Grab a Cup of Coffee

Posted on October 3, 2017 by SusanG

It was a bit of a busy week. And full. And I have a few pictures to share.

After spending several hours trying to smooth out an issue with the teleports in my Maze project that I found when I viewed it on my phone. I then spent several more hours trying to get a customized splash screen to work, it would work in preview, just not in the final build. I finally tidied everything up, got my screen shot of it running on my phone, updated my read me file, zipped it all up and submitted it. Yay!

Next morning the alarm on my phone goes off and there is an email that says my project has been reviewed. Though I tried, there really was no point hitting the snooze. I got up to see what the result was. And the result was that it passed. I met all the criteria and got it on the first try. Oh Yeah! I got kudos from the reviewer, and from my mentor. I was beaming all day.

That’s got term 1 for this VR course in the books and I’m all signed up for term 2, just waiting for it to start.

The wonderful thing about having the project all done is that it freed up time to get to things I had set aside. Like working on the Holiday card. I did get to working on that. I figured out how to get Walter better placed in the scene. I put him on top of a present and set him next to Snowman. I even moved Snowman’s arm so it’s sort of around Walter a little. This was an improvement over what I’d been working with. However something was still off. I finally figured out that it was lop-sided. Too heavily weighted with stuff on one side. So I moved them all over so they are in front of the tree. Better. Time to work on the lighting.

I like being able to work with the default lighting and get good renders. However, it tends to be fairly bright and nondescript. I started with a nice omni light. It took a bunch of tries before I got it in the right spot. At first I had it too far away and since it over-rides the default light it can be a little dark but I was able to get it so it didn’t look like it was being lit from behind. I gave it a little yellow-ish tint to warm the look a little. It helped while trying to get everything set up. Though it was a little too yellow.

In addition to the one light being to yellow, it wasn’t quite bright enough. If I made it bright enough though, it washed out the scene. So I added another light. This one a directional light and I put it in front and pointed it at Sticks, Snowman, and Walter. This helped. It couldn’t help the sky though. It looked a little washed out. I fixed that and made it darker. But the lighting was still too yellow. I adjusted the color of both lights to tone down the yellow and finally got something nice and crisp. I think I might be ready for the camera.

 

Dad in VR

I was working on the card  when my parents arrived for a visit. We were having cake and ice cream and better to split it among three than just one or two. But we had dinner first. After dinner and all the excitement of finishing my maze project we got my Dad into VR. I got the Oculus Rift on him and then explained how to use the touch controllers to click on the ‘First Contact’ game so it would start. Then there was some explaining of what to do. It was fun. That is one of the best first VR experiences, in my opinion. It captures the real fun of what it can be. And the robot is CUTE!

Dad still in VR

There were a few other things this week. After I submitted my project, I gave a copy of the build file to my mentor so he could try it. He said it took 9 minutes for him to complete. I don’t know what the goal of the project was, if there was one. The only guidance was to be able to spend a little time wondering around. I think I achieved that.

My new laptop arrived. It was my incentive to get my project submitted. I wouldn’t let myself start setting it up until that was done. It’s nice. It’s got some power and should be able to handle much of what I might throw at it. At least for a while. I haven’t put too much on it yet, a couple of basic apps like Chrome and Anti-virus. And Unity and Blender. I want to be able to take it and work in whichever room or even out, or at lunch. Thus the need for those items.

Next up! Los Angeles. It’s ZBrush Summit time. Happening this weekend. If you can’t go, pop on over to Pixologic and check it out. I believe they will be live streaming it again this year. It should be interesting and I expect, like last year, that my brain will be full before Friday is even done. Once I get back I’ll have a few days to work on the Holiday card and maybe even get it finished before term 2 of the VR course starts. I’ll also have time to start working out how to approach a couple of VR projects that I want to work on. And there is always more 3D modeling to do.

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Determined to Get It Finished

Posted on September 26, 2017 by SusanG

As you might guess I have been working on something and I am quite determined to get it finished. More specifically, I am determined to get it done so that I can turn it in and hopefully get it reviewed before I go to the ZBrush Summit. So this week, instead of telling you about art I’m working on I thought I would share with you about this maze project for the VR course I’m taking. It’s been a lot of fun.

I’m always excited when I get something to work like it is supposed to or the the way I want. Those are not always the same thing. Still it’s exciting to toil at something and then see it all come together and this maze project as really been that. First there was building the maze which for me was an insane amount of fun. I really had a good time with creating false paths to follow as well as a somewhat challenging maze. I don’t think it is anywhere near the most challenging, though I did have one person get stuck, still it’s not a quick walk to the building in the middle or at the other end.

It is designed to run on an Android phone and is best viewed using a cardboard device. When it’s on my computer, as the screenshots show, it is just one screen but on the phone you have two view ports designed such that when using a cardboard viewer it gives additional depth to the scene. It’s a form of VR (virtual reality). The really cool thing about being able to run it on my phone is that I can share it, fairly easily, with people. I’ve had a few friends play it and their general reaction has been how cool it is and that it’s a lot of fun. Dang. What more could I ask for.

