In this project I worked on an animation of a plant growing and placing an Apollo sculpture in a classical living room scene. The whole working process can be divided into the following stages:
- Initial design and research
Design Idea: The initial idea was to show plant growth through modeling and shape-shifting animation and to place the sculpture in a specific scene.
Plant selection: Cotoneaster salicifolius Franch. was chosen as the plant element and relevant research was carried out. - Animation and sculpture design
Animation attempts: Different methods of animation were tried and finally modeling and shape-shifting animation were chosen for the animation of Vineman with leaves and fruits. Also tried to produce the process of flowers from bud to blossom.
Sculpture design: Using ZBrush for the preliminary sculpting of the Apollo sculpture, we devoted ourselves to adding details and a sense of history to the sculpture. - Scene construction and material coloring
Living room scene design: built a classical living room scene and tried warm yellow color.
Material coloring: added realistic materials and textures to the vine manes, leaves and small fruits. - Decoration Addition and Light Setting
Scene Decoration: Added decorations such as candles and pine cones to add a festive atmosphere.
Lighting setup: created day and night scenes through world environment, spotlight, point light, etc. and set up candle lighting with self-luminous effect. And set up the changing light effect animation. - Lens setup and particle animation building for adding dusty light and shadow
Lens setup: In the lens setup, I paid much attention to the composition and used many triangular compositions to make the whole picture harmonious.
Dust particle animation: use blender’s particle system, set the parameters and adjust the particle animation to enrich the picture.
Difficulties encountered and ways to overcome them
- Animation Selection: Initial uncertainty in animation selection, through trying multiple methods and comparing advantages and disadvantages, the model and deformation animation program was finally determined.
- Presentation of details: In the design of the sculpture, we encountered the challenge of how to present the details and the sense of history, and perfected the details of the sculpture through learning sculpting techniques and many attempts.
- Learning multiple systems and animations
Difficulty: Need to learn and master different systems and techniques, such as particle system, deformation animation, fabric simulation and node editing.
Solution: By learning in stages and utilizing online tutorials and Blender official documents, you can gradually master the basic principles and operation methods of each system. And keep trying in practice to explore the functions and uses of various systems. - Dust animation production
Difficulty: Creating realistic dust effects requires a good grasp of the parameter settings and animation adjustments of the particle system.
Solution: By reading related tutorials and trying different particle settings, gradually adjust the parameters to simulate the appearance and behavior of dust. And combined with actual observation and rendering preview, keep adjusting the parameters to get a more realistic effect. - Flower Blossom Animation
Difficulty: To simulate the gradual blooming process of flowers, you need to master deformation animation and frame-by-frame animation skills.
Solution: Gradually change the shape of the flower model by using morphing animation, and combine it with frame-by-frame animation to create the subtle movements of the petals to simulate the process of flower blooming. Constantly adjust the keyframes and curve interpolation to achieve a more smooth and natural effect. - Curtain production
Difficulty: Creating realistic curtains requires familiarity with the application of fabric simulation and physics simulation.
Solution: Learn the fabric simulation function and adjust the physical properties and parameters of the curtain model to simulate the gravity and form of the fabric. Ensure the stability and realism of curtain simulation by adjusting collision and friction parameters. - Node Creation Lighting
Difficulty: Creating complex lighting effects using nodes requires an understanding of the node editor and lighting principles.
Solution: Learn the basics of node editor and lighting principles, and gradually create a variety of complex lighting effects. By adjusting node parameters and connecting different nodes, different types of lighting effects can be realized, such as soft light, spot light and ambient light.
Project Reflection
Learning and experimentation: During the project, I learned a lot of skills and knowledge about animation production, sculpture and scene design, and constantly experimenting with new methods is very helpful to my growth.
Overcoming Difficulties: When encountering difficulties, learning to be patient and keep trying is the key to solving problems, and every challenge is a learning opportunity.
Visual details: Attention to detail and fine-tuning can enhance the quality of your work, but it also requires more time and patience.
Ultimately, this project was a comprehensive learning and self-challenging process, experimenting with different techniques and creative methods and gaining valuable experience. Despite the challenges, being able to overcome the difficulties and complete the project made me feel satisfied and proud. In the future, I will continue to learn, improve and challenge myself in more creative fields to continuously enhance my technical level and creative ability.