Character controls in unity

I'm currently learning how to set up character controls in unity by writing little scripts and reading a few c# for unity books. No third person cam yet.... Just messing around at the moment but this is a lot of fun.

Unity learning - Thorncrown Chapel Model

 Throwing some of my old models into unity to see what i can learn....

Quick Alien Sketch

 Some quick random alien sketches:

Python Learning in Blender- Sine expression to Drive Bone Rotation

A quick python learning exercise in blender:

1. Scripted various controls with arguments for names/limits/shape etc
2. Scripted a bone chain definition with arguments for names/numberOfBones/transformPlacement/axis/O.O.R etc
3. Created a script to iterated through the bones and deliver a sine expression using the controllers Y transform as input variables for the bones XYZ rotations - sin(frame*"freq+...etc")

Links:

• Sine Expression implementation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sine_wave
• Bone iteration for expression delivery: https://blenderartists.org/t/iterate-through-bones-of-armature/667942
•  Driver delivery: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/13747/pose-bone-drivers-through- 

Now - the expression needs a little work (ie: clamp(#,#,#) etc), before I can expand upon it.

Blender Add-on no:1 - Texture Set Manager

I wanted a quick way to load, name and update texture sets based on selected objects so I coded this in Blender.

...as well as in Maya and Max.

I'm finding it useful for quickly flicking through textures in dense scenes and for keeping all texture sets named and organized.   

Here is a flat shaded viewport screen grab of my text scene:

Render test:

Modeling from perspective drawings in Blender and Maya

1: In this first example I've used the Blender plugin "Blam!". Blam is a camera and projector calibration toolkit. I based my line drawing on this skinny Meriton apartment building.

Python Notes - Misc 01 - Blender/Maya

Metallic Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa (Lestis)) - 2nd V-Ray Render

Modeled in  - Maya
Render in     - V-Ray
Texturing in - ZBrush
A previous render and a modeling time-lapse can be found HERE

Redback Spider (W.I.P)

Modeling in   - Blender 

Hair added in - Maya

Rendered in   - V-Ray

Art Station gallery

I just created an Art Station gallery. I hope to grow it with plenty of random art this year.

Link:  www.artstation.com/nathanjones

Two random concept drawings - Science Fiction

1. Pencil Drawing - The interior of a space ship

2.  Wacom Drawing - D.I.U A.I Guard Dog

Basic perspective principles/notes - Quick/unfinished Drawings

This is a page of notes about perspective drawing. It's been a long time since I've drawn anything and so I wanted to complete a quick revision exercise. Hopefully it will get me back into the habit.

My aim isn't to have anything polished or finished atm. I simply want to revise some basic principles.

Here you will find some notes on very basic perspective principles/rules, some quick sketches and an unfinished line drawing along with various links. 

Blender modeling Notes

This  page documents my first steps learning blender. I'll also add to the page over the next week or two as I explore more of what blender can do. So far I'm really impressed.

Click HERE for an older interview with  Ton Roosendaal. It gives some history and context to blender.

Note: Page last added to  on 18/10/17

Experiments in creating organic shapes from particle motion and curves

Notes - Nodes & Mash – Maya

Here are some learning notes on creating a  plug-in for Maya, creating relationships with expressions and Maya's new python node. These are notes for me but perhaps others may stumble upon them and find them to be of interest. I'll probably change and grow this page as I learn a little more.

Instancing test using Maya's Mash + Vray

This is a test for instancing grass with Mash in Maya. Very simple. Very quick. The settings are low and the render took next to no time. Perfect for previewing.

Oh how I am going to love using mash... and it has a python node!

I recently delved into writing some math nodes for Maya with python, (and compiling them in c++), with the idea of building something like what Rhino has with Grasshopper. It's turning into an excellent learning exercise. However, mash already has a lot of what I always wanted Maya to have. So... fun times ahead.

To test out some instancing using Maya's Mash:

1. Paint Effect for grass  - converted to polygon quads;

 

2. UV's organized 3X3. Vray 2 sided shader applied:

 

3. I thought I would throw in an old skull I poly modeled a long time ago. I decimated it in Zbrush, instead of using a displacement, and gave it a Vrays SSS shader. Here is a time-lapse of the Maya session:

4. In mash I instanced the grass over a plane and created a falloff object to mute the grass around the skull within a strength node. I also added a random node to the mix.

There is so much artistic control with this kind of procedural approach. Change, add, swap, blend, randomize, mute, duplicate etc.

Apartment Block - Modeling Practice

Base shape (mirrored)

Level Shape (mirrored)

25 Levels

Looking up

Metallic Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa (Lestis)) - Poly Modeling

A screen capture of my poly modeling session - the old fashioned way.

Initial tests for the Iridescent Bee Shader
First something super simple - Fall off curves for red green and blue. I was trying to match some photo reference of an iridescent beetle - reference image sourced from here - HERE

 

Second - a test render using "Thin Film Interference". This is a work in progress but I like the general direction its going. More hair and some modeling tweeks are obviously needed. Photos of the actual bees can be found HERE. They're quite pretty. 

Shader test renders:

Wires:

 To be continued...

First Experiments using Grasshopper for Rhino

Grasshopper for Rhino – visual programming language/environment
 

This is a blog post of notes made whilst using Grasshopper for the first time.

Recreation of Thorncrown Chapel

3ds Max and Maya  - Modeling
Vray - Rendering
Building "Thorncrown Chapel" - Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Wireframe:

Light balance: