Completed: Super Paper Mario World and the Video Glasses

At long last, just ahead of presentation today, I've finished (and more importantly) and I'm happy with the completed movie. And here it is....



Being honest, it has taken so many renders! And renders is themself take soooo long. I must have done about 6 renders which take about 4 hours of the walk through part in itself. And each time I'd get a new version and notice something slight and want to change it. For example, the coins weren't as alligned as I wanted, or the rotation on the goompa wasn't enough. So change it I did and render again the computer did. Poor thing has been chugging away day and night for over a week!

My favourite part is where the glasses' videos kicks in. I was going to leave the soundtracks out, but then I thought the Mario music was too much for too long, so I set about including the respective title audio. And here's when I met my next problem! I had cut the titles short to fit in with time available from the pan of the camera. So just playing the audio that came with the video meant it was choppy and didn't sound good at all. So using my direct encode on my MP3, I copied the full title audio and got to work on Audacity, cutting it down, blending bits.

But now it's completed, adding in the syncing with the rythmn of the music at the end, and using a GAME OVER screen I am really pleased. It is lively, it is Mario, and it is all of my creation (apart from the Goompas, I couldn't tamper with their iconic image!)

Even the little touch of putting the glasses on the goompas, something that was suggested in a surgery session, is a neat one. It pre empts the arrival of the glasses at the end, whilst also being a funny addition when you first see them!

Needless to say, this hasn't gone without hitches. I had problems getting Movie Maker to publish the movie in DV AVI. For some reason, it would get to 52% complete and then just stick. So after several failed attempts (can you tell I've been at this final competion stage for quite a while!) I published as an WMV and then converted to DV AVI using a program called Stoik. Technology, ain't it a right pain when it need it not to be!

If I were to change anything... (thinking about it).... I think I would like to expand the environment. OK, the focus was on the avatar, but the environment accompanies it, building up a bigger picture about my identity, so with a little more time (and more material channels please Autodesk!) I could have done the underground section underneath the pipe?

For the video glasses, I would have liked to successfully curve the lenses, making them look even better and more realistic. However, when trying this, I found it disorted the image of the video, making it look really poor. So flat screen was the way to go.

So now for the presentation. Fingers crossed all will go well and nothing will be randomly deleted as I attempt to burn the disc... it has happened before, so I'm taking no chances.

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there.com #16 - So long... farewell...

For the last time, ladies and gentlemen, the there.com ship has set sail and after this post, atlasalone will floated around needlessly in cyber space (unless I'm so bored that in 10 years I need to reminisce and remember the time I spent as a student!!) ha ha!

First of all, I have visited a new place now available on my Favourites, called Round the Rim. On landing, I couldn't really fathom it out - where was the rim? And I couldn't figure what was straight in front of me either? Any guesses? Tropical jail? Lion cage?

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If you look at the enlarged thumbnail you'll be able to see that apparently it's Dragons lair. Now unless somebody is going to fly down from the sky landing with a flaming red mythical beast, I'm not going to believe this :P

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The tropical jail idea wouldn't have been too unsuitable for this lot that I decided to chance my luck upon a decent conversation with. People can always be found at Cosmogirl village, and they always seem to be deep in a conversation each time I arrive on scene. This being the last there, I thought I'd at least try being sociable - I was sort of stunted when black_goddess sitting opposite me started spouting about her friend's drug addiction and how her four children have been taken away. Oh and I musn't forget that she's been on her own since she was 14, she's done weed and speed or whatever she mentioned, and now she knows about the world, she knows what its all about. I couldn't stick around listening to her "dis and dat, and dey and iz". I did chip in that not all the world is like that, to which she uttered something and asked if I "feel her". No I do not. Luckily I only have to come across her in the virtual world, maybe she's better off there!

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By no means of a pun, I discovered quite a few little easter eggs in there. There was this actual easter egg at the top of a mountain...

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There was this little gnome, just minding his own business. My avatar looked very happy sitting next to him, perched on his own rock. Not a clue why!!

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Then there was the more surreal, you might even say cosmic?

This random board was next to a massive praying buddha. I couldn't interact with it at all, but it caught my eye and so did achieve something. Maybe some swinging 60s folk created this in a nod to their favourite tye dye ways?

