Jamie's Jewels

Real-world Tilt and Shift inspiration, for those quiet rendering periods

**Updated, 01 Feb 2011**

Hi All

I imagine most of you read this blog to stop you from going crazy during those rendering periods, so I thought I would share the below link that I found today.

These are not rendered, but are real-life photos creating the effect of a minature world. I'm always fascinated by photography and strongly believe this helps with my computer rendering, so with this in mind, grab a coffee, and have a look at this external link of Tilt and Shift examples. (Update: Regrettably it appears the previous webpage is no longer live. Instead, take a look here. )

 

 
Wjm0139

The secret, In my opinion, to recreating Tilt and Shift imagery is:

• Strong contrast,
• Heavy use of realistic Depth of Field
• and an increase in Colour Saturation and Vibrancy.

There are many amazing examples out there, but one of the finest for film is the very talented Sam O'Hare, (Ex-Uniform employee, and now working as a Director in NYC.) It's worth noting how the clever manipulation of frame rate exaggerates the 'little toy world' feeling.

"Please view in HD and full screen for best effect. For a description of the shoot, camera, lenses and workflow, please see here: bit.ly/​aFmaPZ"

And Finally, If your hungry for more examples, you can visit this Flickr community to go through the thousands of uploaded examples.

I hope the above provides some inspiration, and as always..... Happy Max'ing.

 

An Introduction to Visualisation & more...

Hi All

I've finaly got around to uploading two published articles. I've been fortunate enough to write a number of articles, but the two which continue to receive the most questions are now online. Please click on the below titles to read them, and as always feel free to email me with any comments.

An Introduction to Visualisation.

Not Just a Pretty Picture.

Thanks, once again, to all the companies who over the years have kindly supplied visuals for the articles.

Happy Max'ing

 

Are you an Autodesk ‘Viz’ user?

Hi All,

Do you have a copy of Autodesk Viz sat on the shelf collecting dust? Maybe you use ‘Viz’ daily, but want the latest features and power of 3ds Max Design? Well the below options might just brighten your day and potentially save you 50% off the list price too. Now that should revitalise you after getting through Monday, which is reputedly the most depressing day of the year, or ‘Blue Monday’ as its commonly referred to as.

  

Autodesk Viz 2008 customers:

• 3ds Max 2011 Upgrade (50% off new seat price, yes, you read that right a whopping 50%)
• 3ds Max Design 2011 Upgrade (50% off new seat price)
• Only available until 15^th March 2011 when 2008 products will be retired and become known as ‘legacy’, see below for this saving.

 

Autodesk Viz 3 > 2007 (Legacy) customers:

• 3ds Max Design 2011 Legacy upgrade (30% off new seat price)

 

Many of you will always purchase 3ds Max/Design with Subscription anyway, but it’s worth noting that it is mandatory with both of the above options. What’s subscription? Then click here.

You don’t have a copy of Viz?

OK, so you may not have a Viz, but do you have some other Autodesk CAD applications not being used in the office? Yes, then why not think about upgrading or cross grading these products to 3ds Max/Design. Contact your local Autodesk M&E reseller for more details.

Happy Maxing.

Warning (3ds Max) Monsters, Do not Venture Beyond this point.

Hi All,

Gareth Edwards, is a name you will be hearing more about in the next few years within the film industry. His recent film project 'Monsters' is at the cinemas now, and is certainly receiving positive feedback from the critics. But, like any good 3ds Max user you will probably look extra hard at the special effects (FX) in the film, and you certainly wont be let down. But why am I telling you this? Well the good news is that Gareth Edwards used 3ds Max for them. In a number of recent articles including T3 magazine (Issue 184, pg 130) it's mentioned how he used 3ds Max to create countless VFX shots to an amazing standard, on such a small budget. You will be even more impressed when you find out he did all the effects himself on the project. (I'm guessing he never slept, ate, drank.)

View the below trailer, to give you an idea of the impressive quality he has achieved with his copy of 'Max' and a large amount of natural skill.

 

Gareth Edwards is no stranger to FX though, and notably worked on the 'Attila the Hun' project for the BBC. I believe this was about 2008, and remember approx 250 VFX shots being required.

In the below 'Intel' advertising YouTube clip, you get a glimpse into how he used Adobe's After Effects with 3ds Max to produce a fantasically simple but also amazingly advanced final shot.

 

I hope this gives you some inspiration on your next 3ds Max project, and the next time your at the cinema, why not support one of the many films, like Monsters, that 3ds Max has touched.

