Poser or not Poser? (reply to Gary and Eric)

[ivan louette]

Yes I have spent a lot of time to create this little person (a character project for an absolutely decent cartoon!) and No it is not anatomically perfect! But it was made without any help of Poser.
It was modelized in Lightwave with "metanurbs" and rendered in the same program with an extensive use of "fast Fresnel" effect (sorry for the shadows which are not correct at the feet; they are made in Xara X; the character is seen from a higher position and of course the flat png files couldn't give thez correct placement.)
I think Poser is very interesting to work on architectural projects or perhaps on short videoclips where the characters must not have a too strong personnality. But perhaps the program will evolve and it is very interesting and has exciting functionalities.
But if you have a very precise idea of the whole personnality of your character and its so charming little imperfections, then is is much more fascinating to create it in any true 3D program, and particularly those who includes (I think every one now) surface subdivisions like metanurbs, hypernurbs or others.

That will be my first intervention in this 3D forum. In this matter my first program was the surprizing Extreme 3D which was included in Macromedia Freehand Graphics Studio some years ago. I have also a little experience with Bryce2 and I acquired recently Rhino 3D because I needed a program which was able to perform booleans on nurbs objects for my projects. Metanurbs are not so well adapted to create cars, planes or other partly angular or precisely sliced industrial objects (nevertheless I have found some tricks to use them for that but with some little defects).
I am not so advanced than in the use of Xara X for which I am moderator but I can help a little.

Kind regards,

ivan

[ivan louette]

Yes I have spent a lot of time to create this little person (a character project for an absolutely decent cartoon!) and No it is not anatomically perfect! But it was made without any help of Poser.
It was modelized in Lightwave with "metanurbs" and rendered in the same program with an extensive use of "fast Fresnel" effect (sorry for the shadows which are not correct at the feet; they are made in Xara X; the character is seen from a higher position and of course the flat png files couldn't give thez correct placement.)
I think Poser is very interesting to work on architectural projects or perhaps on short videoclips where the characters must not have a too strong personnality. But perhaps the program will evolve and it is very interesting and has exciting functionalities.
But if you have a very precise idea of the whole personnality of your character and its so charming little imperfections, then is is much more fascinating to create it in any true 3D program, and particularly those who includes (I think every one now) surface subdivisions like metanurbs, hypernurbs or others.

That will be my first intervention in this 3D forum. In this matter my first program was the surprizing Extreme 3D which was included in Macromedia Freehand Graphics Studio some years ago. I have also a little experience with Bryce2 and I acquired recently Rhino 3D because I needed a program which was able to perform booleans on nurbs objects for my projects. Metanurbs are not so well adapted to create cars, planes or other partly angular or precisely sliced industrial objects (nevertheless I have found some tricks to use them for that but with some little defects).
I am not so advanced than in the use of Xara X for which I am moderator but I can help a little.

Kind regards,

ivan

[s.winders]

Very nice work Ivan [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]


I love the natural yet not Barbie like proportions.I think personally your character looks more human and realistic then a lot of poser figures do,please dont change the anatomy I think its brilliant the way it is.I especially like the big feet which a tall lady would have in real life.


I am impressed [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]


Stu.

[ivan louette]

Thank you very much Stu,

the feet are inspired of those wide feet of african women who walk on any ground with grace. Many other details come from them because I have an infinite respect and admiration for them!

Here I put another image about heads in Lightwave.
Modelizing characters faces is also amazing with surfaces subdivisions (metanurbs or others). I think one couldn't have so much pleasure with Poser.

Kindly,

ivan

[randyrives]

The model shows great character. You look like you really enjoy doing faces, they all look great!

[Ron Pfister]

Ivan,

Impressive work Ivan!! Now this is the stuff we should have here.

I have to agree with you about using Poser...not that the program doesn't have great value. Unless you're working with a deadline or planning to use your Poser models in a generic w ay where a particular personality isn't required the program is wonderful. On the other hand great satisfaction and invaluable experience are gained through creating your own models from beginning to end. Personally I shiver at the idea of having to usin g someone elses models. Somehow it takes away from the artistic process.

