Post by Douglas Mallette on Jul 22, 2009 10:24:32 GMT -5
The odds of you finding a bunch of volunteers that all use the same software are slim and none. lol. So, how do you handle this issue, especially since not all software packages render the same way?!
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Let's look at compositing:
First, make sure you're doing everything as TGA or PNG sequences. We're using TGA's. These are uncompressed images, so no matter what software anyone is using, if they all input and output TGA's, you can compare them and make sure everything matches right.
Example: I give a shot to someone. The shot is a TGA sequence on the FTP. They grab it and work it. Their updates can be in MOV format for quick review, but they also send one TGA still frame so we can compare it to the color corrected template they have to match. The CC template is either made by the Director so he/she knows exactly what they want that "location" to look like, or it's developed by the first person to finish a shot in that location according to the Directors instructions. If the TGA CC Template and their TGA frame match, then we know it's good. It doesn't matter what software they are using. Keep everything TGA based until the very last moment when you final render the whole film and you're good.
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As for CG animations, like spaceship flying, you have to decide what software you're going to use, because trying this with a mix of packages is a bad idea. We've gone with Lightwave as the main animation package, only because we just happened to get more LW people than Max, Maya, or anything else. Now we do have a few Max people who are doing spaceship animations, but we've figured out how to import their work into LW so it can still be used. Basically, they export as FBX (which maintains their animation paths) and then the LW person just has to add the ship models back onto the paths. Done.
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As for our CG background plates (the virtual sets) this is software specific, but not software dependent. It doesn't matter who is doing your virtual set or what software they're using, as long as they are also the same people who are lighting and texturing the model to render out your BG plates. It's hard to model in one package and then pass it to someone else who is using a different package, so there are limits there. But you can pass from person to person if they all use the same software. We've done that several times.
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Now for saber roto, this is important: Software doesn't matter, but output DOES!!! DO NOT HAVE YOUR SABER ROTO PEOPLE COLOR THE BLADES. The saber roto people can use whatever tricks they like, but their output will be three layers of all black/white/alpha.
1. Saber Core
2. Saber Glow
3. Saber Hilt Matte (so the blade doesn't run into the hands)
They also don't have to worry about masking out when a blade goes behind a person or object, nor are they dealing with clashing effects. It will be the compositors that deal with all that. The Compositors get the three layers; they color it to look right in the scene they are doing; they can control the levels and intensity accordingly; they mask out the blade when it goes behind someone or something; they add the additional FX like flash and sparks as needed.
____________________________________
Let's look at compositing:
First, make sure you're doing everything as TGA or PNG sequences. We're using TGA's. These are uncompressed images, so no matter what software anyone is using, if they all input and output TGA's, you can compare them and make sure everything matches right.
Example: I give a shot to someone. The shot is a TGA sequence on the FTP. They grab it and work it. Their updates can be in MOV format for quick review, but they also send one TGA still frame so we can compare it to the color corrected template they have to match. The CC template is either made by the Director so he/she knows exactly what they want that "location" to look like, or it's developed by the first person to finish a shot in that location according to the Directors instructions. If the TGA CC Template and their TGA frame match, then we know it's good. It doesn't matter what software they are using. Keep everything TGA based until the very last moment when you final render the whole film and you're good.
____________________________________
As for CG animations, like spaceship flying, you have to decide what software you're going to use, because trying this with a mix of packages is a bad idea. We've gone with Lightwave as the main animation package, only because we just happened to get more LW people than Max, Maya, or anything else. Now we do have a few Max people who are doing spaceship animations, but we've figured out how to import their work into LW so it can still be used. Basically, they export as FBX (which maintains their animation paths) and then the LW person just has to add the ship models back onto the paths. Done.
____________________________________
As for our CG background plates (the virtual sets) this is software specific, but not software dependent. It doesn't matter who is doing your virtual set or what software they're using, as long as they are also the same people who are lighting and texturing the model to render out your BG plates. It's hard to model in one package and then pass it to someone else who is using a different package, so there are limits there. But you can pass from person to person if they all use the same software. We've done that several times.
____________________________________
Now for saber roto, this is important: Software doesn't matter, but output DOES!!! DO NOT HAVE YOUR SABER ROTO PEOPLE COLOR THE BLADES. The saber roto people can use whatever tricks they like, but their output will be three layers of all black/white/alpha.
1. Saber Core
2. Saber Glow
3. Saber Hilt Matte (so the blade doesn't run into the hands)
They also don't have to worry about masking out when a blade goes behind a person or object, nor are they dealing with clashing effects. It will be the compositors that deal with all that. The Compositors get the three layers; they color it to look right in the scene they are doing; they can control the levels and intensity accordingly; they mask out the blade when it goes behind someone or something; they add the additional FX like flash and sparks as needed.