It's time to get cracking on the Tin Castle interiors. We'll start with proxies and the throne room has been done. Here's some shots from the animatic to use as a guide.

Thanks Ken - I'm on it

Nice one Rick. Could you keep us posted on your progress. I'll get you assigned to working on the proxy. A week should just about do it.

here's a bed that you could give me an HONEST opinion on

Ken, I'll see if there's something small to try....

Ive been looking at it for a long time, cant find anything wrong, good job!

You'll get my honest opinion.

It looks great, though I'd have to pass the design by Bob. So, you're working on final stuff? I thought you were working on the proxy of the room interiors. What do you want to do next?

Can you PM me the bed so I can check it. Thanks.

Charlie: Fire away. I'm not sure what we need in the castle. It looks pretty sparce in the animatic....Bob, any comments?

Ken,
Nothing I'm doing is final - as I am somewhat new to this, and am having a little trouble with the lingo, buzzwords, etc., could you elaborate a little on what exactly is a proxy ? I'm just in early stages of planning the room, and don't really get any bedroom definition from the downloaded images of the interior set, so I'm trying to move forward in some way. And you say PM you the bed ? - please elaborate on this as well. I'm sorry for the challenges that I show, but I just need to get caught up in the present scheme of things.
Thanks,
Rick

A proxy is a very basic quick and dirty representation of the end result. For example a 30 patch matress at the end could be reduced to just 6 sides. But the six side one is made first. This allows us to get models out quickly for animation to start. Also, it means the layout can be finalised before too much time is spent on modeling.
PMing is a personal message and you can send me one by clicking on my user name. I'll send you my email through it to send the bed.

I agree there is alot of gaps in the animatic. Too many for me to go ahead without Bob's input.
So, Bob if you're reading, should we fill in the gaps or do you want to sketch something?

Thanks for the explanation ! That clears things up tremendously. Just to let you know, I'm at work right now at a real job, and can't do much until this evening. If you're in Dublin, and I guess with me being in Texas, that we are about 7 hours in time difference. I will get back on this evening......
thanks,
Rick

Guys,

Bob is a very busy man. Requiring him to sketch and draw everything is not practical. Might I suggest you do some research and present various cases to Bob for approval?

Cheers

Don't know if this is helpful but here's a proxy of the scarecrow's window
[attachmentid=13973]
Rhett

Sure, can you send it to me. I'll PM you my address....

Hi Ken,

Here is a proxy for _1_02_30 inside Tin Castle.

Cheers

David

I think Dave higons is doing a proxy interior I have full trust in you ken as long as our basic proportions are in the v]ball park im ok with it
BobT


Mr higgins proxys is fine for the first one we now need a second that is basiaclly a long multi hieghth corridoer nice job David I put it on the svn Be my guest Ken or avid
BobT

Right...I had already modelled that bit. I notice in that one the steps are huge compared to the characters. Unless that's what you want, I made them smaller and also, I thought they were going up the stairs to the throneroom. In a video on the svn they're going down them.

I've got a whole complex made linked with corridors. I'll send you the model when I'm done Bob.

Hi Ken,

Please upload send each proxy section when you complete them as they are required for already assigned blocking tasks.

Cheers

Ken
I think more like this, this is the route the movie takes.The garden is where they exit in the beginning of act 2
bobT

Ok
Some news about the tin-castle final set

Jody (nickname : MMZ_TimeLord ) will collect and replace model in the new tincastle set chos
He will also do modeling etc...

This is for the three castle set ; outside, interior corridor and the throne room

Ken will make modeling too .

Thanks guys!

Any people who want to work on it please report to duty here

I will coordinate and help when needed

The new final chos will be available in the SVN

PS
Wanna add here that , I'm not rushy with this, just try to keep thing going...slowly but surely.
I understand that everyone have a life schedule to fullfill so we take it cool



Later Al

Has any more work been done to the interior throneroom? Things like the riser/steps the Tinman's throne is on, etc. would be very useful.

Ed,
Are you already working on the final animation around the castle scene ?

thanks
Al

Not final yet but some things are difficult to block properly without certain props or set layouts.

yes of course.

You're right,

later
Al

Ed, I've sent Jody a zip file of the throne dais, as well as the latest version of the entire room, for checking into SVN. He says they should be up sometime this evening.

The dais is a rough version but the overall proportions and height won't change much. This should be enough for your blocking.

Ultimately I plan on building most of it from the same marble as the floor with a red carpet covering both the upper surface and steps that leads naturally to the red stone pattern in the floor. The attached image shows where I planned on placing the it in the room.

I'm not sold on the polished safety bar running along the rear of the dais but I feel it needs something to keep the throne from looking like it could be easily toppled over. It will probably evolve into a more elaborate decorative handrail/fence whose shape will mimic the arched shapes of the window framing but I'm open to suggestions.

Perfect, Rodger. Thanks!

In case you don't know yet Rodger....there's a throne on the svn.

mediaho,

I have updated the SVN with Rodger's current project he sent me.

KenH,

Yeah, Rodger knows, I'm converting it to V12 so I can send it to him.

Rodger,

On your project, there is a section of the arches that was missing the wood, so I added it to the wood group.

Hopefully I'll be able to get you that throne tonight as well.

I got the new files but "throne_room_assembly_v13.act" doesn't seem to be updated with all of the set props. Is there another action I should be using?

