COMBAT MECHA

Project created for "Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE"

. Author:

Francesco Legrenzi.

. Role:

Modeling, texturing, rendering, animation, and post-production.

. Date:

March 2023.

. Software:

3ds Max, Chaos Corona, Photoshop, After Effects.

Obvious choice

THE IDEA

I created this scene to explain CoronaCurvature map. What’s better than a combat mecha and its scratches to showcase the power of this texture, and create wear and tear in a procedural way? I found this mecha on the net, already animated.

Mecha da combattimento - Armatura senza graffi - Zoom

Mecha da combattimento - Armatura con graffi - 01 - Zoom

Ideas slowly appear

THE PROJECT

I took care of the shading process of the robot, and made the environment, from scratch. I texturized all the models, while the lighting is the result of many tests.

To make the scene more interesting, I added a volumetric effect. This element increased the rendering time, but its contribution was crucial in making the image even more realistic.

I did not use reference images. The more I delved into the design, the more ideas I came up with. For example, I added futuristic stairs, pipes, and the wall to make the scene richer. I put the containers toward the end of the scene to give more depth to the location, while the lasers are an idea I took from a YouTube video (#styropyro).

Finally, this scene and its 10 light sources were a perfect candidate for taking advantage of the LightMix tool.

The power of the LightMix tool

VIDEO

Since the combat mecha was already animated with a gorgeous walk cycle, only two elements need to be animated: camera and lighting.

I created the camera movement by using a Z-axis noise controller and manually generating keyframes at each step of the robot.

I created the animation of the 10 light sources in post-production, taking advantage of the LightMix renders (by the way, the file Ch13_03_CoronaCurvature.max is already set up with all the rendering elements). Then I created a vertical layer system in After Effects, blending the layers with Add mode.

Finally, I spent a lot of time on adding sound effects, such as switches, the combat mecha sounds, and background audio tracks.

For the curious

BEHIND THE SCENES

Below are two test videos I crafted during the development of the project, a clay version, a zoom, and all Render Elements in the file.

FILE – 143MB, .max
TEXTURES – 53, 252MB
RESOLUTION – 1920×1080 px, NL 4%
RENDERING TIME – 50 minutes per frame
RENDER ELEMENTS – 12
FRAMES – 100, 25FPS
TOTAL FRAMES – 120

. Very first test: mmm…something is wrong!

. The scene is taking shape

Let's study the lighting

CLAY

Mecha da combattimento - Armatura con graffi - 02

What the .max file looks like

WIREFRAME

The LightMix tool

RENDER ELEMENTS

Scratched armor - Render Element BEAUTY — Render Element BEAUTY

Combat mecha - Scratched armor - Render Element Bloom and Glare — Render Element BLOOM AND GLARE

Combat mecha - Scratched armor - Back light — Render Element BACK LIGHT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Cabin — Render Element CABIN LIGHT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Container — Render Element CONTAINERS

Scratched armor - Render Element - Main left light — Render Element MAIN LEFT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Main spot light — Render Element MAIN SPOT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Foot light — Render Element FOOT LIGHT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Stairs — Render Element STAIRS

Scratched armor - Render Element - Wall light — Render Element WALL LIGHT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Alarm — Render Element WARNING LIGHT

Scratched armor - Render Element - Self-illuminated — Render Element SELF-ILLUMINATED

Scratched armor - Render Element - Volumetric — Render Element VOLUMETRICS

Excellent details

MAGNIFICATION

Mecha da combattimento - Armatura con graffi - Luce dall'alto

Mecha da combattimento - Armatura con graffi - Luce destra

Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE

ATTACHED TO THE BOOK

You’ll find this scene inside the book, with the same environment, lighting, and textures. However, there are two different models.

A mecha with a walk cycle and a 360-degree rotating statue will help you understand the CoronaCurvature map. Dozens of examples and two in-depth tutorials will assist you in the learning process.

. Animated model and scene included in the guide.

DEMO

50 pages about CoronaLightMtl, CoronaSelectMtl, CoronaVolumeMtl, and CoronaRoundEdges