Attached is an unfinished model that I work on from time to time. (Local layout work has cut deep into my 3D time) He was to be a superhero dressed in a full body suit. This HyperNu r bs model was created in Cinema4DXL6.3 from a single cube (box modeling). Only the right side of the mesh "exisits" while a Symmetry object is used to mirror the left side. This makes the process easier than trying to juggle double the number of Polygons and Points. The head was formed first, then the shoulders and arms, Abdominals then the legs. Eventually time will allow me to finish the super hero but for now he'll remain the that he is.

Very best,
Ron%

Ron Pfister
http://www.imaginationmagic.com

[randyrives]

I am thinking about getting Poser to try to import some characters I model. Then pose them im Poser. I wonder if if would be easier than using bones to pose in C4D?

Anyone have experience doing this?


--Randy

[Erik Heyninck]

Ivan, please post more often here. I do not want to draw you away from Xara, far from that. But your 3D work is very inspiring to me.
I think that "metanurbs" will be Lightwave's word for subdivision surfaces (Hypernurbs in Cinema4D)?

Masques et Bergamasques, Verlaine and Debussy,...and the beautiful African girl. Couldn't agree more that it must be (will be) fun and good experience to model yourself. Still, there is a lot of anatomical knoiwledge (keen observation) in the girl too. Look for example at the knees.

I'm not capable to talk about Poser as I never really tried it out myself. What I saw was impressive in that one can bend arms, legs, open or close eyes, the mouth can be set to speak vowels etc. From my point of view, starting from scratch always gives the greatest satisfaction, even it it is slower. It also depends on the degree of realism/BD cartoon that you aspire for.

But before someone starts climbing the Mount Everest, there's nothing wrong in watching video's and doing some exercise on the Mattenhorn.

When it raises the creative enthusiasm in you, and you become involved like a child at play, then go for it. Nothing can be more beautiful.
And your work is, as usual, very inspiring. So please: post from time to time. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[ivan louette]

Hello Randy,

Yes I like faces and all their expressions. I am allways surprised to see that the same face can show a lot of different expressions without modifying anything but the lights, view angles, textures and colors.

Ron,

I see you understand I have nothing against Poser. My first attempts to create characters was creating them in Poser 2, importing in Lightwave, slicing them and using the slices (simplified) to create a network of spline curves I patched with some success. That was before I understand better the possibilities of metanurbs.
Your superhero is very "sculptural". I find the legs particularly organic (specially seen from 3/4 face).
I have the same problem in organizing my 3D time (and also my Xara X time) these days because of my professionnal gardening work.

And Eric, (Ã* quand ce petit vin?)

I should be glad to post more often but ...!
Yes, metanurbs = hypernurbs. I find them very useful for those who don't want to work with bones. Bones work for animation but I am NOT an animator; this is a completely different work! Here I am interested to create posings which can simulate a movement on still images and can add an expression to this movement. My work is more like sculptural expression, and there is no problem if I must slightly modify the geometry of my characters in some circumstances. For that use I find useful to create a collection of different limbs positions which can be taken and modified afterwards to reconstitute the whole character in different circumstances. And that works very well!
I am not in search of hyperphotorealism for my cartoons and they will associate different drawing styles. I think Xara X can be extremely interesting for compositing and some days ago I discovered a plugin for Lightwave called "CompAssistant" which render separately in separated images the different attributes of the scene. I didn't try it but perhaps it's very interesting!
About anatomical knowledge, I was not the best in anatomy while I was a student. Simply I love to draw and express what I appreciate in faces and bodies. I have sometimes tenderness for some little physical defaults which are a part of the history of a person (on dirait chez nous que ces gentils genoux sont un peu "Krom" et trop tournés en dedans, mais c'est un petit "caprice" qui peut être si joli!) If you take a look at the face of the same african girl in my page in the XaraXone you will appreciate the typical little cushion under her chin (but there I wasn't satified by the eyelashes which must be redraw in Xara X, ...perhaps a blend or a brush.)

And thanks to everybody for the compliments! She doesn't show it but she is so shy!

Kind regards,

ivan