Fed up of seeing a Naked Action Man? Well, personally, Im not… but there is a need for uniforms…. So, whilst I wait to hear the outcome of my support request (which really requires the ability to work extensively with nCloth), I decided to get V.4 of the rig completed (done!) and resume asset scanning with the next engine Desktop Scanner.
First up, the Boots!
The first character will more than likely be the old 70′s Helicopter Pilot (Originally was going to be the Red Devil, but time is key, and this fits better with my extensive pipeline test I need to get done for the Autumn (Fall).
So, I also scanned the Pilots Helmet, with a view to doing the Vizor and Mask tomorrow. Here is how the Helmet looks within Next Engines software, just prior to the align process.
Alignment couldnt be easier. Place the pin markers in an area common to both scans and “hey Presto!”, the magic begins and you have a perfect merge of two separate scans…
With V.4 of the rig complete, I decided to check scales were correct, and I was very pleased with the result. That helmet just sits so perfectly. The boots look a little crap, but thats because the generic boots AM shipped with were equally crap! Once the Jump-suit is on, with a Turbo-Copter strapped to his back, its just going to look awesome!!!
As you can see, the process is not only a time saving exercise but creates a like for like OBJ. I dont want to get into the habit of importing RAW scan data into a clean scene like the AM_RIG…. but impatience got the better of me. Still…. Im glad I did. Tomorrow I shall scan all the little bits and bobs as well as the Jump Suit (Which I hope to convert to an nCloth object once I have digested the Digital Tutors nCloth disc that arrived this week).
It was whilst scanning the helmet, I notice the awesome Next Engine Logo on the top of the unit. In all these weeks, I just thought it was a cool blue LED or something…. But only today, after all these weeks did I notice that it was actually their logo…
Anyway… I also thought you may wanna see the end results of the Action Man Scan. I must point out that scanning with the Next Engine is not a destructive process. The carnage you are about to see is not a scanning requirement. I opted to scan Action Man in segments because this was how I planned to build him in CG…. in segments. For reasons that will become apparent as the project develops, he needs to be made just as he was originally made…. and as for the white paint….? Well, that washes off. Again, its not a an essential part of the scanning, but its a well known fact that Laser scanners, from the desk top versions to the very highest of the high end versions don’t like objects that are shiny or black. I opted to paint some of the items to help me get as much original detail out of the scans as possible. Trust me, you wont have to do this to your stuff you may be scanning… I just needed to ensure a uniform consistency across all the scans without having to worry about changing settings each time.
There is a mixture of original and repro items in there. The Eagle Eye head is original, and whilst I felt terrible gently heating him up and removing his flock hair for the scanner, I felt like it was a crucial step in the projects progress….
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