Innehållsförteckning för Christmas 2023 från 3D World

The Gallery CG art to inspire SOFTWARE ZBrush, KeyShot, Photoshop “This was made for an art contest on the topic of futuristic cars with guns. I've liked the Feng Zhu Scorpion tank from the Command & Conquer games since I was little, and I then had the idea of dividing a two-seat car between a pilot and gun. I started with rough sketches of a silhouette, and then wanted to put some logic into the design. I asked how it would work, how it would rotate, and the purpose of adding different details. The goal, and one of the toughest tasks, was to make the shape look good from any angle. • artstation.com/heavyanex “ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TASKS WAS TO MAKE THE SHAPE LOOK GOOD FROM ANY ANGLE”…

• Feature Ognyan Zahariev Ognyan Zahariev is an accomplished lighting artist, every one of his images oozing with aesthetic depth and charm. He has clearly been influenced by a range of other talented developers in the games industry, which has only contributed in strengthening his impressive set of skills. Zahariev's work on the Assassin's Creed franchise has cemented him as an industry frontrunner, and he now works for Tokyo-based Shapefarm from his home in Bulgaria. ARTIST BIO Ognyan Zahariev Ognyan is the lead lighting artist at Tokyo-based studio Shapefarm, working remotely from his home in Bulgaria. After studying computer science at university, he took a games art course at Escape Studios and has worked on titles including the Assassin's Creed franchise. bit.ly/48FSBgZ What was it like studying computer science and…

Feature Houdini 20 Houdini artist www.bilichenko.fr/andriy With its super modern handling of geometry and elegant networking, the brand new Feather tools give Houdini artists an incredible level of creative freedom for making realistic bird feathers. That's what we'll discover today as I guide you through creating a feather coating for a noble eagle, starting from making a basic shape to a range of changes you can use to develop a highly realistic render. You can also follow along with the walkthrough thanks to the scene file available in the 3D World resources. DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES For all the assets you need go to https://bit.ly/3dworld-houdini20 01 FEATHER BASE Grooming the eagle's head begins with the creation of one feather. The shape of the feather should be similar to the shape of most…

Feature Houdini 20 01 PREPARE THE GEO STREAMS Setting up the scenario, two Geometry streams are required to get started. The first one is the flat, unfolded state of the geometry, and the second is the folded plane. Note that Rest Blend will only work with an object that has the same topology for both of the streams. 02 CLOTH AND VELLUM SETTINGS Next, we need to change the Cloth and Vellum settings. The World Scale of the paper used for these settings has the flat paper dimensions at around 13.5 x 6.5. As you can see, the Gravity is set to 0 here. 03 CREATIVE THE MASK Dive into the Vellum Solver and create a Vellum Rest Blend node. Change the Source to SOP and select the Null attached to the…

Feature Houdini 20 Houdini FX artist tcolangelo99.wixsite.com/my-site Building a FLIP simulation, then extending it with a flat extrusion and displacing the new geometry with the Ocean Procedural LOP may seem like a daunting task at first, but we can make our lives easier by building our scene in a way that's easy to manage. 01 BUILD THE FLIP SIM Firstly, we have to build our FLIP simulation. In this case I'm using the SOP level FLIP solver to simplify the process, and I suggest you do too. For this scene, I decided to make the bounds of the simulation follow the boat, which is moving forward, so the whole sim is actually moving. As you can see, I'm driving the simulation by using an Ocean Spectrum. This enables you to control…

The Pipeline Create a perfect 3D scan everytime HANDHELD 3D SCANNER OF CHOICE PU TO THE TEST See our reviews of these handheld 3D scanners Turn to page 90 The 3D scanning market can be pretty confusing at times. The number of different ways to 3D scan an object seems to increase with every passing year, and what was initially something only for the professionals is becoming available to the masses. Not to add to the confusion but to explain the complexity at play, there are photogrammetry apps, laser scanners, structured light scanners, mobile scanners and even contact-based scanning technology. Each option comes with a plethora of hardware types and workflows. Suffice to say it's not particularly straightforward, and you'd be forgiven for being confused when finding your way into the market.…

SOFTWARE: N/A Mike Griggs replies PANIC! It's the one thing guaranteed to break a creative project if not dealt with quickly and decisively. This is especially true if a technical issue gets in the way of delivery on a client deadline. So what are the best ways to deal with a situation like this? Learning to master what to do when things go wrong is more important than taking the accolades when things go right. So when a render isn't rendering, a file isn't loading, or an animation is gimbaling out of control, what are the best ways to mitigate the situation. First, take responsibility for software at a basic file level before dealing with paid client work. This means ensuring autosave is enabled on applications that support it, and…

