tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74640410499108510372024-03-08T13:33:04.393-05:003D Graphics Tutorials and Virtual WorldsLearn beginner tutorials in 3D computer graphics as well as news and resources from the cg and vr industry.Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-62239005218950779192009-11-21T17:55:00.004-05:002009-11-21T18:10:29.271-05:00Free High Res Content for DAZ Studio<div style="text-align: left;">I'm back on my graphics kick again, and just spent some time in <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ 3.0</a>, an unbelievable free piece of software. A couple of weeks ago I picked up a copy of <a href="http://www.3dworldmag.com/">3DWorld magazine</a>, and the October issue came with a CD with hundreds of dollars of software and resources, including a copy of DAZ 3 and a neat, high res image of a brain courtesy of <a href="http://www.flatpyramid.com/">Flat Pyramid</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The brain comes in a couple of formats, and the .obj was easily imported into DAZ Studio. I was impressed with detail and size of the object. In the image I created below using DAZ's <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/aiko-3-0?item=2866&spmeta=rq&_m=d?refid=391015437">Aiko Character</a>, and I had to reduce its size to 0.03% to get it to fit into her head.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SwhyaV6yGtI/AAAAAAAAAL0/V36g825I4m0/s400/aiko%27s+brain.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 369px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406697149544143570" /></div><div>The texture comes in at 2048x2048 jpg file. Nice and slimy looking. A great piece for your 3d scientific imaging needs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've got a bit of free time, so I'm off to either play some Warcraft 3, or do some more rendering!</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-54820354635096955302009-08-24T21:11:00.002-04:002009-08-24T21:13:27.696-04:00DAZ|Studio 3Just found out that <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ|Studio 3</a> has been released, so I can't wait to try it out. I also played with Terragen 2 today, and it is one complicated program.Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-54217719685716623402009-04-28T09:57:00.004-04:002009-04-28T10:06:57.183-04:00Anime Hottie in Outerspace - Free 3D ModelsI created this last night from free stuff from <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ</a>. The flier in the background is actually quite large, and shown here at 10% its original size. Its called the Stinger and is currently bundled in the <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/free-3d-models/anime-star-fighter?item=8864&cat=382&_m=d?refid=391015437">Anime Star Fighter</a> set, for FREE!.<br /><br />The background is actually Cargo Bay Doors by <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/shop/artistlist?cat=&artist=31795?refid=391015437">Stonemason</a>, which I think was a freebie at one point but I wasn't able to find it in the DAZ3D catalog.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 336px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329742567519083106" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SfcMoIFA2mI/AAAAAAAAAGU/Tc6_JxnCdjk/s400/xinxin.png" /> The figure is Aiko3 Base, with skin and XinXin shape and morph as well as the Sailor outift and hair from Made In Japan, which also comes with the free <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/free-3d-models/anime-uniforms?item=8863&cat=382&_m=d?refid=391015437">Anime Uniforms</a> bundle. The Made In Japan bundle alone costs $49.95 so this is a totally amazing set.<br /><br />Keep your eyes open, because there is always lots of free material available from DAZ but also lots of excellent models, props, outfits and other great resources. Join the ArtZone and look for me as Tigerrune. I also have some images of a slightly more scantily clad XinXin available on Flickr.<br /><br />Leave a comment if you're interested!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-79757987821950701312009-03-27T21:00:00.007-04:002009-03-27T21:16:02.803-04:00Great new items at Daz 3DI just found another great surprise in my inbox. How could you possibly turn down an item like this?<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/new-published-items/hot-uniforms-secretary?item=8904&cat=5&_m=d?refid=391015437"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/Sc12_NNm4TI/AAAAAAAAAGE/sK3qCXhq2bo/s400/hot_uniforms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318037563244994866" border="0" /></a>That is a hot uniform package outfit available for Victoria 4. I think the tattoo looks great!<br /><br />Also available right now is a free set of seats inspired by the Kingdom of Marrakesh. AND if that wasn't enough, you can also get a free set of lights with 1002 Nights - Party Light Set which includes:<br /><br />135 DAZ|Studio Lights in total </p><ul><li>2 Door lights </li><li>Main light </li><li>8 Window lights </li><li>28 Arch lights </li><li>24 Ambient lights </li><li>16 Ceiling lights </li><li>56 Pillar lights </li></ul>Makes me wish I had more time to work in Daz|Studio these days. Once work slows down, maybe in May I can put up some new images of my own.