Weapon of Mass Imagination

Mosasaur Overhaul

2009-11-07T11:35:00.000+13:00

Well with everything in my life falling to bits... shoes, pants, and now the car is "unworthy" to drive according to the transport authority (with just slightly over a month to go here in NZ)... I thought there has been a few 3D projects that could use some fixing up or outright replacement... which leads them to fit in with all the junk currently forms my basis of a life.

There is of course the whale project, which I'm planning on turning out a high quality final product of by the end of the month (knock on wood), but there has been a project I've been meaning to do pretty much since my first year here in NZ...

That is of course the Mosasaur... I guess technically I'm aiming for a Tylosaur, but I typed up the rest of this post using Mosasaur and I'm too lazy to change them all. Besides technically a Tylosaurid is a variety of Mosasaur, so I win.

He has received updates throughout many stages of my 3Ding techniques. The Mosasaur started life as one of only two "Mark: 1" generation models (the other being my first version of Larry). Pictured here in the only rendering of it I still have.

Of course as my modelling and, especially, shading techniques improved I'd try to keep the Mosasaur up to date.

His initial Mark: 2 version was a little too Ichthyosaur in the skull...

A quick update had him corrected quite a bit!

For quite some time I came back to the Mosasaur every few months to keep him update with what I was doing 3Dwise.

As I stalled on my Mark: 2 modelling technique, the improvements got harder and harder. (The top Mosasaur is the latest version the bottom one is its predecessor).

This is where the poor guy has been sitting, never officially seeing the light of day. Yet being cutting edge when he was created, my Mosasaur is now dreadfully behind the modelling times...

I can't let this stand! I've decided he will become the prototype for my new Mark: 6 technique, which will involve a new means of creating 3D objects.

What am I aiming to improve exactly? Well I'd very much like to do a Mosasaur piece for ART Evolved, it needs to be scientifically accurate. So here are some of my current inspirations.

My latest palaeo-art obsession of late has been this Tylosaur by Julius Csotonyi. It completely captures the connection between Mosasaurs and their Monitor Lizard ancestors. Which is one of the things that intrigues me about Mosasaurs (I love monitor lizards, they are such elegant predators... except in their walking :p). Julius has accomplished this mostly through the colouration. Though a few slight hints on the skull anatomy help too.

I would very much love to capture this same feel...

Fortunately I have some fantastic reference photos of the Australian Perentie monitor lizard (Varanus giganteus), which I think if slightly modified would make an excellent Mosasaur colour pattern.

I have a couple ART Evolved articles in the works off what I've been doing with my extant references...

There are still other influences on what I'd like my Mosasaur to look like. Dan Varner is the man when it comes to restoring these marine killers back. So I'll be looking at his work from time to time.

I've had a huge respect for the line drawings of Russell Hawley, and have found them a very good reference for the difference in skulls between various families of Mosasaurs. I've cut his Tylosaurus out from a selection of other Mosasaur types as this is what I am striving to emulate.

In addition to my recent discovery and inspiration from Csotonyi, this Mosasaur by Luis V. Rey has become one of my key references. I especially love the lower jaw and all the teeth on this guy!

Lastly is this old reference of mine, by I think, John Sibbick. If anyone knows one way or the other I'd appreciate it. Anyways I love his paddles.

I have one big question before launching into my effort. Monitor Lizards and Snakes, Mosasaurs closet living relatives, both have lips covering their teeth. Did Mosasaurs too?

This makes a huge difference to my restoration effort. So I'd like to know.

Anyways I'm going to conclude this huge online ramble. Just firing a few of my thoughts and feelings onto paper (after a fashion :P). I find it sometimes helps.

Start updating you once I've dived into this project.

Generation's of My 3D Modelling

2009-11-05T18:03:00.004+13:00

2009 has proven to be a huge year for me in my artistic development. Knowing my education theory, this leads me to speculate that I wasn't really an artist at all up until this year. This is due to a learner hitting their greatest strides and progress in their early rudimentary phases of development (the progress of a grade 1 or 2er is staggering compared to any grade above them... they grow and improve so much in those early years).

I think it amounts to my networking with new artists online, and using them as both inspiration and motivation to push myself. ART Evolved in particular has been such a positive force on my creativity this year. I can't thank my fellow members enough for making it all happen!

Given as this progress has been coming thick and fast lately, I thought it might be amusing to go through formally organize and classify my 3D modelling. A number of people have noted I have made the odd reference here and there to certain models being a "Mark: [insert number]", but that I have never really laid out my criteria as to what this means.

