(Group Project) Week 7 - Merging of Completed Sections & Post Production

As a side note - I hadn't given the steps I used when creating and applying the dial-detail last week (as there was already so much I'd included!), so here they are before I describe the rest of the weeks progression...

Dial-Detail Texture Creation and Application

 I imported the reference photo into Photoshop and immediately used the 'Distortion Filter_Lens Correction', which corrected the 'perspective' angle of the original shot

I then used the 'Elliptical Marque' tool and held down SHIFT so that I would get a circular (rather than elliptical) marque; it was then a case of targeting the inner area of the dial, selecting the 'Layer By Cut' option, and then reducing the opacity in the 'background layer' to generate the image shown here (the background layer is now easily hidden by unchecking the 'iris' icon next to the layer name

By using a combination of the 'Patch Healing' and 'Target Dodge' tools, I could remove the needles (as only my modelled one should be visible on-screen) bit-by-bit, and filling in the overall texture as I went; marking the black BAR 'markers' all around the dial and generally making the dial-detail seem like it hadn't been 'Photoshopped' at all!

After importing the completed PNG file into my 'Material Library', I could then select the Polygons I wanted from the inner-face of the dial and dragging the texture onto it. As I'd saved the file as a PNG, Photoshop has generated a pixellated border around the dial's circular form, so I needed to tile the texture so that this would be hidden from sight

I didn't want to go over-the-top with complex shaders for this texture, purely because of the intention to justify the age of the whole model, with only a visible resotration perhaps to the outer casing of the gauge itself (the polished steel texture needs to look authentic in the series of lighting objects we will be intergrating into the final production...)

Lighting Test

Before I put my modelled section into the final scene, I wanted to test some lighting scenarios so I knew that the Shader Parameters and Specular Maps that are on many of the materials used wouldn't 'bloom' or 'burn-out' when exposed to the intense lighting conditions needed inside our 'workshop' scene to show all details we have all spent so long modelling (it'd be a real shame to see even the seemingly most insignificant piece be lost in shadow!)  *These renders are all using Omni lights*

This render is one that has been intentionally over-lit, with the 'Intensity' multiplier at 1.4, near and far attentuation within a small range, a 'falloff' projector map and the 'affect surfaces' details set at: Contrast-67, soften diffuse edge-80
This is render with settings that would certainly become far too severe in the lighting parameters that the group will choose for the produced model

This render is one that has been intentionally under-exposed, with the 'Intensity' multiplier at 0.4, near and far attentuation within a small range, no projector map and the 'affect surfaces' details set at: Contrast-30, soften diffuse edge-100. I have also enabled  'Shadow Parameters', with a Shadow Density of 1.25 in solid black

This is render with settings that would certainly become far too enclosed in shadow in the lighting parameters that the group will choose for the produced model

This is a render that is an accurate and even combination of the two examples given above, with the 'Intensity' multiplier at 0.8, near and far attentuation within a small range, a 'falloff' projector map and the 'affect surfaces' details set at: Contrast-25, soften diffuse edge-100 (diffuse/specular checked). I have also enabled  'Shadow Parameters', with a Shadow Density of 1.00 and the addition of 'Atmosphere Shadows' with Opacity at 0.75 and Colour Amount at 100 improve the model too
This is render with settings that would certainly become far too enclosed in shadow in the lighting parameters that the group will choose for the produced model

Doing this enabled me to see how well my section would react to the lighting situations in the post-production stage of the project - my other group members will surely follow this method to test their relevant sections to further improve accuracy as a whole

Narration w/ Ambient Sound Editing (Sonar)

Once Stuart had recorded his narration that details a brief history of the pump and other  important facts and figures, I was then tasked to create the complete WAV track with ambient samples to accompany the vocals

The Sonar file is a total of four tracks; one is the narrative. This was applied with a Parametric EQ FX. The EQ was adjusted so that, while Stuarts voice was already strong in the mid-band, I felt needed more prescence in the lower octaves. All that was needed was to then eliminate all pauses and exhalations at the end of each of the four 'Split' samples

The other three tracks are ambient 'mechanised' sounds; two have been lowered in gain and the other sample have been placed in random points during the narration. These ambient sounds are intended to convey a sense that Stuart is giving this narrative from an office above the workshop below, enhancing the authenticity of the recording as it is presented as part of the final production to the general public

The Sonar Project file was then exported, as shown in the image here, as a CD-quality WAV file with a 44.1Khz Sample Rate and 16bit Bit Rate - this will be integrated into Final Cut when the final camera-based animation is rendered at the start of next week...

Next week: the group will be adding the finishing touches to the Post Production and preparing a Powerpoint Presentation for Thursday 10th December