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Just behind the cosmic billboard in the same 'lot' was another bizarre addition. It's kinda a given really then. A massive tinted photo frame type thing. You can see from the pic that it's rose tinted - more swinging 60s? It reminded me of the advertising campaign Vue cinemas used where they had people looking through the frame and slogan 'enjoy the Vue' i.e. at the cinema. This frame certainly puts a different light, or should that be shader, or toner on things.

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And before you say anything, no I wasn't still looking through the frame at these trees! They were pinky purpley and bright red. This is all quite normal in there don't you know, me being quite the quite experienced therean now, I've seen many a purple tree in my time!! lol

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Lastly, a nice little catch I found was this airport and helepad setup. I thought at first that somebody had just made some massive big steel tents, but the bird eyes view revealed all (and the two massive H's painted onto the tarmac). It'd be cool if I'd caught people flying in and landing here - takes me back to my Flight Simulator 98 days!

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Oh and I couldn't leave without an animal mention. Here is a bull, with massive horns standing in the sea. Why? I don't know. But it looks the American breed, so maybe the answer lies in our friends over the pond?

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I learnt last time that I was now an Avid Boarder, so could partake in all sorts of hover board goodness. And dang nab it, it's on the last trip that I learn I can do tricks, Tony Hawks styley.
In the pics you can see me pulling of a 'scissor kick', a 'superman' and as confirmation of my amazingness on my board, my avatar punches his fist in the air once you land successfully!

Needless to say, it took quite a few attempts to pull these tricks off. No bumps and scratches on my avatar though, they haven't fought of those yet! :P

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It's true to say that I've been quite a few places in the last 12 weeks. I started off with a marginally small choice of digs to visit. Now though, that list has grew and grew, and I can visit (are you ready?) Bali Hai, Pool Narcissus, South Tiki Lookout Tower, Hover & Flutter, Slalom Ahead, Zephyr, Sorocco, Malihini, Karuna Plaza, Mirage, Ventrella Cafe... want me to go on? I get the hint!

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And I didn't give up on my exploring ways that soon. I set myself a last little exploring challenge. I started at the bottom of a ma-hu-ssive mountain. My job, which I chose to accept, was to get myself all the way to the top. Who knows what sort of flags I'd find up there. (I'd pledge my bet on an American one, they're everywhere!)

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So quite a few air miles later, I reached the top and I was literally, on top of the world. (And yes I am slipping down the side in this picture - quite a plunge.)

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On top of the mountain though, was a sign pointing out North, South, East and West. Hey, it would have been useful if I'd have found this before so I could have known which direction I was heading in, on my treks. Needless to say, the irony that lay in this construction piece showed that I had indeed come to a cross roads in my there.com life, and sadly folks, I didn't head North, South, East or West...

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I headed out.

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Mission accomplished.

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avatar and environment - getting close to fin

Right, I've not posted that much of the latter stages of making my avatar and enviro. I've been quite busy, fiddling, fixing, altering small things. At this stage in time, I've more less completed it all, the camera paths are in there, but I've a few days left before rendering the definitive edition.

For my avatar, I couldn't decide on the layout for the video screens.

-Should I have two screens that show the same thing, i.e. one for each eye?

-Should it just be one large screen?

-Should it be more than one video playing, i.e. a different video for each eye? - obviously this wouldn't work practically, but for the purpose of the project, it would showcase my TV likes quicker

(What's noticeable here is that the two screen effect requires stretching seperate planes and so the actual video images has become jagged.)

I've decided on the one screen layout, it's how we see things - we don't percieve seperate images from each eye when watching/looking at something. Also, the one screen layout is larger, meaning the video images are easier to see, showing off more of their glory.

I added the turbosmooth mod on the loft, so all the small imperfections are nicely blended over, and it looks a very nice package altogther. Of everything I've made, this is what I'm most pleased of aesthetically, it is my favourite creation so far - the reflection of the lense coupled with it's slightly metallic feel, the metal arms, the plastic nub things that sit on the end of the arms are slightly opaque as they are in reality. Lastly, the video screen looks really good, they haven't degraded the quality of the video. Although technically speaking, this is all only the size of a pair of glasses, I've used the largest layout possible, and as with TVs and so on, the bigger, the better! So overall, I'm very happy with my 'video specs'!!

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Meanwhile, when I've been making this environment, I've only been looking at it from a certain angle. Obviously the camera moves through and sees what I have been seeing. It's when the camera then turns back on itself and you see the black workspace of 3D Max that I've realised I now need to stick in another wall and add some more clouds!

