THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: MAYA AND SUPPORTING SOFTWARE CHECKLIST

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: MAYA AND SUPPORTING SOFTWARE CHECKLIST by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Development

Fantastic Voyage: Developments by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Digital Set Concept Art

Figure 1 was my original idea of my digital set. It was simple and quite plain.

Figure 1

After the suggestions and feedbacks given, I went to rework on the concept art for the digital set and this is the end result.

Figure 2

Fantastic Voyage: CG Pipeline

CG Pipeline by Ayunie Djohar

Visual Effects: Render Layers (Mental Ray & Matte Passes)

Setting Up The Render Layers In Maya

Bringing The Layers From Maya To Photoshop

Plugging In The Matte Layers Under The Channels In Photoshop

Final Image Composited In Photoshop

Visual Effects: Depth Of Field

Before Any Camera Settings Were Changed In Maya

Depth Of Field In Maya
Cons: Too Long To Render, Grainy Effect

The final render that has been composited in Photoshop and After Effects used images from Maya's render layers- The Beauty Pass And The Depth of Field Pass.

Depth Of Field In Photoshop, with Luminance added to the Alpha Channel
Pros: Faster To Composite, More Control over the noise
Cons: Single Image Composite

Depth Of Field In After Effects
Pros: Applicable For An Image Sequence

Another method from Maya is by using render passes from the render settings. To do this, the camera depth from the tab passes under the render settings is associated to the layer named depth of field under the render layers (Channel Settings).

Settings

Depth Of Field Using Camera Depth
Pros: More Accurate In Comparison To Using Luminance Pass

Visual Effects: Render Layers (Software Rendering)

Composited in Photoshop With A Single Render Pass From Maya

Multiple Render Layers, Each Having Different Attributes

The Different Passes From Maya Composited In Photoshop

Final Image From The Compositing In Photoshop

Compositing In After Effects

Visual Effects: Stereo Camera Rigs in Photoshop & After Effects

Method 1: Rendering Stereo From Maya

Before Any Settings were changed in Maya

Adding The Distance And Calculations

Rendered Stereo Image From Maya

Method 2: Compositing in Photoshop

Compositing In Photoshop

Changing The Layer's Blending Mode To Achieve Final Result

Final Composited Image From Photoshop

Method 3: Compositing In After Effects

Using Set Channels Effects

Using 3D Glasses Effects

  The Outcome Of Using Different Effects In After Effects

Fantastic Voyage (Tree Texture Render)

After sucessfully bringing in the tree into Maya, I did a test in texturing my tree. I am pleased with how it looks like as it mirrors my concept.

With and Without Texture

Fantastic Voyage (Tree Setup)

As I wanted to keep the same design of my trees which I have done for my animatics, I looked into tutorials on how to bring it into Maya. Now, I am left to put in the painterly textures on this 3D trees.

Fantastic Voyage - Opening Scene PreViz

I've taken into account the feedback I was given from the pitch and I have decided to do an establishing shot of the scene before I go into book. So here's a previz of what I am going to do for it.

Fantastic Voyage - Opening Scene Set Up

I have done a basic model of the room where I will have my establishing shot for my animation. I had the man in there to give me a rough guidance of proportions. 

Fantastic Voyage Pitch

Fantastic Voyage - The Pitch by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage Rough Storyboard

Here's my initial storyboard for my fantastic voyage project.

Fantastic Voyage Animatics- Version 3

Upon looking at my second animatic, I realised that there was a missing portion in the animation and it does not flow well. So for this third version, I have added the additional scene to show how the Male and Female sex organ looks like.

Fantastic Voyage Concept 1- Final Development

I went to rethink of my concept to ensure that the style throughout the piece is consistent, I have decided to do a fold out light instead and changed the ground to be less textured and more painterly.

Concept 1

Fantastic Voyage Animatic Shot 3

As I looked into the step by step process of this life cycle, here's one of the process where the archegonium releases the content from the neck to the surrounding water which acts as sperm attractants.

Fantastic Voyage Animatics (Opening/Closing Shot)

I have animated the book to help me bring my visualised concept to life.

Fantastic Voyage Concept 1- Further Development

As previously pointed, I have changed the clouds to fit the whole style of the animation.

Concept 1

Fantastic Voyage Concept 1- Rethink

I went to rethink of my Concept 1 and after the feedback, I have decided to scrap the idea of trying to make it real because, afterall, it is a pop up book.