Looking for 3D environments for a movie at DVinfo.net

Heath McKnight · September 12th, 2007, 08:30 AM

Where can I go to find 3D environments for CGI/visual effects? I'm specifically looking for modern office hallways, an elevator and a lobby.

Thanks,

Heath

Emre Safak · September 12th, 2007, 09:01 AM

Do you want Maya or 3DS files you can modify, or pre-rendered videos?

Heath McKnight · September 12th, 2007, 09:12 AM

I'll need to ask my VFX supervisor. He wants to take photos of those areas in a location, but getting into nice locations is proving to be hard. I can only find not-so-good-looking locations to photograph.

Is there a website I can check out?

heath

Daniel Ross · September 13th, 2007, 06:06 AM

The only possible answer to such a vague question is google.

There are tons of sites with all sorts of models, some free, and some for sale.

If you're not even sure of what he wants, why are you being asked to look? He should at least give you enough info to find what he needs...

Heath McKnight · September 13th, 2007, 06:42 AM

Daniel,

I thought I was specific by asking if there is a place that has 3D/CGI environments for an elevator, office hallway and a lobby. Please tell me what info you need.

heath

Daniel Ross · September 13th, 2007, 07:36 AM

Oh, I'm sorry. I misread that, reading mostly your second post.

Still, though, you haven't said what format you need. I can guess that the standards would work-- 3ds/max/obj, though they might not be completely compatible with some other software packages.

Are you wiling to pay? Must it be a free model?
Will it need to be customized to your set/film?

Also, would it be ok to just use a matte painting? If you could get away with photos, that might be a good thing to look into. I'd much rather go with Photoshop than CGI. (If it did fit the scene(s).)

Now, for a site you could start looking at, try turbosquid.com.
For example,
http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/Ind...chKey=elevator

Emre Safak · September 13th, 2007, 07:45 AM

Daniel is onto something. Perhaps you could take a bunch of pictures, and stitch them in After Effects using Photoshop's Vanishing Point tool. This is the critical ingredient that will allow you to make everything look 3D. Much less work than 3D rendering. Check this out to see what I mean.

Heath McKnight · September 13th, 2007, 10:09 AM

Daniel,

I was hoping to avoid the photo route, but that's what my VFX guy wanted to do. Now that others are saying it, looks like photos it is! :-) Then again, I'm very new to CGI filmmaking, having only done one quick thing that was mostly animated with a little bit green screen (for my film 9:04 AM).

THANKS! I'm going to forward turbosquid.com to my FX guy. I don't even know what program he's using because he recently switched. I'm learning!

My plan is to do a feature film like this (300/Sin City/Sky Captain-style). There will be some sets, though, but very limited.

Thank you,

heath

Heath McKnight · September 14th, 2007, 07:04 AM

My visual FX supervisor took several photos of an elevator, hallway and lobby for the movie, using a Nikon D200 and an 18-55mm lens (we didn't have anything wider). He's been assembling for a few hours now and I'll check up with him later.

Thanks for the help!

heath

Emre Safak · September 14th, 2007, 08:27 AM

I'm sure he knows to make sure the light of the background plates and the keyed action need to match.

Let's see some footage when it's finished!

Heath McKnight · September 14th, 2007, 09:15 AM

Oh, yeah! We're finishing lighting tonight and shooting tomorrow. Footage is coming later.

heath

Jim Andrada · September 14th, 2007, 04:06 PM

Not sure if this is really relevant, but if you're careful to take the photos in such a way that everything is visible from several different viewpoints, you can use a package like EOS Systems Photomodeler or RealViz's similar package (Image Modeler???) that will ingest several photos and generate a 3D model with the images applied as textures.

You can then clean these up and light and render them, etc in most 3D packages. Only requirement is that the perspective be different, ie the photos have to be taken from several different points. In particular you'll need a photo showing any surface you'll want to see in the final model.

Given that you're using a wide angle lens, you might want to run them through something like DXO optics package to eliminate the curvature of straight edges that you would otherwise get. I always run photos through this package before stitching them in RealViz Stitcher. Yields better
results.

