Bubba

Case Study Gallery - 3D Studio MAX with Scribe-iT

Courtesy of "Bubba" by Mitch Gates

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For 3D animators, creating a lifelike character means designing and controlling the flow of the character's geometry. Good geometry enables realistic movement, smooth rendering, and - ultimately - an animated character of high artistic integrity.

In quest of the optimal combination of artistry and animat-able geometry, artist/animators like Mitch Gates typically combine physical and computer modeling. Shaping a character from clay first, the artist is free to experiment with broad features and subtle details - without interrupting the creative process. Subsequent digitizing of the physical model gives the animator a highly detailed and precise digital model to manipulate.

Artist Mitch Gates first developed his character "Bubba" in clay

Artist Mitch Gates developed his 3D animation character "Bubba" using clay, the Immersion MicroScribe, and Ghost3D's Scribe-iT plug-in for 3D Studio MAX. Gates sculpted Bubba's distinctive features in clay, cast the model in a silicone mold, and then digitized one half of the model's head, using the MicroScribe and Scribe-iT software.

Gates used the Scribe-iT Create Mesh Strips tool to produce a complex mesh model on the fly as he traced the contours of the physical model with the MicroScribe. He then modified the digitized model with Scribe-iT and the included Surf-iT plug-ins in 3D Studio MAX. "The unique Create Mesh Strips tool allowed me to work with a direct mesh result, on which I could add and remove the MeshSmooth modifier at various stages of digitizing," says Gates. The ability to flexibly edit and manage the creation history supported his creativity and his workflow. "This process helped me visualize the outcome before completing all the digitizing," says Gates.

Gates used the MicroScribe and the Scribe-iT Create Mesh Strips tool to create surface geometry with great speed and accuracy

Gates cleaned up the resulting polygon mesh, mirrored it to generate the other half of his character's head, and welded the two halves together. He then refined the mesh before hand-painting it and applying surface textures. "Working with the simple, yet digitized precision of the 'ScribeItMesh' and then refining at render time enabled super-fast response and excellent results during animation," says Gates.

The Scribe-iT Create Mesh Strips tool and Auto Plot feature yielded lifelike results when rendered