COVID Endeavours
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project summary
COVID Endeavours
2020-2021
cracklewax
Development
Intro
Halfway through March last year, like with many of us, my calendar cleared itself faster than the speed of light. Although initially shocked, after a while, I got hungry to do something new with so much time on my hands. So I set out to sharpen some old and acquire some new skills. The journey went from Render engines & shader libraries to Augmented Reality & Pixar's Universal Scene Description all the way to Python scripting & Artificial Intelligence. Some I knew existed, and others were just astonishing surprises...
project pictures
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Mastered a new render engine! Corona Renderer is a popular 3ds Max plug-in with solid capabilities, which allow us to produce outstanding photo-realistic images of exceptional quality. Its mastery does not imply excessive study or extended practice. Instead, Corona Renderer has always made simplicity its strength.
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Updating the 3D material library
Procedural wood, quarter cut, 8 different finishes
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It's the first book in the world dedicated entirely to Corona Renderer for 3ds Max. The manual has been developed with constant support from Chaos Czech. The book analyzes all the Corona Renderer parameters with clear and detailed examples. It's a unique resource, extraordinarily technical and professional.
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Physically-based rendering
refers to the concept of using realistic shading/lighting models along with measured surface values to accurately represent real-world materials.
PBR is more of a concept than a strict set of rules, and as such, the exact implementations of PBR systems tend to vary. However, as every PBR system is based on the same principal idea (render stuff as accurately as possible), many concepts will transfer quickly from project to project or engine to engine.
Beyond rendering quality, consistency is the biggest reason to use measured values. Having consistent base materials takes the guesswork out of material creation for individual artists. It also makes it easier from an art direction perspective to ensure that content created by a team of artists will look great in every lighting condition.
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USDZ is a 3D file format that shows up as AR content on a website when you click on it while reading the news or shopping. It is also used in iOS AR apps. It's like a PNG for 3D, with optimizations for storage and sharing. USDZ is also part of WebAR viewers that allow seeing Augmented Reality preview on both iOS and Androids.
What is great about it is that all the new Apple devices with iOS 12 and above will be able to projects these files automatically. USDZ is quite a rich format that can display vivid and detailed objects as well as animations. Pixar created this file, so you can be sure it will look stunning.
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Picked up architectural drawing with this fantastic app on iPad Pro...
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Picked up solid (direct) modelling with this fantastic app on iPad Pro...
Direct modelling is a CAD method that allows designers to interact directly with the geometry of the model. This means they can manipulate it by pushing, pulling, or twisting. So, unlike parametric modelling, where a feature's final geometry has to be built into the steps that create the final model, direct modelling allows the feature's geometry to be modified without editing the interim model stages.
One of the most profound ways that direct modelling is changing the way people design is due to its ability to create complex surfaces on the fly.
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Yep, always wanted to do that. Started studying AI at the University of Helsinki! Especially interested in generative adversarial networks (GANs) are an exciting recent innovation in machine learning. GANs are generative models: they create new data instances that resemble your training data. For example, GANs can create images that look like photographs of human faces, even though the faces don't belong to any real person.
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Quite an interesting read about how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs, and how society misunderstands and undervalues introverts. This book gives introverts the tools to better understand themselves and take full advantage of their strengths.
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The python language is one of the most accessible programming languages available because it has simplified syntax and is not complicated, emphasizing natural language. Moreover, due to its ease of learning and usage, python codes can be easily written and executed much faster than other programming languages. As a result, python has a prominent role in the new-edge technologies of current and upcoming times like Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. On top of that, it can be used for scripting in 3DS MAX modelling software.
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Swift is a robust and intuitive programming language created by Apple for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. It's designed to give developers more freedom than ever. Swift is easy to use and open-source, so anyone with an idea can create something incredible.
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What's to say? I learned HTML and CSS to build my new site, on which you are roaming around now...