Final Images

These are my final images. Unfortunately due to not being able to open my Cry file properly, i had to take some screen shots from my edited video. The first image is from my interim however is i like it very much. The blurriness and doubling up of the model seems to add my the overall theme of my project of the idea of detached cynicism, and escaping the natural world.

Today i have had a bit of trouble opening my cry file to get some screen shots for my final. As far as i know i have not done anything to change the folder layout or anything. The model still animates however the the objects have been replaced with red replace me balls.

Im afraid this is how i am going to hand in my final cry file.

This is my storyboard for my video 

Title Screen: I tried to make the title screen as simple as possible to introduce the model and a title that creates tension and mystery.

The camera angle shows the model emerging in from the left of the screen. my intention with this video is to create tension through out the movie right up in till the climax at the end. This first shot gives a hint as to what is happening but not giving to much away.

The second shot is similar but this time gives a bigger picture of the orientation and  movement of the model.

This shot is from underneath the model. The camera position is just submerged within the water to make a uneasy feeling

This shot it a fly through that travels through the moving model. although a closeup shot, the movement of he camera shows some more of the characteristics of my model and it animation

This is the first full frame shot of my model and its animation from above . this shot goes along with the music, and builds drama as the animation progresses. 

Once the music climaxes, so does the video. the shot quickly changes to a  the last few seconds of my animations progress. it is the dramatic ending of the build up of the video. the music slows down and so does the velocity of my models movement.

As the videos music eases out, the final credit appears on the screen. It shows my name and the  open source music i found on the internet.

My Final Video - Detached Cynicism

I have come up with my final video's title to be "Detached Cynicism"

The term Cynicism, in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics. Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. 

The video is set in a realm of the complete opposite, sharp lines and curves of my model, 
moving is direct paths at set velocity's. The Title also suggests a sinister feeling and asks 
questions as to what will occur next.   

I must now come up with a title for my cry engine spacial video. To get some ideas rolling I am going to write down dome emotions or feelings that i get from watching the video with the music I have chosen.

The music is suspenseful, although just less then a minute long, the whole clip is a build up to the final scene of the triangles reaching right out to the edges of the screen. It reminds me of a movie trailer, giving away small hints as to what the overall model appears like before it is actually shown in full. The music has a sense of technological advancement in it. it sounds almost spacey and alien to our own knowledge of the world.

The video is very dark and erry with my neon blue lights lighting up the concrete textures triangular objects, it is a space much like a graveyard at night, somewhere you would not like to be in for a very long time. The music builds upon this feeling.

My video's title must portray and erry spooky and dream like futuristic message that lets the audience realize what the meaning behind the movie is before it properly begins.

I have done some research into strange abstract futuristic movie titles and have found a few that I quite like and can be helpful in making one up that suits my own movie:

- Requiem for a Dream
- Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
- The Player
- The Silence of the Lambs
- The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
- Eyes Wide Shut
- Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Splice

After showing my video to the tutor, it was suggested that change one of the clips to a motion video of a camera travelling through my model. I have since added a video camera that operates by pressing the "v" button, here is the flow graph of my animated camera

My draft for my the final video. Rendered in low resolution as a test to see how it will appear on youtube.

Starting to edit my video now, I have captured multiple screen recordings of my model in movement within cry engine. I had to compress the video files to get them off the uni's mac computers onto my own. I am using a professional video editing software called Sony Vegas pro 11. I am familiar with this program and am able to do a lot more with it then i could in windows movie maker.

After clipping all of the pieces of video, I went through one by one and starting adjusting the  orientation of the footage. I had to centre some clips such as the image above illustrating how cry engine doesn't do a very good job at being able to get cameras in their correct position and angle. An easy fix on Sony Vegas allows me to center my model in the screen.

Heres a quick concept I had in mind for starting off my animation video, simple yet effective with the open source music I have found.

After a bit more consideration towards my movie, I have videoed some shots that I would like to portray my model in. By multiplying my model 4 times, I have created a tessellation pattern when the triangular pieces start to move around. I really like the blue light reflecting off the water in this video. My next step is to start thinking of a story board for more intricate camera angles and scene to place the camera. Also I can start thinking about camera tracking texts etc in video editing software.

