<DAZ_The Crow> Our guest today is Jack Whitney. He is a illustrator, animator, and multimedia designer. Most of his work is done with Carrara and Hexagon. Please give it up for Jack!
<DAZ_mattw> to ask Jack a question, send your question to QuestionBot as a private message by clicking "@QuestionBot" on the right hand side.
<jackwhit> Hello thanks for having me over
<jackwhit> Hey I 'm going to do a tutorial
<jackwhit> this uses a couple of tools in Hexagon
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> this is a work in progress, the frog riding the serpants is far from complete
<jackwhit> he has no eyes and his hands aren't gripping the reins, and if I ever find the time I'm going to finish him
<jackwhit> what I would like to do is focus serpentine body with a couple of tools in hexagon
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> what we see in this visual is several curves and objects
<jackwhit> I'm going to begin by creating the body that we see in the middle and if you can see all the parts have been labeled
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> what we're going to do is begin by making sure that we have select objects as our method of selection
<jackwhit> and thats the item listed as number one in the work space
<jackwhit> we're going to select the body profile and in the top of our workspace we want to make certain that we have the surface modeling tab open then we'll click on the first tool the exprude line tool
<jackwhit> thats the one labeled number three
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> select the long horizontal line that is labeled as body profile
<jackwhit> as soon as we click on that, we're going to see the horizontal body object created like the one we see above it
<jackwhit> I'd like to make a correction
<jackwhit> in the first three steps I said to click on the body profile wich is actually the body section
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> Now we're going to take advantage of very cool tools in hexagon
<jackwhit> its in the utility tabs
<jackwhit> tab
<DAZ_The Crow> You may click on the images to see them full size.
<jackwhit> first thing we want to do is make sure that our method of selection is select object as we see in number one
<jackwhit> lets select the bend tool as we see in number two
<jackwhit> click on the serpentine profile
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> now when we validate the bend
<jackwhit> we can see the serpentine form in the body
<jackwhit> as in the existing example below it
<jackwhit> another very nice feature with hexagon is dynamic geometry
<jackwhit> with dynamic geometry we can make modifications to the serpentine body by adjusting the original curve as we'll see in a moment
<jackwhit> in fact, I recently offered a training cd through vtc.com. Its called Hexagon Basics
<jackwhit> and on the cd I explore some of the magic of dynamic geometry
<DAZ_The Crow> 
<jackwhit> in this example we can see that with dynamic geometry set to full bg
<jackwhit> dg, I'm sorry
<jackwhit> we can pull up points or edges
<jackwhit> we can make modifications to the curve the body object curve updates
<jackwhit> thats just one a few things that makes dynamic geometry so cool
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> in this example we're going to see how simple it is to modify the contour of our master fin
<jackwhit> we'll start by making sure that we have select objects as our method of selection
<DAZ_mattw> to ask Jack a question, send your question to QuestionBot as a private message by clicking "@QuestionBot" on the right hand side.
<jackwhit> we'll select the master fin and grab the bend tool again and click on the curve associated with it
<jackwhit> number two
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> and as you can see, its just that easy
<DAZ_SSS> 
<jackwhit> heres our serpant, thanks to the bend tool
<jackwhit> thanks to the bend tool, that concludes our tutorial
<DAZ_SSS> http://artzone.daz3d.com/chatlogs/images/j_whitney/serpent_tut.hxn.zip
<jackwhit> Heres the link to download the tutorial
<foleypro> Can you use the DG in an animation and save the Data for use on other objects...?
<jackwhit> no, hexagon models and textures, but it does not animate
<booksbydavid> Jack, what made you choose Hexagon over other modelers?
<jackwhit> actually, Hexagon is a descendant of Amapi. I had the privelage of learning Amapi when I got a free version about three years ago, and fell in love with its approach to modeling right away. For me Hexagon has taken it to the next level and its approach is very intuitive. Also its very affordable as compared to other modelers.
<kulay> do you have tips on hexagon's uv tools
<jackwhit> the uv feature in Hexagon demands extra attention on the users part, while its not yet perfect, its getting there.
<jackwhit> Fortunately, several individuals that are unraveling its mysteries, are making tutorials available online
<jackwhit> the training cd that I did has a lesson on it as well on that
<foleypro> Whats the link to your Traing CD again...?
<jackwhit> vtc.com
<mcvdaz> Where did you pick up your coloring and lighting skills?
<jackwhit> As regards to lighting, the same principle that apply to studio lighting and photography apply to 3D rendering
<jackwhit> Fortunately, there is more control when working with 3D
<jackwhit> than with the real world
<jackwhit> I have found some good resources online and in the bookstore.
<jackwhit> on studio lighting techniques
<jackwhit> If you were to google studio lighting techniques, you would find some good information
<turan> where do you get your inspiration from?