That changes as of today! Welcome to the eras of Craig's modelling! (I'm intending on updating and adding to this as I go)...

Mark: Zero

These are all the models I did with my old Raydream software, and all my cross over to Carrara work pre-2007. Essentially all these models represent is my learning and grasping basic 3D modelling and compositional concepts. They have no direct tie in or lineage to my modern art, but were where all my learning allowing my modern work took place.

Mark: 1

Though not my first effort to create a 3D Dinosaur (as you can see from my example Mark: 0 example from before), this was the first model of my current efforts.

These models features more attention to detail in their construction, and were built for the ability to sculpt the various parts into different poses. The big break through of the Mark: 1's, separating them from my previous work, was the their texturing. Each and every surface of the model had a custom texture map created for it in an outside program(minus small parts like teeth, claws, and toe and lip scales). The first time I'd ever put any attention into texturing.

Mark: 2

Despite the break through of custom shading of Mark: 1, my first texture maps were rather crude. My lack of experience using Paintshop led to the scale patterns being very symmetrical and unrealistic. After the learning experiences of Mark: 1's in this new program I was able to improve the scale making process.

I also started to put a lot more attention into the details of the Dinosaurs, and started to try and create more accurate proportions.

This was the longest running Mark generation by far, and Mark: 2's represent the majority of my palaeo models I have ever built. At the same time this Mark is where I got complacent and fell into a comfort zone.

Mark: 3

Fortunately ambition has always been one of my qualities in 3D, and I strove to conquer 3D feathers. Despite Carrara having ready made tools to do this, it can be surprisingly hard to create these feathers.

Mark: 3 models represent those in which I have applied replicated objects to the surface of a creature such as fur, feathers, and or spines.

Mark: 4

Posing my earlier "Mark" models had always been a pain, and I lost any measured proportions. This changed as of Mark: 4, when I learned to apply "skeletons" to my Dinosaurs. Skeletal rigs are a means for the computer to bend my models at certain points. Just like the joints in a real skeleton. Meaning not only do my models now pose realistically, but much easier and quicker.

Mark: 5

The latest innovation has been an upgrade to my shading techniques. In this system I have stepped in and manually drawn each and every scale. Additionally I have put greater effort and care into creating and managing layers in the shader, giving me more control to change and customize shaders for individuals.

Sauropod Piece

2009-11-03T20:13:00.003+13:00

I figured since I'm planning a big 2009 progress portfolio I'd post the complete version of my Sauropod piece.

I didn't manage to test and apply as much to this piece as I would have liked. I had intended my Brachiosaur to be the test bed for my launching into Vertex modelling, however Traumador's recent fame cut into that time. So the models are a little more simple then I'd intended...

Of course I'm very proud of the shading and textures on these guys. As you can follow in my live blogging efforts these guys represent a new method of shading I will be following from now on. I'm not pleased with the stretching of the shader of the right Brachi's neck though...

I AM very happy with the poses and positioning of the Brachiosaurs, especially my two fighters. The one on the left, with his sideways bending neck, proved quite difficult to get just right. Fortunately my skeletal system was quite adaptive (I'm learning more bones is best... though it can take longer to pose something).

I wish I'd had more time to fix up the forest a bit. The clearing is a little too much of a clearing if that makes sense.

Oh well, something for the next gallery... speaking of which I guess I should get on that. I'm thinking a series of 3 underwater environments. Possibly with a New Zealand flavour as I prepare to leave this country once and for all... If only I could think of a third distinctly different underwater setting from here. They don't have many fossils from before the Cretaceous!

New 3D Modelling Frontier

2009-11-02T17:40:00.000+13:00

Despite the Brachiosaur piece not being quite as grandiose as I'd hoped (so very few of them ever are though), it marks yet another step on my growth as an artist.

In particular I have conquered UV texturing mapping, and honestly can't see much in the way of improving it to shade my creatures. Not that I'm not saying there isn't room for fine tuning and tweaking. However as far as major improvements and innovations sadly I'm going to need new software for any more of those.

My current Paintshop square texture mapping does not allow me to directly paint on my models (nor are there any ways for me to do this in Paintshop Pro that I can find... anyone know differently?). Which means this is on the backburner until I'm relocated back in Canada and can start worrying about building up my infrastructure.

One of the last major ways I can innovate my 3Ding and expand my skill base, without a software shift, is in how I actually build my models. At moment I've restricted myself to Spline modelling, which you see pictured here.

In this type of modelling think of any object as a tube like construct. I can instruct the computer at any point I choose along this tube to insert a new cross section, which you can see as black shapes through out that red object. By drawing different shapes in each cross section the computer must stretch the object between the cross sectional points to connect the the two different shapes.

