One down...

OK, no work to display today, just a quick post to say my robot was finished and handed in on time, and the presentation of it went incredibly well.

=D

Robotic madness

*Fanfare please* Du-du-du-duuuum.

Its taken a while, but I finally have images of my finished robot for the animation module. Here they are...

All that's left now is to animate it... (Oh dear).

Apple

As the title suggests, this post has something to do with apple. No, not the company Apple (bastards that they are) but an actual apple. Each person in my visualisation seminar was given an apple to model in 3D, and they weren't pretty apples either. Images of mine are below...






I know it's misshapen and ugly, but it looks like the apple I had infront of me =/

More Max play

Ok, nothing new to display here. I've been applying textures to my 3Ds max model using something called mentalray, and below are some of the results.

As you can see, these textures are much more realistic and interesting than those I've previously used on my models. I especially like the chrome texture used on the sword blade. It's quite difficult to tell in this image, but the handle on the sword has a realistic leather texture, with bumps and marks like real leather. There will be more like this to come in the future

Back from the brink

Sorry dear readers, I know it's been a long while since I posted but I've been both ill and lazy, which has resulted in a two week break from posting. I've done a fair bit of work since I last posted, but I'm only going to display one piece of work, which is the culmination of my work over the last couple of weeks. And here it is...

Unlike the orrery I made at the start of term, this one actually loops. I'll try and get a flash version up so you can see the robot walk forever. Next time, silly walking =P

Blergh

I'm sorry if anyone was expecting my next post to be packed full of images and stuff, but it's not. I've been progressing with my work over the past week, learning how to rig a robot and such, and I've moved on in the design stage of my projects. At the moment however, I feel ill and might just go to bed.

Lets hope it's not swine flu =/

Playing around

I finally managed to get a hold of 3Ds max 2010 edition for my laptop (thanks Sonny), and I'm just playing around with it at the moment. Below are some images of a model I made in around an hour. I've applied some basic textures and played around with the different colour channels. The sphere on the hilt is meant to be made of glass, but I don't think I've got it quite right yet.

Citybourne

At present, I'm sat in my second visualisation seminar, and still have an hour to go... Below are some images of the cityscape I'm making. It's not very detailed because I need to use a plugin for 3Ds max that isn't available to me on the uni computers. When I get the 2010 version of max I'll finish the city, but until then it's going to have to stay as it is =(






So there it is, a very basic city.

Lend a hand?

Soooo, I've had my second animation seminar of the year today, and I've learnt how to make controllers for hierarchies of objects so they move as a group (don't worry, I barely understand what I just typed, so I don't expect you to). The result is below. The point of doing this is to build a "rig" for a bipedal character, so it can be easily animated.

At some point in the week I'll post another animation of the arm showing full movement in the fingers, wrist, and elbow. The tapping fingers were animated in approximately 15 minutes.

Where no man has gone before...

I don't have much to say today, besides the fact it's 10 to 5 and I need a pint. Below is a 10 second clip of the Orrery I made yesterday as part of my first module. I still need to figure out how to put it on a continuous loop so it doesn't reset after 10 seconds, and instead keeps spinning, but thats a job for another day...

Back to the grind

First day of second year went to great start, with a blackout over the whole campus. No working computers, no powerpoints, and no way to open the electric-locked doors. Besides this FUCKING STUPID minor inconvenience the day went smoothly. I modelled an orrery in 3Ds max and began to animate it, and had a bottle of cider at lunch. I'm also doing taekwondo an extra-curricular activity, which was knackering to say the least. I'm looking forward to the assignments for this year, and I'll probably start work on it when I've posted this, and show off what I've done tomorrow.

One day to go...

Ok, so with less than 24 hours until Uni restarts I've got an update on the bolter I posted yesterday. It took me an hour maximum to model the pistol grip, enjoy.

Tomorrow I'll post my aims and objectives for the year in a special "Back to the grindstone" entry. Seeya then =]

3Ds Max practise

The pictures below are of an incomplete Space Marine Boltgun (from Warhammer 40,000) which I have been modelling for a few days. I still need to model the grip and apply textures. The aim of creating this was primarily to get a feel for the turbosmooth tool, as I hadn't got a hang of using it effectively last year, as is evident by my avatar. I'm still not 100% confident that I can perfect the turbosmooth just yet, but that's why I'm practising =]

I start my second year of uni in two days, woop!

Until then...

The Empire blog strikes back

So here we are again, another year, another post, another attempt at being a witty fúcher (so far so good =P ). I don't have much to show off at the moment because, naturally, I've done sweet F.A all summer. Term starts officially on October the 12th, and I plan to have something awesome to show off before then. So, check back on the 11th to see if I manage to do it.

