So i've recently been getting into cycling again, as i kid i always loved being on my bike, but i guess growing up slowly meant i did it less and less, screw that i say! I can see my self really getting into to it now, always do the things you love, there's just no excuse.
Anyway me and my house mate decided that instead of getting the train home for christmas that we'd cycle home, thats from leicester to near birmingham, and is just under 40 miles. We'd planned a router before hand that took us directly across the country through some good scenery, amazing what you can find when you leave the mainstreme roads and citys, and went through a few small towns, one of which we found a great little pub where we stopped for lunch.
We got to Tamworth which is where we parted, my house mate continued onto Litchfield, and i onto home in Aldridge. It was these last 6 or 7 miles that were the hardest, it started to get dark (we would pick the shortest day of the year wouldn't we!), and my legs were litrally starting to run out of energy. But i powered on, slower that before maybe, but i got into alridge and it was when i past the croft park that i suddenly felt this great sense of accomplishment, wonderful feeling and when i finally got home i was absolutly shattered, but so so glad that i'd done it, really was a great thing to do.
So i'm going to keep this up, i've got the bike now and have been slowly buying the kit and sorts for it, expensive hobby at times but you gotta do what you gotta do.
We have also decided that mid next year we want to do the End to End, thats cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats, which is over 1000 miles. It's going to be a big challenge and will take a lot of getting ready to do, but it's definatly something i really want to do, and we've decide that were going to raise money for charity as well when we do it.
Wish i'd took some pictures so i could put some on here, but i've got to get back to leiecster some how, so see you on the other end.
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Monday 14 December 2009
Just a reminder!
So after Jolyon and Simon from blitz Games came in today, i think the reaction was similar in a lot of people. There knowledge is obvious, and there critique spot on, but the most odd thing is that it was things that i already knew, or well at least i thought it knew.
What i mean is that they would give use the hints and what not to and what to's, and i could have told it someone else, but for some reason it just wasn't getting to the front of the brain and becoming apparnt. Some times you just need someone to give you a little reminder, of what you already knew. And just a point by this i don't mean i know all they do, just that a little kick start like that can do wonders.
I think in this term a lot of this 'realisation' has been happening to me, at the start i was able to turn to chris in life drawing and say 'It works!', it's only took two years!, but all the work i put in has paid off, and since then i've gone slightly further, and hopefully will always continue to do so. Same goes for 3D, one main thing i've been doing this term is research, a hell of a lot of it, and i mean research in the sense of going out in the real world and doing it yourself, none of this google crap, and it's paid off again in my work.
So it was pretty exciting to get people in from industry to do more than just a lecture, so a thank you to them for taking time to come visit us in our samll space on the 8th, and hopefully we'll be getting more attention in the future.
Things to take away are always look at the reference, compare objects in the scene together, do quick paint overs to eliminate the hassel of tris and texture space, and always review your work, weather on your own or with/by someone else, but you already knew that now didn't you.
What i mean is that they would give use the hints and what not to and what to's, and i could have told it someone else, but for some reason it just wasn't getting to the front of the brain and becoming apparnt. Some times you just need someone to give you a little reminder, of what you already knew. And just a point by this i don't mean i know all they do, just that a little kick start like that can do wonders.
I think in this term a lot of this 'realisation' has been happening to me, at the start i was able to turn to chris in life drawing and say 'It works!', it's only took two years!, but all the work i put in has paid off, and since then i've gone slightly further, and hopefully will always continue to do so. Same goes for 3D, one main thing i've been doing this term is research, a hell of a lot of it, and i mean research in the sense of going out in the real world and doing it yourself, none of this google crap, and it's paid off again in my work.
So it was pretty exciting to get people in from industry to do more than just a lecture, so a thank you to them for taking time to come visit us in our samll space on the 8th, and hopefully we'll be getting more attention in the future.
