are left with is a latticework form of the thread beast. I could lay them out into an A4 sized plane in Sketchup and then transfer them into Illustrator (making sure they are all carefully numbered so as to facilitate the construction phase) How cool is this? Things that concern me are: how small will this need to be so that I can fit it all onto one A4 piece of acrylic; I need to build slots into this so that the pieces all fit together... I am concerned I am going to mess up with calculating the tolerance. I understand the laser cutting process destroys 0.2 of a millimetre. I have to factor this in when drawing in the slots.

Sketchup file prior to removing non-beast parts

I also had thought about the idea of doing almost the reverse of this where I layer the exterior space into a box so that the beast is actually a void inside the box and I could paint the edges in the blacks and reds of the original two 3ds Max objects.I know Sunny had concerns that this might not work so well in that the object might not be visible but I have two strong/dark colours to work with - I feel like it could work quite well and I like the idea of the creature becoming like specimen preserved in a box. Here's a mock-up of how it might look (minus the planes created by the acrylic layers) rendered in 3ds Max:

Render of beast in an acrylic box

monday vivian street - hand in

So after a LOOOONG night I have a hero image:

I am happy with this image - I really love the textures and shiny wings of my thread beast

But even after literally all weekend and this morning I have been unable to overcome the issue of rendering all 81 iterations all at once. I struggled to get them on a file...but managed to yesterday then found it wouldn't render. This is the screen I got over and over:

the render screen of death

So I googled the error message and tried a few things but to no avail...I ended up isolating the 10 objects that were causing the bother... so I got up one render of the scene without those:

I call this 'everything but the rogue 10'

I came in early this morning to try and do 10 more iterations that could replace the 'rogue 10' and did it! I added them, but found I got the 'render fail screen of death' again.

So I handed in what I had and can definitely say I did (more than) 81 iterations - there's even a .max file to see but no render...

I am satisfied that my work demonstrates the words: work, thread and aggression. I am armed with the knowledge that lattice is a modifier I will not revisit in a hurry. I can't wait to have my fully rebuilt computer at home.

wednesday betty street

New project introduced this week. I have been experimenting with creating my first iteration in paper or cardboard form.

I went back to solidworks to see what information I could get about the scale of the object and found I could print the top and side which I did:

Top and bottom of first iteration

Then scaled it down so I could use it as a template on an A4 piece of paper.

Top and bottom scaled down by 50%

The template

My initial idea was to use a concertina-ed piece of paper to represent the sides and sandwich it between two pieces of paper cut in the 'figure 8' shape...That all worked fine and left plenty of paper to play around with making the black spiked piece. But simply gluing the paper pieces together didn't work.

First attempt in paper

So I thought about making it a solid piece using layers of cardboard all cut using the template. I did this successfully but it used all the cardboard (I limited myself to an A4 sized piece).

A4 sized piece of cardboard

I would therefore not be able to make the needle shape if I use this method. I like the idea of doing this with perspex but wonder if it's too simple. I would love to see it complete with the needle in perspex - using the same layered technique.

Final cardboard version of object.

hand in... tuesday vivian street

Tried but couldn't get all my iterations on one file.
So I managed to put the first twenty together plus my hero image and lit them and applied materials...

monday vivian and betty street

I have worked all weekend and most of today and have 60 iterations. I am assembling them in a scene ready to light and render...

Update: I stayed at Vivian Street till 2am trying to prepare the files to merge. I came home to do that but after trying all night was unable... The computer just couldn't cope.

It's really strange because the file is just 235 MG and I am trying to merge the final 20 iterations and they just won't go.

I am therefore unable to light and render my scene.

I am hoping to get to Vivian Street an hour earlier than normal so that I can at least render the hero image.

sunday betty street

Back to it... rendering is a breeze even on my home computer. (We finally have 3ds Max 64 bit running now but still need to upgrade the video card).

Here are some interesting iterations from the past hour:

Iteration No 29

Iteration No 30

 And here are my freshly rendered (first) thirty iterations with one of the images from here.

First Thirty Iterations with new rendering environment

sunday vivian street

After spending two hours at the start of today organising my iterations into a master file so I can get an idea of the size of the file I might have to render, I realised my work was going to be too heavy.
Twenty-five iterations equalled 1.5 GB and it was only going to get worse. I spoke to a few colleagues (comparing notes on file sizes - one had all 81 iterations, lit and material applied and it was less than 300 MB) which confirmed what I had been thinking anyway... I needed to scrap it all and start again if I have any hope of completing the 81 iterations.
So with a heavy heart I started a new file. I began with the first iteration but this time I modified both objects with pro-optimizer reducing the number of vertices from 1400 to 100 on the red object alone and already the file was significantly lighter.

This is it (compare it to the original here):

Iteration No 1

 I smoothed it along the way and it looked fine. They are not the delicate objects I loved but I noticed right away the speed at which it saved (Instantaneous instead of minutes at a time) and each modification happened quickly. I scaled my objects as I went and inside four hours I had 25 objects. I rendered them all in five minutes and thirty-one seconds – unbelievable. The next test is being able to work at home especially the rendering as I am now stuck out here in P Bay till Tuesday.