Until then, fingers crossed =/

AVATAR!

My avatar was pronounced finished on monday, but I forgot to post it up here, so I'm doing it now. There's a few screenshots and a turnaround for you to feast your eyes on =]

Until next time, today could be the worst day of your life...

- tom_349

Twas the week before stressing...

Well, it's been a long year, but my deadline awaits next week and so does the unofficial end of Uni (I still have lectures until June =( ). So, next week would usually be the last-minute rush to get my work done, but this time I decided to start early. Below is today's effort, and yes it DID take ages, and yes, I might have RSI (my shoulder hurts T_T).

[If you couldn't tell, it's meant to be my avatar's head.]

Until next time, Have some faith in the devil...

- tom_349

The pot of gold

Right, I've finally finalised (hehe) my logo for my Identities project. For what it is, it took too much effort and I'm thouroughly ashamed of how much blood, sweat, and SHEER HATE I went through to make this. Here it is, with an explaination of what it is.

The basic idea is that I'm quite a split person. The expression is negative, because I tend to have a negative outlook on life. However, the rainbow colours are present because I feel I can also be a fun person when I want to. Looking deeper into myself (metaphorically, not with an endoscope) and what I like, I've realised that this duality is present in most things I do/like/am. I'm not claiming to have a split personality (trust me, there's no voices), but what I am saying is that I'm a very divided person, constantly changing my opinions, interests, prejudices etc. Therefore, I think this rainbow-coloured symbol of hate is like pinning a peace badge on a helmet which has "Born to kill" scrawled on the side of it. In a way it's me accepting my faults, and embracing them as part of myself, rather than trying to remove them. And as I type I've just realised that of all the people I know, I might be the only one that hasn't accepted me for me. So there we go, not only have I delivered a piece of work that I'm happy with, but I've also learnt something about myself =D

Until next time, Godspeed.

- tom_349

Orange Wednesdays!

It's now wednesday, and I thought I'd better post something seen as I so carelessly missed monday (sorry). I've been busy working today on my avatar and it's coming together now. Good times =]

Here's another one of my marvelous 3D turnarounds to demonstrate to you wonderful people how my work is coming along...

Until next time, you can't kill rock n' roll

- tom_349

Inspiration

Hello, hello, hello. The Easter holiday is now officially over, as I have had a scheduled session at uni. So, for me it's back to the grindstone (computer) and for you it's back to reading the SuperMegaUberBlogofMedia!!! I'm planning to stick with my pledge of posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and seen as it's Friday I thought I might as well start now.

As the title suggests, I'm going to show all you wonderful people out there on the internet who my inspiration is. I discovered this artist whilst researching for my last essay, and decided his work was amazing. His name is Vitaly Bulgarov (you can find his website here) and he is a character designer. Below is just on example of his work, taken from his website.

I suggest taking a look at his website in full, the stuff on there is pretty damn amazing.

So, I hope you have enjoyed looking over my inspiration...

Until next time, kek.

- tom_349

Work work work...

Yup, the title does not lie... there is work posted below for you to take a peek at. I finally decided to colour the concept I did for my avatar, and there's also a close-up of a boot =]

Until next time, Happy Easter...

- tom_349

Heads up!

Hello again dear readers. Unfortunately, I don't have any work to post up today, as I'm busy writing my essay and stressing over my presentation next week. However, I do have a bit of news regarding the SuperMegaUberBlogofMedia!!! In future I think I'm going to start posting at the regular intervals of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening; both to give me a bit of structure and motivation, and to give you something to read on a regular basis. So, I think that's it for now. I might not post again until after the easter holidays depending on how well I'm doing my work.

Until next time, Happy Easter!

- tom_349

Slowly but surely...

So... today I decided to get my arse out of bed (at a reasonable 12.43) and go to uni to do some work before and after my lecture. "What?" I hear you cry. "That lazy bugger's actually trying to do work!?" Well yes, yes I am. I'm officially making an effort. OK, shock over and done with. After about an hour and a half, here's what I came up with...

This, for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, is meant to be body armour for my avatar. However, it is a WIP (Work In Progress) and I'll probably spend a bit more time on it later on.

Until next time, My spoon is too big!

(click the link, it's quite a good animation. LINK!)

- tom_349

It's March already?

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, in all honesty it's because I couldn't be arsed...

So I thought I'd post some stuff that I've been doing over the past week.

Initial sketch for my avatar

Close up sketch of possible mask

A quick sword I made in 3Ds max

So, that's it for tonight. I'll try and get back into the blogging spirit over the next week.

Until next time, It's time to split!