Things to take away are always look at the reference, compare objects in the scene together, do quick paint overs to eliminate the hassel of tris and texture space, and always review your work, weather on your own or with/by someone else, but you already knew that now didn't you.
Monday 7 December 2009
Rubbish, Not Trash!
Oh and yeah i've just realised, why do i keep refering to it as trash, i'm not American! I feel slightly ashamed and will only call it rubbish from now on.
For A Wii Game
Fancied doing a new post but as all my recent ones have all been about my work i thought i'd stray a little. However i've not gone too far as i'm just going talk a little about a game, The Conduit.
The main reason i feel i need to talk about this game is i followed it from the start and put up two or three post about it, so seems only fair now i've played it that i draw my conclusions.
Now the reason i was following this game is because it was promising to be the first person shooter that the Wii needed. High Voltage had made there own engine for the game so they could do all new effects other Wii games couldn't, and although the story may have seemed to be a a bit cliché it looking like it could make for a good all round game.
So after all the press and build of the game i suppose it comes down to one thing, was it good? Answer is... it's was alright.
I said this in every post that i did prior to playing the game, i tend not to follow too much hype for a game and not to read too many reviews any more because it builds up false hopes, which is exactly what happened in this case. They boasted about the games engine that could do all these effects and new technical things, but then they made a game with repeating corridors and not all that scenic views, why, if it had the potential why not use it.
Now this is not to say i didn't like the game, i enjoyed playing it and will probable play it through again some day as it wasn't too long, just the hype i read before ruined it i think. The level design/layout was pretty good in places keeping the momentum of the game moving along nicely, there were some cool little easter egg like things with the high voltage logo which made me chuckle. Obviously the control system worked really well, it think the Wii remote was always going to work for this sort of thing.
Anyway back to some bad points as they are more fun.
The story, i knew before this may not be brilliant, but i think the turning point for me was when the main character say's (in a typical deep action movie voice) "I must get to the president and save him", with the response "Your the only one who can do it". Why, just why do 'you' have to get to the president and save 'him', the world is falling apart so why does that one man have to be saved and why am i the only person who can do this. done well this 'cliché' can work, but it that scene it did not.
Another point to make was that it all felt a little bit lazily made, it didn't feel polished and had a lot of corners cut, just one that i remember, your in the white house (i think it was anyway) and you can look out the windows, but instead of looking out on a pretty view, you get a horrible texture that is completely obvious that's it's in front of your face, that's right a plane just a couple of feet out of the window, in this day of games that's just not right.
I think i know what the main nag about this game is, and was before it was released, it's selling point was... it's a really good game and has amazing graphics, for the Wii. That there is the worst thing for a game to have said about it, for a Wii game it's really good. you should never have to use those words to describe a game, it should stand on it's own regardless of the platform. I just saw that Call Of Duty Modern Warfare has been released on the Wii, and for you casual gamers this may be alright, but if your actually interested in the game your going to get it on the Xbox or PC, why would you get a game that's really good, but decide i want the version with reduced graphics, you wouldn't, simple as, and what casual gamer is going to get Call Of Duty on the Wii, it makes no sense!
Well i guess i just felt like ranting then really, felt good.
The main reason i feel i need to talk about this game is i followed it from the start and put up two or three post about it, so seems only fair now i've played it that i draw my conclusions.Now the reason i was following this game is because it was promising to be the first person shooter that the Wii needed. High Voltage had made there own engine for the game so they could do all new effects other Wii games couldn't, and although the story may have seemed to be a a bit cliché it looking like it could make for a good all round game.
So after all the press and build of the game i suppose it comes down to one thing, was it good? Answer is... it's was alright.
I said this in every post that i did prior to playing the game, i tend not to follow too much hype for a game and not to read too many reviews any more because it builds up false hopes, which is exactly what happened in this case. They boasted about the games engine that could do all these effects and new technical things, but then they made a game with repeating corridors and not all that scenic views, why, if it had the potential why not use it.