Here are the first 25 iterations:

I do feel as though my work would have really benefited had we been warned (at an earlier stage) how file size can dramatically affect the speed at which you can work in 3ds Max. The up side of that is that I am HIGHLY aware in this aspect of 3ds Max now. I also found out today that collapsing each iteration as I go actually increases the size of the file, so I am now only collapsing every now and then (when they get too busy).

saturday vivian street

Grrr - corrupted files dramas now. Have had to return to the 11th iteration to start again.

Have destroyed and/or lost so many well-loved objects in the past few weeks.

Here's where I am after finally being able to save my work again. Thanks has to go to Keith for his help.

Finally have more than 15...

And the next four:

17 - 20

 Retrospectively, I now realise I have created forms that were too complicated at the outset. I used the lattice modifier in my first form and just that alone has been a time vampire. It means my second ten objects are almost one gigabyte alone. Anyway, I'm a quarter of the way in now and don't have time to start again, but it's been an object lesson (excusing the pun).

It's 6pm, I have been here for 7 hours and here go my next twenty iterations...

Tried pro-optimise... no good. It just takes the depth of the objects away and so I will have to wait till the end before I apply that modifier.

Here's the product of my efforts as I sign off at 10pm.

21 - 25

thursday vivian street

No work to show from home. 3ds Max has left my husband a broken man...

Have lightened the file by seperating the iterations. Now have 12 - 20 file started. Still very slow by the 14th.

Here's the work I completed in the tute today:

Continuing the adversaries narrative... the first sees the thread trapping the fabric and by the 3rd the fabric dominates. 

tuesday betty street

Came home to do some more work on lighting and materials while I set up the other computer.

I created a simple object to bring out the differences most clearly.

This is the first version. I had to use a screen grab because I was still using the old computer with the crappy video card so I couldn't render it. (Even on the lowest setting).

The background is from some images I took last weekend down at the Waterfront.

These are the main lighting settings I used:

mr Area Omni
Ray Traced Shadows
Decay: none
Start: 157.91
Near attenuation
Start: 80
End: 200
Advanced Effects
Diffuse: off
Specular: off
Shadow Parameters
Colour: Black

Here's a collection of a few other surfaces I photographed and am considering using as materials for my final presentation:

tuesday vivian street

Finally heard from Autodesk this morning who have allowed me to download the 64 bit version of 3ds Max for my upgraded computer.

So have been working on iterations instead of a lecture this morning.

Here's where I was at at the beginning of the tute:

I lost my final iteration from the last blog post...

Here's the end of the tutorial:

10 iterations

Final iteration detail

monday betty street

I can't stay away from the lattice.

This really is a dance between the two objects. Each object seems to work hard to be the aggressor, they thread in and out of one another. I find this very beautiful.

Note: I had to abort this iteration as the lattice wasn't workable on my home PC.

sunday vivian street

Back to sort out this mess.

My final image of work before I delete the lattice heavy work...

Look at that flamboyant, crazy lattice-work

Then here are my less troublesome, curtailed iterations...

Still a feeling of a dance, cause and effect, sparring partners.

Details...

saturday vivian street

Utter frustration - twice now I have reached 10 iterations and then lost my work. First time I forgot to save then it crashed. Redid it all this morning but had been saving to a temp internet file and ... well you know the rest.

So finally have it all saved nicely and am taking advantage of weekend in 322 and using two computers to work and blog while waiting for the computer to open a new modifier.



Part of my work from today

  I feel like I am progressing my idea of a battle for domination with this iteration; however I am having real problems with my file taking AGES to load and change.



Final iteration for the day - the troublesome one - but look at that lattice work...

I have reached the point where I am going to have to do something radical in order to continue my work. The lattice modifier makes the file so heavy it literally takes 20 minutes to open, and the same time is involved with each modification and that is with the current iteration in isolation mode.

I decided at home tonight that I am going to save this file. Start a new one and get rid of the last few iterations that include the lattice work and start again. Hopefully this will help.

thursday vivian street

Made progress with a few mysteries about 3ds Max solved. I just need to get the placement sorted and I couldn't figure out why I kept selecting my objects and discovering there were multitudes of objects (not just two) selected. I also had a conversation with Sunny that confirmed my issues with settling into the design ethic. Having spent most of my working life being concerned with the pragmatic and what will 'work' I find it hard to shift into the abstract. It requires a concerted effort for me to look beyond the literal. So each iteration becomes an exercise in resolving that conflict. Strangely that lends itself to my narrative because it feels like each of the two objects are engaged in a battle to master one another. There is an obvious a sewing theme to the story but as the shapes develop there can a several metaphors that apply to their relationship for example parent/child or dance partners.
Note: Kraftwerk an excellent soundtrack to work with.

Progress

Detail - lattice expresses fabric notion

Enlarging the black object with 'Push' modifier reinforces its objective which is to dominate the other.

Betty Street

So I went home and started from the first iteration (yep from square one) and got up four straight away...

...and so the battle begins.