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[$imon]

Hey cool progress ensoniq! Great job on the whole scene. I'm just wondering if you're going for full realism or a semi-3d look?

For more realism I think the lighting will have to be improved (of course this would bring along longer render times for the animation..) by using a GI setup.
An easier way for some more interesting lighting is to add a few more smaller(, functional) light sources, like above the counters in the kitchen, above the table in the kitchen, desk lights. Also, the monitors could give off some light. In line with that you can make some corners a bit darker maybe.

The metal-texture on the wall seems very low-resolution and it is not really clear to me what the brown material on the wall is supposed to be.
Also the metal-materials in the desk area could use a bit more depth (a lot of plain grey materials at the moment)

I know this is only a first render, and its probably not your job in the whole, but the final video will need some video-filters probably, and they will add to realism as well usually.

Good job though! And youre leaving me wanting to make some space-themed things!

[ENSONIQ5]

Hi Simon.  Pretty much all those things you have mentioned are in the (long) list of 'things to fix' for this project!  The main issues are UV mapping faults (particularly evident in the floors) and many of the materials, including the wall treatment and the 'painted grey' material that is used extensively.  The wall materials in the control room will be revised to remove the 'rivets' which just don't work, and to re-work the insulated areas (currently brown padding).  The metal material on the galley walls also doesn't work, this will be revised to match the control room.

The design scope is very limited - this station is obviously futuristic, but it must also be industrial and 'lived in'.  George Lucas coined the phrase 'used future' to describe much of the design work in Star Wars, and this was probably brought to an extreme in the Alien series.  It is relatively easy to follow the Star Trek route and make everything shiny and new looking, but significantly harder to make future technology look old.  Possibly the best I have seen of this concept is the interiors of Serenity in Firefly, though that is a bit too 'Wild West' and not industrial enough for this project.

In keeping with the industrial nature of the Triton station (rather than purely scientific research oriented) I have used submarine and power station control room interiors as inspiration, rather than existing sci fi sets.  Although there will be a holographic control interface spanning the main control room area, I figure that every system needs a hardware backup, hence the control consoles.

I plan to add a final 'human' layer to the scene, which will include things on the walls like posters, calendars, photos and kids' drawings from home (Earth), along with detritus like unwashed dishes, coffee rings on the table tops, packing cases, files and toolboxes shoved under desks, etc.  I had also planned to add additional lighting, including desk lamps in the control room and over-bench lighting in the galley, and the final shots will include full secondary lighting and ambient occlusion (which will indeed be slow to render... this animation took over 4 days in total on an i7 with 8 threads rendering at 1024x576.  This might not be a big issue with this project however, as there are no walk-through shots planned, this was just to highlight issues).

The final shots will be matchmoved and composited by a member of the team with far more skill and experience in that sort of thing than I, my role is really just to deliver 3D modelled 'sets' before which to place the live action.  It is certainly a challenging project, I just wish I had more time to devote to it to be honest.

[Arik_the_Red]

Tony's base is really looking great!

To those who commented on wanting to contribute... Tony's Base is prime area for work potential!

Do you want to contribute, but only have time to design, say, a fork or some other minor item? ADD CLUTTER! MAKE THINGS MORE "LIVED  IN" NOW?

Attached please find our standard "measuring stick" by which all items are scaled. This "meter stick" measures the standard for 1 meter, and can be applied to anything you wish to consider for Trans-Neptune's developments. ALL CONTRIBUTIONS MUST BE SIZED BY METER STICK SCALING. Final objects can be maintained in anim8or, obj
or 3ds formats. The general rule is to design in quads, not tris, but we all know that, right?

All 3DCG contributors to this project will at bare minimum be given individual credit listing by name, as a 3DCG artist of æwakened Productions 3DCG team.

At this point, the subject of money hasn't really been discussed. I felt it more important that this be an opportunity for hobbyists and amateurs to get a chance to "work on something big!"

Should this project becomes revenue-bearing, any funds provided to the æwakened Productions contributions will be divided up according to individual team members' "product investments" in this endeavor. That means that, as it stands, Tony Pinkpank/Ensoniq5 has invested something in the order of 75-90 percent toward the 3DCG team, and would receive in accordance with that guesstimate.

To date, most of my work has been in recruiting and coordinating 3DCG team members, and experimenting with Carrara in order to develop the abilities to focus on the 3DCG end products (texturing/UV mapping, animation, etc.).

