NOVEDGE blog

At the 2013 Bay Area Maker Faire

This year, I attended the annual Bay Area Maker Faire, one of the largest and most extravagant festivals where, "invention, creativity and resourcefulness" can be found in one place. To see all my pictures, check out Novedge on Facebook.

On assignment, I met and rode on my bike with a small group of dedicated enthusiasts at Dolores Park.

Upon my arrival, I couldn't help but notice a fellow cyclist's awesome ride. It turns out the very frame of his MTB bike was crafted out of solid mahogany with absolutely no CNC/CAM! Bay Area native and proprietor of Masterworks Wood and Design, William Holloway has been crafting these human powered locomotives for a number of years now. And if it is any testament to his skills as a craftsman, he reached the Maker Faire before yours truly!



My ride locked and secured, Kinetic Steam Works' printing press beckoned me with its distinct whistle. Compliments to KSW for reminding us that human ingenuity has been ours from the very start and for the freshly printed Maker Faire coasters!

Close by, Fun Bike Unicorn Club (FBUC) had multiple things going on. People could climb into the Whiskeydrome and see if they could ride the wall, or visit their massive tent to check out their showcase of wheeled contraptions. No one bike was the same. The only consistent theme? Pedals, chain and wheels.

The brave and curious, or those wanting to evaluate the sturdiness of their builds, were more than welcome to pedal to the metal with FBUC's Death Defying Figure 8 Pedal Car Race and Power Racing Series. Power Wheels on steroids anyone? 

In addition to the various Thunderdome inspired projects and workshops put on by non profit DIY spaces, Nimby and The Crucible, before CAD and 3D Printing, creativity is still a hands-on endeavor.

Having had my fill outside, what was THE hot topic at this year's Maker Faire? - 3D Printing. In fact, if the pictures are any proof of how crowded the place was, I had to wait in line just to say Hi to our friend and VP of Marketing, Afinia's own Aaron Pratt. The Afinia team worked overtime to answer any and all questions, as were representatives from Shapeways and i.materialise. With a host of printed samples for festival attendees to grab, what would happen to the waste generated? Interestingly enough, the OmNom Project aims to make filament replacement as easy as feeding a monster. OmNom might indeed be necessary, as the 3DMonstr team looks to create an industrial grade printer worthy of Tim The Tool Man's praise. Both OmNom Project and 3DMonstr will have Kickstarter campaigns up soon, follow us on Twitter for updates.

In an exploration of architecture's potential future with 3D printing, The California College of the Arts along with UC Berkeley's Department of Architecture demonstrated new methods and forms for 3D printed architecture on a massive scale. With so much buzz, I had to pinch my shoulder as there was still plenty to see. Moving on!

Amongst other projects showcased, Maker Faire had on display a number of kinetic art pieces and participants were encouraged to interact with them. Benjamin Cowden's creation Eating my Cake and Having it Too (2007) gently rotates its handle to lick a lollipop with a prosthetic tongue.

 

Gather around to reanimate a floating creature with Oakland based artist Anja Ulfeldt's Undercurrent. With the exception of some of the more fragile pieces, most of everything I saw was hands on. A number of masks from pop culture icons were on display as well. For a fanboy like myself, no way would I miss out on the chance to dress up!

 

Do you want to see all my photos? Check them out on Facebook!

And don't forget to follow Novedge on Twitter for our latest updates.

The Edge: Ilan Gabai's Epic Animation

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.

Ilan Gabai: Hello! My name is Ilan Gabai, and I am an effects animator (technical director) located in NYC. I earned my BFA in digital arts in 2007, and have since worked in the entertainment industry. I began my career working on TV shows and live action film, but over time shifted towards feature animation. Today I work as a full time effects artist at Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox. I have previously worked on projects such as Ice Age 4, Rio, Fast & Furious, Lost, Fringe, Rescue Me and more. I like to teach in my spare time, I have lectured and taught courses at Gnomon, SVA & Pratt. I gave my first SIGGRAPH presentation last year in L.A.

As an effects artist I am responsible for developing techniques and creating appealing visuals to support the story. My favorite part of the job is that I am involved with both development and animation of my effects work. Some examples of effects work include Oceans, water splashes, smoke, fire, dust, magic, explosions, destruction, etc.

Ilan Gabai - 2012 FX Reel from Ilan Gabai on Vimeo.

Novedge: You have worked on TV projects, films and animated features. How similar and how different is to work in these different fields?

Ilan Gabai: Short answer: The amount of time you have to deliver your work.

More elaborate answer: While the goals and type of work may be similar, there are quite a number of differences between the project types. They are all pretty demanding in their own unique way. Working in episodic television can definitely take a few years off of your life span. Other than pilot shows and season premieres, you have on average 2 weeks to complete all of the visual effects for an episode. Your studio is generally hired as a visual effects vendor for a larger production company. There really is no room for screwing up. So you look for the least time consuming, most aesthetically pleasing solution. Because you have very little (if any) time to develop ideas, it is best that you rely on prior experiences that have proven results. In episodic television, your development time is during the pilots and premiers which generally have longer deadlines.

I find live action films to be closer in nature to episodic television pilots, with higher aesthetic demands. So you generally have more time to work on a shot, but you are expected to create a visual effect at the highest level of realism. You are still hired as a vendor to work on a larger production. Visual effects for films usually get distributed over a number of studios simultaneously. So there are a number of vfx vendors completing work on different sequences for a larger production studio. Also, as many of the readers are probably familiar with this, the vfx industry is going through a serious struggle right now. The flat rate bids definitely add pressure to the work environment when your employer is trying to stay within budget. Artists are frequently forced to relocate in order to stay employed. These pressures create a more challenging work environment, which made my decision to shift towards feature animation an easier one.

Working at Blue Sky Studios has been a great experience for me. It has been a breath of fresh air. The studio is family oriented, and a pretty fun place to work. Like all work places, we have deadlines and crunch times; but somehow they feel much easier to meet here. Most likely because we have a good recipe for making film production work. Unlike in live action, here at Blue Sky we make our own films. Everybody gets credited for their work here, including babies that were born to artists during production. I think that the fact that our movies are made in house also makes us feel more attached to them. We take the success or failure (but mostly success) of our work very personally. Another big difference between working in feature animation vs live action is our ability to create more stylized visuals. While we do have art direction, artists are given plenty of opportunities to share their ideas and creativity. We usually have time dedicated to developing new ideas and techniques between films or at the beginning of a new production.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? 

Ilan Gabai: I just completed my work for the upcoming film Epic, and am currently working on Rio 2.

I can only share what has already been publicly announced about Epic. The film is based off the children's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs by William Joyce. and is directed by Chris Wedge (Ice Age, Robots). The story is described on Wikipedia as a "battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and evil, and tells a story of a teenage girl who finds herself in a secret world, where she must help a team of fun and whimsical characters to save their world, which also saves the real world."

Back to my opinion: visually, the movie is amazing! Everyone here at the studio really pushed themselves artistically and technically to the next level. You can get a bit of a taste of that by viewing our trailer, but most of the exciting work won't be seen until the film is released. And we are all very excited to share this with the the world this coming May.

 

Novedge: What software do you use? 

Ilan Gabai: I work with a variety of software packages. My main software for effects work is Houdini. I use Houdini for its procedural and non-destructive workflow. While other software packages are slowly catching up, Houdini has been the first to go fully procedural, and is designed from the ground up to work in that way. We maintain a close relationship with the developers at Side Effects Software, and work closely with them to figure out ways to tackle new challenges. The level of support that sidefx has shown us during our productions has been second to none in my experience.

For liquid simulations I sometimes use RealFlow. RealFlow is a great stand alone liquid simulation package. It does actually offer more than just that, but liquids are what they have become known for. After creating your simulation in RealFlow, you can easily export your results to any major 3D package. The company that created RealFlow, Next Limit, is a small and friendly company located in Spain. They are very personable, and work closely with their clientele. For me it is always a huge plus to see that a company goes out of its way to make user experience a high priority.

For general 3D usage, I work with Maya. Maya is the 3D package that I was taught to use in college. It also seemed to be the most wide spread package of choice amongst the US based studios that I have worked for in the past. So until I arrived at Blue Sky, Maya was the main software package at the studios I worked for. It is a strong general package for all contexts of the 3D pipeline such as modeling, texturing, animation, effects and lighting ( with the help of external plugins).

Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the visual effects field? What skills, both technical and personal, are in demand in the industry?