The Hub Oppenheimer PROJECT INSIGHT News and views from around the international CG community It's always happened, and it has happened once again with the cinema release of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer: the entrance of a film that has tapped into the zeitgeist of its audience, its images capturing a sense of an event that is so dramatic and has such a visual imprint. The film also has distinction when it comes to the work undertaken and realised in terms of visual effects. 3D World spoke with DNEG duo Andrew Jackson, the film's production VFX supervisor, and Giacomo Mineo, a VFX supervisor, about the work of their teams on the biopic. A distinction of Nolan's filmography has been its application of visual effects as part of the total storytelling palette available to…

What do you enjoy most about your role? I really enjoy taking all my experience and using that to support the growth of my team, along with providing them with the best techniques and approaches to the work they create. It's extremely rewarding when I see somebody create something beautiful from a task they initially struggled on, along with gaining knowledge they didn't know prior to commencing that task. I also love the challenge of having to solve problems in real time, both in helping my team overcome obstacles and solving problems in both editor and the art that we create. I also really enjoy the meetings and having the opportunity to make my mark in different areas of the projects we're working on. Each day in the job is…

The Gallery CG art to inspire “I WANTED TO EVOKE THE FEELING OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION LIKE IT WAS A REAL GAME” SOFTWARE Blender, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter, SpeedTree “I was heavily inspired by the games I love like Diablo and Zelda recently, combining strong visual detail with an optimistic tone. I created a modular kit for all the different architectural pieces so I could construct each environment like LEGO; great for quickly sketching ideas in 3D. I used Blender to compose and render everything, ZBrush to sculpt all the bricks and stone, and SpeedTree to create the tree centrepiece. Blender is such a powerful tool to realise ideas and is completely free. I most enjoyed developing the story and compositions of the environments, layering in the detail and destruction, and…

The Gallery CG art to inspire “Pushing my texturing skills was the goal for this project, my first since watching Duard Mostert's AAA laser tutorial. It was my first weapon made entirely in Fusion 360, too. I chose the HK416A7/G95K and textured all of it using Substance 3D Painter, which is the standard in our industry and a good software. The low and high-poly bakes were done in Marmoset Toolbag, and after finishing in Fusion 360, I cleaned and unwrapped in Blender. The high-poly was done in ZBrush.” • artstation.com/howelg SOFTWARE Fusion 360, ZBrush, Blender, Substance 3D Painter, MoI 3D, Marmoset Toolbag…

KEY TECHNIQUE I treated Grand Bazaar as a cinematic in a video game and wanted to put more focus on the rider at the centre, but also make the viewer's attention move to some characters at the side to ignite their imagination. COLOUR AND LIGHT ADJUSTMENTS I do colour grading and additional polishing. In this case I didn't do too much. I just warmed up the shadows a bit in order to emphasise the feeling of heat, but still kept them relatively desaturated compared to the main focal point. I also increased the bloom a bit in order to make the highlights pop. At this stage I also increased the indirect lighting contribution of the directional light in order to get a bit more light and colour bouncing around the…

Feature Houdini 20 Houdini FX artist vimeo.com/jessicadaoud A strand of hair is made up of three parts: the cuticle, cortex and medulla. The medulla is the innermost layer and responsible for a hair's thickness. Surrounding it is the cortex, responsible for the colour and volume of hair, though not so much the volume of fur. The cuticle is the outer layer. In Houdini, the main difference between the Karma Hair Shader and the new Fur Shader comes down to the fluffiness of animal fur. That characteristic is down to the medulla's light-scattering control. If the Medulla Opacity and Radius were 0, you'd turn the Fur Shader into the Hair Shader. “THE MAIN DIFFERENCE […] COMES DOWN TO THE FLUFFINESS OF ANIMAL FUR” 01 IN THE MIDDLE The Medulla options aren't just…

Feature Houdini 20 3D artist www.behance.net/ccamilo Perfect your Viewport To better visualise in the Viewport, activate the Override Look option and adjust the density and shadow as needed, also add a Sky Light at the object level. 01 START OFF SMALL When we're working with volumes, our computers may experience high pressure. That's why it's vital to have a coherent balance between dimensions and voxel size. When we place a Skybox node by default, the values provided by Houdini are optimal to start configuring our clouds (Voxel Size 5, Bound Size 1000, 200, 1000). If your computer tends to work harder when processing this load, you could increase the Voxel Size to 7 or 8; however, higher values wouldn't allow you to see the initial details necessary when configuring your clouds.…