Happy Max'ing

 

XBR - Update Webinar from Autodesk's Ken Pimentel

Hi All, 

Autodesk’s Ken Pimentel, is hosting an XBR (Excalibur) update webinar for 3ds Max/Design. I strongly recommend you attend one of the 3 important sessions outlined below.

Click here to register at Ken’s Blog.

“Join us for a special webcast where we’ll update you on Project Excalibur (XBR). XBR is a restructuring of 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design that is intended to occur over three phases. It addresses fundamental improvements in workflow, UI, and performance. This update will provide more detail about UI, dynamics and viewport changes. You’ll be able to post questions for the development team.

There will be three opportunities to attend identical sessions held at different times on February 8th, 2011. These webinar sessions will be recorded and those that register will be provided with a link to view the recordings.

Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EST    
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM EST      
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM EST”        

Please help spread the love in the community by notifying your 3ds Max friends via twitter, blogs etc 

(By clicking here you can convert 'EST' time to your local time zone.)

Happy Max'ing

CGschool are offering 5 free, on-demand, 3ds Max webinars

Morning All,

Brian over at CGschool has just released 5 free webinars for your viewing pleasure. All of the new webinars have been produced by leading figures and experts in the design visualisation field, so are definately worth an indepth look.

 

Each video class consists of a 1-hour overview of the courses currently offered at the CGschool. The 5 free classes are:

• Texture Baking in 3ds Max –  Brian Smith
• mental ray –  Jennifer O’ Connor
• V-Ray 2.0 –  Torgeir Holm (Vray.info)
• Architectural Photography –  Lon Grohs
• Photoshop Advanced –  Lon Grohs

 

To view the on-demand webinars, you will need to register (free) or login as a free member here.

Happy Max'ing

Want to be a 3ds max 'Thinkbox software' beta tester?

Morning All,

Thinkbox software are looking for 3ds Max users to become beta testers of their tools. If your intersted in testing the 'Bermuda' ocean surface tool then email this address with the subject 'Bermuda.' They were  recently also asking for 'Frost' beta testers, so why not enquire about this as at the same time to see if the opportunity still exists.

You may not know the name 'Thinkbox software' but you will certainly know the tools they are responsible for, the powerful Krakatoa and Deadline. I encourage you to look at the links and embedded videos to see what they offer.

 

What is Thinkbox software?

"Thinkbox Software is a group of talented developers and creatives focused on designing innovative and unique solutions for artists in the entertainment industry. With decades of feature film experience, award winning effects and successful commercial products under our belts, we know we're going to create intelligent tools for your desktop, laptop and portable - all designed to unleash your creative potential. "

Happy Max'ing

3ds Max General FAQs

Hi All,

I've added a FAQ page to the top Navigation tab. This new page lists some of the most common questions I receive when speaking to 3ds Max users. I will keep adding to this, but for now, I hope there's something of use to you.

Click here to read more.

Happy Max'ing

Some of the best Design Visualisation work

Hi All

The latest and greatest 3ds Max work is featured in Autodesks 'Design Visualisation' showreel. This is specially created for Autodesk University and is now uploaded onto YouTube for your viewing pleasure. As always, this features some great work from many of the customers I'm lucky to have worked with.

A giant thanks go to the below guys for taking the time to share their projects. Please visit their websites to see their latest work in more detail. 

Arcmedia Ltd

Art 3d

Burrows Nvisage

Neoscape

Preconstruct

PDN (Paul Nicholls)

Spatarozliev

Urbansimulations

Uniform   

   

Is your work as good?

Why not send me an email letting me know of the latest projects you've worked on. I'm always looking for images and animations to use in my presentations to fellow European 3ds Max users. This is a great way to get the recognition that your work deserves.

 

Happy Max'ing

Reading My Blog Within 3ds Max/Design

If you’re like me, you may get scared when using any application other than 3ds Max, so below you will find a way of receiving my Twitter feeds and Blog posts directly from within 3ds Max’s interface. Utilising the under-used ‘Infocenter’ toolset, this option is a great way of keeping 3ds Max up to date with the latest service packs and hotfixes, as well as, the powerful functionality of allowing you to search any custom help files or 'wikis'.

What's a RSS feed? This is a free online subscription to this sites content. The information is pushed directly to your chosen reader, such as 3ds Max, MS Outlook, Google Reader and more. CLICK HERE to find out more.