Ilan Gabai: This is a very competitive field of work, which requires an artistic eye and a certain degree of technical know how (it varies depending on the area of specialty).

With technology rapidly improving, it is important that you stay on top of things. I personally read, and practice a lot in my spare time. The industry is filled with extremely passionate people, so it is hard to compete against them if you are less dedicated than they are. For those of you currently earning a degree in the field, just holding a degree isn't enough. You really need to go the extra mile on your own and gain a professional level of knowledge these days. For effects work specifically, it's important to have an eye for detail, a creative thought process and a technical mind set. Finding an artist that excels in all of those areas is sometimes a challenging task.

With all that aside, it really is a rewarding field of work. It doesn't feel like a job when you enjoy what you are doing. I still get excited every time I start a new film, or even a sequence of a film. Also, for me, my work environment is a big plus. We enjoy lots of little perks, game room, film screenings, guest speakers, studio parties, etc. It definitely beats a 9-5 office job!

 

Would you like to see more of Ilan's work? Check out his Vimeo channel.

Are you on Tumblr? Follow us on The World is 3D!

And don't forget that Epic opens in US theaters on May 24th!

The Edge: Matus Nedecky's Flying Architecture

We are proud sponsors of FlyignArchitecture's new contest, Architecture Unchained. To participate, you have to upload your work in progress of an architectural structure free from the constraint of gravity. Franco Folini, Novedge's President and Co Founder, is one of the judges and we are keeping a close eye on the competition. 

So, why not start by learning a bit more about FlyingArchitecture's founder, Matus Nedecky?

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do

Matus Nedecky: Hi all! So first of all, let me thank Aurora Meneghello for giving me this opportunity to be interviewed by Novedge. It's an honor!
My name is Matus Nedecky, I am originally from the small Slovak village of Zelenec. When I finished my high school in a nearby city, I started to attend the BUT - Faculty of Architecture in the Czech Republic. After gaining experience in three architecture firms (full-time during my studies), I decided to go my own way and become an architectural visualizer. There's still a long way to go, even if I have reached some milestones already, which can be seen on our studio's website.

 

Forest house - project postproduction breakdowns from FlyingArchitecture on Vimeo.

Novedge: How did Flying Architecture start? And how has it evolved?

Matus Nedecky: FlyingArchitecture started as a simple blog back in summer 2009. As I started to work in Rhinoceros 4, and I was working on some basic commercial visualizations, I needed to use the same 3D assets over and over again. Unfortunately, there was no website dedicated to Rhino assets at that time, the only package you could get was McNeel's Savanna3D... and I thought I could do better. So I started producing my work. First I created fifty 3D models in Rhinoceros and then I published the website on social media. Leo Bonilla, a great guy from Colombia, and Rendy Himawan, a designer from Jakarta, contacted me right away. These two (and many others afterwards) gave me great support, they shared my passion for this project and they also shared some of their 3D models. And this is where it all started :)

Then many people from all over the world started to share their own 3D models, and FlyingArchitecture grew rapidly.

I believe if one does something with passion, he will undoubtedly do a great job. And I can proudly say I loved doing this! It was and still is such a great feeling seeing all our own models and our fan's in visualizations all over the world (I have seen some models in visualizations by BIG)... it's an honor to serve thousands of people and to offer them something they need.

 

Well, free 3D models were just the beginning... since 2009 I also added other features, like the forum, materials and tutorials. Besides the website itself, I also work on architectural visualizations for commercial clients.

 

Then on December 28, 2009 everything changed. That's when I first talked to Veronika Nedecka, when she was an interior design student (now my wife and the mother of our child) - since we knew each other, we also started to work together, so our professional services went much more pro! Thanks to our images, which were getting better and better, we were offered to teach a workshop on architectural visualization in Barcelona, Spain, and we accepted. Since then, we led workshops in Barcelona, Vienna, Rome and some personal courses in Bratislava. Now we're are planning some more events, so if you are interested... stay tuned! :)

 

Advanced Vienna workshop 2013 from FlyingArchitecture on Vimeo.

I can't forget to mention that our new online store with 3D models is the first marketplace where Rhinoceros users can get truly realistic, high quality, 3D models ready for use in their 3D scenes. Take a look here.

Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of having your own business?

Matus Nedecky: It's not really a walk in the park.... But of course it has many more pros than cons. However you are responsible for everything - you have to care of PR, marketing, the job itself, bookkeeping, etc. There is so much to think about, that it may sometimes seem unbearable. Just don't give up! Even if you think it's not worthwhile and sometimes it is a struggle, there are always better days coming :) For me, better days came with Veronika and my co-workers, Lukas [Filip, interviewed here] and Fabio.

 

The biggest challenge is time management: it's extremely hard to balance it all - work, family, free time, eventually school and also other projects.

The biggest reward for me since I started to work alone has been the lack of stress. I have to admit, I work longer hours than before, but I do not have someone standing behind my back checking what I am doing. Oh and also as an artist I have the opportunity to express myself, my own style and feelings, not just the opinions and style of my team leader... That's the biggest satisfaction!

  

Novedge: What surprised you the most?

Matus Nedecky: Well, I'd say it's the positive feedback! I started working on the FlyingArchitecture website just for fun, and to create something that I needed. You should see the mass of positive feedback I received, it's such a great feeling to receive hundreds of emails that say "Thank you"... That was the best award I could ever get :) So Thank You all, who supported me and who said Thank You... You gave me new energy to continue.

 

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Recently at the FlyingArchitecture studio we are working on tens of residential/commercial buildings for our clients... mostly new buildings for commerce or flat units. From time to time we also have a great opportunity to work on something very specific, like museum designs, firemen stations, hotels and so on.

What I appreciate the most are personal projects. At the moment, I am running about 5 of them, but I can show you some I finished recently. It is very important for me to take a break from commercial work (for most of them we sign an NDA, so they cannot be published) and to create something in my own style with a touch of artistic feeling.

This is the Norwegian house, design and visualizations by FlyingArchitecture:

 

Aluminium house, some romantic idea of where I'd love to live:

 

FlyingArchitecture, our future office design. We jut have to wait a bit for the technology to catch up :)

 

Novedge: What software do you use?

Matus Nedecky: Haha, that's a long and painful story... At university, they taught us how to use 3ds Max, but I gave a try to Cinema 4D, Blender, Modo, SketchUp and Rhino. I have to say that polygons just aren't my blood type. That's why I was so amazed by the NURBS technology in Rhinoceros, which I chose as my primary 3D software.
Since then, I use it on a daily basis. It worked great in college for all architectural drawings and also for 3D modeling and rendering. Its stability and extraordinary user-friendliness just amaze me. And that's why I stick with it :)

 

Besides Rhinoceros, I use V-Ray for Rhino and Photoshop. The combination of these software solutions give us extreme flexibility to finish all daily tasks in a very effective way and within reasonable time.

Novedge: What makes a good render extraordinary?

Matus Nedecky: The most important thing is to be original. That's why I try to keep Rhino as our primary 3D software in FlyingArchitecture. The worst thing that can happen is that  somebody starts to take shortcuts and just mindlessly copy and paste assets to their 3D scenes. There are tons of CGI artists working like this these days... So the direction we are taking is to use custom 3D models and our own photos for exterior postproduction, so we stay original all the time.

Generally speaking, it's always up to the artist, everybody has a different point of view. There is an artist in all of us, we just have to release him :) Don't just copy... create!

 

Novedge: What are your plans for the future?

Matus Nedecky: I always have big plans! I would need several lifetimes to accomplish them all... Of course, there are some particular plans for FlyingArchitecture, mostly regarding the website itself, so we can get bigger and better with our free 3D models database. I'll have more news soon, so stay tuned! And of course, we are doing our best to offer better visualizations to our clients every day. You can check our current visualization portfolio here.

Want to see more? Check out FlyingArchitecture's website.

Ready to share your Architecture Unchained? Read all about the contest here.

And don't forget to get in touch with us on Twitter and Facebook!

The Edge: Samantha Snabes's Giant 3D Printer

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.

Samantha Snabes: I am the catalysts and co-founder of re:3D.

re:3D was founded in January 2013 by a team of six dynamic entrepreneurs with diverse professional backgrounds, yet united by one singular vision: to transform the tangible world through 3D printing. Our founders have more than 50 years of combined experience in engineering, manufacturing, tool and die, research and entrepreneurship.  