If I'm being fussy or there are foreground objects close to the camera, I also use a panorama head to take photos I intend to use as stitched backgrounds.

September 12th, 2007, 08:30 AM	#1
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Looking for 3D environments for a movie Where can I go to find 3D environments for CGI/visual effects? I'm specifically looking for modern office hallways, an elevator and a lobby. Thanks, Heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 12th, 2007, 09:12 AM	#3
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	I'll need to ask my VFX supervisor. He wants to take photos of those areas in a location, but getting into nice locations is proving to be hard. I can only find not-so-good-looking locations to photograph. Is there a website I can check out? heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 13th, 2007, 06:42 AM	#5
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Daniel, I thought I was specific by asking if there is a place that has 3D/CGI environments for an elevator, office hallway and a lobby. Please tell me what info you need. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 13th, 2007, 10:09 AM	#8
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Daniel, I was hoping to avoid the photo route, but that's what my VFX guy wanted to do. Now that others are saying it, looks like photos it is! :-) Then again, I'm very new to CGI filmmaking, having only done one quick thing that was mostly animated with a little bit green screen (for my film 9:04 AM). THANKS! I'm going to forward turbosquid.com to my FX guy. I don't even know what program he's using because he recently switched. I'm learning! My plan is to do a feature film like this (300/Sin City/Sky Captain-style). There will be some sets, though, but very limited. Thank you, heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 14th, 2007, 07:04 AM	#9
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	My visual FX supervisor took several photos of an elevator, hallway and lobby for the movie, using a Nikon D200 and an 18-55mm lens (we didn't have anything wider). He's been assembling for a few hours now and I'll check up with him later. Thanks for the help! heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 12th, 2007, 09:01 AM	#2
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	Do you want Maya or 3DS files you can modify, or pre-rendered videos?

September 13th, 2007, 06:06 AM	#4
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	The only possible answer to such a vague question is google. There are tons of sites with all sorts of models, some free, and some for sale. If you're not even sure of what he wants, why are you being asked to look? He should at least give you enough info to find what he needs...

September 13th, 2007, 07:36 AM	#6
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	Oh, I'm sorry. I misread that, reading mostly your second post. Still, though, you haven't said what format you need. I can guess that the standards would work-- 3ds/max/obj, though they might not be completely compatible with some other software packages. Are you wiling to pay? Must it be a free model? Will it need to be customized to your set/film? Also, would it be ok to just use a matte painting? If you could get away with photos, that might be a good thing to look into. I'd much rather go with Photoshop than CGI. (If it did fit the scene(s).) Now, for a site you could start looking at, try turbosquid.com. For example, http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/Ind...chKey=elevator

September 13th, 2007, 07:45 AM	#7
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	Daniel is onto something. Perhaps you could take a bunch of pictures, and stitch them in After Effects using Photoshop's Vanishing Point tool. This is the critical ingredient that will allow you to make everything look 3D. Much less work than 3D rendering. Check this out to see what I mean.

September 14th, 2007, 08:27 AM	#10
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	I'm sure he knows to make sure the light of the background plates and the keyed action need to match. Let's see some footage when it's finished!

September 14th, 2007, 09:15 AM	#11
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Oh, yeah! We're finishing lighting tonight and shooting tomorrow. Footage is coming later. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 14th, 2007, 04:06 PM	#12
Jim Andrada Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,211	Not sure if this is really relevant, but if you're careful to take the photos in such a way that everything is visible from several different viewpoints, you can use a package like EOS Systems Photomodeler or RealViz's similar package (Image Modeler???) that will ingest several photos and generate a 3D model with the images applied as textures. You can then clean these up and light and render them, etc in most 3D packages. Only requirement is that the perspective be different, ie the photos have to be taken from several different points. In particular you'll need a photo showing any surface you'll want to see in the final model. Given that you're using a wide angle lens, you might want to run them through something like DXO optics package to eliminate the curvature of straight edges that you would otherwise get. I always run photos through this package before stitching them in RealViz Stitcher. Yields better results. If I'm being fussy or there are foreground objects close to the camera, I also use a panorama head to take photos I intend to use as stitched backgrounds.