<br /><br />Enjoy!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-82597562086849502692009-03-12T20:08:00.004-04:002009-03-12T20:18:06.395-04:00The Ice Queen ComethI just got this in my mailbox and it looks incredible...<br /><br />Just available on <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ</a> now, check out the <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/subdragon-expansion?item=8525&_m=d?refid=391015437">Ice Queen, aka Frostbite</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SbmkUagTivI/AAAAAAAAAE8/dZmYOPshhLo/s1600-h/ice_queen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SbmkUagTivI/AAAAAAAAAE8/dZmYOPshhLo/s400/ice_queen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312457906079369970" border="0" /></a><br />The sword? Hailstorm - The Sword of Ice.<br />The throne? Freaking awesome.<br />The queen? Well, she speaks for herself doesn't she? Comes with 10 makeup options, 8 eye colours, including tear option!<br />The armour looks pretty sweet too.<br /><br />You just can't pass up a deal like this. Now available at <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">65%</span></span> off for a limited time! Also includes a <span style="font-weight: bold;">coupon code for 20%</span> off your next purchase. Amazing!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/subdragon-expansion?item=8525&_m=d?refid=391015437">Catch Frostbite now</a>!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-68687518093361262322009-02-13T15:49:00.002-05:002009-02-13T15:53:55.109-05:00Who will win the 3D war?So there are some interesting options out there for 3D viewing:<br /><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16582-format-war-looms-over-3d-tv.html">http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16582-format-war-looms-over-3d-tv.html</a><br /><br />The question is which will win out? At the moment, the technology of polarized images being sent to each eye requires either the wearing of special glasses or it appears that now screens are being created that do the polarization for you. This will probably be at least one possible winner. I cannot see the average consumer being accepting of wearing special glasses just because they want to watch a show or sporting event in 3D.<br /><br />Kind of makes me wish I was somewhere like Japan where I'd have more of a chance to see some of this technology before it hits mainstream in Canada.<br /><br />Other than that (and the cold), living in Canada is pretty good :)Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-55730339372809946412009-02-09T20:23:00.004-05:002009-02-09T20:49:54.293-05:003D opportunities in SecondLifeI've been spending a lot of time in SecondLife (SL) lately, and if you are interested in 3D graphics at all then it is something you should definitely look into. People are making money in SecondLife, and content providers who can create 3D objects and textures are just the people who are set to make the most money.<br /><br />SecondLife residents (called avatars) need two things just like we do in the real world (or our FirstLife, or RL... Real Life).<br /><ul><li>Shelter</li><li>Clothing</li></ul>Luckily, they don't *need* food, but you can definitely make some coin if you sell 3D representations of food, drinks... anything that looks good and people would want. I'll focus on clothing here, then discuss shelter in the future. Mainly because people is SecondLife always want new clothes, but they rare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SZDZOj-DpGI/AAAAAAAAAEE/yvXGW0_wrtk/s1600-h/with+pet+dino.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SZDZOj-DpGI/AAAAAAAAAEE/yvXGW0_wrtk/s320/with+pet+dino.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300975605611996258" border="0" /></a>ly need more than one place to live.<br /><br />There are plenty of places where people can get clothing for free. These free clothing items are usually in the form of simple textures that appear over the avatar's body. Oh yes, and if you can create photo-realistic skin like those available for <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ|Studio</a> or Poser then you can definitely make some good money! To the left, you can see an image of an avatar wearing a texture shirt. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SZDac4BedRI/AAAAAAAAAEM/vXGJ7p11KZw/s1600-h/prim_outfit.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SZDac4BedRI/AAAAAAAAAEM/vXGJ7p11KZw/s320/prim_outfit.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300976951024842002" border="0" /></a>Not complicated, and Robin Wood has a great template for creating free t-shirts at <a href="http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLTutSet.html">her site</a>.<br /><br />Of course if you're selling shirts, don't use her template... you mooch.<br /><br />The clothing that comes available as textures doesn't have the flexibility that clothing made out of primitive shapes, or "prims" do. Prim clothing is where the real money exists in SecondLife.<br />On the right, you'll see a cute little outfit made of prims. Prim shoes, prim ears, a flexi prim dress and tail set the outfit off great.