The Pipeline • How to master your portfolio for modelling MODELLING SOFTWARE | VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE After nearing 20 years in the industry I've seen and created many showreels, and can provide you with some insight into what I've learned along the way, and what, in my opinion, are the key elements when creating one. In the world of 3D modelling, your portfolio will serve as your professional calling card; a visual testament to your skills and capabilities. Whether you're aspiring to enter the realms of stylised character modelling, game character modelling, or any other niche, a strong portfolio is your ticket to attracting potential clients and employers. During this comprehensive tutorial, I'll walk you through the process of creating a compelling modelling portfolio that tells your unique story and…

• Artist Q&A Your CG problems solved SOFTWARE: BLENDER Paul Hatton replies The evolution of hair creation in Blender has been pretty varied. It has involved lots of hacks, workarounds and plugins, but a new workflow has begun to take centre stage, and it all centres around geometry nodes and hair assets. Geometry nodes were introduced in version 2.92 and have gone from strength to strength ever since. They are evolving at an incredible rate and every Blender artist would do well to get familiar with them if they haven't already. Geometry nodes provide a powerful way to create and modify 3D objects and are useful for a whole range of situations including scattering objects. It was amazing to see the artist Erindale Woodford create a whole still life scene…

Reviews GROUP TEST We explore the latest software and hardware tools to see if they are worth your time or money 3D scanners have been forging a revolution within the asset creation market in recent years, making the process of generating a 3D model from a real-life object something that anyone can achieve. These types of scanners have found broad market appeal, especially for artists needing to create accurate models and people wanting to 3D print objects they've scanned. Despite the constantly improving technology and all the marketing talk that would make it sound like a monkey could do it, there is still definitely an art to the process of accurately capturing real-life objects using a scanner. The lighting conditions, camera angles and object materials must all be taken into consideration…

PRICE £780/$960 | COMPANY Shining 3D | WEBSITE einstar.com/products/einstar-3d-scanner Shining 3D has developed some impressive scanners, enabling people to digitise objects across a range of fields, with a particular focus on the health sector. Its laser and desktop scanners are both built and priced for pro users. Until the launch of their handheld Einstar 3D Scanner, Shining 3D had no offering for either professionals with smaller budgets or hobbyists wanting an affordable option. That has changed. The Einstar 3D Scanner has been designed to allow a much broader range of people access to digitising technology for 3D modelling and printing needs. UNBOXING The scanner feels as though it's a premium product. It ships with a beautiful, functional carry case that looks good and keeps the product safe from damage. Having…

Follow the link to download your free files https://bit.ly/3dworld-houdini20 MODELS AND TEXTURES EVERY MONTH Download these models and textures to use in your own projects FREE ASSET DOWNLOADS Download a set of fantastic textures from and build your own asset library with these free home decor-themed models from in our monthly model and texture giveaway. HOUDINI 20 BOOTCAMP Discover the new tools included with Houdini 20 including simulated feathers, clouds and more. DESIGN A STYLISED CHARACTER Follow our expert advice and learn to create stylised character models using ZBrush. NEXT MONTH Aardman take you behind the scenes on Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget ON SALE 5TH DECEMBER Subscribe today: vwvw.bit.ly/3dworld-subs…

The Gallery Cg art to inspire SOFTWARE Rhino, Blender, Photoshop “The inspiration here was to capture the essence of invention, where a new piece of prototype technology comes to life in a research facility. The focal point is the laser scanner sensor, high-precision hardware used by scientists on research expeditions for mapping geographical features. The scanner assembly is housed in a tough case with a slide rail system and handles for user access, ensuring the sensitive components are protected during transit. I used Rhino and Blender to model the assets and Cycles to render the final image. I enjoyed creating a realistic interface for the tablet that links to the main scanner, with labels and diagrams inspired by the backlit displays on DSLR cameras. It's vital to imbue conceptual designs…

