37637598 on 2/5/2009 at 00:05
This is what I'm looking for:
A program that allows me to sync 3D models to film. I can do it with after effects, fraps, and 3D Studio Max 8, but it looks kinda shotty and it's a huge process. I'm looking for a program that supports 3D modeling direct to video files. What do the pros use to render 3D characters to film, such as in Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter? Can I accomplish this with Maya?
I just got 3D Studio Max 2009 as birthday present, and I started learning how to use it two days ago. This is what I've created so far.
Inline Image:
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/109/l_d37a82b71e0847e7add2fbd8f442b485.jpgThis is what I want to accomplish, but as you can see, it looks fairly crappy, and the shadow was almost impossible to make. Not to mention, it doesn't match up, and to go back and make it match up would take at least 20 minutes.
******** width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GyRSVl82_C8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GyRSVl82_C8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
inselaffe on 2/5/2009 at 01:27
Hmm i have been hearing that 3ds max file format at least (i don't know exactly about all of it as i have never used the program) is rather messy and error prone - especially when converting. It doesn't give huge confidence in development of the program, however it is so entrenched in the industry though.
Cinema 4d seems to support what you are looking for. Also, in terms of motion tracking, there is boujou however this is extremely expensive, like thousands of pounds.
When rendering to film, they use the render pixar created i think - at least it seems popular. I think it is called renderman? though I am not sure. No chance on you using that though :p
Cinema 4d's own renderer seems really quite nice though, as i've used it for uni stuff so i can recommend that. Not sure how you would go about getting cinema 4d stuff into games though - but i dont know how to get any models into games and am very new to all of it. (Not that you were asking of that).
Fafhrd on 2/5/2009 at 07:13
There should be an option somewhere in whatever rendering software you're using to set a background image (it's been a while since I've used 3ds Max, but if it's in Lightwave 6.5 (which it is) it's probably in 3ds Max 8). If you set that background to a video file it should render with your stuff on top of the video. I'm not sure on the particulars of synchronizing the frames, but I think that's all handled automatically.
You should also be able to use the video as a texture on a polygon, if you want to sort of get shadows being cast from your models onto the video. This will of course look pretty sloppy and obviously fake unless you're insanely careful with your lighting and how you place the poly that you're putting the video on.
Of course if the background video has a moving camera you're going to need motion tracking plug-ins and all sorts of additional complex expensive things that I wouldn't even know where to begin telling you what, where, or how to get.
Regardless of what methods you use, the results come down to how careful you are when setting up the scene in the renderer. Matching the camera angle, FOV, and focal length in both the live source and the renderer is extremely important (this is why the majority of shots with both live and CG elements were fixed cameras up until only a few years ago, and almost all of those shots are done with motion control cameras now), as is matching the movement planes.
The method you're already using is actually not terrible, considering what it is. The giveaways are the wonky, too sharp shadow, and that the zombie seems to be covering more distance in each step then its feet are actually moving.
Muzman on 3/5/2009 at 17:19
I'm not too sure but as far as I'm aware none of this stuff is done in a single program yet. Each stage is rendered out and then assembled er assembly line style, depending on what needs doing. There's groups involved; motion trackers, character artists, riggers, background artists, render farm techs, composite artists, colourists and finishers.
Have a look on the credits for Lord of The Rings some time. The scale of that means they need an army, sure. But most houses will use a division of labour/specialists like that and each one uses different kinds of software. The Children of Men DVD also has some good stuff on some really serious CG insertion (much of which I think was plug-ins coded in house).
I'm not real clear on what you did with that shot, what you wanted or why it didn't work though. Was it all in Max?
37637598 on 14/5/2009 at 22:32
Awesome, thanks for the help! (forgot about this thread...)
I found that Maya is the best method for me, it has a lot more functionality for mpg's and avi's.