Now this is not to say i didn't like the game, i enjoyed playing it and will probable play it through again some day as it wasn't too long, just the hype i read before ruined it i think. The level design/layout was pretty good in places keeping the momentum of the game moving along nicely, there were some cool little easter egg like things with the high voltage logo which made me chuckle. Obviously the control system worked really well, it think the Wii remote was always going to work for this sort of thing.
This part was cool, biiiiig hole in a building, lots of explosions, what else do you really need
The story, i knew before this may not be brilliant, but i think the turning point for me was when the main character say's (in a typical deep action movie voice) "I must get to the president and save him", with the response "Your the only one who can do it". Why, just why do 'you' have to get to the president and save 'him', the world is falling apart so why does that one man have to be saved and why am i the only person who can do this. done well this 'cliché' can work, but it that scene it did not.
Another point to make was that it all felt a little bit lazily made, it didn't feel polished and had a lot of corners cut, just one that i remember, your in the white house (i think it was anyway) and you can look out the windows, but instead of looking out on a pretty view, you get a horrible texture that is completely obvious that's it's in front of your face, that's right a plane just a couple of feet out of the window, in this day of games that's just not right.
I think i know what the main nag about this game is, and was before it was released, it's selling point was... it's a really good game and has amazing graphics, for the Wii. That there is the worst thing for a game to have said about it, for a Wii game it's really good. you should never have to use those words to describe a game, it should stand on it's own regardless of the platform. I just saw that Call Of Duty Modern Warfare has been released on the Wii, and for you casual gamers this may be alright, but if your actually interested in the game your going to get it on the Xbox or PC, why would you get a game that's really good, but decide i want the version with reduced graphics, you wouldn't, simple as, and what casual gamer is going to get Call Of Duty on the Wii, it makes no sense!
You just know that car would have looked sooo much prettier!
Well i guess i just felt like ranting then really, felt good.
Thursday 3 December 2009
Treasure Chest 100 Percent! (in pirate and regular talk)
As i swore a few suns ago me final Chest of Treasure!
Here be one of ye Blitz merciless tasks, by where we was giv'n a painti'n and which we were to then craft a full blown '3D' construction, according to ye makers guides of course. This be pleasin' for me do, reason's bein' i chose not to use ye 'normal' and 'specular' charts and to sail solo with the chart of 'diffuse'. So i used the colours that ye earth gave to me, sort out those shadowy depths and bright lights, and created me my very own first hand crafted chart, something that'l go down in books to come, G'Arrrgh!
and now the translation...
As promised a while ago my fully finished Treasure Chest!
So this was one of the Blitz proffesional briefs, this one inpaticular they gave us a concept and our mission was to recreate it in 3D to the specifications givien. I had really good fun with this project, one of the reason's being that i chose not to use a normal or specualr maps and just to go with a sole diffuse. So i painted it from scratch giving it all the highlights and shadows and the like myself, which is the first real texture i've done like this so i've learnt from it and produced something i can be proud of, G'Arrrrgh!!
Will do a presentation board soon with wireframes and texture maps too, all in good time.
Untill our paths be crossin' again...
Thursday 26 November 2009
Textured Rubiish
Still need to play around with few things but this is that 95% finish mark you always get to.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Rubbish, Rubbish I Say!
Made me some trash.
Done the models and uv's, it's the textures thats going to make these look i'm thinking, hopefully i'll have that done and up here soon, so until then...
Sunday 22 November 2009
FMP
I've created a new blog for my final major project, the address is http://scrapyardgarlick.blogspot.com/
Enojy!
Enojy!
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Rooftop Concept
So I think I've to a concept that I'm happy with now. I've gone through a couple of different ones, and I liked the small central rooftop layout, but as said in the brief it had to be a playable level, so I've expanded and got to this now which is going to be my final concept (tweaks along the way will occur I'm sure).