This method of modelling has its advantages, which can be seen in ever piece I have ever constructed in 3D. Yet it has its limitations too. The biggest of which is changes to an object become hard outside of them being up and and down (again as the cross sections have to be mostly parallel to each other). This makes it hard to make localized details or angled indentations and protrusions. If I try to create these I typically have to simplify them due to the number of cross sections I'd have to create otherwise to get odd angled protrusions...

An easy solution to adding these details (as at moment I'm rather happy with Spline modelling for initial basic construction) is Vertex modelling. In this system an object becomes something like a mass of clay that can be manipulated (pushed and pulled) by a series of points generated on its surface. You see them here as dots connected by lines. Move any of these points and you effect the nature of those lines (which represent the objects surface) which allows you a great deal of control of details.

So far I've only tinkered a bit, and never properly learned any of the tools of specific controls.

I have produced one model with a slight degree of Vertex detailing as of last week. The new Traumador character Vicsurus the Daspletosaurus. I wanted her to look particularly battle worn, and so needed some scarring on her lips. This is where I got after an hour or so of playing. It is by no means anywhere close to where I want to be, but of course it is a start.

So expect plenty of updates and posts recording my adventures into the Vertex...

A Rough Idea

2009-10-29T16:07:00.002+13:00

Sadly things aren't slowing down on my end. At least it is mostly good stuff coming down the pipes, but it is all timing sensitive. So I have to get it all done.

In the midst of the half a dozen things I'm currently juggling, is of course my ART Evolved piece. I have not been overly inspired by the Sauropod them I have to admit, much like Pterosaurs. That's not to say I haven't gotten anything out of this one (unlike Pterosaurs... which resembled a chore at times). Texturing this guy taught me tons, and will have a long term impact on how I do shading maps!

Putting an actual composition together with my completed model has not be easy. Which is where my lack of motivation hasn't helped...

Fortunately a bit of accidental tinkering yesterday resulted these rough poses here, and a concept created itself. Won't say much more on it now, as I'm hoping it tells a story on its own, and frankly I can't be bothered to type it up at moment (as I still have to pose 1.5 Brachis and replant the forest!).

Let me know if I shouldn't proceed on this current tangent...

So much to do so little time...

2009-10-27T23:10:00.002+13:00

I have a LOT on my plate this week. So much so you only get this small post.

Inbetween many other things, I'm desperate to get my final piece for the ART Gallery done. At moment I can't decide what the Brachiosaurs are going to be doing. Browsing or all migrating.

I've thrown together these two quick snapshots of what I've gotten to.

Which if any of the elements in either look good and/or bad to you?

Live Blogging: Epilogue

2009-10-19T21:19:00.001+13:00

I thought I'd do a quick final wrap up on yesterday's live blogging effort.

Lady R and Peter both pointed out how I neglected to really explain what my big texturing break through was...
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So I'll take you through both my old and new manners of making Dinosaur skin.
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The Old System

Okay so I developed this back in late 2007 with some improvements brought in early 2008. Beyond that it hasn't changed. Meaning my texturing of 3D Dinosaurs has stayed the same for a year and a half. Mind blowing when you document my 3D modelling techniques, which have (especially this year) been changing ever month (and in a few patches week to week!!)!

The first step was to come up with a basic colour pattern for the animal. In this old system it could be remarkably simply (the one major advantage over the new system), and it would look way more impressive after then next two steps!

Once I had the colour scheme down (which could take several tries sadly, as the texture map could get really distorted and stretched), I'd add noise via Paintshop.

Next I would apply a tiling effect that would give me a scale like pattern across the colours scheme. If I skipped the previous noise step my tiles would be very symmetrical, and look like a bathroom floor except in areas where the different colours bordered each other. The noise made these nice non symmetrical tiling patterns, that mimic organic scales convincingly.
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However in real life scales don't quite perfectly border each other like that. Plus the black lines were just a little bit too comic booky (which isn't nessecarily a bad thing, as I love comic books so much)...
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The New System

So finally a year and a half later I have got drastically new system for texturing.
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It borrows the key step of the underlining colour scheme, but that is in the middle, and I now fracture and compartmentalize all the different elements in their own layers. This now means I can more easily fix issues when a texture gets messed up on the model.
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This isn't a huge break through per se, but it is just me applying common sense to methods and tools I've known about, so I use them way more effectively and efficiently. (Seriously the realization that layers are my friends, and not my enemies has really increased my digital art skills. Wanting simply jpegs lead me to the thinking that layers were counter productive, but of course I was being an idiot!)
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The huge twist on my modern shaders is the manually drawing in the scales I want in the texture. This is slightly tedious, but once it is done I can accomplish some amazing amazing detailed effects in the texture.

