Fly Thru: Materials and Textures - Jan 29, 2014, 8:30-10:00 AM

Today I learned about creating new material sets for objects. Most of the presets in Cinema 4D have been useful to me so far, but I needed a log texture for a log fire for the fireplace inside my floating mansion. I found a texture online to use.

I only had time to add one log today, but the texture looks great so far. Next time, I'll make it bigger, add more and add an animated flame. (The inside of the fireplace could use a texture as well)

Fly Thru: Preview - Mon, Jan 27, 8:30 AM-11:10 AM

Here is a preview of what I have currently completed in my fly thru. The beginning view is supposed to be more far out, so I will work on that angle when I jump back into this file.

Notice in the fly thru preview that I had added stairs.

Fly Thru (Modeling) - Mon, Jan 20. 3:30pm-5:30pm

I began to model my exterior. I used some cube and pyramid shapes for the building, and a cylinder for the base. I decided to add textures now so I don't get confused later on. Forming the building took awhile; I spent a lot of time making parts fit.

Next, I added the walkway, front doors, and landing pads. I also added three windows, but they serve more as markers for me to work more on later. I had to fix the building because after I added these details, I notice some parts were uneven.

Taking a break from working on the exterior, I decided to work a little on the interior. I added a cheetah skin rug and wood flooring.

However, the interior space is more tall than wide, so instead of putting stairs straight in the middle I think I'll put the stairs on the left side wall instead. I think that'll make the interior look more interesting, so it's not an issue. The space might still need to be widened, so I'll be sure to work on that next time.

Lastly, I went back out to the exterior and added door handles to the front door. Now, it actually looks like a door!

I feel I got a lot accomplished in two hours, but at the same time I have more work to go.

Fly Thru (Design Stages) - Mon, Jan 20, 2:30pm-3:15pm

I began to sketch out my ideas for my Fly Thru.

I was thinking of making the exterior a large building on a floating landmass in the sky. I wouldn't say it's a sky castle, the building is more kinda like a private school or hospital building.

Here is an aerial view of the exterior. The roofs on both sides that do not have pyramids will show landing pads for aircrafts, considering this building is floating. The landmass the building is on will simply be round and have brick walkways leading to the front and back. I may add a few small details around the building so it doesn't seem so empty.

The interior will look like the inside of a mansion. The fly thru will look around the bottom floor for a bit, and then head up the stairs. The bottom floor will have oddly shaped mirrors on the walls. There will be a rug leading to the stairs. I think I will also add doors, so the interior doesn't seem boxed out.

Surprise, the stairs lead to the second floor where a shorter flight of stairs lead the fly through into a round room built into the wall. The tunnel gets smaller and smaller the deeper in. Maybe once the fly thru hits the end, I'll make it as if the viewer is falling down a dark shaft. Maybe into a secret room? I'll see as I start rendering.

Intro to Primitives - Wed, Jan 15, 8:30 am-11:10am

Today was my first day using Cinema 4D. I began with learning about adding shapes and moving them around using their linear XYZ axis. It was a bit of a hassle making sure the objects didn't overlap one another.

Next was rendering and textures. I added textures on each shape I used to see how they would play in an environment. (I tried to pick textures based on the shape, i.e. the sphere is a baseball, the cylinder is a cork) I gave the oil can a reflective surface to see how the other objects would reflect upon it.

Lastly, I added lights and shadows. I like the dynamic lighting and dark shadows that came out of this; it makes the environment seem very dramatic.

I can't wait to see what I can make out of what I have learned so far.