Loklo Media 3D Animation Blog

So I’ve been able to borrow a core i7 2600 based computer to help render a project, and I must say I’m impressed!!

My main workstation is an Intel q9550 overclocked to 3.4GHz – you’ve probably read my other posts about it. It’s decent, but aging.

I compared render times between my three computers plus the borrowed i7 – wow!

See the results for yourself.

Now, raiju64 is my slowest computer – I bought it on a budget, used. It’s an HP media center, with an Intel quad q6600 running stock at 2.4GHz. The Banshee machine is similar, but custom white box, and overclocked – q6600 at 3.0 GHz (I think… it might be 2.97… can’t remember). Pholus is my workstation, mentioned above running a q9550 at 3.4GHz (400×8.5). These are all fast computers, and would blow the average home computer out of the water. But for 3D rendering… their strengths (or weaknesses) shine.

I could replace Banshee and Raiju both with a single i7 2600 (or 2600k if you build yourself) for around $850 CDN. That’s worth it, if you rely on yourself for rendering. It’s a worthy investment.

Compare frames 1407-1409 – Raiju + Banshee’s total render times for two frames is 18:59, and Predator (the i7) rendered a single frame in 4:11 – I can render 4 frames on the i7 in the same time that two machines take to render a single frame each. wow! I know what my next purchase will be!! Save power on the utility bill, get results quicker, and have bragging rights to a fast computer.

Now, this is in the consumer/prosumer level – if you have a bigger budget, you would likely consider building a system with dual 6-core intel Xeons to really blast through the renderings. I’m not there… yet.

I’ve decided that if I’m to do more product reviews and tutorials, then I need a little more funding – so please consider donating to help out with more good blog entries

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.

Well, maybe it’s not a tip, but for me, it’s all new. I’m not really well versed in skinning and rigging, yet, so I learned something quite useful while watching a YouTube video.

first, put an armature modifier on the mesh so that it’s linked to the rig. Then select the rig. Then shift-select the mesh. (oh, the rig should be in ctrl-tab pose mode). Then go back to the mesh (both selected), and enter weight paint mode. Now you can select the bone (right click it) and start painting your skinning weight for that bone. You can enter f-key for painting mask – this lets you select certain faces that you can paint on, effectively masking your targeted area. Great for fingers and toes and tight spots. You can rotate/move the bone a little bit to make sure it’s influenced properly, and keep painting in real-time to make sure it’s all skinned properly.

I did an emperor penguin model and rig, with plans to animate it one day. It’s the first skinning job I’ve done (outside of auto-skinning/envelope bones), so hopefully it animates well.

One of the best (one of the only) magazine for 3D artists is 3D World. It’s a nice thick magazine, that costs $20/month if you buy it at a local stand. Annual subscriptions run at about $120 USD, which actually gets you 13 issues, as they publish a bonus issue in December for subscribers. 3D Worldmag.com

This magazine offers 3D tips, technical specs for new and recommended hardware, reviews, movie making how-tos, and the like. It also contains a great resource CD full of textures, models, light probes, software (some trial, some full versions) and stuff. For most months, the CD is worth more than the cost of the magazine. And at roughly half price for the annual subscription, more than worth it!! The magazine also has a section of a featured 3D modeling or animation tutorial for one of the mainstream apps each issue.

As I use Blender and 3DS Max, they are both featured applications that get plenty of coverage in the magazine. I think I’m going to subscribe very soon.

So I’ve determined that providing businesses with Technical 3D animation is still where I want to be, business wise. I still offer and support web design/development, but the 3D is where I want to be. I will be devoting more internal practice and training to 3D – in architectural examples as well as technical/engineering examples. I plan on expanding my portfolio of both still and animated renders on my site, both to showcase my current abilities, the current abilities of the software, and to keep my technical abilities nicely polished.

Now, you may be asking – who uses this kind of animation/3D service? Well, pretty much anyone with a design or an idea that they want or need to sell or show off. Perhaps it’s a developer who needs to show off how glorious the new architectural design is for his prospective buyers; or the engineer that needs to show what the final design will be for approval by the city. It doesn’t really matter. Lots of businesses need 3D services, and I’m here to help them out. That’s what I do best – I help people.

see the old Loklo Media technical animation gallery here.