Using the grid square sector detector, inspired by David, The scales and colour scheme are no where near as hard to line up or create now either. Plus with layers I can have all these elements in the same file. If I want to know where the scales or colour pattern are on the grid, I can simply cloak them or transparency them to see the grid underneath.
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The Results...

The "before" shot of the Brachiosaurus. In fairness this is my old Sauropod shader, which was the 3rd Dinosaur texture I ever did in the "modern" era. Still as a result it'll give you a serious idea of the serious leaps and bounds possible between then and now.

The "after" in the form of yesterday's prototype of the new system. The details may not be clear (as again blogger won't let anyone zoom in on things I upload... their original forms are more then big enough for it to be possible, I typically render at 2272 x 1704, but blogger just doesn't let you enlargen them for some stupid reason!), but you can also see even just my choice of colours for the colour scheme is getting more tempered in common sense/real world prospectives.

So welcome to yet a new "wave" of 3D Dinosaurs from the Weapon of Mass Imagination...

Live Blogging 11

2009-10-18T23:00:00.003+13:00

This was the last hour I can afford to stay up to (11pm). Not that it is an issue!

I managed to achieve the main goal for today! My Brachiosaurus is overall done being textured. If worse came to worse, I could pose this current version into a descent final piece. Though it will get another couple hours of remodelling.

Even more significant has been several break throughs in my shading technique. This Sauropod dawns in yet another generation in my modelling lineage. 2009 is proving to be by far my most productive year in my 3D art. I'll do a proper post soon summarizing what the different between today's experiment and my typical shading was.
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Here is the final beast in his fully coloured glory! (and for whatever reason this pic is enlargenable by clicking on it, so please do!... why the *BEEP* only some work and some don't on this thing is beyond me, but I'm getting sick of it!(

Finally the big guy posed. He is a much more vertical stance than I'm thinking of going, but this was at Peter's request. As he stayed up an extra 40 minutes to keep me virtual company (via skype) who was I too deny his request!

So yet another triumph of Live Blogging! A event I'm intending on participating in every ART Evolved gallery from here on in...

Live Blogging 10

2009-10-18T22:00:00.000+13:00

Huge break throughs this hour!

As this was an entire day of pushing myself to the limit of what I know about UV texture mapping and Paintshop, I have been rewarded with the next generation of my 3D shading (the first jump in almost 2 years!).
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By taking advantage of separate layers, I am now able to easy modify one aspect of a shader without worrying about it effecting the parts I got right the first time...

I've completed the whole head region.

I have proxy finished the legs. However as there are a few strips from the body that do not quite match up, the last hour will be tweaking these small discrepancies.

As of such I'm sector checking them, and with this layer system I should be able to just cut and paste the strips from the body directly onto the legs!

Next post a completed Sauropod (or a pretty darn close do done one anyway...)

Live Blogging 9

2009-10-18T21:00:00.000+13:00

I'm back, and with an ambitious plan!

In the next 2 hours I shall finish texturing my whole Sauropod! Sadly I can't claim this or bust, as I have work with little toddlers tomorrow (and need to be somewhat awake therefore).

To get me on my way I've finished the skull.

With the completion of this, the first additional piece, you can now see the benefit of my new texturing tactic. In my older models the two different pieces would be painfully obvious. Not so here. It is not perfect, but you can't readily pick out the connection at least.

Live Blogging 8.5

2009-10-18T19:00:00.000+13:00

Here is a treat while you wait for me to return

A test of the new texture posed!

Live Blogging 8

2009-10-18T18:00:00.002+13:00

I have completed texturing the body!
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First I had to fix the strips that were on the neck, and make those towards the body end longer.
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The body's strips were proving problematic at first, but some quick references to the sector grid fixed.

Leading to this guy here! (Hopefully you can click to enlargen him)

Sadly I have to put a pause in my live blogging. I have a staff BBQ to goto for my holiday job of two weeks ago, and then me and Lady R will hit the grocery store on the way back home.

So live blogging will resume in two hours from this post...

Live Blogging 7

2009-10-18T17:00:00.000+13:00

Restart was a success.

This is what this Brachiosaur would have looked like in the old days with my tiling its colour scheme.

This is what it looks like with my new separate manually drawn scale pattern layer.

You'll also note in this version how I've started to change the colour pattern within the brown.

