Ray B.'s World

And then came 3D...

Update - February 2002:

This page is grossly antiquated. The work is cool, sure. It proves I can use 3D Studio Max to make pretty things, but what it doesn't show is that I fully understand 3D game development and specifically, creating art for such engines. It also doesn't show much that fits the clichés of today's game genres. Oh well. Hopefully it's obvious that if I can build and animate a groundhog, I can just as well build a slimey space alien.

Recently, I completed a realtime 3D game that had a 10 day schedule, 2 people and 1 tester. I was the lead game designer, 3D modeller, and texture artist. The other guy was the lead programmer. We didn't sleep much, but here are the results. Click here (username: "client", password "game").

You can really feel how the control tweaking made a huge difference between v0.8 and v1.0. Oh and the storyboards there are mine as well. Quickly pumped out within a work day. One last thing: The ground in v1.0 is all messed up. We ran out of time and the vertex shading hadn't been updated. :-(

I've also got screenshots from a HALF LIFE LEVEL I started. It's pretty preliminary, so, I don't even know why I'm posting it except to show I'm familiar with the Worldcraft editor...

This 1152x864 desktop wallpaper is a character that was designed with the idea of being a 3D generated music video channel host. Her name is Mercedes and she was designed using Poser and then lot's of Photoshop.

Feel free to download and send to your friends (as long as all credits and copyright information remain intact).

This is a realtime 3D "marketing" game for which I was Lead Designer, 3D Modeller, and Texture Artist. My partner on the project was co-designer and lead programmer. The project was developed from inception to completion in an exhausting 10 days.

I had intended to use texture blending on the ground, to create more variety, but time did not permit this.

The Final working game can be viewed ONLINE.

Textures used can be viewed in the 2D Section.

These are screen shots from a real-time 3D proof of concept demo I created for the Employment Safety Association of Ontario, along with Martin Best. I took the lead on graphics, while helping with some scripting, while Marty took the lead on scripting, while helping with some graphics.

Click the images for larger screen shots, and view the actual 3D demo here. (Requires Virtools WebPlayer plug-in.)

These are screenshots from a semi-realtime 3D golf game. The engine is a bit antiquated for the time, but the results are stunning. The terrain is 3D, with all standing objects made out of photographs. The sky is a 360 panoramic photograph.

My job on this one was to handle all 3D, textures, and to make the 3D data work in the game engine. Unfortunately, since this engine was reverse engineered, the data converter did not support vertex shading, which would have increased the quality of the visuals greatly.

*I did not create the interface and score graphics.

For this game I also created a tutorial and interface recreation in Macromedia Flash. The interface works exactly like the game's, except the frame rate is half. Click Here to see the Flash Playguide.

3D STUDIO MAX creations...

The following are 3D Studio Max 1.2 graphics created up to 1997. I can animate but I consider myself stronger at modelling and texturing. I use the standard renderer, and am experienced with many of the free, and commercial plugins available.

There's something really fascinating about creating realistic objects that don't really exist, and this is what keeps me from ever getting bored with this kind of work. The following graphics do not represent my full potential. I worked under very tight deadlines for most of these, and "good enough" graphics were expected, nothing more. Therefore I feel there's room for improvement with ALL of these graphics. I hope some of my potential shows through...?

*Those graphics designated as "SPRITES" are objects that in their final form are rather small in size (thus detail and realism were not as pertinent. --Anywhere between 100 by 100 pixels, to 32 by 32 pixels.)

This a "puzzle cube" created for an IBM website (VisualAge for Java--hence the logo on the front of it). Next to it is an animated GIF that was also for the website.

This, as you see, is a set of "Weirder" dumbbells. I created these without reference to any real life objects. The brushed metal texture on the sides is actually stretched bump noise that no bump texture could ever come close to. I spent a couple days on this, and went through two different weight styles before settling on this one.
Animation available at bottom of this page.

This tunnel is a real-time polygonal generated tunnel from a game. This sample shows the textures with bi-linar filtering. These textures are actual size.
Tunnel Wall texture
Sewer Wall texture Cracked Sewer Wall texture

This little guy is a rare example of my character modelling and animation skills. He was created with Clayballs, and I used jointed animation rather than mesh deformation. I unfortunately had no fur plugin, but this guy's final rendering size was under 100 pixels by 100 pixels, so it wouldn't have been necessary. The animation is far from perfect, but time ran out.
Animation available at bottom of this page.

This is an interface for BEAT 2000 (aka MAESTRO) that I designed, then modelled in 3D Studio Max, and then added final touches in Photoshop (the button numbers, lights and volume meters)
Variations were then created in different styles.
Download a playable
demo at: WWW.ALUDRA.COM

This is my first and only head model. Crude drawings were used as reference for front and left head shots. This was mostly an experiment to learn patches, and see how I could handle something like a head.

