Photomanipulation Experiments

I've been playing with Filter Forge and using it to convert some of my photos into paintings.

Pressurized Storage Sphere

I built this model in the style of Portal's Weighted Storage Cube.

This model has 6,500 triangles and 3,312 vertices.

Warning:  Do Not Agitate!  Contents Under Great Deal of Stress!

Available at http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-model-pressurized-storage/696034

SolidWorks

I have a 15 day trial of SolidWorks CAD software.  There is a very good set of tutorials in the help menu, and I've gone through most of them.  I am also going through the lessons in a very good book.

I build this model from one of the tutorial sets in the book.  I build every part except for the cylinders.

I was originally trained as a CAD operator before I became a computer animator.  I decided to get back into CAD and update my skills.  I really like the way SolidWorks thinks, and I'm having a blast learning it.

I'm hoping that in the next month or two I can afford to buy the software outright.

The Book of Life

This HudsonAlpha Biotech Institute video contains three of my animations.

"What Is DNA"
starts at 1 min 6 sec
  ends at 4 min 1 sec

"DNA is Like a Cake Recipe"
starts at 4 min 40 sec
  ends at 7 min 23 sec

"Genetic Testing"
starts at 8 min 41 sec
  ends at 9 min 47 sec

The entire video is 10:36

These animations are designed to present some of the main ideas of genetics in a form that is easy to understand.

I created these animations while at Digital Radiance in Huntsville Alabama.

Photometrically Modeled Culvert

Another experiment with Autocad 123d Catch photometric modeling software.  I used ten photographs taken from across a creek (I couldn't actually get anywhere near the culvert). The software spit out this beautiful high-poly model.

This model still needs work.  It's too heavy to be useful (about 300 thousand triangles), and there are a number of artifacts that must be addressed, but it's a great starting point for a high quality photorealistic asset.

Photometric Modeling Experiment

I created this 3d model of a fire hydrant using Autodesk's photometry software, 123D Catch, and about 2 dozen evenly spaced photographs of the real thing.  Even though the model has a lot of artifacts, it is strikingly realistic.

I hope that once I learn best-practices in photographing real-world objects, I can start creating high-quality photorealistic 3d assets.

[edit] Changed to animated gif.

Starfury

Starfury from the TV show Babylon 5.

Modeled in AutoCAD. I measured every nook and cranny of a plastic model kit as my reference source.

Rendered in 3dsMax. No textures.