The 2012 Xara Xone Tree-Trimming Collaboration

[Gare]

@Larry and all—

Attached is a 150ppi copy of our tree, with presents underneath. wrapped in a grid. You can now create not one, but several gifts in the proper perspective beneath our tree. If one of the proportions of the boxes isn't to your liking, just use Xara's Line tool to extend the perspective on the box, and then draw i, texture it, and post it here.

If anyone wants different poses:

1.) You're pushing your luck, and
2.) Just ask in a post here.



My Best,

Gary

[Gare]

I enjoy "Greensleeves" all year 'round, but the song takes on a different meaning—and lyrics—this time of the season.

This one if from this year's album.



Ho × 3,

Gary

[wizard509]

Thank you very much Gare. The perspective grid is a terrific idea.

[Gare]

You're welcome, Larry.

Now, because all I did was put some cubes into the scene I modeled and then rendered, the boxes are virtually in the scene, so in addition to perspective, you get an idea of how light is falling into the scene, too.

In case you want to make the perfect gift.



And, no, contrary to the advertisements, a subscription to Sports Illustrated is not the perfect git.

-g

[angelize]

A question about the lighting in the scene. I see shadows being cast in two directions I think the main light source is from top left with a secondary light source coming from the right (the window) Have I got that right? I figure if I'm going to get the perspective right I should get the lighting right Right, right, right,

[siskiyoujim]

Hi this is Asher again I have a few more things for the the tree. I used the the 2002 tutorial for the snowman decoration.Ashers Christmas decorations 2.xarATTACH]93359[/ATTACH]

[siskiyoujim]

Thanks

[Gare]

@Asher—Thanks, and will get to adding them tomorrow!

@Frances—

Sorry! I went with a flattering lighting setup for the tree without thinking first about direction, number of lights, or intensity. The main light source is coming in from the venetian blinds at camera right, but I have a catch light (remember this month's tutorial?) at 1/5th the power of the main light coming in from camera left. Plus there is diffuse lighting globally: if you're a modeling weenie, I used an HDR image from Dorsch images for the Global Illumination.



Oh, and pardon my probable misuse of the term "lumen" in my diagram. The modeler is fairly accurate when comparing a photo to a render, but there are some labels and stuff that escape me, such illumination being relative to the size of objects in the scene.

I hope this image helps explain where the light is coming from: you can see where the camera is relative to the tree. But this image might prove to confuse more than help! Just take it as gospel that the boxes are more stongly lit from the right, ad if you follow the grids and put your own artwork into the original JPEG I posted very early in this thread, you will just see whether the lighting you suggest on your gift is correct or not.



Hey, there are so many different lighting angles on the ornaments right now, who cares?

;)

-g

[Penny O'Rorke]

Thanks, Gare, a great effort. Sorry to send another hanging ornament - this is a very old friend and I can't imagine a tree without him. He's showing his age, but is much loved.........

[Gare]

Beautiful, Penny.

I'll be doing some decorating today, actually.

And I'm wondering when The Administrator and I will get around to our analog tree...

Here's another Public Domain song I recorded and mixed-down digitally, attached. It's an mp3 inside the Zip archive.





My Best,

Gary