<br /><br />The major problem with creating objects in SecondLife deals with the horrid user interface of creating objects "in-world"... that is, while you are connected to SecondLife through the SL viewer.<br /><br />To combat this problem, LindenLabs (the creators of SecondLife) recently made changes to the viewer that allow objects / clothing to be uploaded as a texture called a "sculpty". A sculpty is a 2D "texture" (a collection of coloured dots as RGB triples) that get converted into a 3D object (a collection of x,y,z coordinates)! There are a number of packages out there that allow you to create sculpties so you can upload them to SecondLife. BTW: Uploading textures, objects and even animations (yes, so dust off those .bvh files you created) cost $10L or $10 Linden dollars... the in-world currency that you can buy yourself with real money or find ways to make it in-world. So if you are testing a lot, make sure you have some money and you're stuff is good enough that you'll be able to make it back when you sell it.<br /><br />Some software:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.wings3d.com/">Wings3D</a> has a plug-in to create sculpties (see the <a href="http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Wings_3D">tutorial on the SecondLife Wiki</a>)</li><li><a href="http://www.blender.org">Blender</a> is an interesting Open Source 3D program I'm just learning more about. There is a tutorial at <a href="http://www.secondlifeartist.com/">SecondLifeArtist</a> but frankly, once I figure out how to use Blender I can write a better tutorial myself</li><li>Even <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ|Studio</a> has a new setting that allows you to export poses as .bvh files into a format recognized by SL, so your new outfits will look best with your custom poses. I've tried it. It doesn't work... yet. But perhaps I'll check the manual and try again.<br /></li></ul>So there you have it. A quick overview of SecondLife, ideas on how to make money (both real and virtual) as well as software (that you might already know) to help you with getting your feet wet in SecondLife.<br /><br />Oh yes, and check the background for the first image I posted. Someone had to model the building, the glasses, the dino (actually, I think someone at DAZ did that... they have an Island in SL you know) and then had to texture it all as well.<br /><br />So post a comment and let me know what you do in SecondLife with your graphics skillz!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-66494553331269979152009-01-07T10:42:00.001-05:002009-01-07T10:44:26.313-05:00Movies in Second LifeThis looks like a great film, and I was so impressed with the Windlight file that I used it myself for some great pictures in Second Life.<br /><br />This one is a steampunk machinima created in Second Life.<br /><br /><a href="http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2008/12/joy-of-mescalin.html">http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2008/12/joy-of-mescalin.html</a>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-50673610215080267132008-12-12T11:48:00.004-05:002008-12-12T12:02:09.300-05:00Freebie FridaysThat's what I need to do, come up with a theme! Its Friday and I have some free time from work while I'm home having renovations done, so now is the time to point you towards some free stuff!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.daz3d.com/?refid=391015437">DAZ3D</a> once again has come up with some amazing sales during their 12 Days of Christmas promo. One of the items on discount right now is incredibly hot Briana!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SUKXNhxuebI/AAAAAAAAAD0/GCOsCy0WNGE/s1600-h/briana_images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SUKXNhxuebI/AAAAAAAAAD0/GCOsCy0WNGE/s400/briana_images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278947971892672946" border="0" /></a>This shows the complete bundle, now at 50% off its normal price for today, Dec 12 but more sales will keep coming. You can <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/dm-briana-bundle?item=8365&_m=d&&refid=391015437">view it here</a>.<br /><br />One of the freebies currently available is free props for your room settings. Some could be considered period peices but others could be used in a wide range of situation. Here's a look at today's freebie called "Little Things":<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SUKXyABI2II/AAAAAAAAAD8/nyNTVLPwdjo/s1600-h/free_props.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SUKXyABI2II/AAAAAAAAAD8/nyNTVLPwdjo/s400/free_props.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278948598485670018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These are great props, I can't wait to try them! Well, actually I probably will, since I intend to get some SecondLife time in today! <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/little-things?item=7606&_m=d">You can get them directly here as well</a>.<br /><br />Cheers from the virtual realms!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-72977750678059587772008-11-18T11:33:00.004-05:002008-11-18T11:46:42.538-05:00Free 3D ModelsI've posted a couple of videos to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxXQ6W7sFmI">YouTube</a> and the comment that is always seen with Daz|Studio videos is "Where do you get the models?". Well, the simple answer is that the software does come with some free models but occasionally, great free models become available at Daz.