MyThreeD

Hey,

Its time for another spring clean with my computer. I havnt re-installed since i got the computer and its piled up with junk. I decided to do this now as i recently aquired 8GB ddr2 ram. This should help speed Maya up, and allow for larger Memory Caches with fluids and dynamics. I was using Vista 64bit before and i was quite happy with it so i re-installed Vista.

However i left 100gb partition for Linux, i decided to tryout Arch64. While i have tried many distro’s over the years and i have continually found myself returning to Ubuntu, i think i have now found my favourite Linux Distro. Arch is amazing, its quick and speedy and 100% configurable. The Pacman package system is top notch and comparable to deb and apt, however i dont like the AUR system. Also i have found that many programs have pre-compiled *.deb and *.rpm pakages while there isnt nothing like this for Arch. Arch64 has its drawbacks however. Its a purely 64Bit distro and i have found problems getting Flash and Java to work. Also getting grub to boot vista was troublesome.

However i must say that i do like Arch64 as a linux distro. I will most likely continue using ubuntu on my laptop however for convenience. Ubuntu is the only distro i have been able to use with all functions on my macbook, however i am looking to try Fedora 9.

Vista however has left me gobsmacked. I really cannot see why people just hate Vista. Im using 64bit version of Vista which has even less driver and application support and i have no problems. All my applications and games work straight away. Steam works 100% like a treat. Maya 2008 is almost as quick as the Arch64 version (Openbox). I love the start menu and sidebar. I didnt use the sidebar to begin with however now i have a few commonly used gadgets such as processor and memory management, calculator and recycle bin i keep it ontop at all times.

However my favourite feature of vista, is that it works. With OSX and Linux i am able to get a fully functioning system. With the help of parallels/cedega/crossover/wine etc i can also run alot of my applications. However the performance of these isn’t onpar with Vista. I also dont like having to run VM’s or add a compatability layer to the system (Purely my preference). OSX may have iLife, however i have never used an iLife application other than to mess around with. I prefer to get a dedicated application for each job, rather than a hodge-podge set made for beginners. Ie Lightroom instead of iPhoto. Dreamweaver isntead of iWeb etc.

Not to say that OSX is by anymeans crap. I love my MBP and i use it daily. However for majority of tasks i prefer to use my Vista Box.

Hey,

I’ve been busy creating some costume designs for my superhero. I think his superhero name is going to be GreySteel or Vixor, depending on the colour scheme. I like the name GreySteel as its quite catchy, however i like Vixor as it reminds me of `Victor`, however its a little more Unique.

The first Character design i created i change slightly to be a little more colourful. Originally the name for this character was going to be `BR` for BloodRush, however i am going to change the name to either GreySteel or Vixor.

Then i decided to try a blue colour scheme

The next design is completely different and i really like it however i feel the chest needs an emblem or further design.

I like the overall design and i feel that character looks alot better with a cape. I think this would also be easy to create in maya,
using maya’s ncloth i should be able to create a realistic flowing cape with a feeling of weight, and it should calculate fairly quick.

Same design in orange, which i feel looks better than the blue version.

The colours also remind of my home town football team Wolves.

Finally the last design “GreySteel”, which i think isn’t as fancy and is quite basic. I like the design for its simplicity.

I added a little more colour

Finally a more metalic material with a purple tone

I still have a few more designs to draw out, however i like the GreySteel costume and name. Its simple however colourful and conforms to typical superhero designs. I like the cape and i feel the character stands bolder with a cape. I also dont think the cape will be much of a problem to animate, however making the cape stay in the right position may prove to be tricky. Using pre-cached ncloth data it should render the same rate as without a cape aswell.

I will probably add an emblem or logo to the character, but i have yet to design one, so the costume designs will change and they are not the final designs.

I still have to designt the robot. I’m still undecided on how the robot should look. If it should be a futuristic looking robot, or an older more rustic robot. Or be a hybrid robot and be part organic. I think i want the robot to be 3 or 4 legged however, as this would look better than a two legged robot. Im undecided on if the robot should have weapons or be a brash hitting robot. However i feel this is best decided upon the final robot design.

After having completed my first year at University, i have been given a summer project. The project involves research for work i will complete upon returning to university in september. The project is based around Opposites. I must create two characters of Opposite personalities, physique or ethics. The two characters can be anything i choose as long as they are opposites. The final project will involve me creating a short 30 second animation with the two characters.

I have decided to create the project around Magic and Superheroes. I decided upon this topic as i feel i can best create a short animation around this while having a simple story-line that i can express in 30 seconds. I decided upon a Superhero and an Evil Robot. I feel that these are almost complete opposites. This will allow me to use a wide array of animation principles from IK to FK, and i can spend more time creating a complex FBIK system for the hero.

Over the summer i must create an A4 Bible, which will include ideas for the project aswell as full character histories and the animation story-line.

Here is a quick orthographic sketch i created of the hero. I plan on creating multiple costume designs and choosing a design i prefer best.

I would like my character to use magic. For this i started doing some test effects using Maya fluids. I created a quick plasma ball which you can view here

Plasma Ball Test Video

Hello,
My Name is Richard Potts and this is my personal Website. Here you can find information about me and the work i am currently involved in. Please feel free to browse my images and videos.