- tom_349

A rather disturbing revelation

Firstly, sorry i've been under the radar for so long, I just couldn't be bothered to do anything for the last week.

Now, I have a journal task to post, and what you read in it might lower your opinion of me as both a student and a person. Proceed with caution...

What has my creativity been for in the past few years?

Examination. I haven’t really applied myself to any form of project outside of my studies. Also, my own enjoyment, as I produce desktop wallpapers etc on Photoshop.

Who has it been for?

My tutors and myself. Sometimes my friends if I see them struggle to use image editing software/draw.

Why have I done work in this way?

My work over the past few years has generally been confined to examination questions, coursework titles, etc. Working is still a task that I find myself hard to be motivated about.

What do I want the future of my creativity to be?

I want to be able to document ideas, draw, imagine, and produce good work without having to battle with myself to get out and do it. But, I suppose this is a character flaw which may haunt me for the rest of my life… =(

___________________________________________________________________

In what specific way can research help me get to these new places?

If I figure out what I want to achieve through research then I’m positive that I could begin to work efficiently towards my end goal. The problem lies in motivating myself to do the research.

Which starting point on the map (see below) do I feel most drawn to?

Especially for the Identities module, I feel most drawn to either “behind” or “in front of.” This is because I believe that my work is not good enough to be admired and awed, thus the reaction to, or the message behind, the work should inspire awe.

Which do I feel wary of?

“In/through,” as I do not understand the “writing process” or what it is meant to achieve.

Which, if any, seem irrelevant?

None seem irrelevant, but my previous point still stands.

Until next time, Inferi Veho Noctis...#

- tom_349

Avatar Moodboard

Today, dear readers, you (yes you, don't look at the other people in the room for help) are going to help me with my research. The image below is the moodboard I put together for my avatar that I'm eventually going to make. Your job is look at it, and put any words that come to mind in a comment on the guestbook. Simple right? Even for your puny, worthless minds. So, take a look and see what you come up with. (Click on the image for a larger version)

Also, thankyou to everyone who suggested what the blob was saying; your opinions were a little different to mine =P

Until next time, cya round...

- tom_349

More crazy 3D schizz...

As the title implies, I have completed another stunning piece of work for you to gaze at in wonder. The file name for this video is "Blob thing."

You should all post comments with a caption for this short clip, and we'll see if you can guess the short phrase that Blobthing is saying =]

Until next time, play safe...

- tom_349

Drumroll, please!

Sorry for the rather long time since the last post, but I've been in a really lazy mood recently... I'm not going to bore you today with long, drawn out posts about nothing important; instead I'm going to give you another amazing piece of 3D work to look at...

Until next time, May you live forever...

- tom_349

We live in a DEMOCRACY dammit!

Today, dear readers, I post this in disappointment. I am disappointed that in a country built on freedom of speech, only a tiny amount of you wonderful people out there are showing the world what you think, by using the guestbook on the Supermegauberblogofmedia!!! I'd really like your feedback and such, that's why I faffed around getting a decent comment system in the first place; so please, use it and tell me what you think, or insult me if you want (this is the internet after all). Do it for me, for democracy, but mainly... for freedom.

++ Message of the day ++
"You may take our lives, but you'll never take our makeup!"


Until next time, Live long, and prosper.

- tom_349

The world in 3D

Hello again dear readers! Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write right now as it's the end of a seminar and I want to go home. So, to attempt to halt your disappointment I'm going to leave you with my first piece of 3D work ever =]

Look! It splats at the end =D

Until next time, Astalavista, baby...

- tom_349

My online identity...

Well, I never thought I'd be doing this, but today I'm going to be writing an evaluation; an evaluation of my personal identity on the Internet. I'm going to take you, my dear readers, through all of my Internet personas (or at least as many as I can remember) and try to remember what kind of character I made - or am still making - myself out to be. So, here goes...

First, I have my overall identity, which is tom_349. The origin of this persona is shrouded in mystery and is only truly known to myself. I feel it gives me a slight air of secrecy... Nah, only joking; it was one of a choice of random numbers (assigned to me by hotmail for my email address) and I took a liking to it. I use tom_349 to represent me for everything. It is my PlayStation Network (PSN) name, and I also use it as my account name on EVERYTHING. It sometimes gets shortened to tom349 if the website won't allow symbols in account names. So, if you see tom_349 anywhere then you know who you're dealing with =] I even use it on this blog... I like using it because it doesn't make any assumptions about how I view myself or give too much away (except my name of course), for example, a player called "MasterSniper1990" (i don't know if this name actually exists, it's just an example) seems pretentious to me, as it implies the user sees themself as some form of gaming wonder when playing FPSs like COD4. It does however give another player great satisfaction to beat someone like "MasterSniper" at his/her own game =] BY SHOOTING THEM IN THE HEAD! *ahem* Anyway...

