Hello All,
Well as I sure all you fellow FD students know, it is the end of the course. Some of you will no doubt defer a year and complete the degree, but I myself am off to greener pastures. I am in search for the holiest of grails; a job that I will enjoy. So this is the end of this blog too. I will still be posting but on a new blog, for a new start. I really hope that you all continue to follow my progress as I would really appreciate feedback on my portfolio work and I have kind of got fond of you. Like an old dog, I have kind of got used to you being around. Good luck to everyone and hope to see you at the show on Tuesday.
My new blog is 'jake-ashby.blogspot.com' hope to see you there.
Jake2
Monday, 24 May 2010
Friday, 16 April 2010
Week One At TT Fusion
Oh My Lord.
Imagine that you are working in your dream job for a couple of weeks. You want to create some beautiful models and show some competence but all that you seem to do is flounder in a hopeless stream of miss-understanding? Where are the 4096 textures?
This week has been a real eye opener. Basically I am a useless tool at the moment slowly absorbing information to hopefully upgrade to be slightly useful my Monday. The games industry is a whole world of 'less is more' that makes you push the boundries of possibilty. You are constantly trying to get one polly to look like four, or bully a stamp sized texture to cover a football pitch. There are no liberties that you lavish in whilst in college. This really is something from nothing.
You can't beat that feeling of absolute excitment though. I am working on a real game. Not something that I have made up. What I create has to satisfy the stringent eyes of hardened industry scrutiny and they don't need to be kind. You learn fast so as not to make the same mistake and it is a constant learning curve. I feel challenged at every corner and that makes me frustrated at times but ultimatly satisfied. I want to learn and be better as at the moment I am only too aware at how little I know.
Knowledge is power so at the moment I am a level 1. Everyone else is a level 200. Lets see where I can get to by next week.
Imagine that you are working in your dream job for a couple of weeks. You want to create some beautiful models and show some competence but all that you seem to do is flounder in a hopeless stream of miss-understanding? Where are the 4096 textures?
This week has been a real eye opener. Basically I am a useless tool at the moment slowly absorbing information to hopefully upgrade to be slightly useful my Monday. The games industry is a whole world of 'less is more' that makes you push the boundries of possibilty. You are constantly trying to get one polly to look like four, or bully a stamp sized texture to cover a football pitch. There are no liberties that you lavish in whilst in college. This really is something from nothing.
You can't beat that feeling of absolute excitment though. I am working on a real game. Not something that I have made up. What I create has to satisfy the stringent eyes of hardened industry scrutiny and they don't need to be kind. You learn fast so as not to make the same mistake and it is a constant learning curve. I feel challenged at every corner and that makes me frustrated at times but ultimatly satisfied. I want to learn and be better as at the moment I am only too aware at how little I know.
Knowledge is power so at the moment I am a level 1. Everyone else is a level 200. Lets see where I can get to by next week.
Monday, 12 April 2010
Day One In The TT Fusion House
Oh My God. I don't think I can put into words how damn amazing today was. Think of a puppy in a room full of tennis balls all bouncing around each one looking really really fun. Well there you go, I could put it into words. Whats happening on that screen? Or that screen? Or that screen? Not enough eyes................ There is something immense happening everywhere all the time.
Well the day started with a litre of latte, then a quick introduction to Mr Turner our liaison. We then signed our souls away to TT basically preventing us from saying anything that can or could give away the content of this project........so there is my first day.
Well not quite. We had a small meeting with Will Turner, as he showed us where they are up to with the game and what they are working on at the moment. He then looked at the work that we have covered on the course, before we were led to the 'Mr Norris Suite' a meeting come entertainment room where we research the style and background of the game for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow we should be able to start working in 3D as they have organised computers for each of us.
I can't wait to see what an industry machine feels like.
Today was like Christmas when you were young. You wake up early feeling anticipation building up in your belly. You race to the tree that harbours the shiny boxes of complete happiness. You get that awesome present that you really really wanted and makes you feel so excited that you can only make stupid noises and your eyes look like they will pop out your head. You then drink too much free fizzy drink and get really tired, but there is still boxing day tomorrow.............................
Well the day started with a litre of latte, then a quick introduction to Mr Turner our liaison. We then signed our souls away to TT basically preventing us from saying anything that can or could give away the content of this project........so there is my first day.
Well not quite. We had a small meeting with Will Turner, as he showed us where they are up to with the game and what they are working on at the moment. He then looked at the work that we have covered on the course, before we were led to the 'Mr Norris Suite' a meeting come entertainment room where we research the style and background of the game for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow we should be able to start working in 3D as they have organised computers for each of us.
I can't wait to see what an industry machine feels like.
Today was like Christmas when you were young. You wake up early feeling anticipation building up in your belly. You race to the tree that harbours the shiny boxes of complete happiness. You get that awesome present that you really really wanted and makes you feel so excited that you can only make stupid noises and your eyes look like they will pop out your head. You then drink too much free fizzy drink and get really tired, but there is still boxing day tomorrow.............................
Saturday, 27 March 2010
TT Character Images
Well, I know that the Character hand in was two weeks ago now but I really wanted to go back and create some nicer images for the TT hand in. I managed to get them sorted yesterday ready to give to Dean for the Monday back. I have used some of the renders that I created for the initial hand in but created a couple more to show off the character in what I feel is a better way. Hope you like them.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Barrels Away
Well yesterday was an awesome day. Dean Organised for one of his Industry friends to come in and run through the Maya interface with us along with some of the basics (thanks Wess). With this new found knowledge I managed to solve some of the issues I was having with my barrel.
It seemed that as I was fiddling with the extrude gizmo I was inadvertently adding hidden verts to my model. This is what was causing all the hassle in the UV window. So with this new found knowledge I have sorted the UV and textured the barrel.
