Making Movies CS 551/645 Fall 2000

Assignment 4 n Use BMRT to render RenderMan scenes –BMRT is freeware version of a raytracer that renders RenderMan ‘RIB’ files –RenderMan is Pixar product used to render most CG in movies and commercials

Goals n Learn RenderMan Commands n Construct RIB files n Build object to camera space transformation n Write multiple shaders

Learn RenderMan Commands n Basic commands are like OpenGL –RiTranslate, RiScale, RiColor… n We’ll discuss advanced commands in class n Additional references – –Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures, Apodaca and Gritz –Renderman Companion, Steve Upstill

Construct RIB Files n Renderman converts.rib files to.tiff images n You could write.rib files by hand n Skeleton code provided will generate.rib file for teapot on a box n Stubs provided for improvement code

Improving the Code n Add RiLookat command to skeleton code –This command should move and orient the BMRT camera similar to gluLookAt () n Add environment map n Use more interesting shaders –‘Shaders’ are the files that define material properties

Examples

Extra Credit Assignment n Write a ray tracer from scratch –IMPORTANT – DON’T USE THE WEB FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT! n Archaeologists found this relic from my 1993 ray tracing assignment

Raytracer Specs n Render 6 polygons and 6 spheres n Use multiple colors n Specular and diffuse lighting effects n Must demonstrate object -> object shadows –Sphere to sphere –Sphere to polygon –Polygon to sphere –Polygon to polygon

Making Movies n Concept n Storyboarding n Sound n Character Development n Layout and look n Effects n Animation n Lighting

Concept n Pixar’s Lasseter is a genius – “Nothing gets in the way of the story”

Storyboarding n Explicitly define –Scenes –Camera shots –Special effects –Lighting –Scale n Used as guide by animators

Sound n Voice recording of talent completed before animation begins n Animations must match the voice over n A puppeteer once told me that the voice makes or breaks a character

Character Development n 300 Drawings

Character Development n 40 Sculptures

Character Development n Computer Models

Layout and Look n Build scenery n Match colors

Matchmoving n CG camera must exactly match the real camera –Position –Rotation –Focal length –Aperature n Easy when camera is instrumented n Hard to place CG on moving objects on film

Matchmoving

Matchmoving n Square patterns in live action made it easier to track – furniture, wall paper n 2D – 3D conversion in Maya

Water

Particle Sim and Indentation

Tools

Compositing

Compositing n Lighting

Facial Animation

Fur

Cloth

Buttons and Creases

Texture

Companies n Pixar n Disney n Sony Imageworks n Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) n Rhythm and Hues n Pacific Data Images (PDI) n Dreamworks SKG n Tippett Studios n Angel Studios n Blue Sky n Robert Abel and Associates n Giant Studios

Toy Story (1995) n 77 minutes long; 110,064 frames n 800,000 machine hours of rendering n 1 terabyte of disk space n 3.5 minutes of animation produced each week (maximum) n Frame render times: 45 min – 20 hours n 110 Suns operating 24-7 for rendering –300 CPU’s

Toy Story n Texture maps on Buzz: 189 –(450 to show scuffs and dirt) n Number of animation ‘knobs’ –Buzz – 700 –Woody – 712 n Face – 212 n Mouth – 58 –Sid’s Backpack - 128

Toy Story n Number of leaves on trees – 1.2 mil n Number of shaders – 1300 n Number of storyboards – 25,000

Toy Story 2 n 80 minutes long, 122,699 frames n 1400 processor renderfarm n Render time of 10 min to 3 days n Direct to video film

Toy Story 2 n Software tools –Alias|Wavefront –Amazon Paint –RenderMan

Newman! n Subdivision-surfaces n Polygonal hair (head) –Texture mapped on arms n Sculpted clothes n Complex shaders

Devil’s in the Details n Render in color n Convert to NTSC B/W n Add film effects –Jitter –Negative scratches –Hair –Static

Images

Images

Images

Stuart Little n 500 shots with digital character n 6 main challenges –Lip sync –Match-move (CG to live-action) –Fur –Clothes –Animation tools –Rendering, lighting, compositing

Stuart Little n 100+ people worked on CG –32 color/lighting/composite artists –12 technical assistants –30 animators –40 artists –12 R&D

Shooting Film For CG n Actors practice with maquettes n Maquettes replaced with laser dots –lasers on when camera shutter is closed n After each take, three extra shots –chrome ball for environment map for Stuart’s eyes –white and gray balls for lighting info

Match-moving n Film scanned n Camera tracking data retrieved n 3D Equalizer + Alias Maya to prepare (register) the digital camera n Once shot is prepared, 2D images rendered and composited with live action

Making Movies n Production Team n Production Line n Special Effects

Production Team n Directors n Modelers n Lighting n Character Animators n Technical Directors n Render Wranglers n Tools Developers n Shader Writers n Effects Animators n Looks Team n Security Officer n Janitor n Lackey