As I've been planning out I've been thinking about the playablity of it, so there is more than one route from end to end, and i've tried to place objects/extrusions so they break up the line of vision from one end to the other. Time for the real modeling stuff now!
Until next time...
As I've been planning out I've been thinking about the playablity of it, so there is more than one route from end to end, and i've tried to place objects/extrusions so they break up the line of vision from one end to the other. Time for the real modeling stuff now!Until next time...
Monday 2 November 2009
Leicester Rooftops, you need permision...apparantly?
I remember before I started this course one of the things I was looking forward to was doing the research for projects, so why hav'nt I been getting out there to do this!
So for my rooftop project I decided this morning to go out and get some reference, obviously rooftops wer'nt going to be the easiest thing to get to, but then I had a brain wave, whats a tall building that always has an open top floor assesable... multi story car parks!
So i went out expecting to maybe get 40 or 50 photos, but just on the first one i ended up taking loads, and from that vantage point I saw other places I could get to, and I've ended up with almost 200 photos, what a score.
I found where random crates and pallets exist outside games!
If that was my fire exit, I think take my chances with the fire!
Then I got to the Highcross roof carpark, and up there must be the largest airconditioning systems you can get. Got a fair few photos from there but a lot of the units and more exciting stuff was behind metal panals, but being only 5 foot high panaels it was'nt too hard to look over the top. Then I found one where the gate was open, so I had quick sneak inside for some photos, but obviously as I come out I see two people in high vis jackets, and so quickly moved on. Took some more photos around and then about 5 minuets later a guy comes up to me and say's "you alright", "yeah im fine thanks just doing some research", "you need permision to take photos up here". Urm okay well as i've photographed it all I just said oh okay thats no problem and moved on. He did then follow me to the lift and ask to see the photo's, I thought he was going to ask me to delete then but I played the student card so got away with it. Getting research is fun!
Behind unlocked gates!
Haymarket Aircon, well i never!
So for my rooftop project I decided this morning to go out and get some reference, obviously rooftops wer'nt going to be the easiest thing to get to, but then I had a brain wave, whats a tall building that always has an open top floor assesable... multi story car parks!
So i went out expecting to maybe get 40 or 50 photos, but just on the first one i ended up taking loads, and from that vantage point I saw other places I could get to, and I've ended up with almost 200 photos, what a score.
I found where random crates and pallets exist outside games!
If that was my fire exit, I think take my chances with the fire!Then I got to the Highcross roof carpark, and up there must be the largest airconditioning systems you can get. Got a fair few photos from there but a lot of the units and more exciting stuff was behind metal panals, but being only 5 foot high panaels it was'nt too hard to look over the top. Then I found one where the gate was open, so I had quick sneak inside for some photos, but obviously as I come out I see two people in high vis jackets, and so quickly moved on. Took some more photos around and then about 5 minuets later a guy comes up to me and say's "you alright", "yeah im fine thanks just doing some research", "you need permision to take photos up here". Urm okay well as i've photographed it all I just said oh okay thats no problem and moved on. He did then follow me to the lift and ask to see the photo's, I thought he was going to ask me to delete then but I played the student card so got away with it. Getting research is fun!
Behind unlocked gates!
Haymarket Aircon, well i never!Coming Soon
Right first off the boat is on hold for a little while as i want/need to get the set projects done, but i hope to have it finished for the assesments in december.
Secondly when i've got a little more together i'm going to start posting about my major project, ooo exciting stuff indeed.
And so on to the current projects, my treasure chest is almost done just needs few finishing touches, and in keeping with a theme, renders of it to come soon.
But i wanted to get on with the next project, the rooftop. It's going to be chalanging with only having 2 1024 diffuse maps, but i suppose thats the point and i should learn from it, thats the plan anyway.
Anyway i've heard a lot of talk latly about this google sketch up pro, so i've given it a download and had a little play. I must say it is actually really good, it's very smooth and easy to use, as other people have said very intuative. If some of the features were incorporated into max then max would be far easier/quicker to use, just the simple idea's they have put in it make it a truly good program.