<br /><br />At the moment, a full model of a human male, with a basic texture (its still very nice though) known as Michael 4 or M4 is available.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a target="_BLANK" href="http://www.daz3d.com/redirects/daz_current.php?refid=391015437"><img src="http://www-cache.daz3d.com/bannerimages/DAZcurrent_468x60.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="60" width="468" /></a><br /><br /></div>Other characters include Victoria (human female) and Aiko (a female anime style character for manga) and many others.<br /><br />Make sure you check out Daz3D for more free models as well as other sites that I post here on occasion. A future post will include a list of sites where free 3d models are available for Daz|Studio and other 3d modeling and rendering packages.Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-69587411184774937402008-11-18T11:00:00.005-05:002008-11-18T11:20:31.956-05:00Experience Dublin: Second Life StyleAfter all this time, it's hard to believe I've never tried <a href="http://www.b-eye-network.com/blogs/power/archives/2008/09/second_life_wor_1.php">Second Life</a>. Second Life (SL) is a virtual world where you can take on a 3D avatar and wander a totally virtual world... but it's even harder to believe that even some techy people still ask what Second Life is. I bit the bullet last week, and have now logged in about 40 minutes of time, and its my current favourite thing. After my honeymoon in Dublin this summer, I've found and connected to a virtual Dublin, and I'm loving it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SSLp3ZjvtNI/AAAAAAAAADs/B-5rIv5F510/s1600-h/me_at_ChristChurchCathedral_001_sm.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SSLp3ZjvtNI/AAAAAAAAADs/B-5rIv5F510/s320/me_at_ChristChurchCathedral_001_sm.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270031651939792082" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />(<a href="http://www.whyusechrome.com/images/vr/me_ChristChurchCathedral_001.png">Click here to view the larger image</a>)<br /><br />I work at a post-secondary institution and I'm interested in <a href="http://lindenlab.com/">Linden Labs</a>' work on the <a href="http://secondlifegrid.net/">Second Life Grid</a> and how <a href="http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world">it can be used in academia</a>. I'll be attending a workshop on SL on Dec 2 and I'm interested in seeing how its being used here in Canada, and I want to see if there is any potential for me to be involved in an SL project here in the future. I was trying to find some information on the speaker, but due to an mis-spelled Google Search, I ended up at <a href="http://www.b-eye-network.com/blogs/power/archives/2008/09/second_life_wor_1.php">a blog entry by Dan Power</a>. Dan writes about his experiences setting a virtual Iowa and has even included a PowerPoint presentation he's put together. As a warning, the online slides he's using won't view very well unless you're using Internet Explorer.<br /><br />A virtual world like Second Life has a wide variety of uses, and many universities are taking part in areas ranging from course delivery to recruitment. The question is how it can be adapted for my specific needs. And that is a question I would *love* to investigate.Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-26660496074846010422008-11-18T10:45:00.001-05:002008-11-18T10:46:40.950-05:00Changing Content Width in Blogger TemplatesIf anyone knows how I can modify this template to make the body and sidebar elements wider, leave me a comment!<br /><br />Thanks for reading!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-49410945182628241402008-11-14T21:02:00.005-05:002008-11-18T10:47:57.750-05:00Great community with DAZ3D ArtzoneI've finally found some time with this crazy schedule of mine to get back into using <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/0/0/-/?refid=391015437">DAZStudio </a>and <a href="http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/">Terragen</a>. If you haven't heard about Terragen, I simply can't say enough of it. I've been a fan for years, and maybe I'll get to post some tutorials here. It can create photo-realistic landscapes like this one:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://artzone.daz3d.com/azfiles/gallery/1y/ld/ecqw8zx47duektpd6iuyxy61xpfjlh-full.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 638px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 337px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://artzone.daz3d.com/azfiles/gallery/1y/ld/ecqw8zx47duektpd6iuyxy61xpfjlh-full.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I absolutely love <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/0/0/-/?refid=391015437">DS</a>, even though my computer has always been underpowered to really run it, and I've never had the right video card. Hopefully I can make some extra blog money somehow to get a nVidia graphics card, instead of always getting stuck with an ATI Rage the way things are now. But I digress...