Dawid Batog
A blog/portfolio documenting each unit of my work
UNIT 6 - Product Visualisation
Research :
I was tasked with producing a highly detailed model of a household object and then modyfing in order to turn it into a gadget.
I've chosen to research a "Hoover Rapid'' vacuum cleaner as the shape of the object intrigued me and I already had an idea to modify it into a semi-tank gadget.
I tried looking for several images from different angles however for some reason images of this particular model of vacuum cleaner are rare and so I've had to work with a very limited source.
Process Notes:
In order to begin, I've manipulated a cube by extruding it. I am mostly going to work with the smoothing option (shortcut:3) as this project will not be exported into unity and will be rendered using the Mental Ray engine.
I also resized a cylinder and positioned it on both sides of the shape in order to simulate wheels.
I began to add some detail to the model. This was all done by manipulating the shapes using a mixture of "Extrude" and moving the vertuces using the "Move" tool.
After adding the small detail I decided to remove the bulky template body and started to model the cylinder that is present within the model itself.
By removing/manipulating the vertices of the cylinder I was able to create a shape that resembled the main body of the vacuum cleaner.
By using the 'Mirror' function I was avle to duplicate and reverse the object to create two sides of the vacuum cleaner. I then used 'Bridge' to connect the two sides together and make the pieces into one.
Afterwards I changed the angle of the handle in order to fit the new shape of the vacuum cleaner. I also had to manipulate the shape of the main body near the handle as the curve the body was following was not the same as the source.
I started to add the small details such as the switch on the top of the vacuum cleaner and the grate at the front. Most of the objects were created by manipulating the shapes using 'Extrude'.
I also put a similar looking grate at the back of the cleaner as one of the reference images that I was using had a grate on the back of the vacuum cleaner.
Because I am using 'Mental Ray' in order to render my object I am able to use advanced materials. This material called ''mia_material_x" has manypresets for different types of materials and so I've used it to texture my vacuum cleaner. I also put on the different logos/symbols/slogans that were on the vacuum cleaner to give it a more genuine look.
With the texturing out of the way my model was finished.
These are the wireframes of my model. The wireframes allow the user to see the amount of polygons used and asses if the creator makes his 3d objects too complex for what they are.
After completing my model I was tasked with making it into a 'gadget' e.g. giving an object a propeller or a rocket etc.
For my model I've decided to add a tank barrel and 'mechanical spider' legs as I feel that would be enough to turn it into some sort of gadget for espionage or destruction (depending on its size).
Giving my model a tank barrel was rather easy as I've already created one for my tank that I modelled under Unit 7. I imported the tank barrel from that scene and fitted it to my model. I then textured it with the same black texture that I've used for the vacuum cleaner itself to give it a more authentic look.
I began modelling the spider leg basing my design on the image shown earlier. Most of the objects were pretty simple and required some messing around with size but not much else. After creating the whole leg I've decided to add some details of my own to not just copy the work of someone else, I added spiky feet to the bottom of the leg section as I believe that if the object was real it would not stand without them. I added the same textures that I've used for the rest of the vacuum cleaner to add authenticity to the model and make the legs look like a part of the object.
This is my object visualized in an image-based-lighting enviroment. This particular image was downloaded from hdrLabs.
This is my object visualized using an image plane. After rendering the initial scene I've attempted to make it more realstic by adding a glow of light to the top as that would be where the sunlight is hitting and I've added a Gaussian Blur to simulate the camera focus
This is my object visualized again using an image plane. After rendering the initial scene I've once again attempted to make it more realstic by a Gaussian Blur to simulate the camera focus. Even though the camera angle of this render is similar to the previous one the actual size of the model is represented as being small in this image as it is just a corner of a desk and not a big street.
This is my object visualized again using an image plane however because of the amount of polygons in the scene I could not render the image without glitches occuring in the image and so I've screenshot the basic maya scene. After screenshotting the initial scene I've attempted to make it more realstic by a Gaussian Blur to simulate the camera focus and removing it in areas where the camera focus would be.
This is my object visualized again using an image plane. After rendering the initial scene I've attempted to make it more realstic by using a Gaussian Blur to simulate the camera focus and removing it in areas where the camera focus would be and I've added a small glow using 'Colour Dodge' to add highlights in lit areas of the image. This makes my object blend into the surrounding area and makes the image more believeable.
This is my last visualization of my object. This time I've tried to insert it into an area with heavy shadows. To do this I've set the hue of the object to be darker than usual in order to blend it in with the shadow. I've also applied a Gaussian Blur in order to add a 'camera flaw' making the image seem more believeble.
Evaluation:
I believe that I've created a believeable product that looks close enough to the real-life object but still has some slight differences that turn it into a gadget. It was quite difficult to get used to the flowing shapes of the product compared to the rough shapes of the buildings of NYC or Berlin and to overcome these difficulties I needed to learn new techniques that let me create more organic shapes. To be honest, the gadgets that I've added to the objects could have used more imagination because the shapes are pretty simple and dont fit that well into the model such as the legs slightly clipping into the vacuum awkwardly. In my opinions the renders came out pretty well but they could have been photoshopped better to make them look more genuine. When using Gaussian Blur I did not set a zone where the image was focused. I could have also adjusted my model to fit the enviroment around it more, for example in the image where I've rendered the object on a street I could have moved the right-side legs slightly upward as they were placed on a hill. Many of the renders also had a common mistake of cutting the object off and not showing it off fully. If i were to improve this unit I would have definitely focused on making the renders more believeable but I would also look into making the curve of the handle more organic as it is not 100% accurate to the source.