Based in Austin, Texas, re:3D is committed to trailblazing new frontiers in 3D printing. Our flagship technology, the GigabotTM, is a high-performance, robust, affordable 3D printer with a build volume of 8 cubic feet -- 30 times the build volume of a standard consumer device. re:3D is also at the forefront of material science, developing novel printer feedstocks including recycled plastics and enriched composites. With a global online marketplace and a localized presence in Latin America, re:3D is reaching untapped emerging markets worldwide.

 

Novedge: Why create a large-format 3D printer?

Samantha Snabes: The vast majority of home 3D printers have a build volume of less than 1 cubic ft, which limits the ability to create at human scale. GigabotTM enables printing in the 8 cubic ft range. Imagine household, industrial, and educational applications. For example, communities are already envisioning 3D-printed furniture, tools, decorative artwork, storage containers, and other functional objects. Architectural firms can now create in-house rapid prototyping at a larger, high-quality scale. Conversely, small production companies can now affordably complete in-house set design. Imagine a micro-entrepreneur in Latin America creating composting toilets and rainwater catchment systems for local sanitation and water conservation projects. Think big, print big.

Novedge: What software do you recommend for 3D printing with the Gigabot? 

Samantha Snabes: With some general ideas of what 3D printing is your next step is to obtain a solid model or .stl file of the object you want to print. There are a number of places on the web where you can download models for printing or you can be creative and make your own models. One of the largest 3D model sites on the web is Thingiverse. There are many other sites as well. Some are tailored to specific markets such as video game design or architectural design.

Modeling the object can be done in a variety of modeling software. Some are free and others can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Google SketchUp is free and can be found here. There is an add-on to Google SketchUp that will export .stl files for 3D printing, download it here. Most any 3D modeling software will work if it can export a .stl file.

It is worth to note that sometimes you may receive a .stl file that is either downloaded or exported that has errors. The most common error is for the model to not be “water tight” or not manifold. If you can visualize a model that has a hole in the surface it would not hold water. For 3D printing the entire outside surface of the model must be completely closed with no holes. There are several ways to fix the .stl model. You can use a free online service called Netfabb cloud service that will automatically fix many problems with your .stl file: http://cloud.netfabb.com/. Netfabb offers stand-alone software that is free as well as a pro version you can buy that offers more features.

Once you have a .stl file that you are happy with the next step is to process or ‘slice’ the model and translate it into commands that drive the 3D printer. There are several free open source community developed software packages for slicing. The above RepRap newsletter is a great source for information on different slicing software. Slic3r is very popular software and there is a well written introduction to Slic3r here. The output from the slicing program is a .gcode file that is essentially a list of X, Y and Z coordinates that the printer reads for movement instructions.

The software, Pronterface, that we use to read the .gcode and move the printer is also open source and community developed can be found here. Before you receive Gigabot we will have even more instruction that will help familiarize you with Pronterface and Slic3r.

Novedge: What is your response to the critics who say that a 3D printer would not be helpful to people who lack access to food and basic sanitation?

Samantha Snabes: Modern society is facing complex, dynamic challenges that require solutions capable of spanning local needs with global demands. re:3D's vision is to harness the rapid growth potential of 3D printing technology to create employment opportunities and new end users in Latin America and other emerging markets. By leveraging relationships with local educational institutions, governments, non-profit organizations, and corporations, re:3D seeks to build communities around customized 3D printing solutions.

Also, the materials we use to create products defines the lifecycle of our economies. 3D printing opens new avenues for sourcing and producing objects that will reposition fabrication in a post industrial world. Recognizing this, re:3D is partnering on technologies to transform recycled materials into plastic filament. "3D re:purposing" will not only drive down input costs, but create new markets for recycled materials, thereby reducing landfill waste and resource depletion.

3D printing alone may not solve the multi-variable problem of global food security and sanitation, but it does have the potential to facilitate small steps as citizen scientists, problem solvers, and entrepreneurs we explore opportunities to improve the world around us.

Novedge: As the title of an article about you asked: "Will 3D printers save the world?"

Samantha Snabes: We believe that 3D printers have the potential to be adapted as enabling technologies to help contribute to solutions that improve life on earth.

Novedge: What is social entrepreneurship?

Samantha Snabes: This is a tough question. I wrote about this theme last year on open.nasa.gov. You can read my response here.

Novedge: What are some of the rewards and challenges of founding and being part of a start-up company?

Samantha Snabes: Any engineering endeavor is a balancing act between the opposing forces of physics: form vs. function; precision vs. speed; feature vs. necessity. Matthew Fiedler, Chief Hacker of re:3D, optimized Gigabot for performance and size at a highly affordable price point for serious hobbyists and small businesses alike.

A second obstacle has been maintaining effective lines of communication within a distributed team. The re:3D founders are currently spread across four distinct geographies: Austin, Texas; Santiago, Chile; Houston, Texas; and Syracuse, NY. We’ve overcome the distance by rigorously maintaining biweekly video chat tag-ups, and prioritizing face-to-face meetings whenever possible. We also leverage multiple communication channels including Google Hangouts, Skype chat, and e-mail.

Novedge: You received tremendous support on Kickstarter: what advice would you give to anyone looking into financing their project using that platform?

Samantha Snabes: Take advantage of local resources and timing opportunities. We were incredibly blessed to have the Start-Up Chile community behind our campaign and fortunate to be featured at the SXSW Interactive festival in re:3D’s backyard of Austin, Texas, the day we launched our campaign. Showcased at Startup Chile’s trade show booth, we ran a live demo of Gigabot printing in action for hundreds of SXSW participants. The demo generated significant buzz and media attention, which catapulted our Kickstarter campaign. In just 24 hours, Gigabot had met its Kickstarter goal, only to double it the following day. 

 

Curious about re:3D? Visit their website.

Looking for a smaller 3D printer? Check out what Novedge has to offer here.

Novedge Webinar #70: Q&A with Maia Merav Holtzman - Rhino 5 - Better, Bigger, Faster!

One of our most popular webinars ever, last week's episode on Rhino left us with lots of unanswered questions once time ran out. Here Maia Merav Holtzman, from Design Rhino, and Pascal Golay, from McNeel, pick up exactly from where they left off.

 

Q: Can you render with a clipping plane so you just render what you see with the clipping plane?

A: Yes, with Rhino's renderer and some others, like Brazil. Flamingo nXt now recognizes clipping planes as well.

Q: Is there a way to quantify the angle when you create a taper (by scaling a sub object) like that?

A: Not with the gumball, ExtrudeCrvTapered for an exact angle.

Q: Can you position the gumball in a specific location on an object - like the end of a curve or corner of an object?

A: RelocateGumball command is the easy way. This is a command you can type at the command line, or put on a button etc. This allows the location as well as the orientation to be set. In addition, you can adjust the gumball by first holding Alt and then changing the gumball control (its center point) location or scale handles, rotation handles or axis handles. With Alt down first, these changes will affect the gumball widget only and not the geometry the gumball is attached to. Object snaps are allowed.

Q: Will we ever get stones to work with in V5 for those of us in the jewelry industry? Gemstones like in Matrix?

A: It’s possible that Matrix hasn’t released a version that’s fully compatible with V5 yet. I imagine that they will soon, but in the interim I’d be happy to send you stones, and there is a downloadable library of them available at here.

Q: Will a V-Ray 2.0 ever be released for Rhino 5? If not I'll be forced to leave Rhino and I do not want to do that.

A: Presumably yes, but Chaos Group will have the definitive answer to that.

Q: Can you scale at all with the gumball? I don't see how?

A: The small squares on the gumball are scale handles. You can click and drag to scale in one axis, hold Shift while doing this to scale 3d and click on a handle and type a scale factor as well (1D only).

Q: Can you add your own environment in the V5 library? Like having our own library within Rhino?

A: Yes, you can create environments from the Environments panel, and save these as files to disk to make them available in any Rhino file. See also the Libraries panel.

Q: Is it possible to scale with the gumball to a specific height or length?

A: No. Only proportion can be entered by typing, not desired size. Use the traditional scaling commands with distance constraints to scale to a dimension.

Q: Patch command seems to have changed a bit in V5.

A: We would need more info to answer this question.

Q: I'm having a weird thing happen that may be related to the clipping plane ... occasionally a shaded model disappears along a moving plane when I am using the mouse ... seemingly moving away and towards me ... that must be some function I am not familiar with. I have to save the model and reopen to get it to stop ... help?

A: Not sure I understand, but please send a model and details to: tech@mcneel.com.