So i'm going to lay out my rooftop scene using this, i manged to sketch up this image in about 20 mins-ish, but got use to all the tools and like now i think so will have another play soon.
I think this layout may be a bit too ambitious for the texture budget, but i'm going to get some reference material tomorrow, little wonder around leicester anyway.
So as i've said, more to come soon!
Until Next Time...
Secondly when i've got a little more together i'm going to start posting about my major project, ooo exciting stuff indeed.
And so on to the current projects, my treasure chest is almost done just needs few finishing touches, and in keeping with a theme, renders of it to come soon.
But i wanted to get on with the next project, the rooftop. It's going to be chalanging with only having 2 1024 diffuse maps, but i suppose thats the point and i should learn from it, thats the plan anyway.
Anyway i've heard a lot of talk latly about this google sketch up pro, so i've given it a download and had a little play. I must say it is actually really good, it's very smooth and easy to use, as other people have said very intuative. If some of the features were incorporated into max then max would be far easier/quicker to use, just the simple idea's they have put in it make it a truly good program.
So i'm going to lay out my rooftop scene using this, i manged to sketch up this image in about 20 mins-ish, but got use to all the tools and like now i think so will have another play soon.
I think this layout may be a bit too ambitious for the texture budget, but i'm going to get some reference material tomorrow, little wonder around leicester anyway.
So as i've said, more to come soon!
Until Next Time...
Monday 14 September 2009
Rusty Old Fishing Boat
Boat that im currently working on, getting through the uv's at the moment.all together it's 17,674 tris,
but the boat alone is 4,424
the wire ropes and cables are 2,356
and all other asset's at 10,894
Found the boat when i was in Plymouth, took loads of refrence photo's to make it as accurate as possible, i even now know where every rope goes on that boat and know pretty much how it all works, all the more knowledge I suppose.
Thursday 7 May 2009
JD Update
Little update of so far, im about where i wanted to be, but having a little trouble with the texture on the pool table for reasons unknow which is slightly annoying.
Sunday 3 May 2009
Jack Daniel's
So I've decided to set myself a little project to do as i really need something to work towards at the moment. I remember quite a while ago seeing an old third year brief where they had to recreate a piece of art but in 3D. I thought this was fairly cool and remember seeing someone had made the melting Dali clocks, so I'm going down a similar path.
I've had this poster on my wall for a while and have always though that would be cool to try and redo in 3D, and as i have the time on my hands now there's no better time. I'm going to treat it as a brief, as if it's a piece of concept art been given to me and i have to model it.
I setting myself 2 weeks to do this, i don't want it to be a on going lingering project, will be a nice challenge i feel, I'll keep putting wips on here, so see you soon!
I've had this poster on my wall for a while and have always though that would be cool to try and redo in 3D, and as i have the time on my hands now there's no better time. I'm going to treat it as a brief, as if it's a piece of concept art been given to me and i have to model it.
I setting myself 2 weeks to do this, i don't want it to be a on going lingering project, will be a nice challenge i feel, I'll keep putting wips on here, so see you soon!
Saturday 11 April 2009
The Retro Conduit
I've been following this game for a while now (well actually from it's very first announcement), which is something i don't normally do any more, possible because it can build up false hopes expectations, along side this i tend not to read reviews anymore, I'll decide weather i like it or not thank you very much.
But yeah I'm hoping good things for this game, the one thing is it has it's own engine that high voltage have made specifically for the Wii, which will hopefully give the games that extra faness.