The assignment was to create this maze and then there were additional criteria that had to be met. Like adding a key that you click on so that it unlocks the door of the building, and adding some coins to collect along the way. Oh and sound. The door is supposed to play two different sounds, one if it’s still locked when you get to it, and one as it opens. That part nearly kicked my butt. Seriously. But I finally got it and in my triumph I thought I might go about tackling the next bit. Until I looked at the clock. Off to bed I went. The next night was no better. It’s now a bit of a blur and I’m not sure what I tackled next but I was up late once again. I finally got all the bits finished the next day and was able to get it sent to my phone so it could be played in full. I’m so excited. I have a few tweaks I want to make before I turn it in. Compared to what I did to get to this point they are very minor.

A quick bit about some technical bits of this project. I’m using the Unity engine for this course. The assets for the project were provided by the organization I’m taking the course through. I did not build any of the assets. I used them to build the scene and it’s functionality. Since I do model things that could be used for something like this, I don’t want to take credit for someone else’s work. I am taking the course through Udacity.

The screenshots in this post are from the game play on my computer, not my phone. Though I will need a screenshot of it running on my phone when I submit it for review. I have also been asked to create a video of it. Since I have no clue how to do that on my phone I’ll be doing it from my pc. Something that took some work to figure out as well.

I’m coming to the end of this part of the course. I will be turning in the maze in a few days and then will have a little time to prepare for the next segment before I go to the ZBrush Summit. As much as I’m looking forward to the next segment, and the summit, I’m also looking forward to a little bit of time to work on the Christmas card and some more art. With that in mind. Come back to see if I forgot anything in the maze and what else I get to work on.

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Starting to Come Together

Posted on September 19, 2017 by SusanG

All in all it turned out to be a pretty successful week for me. That’s a little self-centered given all that happened last week with the hurricane and the fact that there are yet more out there. It’s just I was stunned to reach Sunday night with progress on both the Holiday card and the Maze project for my VR class.

So yes, Hurricane Irma has left a mark. Just a few weeks after Hurricane Harvey left a mark. We look to be dodging the bullet with Hurricane Jose because even though it reached category 4 while Irma was heading towards Florida, he weakened again pretty quickly and doesn’t look like he’s going to leave as much of a mark. And now there is Hurricane Maria. Monday night’s 8:00pm advisory had her at a category 5 and likely to hit a bunch of the islands that Irma destroyed as well as making a more direct hit on Puerto Rico. I feel really bad for all those people facing that again. We thought 2004, with Charlie, Frances, and Jean and Ivan, and then 2005 with Katrina and Wilma were crazy hurricane seasons. Even with the devastation they caused, I’m not sure they can compare to the crazy of this year. And it’s not over yet. In case you didn’t know, the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. This year, we had our first tropical system form in April.

And now back to some fun stuff.

So because I was paying attention to the hurricane on the Sunday for last week, I didn’t get much done and was a little worried I would have trouble getting to things this last week. I did start a little slow. But finally got some momentum and started getting things done.

The biggest thing I worked on this week was the Maze project for my VR class. There are several things that I have to make happen with it. The first thing though, is I have to design a maze for you to navigate through. I wasn’t so sure about this at first but I gotta tell you, by the time I got it done, I was having a good time with it. My goal for it, for the week was to get it all mapped out and built and setup so you could navigate through it. Oh, and I wanted to do a test build to my phone just to make sure it was going to run ok.

I was really concerned that it would run really slow because of all the objects in the scene. I figured it should work ok because it shouldn’t have to render everything at the start, it should just render it as I approach it. But still I was worried. There are a lot of wall and pillar pieces.

I am happy to say that it runs just fine. I finished laying out the maze and got all the teleports in place and deployed it to my phone and it works. Yay! I did have a lot of fun trying to make a challenging maze and adding in all the fakes. (The paths that really just lead to dead ends.) So here’s an in progress, top down, screenshot of what I was working on.

I also spent a little time working on the Holiday card for this year. I gave Sticks a scarf to go with his Santa’s Hat. He’s got a really skinny neck so it looks quite funny. I shrank Walter the Worm back down some and he looks better. I thought about having Sticks hold Walter but, no. Then I moved everyone to the other side of the tree and posed Sticks. I’m liking this look a bit better. It’s getting close to being right. I think I need to make some adjustments with the presents, either move them around or add more or something. Then I should be able to get Walter in the right spot. So close. Just almost there.

For this week? Well, I’ve still got work to do on that maze. There are several requirements in addition to creating a maze that you can navigate through. So I’ll be working on that. I really need to get it completed and turned in as soon as I can. Preferably before the end of the month so I don’t have to worry about it while I’m at the ZBrush Summit. There’s also a good chance I’ll get some more work done on the Holiday card. It could get close to finished.

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It Just Wasn’t Happening

Posted on September 12, 2017 by SusanG

I got very little done last week. It was a struggle. The first week back to the day job after a multi-week vacation is rough, even when it’s a short week.

I managed to finish up the video lessons for my class. And got into the project and had a look. There are a lot of pieces to it and that can be intimidating. If you let it. I decided not to. I’m going to start with laying out everything and then move on to making it work as required, or better.