Q: I think when you lift control points it can look harsh, [what if] you want to elevate a point slightly?

A: Use the Gumball and set GumballDragStrength to say, 50%.

Q: What are her settings to get the updates [to a polysurface being edited using sub object selection] to happen. Or how would you disable those updates to the sub objects

A: If the object being edited is a sub object then the rest of the object updates- no history involved.

Q: On the TweenCrvs command is there a way to get it to make multiple curves based on
distance between curves rather than a set number of curves?

A: Sorry, no, only the number, evenly distributed between the inputs.

Q: Where can I find a tutorial on making complex surfaces with 5 edge curves (I've seen a car
fender tutorial somewhere??)

A: I'll need to hunt around but this might help. If you’re still interested.

Q: When using the display options, e.g. tech or chalkboard, may the resolution be set for higher dpi printing over screen resolution? Thanks

A: Use -ViewCaptureToFile, with a dash in front, like this _-ViewCapturetoFile. You'll see that you can set the resolution as needed.

Q: When using the clipping plain can the plain be made invisible to make a screen capture without seeing the plain?

A: The plane is infinite, so you can move the 'widget' out of the way, or just hide it.

Q: You mentioned easily converting meshes to NURBS - can you explain further.

A: This, as an automatic process, is only practical for relatively simple and planar-ish objects using MeshToNURBS. Otherwise, a full reverse engineering process is needed, using the mesh as a reference for new curves and surfaces. There are plug-ins that can help on the Rhino resources page - look for "reverse engineering".

Q: What are your favorite work flows for jewelry design in Rhino?

A: I always work with a caliper for measuring, and like to have my dimensions sketched out in advance. Generally, I will draw my design by hand and import that or an image that I want to work with using the PictureFrame command. Then I will start to build, using that image as a reference point. I do a lot of surfacing commands: sweeps and revolves and lofts, and a lot of reductive modeling using BooleanDifference. Filleting is part of every single piece I’ve ever created. I am always careful to create a watertight model, checking edges as I go even when I plan only to render the model, because I consider it important to build a piece that is cleanly and carefully made, no matter the final use. For more on this, check out our 3D Jewelry Design Google Hangout.

Q: Which do you prefer to use for jewelry design Rhino or Rhino Gold?

A: I prefer Rhino.

Q: Is Rhino 5 capable of 3D printing or casting machines for jewelry, and if yes how easy can it be set up in Rhino 5. Thanks

A: Rhino can export to 3D printing formats. It does require careful modeling to get good, closed, printable objects.

Q: Can the clipping plane be a curved or complex surface, i.e. not a plane?

A: No. AsuniCAD's Dynamic Display plug-in may be useful.

Q: Is there a way of changing the background in the Artistic Display mode?

A: You need to make a copy of the mode- the built-in one is hard coded.

Q: The back of a surface does not have a different color when I am in shaded mode.

A: You need to set that up in the display mode controls- it is not on by default. Go to Tools>Options>View>Display Modes, choose whichever display mode you'd like, and look
for Backface Settings.

Q: Can clipping plane also cut a cross section if wanted?

A: No, not by itself- SectionTools can help, see here.

Q: Will RhinoGold 4 work with Rhino 5?

A. I have heard that it will.

Q: Can you extract cross sections with the clipping plane?

A: Not directly, but this is possible with a script. Look here for ClippingPlaneCurves. Instructions for installing and running the scripts are at the top of the page. IntersectPlane may also be of interest.

Q: Will clipping plane work with the intersect command?

A: Not directly but a script can help: see above. Also, you can always snap to an end of the clipping plane to create a planar surface at the exact same height that can be used for Intersect.

Q: Does the clipping plane work with mesh surfaces?

A: Meshes are clipped, yes.

Q: Do we have smooth options with control points? If we move one we can influence on other
points.

A: SoftMove is the best we have for this currently.

Q: Is there a way to print with hidden lines (not as bitmap or screen grab). The Make2d option is
way too slow for very complex scenes.

A: Use the Technical display mode
 
Q: Thanks but using the print command and in vector mode doesn't show the object in technical
display mode, only as raster mode.

A: Set up a Layout with a detail in technical.

Q: Yes but how do you print not just display it ... Hidden lines can be hidden

A: You can turn off hidden lines in the technical mode. Also see the Pen mode

Q: Thanks I'll experiment using a layout

Q: Can she give the url for her site? Some people may not know.

A: To learn more about Maia's work, visit her website at Design Rhino.

 

Would you like to learn more about Jewelry Design and 3D printing? Join us for our upcoming Google Hangout on Air!

In the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas? Contact Maia directly to learn more about her classes!

Curious about our upcoming webinars? Check out the list here!

The Edge: Eric Standley's Unique Laser Cut Artwork

Today we hear from Eric Stadley, the artist behind these unique laser cut stain glass windows. 

Virginia Tech: Eric Standley from virginiatech on Vimeo.

 

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.

 

Eric Standley: I am an artist with a formal background in painting. Somewhere along the way my allegiance to content overthrew my obsession with paint. I did manage to retain my meticulous nature. I am also an Associate Professor of Studio Art at Virginia Tech.

 

Novedge: Your work is unique. How did you come up with the idea of Laser Cut Windows?

Eric Standley: I was working on a series called AM Wisdom that included laser cutting circle-based patterns into Cheerios boxes. When I was leaving the laser lab one day I stacked a few cut pieces together and was blown away by the layered complexity of the different works. I took out my sketchbook and wrote down a dozen questions that took about 2 years to work through. The dominate question being "Could I be conscious of creating multiple layers that related to one another at the same time?" It's funny, I never considered the work to be windows exactly. I am influenced by Gothic and Islamic geometry found in architectural ornamentation- including windows, but always saw the work as a form of drawing. It's the relationships of the negative spaces between layers that become physical space- an odd transformation from the sum of 2 dimensional drawing to 3 dimensional spaces.

Novedge: Can you talk about your process in creating these incredibly elaborate pieces?

Eric Standley: I sketch a composition first- working out an overall goal. Then I draw each layer in vector-based software. Each layer is cut individually with a CNC Laser. The work is then cleaned of chads, assembled and bound like a flip book. The final stage of my process includes building a mount and frame that holds the work, allowing for a degree of movement that is inherent with paper. The vector drawing process is the most time consuming, taking me months to work through. I draw on a matrix: compositions are constructed across the page and laterally on layers above and below. Generally I work on 3 layers at one time. My max capacity is a lateral consciousness of 7 layers at one time- of which I can do for about an hour. It's taken some practice to do. The closest analogy I can think of is playing chess: to consider 4 or 5 moves ahead and the possible tangents... that's more or less the same facility of my mind- a similar game... 

 

Novedge: What software do you use? 

 Eric Standley: I use CorelDRAW for my vector work. The program has a fairly sophisticated CAD-like orientation while still being visually responsive. It's important for me to see what I'm doing as I make decisions. I have been meeting the limits of the software recently even though the vectors take up a small amount of memory. I am currently working on an Arch that at layer 20 is over 23,000 nodes/8000 objects. I'm having to produce two separate vector drawings that will be cut on top of each other to make one very complex layer. I cut with a ULS PLS6 laser outfitted with a High Power Density Optic package. The optics changed my work- allowing me to cut a thread of paper .008" wide- about half the thickness of the paper itself.

 

Novedge: How does teaching inform your art practice and vice versa?

Eric Standley: I believe creativity is best fostered in an environment that encourages process and discovery. This requires risk taking, allows for individuality and permits epiphanies. Such a learning environment is incredible to be a part of. I provide guidance by way of some wisdom, stories and experiences, and in return I come to know each student, work with them and assist in their goals. I am honored to be a part of and witness their artistic progress.

Novedge: Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming projects?

Eric Standley: I've been working with light recently- illuminating from within the work (as seen in Argos). I've also been working outside traditional geometry and leaning toward bilateral symmetry and asymmetry, as found in water- flow dynamics for instance. These are coming through in Arch 4 which is currently in progress. I've also been working with some hand-made papers, rice paper and transparencies. There are certainly more failures than successes with newer questions and goals, but I feel an urgency to produce the work. It wakes me up in the morning and it is the last thing I'm thinking of before I fall asleep. There is still quite a bit to do within this body of work.

 

Curious to see more of Eric's work? Check it out on his website.

And don't forget to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook!