<br /><br />I've gotten myself back into <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/0/0/-/?refid=391015437">Daz</a> because it is one of the only things that I find relaxes me... even with the occasional crashes, and the fact that I can't use the newest characters and have to create imagery with stuff I downloaded 2 years ago, or old <a href="http://my.smithmicro.com/win/poser/index.html">Poser</a> models.<br /><br /><br />By checking the Daz site occasionally for inspiration (and free models!) I signed up for Artzone a couple of months ago and finally made an effort to check back on my profile. I'm able to post images, see other artists work, and its been one day and I already have 1 new <a href="http://artzone.daz3d.com/index.php?mode=people_card&p_id=14448">friend</a>!<br /><br />Here are a couple of more images I've created, and you can see more at <a href="http://artzone.daz3d.com/?Tigerrune">my profile </a>at the <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/0/0/-/?refid=391015437">Daz3D</a> <a href="http://artzone.daz3d.com/">Artzone</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SR4xS84iL2I/AAAAAAAAADk/RRsf7lWlI1Q/s1600-h/twilight_thoughtful_small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268702815720714082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1nMKH0WoQP8/SR4xS84iL2I/AAAAAAAAADk/RRsf7lWlI1Q/s320/twilight_thoughtful_small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://artzone.daz3d.com/azfiles/gallery/52/7e/h19abvkdt5h7l2km6ucpvybipnxfev-full.png"><img style="WIDTH: 640px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 360px" alt="" src="http://artzone.daz3d.com/azfiles/gallery/52/7e/h19abvkdt5h7l2km6ucpvybipnxfev-full.png" border="0" /></a>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-7076710016194372912008-11-09T21:26:00.002-05:002008-11-18T10:48:51.204-05:00CNN Holograms of the future?I never caught it during my view of the election coverage for the 2008 US Presidential Election race.. actually because I didn't see any of it, but apparently CNN tried to tell us they had perfected hologram technology. But they didn't.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/11/05/tech-holograms.html">http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/11/05/tech-holograms.html</a><br /><br />Good try though.<br />[ed: Stupid Digg script!]Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-54851197575029018902008-10-27T21:53:00.004-04:002008-11-18T10:49:10.405-05:00Great art on ShareCGI was checking out some of the new features in Daz ArtZone when I came across a link to another site: <a href="http://www.sharecg.com/">http://www.sharecg.com/</a><br /><br />A great user site with profiles, galleries and really talented artist. I was really impressed by the fact that it has a VR section, as well as tutorials in 2D and 3D art along with <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/download?&_m=d&refid=391015437">DazStudio</a>, Bryce, Autocad, Photoshop... and probably tonnes of others.<br /><br />Makes me wish I had:<br /><ol><li>More time to spend on this kind of work: I find it relaxes me and I enjoy it.</li><li>A better computer, to render more things!</li></ol><p>Seriously, check out the site and find me in the ArtZone community. Stop by and say "Hi!"Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-57765028873741023772008-10-21T12:23:00.001-04:002008-10-21T12:23:46.748-04:00Would you watch the Hobbit in 3D?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>A little blurb about the some-day upcoming Hobbit movie: think it would be good in 3D?<br/><br/><a href='http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/10/20/the-hobbit-in-3d-and-imax-guillermo-del-toro-leaves-open-the-possibility/'>http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/10/20/the-hobbit-in-3d-and-imax-guillermo-del-toro-leaves-open-the-possibility/</a><br/><br/>Shame on me, I've never yet seen an IMAX film, let alone one in 3D. :(<br/></div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-47141716699981465122008-10-07T13:52:00.001-04:002008-10-07T13:52:20.203-04:00Touchable Holograms not far away<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Another shout out to <a href='http://waterloo-bicycle-blog.blogspot.com/'>Dino</a> for providing a link to a Gizmodo article on <a href='http://gizmodo.com/5059847/breakthrough-in-holographic-tech-makes-3d-sets-5-to-10-years-away'>breakthroughs in hologram technology</a>. <br/><br/>That of course led me to another item about research dealing with the <a href='http://gizmodo.com/5044624/ultrasound-haptic-devices-can-project-tactile-shapes-into-thin-air'>use of ultrasound to produce tactile feedback</a>. Now combine the two, and someday we could get hologram images that have a light feel of substance to them. Perhaps not rock solid, but a pleasant squidgy feeling nonetheless.