Here's a short video of what I have managed to create so far with my model in Cry Engine using the FRAPS screen recording program. I have been able to Trigger the movement of the shapes by pressing "x" and trigger them to move back into the center by pressing "c" since this video, I have added more layers and played around a bit with the settings.


This flowgraph shows an individual shape of the models movements and triggers by pressing "x" and "c"

I have started to do some research on music for my video in order to model it in a similar way. I found this great open source music website, where you are able to purchase tunes for a couple of dollars and are able to use on the internet.

After a couple of hours searching for something i likes and would go along with my model, i found this track that is 60s long (just enough for the video) called 01 Xcyril - Alter Ego - La mort de Chloé

http://pro.jamendo.com/royalty-free-music-library?protracking=jmtrack1#pn=1&tag=&theme=&speed=&sound=&search=track-110635&playlist=&duration=&profavorites=&proshare=&voicegender=&country=&order=&lang=&inst1=

After having some trouble in cry engine trying to animate my model made of three individual groups, I decided to head back to sketchup and re work on my model. I grouped all three segments in sketchup this time instead of having them in a group within cry engine. The image below shows my re worked model (as a complete group this time) that i have created a flow graph that will both rotate the object and move it. I am now attempting to figure out how to repeat the movement animation flow graph so it will travel back to its original position.

Creating a sporn point in crys Flow-Graph mode.

Also defaulting the in game features to remove the text in the top right of the screen and removing the weapon when the letter "z" is pressed .

Animating a single group to flat up at the rate to 2 meters per second.

More editing to create not only the group to float up, but also for them to start spinning around on its axis.

I have had a look at previous students work and have found Ischtar Howard's work from last semester inspiring. Here is her final video.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiQG6NjrRdU&feature=player_embedded

Her work shows the object splitting apart and traveling across the screen forming interesting patterns and shapes. I wish to use a similar technique to portray my model floating like lillypads across the water.

Final Images

The start of this assignment turned out rather difficult, not only to learn how to operate Cry-Engine, but also to design a model that had potential. I found that I had to work and re work my models until I found something I liked and saw potential in it for the next segment of this assignment - animation. I had inspiration from industrial instillation such as turbines and propellers that I worked into my model through a series of developments. I rather like my final three images, as they both imply movement between the objects but also rotation due to the objects shape.

Created a white Light. Following the tutorial on the blog, I found the settings that were recommended to be slightly under powered, instead I increased the diffuse multiplier from 20 to 500. i Found this value to have a bigger impact on the model. This image's config spec was set at very high, as you can see, the model is slightly grainy and not smooth. 

Changed the color of the light to a deep blue/ purple colour. this made the model stand out in the low light. I also reduced the config spec settings to high, the model is much more smooth.

Once again, heading back to the beginning to re think my model, I have done a few sketches of ideas to start working with.

Re Modeled my shape. Made it more interesting and usable 

Each piece is in its own group, this means when it comes to animation i can move and rotate each part individually 

Quick sketch as to how I could make animate the model for the second part of this assignment. Thinking ahead is key to development, as if something isn't going to work, it is easier to develop at the beginning. 

Screen Shot 1 - Model 1

Screen Shot 2 - Model 1

Screen Shot 3 - Model 1

Screen Shot 1 - Model 2

Screen Shot 2 - Model 2

Screen Shot 3 - Model 2

Making adjustments to the model

Edited my model once again, Changes the colors from bright orange (which glowed strangely once imported into cryengine) into a more monotone gray and charcoal.

Importing the new model into cry engine. This was inspired by wind farms and how they rotate in the wind to generate electricity. However in this case, i have appropriated the turbines into spinning in the water with the tide or waves. I have some ideas for the animation, where the disks will not just rotate, but will travel up and down the shaft at different rates.

Today I experienced my model not importing properly into Cry-Engine, after some fiddling, i realized i had made an error in sketch up which made it unable to be seen in Cry.

Once I fixed the issue, the model was able to be seen easily.

Playing around with copying the model and moving its components around.

I then started to play with the terrain modelling. Using the built in tools in cry engine, I made  a mountains,  island like terrain.

I then used the texture settings to generate some built in land like models.

Re-placing my model within the terrain to put it in context.