Have you ever wanted to know how to convert a still image to an animation and be able to "fly through" it in 3d? Learn how to set up beautiful camera projections inside of Autodesk 3DS Max. Practice the techniques and theory about camera mapping and you will understand how to solve complex 2d to 3d conversions for a wide variety of shots. With this training video you will get the solid foundation you are looking for, from beginning to advanced knowledge about how to utilize Matte Painting Extraction techniques. The use of this video will translate skills to almost any CG Animation package
Basics Camera mapping is a topic that you can create as little or as much detail that you want based on the distance from the camera you are required to use. As you learn from this video you will be able to make increasingly complex projections, but as with everything else, you have to start with the basics. We walk you through the basic steps involved and create a simple projection, so you can get the hang of it. This part is for getting you started and to show you the most useful tools in 3DS Max. Texture Extraction Now it's time to start on the advanced project which has a much more complex projection. We will go through every step from having just a still image frame to a complete animation. In photoshop we are going to extract different parts of the photograph and you will learn the theory behind texture extraction. (This is very important) Modeling Aligning the camera and creating geometry for objects in the image is key to creating a successful projection. Start with simple splines and primitives to build your scene from scratch using the image as reference. Learn some helpful tips and tricks for modeling that will both speed up your workflow and improve the final result. Texturing The very heart of this tutorial is the mapping process itself. Learn the methods of projecting textures and how to set them up for the optimal result. We will go through the process of aligning how the textures are projected. Troubleshooting is one of the most important skills needed for creating stunning projections, since problems that need to be solved always come up one way or another. When the projection is completed we add a camera and animate it. Rendering The last step in 3DS Max is of course rendering everything out to disk for later compositing. Learn how to deal with complications when rendering the z-depth pass. We will work our way around a difficult problem plaguing all CG application with the z-depth pass and show you how to deal with it. Set up custom falloff materials and use them in combination with the automatic z-depth pass to get the optimal result. Compositing Put together a working z-depth pass using a few tricks and effects in Adobe After Effects and use it as a map for depth of field. Learn some different uses for the z-depth pass and how to use it for different effects such as fog or simulating night. About The Artist Marcus Lundberg is a young Swedish 3D-artist and modeler who recently has begun working as a freelancer. He main areas are creating matte painting environments, high-poly modeling and fluid simulations. He has a big interest in visual effects and discovered it in his late teens, and it has been his big passion ever since. Making tutorials and sharing his knowledge is another one of his passions. Marcus, who considers tutorials one of the best ways to learn a program or method, enjoys teaching and passing his skills on.