What I'm liking about this new texturing system is I can set the base colours, and then add the colour patterns on top of them in the layer, and not have to worry about mistakes effecting my previous work.

So I've gotten the second layer done down to the neck.

Sadly I have a staff function to goto in an hour, so this will be my second last post of this particular arm of this live blogging circuit.

In this last hour try to get the stripping to the end of the tail.

Live Blogging 6

2009-10-18T16:00:00.000+13:00

Due to eating, and a big Paintshop layer mistake (not sure on my part or the puters) only marginal progress this hour.

However this quick test render shows that my new scaling technique is producing some amazing results!

I'd like to show you how my old technique would look in comparison. However Paintshop JUST crashed in my attempt to tile the texture.

So in the next hour, restart my computer, and then add some variation to the brown

Live Blogging 5

2009-10-18T15:00:00.003+13:00

Went with colour scheme 2 in the end, so now I'm adding details to the base shader.

However as there is no food in the house, I've had to cut this hour short (20 minutes of work), and am off to pick up food for both me and Lady R. Should resume work next hour.

Here is progress.

Live Blogging 4

2009-10-18T14:00:00.001+13:00

Time to pick a colour scheme. As I'm playing with layers there is no limit to the number of colour schemes I can build into one file (though the file size goes up... not my concern at moment though!).

I've narrowed it down to 4 colours, but need to pick a scheme to turn into something exciting.

You have help have your say. Should it be:

3
4
5

Live Blogging 3

2009-10-18T13:00:00.000+13:00

Okay now we're rolling... or at least that was the theory until 5 minutes ago.

Applied scaling to all the other body parts.

Yes there is some differentiation between the various parts, but that is to be expected sadly. Without the ability to directly paint on the model this is always going to be an issue.

However when I switched it over to black and white I realized something incredibly frustrating!

I think the scales are too big...

If so that means the last 3 hours were for nothing!

What do you think?

I might switch over to colour patterns for the next hour, and see what the verdict is on the scale size.

Live Blogging 2

2009-10-18T12:00:00.002+13:00

Second hour complete.

Still on the line with Peter, and we're helping each other not freak out at our art. In Peter's case it is continually forgetting to put the baby Barosaurus in his piece... Peter remember the baby already!

My problem has been a little more insidious...

In black and white you can see the issue quite sharply. The boundaries of my different scale sections. As I can't paint the scales on the model directly (I need to update software in the future) I've been using the grid to line up the worst of the stretch and distorted sections.

I'm pleased with where the tail meets the body. You can barely see it, even in black and white.

I tried a colour background to see how the scale issue would react.

Sadly the neck to body was still VERY pronounced.

The tail oddly enough was more visible here then in black and white (normally it is the other way around).

Playing with the skeleton and posing the model, I discovered what is causing my blurring effect on the bottom of the neck as well. Not sure I can fix it, but will see in the next hour.

I changed the neck to body connection point of the scales. Though it is still visible, it is not as much so, and I think I can live with this.

Again as you can (not hopefully :P) see it much less pronounced then in the previous version above were I had the different scale sizes meet.

This hour I intend on trying to fix the blur on the neck, and the blurring on the end of the tail.

From there I will start scaling on the other body parts...

Live Blogging 1

2009-10-18T11:00:00.001+13:00

Here we go. Been working at it an hour, and frankly I can't tell you how it has gone.

It helps I'm on the line with Bond, but it also distracts.

Anyways here is how it has panned out...

First I set up my Brachiosaurus for shading.

This requires the application of this shader here, my new sector checker (idea curiosity of David)

Through the use of layers and transparencies over top of it, in Paintshop, I will create the ENTIRE colour scheme for this guy today.

The biggest challenge is going to be the different in the diameter of the neck and the body.

Already I'm finding there is a really annoying stretching/blurring of my scales on the neck.

Not sure if you can see it at this size, but trust me, it is there!

Rather then worry about it (as I'm going to have to) I decided to get the overall scale scheme sorted before trouble shooting.
So here is where I'm at. By the end of the second hour I aim to have scales on the tail too...

Live Blogging: Prologue

2009-10-17T15:14:00.007+13:00

Just setting myself up for my live blogging tomorrow, and giving those who tune in an idea of what I'm aiming to accomplish.

Obviously I want to get a Sauropod done, but the extent to which has now come into question. Traumador's unexpected break out this week (will be talking about this experience soon) has thrown my entire life off the creative tracks. As of such my Sauropod may not be the prototype of drastically new 3D Dinosaurs I'd been hoping to make it.