Right now to the point of this post, the box art. I actually really like this box art for the simple reason that it looks like an old retro box art from the Atari era. in those days games consisted of a dot following another dot, (hmm reminiscence of a old first year task here...) but these 'pixel' games had a lot of life because of the box art. I remember playing games that had on the cover some extravagant art of a dragon and some features character surrounded by flames, it was awesome, and then when you moved your dot in the game you just imagined it was what was on the cover of the game, just proving the power of our imagination. hmm i could go on here but i know I've blogged about this before, http://jasongarlick.blogspot.com/2008/02/week-eigth-squares-and-dots-realistic.html it's in there somewhere, read if you must.
Sunday 29 March 2009
Real Life
Just fancy sharing a few thoughts I've got going on, works all in for next week and it's starting to take it's tole so need some venting.
First off just wanted to comment on the dominance war, and i must stress these are my personal opinions and i think none less of people who do take part. But i was reading through the brief for this years and realised that it just wasn't exciting me at all. There's a new 'type' for this years war which is the demons, and while i was reading about it, not at one point did i think ahhh cool i need to enter this, i think the closest i got to this feeling was in the mechanical section where it was talking about vehicles. And the reason for this is fantasy and making up these 'creatures' just doesn't appeal, I'm much more happy and driven to do realistic things. Now because I've said that I'm not cutting it out completely, i enjoy the concepts that people can come up with, but still i think the best things are ideas/designs that are closely related with realism, or at least had a solid starting point a plenty of research done.
Anyway just to flow on from that, life drawing is something I've got more excited about this term, i think it's because I'm now starting to really 'get' it more and enjoy trying out different techniques, styles, angles and whatever. slightly disappointed that as soon as i was realising this we don't have any now, might have to look into doing some over the summer if i can. So here's a few from this term I'd like to share.
These were done using oil pastels which i hadn't really used before so i was slightly apprehensive, but once Chris gave me a couple of pointers i had so much fun using them, and learnt more than i did if I'd spent the whole session using just a pencil, glad i used them!
Again following on from my little rant, me and Tim started going out and about in Leicester to do some watercolour paintings, which has just been so much fun, going out and actually doing something is a far better way to learn, and as i said fun! i would seriously recommend it, and even if you go and you end up with a piece your not too happy with it doesn't really matter, i guarantee you'll have had fun doing it and learnt something. I'm planning on regularly going to better improve my skills and so I'm actually seeing real life. That's one thing i will not like about an office job, sitting in front of a screen all day, I'd just have to get out to do real things and physically interacting. So here's a few of the paintings I've done so far.
This was the first one i did, was at abbey
park, was pretty happy with it as well.
Also at Abbey Park, found the old ruins of the Abbey which
was cool, this is a view from the ruins looking
at that building which sells ice cream!
This time we decided to go in the complete opposite direction, found some country lanes and cool stuff, nice bit where the river came through an old bridge, unfortunately it then poured down with rain so couldn't actually do the painting while we were there, so did one at home, which was just not as fun as being there.
First off just wanted to comment on the dominance war, and i must stress these are my personal opinions and i think none less of people who do take part. But i was reading through the brief for this years and realised that it just wasn't exciting me at all. There's a new 'type' for this years war which is the demons, and while i was reading about it, not at one point did i think ahhh cool i need to enter this, i think the closest i got to this feeling was in the mechanical section where it was talking about vehicles. And the reason for this is fantasy and making up these 'creatures' just doesn't appeal, I'm much more happy and driven to do realistic things. Now because I've said that I'm not cutting it out completely, i enjoy the concepts that people can come up with, but still i think the best things are ideas/designs that are closely related with realism, or at least had a solid starting point a plenty of research done.
Anyway just to flow on from that, life drawing is something I've got more excited about this term, i think it's because I'm now starting to really 'get' it more and enjoy trying out different techniques, styles, angles and whatever. slightly disappointed that as soon as i was realising this we don't have any now, might have to look into doing some over the summer if i can. So here's a few from this term I'd like to share.