I had intended to get to working on the project more after that but then Mother Nature threw a wrench in the works with Hurricane Irma. There was always the issue of how big she was and that she was targeting Florida where I have family and friends and co-workers from the day job. And then there was the possibility that it was coming right into Charlotte as a tropical storm. So there was storm preparations to deal with and worry. And then there was the watching. This all takes up much more energy and time than you think.

As much as I tried to focus, I just couldn’t get my head completely into the things I need and want to do.

Sometimes, though, worrying about family and friends is the most important thing you can be doing.

Next up. Trying to get back into the groove of things. As I recall, I have a Holiday Card to finish setting up. A Crabby Plant to model and a VR project to work on.

My first priority is going to by the VR project. That one has a due date and it’s during the ZBrush Summit so I won’t really have last minute crunch time to finish it up. There are a lot of parts to it so as I indicated, I’ll take it in chunks. I’ll work on the layout of the maze and placement of the collectible items. I may have to work on traversing the maze at the same time just to make sure the spacing is right. Then I’ll work on any of the scripting that needs to be done.

Which reminds me. Did I mention that I finally made my travel plans for the ZBrush Summit. I did. It’s now official, I’m going to go this year. It should be interesting.

After that is the Holiday card. It has a bit of a due date as well since I want it available for the holiday season. Still, after a conversation with someone I realized that I might be better off to release it closer to when people are thinking about buying cards. And really, with hurricanes slamming the south of the country right and left, who’s thinking about Christmas.

I’ll probably need some play time in there and that’s where I’ll work on the Crabby Plant. Or after. It just depends.

In the mean time, I don’t have any new pics so I’m re-posting some pics just because.

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Virtual Becomes Reality

Posted on September 5, 2017 by SusanG

I read an article about Elon Musk while in Virtual Reality. That is just cool. I know if you have never experienced virtual reality it is hard to understand how one would be so excited about such a thing. Trust me. It’s really cool. And possibly my new obsession.

My first attempt at customizing my Avatar in Oculus.

Well maybe not obsession. I consider myself fairly balanced and unlikely to swing to obsession level over much of anything. Close. But not all the way. However, it is likely to become a fairly consistent part of my weeks. I’d say days, but I do still have the day job, family, and Taekwondo. So there is all of that to keep me grounded.

I have been on vacation from the day job for two weeks. I have had my new Oculus Rift for about two weeks. I finally set it up Friday. OH MY!! It’s probably a good thing I did wait to set it up. The best thing Oculus did was to make the first thing you experience in VR, after getting it setup, is something they call ‘First Contact’. It is phenomenal. Think of those movies or TV shows where the main character goes to a tinkerer and asks them to make or fix something electronic for them. Then put that room in a cleaner shed but with like chunky 1970’s 1980’s computer gear. There’s a  robot, like a floating top half of Wall-e. It’s so cute. I found myself talking to it and waving back at it. It wasn’t a long encounter and it wasn’t too in depth. It was just enough to spark excitement and imagination and to make you truly feel like your mind had been blown.

My current Avatar in Oculus

And if that weren’t enough. I woke in the middle of the night, right after that, and had to get up, which you know happens. And isn’t noteworthy in itself. Except. I woke to my earworms singing “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in Gene Wilder’s voice. So there you go.

I’ve picked up a few games and encounters. So far I like Duo but need more space. First Contact is really fun. And Farlands looks like it’s going to be quite a treat as well. I’ve added VR Toolkit so I can pull up my desktop in the headset. That’s how I got to read about Elon Musk while in VR.

I didn’t just do VR. Well, sort of. I did have to turn in an assignment for my VR class. That worked out really cool because it turns out my mentor is also a reviewer for my class and he happened to get my assignment to review. How cool and what fun. And it passed.

No. I haven’t spent all my time in VR space. Close. I started work on the Holiday card. I started building the scene and trying to get the main players into it. I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. Walter the Worm had to be scaled up just to be seen. When I got him to a size I like he shows up great if I’m focusing on him, and he fits right in. If I try to pull out so you can see Sticks and the Snowman, Walter gets lost.

Walter Worm close up. 

Walter Worm getting lost

I scaled him up so that he didn’t get lost when I pulled out but I don’t really like that look. I may try scaling him down just a bit and see if that works. Everything looks a bit washed out right now because of the lighting. I haven’t set anything up yet. I might have accidentally imported the lights from some of the other scenes but I think it’s just the default light that you are seeing. With all the white of the ground and the Snowman it’s going to be a bit bright. Once I get Walter sorted I will pose Sticks. Right now he’s standing there in the back with his arms straight out. I may give him some Holiday cheer colors as well, to go with the hat.

Walter Worm scaled up

There you have it. For the most part, the week as it was. Or at least the exciting bits. It’s back to the day job this week. That will be tough. Next up. I’ve got another assignment for the VR class to work on. I’ve watched the videos and downloaded the starter project, and even mapped out my maze on paper, so I’ll be getting going on that. I’ll get back to the Holiday card. A little think time and then a little play time and I may have it sorted before I know it. Of course I’ll be trying out more new things in the Oculus Rift. No doubt I will have more virtual reality to share with you as well. See you next time.

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