As many know this year I have been pushing my boundaries and comfort zone on nearly every ART Evolved gallery and piece (even my failed Pterosaur had a big modelling experiment in it). The Sauropod was possibly going to mark my biggest, as I'd hoped to tackle radically brand new methods of BOTH modelling and shading my Dinosaurs.

Sadly the time taken up by Traumador has meant I haven't been able to play with the modelling technique enough to feel it'd make for entertaining live blogging material. So it will likely just be shading.

On that note, here is where I am starting from. My Sauropod texture from over a year ago.

Up close here is what it looks like. Not particularly impressive. In fact I'd venture it sucks, but that is the point of tomorrow.

I have started to isolate the unique challenges of texturing a Sauropod. As their bodies, in particular, are long cylinders that go from thin to immensely fat any texture applied to them will stretch in weird ways. See here for what this rainbow version explains about my problems.

As I'm likely to be skipping the modelling experiment (as I think it will mostly be me reading the manual... not exactly exciting to read a live blog about), I will try to plug my finished Sauropod into my pre-made Jurassic Forest...

If I still somehow have some extra time after this, then I might build a co-occupant for my Sauropod.

So I can't see how that won't occupy me for 7-10 hours. Hope you'll join me every hour or so for the progress.

The Great Final New Zealand Expedition Part 2

2009-10-16T17:06:00.005+13:00

So we'd made it too the west coast, but due to the delays caused by my car we arrived in the total dark.

Meaning on day 2 we awoke not really knowing what was outside our tent...

We did know somewhere very close by was the ocean, as the sounds it made soothed us to sleep (though the exhaustion of the whole first day probably helped too!). Wandering a mere 20 meters from our tent this is the sight that welcomed us...

We didn't cover much actual distance on day 2. We DID see an awful lot though as we drove a 75km stretch of coast. We also checked out several of the dirt roads that led into the local forests.

Hopping in the car we began our tiki tour of the coast. The weather was outstanding as you can see. Not a single cloud in the sky, and it stayed that way all day.

I feel in love with the area instantly, as should be evident from the local vegetation.

I specifically wanted to hit around Greymouth due to the plants. My current book Ghosts of Gondwana goes into a lot of detail about NZ's plant record (and how most of it is million year old stuff blown over from Australia). In this area of the west coast though, survives some of the few plants that are truly descended from before NZ split from Gondwana in the time of the Dinosaurs.

I was quite pleased to say the least.

We spent most of the day just driving and checking out the local forests and swamps. It was awe inspiring.

The only single "attraction" I had hoped to see, was the Pancake rocks. Walking with Dinosaur fans should recognize them, and they were just too cool in person! If you subbed the flocks of Terns soaring about the place with Pterosaurs (an automatic with an imagination the size of mine!) it was like stepping back in time!

While at the rocks, I had to hit the bathroom. While I was doing my thing, this bird wandered up to check out Lady R outside. Lady R recognized it was significant, but didn't know what type of bird it was...

Coming out of the washroom, I was dumbfound to see Lady R right up and close to a Weka. Not that the proximity was the surprising thing, Weka's are notorious for their curiosity and feisty, bold personalities. A friend of mine has a picture in which 2 wild ones are crawling all over him.

It was rather I had been told (misleadingly it turns out) that Wekas were extinct on the mainland, and now only currently existed on predator free islands. In reality it turns out that they are not threatened on such islands, but clusters of them endure on the mainland. The west coast being the largest of these.

This made my day... Saying something as the forests and Pancake rocks were huge highlights of my whole 3 years in New Zealand!

We then swung back through Greymouth to briefly check out the largest centre of the west coast. Not that it is big, even by New Zealand standards. It certainly isn't my favourite town, but its surroundings would easily entice me to move there (if I were staying in NZ).

Lady R was very fond of this fisherman statue, which reminded her of a sculpture her mother owns (though their family version always had a Penguin between its legs I'm told).

We wrapped up the day with a visit to "Shantytown", a Goldmining themed heritage park. It was quite nice. Possibly a little overpriced, but not at all unenjoyable.

I've seen several similar era recreations, but this one took the cake for having what I associate as prairie and mountain buildings and settings, and sticking them in a prehistoric jungle!

We then casually made our way to Hokitika and set up camp. While there we befriended an Australian couple, and took them and their daughter to see the local glowworm dell. Though much bigger then Dunedin's local glowworm site, it was no glowworm cave. At least it was free!

This brought day 2 to a nice conclusion.

