Torran Rodgers, BA (Hons) Computer Animation Arts, UCA Rochester

  Maya Texturing class: Substance 3 In this class we went through the process of texturing this dumpster, recapping the use of fill layers and masks in Substance before being introduced to a few new tools that helped create the look of the textures. first we used the brush to paint in height information using alpha's and different brushes to create dents and parts of pressed metal. We then added anchor points to these layers allowing them to be used is functions that use the curve texture maps generated by the software. This means on the stamps we can use generators like edge ware or light as if it was modelled geometry. We then used the projection tool to project textures onto the dumpster and push onto the paint layer, this makes it easy to add images onto the texture maps for an object. This is seen with the spray can an the Graphic Graffiti on the Dumpster. Maya Render AO Pass Final Composite

  Maya Texturing Class: Substance 2 In this class we used our knowledge of maps as well as the substance layer system to create maps one at a time, starting with diffuse before making a height and roughness map. Along side of this we started to use generators as well as took a deeper look into masks as we textures an oil can. We also used substance to render out our images before exporting to textures into Maya for an Arnold render afterwards, this showed us we could use substance to take renders as well if we needed to work fast and didn't need those results in Maya right away. Arnold render  Substance render

  Maya Texturing class: Substance 1 In this class we used substance painter to recreate the book textures we previously made in photoshop. like many of my piers I found the process of texturing in substance a lot simpler then photoshop, I have a fair bit of experience using substance painter and because of this I found the tutorial very easy to follow. using the textures Alan had made before as mask's made some of the more time intensive parts of the process none existent as the masks where made ready for us. Exporting the textures into Maya is easy once you understand the map types and node system of Arnold, this whole session seemed very enjoyable and will be of great use moving forward. Due to substances photoshop - esk layer system I already have ideas on how to use this software to create more stylised effects for my animations. substance render with displacement substance render with normal

  Maya Texturing Class : Image Sequence This was a short tutorial on how to use image sequences to create animated textures. the first was a video clip that played out before ending, the second was an animation that has the ability to loop, for this we had to set up a small looping animation to make it repeat. For the standard image sequence all that you need to do is open the first image of the sequence then click use image sequence and each new frame will load a the next image onto the texture. For the looping animation we needed to key the animation at the start and the end before setting its spline to linear in the image animation editor. Then at the top of page set the post and pre infinity the cycle.  To make the image clearer we connected the colour out to the emission colour to create a tv glow like effect that will make the image clearer in the render. Final rendered image

  Maya Texturing Class: Double Sided Page In this tutorial we where shown how to create a double sided shader using the hyper shade as well of some of the tools it offers. these where completely new to me however they obeyed the linier nurture of the node based workflow and as such found it easy to understand and replicate. This is my finished hyper shade network using the samplerinfo node contacted to a condition node before plugging into the base colour for the a standard aiStanderSurface shader. This seam's simple however is important to plug in the right things to the right place, so its good I now have this reference for if I need to replicate it. Render of the double sided material

  Maya Texturing Class : Game Barrel Texturing the barrel using one of Maya's game oriented materials was a good experience for understanding  how maps work within different types of rendering engines. The maps used where different however those that changes where similar to one previously with a few changes so understanding the new uses of these maps was easy. On the technical side some of the thing we learnt where very useful and will be a big help later on when making my own texture maps, the main thing that comes to mind is the overlaying of the normal map in a way that lets us use multiple colour specific map. Diffuse map Normal map Specular Map This is how the barrel looks in view port after all the texture maps are applied, These maps create something that looks detailed and interacts with the light as if it is detailed while still only being very low Polly. this is so that game assets don't end up being information heavy and are able to run in real time, like in the vi...

  Kit Bash Session In our kit bash session we learnt how to create concepts for robots in a fast and effective way, by connecting pre fabricated parts together in a block out stage. This technique created a lot of varying robots from person to person, showing it to be a very useful an powerful technique for concepting robots in 3D. Overall I liked the experience, my previous experiences with the technique was more focused on set dressing a robot instead of concepting one and as such I found it enjoyable and useful technique to learn.