Marketing on the Web with 3D (DK Logo gets a makeover!)
Nice, but alas, not 3 Dimensional...
By TJ Warren
On a snowy Ohio day this February one of our 3D developers decided to take a look at what our own logo would look like as a 3D image. Basically, as we are always telling people about the unmatched level of detail and quality you get from 3D we wanted to see how our logo measured up. As we observed the process of re-creating our logo as an object, compared to a standard flat image, the results had even us astonished.
When we designed our logo, it was built with the idea of being placed on a computer monitor or flat screen TV. However, the best results we obtained were from placing the logo lettering on an old-school looking boob tube like the one your parents still keep in their basement. For whatever reason, it really popped especially when laid out against our darkly themed website.
Wow, now that looks nice!
As we re-made the logo we decided to really show off the features of our 1970′s Magnavox. The outward poking legs and extended bunny ears were fun to add on as we briefly played with our brand image. All of our logo revamping was done using Autodesk Maya software, our weapon of choice. Our letters “DK” literally popped off the screen and the many choices of lighting and angles kept us tinkering for hours. As we often tell our clients the best part of 3D is that you can take your creation and film it from any angle and in any lighting conditions whereas with a regular image you can only see it from 1 angle.
I wonder if you can still find bunny ears like this on Ebay?
As we finished off our amusement with the 3D logo, we learned that even we can sometimes learn about the benefits of 3D in our own marketing. We’ll keep it around as a fun reminder of what 3D animation can do for anyone (even us).
Which is Better; Maya or Max?
Kung Fu Panda
By TJ Warren
Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max are two of the most common 3D Animation programs in use today. Often we hear the question, “Which program is better?” The answer is mostly a matter of preference. Both programs sell for roughly the same price ($3,500) and 30 day trials can be found on Autodesk’s website. With regards to capability, both products are very similar as well. However, both programs do approach the same task differently.
Historically 3ds Max has been used more heavily in the architecture and video game industries. Maya, by contrast, has been used heavily in the movie industry. These trends are changing however, towards an environment where both programs are used in the same industries on a more equal level. Many developers say that Maya, while being harder to learn, is a bit more capable. Furthermore, proponents of Maya feel that the shadowing tool Mental Ray is more robust in the Maya program. Many schools, such as the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) in Columbus build Maya into their curriculum. They find it to be more robust because of its ability to create entire movies.
On the other hand, many users of 3ds Max feel it is superior in rendering still images. This quality contributes to its high rate of use in the architecture field. Nevertheless, choosing which program is better is really a matter of personal preference. Both programs can read files from the other so if you are in the market for a high end 3D animation program, there is no reason (other than hard drive space constraints) not to get a free trial of both and see what you personally prefer. (Find links to both free trials at the bottom of this page.)
A short list of movies and video games created using both of these Autodesk products includes:Star Wars Episode 3, Far Cry 2, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Resistance 2, Transformers, and Star Trek. Interestingly, several large animation firms including Pixar and Blue Sky have turned to their own proprietary 3D software.
A Breakthrough in 3D Production: Making Avatar
Attention to detail includes detailing faces on a pore by pore level.
By TJ Warren
The recent blockbuster Avatar not only blew away previous record blockbusters but brought significant change to the 3D industry. James Cameron created a breakthrough methodology in 3D movies by using stereoscopic cameras viewed through stereoscopic lenses. However, the sheer amount of rendering that went into this movie, as well as the detail of the 3D rendering is of particular interest to us at DK.
Before the making of Avatar, Cameron did not like how emotion was displayed in previous 3D rendered characters. Previous technology allowed tracking of facial expressions by placing sensors on major muscles of the face. To Cameron this was not enough as it resulted in relatively emotionless characters. The human brain is capable of deciphering and remembering a huge array of facial expressions to highly exacting detail. To accommodate this, Cameron rendered his characters on an amazing pore by pore level. This degree of detail, along with the sheer amount of back grounds used in the movie, took an incredible amount of processing power.
One of the most time consuming parts of 3D animation is making the image into a format that can be used on normal TV, computer, and movie screens. The Avatar render farm comprised of 40,000 processors was needed to run 24 hours a day for over a month to render the entire film. Additionally, with the sheer amount of 3D animation used in this movie, Cameron needed a way to synchronize the 3D animations with the actual actors being filmed. To do this he developed a special camera which has an LCD screen showing the animated background in the shot.
The popularity of Avatar, along with the beautiful quality of the work of the designers, has brought tremendous attention to the 3D animation industry and shows what can be done with 3D technology.
Relevant links and references:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4339455.html
http://www.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=5496
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2009/12/11/innovative-new-d-tech-james-camerons-avatar/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/8421468.stm
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/12/22/the-data-crunching-powerhouse-behind-avatar/