 

The Edge: Bill Eubanks's Urban Edge

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and your role at urban edge studio

Bill Eubanks: I am a landscape architect with a little over 30 years of experience, which is really hard to believe because I feel like I am still learning. I am the Creative Director at urban edge studio. This is supposed to free me up to mostly design and not manage projects. It works better on some days more than others. I love public meetings, public workshops and the energy of a design charrette. It was a super cool day for me when I became a Fellow of ASLA.

 

Novedge: What drew you to work with the public rather the private space as an landscape architect?

Bill Eubanks: Actually, we do a lot of both. I prefer public work, though, because it benefits and affects so many people. I also love the public process. But some private work can be really rewarding and oftentimes the private sector has a huge impact on the public realm.

Novedge: There are four fun videos on Vimeo around the issues of walkability, community, frontage, land use and traffic. Can you explain your studio's approach to them?

Bill Eubanks: I think we place a lot of emphasis on the public realm -- especially streets. This includes how architecture addresses the street and helps form the public realm. It includes how a pedestrian feels on that street. However, we do very little traditional streetscape kind of work. We prefer to get them right the first time. While we avoid "isms" for the most part  most of our work boils down to what I would consider form based not because it's a trend but because it works and makes sense.

 

Novedge: What software do you use?

Bill Eubanks: Our favorite software is our brain. We try to use that the most. Daily if we can. We use lots of trash and sharpies. Markers are still part of our world. When we do go digital, we use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, SketchUp, and AutoCAD. We also abuse things like Excel to do things that are very graphic - not just spreadsheets.

Novedge: What is it like to work at urban edge studio? What do you look for in an intern and/or an employee?

Bill Eubanks: We work hard but we try to keep balance in our lives. We have fun. We joke around a lot. We also collaborate constantly. It's like breathing for us. Our studio is open, literally and figuratively. We are highly creative and that sneaks out in all kinds of ways. Right now we are listening to the new Sunvolt album, Honky Tonk. We listen to a lot of music. We don't really like cheap beer. Ever. Pretty much, if an intern can hang in that kind of environment and has the ability to make us laugh and to make us think, they will fit in just fine.

 
Novedge: As a small studio, what has been most important in developing and growing a successful practice?

Bill Eubanks: I think consistency in who we are and what we do is so important. We have a reputation to maintain, whether we like it or not. And we live and die by that reputation. So, integrity, ethics, creativity, and professionalism are key to our existence, every day.

Novedge: What innovations do you find most exciting in your field?

Bill Eubanks: Urban agriculture, eliminating food deserts, introducing green infrastructure, embracing urbanity, density, walkability, complete streets, repairing sprawl. These are some of the things we talk about and try to embrace in our practice.

 

Check out more of Bill's work at urban edge studio and connect with him on Twitter.

Would you like to be interviewed for our blog? Do you know a passionate artist or innovator that would be a good fit for The Edge? Tell us on Twitter at @Novedge!

Novedge Webinar #69: Q&A with Chris Stringer - Working with Shaders in Artlantis 4.1

Our 69th Webinar, Working with Shaders in Artlantis 4.1, left us all wanting for more! Here Chris Stringer answers all the questions he couldn't get to during our live Q&A session.

 

Q 01: Can a render from Artlantis be used as a Postcard? 

A: No. A Postcard is a specialized type of low-resolution (400x300 pixel) JPEG rendering with additional information about the scene's materials embedded into it, created in Artlantis using the menu/command Tools/Create Postcard. By contrast, a regular Artlantis rendering created using the menu/command Inspector/Render does not contain this type of information...See also Q 2, Q 12 and Q 24.

Q 02: Can Postcards be moved from one PC to another? Must the Shaders be shared on both rigs?

A: Yes, Postcards can be moved, shared, emailed, etc. Yes, the original Shaders that existed on the computer/project where that Postcard was created must also exist on any other computer where that Postcard is going to be used, if it is to work properly. To ensure that Shaders and other media files used in a specific project travel safely with the project when it is being sent from one computer to another, always remember to save the project using menu/command File/Export as Archive… See also Q 1, Q 12, and Q 24.

Q 03: When you re-assign materials, will it be saved that way when the document is reopened?

A: Yes. Those settings are retained in that Artlantis file. See also Q 9.

Q 04: What are the limitations in Artlantis if a texture is pulled from the web? Do you lose any feature rich operations if you apply your own texture?

A: The limitations really depend on the quality of the texture and the set of accompanying image maps, because your goal in Artlantis shouldn’t be just to use good textures…it should be to use good Shaders. So,what’s the difference? A texture is a single bitmap image that defines one aspect of a material’s appearance. They can get assigned to the material in the 3D modeler or later in Artlantis. The most common type of texture used isa color (diffuse) image map, which are typically made by photographing a real-world material and often digitally altering them to create seamless edges. A material that only has a single texture map assigned to it is going to appear “flat” and less realistic…i.e. more computer-generated. A Shader is a combination of one or more separate texture files(typically all based on the same color image map as a starting point) that work in combination to define a material’s appearance in ways that cannot be accomplished with the use of a single color image map alone. Shaders typically make use of additional supporting image maps to add effects such as bump, reflection, shininess, normals, etc. These maps interact with the scene’s light and reflections to add life-like qualities to the materials. In Artlantis, it is possible to create a custom Shader that has all of the advanced settings of the high quality default Shaders in Artlantis, since they are offered to you within the menu/command Tools/Create Shader From... But, you either need the skill to create the supporting image maps for the shader (if they don’t already exist), or you need to find someone who already has those skills and has created those image maps. You can learn a lot by using the Create Shader From command to examine some of the existing Shaders’ settings and their accompanying image maps.

Q 05: Is there a specific relationship between values of the bump to the normal maps?

A: The bump and normal maps are both typically derived from the same starting point: the diffuse (color) image map. Both can be used to create the illusion of enhanced depth or relief in a Shader by affecting the way light interacts with the underlying color map, however, the normal map can be used to accomplish more than what is possible to achieve with the bump map. The grayscale information in the bump map can only scatter light in the direction of one axis: the Z axis.The normal map is a more advanced type of bump map, using the RGB color information it contains to scatter light in the X, Y, and Z axes. As an example, when creating a slate floor tile Shader, you might start with an 8 x 8 tile grid for the color map.

Giving it a Reflection of .7 and Shininess of 700 would create the following appearance:

You might use a bump map to simulate the depth of the grout lines and provide a rough textured quality to the slate surface. The lighter areas in the bump map will result in that area of the diffuse map appearing raised while the darker areas will appear to be recessed.

The normal map could have some of those same qualities as the bump map. It could have the same basic texture, accentuating the rough texture of the slate surface (below top). However, it could instead be created to scatter light in a simpler, profoundly different way…to make the individual tiles appear as if none of them were laid completely level (below bottom), so that the reflections of the background do not line up perfectly on each tile.

The combination of the bump and the normal maps could be used to both enhance the natural texture of the material and create more of a random appearance to the reflections in the tiles.

Q 06: Chris, can you show us how to use light on interior at night views? Thank you.

A: Lighting will be the subject of a future webinar. In the meantime, you can watch these videos available on the Artlantis YouTube channel: Adding Lights and Physical Camera and Automatic Light Adjustment.

Q 07: How can we make realistic renders like those in 3D Studio Max using Sketchup with Artlantis?

A: The built-in Artlantis radiosity engine strikes an excellent balance between quality and speed. However, if you need something that goes beyond the capabilities of the Artlantis radiosity engine, check out the Maxwell Render engine for Artlantis. By default, it is installed with Artlantis 4.1 in a 30-day demo mode (can be activated with the purchase of a separate serial number) and is accessible from the menu/command Artlantis/License/Maxwell Render Engine (on Mac) or Help/Edit License/Maxwell Render Engine (on Windows). Licensed from Next Limit Technologies, the developers of the standalone version of Maxwell Render, the engine is an optional product that excels at creating hyper realistic renderings with physically accurate lighting behavior. The renderings take significantly longer to produce, but if that level of quality is needed, it is possible to do so without having to leave the familiar and extremely easy-to-use Artlantis work environment. That’s a powerful combination! Normally,you’ll want to use Artlantis for your preliminary renderings (and most of your final renderings, for that matter), then use the Maxwell Render Engine when is has to be perfect. You’ll note that there is a dedicated family of Maxwell Render Shaders in the Catalog of mostly reflective and refractive surfaces. You’ll want to apply those in a different version of your Artlantis project before doing a Maxwell rendering.

