Author Topic: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout  (Read 16489 times)

SpooX

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[TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« on: 2010-08-22 10:24:49 »



Here a little test rendering on the Mako Reactor (click image to see animation)

Please C & C.

Also testing a way to upload video, due to bad quality of imageshack.

Timber

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #1 on: 2010-08-22 13:57:12 »
Looks very pretty! :D

I think it's a bit to light and smokey, needs to be a bit more pressurised, like it's being really pumped out, not just vented.

BlitzNCS

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #2 on: 2010-08-22 14:04:38 »
Looks nice, but yeah, what Timber said. More smoke at the top, too.

This is going to be the part of the effects in the opening FMV, right? Because I was kinda hoping to do some of it in After effects, but this looks much better than what I could hope to do with video editing. Perhaps we could split the work, since the opening part with the stars is a particle effect which is very easy to replicate in AE, and so are the green particles with aeris in the beginning.

Timu Sumisu

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #3 on: 2010-08-22 14:55:02 »
nice effect, but doesnt match up with the reactor smoke very well. it isnt so much a flame as it is smoke/exhaust. make it more of a blob and more of a stretched oval in shape. additionally, your particles should decay into gray/brown.

Cyberman

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #4 on: 2010-08-22 20:55:15 »
Here a little test rendering on the Mako Reactor (click image to see animation)

Please C & C.

Also testing a way to upload video, due to bad quality of imageshack.
Actually this is probably a good 'start' before the big BOOM. I'll have to watch the original to see what they did. Need to do a comparison :D

For video I always use YouTube. They are consistent and they allow HD up to 720p.

Anyhow from me watching the original boom it looks like they have an series of arcs across the reactor surface with the 'gang' visible and then a bigger boom seen over midgar with a shock wave.

Cyb

SpooX

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #5 on: 2010-08-23 21:46:08 »
I think it's a bit to light and smokey, needs to be a bit more pressurised, like it's being really pumped out, not just vented.

thought so too, more pressure coming up, and also more smoke..  ;D

This is going to be the part of the effects in the opening FMV, right?

that's the plan, and everywhere else where mako's pump out poison...

....your particles should decay into gray/brown.
stay tuned after these messages....

Actually this is probably a good 'start' before the big BOOM. I'll have to watch the original to see what they did. Need to do a comparison :D

actually I was looking more at the opening movie, not the major explosion of the reactor....

Here included some references...

(click image to see animation) ::)

Target:
  • bottom left, reactor (frame from opening), reactor at the right side.
  • Top Left, Tech demo PS3
  • Reactor 01, just for reference
  • NMKIN_4, the source of inspiration for looking for the right effect (raw mako?)

Oh, almost forgot, center, current state of effect... 8-)

<<Edit; animation included>>
« Last Edit: 2010-08-23 22:18:49 by SpooX »

nikfrozty

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #6 on: 2010-08-23 22:38:15 »
Awesome! Can't believe it will look like that.. *amazed*

BlitzNCS

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #7 on: 2010-08-23 23:27:45 »
Amazing dude, looks pretty much spot-on to me!

Also, here's a test of that particle stuff I was talking about (when it finishes processing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NG7vCpJBGQ

What do you think? or would you prefer to do it yourself in Max?
« Last Edit: 2010-08-23 23:32:47 by NCS »

Cyberman

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #8 on: 2010-08-24 00:39:17 »
actually I was looking more at the opening movie, not the major explosion of the reactor....
WOOPS LOL I was thinking post mission LOL DUH

(click image to see animation) ::)

Target:
  • bottom left, reactor (frame from opening), reactor at the right side.
  • Top Left, Tech demo PS3
  • Reactor 01, just for reference
  • NMKIN_4, the source of inspiration for looking for the right effect (raw mako?)

Oh, almost forgot, center, current state of effect... 8-)
Ok ... sort of a bluish version of a steam release seen from a conventional reactor cooling tower I guess.

I wonder if the animation information can be abused in something like POV.

Cyb

SpooX

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #9 on: 2010-08-24 19:32:05 »
Amazing dude, looks pretty much spot-on to me!

Also, here's a test of that particle stuff I was talking about (when it finishes processing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NG7vCpJBGQ

What do you think? or would you prefer to do it yourself in Max?

It's a beginning, try to add additional layers (3d cam perhaps) to create more depth.
(if you want some very good after effects tutorials, take a look at videocopilot. They've got some amazing stuff there :-) )
Do it in Max? Not really if I don't have to, it is quite intense to do in max, unless...particles... well it could be done, but if you know a way to do it easier, than do it. Movie making is all about cheating.....

The opening movie consists pf 3 parts:
  • Particles (starry sky)
  • fade to Aeris, with flowers, zoom out until (almost) all of Midgar is in view,show TA Logo (if there is one, otherwise use FF VII logo  :-D) zoom in to Midgar trainstation, otherwise known as NMSKIN
  • Close up view of train, with sparks
These are the parts needed for opening.


I wonder if the animation information can be abused in something like POV.

Cyb

if pov has some form of scripting, or file-format , which can contain a camera, animation, mesh....
I think it should be possible, but I'm not quite at home with povray. :-)

sl1982

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #10 on: 2010-08-24 20:24:21 »
No TA logo  :P

pyrozen

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #11 on: 2010-08-24 21:21:34 »
No TA logo  :P

not to take this off topic, but i think the best place for a TA "logo" is very small print in the bottom right corner of the save/continue screen. Simply state "Team Avalanche Overhaul Version X.XX" or something along those lines. Keeps it unobtrusive but lets people know that their install was successful.

