September 08- Fishtank

[flatd]

Hi, Hope it's not to late to join you guys for this months project :)

anyway, here's a first image.. I thought about trying to create a robot inspired fish tank...

I just started the fish model...

I'm working in maya and I'm using maya for about 1,5 year now..

http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=day1pic1bh5.jpg

[Farla]

Great start flatd.

I hope you realized that the projects have changed a bit since it started. By that i mean all these new monthly project require you to use the scence given with your additions to the scene.

Just keep that in mind. The rules are usually a bit relaxed in some ways.

Nevertheless Great start.

[Clockswork]

Looks cool, very interested in seeing the progress :)
Keep it up!

[flatd]

Thanks Farla and Clockswork.

I just started blocking out some of the things in the tank.
I think I want the fish to be wired to some device...

Here's a quick update..
http://img399.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture2uu2.jpg

[DjVoyager]

That's a pretty interesting take on the theme -- industrial wasteland :)

Your fish looks like it can be easily animated, are you planning to do that?

[brandeil]

Looks great, nice idea !

[flatd]

I think i'll do a little animation with it...
First I'll try to finish the tank and I still have plenty of work to do on the fish it self.. Hope I'll have enough time :) The water it self will be a little challenge for me :rolleyes:

[flatd]

http://i35.tinypic.com/i59d20.jpg

Here's a little update..
The fish
changed the mouth and textures
Finished the rig

The fishtank:
Little change in style..
I'm going for a lab. kind of style.

Still not to sure how to do the water.. Maybe I'll look in on one of the DT trainings :rolleyes:

[DjVoyager]

Very cool!

So is this tank supposed to be room sized, including the fish?

Check out some of these tutorials on creating caustics;
http://www.digitaltutors.com/store/product.php?productid=3483&cat=41&page=1

[brandeil]

Great concept :D

[flatd]

thanks,

It's a bit larger than the regular room sized tank. let's say the monitor is a 20" one.. think that makes it a pretty big tank..

I just bought the caustics training :) watching it right now!

[DjVoyager]

It's a bit larger than the regular room sized tank. let's say the monitor is a 20" one.. think that makes it a pretty big tank.

Ah, I just asked because that back wall seems to be giving the impression that the tank is enormous, like you can put a whale in there. Though it seems like that at this point where the scene is still under construction, so we'll have to wait and see, I guess :)

[Kyle_Studios]

wow! Really cooL! i love the screens in front of the tank really adds that sci fi look! The fish looks awesome to! Wouldnt want to catch it though...

[flatd]

thanks for the replies,

I didn't do any lighting yet :) First I want to finish modeling and texturing the environment. After that it's time for some basic lighting and a light for the caustics. than some of the details like bubbles and finally animating the fish..

think thats my to-do list for this project :) hope I can Finish it in time


** I just finished watching the DT caustics set and found it really helpful
hope I can put it to good use in this project

[flatd]

http://i37.tinypic.com/2ilfxxu.jpg

Little update... not to happy with it at the moment... lighting isn't really my thing.... yet :)

Added some things to the background..
Changed the size of the room
Placed a pump or something next to the tank... (going to move in the animation)
Added some overall textures

A question I have at the moment is how do you add bubbles when using mentalray.. the paint effects ones don't work when converted to poly's

[DjVoyager]

Coming along nicely.

About bubbles; They're pretty much varied shaped spheres going upwards.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/99875992_e35931a83d.jpg

You can use PaintFX to create them (convert to poly) but modeling your own is a better option since you can keep the geometry level low. In either case you will need to apply a sort of mercury shader to them. Hope that works.

[flatd]

thanks for the tip... but than i have to use a particle field to move the bubbles.. or is there an other way to generate moving bubbles

[DjVoyager]

Well, particles would be the best way to generate animated bubbles because of the option to kill them upon surface hit. Use a directional emitter and turn the particles into Blobby Surface with about 0.5 to 1 threshold so that their shape varies.

[DjVoyager]

flatd, just want to inform you today is the last day for this project :)

[flatd]

thanks for the reply...
I didn't have much time the last few weeks to finish it...
But I wasn't too happy with the outcome so far anyway..
Did learn some new thing though.. :)