I have created a few things and am quite excited to see that Tony put my cargo containers in the exterior base shots, texturing them and giving them a pretty cool, well-used appearance.

In any case, there are many great opportunities to make really cool things for what should be a very fun-to-make-and-watch series.

Express your interests in being active here or by emailing me (aewakened@gmail.com) and I'll gladly put you "in the loop" for bringing this 3DCG universe to virtual life!

[ENSONIQ5]

As Arik says, ANY contributions will be welcome.  These sort of projects work much better as a team effort, there are things that I would never think to include but that could make all the difference.  If you have any ideas (or even better, models) they would be HUGELY appreciated.

Just a few notes on the 'genre', which may significantly influence any model design etc.  This base is very much a workplace, not a laboratory.  Although this base is used as a platform from which to deploy a limited number of 'pure' science and research tasks, it is first and foremost an active ore-producing mine, owned and operated by a corporation for the purpose of making a profit.  In all likelihood the scientific and research division would be constantly having to justify it's own existence to the corporate heads, probably even to the extent of fabricating cost-benefit analysis results so they appear more potentially profitable than they really are likely to be.

Why this is important is that because of this, this will not be a nice, comfy place to be, nor will it be bright and shiny like the Starship Enterprise (any incarnation).  Probably the closest sci-fi sets to this concept would be the interiors of the Nostromo from Alien, as that ship was also industrial in nature.  Industrial does not necessarily equal big and clunky or dark and damp, but it does equal cost-effectiveness.  Other than the 'human touches' the crew themselves bring to the place, there will be nothing on or in the base that does not have to be there, there will be limited concessions to comfort, and equipment will not be updated just because it is old, only when it is busted.

It is also important to remember that this is not a military installation, so the crew will have no qualms about decorating the interior as they see fit, so long as the job gets done.  I imagine the interior would be festooned with tinsel and flashing lights towards the end of December, with Christmas carols broadcast through the station's crackly PA system, interspersed with much-anticipated and valued recorded messages from family at home.  People might be a bit lax at putting things away, there might be coffee cup rings on tables, crumpled paper or paper planes scattered around a waste paper basket.  There would definitely be pictures of loved ones on the walls, even band posters or Earth landscapes.

Basically, think of the lunchroom at your workplace or the staffroom at your school.  These tend to be populated by people who would really rather be somewhere else, so they make efforts to improve it, even just by a tiny amount so as not to annoy the boss.  I can only come up with so many ideas, and I tend to get stuck into the technical side of things to the detriment of the 'beauty' of a scene, so any contributions that would add to the 'humanity' of the Triton base interiors would be hugely appreciated, not just by myself but by the whole Transneptune team.

[Arik_the_Red]

Nice, watched the clip, cool way to present the project. I'm fairly interested in sci-fi, more specifically in realistic sci-fi, so it's nice seeing this kind of thing making progress with close ties to some of the people in the Anim8or community.

I'd raise my hand to volunteer for the project, but I think I prefer spending my free modeling time on organic models and characters Please keep us posted when you guys make more advancements in the series!

Raxx? How would you like to take a stab at a couple of space suits? That's "semi" organic, right?

I wouldn't mind trying it, but only after I attempt the Anim8or Challenge. Have you guys decided on a design?

Raxx. are you still up for that space suit design? We're basically looking for something that is not too far removed from current suit styles... Something that is still somewhat bulky looking, but not quite so.

The Triton team's suits are fairly conventional in design. The two staff manning the base are a married couple (male and female). Most of the outside shots are of Jenna, the female member of the team, as she takes a moon buggy to a mining site and makes her rounds.

Attached are the following:

1) Traditional NASA style suit. Good for reference to potential features a spacesuit would have, but bulkier than desired.
2) Guess what? Suit designs for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"... Funny how, despite Star Trek's attempts to be very futuristic, space suit designs really aren't too far out.
3) 3D model of the suit from "Alien"... very traditional and yet advanced/unique in its ways.
4) Sci-Fi with Retro undertones... has the features of the traditional suit designs, but much more streamlined. While not as bulky as desired, it's fun inspiration art... and a female suit is needed as well as a male one.

[Maximilianibus]

what about the suits from 2001?