On topic, everything looks amazing so far! I wish i knew more about 3d modeling and particle effects but alas, i don't have time to learn at the moment. I can't wait to see some solid renders of the opening cinematic!

lee

sl1982

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #12 on: 2010-08-24 21:57:41 »
No TA logo  :P

not to take this off topic, but i think the best place for a TA "logo" is very small print in the bottom right corner of the save/continue screen. Simply state "Team Avalanche Overhaul Version X.XX" or something along those lines. Keeps it unobtrusive but lets people know that their install was successful.

On topic, everything looks amazing so far! I wish i knew more about 3d modeling and particle effects but alas, i don't have time to learn at the moment. I can't wait to see some solid renders of the opening cinematic!

lee

I agree with this.

Cyberman

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #13 on: 2010-08-24 23:39:50 »
The opening movie consists pf 3 parts:
  • Particles (starry sky)
  • fade to Aeris, with flowers, zoom out until (almost) all of Midgar is in view,show TA Logo (if there is one, otherwise use FF VII logo  :-D) zoom in to Midgar trainstation, otherwise known as NMSKIN
  • Close up view of train, with sparks
Pretty much.. except the 'Starry sky' is a natural Mako fountain if you notice the 'spring' when they move out from Aeris in the video. So what you are actually looking at is the 'life stream' perhaps spewing out in Midgaar.

These are the parts needed for opening.

if pov has some form of scripting, or file-format , which can contain a camera, animation, mesh....
I think it should be possible, but I'm not quite at home with povray. :-)
Having used POV since it was DKB yes you can do all sorts of stuff with POV it is a general purpose scripting language as well. There are a lot of features such as media radiosity etc. that are handy for Cinematic sequences.  Something for my Linux box to crunch through on as POV is recently added multiple processor support (beta only of course).

The big issue with POV is converting the DATA set you have to something it can process.  That has always been my biggest challenge. Although many things have been improved in that regard in the last several years.

Cyb

Timu Sumisu

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #14 on: 2010-08-25 05:13:55 »
good stuff folks.

@ Spoox, the reactor is pumping a little too fast, it looks like its coming out of a train engine or something, but the reactors are huge, so the effect will be slower to give the sense of size. i'd even tone down the green just a bit - just a tad less saturated. its too much of a happy green. needs to be grungy and dirty. Midgar is nasty,

Thinking, on this i dont want to give the impression of the compilation and Advent children of everything being very gray, i just meen less bright, more grungy, you may find another way of dealing with this in the animation or otherwise.

@ NCS, yer effect looks great, though the camera moves are very clunky. I imagine that can be fixed. The other way you'd do the starscene is littereally getting sprites and animating them in a pseudo rotoscope fashion. No need for particle systems really. The stars dont behave as particles. Work on cleaning it up and maintaining accuracy to the original scene. When its done... well start talking about the format and other details like that.

BlitzNCS

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #15 on: 2010-08-25 13:48:09 »
It's a beginning, try to add additional layers (3d cam perhaps) to create more depth.
(if you want some very good after effects tutorials, take a look at videocopilot. They've got some amazing stuff there :-) )
Do it in Max? Not really if I don't have to, it is quite intense to do in max, unless...particles... well it could be done, but if you know a way to do it easier, than do it. Movie making is all about cheating.....

The opening movie consists pf 3 parts:
  • Particles (starry sky)
  • fade to Aeris, with flowers, zoom out until (almost) all of Midgar is in view,show TA Logo (if there is one, otherwise use FF VII logo  :-D) zoom in to Midgar trainstation, otherwise known as NMSKIN
  • Close up view of train, with sparks
These are the parts needed for opening.

Yeah, I do intend to do the whole scene in AE, if only as another test (Without the 3D stuff for now, but kept in the same timeframe). Other things I'd need to do would be the sparks, the green fountain, the logo and things like that. possibly some psuedo lighting, too.

Thing is, if you look carefully, there are already two layers of particles there (one closer and one further), and I am already using a 3D camera. I tried tracking/Panning the camera which worked much better, but it ended up changing the camera's position which gets a bit complicated, so I ended up just using straight rotations, which don't look very good. I'll play with it a little more.

Oh, and I do know about that website. I've seen pretty much all the tutorials there, so I know how to handle myself pretty well in AE. Personally I don't think the starry sky thing could be done without particles, but then that's just me.

SpooX

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #16 on: 2010-08-27 23:57:13 »
euhm... ::)
particles is 3d...
check the repo for now....

BlitzNCS

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #17 on: 2010-08-28 00:12:26 »
Yeah, I know it's 3D, I meant geometry. But you gotta get the feel and depth of the original right. What you've got so far is way better than my first try, but it's almost too enclosed - the depth isn't right. Also, there are too many particles, I think. I'll post what I have so far up when I can. The original uses many particle systems, one for the close up depth, and one for the further away particles. At least, that's what I can tell.

SpooX

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Re: [TA-BM] -Cinematics FX- Mako Reactor Burnout
« Reply #18 on: 2010-08-28 10:23:10 »


Here is the first test....
Yeah, I know it's 3D, I meant geometry. But you gotta get the feel and depth of the original right. What you've got so far is way better than my first try, but it's almost too enclosed - the depth isn't right. Also, there are too many particles, I think. I'll post what I have so far up when I can. The original uses many particle systems, one for the close up depth, and one for the further away particles. At least, that's what I can tell.
I only used 1 (static) particle system (yes it is made in 3ds max) pflow, but not all particles are visible (yet). at this time all particles are flat (and the same size (you can see that in the end) and some particles are doubled, i haven't cleaned up the scene yet, also it can be scaled up to create more depth.  :)
but I thought I post it anyways as a first try.