The Gallery The Rookies SOFTWARE Unreal Engine, Maya, ZBrush, SpeedTree, RizomUV, Photoshop, Substance 3D Designer, Substance 3D Painter YEAR CREATED 2022 The scene is based on a concept by Josh Norman. I absolutely adore the painterly style of his concept and was super excited about how much I could do to bring this work into a real-time environment. With a background in 2D arts, a painterly concept allows me more freedom in the creation process. I had the opportunity to do both day and nighttime lighting with the guidance of my friend Tanay Parab, who is an experienced lighting artist. During the process, I gained valuable knowledge and learned new techniques to help me achieve realistic lighting in Unreal Engine. LOCATION Canada Sylvia is a passionate and self-driven artist with…

• Feature Houdini 20 SideFX has announced its latest software update, Houdini 20. As standard for each release, there are updates across the board that don't get the shine of a visual spotlight, but architectural changes like the introduction of APEX lay the groundwork for what is expected to be future benefits in multiple areas of the product. But more on APEX later, as we first run down some of Houdini 20's exciting new creative tools. FEATHERS The first noteworthy item for us to place in the spotlight is the brand new Feather System. It's GPU-accelerated and enables you to create any feather shape, look and complexity that you desire. You may start by simply finding a reference image and trace the shape of the feather to recreate that exact…

Feature Houdini 20 Houdini FX artist timvanhelsdingen.com In this latest installment of something I like to dub SideFX Snacks, I'm going to create a faux commercial around the new features in Houdini. This time we're having a martini morph into a classic cocktail. Cheers! You can watch the sequence in the Houdini 20 teaser and launch presentation. With Houdini 20, Karma XPU comes with a host of awesome new features and I tried to incorporate as many of these as possible into this sequence. For those of you that don't know, Karma XPU is the hybrid flavour of Houdini's render engine called Karma, using the available CPU and GPU resources. Features usually make their way into Karma CPU first and are later introduced into XPU. With Houdini 20, we're finally…

Whether creating your own design or bringing someone else's concept art to life, your role as a character artist is to capture not only the likeness, but also the figure's essence and transfer all these details into a 3D model. Achieving an appealing look is one of the most challenging aspects when sculpting stylised characters, but the reward is immense when you reach a stage where the character feels both believable and alive. In this tutorial, I'll guide you through the process I followed to sculpt a different take on Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, which is based on concept art by the awesome Luigi Lucarelli. He showcased not only the character's appearance with clothing, which is our primary focus, but also a version without the jacket…

Glen Southern Glen runs SouthernGFX, a small Cheshire based studio specialising in character and creature design. He is a Wacom ambassador, VR Artist, and accredited ZBrush instructor. youtube.com/c/SouthernGFX/videos Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. Mike Griggs Mike Griggs is a digital content creator with over two decades of experience creating VFX and CGI for a wide range of clients. www.creativebloke.com Pietro Chiovaro Pietro is a freelance 3D artist and YouTuber. An expert in the creation of game assets and environments, he shares many of his creations on his channel. www.pietrochiovaro.com GET IN TOUCH EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO rob.redman@futurenet.com Glen Southern replies Sculpting a new creature or character ready for articulation is fairly straightforward.…

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A… NAME James Brady JOB TITLE Lead prop artist STUDIO Build A Rocket Boy LOCATION Ireland ABOUT James is a lead artist who plays guitar and flies drones in his free time. He has worked on Grand Theft Auto Online, Red Dead Redemption 2, Halo Infinite, Dying Light 2, and more. WEB bradyart.xyz Currently serving as a lead artist with Build A Rocket Boy, James Brady is focused on providing support to the studio's internal art teams in Edinburgh, Budapest and Montpellier for both of its projects in progress. Boasting a strong background working with Unreal Engine, he specialises in creating realistic art for props and weapons, outsourcing vendor relationships and managing contractors. His CV includes a host of well-known studios such as Rockstar…

• Reviews Handheld 3D Scanners PRICE £370/$460 | COMPANY Revopoint | WEBSITE shop.revopoint3d.com/products/inspire-3d-scanner FEATURES Single-frame accuracy 0.2mm Frame rate 14-18fps White and infrared LEDs Supports all major file formats FEATURELESS SCANNING The INSPIRE comes with a Magic Mat that has a set of tracking points for scanning an object with no or few features. The mat is handy, but if you don't have access to one you could make your own by placing stickers or some form of markings on a piece of card. + PROS Affordable Great for entry-level users Top-quality Revo Scan software - CONS No carry case No exposure controls on device VERDICT 8.0 OUT OF 10 The INSPIRE is one of the first in a new genre of scanners designed for entry-level users. All three of…