Senior Portfolio Fall Week 8

Senior Portfolio Post 8

10/25/2018

This week brought a couple of hiccups for my workflow.  A couple major setbacks with my computer had prevented me from getting much work done for a majority of the week.  However, a couple of fixes have at least allowed me to do a little tweaking.  As a result, I have only done a few edits to the previous few weeks' animation of Lego characters.  Luckily, I am putting this particular project to rest for now, as it has been the center of focus for a considerable amount of time now.  

https://youtu.be/nD584pVvSLM

In the meantime, I put what time I had with Maya (while in class) to work on corresponding class work.  In this case character animation.  Starting off a new scene, I set up a few potential scenes without reference to go with different dialogue pieces.  Here are a few screen captures.  While not a main contribution meant for Senior Portfolio, this project will run alongside and I may or may not post updates in posts as well.

Next week, I will begin work on new animations.  I am not sure what exactly, but I do have a list of potential short term and long term projects to try.

Senior Portfolio Preface and Previous Works

Senior Portfolio

Preface

My name is Nicholas Ng, and for this semester of CAGD 493 - Senior Portfolio I will be exploring and experimenting 3D computer animation.  My main focus for these next few months will be practicing and expanding my knowledge of animation concepts, new and old.  The first and primary range of animation involves LEGO models, figures, and other related assets.  The style of animation I aim to achieve with these is akin to projects such as stop-motion, LEGO video games, and the cinematic LEGO movies from the past few years.  The second, supplemental range of animations I want to play with are basic movements and game-type short animations.  For this I will be practicing and hopefully improving my skills with the basics of animation.  Overall, this will provide a nice balance between animation styles, and I can switch over if one area becomes too stressful or uninspired.  For the models and rigs I am using, the LEGO models are semi-custom and based upon real-life bricks and pieces.  For the other animations, I will mainly be using rigs from the BodyMech rig pack, such as the Jack and Herc rigs.  This semester, my goal is to improve my knowledge and understanding of computer animation, as well as learn where I am most comfortable putting my skills to use.

Previous Works

A box weight lift
https://youtu.be/NbM9z-tDVrQ



Quick Game Animation Compilation
https://youtu.be/ILbfovN2Wmk





Scenes from Group Animation Projects
https://youtu.be/dJ1OVghDm3g



https://youtu.be/YP9lJx9D77U

My aim for this semester is to explore and improve upon skills I have developed and feel comfortable doing more of.

Senior Portfolio Fall Week 7

Senior Portfolio Post 7

10/18/2018

For this week, I have once more continued work on the fight sequence.  More holds and time overall have been added to the scene.  Once again, the impact of interactions between the two characters have been a point of challenge.  However, I think the extra time added has helped me gain a better understanding.  There is now more emphasis on action and reaction, and the ending sequence has been updated.

https://youtu.be/G1y9xgbqABo






A new project I have begun planning out is a showcase for messages made out of Lego pieces.  These animations are being created to be shown off at a convention in a few months.  The goal is to really push the use of Lego characters and objects and get closer to official marketing material.  This will eventually become multiple scenarios with different messages, but the concept overall is the same.  Characters will build or interact with a large-scale message in the scene.  More objects may be brought in as further progress is made.  So far, I have only set up the scene, bringing in the objects to be primarily featured (as far as I have planned) and given the most attention.  More and more objects will be brought in to make the scene more final, that will come when necessary.  This project won't be the main focus of my work for quite some time, but I wanted to get started early so development is not rushed.

Senior Portfolio Fall Week 6

Senior Portfolio Post 6

10/11/2018

This week, I made progress on the previous weeks' project featuring two Lego characters fighting. I have continued to spline and cushion the movements throughout the scene.  Specific impacts and non-impacts between the characters have been a bit of a challenge conveying to the camera, but suggestions from the past critique have helped.  The camera itself has been shifted around ever so slightly to find the best angle of viewing the animation.  More work is also being done to create a definitive beginning and end to the scene.  So far, the scene is open to have more actions added in, but whether or not such will happen depends on how the initial animation reads.

https://youtu.be/Q8hVShp-YFg


I have also done a quick test to see how the scene works while animated on twos.  There is not much of a difference, and overall it seems choppy without some tweaks.  I may play around with this idea in future incarnations to get closer to a more stylized movie.

https://youtu.be/_UtHS5dIClE

Senior Portfolio Fall Week 5

Senior Portfolio Post 5

10/4/2018

This week I have begun a new long-term animation.  This animation projects involves multiple Lego characters interacting in a scenario.  One is a brief fight scene where two characters are interacting directly.  I feel the big challenge here is emphasizing the motions and impacts, as well as making the contact between objects seem realistic.  There is a lot more to keep track of even with two figures as simple, as their movements are.  Tricks with the camera may come into play here.  Overall, this is the next step in testing the waters with this style of animation.  This project will take time and development for some weeks, hopefully rounding out into a good showcase of skills.

https://youtu.be/98zPtQ3Yu-4