[Arik_the_Red]

Funny you should mention... because yes, those suits are right in with the discussion that's been held in the production team chitchats...

Up for a challenge, Max?

[dwsel]

Thank you for a meter measure.

I'm wondering if 'SpaceTec' has already any logo? Do you need one or is there already a finished version? I believe it would add to the climate if these small objects/doors/spaceships/suits had that logo painted on, and it would appear on the screens, maps and other documents.

I think it's good idea to have it before making textures. Any suggestions and references? I may help with design.
References (my ideas so far):


Possibly with some swooshes.

What do you think?

[edit]
BTW. 'Sphere' movie is quite an interesting reference imho. There are suits, two stations (one from near future, and another underwater) from inside and outside.

[ENSONIQ5]

Development of the Triton base interior is continuing.  All materials are being revised and more detail is being added, UV mapping issues and other modelling faults are being corrected.  The lighting setup has not yet been revised, this will be sorted once all other revisions are complete.

[Raxx]

I like the added details ENSONIQ5, but comparing the changes to the Youtube video, I preferred the orange, more "padded" feel to the walls. The padding suggests more that there could be a failsafe should there be a rupture and pressure leak to occur. Not to mention, the padding kind of stuff is more economical for transport as it's a lighter load than the heavy looking stuff you've got in the new version (assuming it wasn't mined on-site).

As for my involvement, I'll work on the spacesuit in January if no one else picks it up by then, if that's ok with you guys.

[ENSONIQ5]

Thanks for the feedback Raxx.  The wall texture has been giving me considerable grief.  The colour change has made it look more like moulded concrete than insulative padding, I think the problem is the 'shape' of the texture itself.  I also liked the warmer look of the orange, although this is an industrial complex it is also the temporary home of the occupants and for a short time at least will provide protection to the crew after the cataclysmic events of the storyline.  I think it should have a more 'nest-like' feel to it, not exactly homey, but not cold and hard like a subway tunnel either.  It's a tricky mix and I am hoping that more human stuff like photos stuck to walls etc. will help the scene in that direction, along with a rethink of the wall texture.

A note on the materials:  The construction materials of the base would be mostly sourced on Triton to reduce overall transport bulk.  Exterior (non-heated) structures will be made predominantly from fibre-reinforced ice, which at Triton's extremely low temperatures would be as tough as concrete (Mythbusters 'ice-boat' episode is an example of the strength of reinforced ice as a construction material).  The ice is most likely frozen ammonia and methane rather than water.  Of course other materials would be needed, but my feeling is that familar metals such as steel and iron would be sparsely used outside due to their extreme brittleness at such low temperatures.  Nano-engineered materials would most likely be used as replacements.  Interior walls might be constructed from a concrete-like material sourced in part from local materials.

[Arik_the_Red]

A new member that specializes in after-effects in video production gave a go at Tony's render of the interior... Check it out!

[dwsel]

Colours look better indeed, but more contrast caused hard shadows to be more visible. I believe that in final rendering lamps should cast soft shadows.

As for model - have a food can
It CAN be nice prop for the kitchen. So far label does not contain any text and it's lazily wrapped around, but I imagine it can have text like: 'Protein mix NO.7' in 'Stencil' font and space company name. I added other textures, but I believe you can solve it much better with procedurals. Can has a ridge in the middle of the label that may be easily removed. For distance view subdivision level of 1 is fine, for closeups i suggest 2 instead.

[Arik_the_Red]

dwsel... I really like your "can do" approach  Welcome to being an official member of the team, courtesy of actual contribution 

Nice cans, by the way... have you ever tried to sell them on turbosquid or somesuch? Too, there's a website I dabble in - sharecg.org - which has people create accounts and upload files and receive payment based upon numbers of times viewed. If you are into making items like this, it might actually pay off (eventually)!

[ENSONIQ5]

Heh heh... 'Nice cans'!  That's a phrase I never thought I'd read on this forum!  Sorry, dumb sense of humour.

Excellent work dwsel, I will certainly incorporate these into the scene.  The overhead lights are casting soft shadows in the scene, the hard shadows on the floor are actually being cast by the sun through the triangular windows to the camera's right.  This external light is a remnant of the external scene; the internal scene was originally a copy of the external scene to ensure everything lined up correctly.  At this stage I don't know whether final shots will be daytime or nightime, when that is finalised the entire lighting setup will be adjusted accordingly.