For now though, here's the storyboarding that I've roughly drafted, just to put down on paper where I wish for the camera to pan through. Then also below is the actual first render I made. It's not compete, as there are two parts to my movie. The first walks you through and finishes at the coin box. The second will have the video glasses appearing and spinning round, for a close up look.

What I plan to do is use my mp3 player to capture the jingles and sound effects (for example, collecting a coin, or jumping) and then I will overlay these sounds for the final piece. It should add to the character, it's all very lively, jingly and fits in with Mario, but then also with me, and my identity!

So a little more tweaking and then I'll let you guys see the final product.

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there.com #15

I've been on two visits before posting this now. Sad, I know, but yet again, I'll mention a vehicle! I got myself a hovercraft for four free hours courtesy of the starting island offers (which I just managed to stumble on!)



Unfortunately, flying up in the air for ages isn't the most fun thing, so I left the up key on my keyboard pushed down with a pen and went away for about fifteen minutes. When I came back, I was near a small independent island, so jumped out - and that's the truth. I plumeted to the ground (half of me wondered whether you could actually die, like in Tomb Raider or something, where you just crumple on the floor) but alas, I bounced back once and then landed on the new island.

There wasn't that much out of the ordinary here, I saw two people who did the usual and blanked me, but like Captain Jack Sparrow I did find some 'treasure me hearties!'

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Back on the mainland, I came across an area which made me smile: Bible School. The Church which was nearby had an open door, so I waltzed right in. As can be seen below, it was a nice building, quite airy with big windows. I didn't know if I should have expected pews and an alter? That'd be interesting if somebody has made a bona fide Church!

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What I did find though was a little out of the ordinary. On the top floor was a luxury red bed, the sort of thing I'd picture in a boudoire!! Still, my avatar looked comfy enough after getting in.

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When I first logged in, I am given a welcome screen informing of the events taking place, for example, the prom they are having on the 23rd March. I chose to visit a really flashy, urban, New York like city and I should have guessed that all the cool looking textures in the photo would take aaaaaaaages to load. In fact, the only building that loaded was an MTV branded one - much like Coca Cola Metro city I've visited previously.

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I spotted a man darting along the street and decided to follow. He disappeared down a tunnel with steps and instantly I figured out what this 'tunnel' was- the underground!

As with above the ground, not that much loaded texture wise, it was as if I was in an urban heaven! But I really liked the design of this subway-it had escalators, waiting rooms, different levels, even a carriage that you could sit in, all very authentic looking.

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I managed to find the man who I'd followed. He said that when it first opened, it had been a really popular place to be, bustling and so on. Now though, it was pretty much a ghost town. He informed me that his first visit required about half an hour of waiting for anything to start loading! -Maybe I'll go back and hang around, because I'm sure that with everything working, this will be a fantastic environment. Obviously subways have the same sort of platform design, but I thought of the film Ghost when the lead character is trying to learn with the tube guy. Even little things like that, it just helps build up an overall familarity.

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The second part of my trip today, and I received a welcome gift:

I'd been upgraded to an Avid Board flyer! In truth, I have been spending quite a bit of time on my hoverboard, it speeds things up whilst exploring, and you can dodge in and out of places easier. Anyway, with my skill level upgrade, I was given some more new places to visit, and new appearance changes.

I could have a diamond studded earring, which as can be seen below, made my avatar look stupid! So I decided against wearing that new accessory. On the otherhand, the new top they gave me, along with trousers meant that no longer am I cursed with the newbie tag! Wahoo! People might talk to me now without any sarcasm!

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I came across a nice house, and on poking around, found in to be a very nice place. It had a nice kitchen, with pots and pans.There was a office sort of set up, with a computer and phone. - Sort of in the same vein of the office which I made! Then there was a very nice big four poster bed, with posh curtains at the windows. They even had a garage on the lower floor! I certainly would like to live here. If I was to put my mind to it, I'd quite like making kitchens and so on, it's much like the Sims where you decorate, furnish. Hours, and I mean hours can fly by just doing that!
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As I mentioned, another part of the gift is access to a new place, to teleport to Bali Hai. On landing in this new spot, it seemed quite jungle like, tropical. But more over, I got the feeling that this was like a themepark, maybe the dino section at Alton Towers, or the parks in Florida, maybe like Disney's Animal Kingdom. The second picture below screams to me Jurassic Park - now that would be cool. Where are the towering dinosaur statues in there? That'd be a snapshot for sure!