These were done using oil pastels which i hadn't really used before so i was slightly apprehensive, but once Chris gave me a couple of pointers i had so much fun using them, and learnt more than i did if I'd spent the whole session using just a pencil, glad i used them!Again following on from my little rant, me and Tim started going out and about in Leicester to do some watercolour paintings, which has just been so much fun, going out and actually doing something is a far better way to learn, and as i said fun! i would seriously recommend it, and even if you go and you end up with a piece your not too happy with it doesn't really matter, i guarantee you'll have had fun doing it and learnt something. I'm planning on regularly going to better improve my skills and so I'm actually seeing real life. That's one thing i will not like about an office job, sitting in front of a screen all day, I'd just have to get out to do real things and physically interacting. So here's a few of the paintings I've done so far.
This was the first one i did, was at abbeypark, was pretty happy with it as well.
Also at Abbey Park, found the old ruins of the Abbey whichwas cool, this is a view from the ruins looking
at that building which sells ice cream!
This time we decided to go in the complete opposite direction, found some country lanes and cool stuff, nice bit where the river came through an old bridge, unfortunately it then poured down with rain so couldn't actually do the painting while we were there, so did one at home, which was just not as fun as being there.Friday 27 March 2009
Unreal Engine
So you say Unreal Engine to someone in the games industry and it's a certainty that they'll have a few wars stories to tell, and this term I’ve had the 'pleasure' of getting acquainted with this destroyer of minds.
Well to be honest I don’t think it's as bad as all the talk, like any program really it has it's moments, and yes I’ve lost my temper with it once or twice...maybe thrice, but it has some really nice effects, and gives a more accurate display of models than max does.
At this week in GDC they've been showing of some of the new engines toys and gadgets, and they do look really really nice, the only thing I’d be worried about is it might be making it too easy for people to do. What I mean by this is people who use it may do things not really understanding what’s going on, they'll end up with something pretty, but unless you understand you'll never get that step further. That applies to a lot of things in general, if someone tells me do this this and this to make this I’m always wanting to know why, and what happens if you do this instead of this, this is the only way you'll truly learn. Anyway back to the point I was getting to, one of the new things was a realistic bounce light system, now yes this will give great feel and life to levels, but unless you understand bounce light you'll never get that step further.
This is a nice shot where the light hitting the red drapes bleeds onto the surrounding objects, in the current engine if you wanted that effect you'd have to figure it out for yourself, and these are things you only learn from seeing it in real life and trying to recreate it yourself, that’s the point I’m trying to make, you only learn something if you actually try and do it your self, not just reading about, it's why practical sessions are quite often the most effective.
Anyway talking about unreal, I’m almost finished in putting my environment from last term into the engine. I wanted to improve upon it, although I did like it I always felt it was lacking slightly, so I’ve tried to create more of a mood by making it night time, putting in some realistic lights, and just all round trying to make it better. Just needs going over with a fine comb now, enjoy!
Well to be honest I don’t think it's as bad as all the talk, like any program really it has it's moments, and yes I’ve lost my temper with it once or twice...maybe thrice, but it has some really nice effects, and gives a more accurate display of models than max does.
At this week in GDC they've been showing of some of the new engines toys and gadgets, and they do look really really nice, the only thing I’d be worried about is it might be making it too easy for people to do. What I mean by this is people who use it may do things not really understanding what’s going on, they'll end up with something pretty, but unless you understand you'll never get that step further. That applies to a lot of things in general, if someone tells me do this this and this to make this I’m always wanting to know why, and what happens if you do this instead of this, this is the only way you'll truly learn. Anyway back to the point I was getting to, one of the new things was a realistic bounce light system, now yes this will give great feel and life to levels, but unless you understand bounce light you'll never get that step further.
This is a nice shot where the light hitting the red drapes bleeds onto the surrounding objects, in the current engine if you wanted that effect you'd have to figure it out for yourself, and these are things you only learn from seeing it in real life and trying to recreate it yourself, that’s the point I’m trying to make, you only learn something if you actually try and do it your self, not just reading about, it's why practical sessions are quite often the most effective.