This scene is a cozy Christmas night at a cabin. To conserve time, the lamp, plants, pine tree, and book are all stock models. The fire is the standard Max combustion. Now I would most likely use filmed fire for more realism. The ornaments didn't have real reflections, to save on rendering time. (I'm also not happy with the log textures.)

This is a comedy club, with stock models used for the tables, chairs and plants. The back wall was left intentionally blank. (*If the image is too dark, turn up your monitor's brightness!)

Created within very little time, this simple scene shows off some realistic looking textures on the easter eggs.

This is an unfinished creation worked on to learn Max. My inspiration was to create a tank that had something of a japanese "anime" style to it. I consider this far from finished. I intend the final creation to look realistic and dirty. For now, it looks ok as a toy.
Note: It's not apparent in this scene, but each tire on the tank has a displacement spacewarp which flattens the bottom of the tire. The spacewarp doesn't inherit rotation on one axis, thus when rotating, only the bottom of the tires flatten!

These are shots from an animation where I was experimenting, and animating with a control path. (Ignore the ugly ground). The green slime oozes up from a hole and then the slime-worm pushes its way through it, stretching out and finally slithering away. From start to finish I spent only a few hours on this one (not including rendering time). I'm happy with the textures, but the worm didn't have enough segments, and I should have maintained the slime animation till the end.
Animation available at bottom of this page.

A simple Christmas scene.

And then came 3D...
Update - February 2002: This page is grossly antiquated. The work is cool, sure. It proves I can use 3D Studio Max to make pretty things, but what it doesn't show is that I fully understand 3D game development and specifically, creating art for such engines. It also doesn't show much that fits the clichés of today's game genres. Oh well. Hopefully it's obvious that if I can build and animate a groundhog, I can just as well build a slimey space alien. Recently, I completed a *realtime 3D game* that had a 10 day schedule, 2 people and 1 tester. I was the lead game designer, 3D modeller, and texture artist. The other guy was the lead programmer. We didn't sleep much, but here are the results. Click here (username: "client", password "game"). You can really feel how the control tweaking made a huge difference between v0.8 and v1.0. Oh and the storyboards there are mine as well. Quickly pumped out within a work day. One last thing: The ground in v1.0 is all messed up. We ran out of time and the vertex shading hadn't been updated. :-( I've also got screenshots from a HALF LIFE LEVEL I started. It's pretty preliminary, so, I don't even know why I'm posting it except to show I'm familiar with the Worldcraft editor...

3D STUDIO MAX creations...
The following are 3D Studio Max 1.2 graphics created up to 1997. I can animate but I consider myself stronger at modelling and texturing. I use the standard renderer, and am experienced with many of the free, and commercial plugins available. There's something really fascinating about creating realistic objects that don't really exist, and this is what keeps me from ever getting bored with this kind of work. The following graphics do not represent my full potential. I worked under very tight deadlines for most of these, and "good enough" graphics were expected, nothing more. Therefore I feel there's room for improvement with ALL of these graphics. I hope some of my potential shows through...? Those graphics designated as "SPRITES*" are objects that in their final form are rather small in size (thus detail and realism were not as pertinent. --Anywhere between 100 by 100 pixels, to 32 by 32 pixels.)

3D STUDIO version 4 - My learning stages

Version 4 of 3D Studio is where I did most of my learning. Prior to this I had also used Imagine to a small extent on the Amiga, but also learned general 3D theory from reading about 3D graphics. (Ironically in high school I took a technical drawing class that taught how to draw precise diagrams of objects from top, side and bottom views. Little did I know at the time, I would ever use that knowledge.)
Many of the following objects were rendered as very small sprites for use in video games (therefore, they were not supposed to be very detailed.)

This is a toilet. What more can I say. It was a sprite about 70 pixels by 70 pixels.

This head was the basis for a more elaborate "boss" character. The final size was under 200 by 200 pixels. I created all textures myself.

Rendered as a smaller sprite, this tank was quickly built with parts of an existing model. (Can you figure out what?)

This boot was rendered at about 48 pixels by 48 pixels.

Can models are cliche, true... but this one shows my sense of humor. (Raised on Mad magazine!)

3D STUDIO version 4 - My learning stages
Version 4 of 3D Studio is where I did most of my learning. Prior to this I had also used Imagine to a small extent on the Amiga, but also learned general 3D theory from reading about 3D graphics. (Ironically in high school I took a technical drawing class that taught how to draw precise diagrams of objects from top, side and bottom views. Little did I know at the time, I would ever use that knowledge.) Many of the following objects were rendered as very small sprites for use in video games (therefore, they were not supposed to be very detailed.)
	This is a toilet. What more can I say. It was a sprite about 70 pixels by 70 pixels.
	This head was the basis for a more elaborate "boss" character. The final size was under 200 by 200 pixels. I created all textures myself.
	Rendered as a smaller sprite, this tank was quickly built with parts of an existing model. (Can you figure out what?)
	This boot was rendered at about 48 pixels by 48 pixels.
	Can models are cliche, true... but this one shows my sense of humor. (Raised on Mad magazine!)