*edit* To be more clear, I'm currently using "throne_room_v13.mdl" with that action. Let me know if it should be something else.

*edit2* I created "throne_room_throne_placement.act" because I didn't want to change "throne_room_assembly_v13.act" but I would prefer if everything that should be in the room was in the one action.

*edit3* Are we still using this throne? -- \Shared Data\Models\Props\Tin Castle\Tinmans Throne\Tinmans throne.mdl? I notice there's a different one in the above image.

I just put up what Rodger sent me after saving in V13 format.

As to the dias, I forgot to put that up on SVN, it's now in Rodger's throne room folder under it's own folder.

There is also a version 12 throne in there that I sent Rodger.

edit3* Are we still using this throne? -- \Shared Data\Models\Props\Tin Castle\Tinmans Throne\Tinmans throne.mdl? I notice there's a different one in the above image.

Yes Ed , you can use this throne...
There is still some little tweak to do on it but you can use it
Keep it as an external file in your action assembly , so we can update it without messing your work.

Thanks
Al

Now why the heck didn't I think of that!? Sorry, Ed.

Jody, there's a new file in your FTP; throne room with dais.zip. When it's convenient would you replace my last submission in SVN? Thanks.

From here on, all my assembly actions will have whatever furniture I happen to build for the room. (That big window clearly needs a long, cushioned window seat).

The attached image shows how the throne (with simple materials) works in the room.

Hi
I would see the throne stage wider with a 360 stairway...
It seem a bit compact like this....the king would fall in the step as he get out of his throne...

With a wider stage ...scarecrow would be able to stand just beside the king or a servant would be able to come to speak at the king's ear... etc.
See what I mean ?

Al

Absolutely.

The only problem I foresee is that a large circular dais suggests a placement in the centre of the room. Since the main illumination source, the chandelier, is directly above the actors, we will end up with uncomplimentary lighting. That's why I put the current dais with its flat end along the black marble, to get the actors out of the centre and closer to the window to get some natural backlight.

Rather than a completely circular dais, how about a large, rounded D shape with stairs all around its perimeter with its flat side against the black marble?

Nice solution Rodger, look fine to me.

Al

Rodger's latest throne room with dias in it is up on SVN.

Same folder as previous throne room.

Thanks Jody.

Unfortunately that's with the rejected dais design. The new one will be radically different in both shape and height, so Ed, you'll just have to be patient.

No problem. Just keep me in the loop.

Hi Rodger,

For the throne dais... it would be best if you keep your work base on the proxie throne dais
Just enlarge it on side and back with the D shape and steps that you've suggested...

...don't move the throne chair (animator will take care of this ) and keep the steps height as is.
The new throne chair has been done with proxie proportion , if not , it will be adapted later.
if it's a problem , use the proxie one .

...As you know, some size and dimension are establish and are used in blocking animation
and we won't stop other team working on it ? .isn't it ?
even if the overall throne room size has change from the proxie

Thanks
Al

How's this for the throne dais? It's the same height with the same number of steps as the original proxie.

That looks cool. I'm unsure about the size of his chair(I know you didn't set it). It seems far too large for Tinman. I don't think his thighs would even stretch to the back of it. I modelled it off the proxy, but it seems to have gotten even larger since.....

There are definitely some scale issues with Tinman and the throne. I've been noticing as I put these together. I've been eyeballing a scale change but I'd prefer this was handled by modelling so it stays consistent.

Nice dais Rodger !

About the throne size, I agree that it look quite big...
Be sure that the tinmans character is at 100 % and if he's ok
Perhaps Ken would update his model size to the character size?

The dais look much better than the old one...IMO

Any plan for a carpet going from the throne chair to the exit ?
and what about a little table with a oil can next to the throne? just an idea

Al

Seems like this might be important enough to build into the throne no? We already have a table for the chess and scarecrow is also there. I'm sure I could add a little platform to the handle of the throne. It'd make the throne more unique/memorable too.

Why not Ken ! good idea !
Give it a try...

PS: if you can move the chair arm outward a bit , it will look just fine.
and put it silver / grey/ thin or something ....no gold on thin castle

Al

Couldn't the tin servant come up to tinman with a tray with an oil can on it? Why does he need it at his throne?

Ken,I think mpeak2 have a good point..
It would be better to get a servant having a oil can on a cabaret .
maybe the servant can leave the cabaret on a little table ? nearby

anyway those are accesories... just be sure we can go back easily on throne chair.

Is someone would like to start on castle corridor set ?
From Jody and Rodger modeling part it would give the general line ...

Thanks
Al

Are Woot's stool, the Scarecrow's throne/table, his chess board and the chess pieces on SVN yet?

I don't think so Ed,
Those chess board and pieces are new elements isn't it

for Scarcrow's chair and Woot's stool , some proxie are available in proxie set...
or in some blocking set. don't know exactly which one.

I'm not aware of the chess modeling , it is not on our do-list for the moment
Since there's some special acting with the chess pieces ...maybe they should be treat as character ?

keep me posted about that ...

thanks
Al

The proxies that I'm using now aren't very good at all. In fact, they look nothing like the current set. Maybe I'm using the wrong proxy? The Scarecrow's seat is strangely high and I doubt that's how the final will look. The chess board isn't really important but the furniture in the room is.

I agree.

I've added a few groups to better integrate the dais into the room. I'll be sending new files to Jody's FTP site sometime tomorrow.