I am not sure how the Normal and Specular mapping works in Maya yet, but that will be something for tomorrow as I want to work on my character images for the TT hand-in today.
It seemed that as I was fiddling with the extrude gizmo I was inadvertently adding hidden verts to my model. This is what was causing all the hassle in the UV window. So with this new found knowledge I have sorted the UV and textured the barrel.
I am not sure how the Normal and Specular mapping works in Maya yet, but that will be something for tomorrow as I want to work on my character images for the TT hand-in today.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Valiant Effort
I endured a horrendous bus journey to college ( I am sure the bus driver hit every pot hole possible) only to find that the technicians had not installed the trial of Maya on the college computers. Blast? As it happened this gave me some time to cast up as get back into the loop of the regime that is dead farm. Adam and Kev are pushing hard to hit their vision for the level and it seems that they have really thought hard about the route they want the level to take.
I have started on some simple assets to further my Maya skills, but was unable to continue in college, so after updating what still needed to be modelled went home in the Swiss Taxi, and continued to shout at Maya for the afternoon.
The issue I have is that I am approaching the program the same way that I use Max. I am looking for Max primitives and not finding them where I expect them to be. As the afternoon went on I decided to look over a couple of tutorials and 'read' rather than 'do' where items were. This break really helped me sort myself out and even after a little run in with the Hide/Un Hide feature, the latter stopping me flat as I had no geometry to model with, I really started to enjoy working with Maya. I am finding that the commands are more at your finger tips through the HOT BOX (Space Bar)and slowly I am starting to use the menus rather than spend my life in them.
Anyway here is a little something I started, textured then decided to develope. I created this Pallet using straight box shapes, so that I could practice UV Mapping etc, then decided that I wanted more of a challenge so have begun to rat it up a little. Slowly, but funnly. I will get there in time for TT,and I will enjoy it. I just hope my stomach is with me well before then. develop
I have started on some simple assets to further my Maya skills, but was unable to continue in college, so after updating what still needed to be modelled went home in the Swiss Taxi, and continued to shout at Maya for the afternoon.
The issue I have is that I am approaching the program the same way that I use Max. I am looking for Max primitives and not finding them where I expect them to be. As the afternoon went on I decided to look over a couple of tutorials and 'read' rather than 'do' where items were. This break really helped me sort myself out and even after a little run in with the Hide/Un Hide feature, the latter stopping me flat as I had no geometry to model with, I really started to enjoy working with Maya. I am finding that the commands are more at your finger tips through the HOT BOX (Space Bar)and slowly I am starting to use the menus rather than spend my life in them.
Anyway here is a little something I started, textured then decided to develope. I created this Pallet using straight box shapes, so that I could practice UV Mapping etc, then decided that I wanted more of a challenge so have begun to rat it up a little. Slowly, but funnly. I will get there in time for TT,and I will enjoy it. I just hope my stomach is with me well before then. develop
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Week 1 Dead Farm
Well, one week has passed on this Dead Farm project and I can honestly say that I have not felt out of the loop on a project for a long time. I have been trying to learn Maya the best I can for the up and coming work placement. Primarily I have been watching tutorial videos to try and gain an understanding of the screen layout. I would really like to model items for this project in Maya and at least become comfortable if not competent with the program over the coming weeks.
On Monday we discussed how the layout of the Farm would work, covering playable and non-playable areas and the general size, asset list and so forth. Kev and Adam were assigned as project leaders and led the discussion. As myself the other Jake and Mike and Guys are off to TT in three weeks I put forward the idea that we could collect reference images for the farm as this could be something that we did to help at the start of the project. This was agreed upon and further discussion continued.
On Tuesday and Wednesday Swiss, Myself and Mike and Guys went in search of our Farms. Using Mike's farm knowledge we quickly discovered some really nice run down buildings.
http://s972.photobucket.com/home/deadfarm/index
Thinking about the discussion the previous day where entrances needed to be blocked off and a general run down feel was my understanding I feel we really hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately it was a sunny day so not the best for texture images but still good for ideas and reference. I am particularly pleased with the barns and out buildings as they give reference for items that can be space fillers. Things that I would not necessarily have thought of otherwise.
Unfortunately I have caught a tummy virus so was unable to attend college on Friday and as previously mentioned feel a little out of the loop but I hope to be back in on Monday and with the addition of Maya on a couple of computers (thanks Dean)I can hopefully model some lovely assets. Nothing too complicated to start with. I fancy an oil drum then maybe a gas canister. Something that can be easily textured too......then the world
On Monday we discussed how the layout of the Farm would work, covering playable and non-playable areas and the general size, asset list and so forth. Kev and Adam were assigned as project leaders and led the discussion. As myself the other Jake and Mike and Guys are off to TT in three weeks I put forward the idea that we could collect reference images for the farm as this could be something that we did to help at the start of the project. This was agreed upon and further discussion continued.
On Tuesday and Wednesday Swiss, Myself and Mike and Guys went in search of our Farms. Using Mike's farm knowledge we quickly discovered some really nice run down buildings.
http://s972.photobucket.com/home/deadfarm/index
Thinking about the discussion the previous day where entrances needed to be blocked off and a general run down feel was my understanding I feel we really hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately it was a sunny day so not the best for texture images but still good for ideas and reference. I am particularly pleased with the barns and out buildings as they give reference for items that can be space fillers. Things that I would not necessarily have thought of otherwise.
Unfortunately I have caught a tummy virus so was unable to attend college on Friday and as previously mentioned feel a little out of the loop but I hope to be back in on Monday and with the addition of Maya on a couple of computers (thanks Dean)I can hopefully model some lovely assets. Nothing too complicated to start with. I fancy an oil drum then maybe a gas canister. Something that can be easily textured too......then the world
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