Artlantis Radiosity Engine:

Maxwell Render Engine:

Q 08: I had difficulties customizing interior views using white walls in Artlantis. I use the "china", "basic" shader, but never got the realistic view as you can see in this if it's possible.

A: If you want to achieve brighter whites, here’s what to do. In our example here, we’ll be changing the walls. First, you’ll want to have probably either the Basic or Expert Shader applied to your surface. The color doesn’t matter, but just to keep things simple, make it white. Locate the blanc.jpg in the Catalog/Images and drag it onto the surface (the walls, for example) in the 3D Preview window. In the ShadersInspector/Material list, select the blank.jpg texture. In the settings for that texture, mark the Rep. checkboxes so that it tiles horizontally and vertically. At this point, you probably won’t notice any visible changes in the 3D Preview window yet.

With the blank.jpg texture still selected in the Shaders Inspector/Material list, adjust the Ambient slider to the right to maybe around 0.20 or so. You should see the white areas of the walls brighten considerably. If you take the Ambient slider all the way up 1.00, it will increase the white to a very unnatural looking pure white, which you wouldn’t normally do. Note that the ceiling in the next image next has not been changed, thus becoming a point of reference compared to the brightened walls.

Q 09: Is it possible to apply a shader texture in just one face of the imported model? Or do we need to import another model with that face in a different shader?

A: Yes, you can apply a Shader to just one face using the re-assign material command. There is no need to import another model. First, select the face by activating the selection tool in above the material list.

Change the selection method to single face.

Click on the desired face in the 3D Preview window to select it. The selected element will temporarily be highlighted. Then, click on the Apply Material icon, in the Shaders Inspector palette.

A dialogue will appear. In this case, you will want to apply a copy of the currently selected material to the surface. Give the new material an appropriate name.

The final result is a new material definition for that surface, which now operates completely independent of the other elements in the scene that shared its previous material. You can then apply Shaders to this surface as you normally would in Artlantis…just drag and drop a Shader directly onto the surface in the 3D Preview Window.

See also Q 03.

Q 10: How can we use HDRI files to get shaders affected within the environment?

A: While it is true that HDRI does affect the appearance of Shaders in the scene, that’s a lighting/background topic really best left for a future webinar. In the meantime, you can watch this video available on the Artlantis YouTube channel: Artlantis 4.1 - Adding HDRI Background.

Q 11: When we render the "white" shader from native Artlantis there's always a little bit of gray aspect. How can we control this shader to put it more with and apply to interior walls?

A: See Q 8.

Q 12: Since the Postcards are just jpegs, do they have to be generated from Artlantis?

A: Yes, they must be generated from Artlantis, because they are not “just” jpegs, they are specialized jpegs with additional information embedded into them. See also Q 1, Q 2 and Q 24.

Q 13: Can you do paint on the surface, like graffiti effect?

A: Yes. While there is no paint brush tool in Artlantis, this can be easily achieved if you add an alpha channel to an image in Photoshop to mask out its background. In the alpha channel, dark areas will mask the image and light areas will remain visible. Export as a TIF or PNG, then drag and drop that image file directly into the Artlantis 3D Preview window. Scale, reposition, and check the Use Alpha Channel checkbox.

Q 14: I have problems with 3D plants from version 1.2 looking very rough when rendered in 4.0. Do you know why that would be?

A: That would be a question for the Artlantis technical support team. We would need to know what plant files you’re using, a few things about your system and setup, and might possibly need an archived project file to diagnose the cause and offer a solution. To submit a support ticket on artlantis.com, use this link.

Q 15: Is there an easy way to use alpha channels in Artlantis, so you can make realistic looking grass for example?

A: Yes, but Shaders might not be the best option. The problem with many grass textures (and even high quality grass Shaders) is that from a far distance, they appear too repetitive, while from a close distance, they appear too flat. You could start with a grass Shader, and drop one or more subsequent grass textures onto it (with various bits masked out using an alpha channel to show the other underlying grass texture) to create a more randomized appearance to the grass texture, but this does nothing to resolve the problem that in real life, unless you’re on a golf course, grass normally doesn’t look like low-pile carpet.

Grass 1 with alpha (goes on top)

Grass 2 (goes underneath)

Grass textures 1 and 2 combined. The blend creates more randomnessthan using one texture alone, however it still looks pretty flat.

Grass is a material that is really difficult to simulate through just a texture and some bump and normal maps, because in reality it is a highly volumetric type of surface. Yes, you’ve got to put some kind of ground material in your project, but rather than taking great pains to create a Shader to simulate grass or using a high-poly 3D grass object, you could instead make a composite for your final image. Artlantis provides the option to save out a rendering as a Photoshop file. The resulting file contains 5 separate, very useful layers: MODEL_FRONT (the foreground elements), BACKGROUND (the background elements), MATERIAL (a materials map, differentiating the materials in the scene by unique colors), OBJECT (like the materials map, only for objects),and ZBUFFER (a grayscale depth map of the scene). The first 2 layers combine to create the finished rendering, but it’s the last 3 layers that can be very useful for post-process editing.

If you don’t already own Photoshop, stop what you’re doing and order it now. If there’s one other tool you need to create great renderings, it’s Photoshop. We can open this rendering in Photoshop and quickly use the magic wand to select the ground plane in either the OBJECT or MATERIAL layers. We create a grayscale mask from this, then apply a glass distortion filter to it to give it more of a rough edge.

Next step is to combine the rendering with a real image of the site or a photograph of a neatly manicured lawn (via a quick trip to a stockphoto website). I located 2 suitable images, used the content-aware fill to extend and touch up some areas, blended them by setting one of them at 50% opacity, then brightened the result with an overlay layer. Grass is brightened by adding a new solid green layer, set to overlay at 28% opacity

The final result of the new grass added into the overall composition is pictured below. Much more convincing! Since this is a tutorial about adding grass textures, I won’t discuss the additional compositional elements, cropping, and other adjustments that could be done to this image in Photoshop to make it a fully realized architectural rendering.

Q 16: What is a good practice to make good use of those different mapsto make better looking gaps or displacement?

A: See Q 5.

Q 17: We've had a lot of problems with swimming pools in particular. If in the modeler the solid element (slab) for the water actually touches the walls around it then Artlantis shows a black surface when rendered. We've been doing a work around which is leaving the water short of the walls and floors of the pool by about 1 cm inorder to not have the black surface. Any suggestions?

A: Sometimes, a simple work around is the best solution! You might also try just using a flat plane for the water. I once talked to a person who was rendering an interior and was puzzled by the way that the exterior looked wrong through the windows, even though everything was oriented properly and set up correctly. As it turned out, she was using the “glass” refraction option in her windows’ glass Shader settings, which was warping the view of the exterior like a magnifying glass. This was quickly and easily resolved by simply changing the glass refraction option to “air.” Your issue might be related to something like this…some weird refraction happening at the water’s edge. If you think this is a bug, you should create a support ticket with the Artlantis technical support team. They would probably need an archived project file to diagnose the cause and offer a solution. To submit a support ticket on artlantis.com, use this link. Another option might be to try posting in the Artlantis forum.

Q 18: Good afternoon, in my experience with Artlantis I have a problem with exterior renders. In general, is there a simple way to make the default shader to look more natural, I mean imperfect, weary or grayed out?

A: See Q 13 and Q 15 (first half)…stacking alpha channel images on to materials. The repetitiveness of the brick wall in the example from Q13 is definitely broken up by the graffiti, but in your case, you will probably be using a more subtle pattern (maybe a light layer of patchy dirt/grime that is applied across the surface), with maybe a few additional one-off textures applied here or there to resemble pockmarks or imperfections. You can apply as many textures as you want over top of a material, and you can opt to have them simply operate as one instance, or repeat to tile across the surface. Also, keep in mind that when a texture is applied to a material, that texture can then be set to be 100% transparent and used as some other kind of map (such as a Bump map) by adjusting the relevant slider (such as the Bump slider). So, you can really stack up or layer a whole series of graphic effects onto a material to achieve just about anything you want for imperfections or weathering.

Q 19: Can you render the pool image we're looking at?

A: Here’s another look. Sorry, the high resolution version stays with me!

Q 20: Are Artlantis 4 and Artlantis Studio separate applications that need to be purchased separately?

A: That depends on what you need. Artlantis 4 is available in two separate packages: Render and Studio. Render creates still images only, while Studio creates still images plus dynamic content like animations, VR object movies, and iVisit 3D panoramic VR presentations. You can start with Render, and if you ever need to create any of the dynamic presentation content, you can upgrade to Studio for very close to the difference in cost between the two applications. Incidentally, they both use the same file format interchangeably, so an office team could easily use both Render and Studio on the same project files.