<br/><br/><br/></div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-5663826937639370412008-09-30T14:21:00.001-04:002008-09-30T14:21:55.926-04:003D Camera news<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Wired Article regarding FujiFilm's Real 3D Camera:<br/><a href='http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/fujifilms-two-l.html'>http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/fujifilms-two-l.html</a><br/><br/>Really expensive ways to glue two cameras together:<br/><a href='http://www.stereoscopy.com/3d-concepts/cameradig.html'>http://www.stereoscopy.com/3d-concepts/cameradig.html</a><br/></div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-18247037093897121152008-09-08T11:26:00.000-04:002008-09-08T11:52:55.454-04:00Philippe Fuchs runs from Paris to Beijing<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Wow, more 3D VR stuff in the blogosphere!<br/><br/>I just found this article about the <a href='http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/03/dassault_systemes_virtual_plus_reality_challenge.html'>Virtual Plus Reality Challenge</a> while checking out <a href='http://share-sports.3ds.com/2008/02/29/discover-another-dimension-in-sports/'>Kate's blog </a>at 3DSports.<br/><br/>Apparently they had runner Philippe Fuchs run 8,500 km while <br/>From the official website:<br/>Renowned French Marathon Runner Philippe Fuchs Arrives in Beijing after Running for 161 Days and 8,500 Kilometers <a target='_blank' href='http://www.3ds.com/news-events/press-releases/release/1846/1/?no_cache=1'>Read the news</a>.<br/><br/>A video on the site explains in detail. Quite simply, Fuchs is also a professor and virtual reality researcher. The purpose of the run was to record data on the mechanics of the foot to help build a better virtual model.<br/><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/rick.henderson.blog/SMVH_vOUezI/AAAAAAAAADU/Dq6dsGkuBdU/%5BUNSET%5D.png' style='max-width: 800px; float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px;'/><br/>A great way to use VR, and a great look at where VR has come in the world.<br/><br/>The great part about it was you could follow Fuchs on Facebook and take part as a virtual runner. Wish I had heard about this earlier! Congratulations to Philippe Fuchs and his run to Beijing! Not to mention his work in virtual reality.<br/><br/>This image was created from the Facebook application. Do a search for <b>vplusr</b> and you should be able to find it.<br/><br/>The software will allow you to upload a front and profile picture of yourself, or take fresh pictures with a webcam that you have connected. I'm very impressed with what it was able to stitch together given the quality of my webcam, and the distractions in the background behind me.<br/><br/>The application is fun in itself as well. <br/></div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-90623318653081735002008-09-08T11:02:00.001-04:002008-09-08T11:10:17.814-04:003D Stereoscopic Movie with James Cameron: Avatar<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>The new school year is keeping my busy, but here is a quick set of interesting links re: 3D movies and video eyewear.<br/><br/>Here's a great little article about an upcoming 3D movie by James<br/>Cameron. I'll try and find some other information about it and post it<br/>when I can but until then, enjoy this <a href='http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/MovieNews/2008/09/04/6656591-sun.html'>article about James Cameron's 3D film Avatar</a>.<br/><br/>And if you are interested in wearable computing, check out what I hope will be my next purchase: a refurbished <a href='http://www.myvu.com/SoloPlus.html'>MyVu Solo Plus</a>.<br/><br/>Update: Dino sends in this link on a <a href='http://www.video-eyewear-online.com/index.html'>different brands of video eyewear</a>. Better variety, higher prices but interesting. Also allows you to buy bulk at wholesale!<br/><br/>These items would be great for a <a href='http://cb.nowan.net/blog/2006/03/29/garage-vr-a-new-reality/'>garage virtual reality system</a>.<br/><br/>Now I'm going to try and draw a Red-Green stereoscopic cube on my whiteboard :)</div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-77571453654249150242008-08-22T12:01:00.001-04:002008-08-22T12:01:40.717-04:003D collection of proteins and other molecules<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>A friend just directed me to <a href='http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/bc-li2082208.php'>this link</a> discussing the usefulness of <a href='http://www.proteopedia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page'>Proteopedia</a>, a Wiki that collects interactive, 3D models of molecules, proteins. <br/><br/><div align='center'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/rick.henderson.blog/SK7h0XiJQ-I/AAAAAAAAACc/VxDSqok8a0o/%5BUNSET%5D.png' style='max-width: 800px;'/><br/></div><br/><p><i>This picture, by the way, is taken from the <a href='http://jmol.sourceforge.net/'>JMOL site</a>, which is the interactive, 3D molecular visualizer used on Proteopedia... and OpenSource! Ooo... I'm getting ideas... yay!</i><br/></p><br/>We got on this discussion because we were discussing the creation of our own 3D viewing system (possibly using shutter glasses, that sort of thing).<br/><br/>Hmm, I'll have to get a picture of me in my <a href='http://www.digit-life.com/articles/vfx3d/index.html'>VR helmet</a> and post it on here. Garage VR was a favourite topic of mine back in the 90's and maybe I can dust of some old ideas and post them here. What was old is new again as they say!