Anyway talking about unreal, I’m almost finished in putting my environment from last term into the engine. I wanted to improve upon it, although I did like it I always felt it was lacking slightly, so I’ve tried to create more of a mood by making it night time, putting in some realistic lights, and just all round trying to make it better. Just needs going over with a fine comb now, enjoy!
Friday 20 March 2009
Frame Of Mind
So it may seem like I’m just on here now for sake of being on here, and possible I am a part, but that does not mean this isn’t going to benefit me. I think one of the best things I’ve learnt and got into the habit of doing this term is doing things because I want to do them, and not just for the sake of a grade. Now that may seem like a contradiction as I just said I'm writing in here for the sake of it, but sometimes you need a little push in the right direction. I did often enjoy doing blog posts, it's a good way of getting the thoughts down that are all swirling around in your head.
So yeah I haven’t wrote on here much this term, but now I feels as if I’ve got a lot to write, I suppose I’m going to treat these next two weeks almost like a test of what I’ve learnt, and they will include a sum up thoughts of the course thus far.
I did actually want to write in here a few days ago but I thought I’d wait till the assessment and see what feedback I got from the tutors. Now the marks I got weren’t brilliant, but for some reason this really didn’t phase me, if anything it's just made me want to do more, and not just to get the top mark (although that is always nice) but because Heather Chris and Mike gave me some really positive feedback that I can build upon and take further. Cheers.
I can really say even know the course is finishing soon I’m so looking forward to carrying on doing work, I’ll still be going to Abbey park (or even other places) to do watercolours (or even other techniques) every week, and just drawing in spare time that I have. Because this is what I love doing.
One of the points last term I had was when you have to do something for work, even if it's something you enjoy, it ends up not being enjoyable, and not getting done because you feel as if you have to do it for this tick box and that merit point, as soon as you get out of this everything because much more enjoyable and objectives become more achievable.
I think I may not have being blogging this term because I felt it was some thing the uni wanted (and that’s uni not the course), and I felt I’d been talking to the tutors and involved in the course happenings, but obviously this needs documenting, so this I me documenting, and I plan to do much more of these over time, not for the uni's sake, but for mine, because as I’m typing this I’m feeling much better about it all, I think I did actually say in one of my first blogs this is helping sort that swirl of thoughts in my head, expect some more not so random dribbling, because I’m back baby!
So yeah I haven’t wrote on here much this term, but now I feels as if I’ve got a lot to write, I suppose I’m going to treat these next two weeks almost like a test of what I’ve learnt, and they will include a sum up thoughts of the course thus far.
I did actually want to write in here a few days ago but I thought I’d wait till the assessment and see what feedback I got from the tutors. Now the marks I got weren’t brilliant, but for some reason this really didn’t phase me, if anything it's just made me want to do more, and not just to get the top mark (although that is always nice) but because Heather Chris and Mike gave me some really positive feedback that I can build upon and take further. Cheers.
I can really say even know the course is finishing soon I’m so looking forward to carrying on doing work, I’ll still be going to Abbey park (or even other places) to do watercolours (or even other techniques) every week, and just drawing in spare time that I have. Because this is what I love doing.
One of the points last term I had was when you have to do something for work, even if it's something you enjoy, it ends up not being enjoyable, and not getting done because you feel as if you have to do it for this tick box and that merit point, as soon as you get out of this everything because much more enjoyable and objectives become more achievable.
I think I may not have being blogging this term because I felt it was some thing the uni wanted (and that’s uni not the course), and I felt I’d been talking to the tutors and involved in the course happenings, but obviously this needs documenting, so this I me documenting, and I plan to do much more of these over time, not for the uni's sake, but for mine, because as I’m typing this I’m feeling much better about it all, I think I did actually say in one of my first blogs this is helping sort that swirl of thoughts in my head, expect some more not so random dribbling, because I’m back baby!
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