However, I also like to create characters in games with a narrative behind them, if I'm given the choice to design the character myself. I feel this is what separates certain members of the internet community from others. A lot of users see their characters as a representation of themselves. They make their character look like they do and maybe give it their real-life name, thus reducing it from a character to an avatar, which, as you know, is a representation of the user. I don't personally like to de-characterise my creations, and see them as they're own entity almost. I control the character, but I am not the character itself. That is why I don't use tom_349 for character names. My character in World of Warcraft is a female Night Elf called Mtriirel. It would have been M'triir'el but WoW doesn't let you put anything other than letters in names (It's pronounced Mer-treer-rell, by the way). I made up the name with inspiration from Tolkien's elvish, as once again, I like to make a narrative and persona for the character that seems believable. I have, however, seen characters on WoW called Scaryme 0_o

Mtriirel

Although it may seem like the internet is an entirely different world to the one we live in, there are still pockets of it that supplement real-life. Social networks like Facebook for example allow people to communicate in a new way. The fact that users display their real names and images means they cannot create a new identity for themselves, and instead allows them to promote their existing identity.

Well, I'm done for now. I hope you enjoyed this, and so...

Until next time, Don't eat the yellow snow.

- tom_349

I'm actually a genius =]

So, here we are again. I’ve got a special treat for all you loyal readers out there today; I had a spare hour between lectures, so I decided to do some work instead of wasting my ever-so-precious time. Enjoy…

I thought I might as well get some research done and actually make it look like I’m putting the effort in, so I scoured the internet for something about virtual 3D environments. My search led me to an article on www.terranova.blogs.com written by games designer Bob Moore. You can find the full article here.

Moore’s article is titled “On the Convergence of Virtual Worlds and Social Networking Sites,” and deals with the issues surrounding the merging of social networking sites (such as Myspace and Facebook) with online virtual environments (like Second Life).

Moore states “Virtual worlds and MMO [games] [(“Massively Multiplayer Online,” for those of you not in the know)] enable you to interact and play with friends online, add new people to your buddy list, monitor their online status and in some cases view their custom profiles. But there are important differences between World of Warcraft and Second Life on the one hand, and MySpace and Facebook on the other. First, virtual worlds not only provide social networking features, they also provide the world in which you meet people and play with them. The social networking features tend to be secondary to the simulated world itself. In contrast, social networking sites provide only the profiles and buddy lists, not the world.” Moore’s point is informed and relevant, as any gamer will tell you they rarely make their in-game avatars look authentic to represent their real-life image. Games and Virtual worlds allow the player some escapism, to become who they want to be, not who they are. Moore makes an observation on the phenomenon of internet-based escapism, “Behind one out of every two female characters is a male player.” I, myself, know this firsthand, as I made a female character in World of Warcraft (not because I want to be a girl, but because I don’t like the way the male characters are modelled). And yes, feel free to leave a comment calling me a geek; you know you want to…

I recommend you read the full article, as it makes interesting reading.

Anyway, the reason I posted this was to make a point about the course, and to contextualise my work within the modern climate (See, now who says students don’t listen to lecturers?). My point is that the concept of virtual environment is not an original one, it is a blend of games technology and the popularity of social networking. Therefore, I plan to study these two areas (as they are roots of the virtual environment) to assess and understand the concept of self-identity (our current module =P) on the internet and in the virtual environment. So, expect lots of work in the near future.

Until next time, I'm losing original ideas for farewells =(

- tom_349

Happy new year!

Yeah, I know it's a bit late for happy new years but whatcha gonna do? Just be thankful for it =]

So, with the new year comes a new module and lots of new work (as well as lectures on fridays now... BOOO!). And, as you know, most of that shiny new work will appear right here on the Supermegauberblogofmedia!!! (yes, the exclamation marks are part of the name, I'm not just over excited) for you wonderful people out there in internetland to enjoy. Also, a quick thankyou to all the people IRL who tell me that I have a good writing style, *in cockney accent* it makes me feel like a big man it does =]

Well, that's about it for this post...

Oh, and I think I'm gonna start adding in little inspirational messages and advice (mostly twocked from other people) to help you, my dear readers, live a happy and fulfilling life. They'll appear now and again presented in the format below.

++ Message of the Day ++
Shake it once, that's fine. Shake it twice, that's okay. Shake it three times? You're playing with yourself.

I hope you take that nugget of wisdom on board (yes, it was serious) and use it to enrich your lives.

Until next time, keep on truckin'...

- tom_349