</div>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-48236587633774070552008-06-20T14:40:00.002-04:002008-06-20T14:48:01.258-04:00Create 3d graphics with DAZ3DI just got back from vacation so hopefully some of the wonders of Ireland will rub off on me and I can begin creating some Celtic-inspired work. The Book of Kells has been a big thing for me and I am about to check it out on CD-ROM so I can't wait to get started!<br /><br />But what is REALLY great is that <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/download?&_m=d&refid=391015437">DAZ3D</a> and the ArtZone Community have just made it even easier to work with 3D graphics. <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/download?&_m=d&refid=391015437">DAZStudio</a> is a great product, and by joining the ArtZone community you'll get to read about amazing artists and get great tips and free 3d models. Sign up for the DAZ emails because every now and then some of items that are on sale are given away for free. And we're not going to complain about free models and textures are we?<br /><br />When you get to the download page at <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/download?&_m=d&refid=391015437">http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/download?&_m=d&refid=391015437</a> , scroll halfway down to the Download.com links. The two bundle advertised at the top of the page are not required, you can find free models very quickly. Besides, DAZStudio comes bundled with a lot of free models to start with!<br /><br />I'll get around to posting some of the images I've created with DAZ over the years and post them here. I'm by no means an expert, but I can help you get started in working with this great program.<br /><br /><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464041049910851037.post-43268737449424355712008-05-07T15:47:00.003-04:002008-05-07T16:02:19.186-04:00Review: Google SketchUp<strong>Google’s SketchUp</strong> is a great program to get you started with creating your own 3d virtual objects, buildings and worlds.<br /><div style="FLOAT: left"><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />digg_url = 'http://iteachvr.blogspot.com';<br />digg_bgcolor = '#466';<br />digg_skin = 'compact';<br />digg_window = 'new';<br /></script><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /></div><br /><br />For months I had wanted to check out <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Google’s SketchUp</a> application but never got around to it. I’ve been in love with 3d graphics for years but never spend enough time on it for my liking. With things at work getting a bit quieter for the summer, I found time to download and install the SketchUp Viewer and the free tool itself, but just had time to work on it today.<br /><br />I was amazed! Even though the program runs a bit slow on my computer (due to either the problems I’ve had with Windows recently or the fact that I have a crappy video card) I was very impressed with what can be accomplished with only learning 2 design tools and 3 navigation tools!<br /><br />When you start up <strong>SketchUp</strong>, you are provided with the “tips” screen, which they call the <em>Learning Center</em>. The first tip has a link to a model, so you should click on that link and it opens a “model” that has been designed as a multi-tabbed tutorial. Each tab of the tutorial has some information on how to use a given tool and you can actually use each tool from within the tutorial. In 15 tabs it shows you how to create a relatively complex object or building with only 2 creation tools.<br />The 3 navigation tools it introduces are the <em>Orbit</em>, <em>Pan</em>, and <em>Zoom</em> tools:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://reiki.snowbank.ca/images/3dblog/sketchup_3_nav_tools.png" /></p><div align="left">And the 2 design/create/edit tools are <em>Square</em> and <em>Pull-Up</em>:<br /></div><p align="center"><img src="http://reiki.snowbank.ca/images/3dblog/sketchup_2_drawing_tools.png" /></p>The “pull-up” style of building a box from a flat plane is nothing new, as it is a common tool used in 3D graphics modeling packages such as <a href="http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=7635018&siteID=123112">Maya</a> and <a href="http://www.wings3d.com/">Wings3D</a> and others, but I’ve never quite had it explained so clearly and concisely before.<br /><br /><strong>Google SketchUp</strong> offers a clean interface, helpful tutorials (which I will definitely check out) and an interesting <em>Model Warehouse</em> feature which will keep you busy for well…months! I’ll definitely be trying out some more of the program to see what can be created. At the end of the tutorial, I was able to create quite a complicated object considering it started with only 1 square shape. Click on the image to view a slightly bigger version:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://reiki.snowbank.ca/images/3dblog/first_model.png"><img src="http://reiki.snowbank.ca/images/3dblog/first_model_sm.png" /></a></p><br /><br />Write a comment and let me know what you think about Google SketchUp and what other tutorials you’d want to see on the program, or any other tutorials you’d like to see. I’ll do what I can!Rick Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08362226632058390544noreply@blogger.com2