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Perhaps the themepark feel isn't a solitary thing, just for Bali Hai? After all, I have been to the Magic Kingdom... lol

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Last but not least, I knew it couldn't last for too long. On a revisit to the caravan park, there was somebody flying the American stars and stripes! Then a little later in my journey, another one high up on a mast!

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Still, I can always find myself a bit of Britain in the form of this good old red postbox - a friendly symbol of home!

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It's as if going to there is like going on holiday. Any small thing that links to, or reminds you of home, you are drawn to. And on that note, I'm now going back to the real world. There's work to be done, instead of the rambling around this fantasy world allows!

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there.com #14

As we draw to a close on the 'second self' part of the Ident module, it means there.com's time is numbered.

I visisted Malihini today, a place I've been before, but as of my recent vaunts, I headed off in a different direction and found a lot of interesting items.

First up, I went through several areas where it seemed they were themed to a certain region in our real world. There was an egyptian sort area with pillars, and patterns akin to that area. You might say instead of Egyptian, it had an Indian feel, what with the temple like building seen in the background of this screencap? I think it was the patterns used within the texture maps that made it - the arrows, the mosaic like tiled walkways. The colour scheme in the least seems quite meditteranian, definitely not England!

Following this, there was the chinese/oriental section.

And then there was a section that physically isn't reflective of our real world at all. I twigged onto what it was meant to be when I saw the grouping of tall poplar trees. This setting has been layed out to mimic 'Myst' the video game. There's the rocket and clock tower in the image below, and then further up the hill in the environment was the library and stone circle feature.

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At the time of playing such games I thought that creating such environments in the specialised artform of games design, and I myself wouldn't be able to do it. But sitting on the otherside of things now, with a little bit of knowledge in 3D design, I think I could have a stab at making a 'Myst' environment! Infact, that is what I've done for my avatar environment, instead choosing 'Super Paper Mario'!

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The person making it here, in there (reading that sounds odd) isn't a complete mad man, I myself think it's a nice touch, and recognised the nod, so hopefully my efforts will be acknowledged in the same way.

There were also a few key buildings that I picked out along the way. One of these was the wild wild west bar building type thing. For me, this building would fit perfectly well in a cowboy type sandy road street (it helps that it pretty much was set out in such an environment anyway!) The square framed ground floor windows, the balconies, the pointed roof fronts - all what led me to perceive it this way.

The next building was something I've kind of been half expecting to find around every corner: a windmill! It wasn't moving (is there actually wind in there? Saying that, why worry when they could just autokey a rotation of the propellers in 3d max - ha, that lingo confirms me as a right computer geek!) but it's the first I've come across so kudos to the creator. And somebody had made a basketball court a bit further along, with net. I can imagine a few people hanging out here, fake playing a game of bball.

Next to the lighthouse were some tall xmas trees. Again, a first, so it gets a mention. (All you keen readers will sense the irony there cos I comment on certain things many a time on this here virtual world journal!)

Bizarre though, was that the green xmas trees were sat next to a couple of red ones? I can't think why they'd choose that colour, but then again why not? That's what I like about these VR worlds - you can blur reality by emphasising it, extending it, or altering it in someway. It doesn't have to be real!

I also came across a desert type, Arabian tent, complete with drug smoking sheesh kabob thing (and I know I have just completely gotten the spelling wrong!) What drew my attention, for being funny, was the camel stuck outside next to the tent! My instinct was to try and get on for a motionless ride, but alas, no joy with this camel! At least he didn't spit.

And talking of camels, which is an animal... you'll no doubt guess where I'm going! Indeed, animals! I won't bore you with the details, but I found chimps, elephants spraying water from their trunks, swans, hippos, unicorns (hello, reality blurring with creative imaginations again) and a parrot!

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- This in particular, is my favourite picture of all time from my there.com visits! It happened by chance, as I flipped to body view to take the picture, my avatar jumped to his camp hands on hips stance and the image was captured! It's the sort of picture you would have on holiday with the colourful yapping parrot, plus the lush green bushes in the background, my shorts and sandles combo - it all makes for the typical holiday snapshot!

Lastly, a few posts back I mentioned how the places I visisted all seemed to have been Americanized in some way or another. This Union Jack flag near the centre of the town helps balance the bias up somewhat for us Brits!

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