<jackwhit> I grew up on Mad magazine and Loony Toons, and while I like to take life a little bit more seriously, I think humor is universal
<kulay> how did you start in 3d?
<jackwhit> As a kid, I enjoyed sculpting as much as drawing
<jackwhit> I did some sculpting in college but I didn't see a viable way of making a living in sculpting
<jackwhit> When I discovered 3D, it seemed like the best of both worlds for me
<bernards> Who or what influenced your particular drawing style?
<jackwhit> I would say no one individual. As I said earlier, the artist of Mad magazine were giants and are still giants to me
<jackwhit> But Norman Rockwell, he was much more realistic, always seemed to evoke a smile
<Marshall2> As an illustrator and multimedia designer, what other sofware tools are there in your arsenal?
<jackwhit> illustrator, Photoshop, Flash and the other industry standard applications
<debb6425> I am interested in these programs and would like to purchase in the future. Are they user friendly and easy to pick up or do they require many tutorials to learn?
<jackwhit> It depends on the individual. For me both Carrara and Hexagon are user friendly. In the end, it all comes down to how willing the individual is to grasp the program
<jackwhit> But those are two programs that I highly recommend
<APDI> I am really wanting to learn hexagon..is there a certain site you recommend with basic tuts for beginners?
<jackwhit> polyloop.com as I mentioned earlier has a few
<profotograf> So what models have you made using Amapi/Hexagon to completion that we can look at? very curious about how hexagon models look made by a pro like you. ;-)
<DAZ_The Crow> to ask Jack a question, send your question to QuestionBot as a private message by clicking "@QuestionBot" on the right hand side.
<jackwhit> You can go to my website. Its www.jwhitneystudio.com. There are a few examples of stills and animations done with those programs
<profotograf> Do you make models in Hexagon which are used with Poser and Daz Studio?
<jackwhit> Not yet. I'd like to
<booksbydavid> Would you say it's an easy transition from Amapi to Hexagon?
<jackwhit> Yes, in my opinion, yes.
<Vanish> Jack, I have followed some of your tutorials, and I just watched a couple of the 12 free videos from your CD at vtc.com. They are all excellent. Any plans on creating an advaced set of tutorials at vtc or a Carrara set?
<jackwhit> I would like to in the future. Unfortunately, these things take time, and I would want to be certain that it would be worth it. Meanwhile I hope to pepper my website with some tips and demonstrations
<Marshall2> what medium do you illustrate more for - web, print, CD, etc.?
<jackwhit> All the above
<websterbd> Are you able to find enough work in 3d to keep you busy?
<jackwhit> I like to think of myself as a multimedia designer
<jackwhit> there is not always the amount of 3D work that I would like to have
<jackwhit> But any excuse I have to incorporate it into illustration, animation, or web design, is always good.
<Marshall2> Got a self-promotion tip for aspiring 3D artist?
<jackwhit> Self promotion is always a challenge
<jackwhit> For any artist, regardless of the medium
<jackwhit> Preaching to the choir doesn't always get the work, but it does get exposure
<jackwhit> Since the term 3D artist is not very specific, you may be looking for work as an animator, or an illustrator, so I suggest deciding what 3d artist you most want to be, and research the industry
<jackwhit> Gaming seems to be the one growing industry more than others. Its not going away anytime soon
<DAZ_The Crow> to ask Jack a question, send your question to QuestionBot as a private message by clicking "@QuestionBot" on the right hand side.
<kwauer> are Hexagon models posable?
<jackwhit> Not in Hexagon. You can, however, export them into programs like Cararra, and rig them.
<jackwhit> Again, I have some examples of that in the animation sections of my website
<GKDantas> what you think about so many CG movies now?
<jackwhit> I think we've reached a level of saturation where we can produce the most beautiful images on the screen. Unfortunately, the plot is still key.
<jackwhit> Pixar does some beautiful stuff.
<kwauer> can you give an example of photography's principles of lighting?
<jackwhit> In photography, your subject is most commonly lit with three lights, these are a key light, a back light, and a fill light
<jackwhit> I don't have any images to show how it works, so i suggest just doing a google search on the subject.
<jackwhit> You will find that even with 3D renders, this type of lighting is commonly used.
<DAZ_The Crow> It looks like our time is about over.
<jackwhit> Thank you very much for letting me be a part of this. I hope it was useful. My website address is www.jwhitneystudio.com if you would like to see what I do with Hexagon and Carrara
<DAZ_The Crow> We're going to have a drawing for 5 winners to recieve a copy of Carra 3D Basics and included with that 5 Hexagon Basic VTC training cd
<DAZ_The Crow> and the winners are...
<DAZ_The Crow> Jolent, Liquid Monkey Brain, turan, fss, ringbearer
<DAZ_The Crow> Moderation will now be turned off. Thanks everyone!
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