Day52: Tools of the trade

Since I don't have much to post on my project, I'll just post something more general on the CG topic.

A general production pipeline

Model
Character Rigs and Props
Layout/Blocking
Animate
Light
Render
Composite

Effects would come in between layout to composite stage

Particles and Dynamics
Simulations
Lighting
Render

In depth look:

Start from story/concept art
Preparing assets includes
Modeling
UV Layout
Texturing

Lighting
Rendering
Compositing

So once the art is done, it's passed on to the modellers/sculptors to prepare the 3D models. It could be a hero character that is gonna save the world, a sexy partner, cute little pet, weapons of mass destruction, a barrel that's gonna roll down a hill and so on. Basically anything that is needed in the 3D world depending on the project/shots.

Once the Character or Prop is modelled it needs to be Textured in order to see colors, patterns or whatever the details that is needed for that character or prop.

Before texturing that is also a process known as UV layout, where you specify how the texture is gonna be paint on the character or prop.

As technology progresses we have a new workflow which doesn't require UV layout. The format is known as PTEX, basically the texture artist could just paint on the 3D model itself.

Rigging, doesn't have to be a character rig. It could be any 3D object that is needed to be hand animated. It could even be a awesome camera rig to simulate real life camera movement.

The process of setting of bones, controls and UI for animators to use em to animate.
Making characters come to live.

Comes lighting to give the scene more live, a sense of time, a feel of mood and so on.
Lighting is really important as it's kinda driving the look and the end result would be quite dependent on it.

A good workflow for lighting would be the HDR image base lighting.

Future lighting workflow should be the Linear workflow, which is another deep subject.

And if you're working with moving background plate, you're probably gonna include tracking.
If background plate needs cleaning up, you're probably need to handle rotoscoping.

So what are the tools?

Houdini
Maya
3Ds MAX
Modo
Blender
ZBrush
and any other 3D software packages.

Nuke
Mari
3D Coat