Q 21: Can ImageCels be incorporated in Artlantis?

A: Yes. According to the imagecels.com FAQ, their “images (people,trees, etc.) are 2D in the 32 bit .TIF (LZW compressed) file format with embedded alpha channel masks. They are placed against a 0,0,0 black background. Textures are 24 bit .TIF (LZW compressed),seamless and tileable.” TIF is one of the many file formats that Artlantis supports, including support for embedded alpha channels.

Q 22: What are good websites to get HQ textures?

A: There really are a ton of them. Our store, objectsonline.com, sells 6different volumes of Artlantis Shaders, but we do not carry any stand alone texture files. Marlin Studios is one old favorite. Another is TurboSquid. But, even with a site as huge as TurboSquid, I will often start my search by using Google image search, and then happen upon professional texture websites along the way, once I find the best example of a texture for whatever specific material I’m trying to create.

Q 23: I was an Artlantis user for many years and missed the latestupgrade path. In 4.1 can we re use all the shaders that we have for the past versions? (vol 1-10)

A: Artlantis has been around since the days of big hair and spandex (although being a French product, I’m not sure what was popular in Paris back then). When Artlantis was completely recoded and released in 2005, Abvent reset the version numbering to 1.0 and split the product into Render and Studio. Users of the legacy version, which had reached v.4.5, had a period of several years during which they could upgrade at a discount. Currently, users on Render or Studio v1.0 or later are eligible for a discounted upgrade to Render or Studio v4.1. Regarding the legacy Shaders, if the disc they came on is copyrighted year 2000 or later, there is still a chance they might work. Backwards compatibility was available for the legacy Artlantis Shaders volumes1-10, if they were released on or after year 2000. Although many of them still might work, they are not officially supported anymore. I’m not sure if yours will still work for you, but you could test that out by downloading the Artlantis 4.1 demo version, which runs without a serial number for 30 days. You would just need to copy your legacy Shaders into your programs folder…Artlantis/Media/Shaders/.

Q 24: Are postcards embedded in the project file, or do we need to transfer postcards to other computers where the project file is being worked on?

A: Postcards are separate JPEG files that are created in a project, but are saved outside of and operate independently of that project. Do not rename or edit them! They should normally be stored in your program's folder…Artlantis/Media/Postcards/. You will want to keep copies of the Postcards on any computer where you may later want to access them.You should also ensure that any Shaders referenced in a postcard also travel with the Postcard. See also Q 1, Q 2, and Q 12.

Q 25: What is the difference between reflection and fresnel settings?

A: The Reflection setting of a Shader controls one aspect of the Shader’s appearance: its ability to reflect light. The Fresnel Transition can, in effect, dynamically override or exaggerate the Transparency and Reflection settings of the Shader. In order for Fresnel to have any noticeable impact, there must be at least some level of transparency and/or reflectivity assigned to the material in the Shader settings. Fresnel will increase a material’s apparent reflection/opacity as a surface is oriented more obliquely, angled to face away from the observer. Conversely, a material’s apparent reflection/opacity is reduced as a surface is oriented more tangentially, angled to face toward the observer. When a material is assigned a low Fresnel Transition value, the apparent differences between the material’s reflection/opacity, when viewed at different angles, are exaggerated. When a high Fresnel Transition value is used, the differences are minimized. The following images illustrate these differences.

High Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…minimal differences

Fresnel Transition: 8.50 Transparency: 100% Reflection: 100%

High Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…minimal differences.

Fresnel Transition: 8.50 Transparency: 0% Reflection: 100%

High Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…minimal differences

Fresnel Transition: 8.50 Transparency: 100% Reflection: 0%

Low Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…major differences.

Fresnel Transition: 0.50 Transparency: 100% Reflection: 100%

Low Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…major differences.

Fresnel Transition: 0.50 Transparency: 0% Reflection: 100%

Low Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…major differences.

Fresnel Transition: 0.50 Transparency: 100% Reflection: 0%

 

Looking to purchase your own copy of Artlantis? Check it out at Novedge.

And don't forget to connect with both Novedge and Artlantis on Twitter, to stay in touch!

The Edge: Ryan Swanson and The Urban Conga

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

Ryan Swanson: My life began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I went to high school for architecture. I then moved to Tampa about 7 years ago to attend The University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design where I will soon receive my Masters in Architecture.  I'm an aspiring architect, designer and creator. I like to make things and make things for a reason.  I hate making something that has no back story or reasoning for its existence. I try to live by this quote from Jim Henson - "When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.” It's kind of cliché but I believe if I'm alive I might as well make it worth it.

What do I do... Well I try to dip my hand in just about anything I find interesting. I coach and play volleyball, dj on my spare time, and pretty much just try to live life as much as possible.  Which is a hard task to do while in Architecture School. I recently have really gotten into emergent technologies and how they can be used in a large scale realm to push urban activation. So I spend a lot of time learning and designing. I never want to stop learning.

Novedge: How did you become interested in architecture and the public space?

Ryan Swanson: I think my interest in architecture kind of came about when I was young and asked my mom what I could do that involved math and art and she was like "architecture." That started me down this crazy wild path to where I am today. I didn't really get into public spaces until I went to Europe about two years ago. Me and some friends backpacked around for 5 weeks going to about 7 different countries. I began to see what a real public space was and actually be a part of their activeness. It's one thing to read about how a space is in a book than to actually experience it. I saw how people began to come together and interact with one another through the space. It was something that I never really saw in Fort Lauderdale or Tampa in the urban environment.

When I came back to the States I had just actually moved close to downtown Tampa and began to ride my bike there quite often into downtown. Before I never had a reason to drive the 20 min to downtown because there was never anything going on.  I began to ask myself why Tampa was unsuccessful when it came to public spaces.  It had some of the same parks, spaces, and open areas that I experienced in Europe. I began to realize people just either didn't know that the spaces existed or that it was ok to hangout in an empty grass lot. Or, it was just that there was nothing going on for them to want to hang out there. If you look at any big city you can walk down a street and feel like you are alive. Something is always happening or about to happen. I wanted to make this happen in downtown Tampa. I felt it had the potential and wanted to begin to create a change in the social interaction downtown.  Public spaces are a way for people to escape and with the way our world is looking these days people need any way they can get to escape the harsh realities of life and come together.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Ryan Swanson: I'm actually working on a couple of different projects right now. One is this interactive projection installation I call Projecting Fun. The idea for the projection installation is that it is something that can be easy to transport and it can be as big as you want it. The installation is done using the xbox kinect and processing, an open source code driven software.  Right now I have a simple script that reads movements of the body and allows one to dance and play and see themselves projected at a large scale doing it. The idea of this installation is to promote interactive activity in inactive spaces. It draws people in but also makes people begin to appreciate and notice the space they are occupying. My goal is to give people a good time and break up their typical route, but also make them appreciate the space they are in. I have done this installation in two locations, one on the side of an old facade and the other under an overpass. So this is something I have done but I am still working on making it different and more playful.  

The next thing is a prototype for this thing I call the Space Manipulator. The idea is that it's this cube that is placed within an inactive space and it can be broken down to a multitude of spatial arrangements for people to interact with. The idea is to get people to begin to play and work together on something and to create this idea of public interaction. The whole concept is to get people to come together in a space that isn't regularly used but is an interesting public space that should be activated. So when bringing this installation in I hope to not only give people something they can hang out on and move, but something they can begin to discuss and figure out. Public spaces are about bringing people together and creating a place for people to be interactive and become a part of the space. It's about creating a conversation between the human body and the space around them.
The Urban Conga is working on a bunch of different projects right now and they can be seen on our website. But something that has recently fell into our arms is helping design, create, and run a Fab Lab in South Tampa. Essentially we are working to create a place for learning and collaboration. The idea is that the house is always developing projects done by people coming to the Lab to learn and create. We hope to set up a studio in the Lab and begin to collaborate on a lot more public installations with creators from the Tampa area.  

Novedge: What software do you use?

