Tuesday, June 30, 2009

My New Toy

Hi, everyone! So much has happened since I began hybernating from this blog. Anyhow, just a small update: I got myself a new toy! WeeeeeEee! It's a Gundam Wing Zero chibi version, assembled from scratch, now standing infront of my monitor. And oh boy, it is transformable!








Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Long Time no Post

Hi, everyone! I miss posing something in my blog so I guess I'd probably take this few minutes of free time to let you know I'm still alive and kicking. Much of my rants and small progress are posted on my Twitter account > www.twitter.com/reynantem

I would love to post updates here but due to time constraints I believe I can't for now. That's probably one of the few reasons why I chose to twit instead of posting here. So whenever you can (which I might suspect you wouldn't =p), just drop by over at my Twitter page and say hi.

Until next time.

P.S.
I'm so in love with my girlfriend and Blender (which are not one thing, of course).

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Know-ledge?

There's sooooOoo much to learn and I'm getting so excited all the time! *dances*

Monday, June 8, 2009

Blender Node's Alpha Generation

AhhhhhhhHh! I should have known this earlier! I just learned from watching a video tut about creating fire in Blender that I could actually generate and use the alpha values from a node tree after having passed several nodes. Oh man, if only I knew it earlier, the *thing* (to avoid spoilage) we made could have been better with the displaced smoke. WaaaaaaAAa!

Anyways, thanks so much to Nion for bringing up this great tut! ^_^

You can see what I mean here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMB2PUER57A&fmt=22&annotation_id=annotation_381868&feature=iv

*hurries*

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Blender's Powerful Procedural Textures!

So it is indeeeeeed possible! I've been looking at the Stuart Little DVD we have here and I was amazed and was self-pitying at the same time at the leather/fabric texture they had on his clothes and pants and I was simply concluding, "It's an image texture, they might have a department doing those kinds of texture stuffs." But even if that was true, still I was able to find out that Blender it its humble state is capable of achieving such effects with a neat use of plugins. And it isn't an image so I need not worry about stretching, seams, whatsoever, which I'm very sick of.

All thanks to Wes Burke and the Vimeo Tutorial he uploaded at http://vimeo.com/4714564

Thank you thank you thank youuuu so much! *boogie*

Monday, June 1, 2009

Twit twit!

I just signed up for an account on Twitter. My brother was right, it is so cool there. Ok now, this is not some shameless plug, ok. I just feel like posting it. ^_^ See ya there.

:wave:

Board Exam

Oh man, oh man, the nearer it gets, the more excited and ecstatic I become. My girlfriend's gonna take the Nursing Board Exam this coming June 6th and with all my heart and being, I am deeply wishing for her success. If only I could be there to cheer her up and to ease her during the examination, I would gladly do so. But I guess all I could probably do right now is to keep on making her feel better before the test day comes.

Let's all wish for her success and who knows I might call you up for party out afterwards? Hehehe! ^_^

P.S.
To my girlfriend, goodluck! I know you could do it. Don't feel the pressure, feel the excitement. From the deepest roots of my hearty heart heart, I LOOOOOVE YOU SO MUCH! =*

Blender Game Engine

As of this time of writing, I never ever thought the BGE (Blender Game Engine) and the Bullet Physics library was capable of complex physics simulations.
Before I realized its hidden and mostly overlooked potential, I thought the BGE was just another rip-off of some other kind of engine, or just to have some tiny bits of extra fun with the 3D app but thinking over those stupid reasons, I was slapped on the face by Blender itself.

Just a few months ago, uhmmmMm, or probably weeks, I came across this physics feat or whatever you call it known as "Ragdoll Physics", with which you simulate body mechanics and physics as related to how real human bodies should react to external collision and forces. I guess too much playing and tinkering around brought about to this suprise. Though I admit it, BGE has played a large role in my growth as a 3D artist since me and my college groupmates got the best thesis award way back two years ago by using it as our engine for our architectural simulation and walkthrough of our school itself. We could have settled for more, but BGE already did its wonder, and unknowingly, we got the hang of it without even understanding how the game engine actually worked and why it would react on certain circumstances. Back then, we were already very pleased with how keyboard-driven actuators would move our camera around and perform unbelievable stunts and looking over those exciting moments, I then realized how we got to overlook the real essence and power of Blender's GE. Ok, back to Ragdoll Physics. I thought Blender couldn't do it or will never. But as far as game engines are concerned and the awesome coders at the BFoundation, IT IS INDEED POSSIBLE. Though I can't really tell you how or why, or probably this post could have the potential of being deleted by none other than me, or it might even be bombarded by opposing crits, as far as what I have read and seen, Ragdoll is possible in Blender.

So what then is my point here? Besides the fact that I am yet again uberly excited by this fact and at the same time too much awed by what is about to happen, I am loving Blender even more! I already embraced it as my one and primary 3D tool for modelling, animation, post-processing, video editing, etc. and I guess now I have made it my personal game engine and physics sim already. Yeah, I know the "Blender Physics Test" I did last time was a bit of a trash and some random test with the GE. But hopefully, within the coming months (or weeks I wish), I could publish some decent sims that I have achieved with BGE.

Ohhhhh man, Blender itself (CG and general 3D concerned) indeed is a lifelong journey and I just got my first footprint on the road.

Thanks for reading, until my next blabbering. ^_^