The Great Final New Zealand Expedition Part 1

2009-10-15T21:20:00.004+13:00

My apologies for the delay in the continuation of my west coast camping trip.

My internet life has been hit by something of a fantastic "good" natural disaster. Peter alikens it to an avalanche of chocolate, which would be great for those who survive it, but still be deadly for those crushed by it.

Traumador has finally made his big break, I'd always been hoping for... However I'm just not prepared for it being this week, and I've been struggling to keep up with it all.

Despite this I've opted to hammer through the camping story (as I've had two of my people actively skype me for the story).

So as you'll recall the car broke down the morning of our intended departure. By the time it'd been repaired we were no longer in the morning, rather early afternoon a good 5-6 hours after we'd planned to depart. As there were a number of things on east side (our side) of the mountain pass we were going to have to cross, we thought we might push the trip back a weekend.

However when forecasts (which are out right now outside!) indicated the weather would be awful in a week, and plus we were going to be depressed hulks of sadness all weekend, it was decided screw it. Why not just go for it!

So with the threat of sunset looming on the mountain pass, we booked it up the main highway of the south island, till just short of Christchurch as which point we headed inland towards Arthur's Pass. An area neither me nor Lady R had been too before...

Despite the lovely weather of the day, some slight systems had passed through the area. It still being just early spring down here resulted in snow dumped on the mountains. Lovely to look at, as you can see here by our approach to the pass. However if we had hit earlier in the day before it melted it would have made the higher roads inaccessible to the OX (my car... my license plate starts with these two letters).

Fortunately the roads had been cleared by a days worth of traffic and sun. So our late departure had one benefit. Apparently until 2pm the topmost road was closed.

Despite this one benefit, the lowering sun caught us at my personal key destination on the east portion of Arthur's Pass. That was the Castle Hill rocks. As we arrived the sun had set on the majority of the section. These were a key location in Narnia, and a minor one in Lord of the Rings. I have at least seen them. Sadly didn't get to go as up close or get many pictures of them as I'd hoped. Can't win them all I guess... and I at least DID see them!

There were quite a few cool little limestone outcrops in the area still in the light at least.
Anyways we hit the summit of the pass as proper sunset, and as we descended onto the west coast we did so in the dark.

Arriving at our camp ground literally as the office was closing we just managed to nab a site (though with our morning we'd earned the karma shift). Thankfully we'd bought a great new tent just for this trip. One of its key features being how easy it is to setup. In the pitch black, minus headlamps and OX's headlights, we had the whole thing up in just over 10 minutes.

We feel asleep knowing nothing about our surroundings, other then we were right beside the ocean. Little did we know the wonders we were going to wake up to!

Stay tuned for part 2

The Great Final New Zealand Expedition Part 0

2009-10-13T17:42:00.005+13:00

Well it had to happen. Not only is my time running out here in New Zealand, but so are the places in the country I haven't been too.

As of this weekend I can sadly and happily say, I have ventured and seen my last (easily accessible) NZ frontier.

Not that this epic undertaking did not have an equally epic start.

I've decided to split the trip up into parts. Today you get horrific start of it all. The only photo you get is of this amusing NZ traffic sign we saw on day 2. The morning of day 1 was among my least fun days in NZ, and so there are no photos of these events...

The quick backstory on the trip, of all the few places I haven't seen in NZ, the only one that has held any appeal has been the west coast of the South Island. Due to its remote access (there are only 3 ways to get to it) slight distance from Dunedin, and lack of civilization I had never been able to convince any of my past travel companions to venture that far off the beaten trail. Yet it sat there, within a day's reach (a full day mind you) of where I sit now. How could I not go before I leave the country?

After many times of talking ourselves in and out of a trip, due to limited financial and temporal resources, Lady R and I finally agreed on a romantic get away to the coast for a weekend. With exams and a new job in Lady R's remaining time here, and term 4 off to a roaring start (I have 4 days in the FIRST week back to skool already!) there really wasn't any chance but this last weekend. So we pegged ALL hope on it...

There is a saying about putting all your eggs in one basket. Though I think the saying should really be changed to something about backpacks into 20 year old cars... Point is my friend Will's law "Nature tends toward maximum irony" came into full effect the morning of the trip.

Planning to take a leisurely trip up to the coast, we had banked on leaving Dunedin by 8am. We woke up, packed the car, and were ready to go. Early no less! When I turned on the car nothing happened... I mean literally nothing.

The old junkered had decided of anyday it was going to die it was on THIS day! (It has plenty of other chances!!!)