3D ANIMATIONS

These animations are in REALVIDEO format and require the RealPlayer available at www.realaudio.com
These animations are ZIPPED and are in an antiquated Cinepak codec. There's no guarantee you can view them (but I can?).

Groundhog

Groundhog

Dumbbell

Dumbbell

Worm

Worm


	This 1152x864 desktop wallpaper is a character that was designed with the idea of being a 3D generated music video channel host. Her name is Mercedes and she was designed using Poser and then lot's of Photoshop. Feel free to download and send to your friends (as long as all credits and copyright information remain intact).
	This is a realtime 3D "marketing" game for which I was Lead Designer, 3D Modeller, and Texture Artist. My partner on the project was co-designer and lead programmer. The project was developed from inception to completion in an exhausting 10 days. I had intended to use texture blending on the ground, to create more variety, but time did not permit this. The Final working game can be viewed ONLINE. Textures used can be viewed in the 2D Section.
	These are screen shots from a real-time 3D proof of concept demo I created for the Employment Safety Association of Ontario, along with Martin Best. I took the lead on graphics, while helping with some scripting, while Marty took the lead on scripting, while helping with some graphics. Click the images for larger screen shots, and view the actual 3D demo here. (Requires Virtools WebPlayer plug-in.)
	These are screenshots from a semi-realtime 3D golf game. The engine is a bit antiquated for the time, but the results are stunning. The terrain is 3D, with all standing objects made out of photographs. The sky is a 360 panoramic photograph. My job on this one was to handle all 3D, textures, and to make the 3D data work in the game engine. Unfortunately, since this engine was reverse engineered, the data converter did not support vertex shading, which would have increased the quality of the visuals greatly. *I did not create the interface and score graphics. For this game I also created a tutorial and interface recreation in Macromedia Flash. The interface works exactly like the game's, except the frame rate is half. Click Here to see the Flash Playguide.

	This a "puzzle cube" created for an IBM website (VisualAge for Java--hence the logo on the front of it). Next to it is an animated GIF that was also for the website.
	This, as you see, is a set of "Weirder" dumbbells. I created these without reference to any real life objects. The brushed metal texture on the sides is actually stretched bump noise that no bump texture could ever come close to. I spent a couple days on this, and went through two different weight styles before settling on this one. Animation available at bottom of this page.
This tunnel is a real-time polygonal generated tunnel from a game. This sample shows the textures with bi-linar filtering.	These textures are actual size.
	This little guy is a rare example of my character modelling and animation skills. He was created with Clayballs, and I used jointed animation rather than mesh deformation. I unfortunately had no fur plugin, but this guy's final rendering size was under 100 pixels by 100 pixels, so it wouldn't have been necessary. The animation is far from perfect, but time ran out. Animation available at bottom of this page.


	This is an interface for BEAT 2000 (aka MAESTRO) that I designed, then modelled in 3D Studio Max, and then added final touches in Photoshop (the button numbers, lights and volume meters) Variations were then created in different styles. Download a playable demo at: WWW.ALUDRA.COM

	This is my first and only head model. Crude drawings were used as reference for front and left head shots. This was mostly an experiment to learn patches, and see how I could handle something like a head.
	This scene is a cozy Christmas night at a cabin. To conserve time, the lamp, plants, pine tree, and book are all stock models. The fire is the standard Max combustion. Now I would most likely use filmed fire for more realism. The ornaments didn't have real reflections, to save on rendering time. (I'm also not happy with the log textures.)
	This is a comedy club, with stock models used for the tables, chairs and plants. The back wall was left intentionally blank. (*If the image is too dark, turn up your monitor's brightness!)
	Created within very little time, this simple scene shows off some realistic looking textures on the easter eggs.
	This is an unfinished creation worked on to learn Max. My inspiration was to create a tank that had something of a japanese "anime" style to it. I consider this far from finished. I intend the final creation to look realistic and dirty. For now, it looks ok as a toy. Note: It's not apparent in this scene, but each tire on the tank has a displacement spacewarp which flattens the bottom of the tire. The spacewarp doesn't inherit rotation on one axis, thus when rotating, only the bottom of the tires flatten!

	These are shots from an animation where I was experimenting, and animating with a control path. (Ignore the ugly ground). The green slime oozes up from a hole and then the slime-worm pushes its way through it, stretching out and finally slithering away. From start to finish I spent only a few hours on this one (not including rendering time). I'm happy with the textures, but the worm didn't have enough segments, and I should have maintained the slime animation till the end. Animation available at bottom of this page.

	A simple Christmas scene.

3D ANIMATIONS
These animations are in REALVIDEO format and require the RealPlayer available at www.realaudio.com	These animations are ZIPPED and are in an antiquated Cinepak codec. There's no guarantee you can view them (but I can?).
Groundhog	Groundhog
Dumbbell	Dumbbell
Worm	Worm