Loklo Media 3D Animation Blog

Good question. Of course my answer is a little biased – I think everyone should have some 3D, and everyone should have a website.
But in all reality, here’s what 3D is used for:

• training the new crew on how a process works
• showing off your new design (great for architectural) to increase pre-sales before construction is complete
• concurrent design – working with a 3D model/visual during the design phase, instead of after, to get it “just right” BEFORE construction or manufacturing starts
• Convincing board members with a visual representation of your idea, theory, formula instead of just numbers and data
• fancy logos and stuff
• anything else you can imagine

So, with that said, I’d like for you to take a very quick survey if you’re even a little interested in having 3D visualization incorporated into your business workflow.
Loklo Media – Do I need 3D survey
Thanks!

Just in case you’ve missed it, the Apple Tablet Project has been officially announced – iPad. The keynote is still in progress… Hope to see more than just a big iPhone… Might replace my laptop.

update:
nah… just a big iPod Touch. No camera, no extra input/outputs, seems like a failure of a product to me, as I’ve already got an iPhone. Maybe better off for someone on the edge of eReader/iPod. Can’t see many people sporting it and an iPhone. Sorry Apple.

I believe that there are a lot of blog readers who never venture over to “the other side” of my site – the actual business side, where I offer 3D animation services for Architectural visualization, engineering, process/plant function animations and more. It’s really fun to be able to explain these different designs, and processes in 3D. Not only do I get to work in either Blender or 3DS Max (whichever gets the job done better, often both combined), but I get to actually learn all of the details involved with the system I’m showing.

One of the things that my previous clients love about me is that I’m not just a computer guy. I do love and know a lot about computers – Windows 95 thru 7, Linux, Mac OS X + hardware. I mean, I did go to school for electronics and computers. But I also grew up in the oil and gas industry of central eastern Alberta – so I’m very well acquainted with hands on stuff.

I rebuilt my first car (a 1965 Plymouth Fury III (second “story”)). I worked as a pipefitter and pipeliner as well as hotshot truck driver, small crane operator, and infrequently operated other heavy machinery – and loved it (most of the time). Though I love the computer and 3D stuff better. So when a client says “run some pipe from this building to that skid” – I know that flanges, valves, 90’s etc are needed. I also worked for a couple years as a custom house framer in Calgary – so I know how to swing a hammer and miss my finger. I know what a gable vs cottage roof is, as well as things like fascia, and the underlying structure.

So please head on over to www.loklomedia.com when you need that process or design illustrated. It’s great for print as well as video for either sales, pre-sales, or training purposes.

Think about it. You’re at a get together… you mention that you’re a digital artist of some sort – whether 3D, 2D, Web, or otherwise. People often times give me the “wow, that’s cool” reaction when I say I do 3D. Then I tell them I don’t do Pixar type stuff, but it’s still fun to know how all the technical mumbo jumbo works. (That’s one of my favorite quotes from “The Saint”).

Or maybe you’re an investor, or just a networker. Either way, you like finding yourself in these types of large groups, meeting new people.

Anyway, it won’t be long into a group like that before you meet someone who says “Do you have a card?”. Well… uh… no.. but I have a website/blog/online portfolio of sorts. And if you’re lucky you’re able to scratch the URL onto a piece of scrap paper, perhaps a receipt from your pocket or a napkin. Yay.

So you say to yourself… “self, I need a business card.” And you proceed to make something up, usually the first rendition (for me anyway) is quite nasty and not worthy of being shown. In the meantime, especially if you’re a freelancer of sorts, you think “I don’t have an official business name, or title or anything”. Who cares. Just put your name on the card with your skill: John Deadfoot – Illustrator/Animator/3D Specialist/Graphic Designer/Geek/Whatever. (I really like the geek option).

Then you go buy some perforated paper from the local office supply store. buzzzz! Wrong! Bad Idea. Don’t cheap out. This card is one of your first impressions to a potential client.

I made this mistake. Well, not with perforated paper, but I tried some inkjet photo paper. In handing my “fancy new card” to a guy I was talking to, he proceeded to destroy my card in the following 10 minutes or so while we were talking just by fiddling with it in his hands. I was shocked, and that night I tweaked my design and had a rush order of professionally printed cards on 100lb stock, double sided, color printed and delivered. I chose Vista Print, who I had heard good things of.

Vista Print allowed me to either choose one of their template designs, offer to pay one of their designers to do it for me, or upload my own. I chose the latter. They provided me with a PSD Photoshop template file, with margins, guides, etc for a full bleed. I finalized my design, made sure I was in CMYK color space, then uploaded it (front and back were two different images).

Needless to say I was extremely happy with the end product, the price, and the speed. What I wasn’t happy about was that I ordered 500, and while having still roughly 40% left, my phone number changed. Oh well.

Go check out what Vista Print has to offer – they even have lots of stuff for free.

not much to say about this. Just testing some effects.
Yes, I know the audio is not timed well.
bad rotations on the bits after they land… something to work on.