Saving the long rant version of the story, I managed to get the car towed (at big expensive) to a mechanic. Fearing the worst (in terms of $), my car managed to pull a my car... I love this car to bits, don't get me wrong. Even if it is an ancient tempermental thing... it has always been predictable in its troubles. The battery. In this case the wiring to this key part had fallen apart. Which cost next to nothing to fix!

This whole misadventure however cost us another crucial thing in addition to money. Time. We have so little of it here, and with the number of things we wanted to see on the latter end of the first day we would be cutting it short leaving at that point in the afternoon.

I have felt more defeated and depressed then I did on Saturday (that incident is classified though, and only Camp Team EXTREME ppl will know what I'm talking about), but this was close. After 30 minutes sourly pouring over our defeat, I (with a push from Clare) declared we were going.

With this ridiculously shortened launch window we set off... The story improves from here

Stay tuned for parts 1-3 this week.

Common Sense... Why Haven't I Been Using It?!?

2009-10-05T16:34:00.000+13:00

A new week, a new set of things to do. First and foremost has become the Traumador script. I'm leaving in just over 11 weeks now, and so I need to make sure to crank out all the photos necessary.

I've also got another week of "special operations" to conduct for work. It has been fun so far, and despite weather being a major set back on Friday, the kids are still pretty into the whole thing. Let's hope it holds out till Thursday!

Making this week somewhat different from any other this year, is at the end of it me and Lady R are going away for the weekend. As in going away to a far away destination and not coming back till next week. A proper vacation. Something we haven't taken since our outing to Sydney at the beginning of the year. I am very primed about this, as it is to my last large unexplored NZ frontier the west coast. More about this once I've been.

On the side of all this I have nearly finished modelling the Brachiosaurus. Meaning we're coming up to that exciting phase in 3D known as shading...

Shading and texturing have become an aspect of my artistic process that I haven't been changing or improving on much. It hasn't been since my first photoshop break through in early 2008 that I have changed the overall process (other than working more gradients into the colour scheme).

My lack of progress in shading has become a hindrance to my 3D making further leaps and bounds forward. Meaning it is time I address this limitation.

Sadly researching other great 3Ders' techniques, I've discovered I'm in need of an in-3D painting software. Something I can not currently afford right now. Not to give up though, there is at least one last improvement to my 2D based texture maps I can try.

I haven't gotten there yet, but with this mornings quick side project I will be able to.

I needed to find out how my program was going to distort or warp any 2D texture map applied to a 3D object. For this you need to "sector" check. My old system seen here above (based on the colourful pattern you posted above this picture) while somewhat informative was not overly precise. For my Brachiosaurus (whose long skinny neck and tail pronounce the distortion of the 2D pattern) I need to know exactly what will be happening and where.

Fortunately my recent discussions with David Baas have opened up a number of common sense solutions to these issues. Why I'd never thought of them before is beyond me... but that's why I started ART Evolved, to gather people who could help me out :P

What my sector checking system was missing was a precise measurement method. As my cheap rip off of photoshop doesn't have easy to make grid tools, I'd never thought of spending the time to make one in the early days... I was all into easy quick solutions (ie. lazy), but as I've been learning to make great Dinos you need to invest in them!

So I spent half an hour throwing together this sector checker this morning. I can't claim the credit for the idea though, I basically ripped off David's system from his WIP Plateosaurus.

Applied to my Brachiosaurus I've now got a pretty good idea of what textures are going to do on him. The slight forward shift on the bottom part of the neck may cause some headaches, but we'll see. It might yet be conquerable.

So next time you see him I should hopefully have started on some texturing work.

Progress

2009-10-02T21:42:00.002+13:00

In weekly tradition, had my phone call with Peter. Like always he did an excellent job driving me to improve the Brachiosaur (our phone calls consist of about 50% brutal dissection of the other's work... which might sound unfriendly, but in the end it does us both a world of good).

Here is where he was as of my last post.

I was having such issues with the visual of my Brachi's neck that it prompted me to start this discussion on ART Evolved.

In the end I hybridized the element of the slim Paul with the thickest of the Conway... In other words I made the body end as thick as I could and tapered it into a thin skinny head end.

At moment he might look like he has a rod shoved up his back end, but this neutral pose makes for better posing once I skeletonize him...
As you can see here. This is a test on the model posed, and with its current proportions.

Overall I'm getting quite happy with the model. Though any palaeo-readers this would be the time to tear him apart...

I will be proceeding shortly to a new type of modelling I have never tried. Vertex modelling. It allows me to sculpt more precise details onto the model, but at the same time I'll lose easy control over the "big picture" proportioning. So now is the time to fix the bigger issues...