Ryan Swanson: Software is something I told myself I want to have a vast knowledge in. It's like being a painter; you don't want to paint with just one color. Through architecture school and 3d modeling I have become really familiar with 3ds Max, SketchUp, V-Ray, AutoCAD, and Photoshop. I use these programs for prototyping ideas and mostly for rendering and setting up files to be laser cut or CNC routed. 3ds Max is also good for animations for showing how interactive installations work or for getting accurate prototypes to pitch ideas.  When showing people what you plan to do it's all about making it as pretty as possible and 3ds Max can do that for you. Rhino, with the Grasshopper plug-in, is probably the program I use the most for modeling and designing ideas.  Rhino is great for parametric modeling and also it has an endless supply of plug-ins and can do a multitude of functions. Grasshopper is a generative modeling tool for Rhino that uses algorithms to create form. It also can be interconnected to Arduino which is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The two can be used together to create real world interactions and create a digital model from that interaction.  Another program I use for interactive projection installations is Processing. It is another interactive open-source software that runs off of Java. The great thing about Arduino and Processing is that everything is open source, so everyone is willing to share ideas, code, and help. The idea is to keep pushing the limits and for an idea to keep growing. So if you make something maybe someone else can make something cooler with the thing you created and then so on. I believe technology is important to keep up with the ever growing society we are in. So I keep trying to find new software that I can learn to make things better and bigger with.

 

Novedge: What is the Urban Conga?

Ryan Swanson: The Urban Conga is a collective group of creators activating urban spaces through interactive installations.  We stimulate urban spaces through exploration, activation, and above all interaction. The objective is to spark a conversation between the public realm and the human body through interactive installations. Our mission is to start The Conga Line!  We want to collaborate with other creators and begin to start a movement in inactive areas.

 

We are not a group of artists that create static public art to make a dollar. Our philosophy is to inject care into local communities by accentuating and enhancing the beauty of the current urban conditions! With like-minded passions to better communities, we are turning unused and overlooked urban spaces into interactive places to live, learn, and love your city. The Conga started in September 2012 when I and a couple of other students at the University of South Florida School of Architecture realized we were interested in solving the problem that our downtown is having with activation. So in doing my thesis I tried to incorporate my research into The Urban Conga in how to interact with people and what they best respond to in order to begin to activate these unused spaces. Our goal is to start a movement! We hope there will begin to be an Urban Conga group everywhere just giving people something to do and interact with and have fun. Our whole motto is "Come out and play!"

Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of being part of a collective, such as the Urban Conga?

Ryan Swanson: Everyone works in groups in school and hate it. I feel this gives a false reputation on collaborations or working in a collective effort.  In the working world this is something a majority of people have to learn to accept and deal with. I think working with other people is how to make something better. If you lock yourself in a room you are only getting one perspective on the thing you are doing and that is your own. When you put together a bunch of people that have different skill sets something amazing happens. IDEO is a design consulting firm that solely believes on creations through a collaborative effort. They are one of the top design consulting firms in the nation due to this mind set.  If you look at any online open sourced software, people collaborate everywhere. Someone puts up some code that does a basic function and someone else takes that basic function and makes it fly a rocket ship.  Maybe that's a bit extreme but my point is that things grow from a collective effort, every time being pushed to be better and different. At the same time you do run into problems with communication and people not being on the same page,  but I feel in the end the rewards out way the some time bickering and arguments over how things should happen.  The way the Urban Conga is set up is anyone can come to us with an idea and the motivation to make the idea happen.  What we want to do is make that idea for an interactive installation happen. Either through helping that person with funding or just helping them build and design it. Ever since we started this collaborative group so many artists, performers and creators have reached out to us to make stuff happen. People need something that is actually out, doing stuff that they can sort of latch onto. Collaborating with these people just helps me learn more of their specific skill set.

 

Novedge: What advice would you give to people looking into going to college to study architecture?

Ryan Swanson: If you want to study architecture in college make sure it is something you are truly passionate about because it takes over your life!!! Keep your mindset open when it comes to what design and architecture are when starting. You will realize that the knowledge you learn in architecture school can be used in so many different ways of design not just in building buildings.  Also architecture school is all about teaching the art side of things and not the real side of architecture so make sure you study how things functionally work and about coding and all that jazz as well as the fun stuff. Architecture school becomes a part of your life you kind of begin to realize no one outside of architecture school really understands what you are going through. It makes you feel sort of like an elitist in the college world but also excluded. Learn to love the studio and make it your home. Working in the studio is the most important part of architecture school. It goes back to the whole idea of putting different skill sets into one room and learning from one another. The main thing is just to hold on for the wild ride architecture school will bring you!

Want to see more of Ryan's work? Check out his website and Vimeo channel.

And here's a link to The Urban Conga's website.

The Edge: Headless Animation

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do

Headless: We are three directors/creators from Spain: Adrian Garcia, Alfredo Torres and Victor Maldonado. We´ve been working in animation for many years and five years ago we decided to get independent and create our own studio, Headless.

Headless is a very small studio specialized mainly on design and the production of very small animation pieces. We work for other companies (Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Disney…) while we keep developing our own ideas and projects. Currently we´re trying to finance a 2D European animation feature that hopefully will see start of production during this year.

HEADLESS DEMO REEL 2011 from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

Novedge: How important is team work in your field?

Headless: I think it's essential. It's very difficult (with few exceptions) to imagine animation without team work. I guess we're the living proof of that as all the work we produce is made by the three of us. We have a very organic way of working that consists on sharing and working together all through the different stages of production. For instance, when we are trying to find the style of a project or designing the characters we take each other's work and rework, change it over and modify it in order to improve the result. There's no problems with ego as we know that's the way to achieve a great result.

Novedge: You have a very distinctive style. How did you develop it and why?

Headless: I think it's been a matter of years and years working the three of us together. Separately we have different styles but when we work together we use the strengths of each other in order to create what you might call Headless's style. Also the fact that we have similar taste in animation and art in general makes it easy to create a coherent style. We are obviously drawn to a very stylized sense of design, we like our work to be cheerful and happy and we pay special attention to color and light…

Having said all that, it took time, effort and getting to know each other to reach a solid style. Needless to say, we still have a long way to go, of course!

"MY FAMILY AND THE WOLF" teaser from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? 

Headless: The last project was this little promo called Strange Oaks. It´s something we did on spec just for the pleasure of developing our CGI skills. It´s a fake commercial for witches.

"STRANGE OAKS" from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

Although the piece is a separate thing that we made for fun to promote the studio, there's a story in the world that we're developing. The premise is simple: Strange Oaks is this little town where they've gotten used to every night protect their kids from the attack of relentless witches.

At the same time we're developing what we want to be our first official Headless short film. It´s a story called Kingdom of NO that will be traditionally animated. It’s a project quite ambitious for a short film and so we´re preparing a Kickstarter campaign in order to finance it. I guess in the upcoming month you'll know more about it. We´re very excited with this, because we believe it will be something very special and cool.

Novedge: What software do you use? Why?

Headless: Strange Oaks was made very traditionally in terms of CGI. We are no experts so we needed guidance from a CG artist, and Javi Verdugo helped us through the process. The piece was made with XSI, the render is with Arnold and then we took care of the post production in After Effects.

The reason of using this software is 100% practical. These are the software titles we had available and we know how to use.

When we do traditionally animated pieces (most of them, really) that we animate on a Wacom tablet with a software called TVPaint, a very simple but great software that mimics the way you'd animate on regular paper. Then we paint the animations on the same software and compose the scenes in After Effects. Again, a very basic, normal way of doing things.

Novedge: What are some of the rewards and challenges of owning your own business?

Headless: The reward obviously is you are the one deciding the direction that you want to take your business, your studio. Having the power to decide what you do and what you don't, when to focus more on certain area and less on some others. Ultimately you're the one responsible for the image of the company and that's really great.

The challenge I think is pretty obvious… surviving, keeping the studio alive. These are definitively very hard times and work never comes easy, even if you have some reputation. We are in a peculiar situation as we are officially a studio but we don´t work as other studios, meaning we offer very little services and we are very picky about the jobs we accept.

Novedge: What advice do you have for young people who would like to work in animation? 

Headless: I don´t think we can give much advice, particularly in CGI, as we don't have much experience in that field. We can talk about animation in general. What we always tell people is to be very open-minded and try to develop their own personality, world, style (call it what you will) at the same time as they develop their technical skills. Some people get really obsessed on the technical stuff and forget that what will make the difference at the end of the day is their personality.

Also, try to absorb as much as possible from all types of artistic disciplines, be open minded about cinema in general, art, sculpture, literature… that´s only going to help you being a better and more complete artist.

 

Would you like to see more? Check Headless work online, on their website, Vimeo channel and blog.